I’m Changing Everything!

This is a time of massive change for me, and with it can come a new beginning for you. I’m going to offer some shocking price specials, something you haven’t seen me do before, but I’m committing fully to an entirely new chapter and you stand to gain in more ways than one!

Whether you’re a fitness professional or someone looking to improve your life through a powerful program of movement and nutrition, I’m about to offer you some insane, very limited, but very real opportunities. This email is just a first announcement, as 45 days from now whatever inventory is left will be sold through auction (likely at higher prices than I’m offering here) but if you want to take advantage of a once-and-only-once offer, here’s your chance.

Let’s start with the key changes:

After 30 years of doing what I do, helping people build muscle, burn fat, and find physical change, the last few years of my life have given me entirely new direction. I unexpectedly had to step onto the “patient” side of medicine, and wow, did that open up a learning experience. That experience was challenging, at times debilitating, but incredibly valuable. Today I want to save lives, return lives, and preserve lives and for the 296 people who have experience the life-altering change my ALIVE program offers, it’s already happened!

I’ve learned so much in the last three years, I’ve developed such powerful relationships with experts in health, healing, medicine, and bioscience, I’ve decided:

1. I’m going to walk away from my nutritional supplement business, even though it’s generated millions of dollars. I mean walk away . . . and attach to a different product line (based on shocking information the mainstream nutritional world hasn’t discovered yet). My EAT! formula, my flagship meal replacement for the better part of 20 years, is now gong away, and for very good reason.

2. I’m going to stop producing / selling my best selling programs, TRANSFORM and The ANSWER, even though they’re every bit as effective today as they have been for the tens of thousands of people who traded their bodies for new ones.

3. I’m going to commit to directing 100% of my focus to growing my new A.L.I.V.E. protocol in an attempt to introduce America, personal trainers, the fitness field, and the medical field to Aggressive Lifestyle Intervention Through Variable Exercise. It isn’t as much a radical departure from what I’ve always done as it is an evolutionary process that has come with time and learning.

So what does this mean for you? Well, a great deal . . . but right now it means you can get stuff cheap! Honestly. But the offers I’m about to make are only in place until all inventory is gone. There isn’t any catch other than you have to act before we’re sold out. Note that the prices do not include shipping. You’ll pay only established UPS rates to get your order shipped to you. Ready? OK, here we go . . .

1. You can order TRANSFORM, the $249 program, for only $49.97 (only 46 complete programs complete with DVD’s, audio CD’s, and manual, available at this price). The TRANSFORM! program has proven to be my most effective program to date, and it continues to transform bodies and lives throughout the world. It’s the program so many of the top infomercial “programs” were built upon. It’s given 50,000 people worldwide new bodies and it can do the same for you. It’s served as a vehicle for personal trainers to guarantee results with all of their clients. It comes with over 16 hours of information and a 17-week program built on science, evidenced by people from every walk of life. If you want to lose fat, lean down, build muscle, or get all-out buff . . . this really is an ONLY CHANCE EVER. Click here to get $200 off of the $249 price!

2. You can order the ANSWER for only $17 + shipping (only 86 available). The ANSWER is the simple 17-day program I developed for those who found TRANSFORM intimidating, who thought 17 weeks seemed like an eternity. It comes with a book you can read in 90 minutes, an audio CD featuring excerpts from my seminars, and a one-page-per-day simple-to-follow program that is guaranteed to kick up metabolism, increase energy, demonstrate changes in body composition, reduce body fat and body weight, and most of all, empower you for ongoing continuous progress beyond Day 17. Click here, place your order, and you’ll receive the book and audio CD in a hard case, normally $39.99, for only $17!

3. You can order a free container of RELOAD for every container you order at the discounted price of $31.77. That means you can get two 2-pound containers of the best post-exercise recovery drink on the planet for less than the regular price of one (while supplies last). RELOAD has proven to be an incredible supplement for those seeking increased endurance, performance boost, muscle growth, and power. It combines a handful of sound, proven, research-driven nutritional strategies for optimizing the post-workout state. There is no other product on the market anywhere that compares to RELOAD. Click here and you can get two containers for only $31.77.

In the weeks and months to come, I’ll share events that highlight my direction, insights that will shock you, wow you, and empower you, and I’ll grow A.L.I.V.E. through two distinct pathways . . . .

One “pathway” is my ASPIRE program, an interactive 16-week learning experience which will train fitness and medical professionals to master the science behind ALIVE

The other will be the release of a new book, the international remote conducting of the ALIVE program online, and affiliations with select hospitals and health clubs throughout the country.

Fitness professionals will receive a separate email providing a first-ever opportunity to connect with the last live Be Better Project program beginning in May for a never-before-offered price as well as some other specials on existing products.

Be Better is only open to 27 fitness pros, so if you’re anxious and interested, send an email to phil@philkaplan.com requesting a “time to talk” and we can schedule a 15-minute one-on-one chat.

Everyone else . . . don’t say I didn’t warn you. Hesitation has a cost! Order whichever of these offerings will best serve you . . . but order now!

The Plague is REAL!

Last night I did a seminar for 500 employees of the Memorial Hospital System* in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.   A year ago, I might have been amazed by what I would have found to be an amazing phenomenon.  More than 70% of the people in attendance had at least one chronic disease.

Why is it a phenomenon?

THEY WORK IN A HOSPITAL!

A year ago, I wasn’t as aware of the magnitude of the epidemic.  I knew the statistics were staggering, but I would have thought that those who are immersed within the medical field would have a greater concern for or a greater understanding of their own health, fitness, and well being.  I’ve learned.  It’s more than an epidemic.  It’s a plague.  You can ignore it, you can decide it doesn’t affect you, and you can decide that your own struggles with fitness are simply personal, or genetic, or the result of some absence of willpower.

If you’re willing to acknowledge that at some level you feel an absence of control, whether you were diagnosed with a blood sugar irregularity, an inflammatory issue, hypertension, or a hormonal imbalance, I can help you regain control, and I’m doing it Thursday evening at 7 PM Eastern.

I’m conducting the ALIVE seminar via web, the same seminar I conducted for select groups around the country.  You’ll learn some shocking truths, and more importantly, you’ll come to understand how to speed metabolism, how to regain lost fitness, how to rediscover lost elements of youth, how to minimize your exercise time and maximize the results, and perhaps most importantly, how to move away from disease . . . constantly moving toward a greater level of health and well being.

How much is it you ask?  Pennies.  2012 pennies that is.  You can attend for only $20.12.   If you haven’t been to ALIVE “Live,” attend online and find a new power of change.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

REGISTER NOW!

When It Hurts, It Hurts . . When it Stops . . . You Weigh Less!

I have a client who suffers from debilitating migraines. She’s been exercising and eating sensibly for years, but when the headaches kick in, she is barely functional. She’s tried meds, acupuncture, even Botox, but every time she’d get her hopes up, the headaches would return, and worse. While my clients understand a session is a commitment set in stone, I’ve learned to forgive her on days she suffers. Her acceptance of the debilitating pain would reveal itself every time she repeated her mantra, “when it hurts, it hurts.” It was her way of saying, she’s helpless. There’s nothing she can do.

She started using AMASAI and drinking REIGN water. She hasn’t had a migraine since. That’s the most thrilling outcome she could have imagined, so powerful that it overshadowed the 6 pound fat loss she experienced after adding two understated products to what was already “clean eating.”

