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fitness
The Fit Life: Scott Jackson
Raw-licious diet can peel off those pounds
Article Last Updated: 03/11/2007 10:48:20 AM MDT

Scott Jackson (Post / Hyoung Chang)
Bio: Scott Jackson, 48, follows a no-cook lifestyle, eating nothing but raw foods. He works as a sales rep in the wholesale pet-food industry and also is active in the martial arts. The father of two grown sons, he lives in Thornton with his wife, Marcia, and three cats.

The Journey: Always a little heavy, Jackson gained about 50 pounds in his 30s, then saw his weight balloon from 200 pounds to over 300 after his second marriage in 1995. “I was one porky boy,” he says. “I couldn’t get behind the steering wheel of my van, and climbing stairs, I couldn’t get up three steps, let alone three stories, without running out of breath.” Worse, he was plagued by headaches, constant heartburn, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other health problems. He tried dieting - “the Atkins Diet, the Zone, Richard Simmons, Weight Watchers, starvation” - but while he had some success, the weight always came back. Finally, fed up with his appearance and with being stared at by strangers, he decided to take a radical approach.

The Strategy: In December 2005, Jackson came across a magazine article on the benefits of eating fruit and other raw foods. Intrigued, he read everything he could on the subject. Then, turning his back on what he calls the “standard American” diet (”SAD”) of burgers and fries, he began eating nothing but fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, all in their natural fresh state. As he plunged into such fare as oranges, berries and melons (even the rind) and yams, cucumbers and seaweed, his weight dropped at a rate many health experts might deem unsafe. In six months, he went from 298 pounds to 190, and his waist size shrank from 56 inches to 38 - a loss he has documented online at www.raw-licious.com. And while it took a few weeks for his 5-foot-6 body to adjust to the new regimen, he says, “I felt great. My headaches went away, my heartburn disappeared, and my stats all improved.” Inspired by his success, he went on to earn a certificate as a raw-food chef and now is sharing recipes in a class at Colorado Free University (freeu.com).

The Details: Jackson relies on organic food, and buys most of what he eats at natural-food outlets or Asian markets. He dehydrates some vegetables like potatoes and processes others in blenders or juicers. “I tend to eat a lot of vegetables that are indigenous to the area, because they’re the easiest to get and they’re packed with antioxidants - especially dark leafy greens like collard and chard or kale, with a banana or an apple to cut the bitterness,” he says.

He never craves his old diet of KFC and Diet Cokes, and eating out is no problem, he adds. On a recent trip to Los Angeles, he simply took along a daypack filled with garnishes like raw almonds and dried bananas, and added them to whatever salad he found on the menu.

-Jack Cox

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Exercise
Yoga, 30 to 45 minutes three times a week, plus his martial-arts kata and, in good weather, some walking and jogging.

Diet
A selection of fruits for breakfast, a salad with sunflower sprouts and hemp nuts for lunch and a supper of tomatoes, onion, cucumber, celery, avocado and raisins.

¼ c. Almonds soaked overnight
1/8 c. Hemp nut oil
5 Dates pitted
1/2 Vanilla bean pod
1 tsp. Nutmeg
4 c. Water filtered
Blend all the ingredients with ¼ of the water. Blend until smooth then add the remainder of the water until completely mixed. Drink right away — or if you like it chilled — chill for a few hours then serve.

2 Oranges
2 Pears
2 Apples
1/2 c. Water filtered
2 tbsp. Ginger minced
I tbsp. Honey Raw
Juice the oranges, pears, and apples. In a blender put the fruit juice, ginger, water and honey. Blend until completely mixed. Serve and enjoy. Can be made with very warm water.

It can be the most excellent defined as absence of stress or tension in muscle and body. It can be more defined as avoidance of thoughts and worries from mind.
If you are relaxed it means you are body is no longer in danger and the nervous system functioning to normal. If you are in physiological relaxation, your blood pressure, heart rate digestive functioning and hormonal levels will be in their normal condition.
Even through you are relaxed there is a tense in most of the muscle group. So, it would be better if you carry out some muscle releasing exercises. Normally most persons do not know which muscle groups are having stressed.
Sad to say, but it is the case that we can be easily tensed and was normally in tense almost without realising. Then what is happening was that we slowly becoming familiar to sensation of living and just think it as normal.
Why your body is getting stressed
Stress can be caused due to many reasons. For instance, worry over the family or job (emotional stress), fearing of something bad might happen, etc.
Some stress in the short-term will help us by giving alerts alert, or by motivating us to get on with something, in the longer-term it can start to cause troubles with our health, and the work, moreover it will effect the relationships.
How can you avoid stress and get relaxation of body and mind
When you want to deal with stress, the first step is to know what makes you to get stress. There are number of ways that you can let loose stress. You can keep away from stress through sports, listening peaceful music, enjoying in parties, by a beautiful work in nature, by practicing yoga, breathing exercises, watching sunset, etc.