I love this . . . and I hate it. I love it because I’ve continued to discover that in many cases of pain and chronic disease, we have greater power than the medical and pharmaceutical fields have led us to believe. I hate it because I’ve seen so many scams promoting select compounds as curative it raises every red flag in my brain.

I don’t know that the AMASAI cured her migraine condition. In fact, I doubt it did, but likely it replaced or acted to battle something else. While medicine links symptoms to cures, we’re learning at higher levels how closely symptoms are linked to the gut, how closely the gut is tied to the mind, and how strong the link between emotion, mindset, and physiology.

Three years ago, I added a symptoms checklist to my intake assessment for new personal training clients. There are roughly 40 symptoms that are scored with a “never, sometimes, sometimes severe, or always,” scoring system. It asks for ratings in categories including burning, blood shot, or watery eyes, scratchy throat, dry skin, chapped or dry lips, nagging shallow cough, anxiety, trouble sleeping, difficulty with short term memory, and irritability. I am not a doctor and I stay fully within the scope of practice of a personal trainer, so no evaluation is made as to what may be causing the symptoms. We simply document the anecdotal scoring as a baseline.

8 weeks later we repeat the questionnaire and I’ve been amazed by how radically symptoms lessen or go away completely. I don’t chalk it up to anything other than “using exercise and eating interventions to bring things into balance.” Symptoms are signs of imbalances, and we’re gifted at birth with an incredible ability to maintain homeostasis. Bad habits, bad choices, or acting upon bad information are primary culprits in causing the balance to shift.

I spoke with Dr. Dan Pompa, a driven medical professional who works to educate doctors and health practitioners about the effects of toxicity, and I shared the story of the woman with the migraines. He wasn’t surprised. He told me that in his practice he’s seeing radical shifts in reduction of symptoms because of the probiotics and the ideal blend of nutrients in AMASAI. He has a slew of stories to tell about shifts in patient health . . . but he’s most passionate in describing the impact AMASAI had upon his son who suffered for years with digestive concerns.

What is AMASAI? The best I can describe it . . . it’s a cultured dairy product with the consistency of smooth yogurt. It isn’t, however, the yogurt Jamie Lee Curtis hands people on the TV commercials. What commercial dairy manufacturers do is deliver quantity by compromising nutrient value beginning at the very source, beginning at the way the cow that provides the milk is fed. AMASAI is as close to natural as we can get. It comes from Greenfed cattle (commercially raised cattle are fed grains which is not their natural diet and leads to an onslaught of health challenges). It doesn’t have a token amount of probiotics, those healthy little bacterial protectors that act within the gut to keep things functioning optimally, but it has 30 different probiotics that can work to restore balance to a compromised digestive system. The milk isn’t chemically treated, excessively heat processed, and it retains its healthy fats which in and of themselves have stunning health properties.

This is the first of short series of articles I’ll write laying out the initial appeal and the increasingly compelling reason for me to sing the praises of Beyond Organic foods.

The next email will reveal a weight loss study. Hmmm. Why wait. I’m on a roll. I’ll keep going . . .

I’m the biggest skeptic there is, and for the last twenty-five plus years I’ve been the “go-to guy” for people to ask, “does this work?” In the great majority of cases, whether we’re looking at weight loss magnets, weight loss smoothies, or a weight loss cactus, the answer is NO.

With my skeptical nature and my long-established resources, I can comfortably say I’m sold on the nutritional value of AMASAI. I’m sold on the health benefits of the Beyond Organic Greenfed Meats and Cheeses.

I’m not yet sold on the weight loss (fat loss) potential of a nutritional strategy utilizing two of the Beyond Organic products, but I will say I’m intrigued, hopeful, and open-minded.

Remember earlier I told you about Joan, the migraine lady? I mentioned that because she was so positively charged about the absence of her pain she barely paid attention to a 6 pound fat loss. She wasn’t on a starvation plan. She simply substituted AMASAI for her breakfast and had two fruit-infused REIGN waters, one before lunch, one before dinner. Of course she ate well all along, and she exercised, but something changed during the course of this shift.

I started researching these products further. One of the ingredients in the fruit-infused water is an extract of African Mango called Irvingia gabonensis (African Mango is easier to say). This isn’t a new twist on magic berries or a plunge into something resembling the grapefruit diet. This really does appear to have merit. There were two very credible research studies, the most recent in 2009, that demonstrated weight loss attributed to the use of Irvingia gabonensis over a 10 week period. There was a control group. The study was peer reviewed. It wasn’t funded by a major company with an agenda. At least as an observer, I can say it was on the up and up.

The science behind the effect seems genuine. It isn’t a magical effect but rather a long-documented effect of fiber. Unlike the fiber in over the counter products that are tough to get down, this is a water soluble fiber such as the fiber found in apples. It has a bulk-forming laxative property. This delays gastric emptying (the speed with which nutrients leave the stomach) and allows for a more gradual release of glucose. It follows that with a slowed gastric emptying and a more controlled passing of glucose through the wall of the digestive tract, this would work to improve insulin function, reduce insulin resistance, and allow for a hormonal environment ideal for fat loss.

Interestingly, water soluble fibers are binding agents and they bind bile acids in the gut and force them out of the system. The body is therefore required to produce more bile acids, the source of those bile acids being cholesterol, so the cholesterol in your body can be used efficiently and not allowed to convert to the oxidized LDL’s that can block vessels.

Reign Water

After seeing Joan’s weight loss, after speaking with Dr. Pompa at length, and after digging deep into the research, I decided to do an informal but very insightful experiment. I want to take 30 people through a 30-day regimen where they replace their breakfast with AMASAI and drink two fruit-infused REIGN waters a day. There isn’t any prize (beyond health benefits). This isn’t a contest. This is what I believe to be my healthy skepticism putting a theory to the test.

If you want to try AMASAI and REIGN water and participate in the study, send me an email (phil@philkaplan.com) with the Subject: Weight Loss Study and I’ll contact you with instructions. You will have to buy a 30-day supply of AMASAI and REIGN water. As of the moment I’m sending this, I have 16 people “signed on.” If you want to be a part of this, email me now.

In a follow up note I’ll share details on the VALUE Pack, an opportunity to try all of the Beyond Organic products for a stellar savings.

Note: The study is being conducted by a number of health professionals and fitness professionals. If you are a personal trainer, have interest in connecting with the Beyond Better product line and want to put 2 – 4 of your clients through the study, share your interest level in the email you send me.

Additional Note: If you want to try an assortment of the Beyond Organic products, Jordan Rubin, the founder of the company, has put together a short-term offer for a Value Pack. You’ll get preferred customer status (to save 20% on all products) and $107 worth of products for only $50. Try AMASAI, Beyond Organic Dark Chocolate, Greenfinished beef and cheese and more.  Click the cart below.

Apples Aren’t Apples . . . 2012 is on the way

It’s happening.  It’s the day after Thanksgiving.  By the time the clock hit 8 AM, two beautiful women, each about ready for the cover of a magazine, had expressed their dissatisfaction.  They told me they were fat.  I know, that happens . . . but . . . that wasn’t an isolated incident.  The parking lot at the mall was packed when I hit the gym at 7 AM.  People will stand in line ready to trample each other to save $50 on an X-Box or get a king-sized mattress complete with comforter set for only $299.

In the gym, people of all ages, shapes, and sizes examined the cardio equipment revealing their lack of familiarity.  To top it off, I had 1200 emails go into my Junk folder offering everything from Viagra to weight loss cookies at a “Black Friday discount.”

What does it all mean?  The Holiday season is upon us.  Tents are springing up in empty lots for Christmas tree sales.  The stress of “what should I buy her” will begin to take hold.  The dread of spending days with family members people manage to avoid all year will grow like a plague.  And . . . people will have lots of fun, they’ll experience love, they’ll connect and disconnect, and when it’s all said and done, they’ll land at that place of regret and hopefulness, the New Year’s Resolution.

The smart ones will plan now, and if you’re planning on earning your living in the field of personal training, I’ve got some news for you.  2012 can be the year you find your professional place, financial freedom, career security, and a sense of your own untapped potential.  2012 is the year you should join me and a handful of your peers in a groundbreaking program aimed at helping personal trainers find unprecedented growth by filling a gaping hole that sits between conventional medicine and mainstream fitness.  We can help people as we never have before, and I’ll show you precisely how.

2012 is different than any other time in history.  Why?  Well, as I’ve stated in several recent articles and appearances, the landscape has changed radically.

In 2012, apples are not apples, and I mean that literally.

In 2012, wheat is not wheat.

In 2012 men are not men (at least not as medical history records them).

In 2012, meat is not meat.

Have I just accidentally created a tragic poem?  I think I have.  Apples aren’t apples, wheat isn’t wheat, men aren’t men, and meat isn’t meat.

And that’s only the beginning!

Over the next few months, I’ll share some of the realities that are guaranteed to shock you, some that will infuriate you, and some that will force you to change your course of action if the outcome you seek is long term health.  I’ll help you understand why the apples you buy in the grocery store have as much resemblance to the apples you ate as a child as Sid the Science Kid has to Charlie Sheen (you have to have a child under 9 to appreciate the reference).  The key to the degradation lies in man’s flawed fondness for making things better through science and technology . . . and his willingness to mess with nature’s perfection, usually in quest of dollars and more dollars.

When I say wheat is not wheat, that too is literal.  What we eat in our “healthy bran muffins” and “whole wheat” cereals has been so genetically altered our body’s fail to recognize it as what was once nature’s gift.  Dr. Blweiss shared this and other insights in a recent interview I did with him.  If you haven’t heard him speak, download the presentation and listen.

Men are not men . . . in a nutshell . . . suggests that our environment and the stuffs we ingest via touching, eating, and breathing so alter our hormonal systems that reduced testosterone levels are epidemic, and worse yet, many of the chemical compounds released into our environment mimic estrogen to blur the lines between the genetic codes of the sexes.

Don’t get me started on meat.  You can get a sense of the problem by reading my article, “What’s up on the Dairy Farm,” or my previous blog entry “Why did Our Grandparents Eat Steak and Thrive?”  When you understand how livestock are raised, treated, and prepared, whether you’re eating animal meat or dairy that comes from commercially raised livestock, you’re consuming toxins, drugs, and a host of inflammatory compounds that move you closer and closer to what we’d recognize as disease.

The years from 2005 – 2011 were tremendous learning years for me.  I’ve gained new insights, new knowledge, and new recognition of both the problems we’ve never faced before, and the solutions that allow us to successfully pursue health and longevity in an age where the odds are quickly stacking against us.

I’ll be sharing insights into how personal trainers can guide people through new strategies that reverse the disease continuum and almost miraculously restore health.  I’ll be sharing new insights into the physical links between mind, body, and DNA expression, and demonstrate how we can align motivation, adherence, and clarity to help people find new empowerment.  This is being offered for personal trainers in my ASPIRE program.

If you’re a personal trainer, and you have interest, I’ll simply say, it’s affordable, it promises to deliver far more value than you expect even now, and it will prove itself to be the best career investment you’ve ever made.  Interested?  Then introduce yourself to me, tell me a bit about what you do for a living, and what you ASPIRE to be, do, and have in the year(s) to come!

For everyone else . . . stay tuned.  Lot’s of information to come.  Stay connected with me on Facebook, through my blogs, and in 2012 I’ll return to the radio and TV spreading a refined message of empowerment.  For now, hold on to your sensibility as you enjoy the Holiday Season, and while others give in to temptation, abandon, and just plain bad decisions, you can use the better part of the next 6 weeks to arrive at 2012 in outstanding condition!

(and . . . for those seeking physical change . . . I’ll be conducting a remote version of my ALIVE program beginning in late January, just in time for a Resolution Rescue.  Stay tuned!)

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving and an ease-filled glide through the weeks ahead!

Phil

Why did our grandparents eat steak and thrive?

WHY DID OUR GRANDPARENTS EAT THE FOODS WE FEAR . . . AND REMAIN HEALTHY?

There’s a reason, and understanding it will change your life!

I’m going to invite you to learn some powerful and mind-blowing insights related to the food we eat . . . even the “healthy food’ we eat.  I’m going to introduce you to an incredible man who I both admire and trust, Jordan Rubin.  I’m also going to invite you to meet Jordan, Sunday evening, in a webinar, and I can promise you this.  Your understanding of “food” will never ever ever be the same.

Before I direct you to meet Jordan, to register for the webinar (complimentary), I want to tell you about Grandpa Joe.  I’ll also tell you about Dr. Michael Colgan.  Then . . . the invitation.  Here we go . . .

My Grandpa Joe was one of the strongest men I ever knew.  He wasn’t a bodybuilder, but just a strong, powerful, energetic farm-raised working man with a heart of gold and a contagious confidence.  Every morning he’d eat steak and eggs.

 That’s right.  Steak and eggs.  He didn’t exercise, but he did drink milk by the gallon.  With all of that meat and dairy, I always wondered why he remained so athletic until his only illness, albeit a terminal one, took hold (and there’s a wild story behind his passing that I’ll save for another conversation).  Grandma Tillie, Joe’s wife and my Mom’s mother, lived to 101.  At the age of 100 she had uplifting conversations with my then-four-year-old daughter and the two of them had an incredible bond.  People loved Grandma Tillie for her wisdom, her heart, her caring, and her energy . . . yes . . . energy . . . at 100 years old.  Did she diet?  No, never.  She ate meat, potatoes, milk and eggs for a century, and enjoyed all of those foods the diets over the past few years told us to avoid.  Sure, Atkins said to eat steak and eggs . . . but Grandma Tillie and Grandpa Joe also ate bread, potatoes, corn, and . . . . even baked goods, some with chocolate chips!  With the exception of their final days, I don’t recall them ever being sick.

I hear many stories of healthy grandparents who ate what we now refer to as “fattening foods.”  This raises a question.  How come they were able to . . . and today we seek out “organic,” “natural,” and “low-fat” and we still struggle with health and body weight?

Our society has been convinced that people have become deconditioned primarily because of the technological boom that allowed us to sit at computers instead of plowing fields.  That certainly plays a role, but think a bit further . . . . most people have tried to “eat better.”  Most people have tried to exercise, and even with exercise absent, the decline in our health is unnatural.  It’s unprecedented.  Never in history has the health of the human population declined so rapidly.  Sure, drug companies come to the rescue to keep us alive . . . but . . . what happened to “natural health” being bestowed upon a population?