Some tips for relaxation:
At the present our lives are very busy so its makes it’s difficult to get peace, health and relaxation of harmony. Here I will mention some tips for relaxation.
 Get time to relax: I know you will be busy; there must be so many things for you to do but try to get some time to relax. Don’t waste your important time just being exhausted. So try to get a time to relax, may be around 30 to 45 minutes per day will be a lot.
 Have a fun and enjoy yourself. Do something physically. For example, you can go for a show after a dinner. So give yourself authorization to choose, something that you like to do. Because when you do allow your body to get physical it does sense so good! Regular exercise has been exposed to reduce stress so get moving.
 Do something that you feel affection: Don’t allow your life to go ahead excluding your dreams. When you love what you do, it’s a sort of relaxation. And you’re not loaded by the pressure of the dreams which was not fulfilled. Anyone can’t fulfill all their dreams, which I agree, but try to achieve utmost for the purpose of relaxation. That can be enough. And then it’s very possible that you will be taught to adore what you must carry out.
 Reading books and magazines that you enjoy will reduce stress. That it will give more relaxation to your body as well as to mind.
 Take some time relaxing in nature with silence. This is a very effective way of relaxing. This will make you to release the stress you get due to too much sounds. May be you can take at least 30 or 45 minuets to relax. I know you will be very busy at office as well as at home but you have to take a time to relax. It’s a good habit to take a 30 or 45 minutes break for relaxation after the office.
 Sleeping is one of the best way of relaxing. If you have difficulty sleeping, you’ve already tried a variety of techniques. Here are some that might work. Before trying to sleep do something you love to do and don’t have time for during the day. Like reading a book.
 At last, spend time with your friends and family. Don’t ever get your work time be more important than your loved one. It doesn’t mean that you don’t give importance to your job or living. But it means be always for your loved ones. Consider the extensive view to see where your pleasant fulfillment lies, and live

Stress or depression is very common, when we are living a busy life. So much work, family problems and living expenses gets you full of worries and stress, which varies in individuals, mild to severe. It feels terrible when severe. Therefore, before getting into terrible stage lets get started with prevention and feel relaxed.
We can apply so many techniques by ourselves in our own house without going to a special place, reduce our stress, and get relaxed. From them are massage and aromatherapy.

Massage therapy – When we work whole day, our body muscles gets tired. Stiffness, soreness and spam of muscles are caused when the waste products like lactic acid accumulate due to over work of the muscles. So to get relieve these stiffness and tension of muscles bring relaxation to the muscles, massaging them are a very good source.
By massaging the body, fresh oxygen are brought to the body tissues, as massaging improves circulation through the body and increase the blood flow within.
Massaging does not only relieve us from muscle tension but there are so many other benefits like reducing blood pressure, improving circulation, gives peace to your mind, relieves from mental stress and reduce the level of stress or anxiety and removes the discomfort like backache during pregnancy.

Aromatherapy – Smells makes changes to our mood. While pleasant smells gives calmness and relaxation, unpleasant smells feels horrible.
Aroma oils are extracted from plants, trees, flowers, fruits, barks, grasses and seeds and have different smells. Therefore, aromatherapy is treating using smells or scents, which are used for thousands of years.
These oils can be used very easily in different ways.
1) Just add few drops in your pillow before going to bed.
2) Get relaxed from working whole day by having a hot bath or shower with few drops of oil.
3) Keep an oil diffuser in your room or in office, will help you do your work better with better thinking.
4) While massaging the body add few drops and massage into skin. As it is known that when massaging into skin the oils will go into the blood stream.
Oils used for aromatherapy are countless. Melissa, lavender, chamomile and sage gives relaxation, while ylang ylang, neroli, vetiva and nutmeg are used in getting calmness. If the stress is disturbing your sleep marjoram, ylang ylang and lavender helps in getting to sleep.