I now understand why our grandparents were able to eat in a manner that today raises eyebrows, and when you fully grasp the magnitude of the “why,” it should shock you, piss you off, and drive you to do something about it, at least for yourself and your own family.

The reality is, our food supply is toxic.  Even the “health” foods we’ve been driven to seek out fall in to a corrupt system that allows manufacturers to take dastardly shortcuts protected by the forces we are led to believe protect us (FDA, USDA, etc).  I know this sounds like a conspiracy theory, but it isn’t rooted in paranoia.  This is real.

Enter Jordan Rubin (the New York Times bestselling author of the Maker’s Diet).  Jordan suffered with Crohn’s disease as a young man and if you see his “then” picture you’d be stunned (you’ll see it in the short video I’m about to refer you to).  He found health by making radical shifts in the food he consumed, and after gaining extreme health, he started Garden of Life, one of the most successful nutritional supplement companies with products made from real, organic, whole foods.

After cultivating, growing, and ultimately selling Garden of Life, Jordan traveled to Africa doing mission work and found incredible insights related to the way the Masai eat.  That opened his eyes to a new possibility, and he’s gone to the most extreme and admirable lengths I’ve ever seen anyone go to in the hope of bringing about a positive health shift in the United States.

Jordan literally “bought the farm.”  He bought land in Missouri and began learning dairy farming.  He intended to re-create food as it existed decades, scores, and hundreds of years ago, untarnished by pesticides, chemicals, toxins, and drugs.  He grew the grass.  Fed the calves in wide open pastures, and allowed the forces of God and nature to re-acquaint us with “real food,” the type of food Grandma Tillie and Grandpa Joe ingested for optimal health throughout their long and fulfilling lives.
Here’s a hard hitting reality. The wheat we eat today is NOT wheat, at least not as it was 30 years ago.  The meat we eat is NOT meat, at least no “as it used to be,” and the dairy available in our marketplace is so far from nature it’s almost a non-food.  The medical field wants us to believe “we’re changing and have to modify our food intake.”  The reality is, our food has changed in such a way that it brings us cellular hardship manifesting in disease.

A few years ago, I spoke with a mentor and friend, Dr. Michael Colgan, and he said something that was profound, but at the time sounded cuckoo.  He said, “Phil, I want you to teach your clients that health and fitness have little to do with calories.  Optimal health comes from eating light.”  He didn’t mean “light” mayo, he meant sunlight.  At the time I was puzzled, but now I get it.

The food that nourishes us at a cellular level is food that originated from the energy thrown off by the sun.  This was revealed and validated in a landmark study, The Human Genome project, where science came to understand human health on an entirely new plane.  It’s amazing we had to evolve so far into science that we had to wait until we understood how to read DNA, photograph cells, and study millions of miniscule events that all take place every minute while we eat, sleep, and breathe before science exposed the huge gap between the food we’re intended to eat, and the food we eat.

When grass, and clover, and kale, and wild herbs grow naturally, they serve as the food source for the livestock we may ultimately consume.  Even carnivores feed on herbivores.  Today we consume salmon spawned on farms without ever being exposed to sunlight.  We consume beef that comes from cows that have never even seen a true blade of grass.  Even our grass fed livestock are fed genetic mutations of grass.  Today I completely get it.  Health comes from healthy cells, and healthy cells are nourished by foods containing the energy of the sun.  I know it still sounds far-fetched, but it helps to explain why, over the last 30 years, as our food supply moved away from “nature,” diseases have escalated to epidemic proportions in younger and younger segments of our population.  Dr. Colgan believes so strongly in his assertions, he moved from California to Salt Spring British Columbia and eats only what is grown or caught locally.  When you understand the extreme degradation of our food supply, you’ll go to extreme lengths to feed yourself and your family optimally.

You don’t have to move to an island.  You just have to gain new insight, and Jordan Rubin is shining the light of insight for all of those willing to pay attention.  Beyond Organic launches in a matter of days.  The name is important to understand.

“Organic” has become a marketing vehicle, a word that can be plastered on food items that are anything but natural utilizing loopholes in labeling laws.  Beyond Organic is real, natural food, and in that, it’s filled with essential fats, probiotics, the highest quality proteins, and all of those “supplements” the health food stores convince us we need.  We do “need” these vital nutrients, but we don’t “need” supplements.  We “need” to get our nutrition from real, natural, food.

Jordan has been kind enough to accept my invitation to do a teleconference on Sunday evening at 8 PM Eastern Time and I’m personally inviting you to attend.  It will run 45-50 minutes and will present, not only shocking insights into nutrition and health, but also a rare opportunity to spread the word and prosper.

Right now, go to the following link, watch the 7-minute video, and then sign up as an Insider.
www.beyondorganicinsider.com/becomeaninsider.aspx?enroller=38882

October 31st is the last chance to gain “founder” status, which comes with an opportunity to earn as well as incentives to get your own Beyond Organic foods for free.  I know “last chance” is so overused we tend to dismiss those words, and this isn’t a last chance to eat Beyond Organic, but the door really does close on this opportunity as soon as this company launches.

You want to be there.  Sign up as an Insider (with no cost or obligation) and confirm attendance on Sunday’s webinar with myself and Jordan Rubin, the founder of Beyond Organic.
So . . . here’s what you do.

FIRST: Go to www.beyondorganicinsider.com/becomeaninsider.aspx?enroller=38882
Watch the video and register as an Insider

SECOND: Go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/764806008

The webinar is Sunday, October 30, at 8 PM Eastern Time and should run about 45 minutes.  You don’t want to miss this.  The opportunity to connect as an Insider and a Founder disappears the following day, so while you can inquire as to Beyond Organic foods at any time, get the full picture with the man and the small and awe-inspiring team behind Beyond Organic Sunday!

Questions?  Email me (phil@philkaplan.com).  Between now and Sunday evening I’ll do the best I can to reply promptly to emails that come in related to Beyond Organic

What Are We Doing? Do We Even Know?

This morning, as I was drinking my Vanilla EAT! shake made with almond milk, a bit of added fiber, some probiotics, and frozen strawberries, I saw a little winged bug land right inside my frothy glass.  I removed it.  Then I consumed the entire shake . . . and I liked it.

Before I get further into the bug anecdote, let’s consider the provocative title of this piece.  I posed two questions in the headline, and I’ll answer the second one.

Do we know what we’re doing? 

Now I’ll answer my own question.

No.  We don’t! 

We don’t know what we’re eating, we don’t know what we’re drinking, we don’t know what we’re breathing, and we certainly don’t know what we’re doing to our next generation.

OK, some of you are already offended.  If that’s what it takes to get your attention, so be it.  Let me explain my assertion by presenting two different categories of “we.”

There is the “we” that is mankind, those bound by human nature, those who learn by mimicking others, who find their place within organizations of like minded people, and those well-intentioned people can be either great providers . . . or can be manipulated into doing harm.

Then there’s the other “we.”  There is the “we” we know as the richest, the biggest, and the best, the “we” that, despite a lack of willingness to take required action, most people wish they could climb alongside of.  It’s within this category that the problem lies.

Before I share my unsolicited societal commentary, let me identify the problem.  There are three part of it.

1. The air you breathe
2. The food you eat and beverage you drink
3. The shelter you choose to live in

I watched that bug land in my shake.  I saw it, with my own eyes.  I knew it was in there.  Knowing there was something I didn’t want to ingest in the shake I was about to drink gave me a great power.  The power to remove it.

I know what’s in my EAT! formula as I formulated it, I buy the raw materials, I have very strict guidelines and I require an assay on every new batch.  I know the purity of the fiber I use.  I know the source of my probiotics.  I buy frozen organic strawberries from outside of the U.S., and with all of that energy and effort, I’m still unsure what is in there that I can’t see.

Are the strawberries really organic? Were pesticides ever used on the soil in which they were grown?  Were they picked under sterile conditions? Is the container of almond milk manufactured with phthalates or BHA’s?  What are those? I’ll get to it.  Bear with me.

I know I’m starting to sound paranoid.  I’m not.  I’m more aware than ever, and while I don’t pretend to have the answers, I do now know enough to help people make better decisions, and hopefully stimulate some action that leads to a healthier environment and with that a healthier population.

When we talk about “environment,” we tend to think of the world outside.  For the moment, consider your immediate environment, the home you live in.  It may not be as friendly as you believe.

I have tested the air quality in my two year old home and found formaldehyde levels are excessive.  I just saw a commercial that tries to discourage people from cigarette smoking by showing a young girl in a classroom asking her male classmate if he’s going to drink the embalming fluid the frog he’s dissecting is immersed in.  It follows with a tag, “cigarettes contain formaldehyde.”  That’s intended as an acceptable deterrent.  Nobody would argue the dangers of smoking.

Here’s the scary part.  The formaldehyde in my home, and in almost all new construction homes built after 2000, has nothing to do with cigarettes.  It’s emitting from the paint, from the carpet, from the drywall, from the insulation, from the pressed wood cabinet shelves, and from the furniture.  I wouldn’t drink frog embalming fluid, but being unaware of the chemicals in my home, I inhaled the toxic chemical that is being used to dissuade people from smoking.

Formaldehyde is only one of the toxic aldehydes, and they’re used in almost all building materials, even lumber you might purchase at a lumber yard.

At this point you might dismiss me with the words, “aldehydres smaldehydes” (OK, maybe few people would use those words but you might use other words to dismiss me).  After all, you’ve lived in your home or apartment and haven’t gotten ill.

In my A.L.I.V.E. seminar I reframe the concept of disease.  Disease is a continuum.  Most people think they’re “sick” on the day they’re diagnosed, but diseases are self-perpetuating, and they start with microtrauma at a cellular level.  You can see the bug in the drink, but you can’t see the oxidative stress taking place in your body.  I’m suggesting, we, as a population, can significantly reduce the epidemic of inflammatory disease, cancer, brain disease, circulatory disease, and respiratory disease if we become proactive, first as individuals, then as clusters of people, and finally in a widespread population change.

One of the top doctors in Environmental Medicine, Dr. William Rea, uses the metaphor of a rain barrel.  When our detox systems are functioning well, we can eliminate many of the toxins we are exposed to, but once the level of oxidative stress exceeds “the rim,” all of those chemical toxins become firstly disruptive, and then cellular poisons.   Rarely will someone with cancer be told it might have been perpetuated by the cosmetics they used, but evidence is mounting to show indisputable correlations.

So far I mentioned only formaldehyde as “the bug in the drink you can’t see,” but here’s a tiny sampling (this could be the beginning of a virtual encyclopedia as 1500 new chemicals are released into the environment every year) of the chemicals “regular people living regular lives” are exposed to daily:

¡  Oxybenzone (cosmetics, creams, moisturizers) – disrupts hormonal levels.  97% of Americans have potentially harmful levels based on a large scale urine sampling

¡  Fluoride (toothpaste, tap water) – Previously accepted levels have been evidenced to have neurotoxic effects

¡  Parabens – (preservatives used in non-edible consumable products like shaving cream and hair products) – causes severe hormone disruptions in animals and recent animal studies show a depressed resistance against cancer

¡  Phthalates – (chemicals that make plastics soft and resilient found in toys, food packaging, plastic containers, cosmetic packaging, household product wrapping) -  increases in estrogen, reduction in testosterone, reduced sperm count, and increased likelihood of liver cancer.

¡  Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) – (added to extend shelf life of snack foods, chewing gum, and packaged baked goods) – promotes development of cancer cells

¡  Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) – used in teflon cookware and found in tap water.  Research shows radical endocrine shifts and animal research shows reproductive abnormalities.  Found in increasing levels in the environment and in human blood.

¡  Perchlorate – (an oxidative compound used in rocket fuel, flares, and found in tap water, bottled water bottled in the U.S., soil, vegetables grown under standard farming practices in the U.S., and cow’s milk from cows feeding on perchlorate-ridden grasses) – disrupts thyroid function, damages cellular membranes, slows metabolism.

¡  Decabromodiphenyl Ether (DECA) – (a flame retardant used in electronics, furniture, carpet) – proven to lead to irreversible cognitive impairment and memory loss as well as decreased sperm count.

So what can you do?  I’m going to develop a portal, an informational site where you can learn to make better choices, to protect yourself, and to create awareness.  I’ve already recruited some of the top experts from the fields of environmental medicine and research science to contribute to this site.  You’ll learn to find and select foods, cosmetics, and products that are as close to toxin-free as we can get, and as the demand for these products increases, manufacturers will be forced to change common practices.

I know what some of you are thinking.   “I already buy “green.”  Green is a term given to the Al Gore driven theories, and in some cases I’d have to say facts, related to global warming, but “protecting the planet” has little to do with “protecting the people.”   We need to understand that our planet is a biological wonder, but so too is each of our bodies, and as we drift further away from natural balance, we can only do harm.  Start by protecting yourself, and then, collectively we’ll protect the ozone layer.

I don’t want to veer toward being political, but I do want you consider a few realities.  I’ll pose them as questions:

Why is autism so commonplace today?

Why is ADHD now an acceptable diagnosis for “regular kids?”

Why do they need a peanut free section in my daughter’s school cafeteria?

These weren’t concerns when I was in school.  Our innate biology hasn’t changed, so obviously something environmental has.

I present these questions, right now, as simple food for thought.  I can follow with questions about hormonal disruptions, type 2 diabetes, and the emergence of new auto-immune diseases, and I will in weeks and months to come.  I have seen enough, first hand and through credible science, to know that we need change.

This is an introduction to what I hope escalates into a movement.  There’s an irony to this.  I’ve devoted my life and career to helping people get fit and healthy.  In 2005, having never personally dealt with illness,  I was exposed to toxic levels of mold and I’m left with a debilitating condition called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.  I feel as if that was a warning, as if I now have an enhanced awareness and direction, and as I speak to more people, I find more people who are chemically sensitive to the point that this appears to be heading toward the next epidemic.

I continue to share the fitness truth, and now it will be enhanced by helping people fully understand how to find and maintain health in the 21^st century.

If you’ve experienced undue fatigue, digestive challenges, or changes in sex drive after moving into a new work or home environment, I’d love to know.  If you’ve been diagnosed with something that “just doesn’t make sense,” let me know.  If you find yourself suddenly offended by strong fragrances or perfumes, send me a note.  Without putting that request out, I’ve already received over 300 emails from people who “didn’t quite know what was wrong,” ranging from “my mother sleeps all day since she moved into her new apartment” to “suddenly, I can’t stand the smell of my wife’s perfumes.”  I’ve heard of misdiagnoses, crippling episodes of accidental exposures, and whole families, co-workers, or communities finding rare and odd outbreaks.