As massage and aromatherapy gives you relaxation, using aroma oils while massaging not only gives you relax and calm but also gives a glowing skin. So include these easy therapies in your daily routine to get a stress free life.

What is Stress?

Stress is one of those vague terms that is very difficult to define. It is important to say that stress is not in itself harmful, and a certain amount can be necessary to get us motivated and to enjoy life; only when the amount of stress is too much for our systems to cope with does it become a problem. Most people have a marvelous capacity to adapt and cope with stress, but when they get overloaded and nervous exhaustion sets in, they can become seriously ill.

Symptoms of Stress

Symptoms of Stress vary, but if you experience some or all of the following, you may be overstressed:

- Constantly on edge, with a very short fuse and ready to explode for no real reason.
- Difficulty in concentration or with memory.
- Always tired even after a full night’s sleep.
- Insomnia and un-refreshing sleep
- A feeling of not being able to cope.
- Poor appetite
- No sense of fun or enjoyment in life
- Mistrustful of people, unable to enjoy company.
- Inability to relax and unwind even when not working.
- Problems in relationship.
- Always fidgeting or having a nervous habit such as biting your nails.

How to overcome these symptoms so that you can relax?

The first step to improve the situation is to recognize that you are stressed. Taking active steps to reduce the amount of external stress will be helpful, as well as trying a class in relaxation techniques or Yoga, or T’ai Chi Chuan or having a professional massage treatments which can provide relief and help you reduce the negative impact of stress on your body.

Try Visualization

This technique is similar to Daydreaming which when done in a systematic manner will be extremely beneficial. The steps are as follow:

- Find a quiet place or room away from disturbances, i.e no radios, television, mobile phones and young kids.
- Do full, deep breathing to relax. This is a good way to reduce tension, reduce stress and feel relaxed. Become aware of your breathing and notice the expansion and contraction of your diaphragm as you breathe.

- Make a mental picture of tension in your muscles. Visualize a clenched fist or a tightly contorted facial muscle.

- Visualize the fist opening and the facial muscle smoothen out. Then move down the body from head to toes, visualizing tight muscles and seeing them relax and smoothen out.

- Imagine yourself in a beautiful garden, a sunny beach or by a beautiful waterfall and listen to the sound of running water.

- Then finally imagine some happy and sweet thing you want to happen to you. For example becoming a very rich person or spending a holiday in some exotic island paradise.

If the steps are performed properly you should feel more relaxed, get relief from stress and help you stay focus on enjoying your life. However, if you are unable to obtain any relief it might be advisable if you seek professional help.

What is T’ai Chi?

T’ai Chi or T’ai Chi Chuan is an ancient form of slow, graceful and rhythmic exercise which originated from China. It has its roots in Taoist philosophy.

The practised movements of T’ai Chi will gently tone and strengthen the internal organs and muscles, improve blood circulation and posture, and relax both mind and body.

T’ai Chi has been variously described as a system of health, physical co-ordination, relaxation, self-defense and as a means of exercise.

The spirit of T’ai Chi can be expressed as “ Strength with softness”, “poetry in motion” and “moving harmony”.

Who is T’ai Chi for?

To improve your general health, you may find T’ai Chi helpful as part of your exercise program as T’ai Chi is generally safe for people of all ages and level of fitness.

Because the movements are low impact they put minimal stress on your muscles and joints. That is why T’ai Chi can be considered beneficial also to many older adults.

What are the benefits of T’ai Chi?

T’ai Chi can initially be practiced for its health giving benefits. It is particularly useful for increasing alertness and body awareness, and for developing concentration. It helps with balance and posture. Its gentleness and subtlety do not preclude it as a very effective form of self defense.

T’ai Chi offers both physical and mental benefits no matter what your age. Research shows that it helps to reduce anxiety, improve balance and co-ordination, improve sleep quality, improve cardiovascular fitness, helps reduce high blood pressure, general toning of the muscles and helps you relax.

2.4 Types of T’ai Chi

There are many styles of T’ai Chi, they include:
- Chen
- Hao
- Sun
- Wu
- Yang
- Zhao Bao

The pace and intensity of T’ai Chi varies somewhat depending on the form or style. For example, the Chen style may be more fast-paced than other styles. However, most styles consist of gentle movements and are suitable for everyone. Talk to your doctor and T’ai Chi instructor to make sure you are using the appropriate one for your physical abilities.