When we consider fatigue and reduced sex drive, these sound benign, perhaps psychological, but I’ve seen enough to know, these are only a few of the early symptoms that indicate a progressive negative impact by environmental toxins.

I invite your thoughts and comments.

If you care to know about my personal journey with mold illness and chemical sensitivity, visit:

http://aliveandbetter.wordpress.com

If you have interest in finding your own path to fitness, attend my A.L.I.V.E. Webinar on September 15, 2011, available to 99 people worldwide via web and telephone.  It isn’t specific to “toxins,” but rather to gaining control over your own health and fitness.  The A.L.I.V.E. protocol is being revered by those who have experienced it, both as clients and as medical practitioners.  Read more about A.L.I.V.E. here.

They’re Coming ALIVE!

The A.L.I.V.E. program is taking on major steam. It’s helping people, not only regain health, but find a great new power over their own well being. The pilot group in Baltimore kicked ass. I mean, unprecedented fat loss, complaints about “having to buy all new clothes” (that’s the type of complaint I like), and most impressively, before and after lab work that showed radical reductions in blood glucose, in inflammatory biomarkers, and complete reversals of disease trending. In other words, this breakthrough 8-week program is giving people the health and fitness they’d sought after for years.

I just completed a seminar at Martin’s West in Baltimore where 239 people learned the foundational keys that make the A.L.I.V.E. program so powerful. At that 2-hour event we had 24 slots open for the next A.L.I.V.E. group. We sold it out 10 minutes into the break. By the end of the night 36 people (we wound up taking advance registrations for the next group) were ready to enjoy the journey through the 8 week program.

I have a total of only 21 trainers authorized to take people through A.L.I.V.E. and they’re spread out around the continent, from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada to San Diego. Four weeks ago I decided to launch my first “remote” A.L.I.V.E. group, where I conducted the group sessions from Florida, and via webinar, trainers were able to sit with their clients in Connecticut, Philadelphia, and Northern California and the “group” connected in a major way. The experience was yet another breakthrough, as it gave me the confidence I can conduct these groups for individuals who need it without requiring them to travel to Florida or Baltimore.

In September I’ll be launching another remote group. If you have interest, send me an email and I’ll let you know if there’s a trainer in your area who can facilitate the program for you.

If you’re not ready for A.L.I.V.E. what can you do right now? I have the Answer. Literally. The Answer program. I developed it over 10 years ago as a “simpler” version of my TRANSFORM program. The Answer was designed to be affordable, simple to learn, simple to follow, and a path toward quick evidence of forward progress. As I continued to learn and develop new programs, nothing in any of my previous programs was invalidated. I still get emails from Rochester New York from listeners of the Brother Wease show where I was a regular guest, from Philadelphia from listeners of my appearances on Q102, and from Chicago where fans of B96 keep me posted on their progress. The emails typically start with, “X years ago I bought your Answer program and . . . ,” the sentences and paragraphs ending with reports of muscle gain, weight loss, long term results, and better health.

As I further develop A.L.I.V.E., in conjunction with renowned medical groups and respected health clubs with a track record of excellence, I want you to know, you can get the Answer! Best of all, you can get it now for only $25 (normally $39.99). It comes with a book you can read in 90 minutes, an audio CD that allows me to share the key points I make in life-changing seminars, and . . . best of all . . . a 17 Day strategy for physical change. If you’re not ready for ALIVE, not motivated enough for my TRANSFORM program, but want to gain control over the way your body looks and feels, order the Answer!

(Note: and for post-workout recovery, I guarantee there isn’t any product with the combination of effective post-exercise repair and recuperation ingredients equal to RELOAD! Want to find out more about the importance of post-exercise recovery? Read Letter #5 of my Seven Letters . . . read it now!

Mistakes Are Easy to Make in 2011!

While Trainers Should Learn From Mistakes . . .

Consumers in the 21st century are swallowed up by them!

I’m writing this to personal trainers to share with their clients, but I’m also inviting those who are caught up in resolution making to understand their mistakes.

This year I’m re-introducing a program I developed years ago, a program that continues to provide clarity and thrilling outcome. The program is called The ANSWER and it’s a 17-day regimen providing virtually all of the pieces of the results puzzle. I’m offering the program at a ridiculously affordable rate through January 15th. The ANSWER is written and presented for consumers, but personal trainers have found it to be a wonderful solution for clients who have trouble adhering to a regimen. Whether you’re a trainer or a fitness-wanter, you can get my ANSWER program for only $25 while supplies last.
Here are the mistakes people will make in the first 14 days of January:

1. They’ll still pursue diets

The diets have become more sophisticated, they’ve become more scientific, they’ve become more medical, and . . . they’re the same old stinkin’ calorie deprivation that has been plaguing our population for decades. Today you can get a diet that comes with “customized supplement formulas,” another that includes “food juggling (no, not an acrobatic feet but rotating foods to limit each to twice per week),” and you can uncover en entirely new slew of weight loss cookies, weight loss chocolates, and the age-old-but-forever-reinvented weight loss shakes. The bottom line is simple. When you take in fewer calories than your body needs in order to sustain metabolism, you lose weight. The weight loss is a compilation of water (temporary), fat (probably minimal), and muscle (catastrophic). In order to protect you from starvation, your hypothalamus sends out modified signals affecting neurotransmission (brain cell communication). Your appetite is affected adversely and worse yet, little hormonal messengers reduce thyroid hormone production. Sure, you weight less, for a short while, but you’ve programmed the human software to quickly regain the weight. It has nothing to do with willpower. It has everything to do with biochemistry. The key lies in learning to eat meals that are supportive of metabolism and consuming adequate nutrients to allow muscle preservation and fat release.

2. They’ll mis-train or overtrain

Overtraining is commonplace. It’s the curse of the New Years Resolver. Motivation is high, the body’s recovery ability is low. The first few days of January, you arrive at the gym, lift weights, pound out miles on the elliptical, and then you do a few pushups and situps before bed. For a few days you’re motivated and sore. Then . . . just sore. Then . . . you skip a few days and the soreness retreats, but so does the motivation. Mis-training is different. There are so many “gurus” telling people “the best way,” most people get derailed by failing to match the training with the outcome. I see men seeking to reduce their waists pursuing “core training,” cranking out crunches on a stability ball. That’s a mis-take. I see women seeking to find leanness balancing on BOSU balls and learning to squat on an unstable surface. I see people seeking greater performance relying on exercise machines that have nothing to do with real world movement in their elected pursuits. Simplicity is vital for anyone making a resolution, and don’t make the mistake of believing the basics are old school. The basics are the basics because they’re the foundation of what works. You have to move your body through space (as opposed to being locked in on body-part machines), you have to challenge the muscles a bit more than they’re used to being challenged, and you have to strategically use aerobic exercise to optimize the efficiency of the heart and lungs. And then you need to recover (I’ve written several lengthy articles on recovery as it’s the missing piece of most exercise plans).

3. They’ll pursue chemical compounds, oral or injectable

Alli has a new marketing campaign. What they fail to mention is, it is simply the repackaging of the failed weight loss drug Orlistat and before the FTC changed the disclaimer laws, the Orlistat commercials ran the disclaimer at super speed hoping nobody would pay attention to the words anal leakage. Supplements marketed as fat burners are now stacks of stimulants including yohimbe, L-tyrosine, and various forms of caffeine. They’re addictive and potential harmful to the adrenals if used for an extended period of time. They are NOT fat burners. Now medical clinics are offering hormonal injections along with VLCD (very low calorie diets) to preserve muscle while fat is lost. It’s a really cool trick, but not unlike an athlete using steroids for short term gain and long term trouble. Messing with the endocrine (hormonal) system is very risky, as once one hormone is exogenously affected, there is a cascade effect that is difficult to reverse. The bottom line is, you don’t need anything injected, nor do you need to take capsules that alter your functioning systems for short periods of time. You simply need to get the exercise, eating, and recovery components in place. That isn’t as sexy as “get an injection, lose weight,” but it’s far more honest and far more valuable.

4. They’ll cut carbs

Here’s the deal. Carbs are not carbs anymore. I refer to the chemical compounds sold in various forms that our bodies haven’t a clue what to do with. High fructose corn syrup is abundant in the center aisles of the grocery store. It is not a friendly carbohydrate, in fact, it is a villain. It assaults the liver, alters insulin activity, and can lead to inflammation and disease when consumed frequently for an extended period of time. In foods labeled “healthy” you’ll find sugar alcohols, gluten, processed grains devoid of nutrient value, and chemically linked molecules of dextrose and fructose to form sugars. We’re dealing with metabolisms and digestive systems run amuck as these “non-foods” make up near half of our consumer food sales. With that said, natural carbohydrates, including fibers and natural starches, can prove to be the body’s premier energy supply. The difficulty lies in separating “what’s OK” from the items that should be on the “never eat this” list.

5. They’ll rely on aerobic exercise

Doctors still give their patients the one word exercise advice, “walk.” Women still gravitate toward aerobic exercise classes and shy away from weights. Men and women find biking, skating, or running enjoyable and they mistakenly assume it fully takes care of the exercise component. The mix of challenging muscles and challenging the heart and lungs for adequate time periods at adequate intensity is going to result in lean body maintenance, fat loss, strengthening of bone, more efficient metabolic function, improved blood flow, and energy increases, but rely on aerobic exercise at a steady pace and long term benefit will be limited, especially when compared with the results a synergistic program can bring.

6. They’ll make too radical a change and step too far outside of their comfort zones

Perhaps you’ve been there, partied on New Year’s Eve knowing it’s going to be “the last time.” January 1st, or perhaps January 3rd (Monday), you’re going to stop drinking beer, stop eating pizza and desserts, workout every day, and think only positive thoughts. The positive thinking is a good step, but you’ve developed habits that are with you until they’re replaced by new behaviors. Attempting to embrace a radical shift all at once leaves the recipient of your emotional and mental wiring confused. Cravings try to drive you to what you’re body is used to. Reduction in caloric intake leads to energy compromise, and then, before you know it, you’re failing to recover. My 17 Day ANSWER program will teach you the simplicity of change, following seven simple guidelines, and allowing plenty of room to mis-step without “blowing it.”
Want your copy of the ANSWER? It comes with a book you can read in 90 minutes and an audio CD that’s 72 minutes of powerful insights and direction.

You can get the ANSWER now for only $25 (limited time offer).

Happy New Year! Be Better this year than ever!

Phil Kaplan

Releasing The Bars

OK, I’m doing it. Releasing bars.

The clients who go through my TRANSFORM, 21 Day Journey, and ALIVE programs understand . . . . a supportive meal is better than a meal replacement shake. A supportive meal replacement shake is better than a bar. A bar . . . in most cases . . . is equal to candy with added protein. That’s why my clients get SetPoint Bars. We label them privately under the brand, 21 Day Journey, but it’s time to make them available to customers everywhere.

There are two different bars. Energy Bars come in an amazing Graham Cracker flavor (we keep replacing inventory at my health club Fitness 21 as they sell out in a blink), and Protein Bars come in Peanut Butter flavor. My clients find them to be the best tasting bars they’ve ever tried.

Why have I been reluctant to sell them online? Because they are NOT fully supportive. No bars are. I tried to make a bar without sugar and without significant fat . . . and we struck out at every turn. Take out the sugar and the bar turns to mush, even if you sweeten it with some other sweetener, and in order to maintain mouth feel and consistency, if you reduce sugar you have to add fat and vice-versa. I always had the apprehension that if I make them available to customers I don’t have the opportunity to meet, they’ll believe there’s magic in there, and eat 3 – 4 bars a day wondering why they aren’t finding ultimate leanness (hey, it’s my own weird hang-up . . . but . . . I’m putting it aside).

I’ve been prompted and coaxed by people who visit with me from other states. “It would be so great if you had them in your online store.” OK . . . I give.

Most nutritional supplement companies rely on big bold claims on their label to minimize awareness of the blend of ingredients. They may say “30 grams of protein” and neglect to mention there are 50 grams of sugar and 12 grams of fat. The SetPoint bars are different. They aren’t sold commercially. They don’t need big bold claims. They just need experts to understand their value and pass them along to people who want to live a fitness lifestyle in the 21st century.

We typically opt for bars because they’re convenient. Now you don’t have to trade convenience for value. SetPoint bars are made with Brown Rice syrup rather than sucrose. They have an ideal blend of proteins including whey concentrate, milk protein isolate, and caseinate for a mix of fast and slow release proteins. You won’t find any saturated fat or any trans fat. The fats used are from sunflower oil. The sugar is far lower than almost any commercial bar aimed at the fitness market and the taste is enhanced with a bit of sucralose (100 times sweeter than sucrose so a tiny amount is all it takes).

Here’s the Nutrition Info on the Protein Bars:
• Calories 230
• Fat Calories 40 (only 17% of total calories
• Total Fat 4 g (no saturated fat, no trans fat)
• Protein 19 g
• Sugars 3 g
• Fiber 3 g
• Total Carbs 30 g
• Sodium 35 mg
• Calcium 80 mg
• Potassium 360 mg

. . . and the Energy Bars

• Calories 250
• Fat Calories 50 (only 20% of total calories
• Total Fat 6 g (no saturated fat, no trans fat)
• Protein 13 g (impressive amount for an energy bar)
• Sugars 3 g
• Total Carbs 36 g (including slow release maltodextrin)
• Sodium 35 mg
• Calcium 130 mg
• Potassium 270 mg

So why isn’t fit ully supportive? Why have I been so ridiculously reluctant? Because I speak daily about the challenges of attempting optimal energy and leanness with the absurd amount of sugar Americans consume, but it’s time for me to share the realities . . . the composition of ingredients in the energy and protein bars significantly reduces the glycemic load and the nutrient blend is the best I’ve seen in any bar.

Oh, and did I say they taste great?

You can order them from me for the first time ever! Try a box of each!

SetPoint Energy (Graham Cracker)
SetPoint Protein (Peanut Butter)

RECOVERY
I’ve written many articles about “the missing element of Synergy,” recovery. Recovery involves the nervous system, the cardiorespiratory system, the digestive system, and the muscular system and it’s far more complex than “downtime.” The simplest way to ensure adequate recovery, even if getting 8 hours of sleep a night is a challenge, and your days fly by with little time to relax, is to make sure you’re nutritionally equipped to handle exercise recovery, muscular repair, and refilling of energy stores.
That’s why I designed RELOAD, a product amateur and pro athletes have relied on for near a decade. The cost of manufacture has gone up, but for the remainder of this month, I’ll keep the price at $39.99 per container. This pricing will not last, so whether you rely on RELOAD or you’re ready to try it for the first time, there’s no better time to order than right now.