What is Meditation?
Meditation has been in use since the beginning of time. People have always sought inner peace and physical relaxation, whether for reasons connected with spirit, self-realization or health.

What, then, is meditation? It has been described as just sitting and relaxing. Many people find their lives are so full of the demands of work, family, friends and organized leisure pursuits that they have no time to pause and “ smell the roses “. In their bustle to “get on” they miss out on the simple pleasures of life.

The benefits of meditation come from regular use. If you are under stress, you may find that meditating twice daily will be effective in restoring composure. Make time and space you can call your own, away from interruption, and use breathing and relaxation exercises to ease yourself into a state of meditation. Allow at least 10 minutes, ideally 20, for meditation in each session.

How to use Meditation?
The key to using meditation lies in recognizing that you actually need it. Once you stand back and see clearly what is happening to you, what your life has become, then you can see you need a way out.

Meditation needs to be done like regular exercise. In fact you might say you are exercising the ways in which to relax:

The very first step involves switching off, like switching off a light in a room, and concentrating on the relaxed, empty inner spaces in your head and body. This stage ( put crudely ) means sweeping out all the noise and mayhem and chaos of everyday life and getting ready to enter the world of meditation.

The second stage involves being carried along what one teacher calls “ moving but going nowhere in a perpetual state of being “. Perhaps the best way of evaluating is by hearing what people have to say about meditation. “As good as a holiday” or “like a wonderful deep refreshing sleep” is what most practitioners say. If you are to get its full benefits then you really must make sure that you do it regularly every day, at certain times. Like all forms of exercise the more you do it, the better you are at it; the quicker you can switch off and enter that state of total energizing, refreshing relaxation.

Simple meditation technique based on “ A guided visit to a country house”

If you want to meditate seriously, you would do well to find an experienced teacher to guide you. However, there are many meditation techniques that you can practice alone, often with good effects like the following exercise.

Imagine that you are visiting a beautiful country house…a really beautiful old country house with magnificent sweeping lawns on a warm and sunny afternoon. You are standing on the staircase landing and as you look down across the entrance hall you can just glimpse , through the open doors a gravel driveway, and the sunlight on the gravel.

Now you are moving down the last ten steps to the hallway, relaxing more and more with each step down.
10 Taking onestep down, relaxing and letting go…
9 Taking another step down, feeling at ease…
8 Becoming more relaxed, letting go even more…
7 Just drifting deeper…and deeper…
6 Becoming calmer… and calmer…
5 Counting to relax, continuing to let go and feeling good…
4 Relaxing…even more…letting go even more…
3 Sinking deeper…drifting even further…
2 Enjoying those good feelings… of inner peace and relaxation…
1 Nearly all the way down now, feeling very good…really relaxed…and 0.

You are wandering across the hallway now, towards the open doors and the gardens beyond. As you stand there you notice the lush green lawns, so flat and well clipped…and you can feel the warmth of the sun on your head and shoulders as you enjoy the lovely garden. There are flowerbeds with the beautiful splashes of colour…and you enjoy the peace and serenity in this beautiful garden.

A little way down you notice an ornamental fish pond. You decide to wander down and have a look at those fish. Sometimes they seem to disappear behind the weeds but always they reappear, with their scales catching the sunlight, red, gold, silver and white. And as you watch those fish your mind becomes more deeply relaxed.

The prescription for good health is relaxation. What, then are some of the ways/ means whereby we can utilize in learning how to relax?

1 Exercise
Why exercise? Basically exercise combats stress. The physically fitter you are, the better the body and mind can cope. Even the occasional letting off steam without losing self control can be beneficial. A competitive racket sport, badminton, squash or tennis, thumping the pillow, or going for a long walk can help release built up tensions.

2 Food/Diet
Raw food - the best diet on earth.

3 Laugh a Little More
You all know “ laughter is a good internal medicine “. It relieves tensions and loosens muscles. It causes blood to flow to the heart and brain. Of more importance, laughter releases a chemical that rids the body of pains. Everyday researchers are discovering new benefits of laughter. So go for a comedy show or buy/rent some funny movies and have some good belly-shaking laughter. They will do you a world of good and help you relax.

4 Use Heavy Breathing
Full deep breathing is a good way to reduce tension, feel relaxed and reduce stress. You can trick the body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly for a count of 6 then breathe out for a count of 10. Repeat the 6-10 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel normal again.

5 Relax and Smell the Roses
How do you go about smelling the roses? How about taking time out and go for your dream holiday and visit a country with lots of exotic places to jolt your imagination and enjoy your recreation? You need to get away from your daily routine and venture a little bit if you really want to relax.

6. Whole-body Relaxation Exercise
You should try this relaxation exercise if you have not already done so:
Lie down straight on an exercise mat facing up with shoulders relaxed and even. Arms should be straight with elbows alongside the waist, palms turned upward. Relax your head and close your eyes. Breathe in deeply, allow your body to sink into the mat. Breathe out slowly; relax. Focus attention on breathing; listen as you inhale and exhale and focus on how quiet the deep breathing can become.

Always remember:
- Keep head relaxed and eyes close.
- Shoulders relaxed and even on the mat.
- Arms straight with elbows alongside the waist.
- Focus on breathing in and out, slowly and evenly.
- Let go any tension in the knees.
- Feet slightly apart and allowed to roll out naturally

“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.” –natural farmer, Masanobu Fukuoka

Hands down, the best way to control how your food is grown and processed is by doing it yourself. But not everyone has a green-thumb; not everyone has a yard. Don’t worry—these are challenges easily overcome with a little creativity and patience.
In 1930’s Japan, a young microbiologist became disenchanted with new methods of farming. The farmers in his homeland were caught up with the use of synthetic chemicals and plowing machinery. This young man began to wonder if maybe his fellow citizens had it all wrong; maybe Mother Nature should be left alone to progress naturally.
This bright young agriculturalist is Masanobu Fukuoka. He has gathered his ideas into several books, including the One-Straw Revolution, that offers an alternative to the invasive methods of modern science. His objectives are straightforward:
• To use no cultivation, fertilizer, weeding, or pesticides
• To use only a fraction of the cost and labor of scientific farming
• To maintain endlessly fertile soil, free from all pollutants
He believes that vegetables and fruits flourish in a “semi-wild” state with little human intervention. Vegetables and fruits become hardier by competing for resources with weeds and grasses. Through this hands-off approach, Fukuoka’s philosophy of agriculture is a perfect complement to the organic way of living.
The following are a set of instructions on how to start your own Fukuoka-style garden with very little effort and resources.
• Choose a plot of land that you won’t mow, preferably one that contains a lot of clover
• Till a deep layer of organic matter (e.g. lawn-clippings, compost, pesticide- and fertilizer-free mulch) into the ground, and then don’t cultivate it again
• Spread straw or hay across the soil
• Select native, non-genetically modified seeds appropriate for the season. You can get this information on the seed packet or by asking the in-store horticulturalist.
• Scatter the seeds along the soil. There is no need to bury them according to Fukuoka’s method.
Gardens don’t grow overnight, so don’t be surprised if it’s a growing season or two before you see the fruits of your labor. While this method is not fail-proof, it’s the easiest and most natural way to start an organic garden.
For those folks who don’t have land for a garden, you can still grow fresh produce at home. Fill your home with the intoxicating aromas of fresh herbs by putting together a simple herb garden. While there are a number of reasonably priced starter kits, you can create your own with just a few items.
• Several medium to large sized terra-cotta pots
• Pesticide- and fertilizer-free organic potting soil
• Herb seeds or seedlings from non-genetically modified plants (basil, parsley, chives, and cilantro are very easy to grow indoors)
• An energy efficient indoor light bulb or lamp - if you don’t have window that gets direct sunlight.
Depending on the seeds you have chosen, you may need to let them germinate inside a damp paper towel for 2 to 3 days. Seeds with hard outer shells usually require this to help the growing process along. Fill pots ¾ of the way full with potting soil. Plant seeds or seedling about an inch to an inch and a half below the surface of the potting soil. Water the soil and place in window sill or under grow lamp for at least eight to twelve hours a day. Within a few weeks, you’ll have flavorful fresh herbs, free of harmful chemicals.
Like Fukuoka said, “Farming is not about the growing of crops” but rather the experience of improving yourself. When you plant your own organic food, you are really growing yourself!