Get RELOAD
Order Three Get One Free (or any mix of EAT and RELOAD)

EAT! Pro! remains my best selling meal replacement . . . for over 12 years! Try EAT in vanilla and chocolate. Great quality. Great taste. I stand behind it.

Beginnings

September is a great time to set some new aspirations. Kids go back to school. Summer’s over. Holidays aren’t here yet. It’s a great time to establish some new (or old) supportive habits. If you need assistance, you can always reach out. Email me directly at phil@philkaplan.com

Wishing you ongoing improvement and stellar health!

Phil Kaplan

http://philkaplan.com

http://destinationfitnessradio.com

RELATED ARTICLES:

Recovery (from the Seven Letters)

Sugar (from the Seven Letters)

Post-Workout Supplementation

ALIVE Program

Read an article from 2003 on bars and meal replacements (the article has been published and replicated over 250 times)

Wisdom, Load, and Recovery

Let’s start with Wisdom.

Here’s a bit of Wisdom.

Recovery is essential to life.

“Ah, great philosopher tell us more.  Can you tell us why the grass grows, where the wind comes from, or why Mel Gibson has unraveled?”

Alas, those mysteries remain too deeply buried for even the wise . . . but I’ve got another blast of Wisdom from the annals of “what I absolutely know.”  Here it is.

RELOAD is, far and away, the best post-exercise recovery aid in existence.

“Well, great sayer of sayings, why is it that the wisdom you so clearly posses only comes with age?”

The answer is simple.  Because we have to test, try, experiment, do stupid things and learn from them, and as if that’s not enough, we have to then experience circumstances, situations, and interpersonal mayhem before we can even come close to a sense of understanding.  Of course, we become delusional along the way.

When we turn 16 we think we know all there is to know, and we have twisted ideas about what it takes to live a fulfilling life.  Of course, when we’re 16 our hormones tell us that sex and conquest are all that matters (girls, you may insert your own “things that mattered.”  I’m 100% certain all the male readers will agree with the two I mentioned.  I remember being 16).

At 16 we have the ability to screw our lives up royally, but thankfully most of us are subjected to the wisdom of parents, teachers, coaches, and elders along the way.

At 19 and 20 we’re equipped for almost anything physical.  We’re not quite sensible yet, but we start to open up to the idea that there’s more to learn.  With that little shift in awareness, we still hold on to delusions of immortality.  “Bring it on!  We can handle it,” and in great part, that’s true.  As we turn the corner into adulthood, our bodies, if we haven’t overburdened them, are prime examples of human development.  Our hormones are balanced, our joints move effortlessly, and . . . here’s the important part . . . we can drink insane amounts of Jack Daniels or Jägermeister, stay out until all hours of the night, eat crappy foods, drink beer out of the pitcher, inhale smoke and toxins and chemicals and after a few Tylenol and a groggy morning, resume a sense of normalcy.  Yes, young adults are given a mix of naiveté and . . . . an amazing ability to recover.

As a 25 year old personal trainer, half my life ago, I was inspirational to my clients.  I empowered them and educated them, but I didn’t fully understand them.  The average age of my clients was 44.  At 44, even with determination, stick-to-it-iveness, and a sense of resolve, you just can’t do what you did 24 years earlier and expect the same outcome.  Although I realized most of my clients weren’t in athlete condition, and although I understood progressive challenge, risk factors, and the foundations of physiology, I didn’t really understand why my clients couldn’t seem to find time to exercise, why they’d often come up with the “exhausted” excuse, or why they failed to follow through on the perfect programs I outlined.

Today I understand.  Improvement, at any age, comes down to the net result of load and recovery.  If the load is too great, or the recovery is insufficient, not only do you fail to progress, but you move in the opposite direction.

Just as strength is a variable, not only among people in a group, but also in an individual based on time and circumstance, recovery ability is a variable.  There are 11 systems of our bodies, and they all require energy to keep us optimally functioning.  If we overtax one, or worse yet, if we overtax and underfuel the entire machine, something somewhere gets compromised.

I have a 3-hour presentation I do for medical and fitness professionals about load and recovery, and I won’t drag this into a chronicle of that curriculum, but I do want you to understand that “recovery” is the vital fourth piece of the synergy puzzle.  If you’ve read anything I’ve ever written, or attended any of my events, you’ve heard me discuss Synergy, the vital integration of the Right Nutrition, Moderate Aerobic Exercise, and a Concern for Muscle.  Those three components are the proactive pieces of the physical betterment puzzle, but there’s also a bit of a passive piece.

Recovery comes from downtime, from allowing the systems of the body to rest, repair . . . and feed.  Your immune system, your endocrine system, your muscular system, and your cardio-respiratory systems need stimulation through “stress” or “load,” and then they need recuperation.

Rest, sleep, and downtime are all parts of recovery, but there’s more.  I mentioned the systems must “feed.”  When fuel is in short supply, cellular repair is going to be inadequate to facilitate improvements in endurance, cardiovascular efficiency, strength, and performance, and whatever load you’re putting your body under, regardless of your age, you need adequate nutrients to meet your recovery needs.

RELOAD is a product I developed based solely on this concept.  I formulated it, with the help of scientists even wiser than I, specific to the need to nutritionally facilitate recovery.

I’ve written many articles on Post-Exercise Recovery, and rather than reiterating the key points, I’ll direct you to a couple that might prove enlightening.

1. Post-Workout Supplementation: The Extra Edge

2. Recovery

Now, I have some . .  . umm . . . news?   It’s not the kind of news customers like to hear . . . but it’s inevitable.  I held out as long as I could.  When RELOAD was first released, I sold it for $54 per container and made very little profit.  Over the years, thankfully, athletes and exercisers alike found it an invaluable aid, so our quantities went up significantly which allowed me to price it at $39.99.  Over those same years, my manufacturing costs increased, and now, with RELOAD being one of the best kept secrets of those who’ve found dramatic physical change, with it serving as a cornerstone of my TRANSFORM! Program and the ALIVE protocol, I have to increase the price.

I’m sharing this now because this is a last chance.  I will make RELOAD available for the remainder of this month (or while inventory lasts) for the long-standing price of $39.99, but in 2012 I have to increase the price to over $45.  I’ve worked hard to stay above the cost-cutting practices of many of the commercial supplement retailers, and I’ll continue to do so.   I just didn’t want you to be surprised next time you place an order.

Also . . . for the remainder of this month you can purchase a 4-pack for the price of 3 and intermix RELOAD and EAT! within the four pack.  Click on Nutritional Products at the online Superstore at philkaplan.com.

I will continue to share information specific to load and recovery in the months to come, as it’s not only fascinating, but it unlocks many of the keys to results at any age or recovery from any condition.  For now, let’s keep it simple.  Use your body, your mood, and your emotions as a gauge.  Irritability, fatigue, insomnia, lethargy, and loss of exercise motivation are all clear indicators that you want to back off on load and direct more attention to recovering.

Be Better.

Phil

http://philkaplan.com