Opposites Attract

I think I have finally figured out what I need to do to live a happy, successful life. I have learned the law of opposites.

The human body is a great example of how opposites attract. When a person doesn’t drink enough water, the body retains water. When a person doesn’t eat enough, the body slows metabolism causing you to hold on to weight rather than lose it. If a male takes steroids, the body responds by shutting down its own ability to produce testosterone. When we weight train, you break down muscle tissue. The body responds by building new muscle tissue.

In as many situations as you can come up with, your body maintains its normal, stable condition by doing the opposite of the stimulus placed upon it. So I have taken a lesson from these God given bodies of ours and have tried to apply the law of opposites to my own life. These are some of the lessons I have learned.

I have learned that I don’t have to take my children to Disney World to give them a great vacation. Some of our best and most memorable vacations were within an hour or so from home. It was not about the destination but rather the time spent together that made it memorable.

I have learned that my children desire my time rather than my money. I learned this recently when I turned off every TV in the house. It was summer and the house was filled with toys and lots of noise from the TV’s scattered throughout the house. My kids had plenty of “things” to occupy their time during the hot summer months. When I turned off the TV’s, I went in a back room to talk to my wife. Before long, all three kids were sitting in the room with us. My entire family was packed into one of the smallest rooms of a 2000 square foot house. Later that night before I prayed with the kids, I ask them to tell me one good thing about their day. My daughter and son both agreed that their favorite part of the day was the hour we sat in that small room talking to one another. I had bought them a big house and plenty of toys but what they valued the most was my time.

I have learned that when I seem to have no energy that I need to expend energy. Everyone has those days when you are dragging. Some chalk it up to being tired or stressed out and treat it by sitting in the nearest Lazy boy chair and watching TV. What I have learned is that the body is not meant to do that. There is an incredible high after exercising. Your body releases chemicals that make you feel better. You tend to get a better night’s sleep and boost your confidence in the process.

Instead of finding things to fill our time I have learned that it is far better to use our time to fill the lives of the ones we love. I have learned that instead of being jealous or envious of someone else, I would rather try to develop characteristics that I respect the most in other people. That is how you develop self-respect. Lastly I have learned that when I think I know it all, I come to realize that I know very little. So the next time I feel self reliant, I will know that it is time to drop to my knees and pray.

God's Nutrition Guide

This information is from an email I received and I thought it was cool enough to share. Enjoy! ~ Randy Blair

It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish... All before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. We're such slow learners...
God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body!
God's Pharmacy! Amazing!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopene and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neocortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocados, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

Friday Night Lights

You always know that Summer is coming to an end when you see football teams emerging from weight rooms and returning to hot football fields. I become very nostalgic this time of year. Football was one of the toughest sports I ever played but was very rewarding. It mimics life in many ways. Some of my toughest practices led to some of my greatest games. Some of my worst injuries led to a stronger body and a sharper mind. I trained to take the blows but trained even harder to avoid them altogether.

The following is a poem I wrote a few years ago thinking about my football days. I have noticed that many football players have trouble letting go of the game. Most of these young athletes usually go from being leaders in their school, playing in front of hundreds or even thousands on Friday night, to not even being able to play the game again after high school. It is not an easy transition. The fact is that many sports can be played after high school but football is really not one of them. It would not be safe to see 40 year old men suiting up in shoulder pads and helmets. Many are just left with their stories but mostly their memories of a game that was played for a relatively short period of time yet will stay with them forever.

Local Heroes

Small town lights fill a dark, blue sky
The smell of wet, hot grass remind you of two-a-days gone bye
The sound of silence is broken by the tearing of tape
Pads and braces have replaced this Superman’s cape
Joints stiffened by these temporary casts
With the hope that they will protect you from an injury from the past
You wear your coat of armor and wait anxiously underground
Until the gates are opened and you are released to that familiar sound
A sound you’ve heard in your head many times before
Through blood, sweat, and tears it kept you coming back for more
A whistle sounds and commands the whole world to stand still
While you race up and down green streets not with legs but heart and will
For you are the carrier of a torch that burns bright
Many can see its flame but few endure the fight
For the glory, the comradery, the rewards that it bestows
And a chance to join the club of other local heroes

© Randy Blair 2007

Count the Cost

Everything has its price. Our time, food, clothes, transportation, health, and every decision we make. Everything has its price! The question is whether you are willing to pay the price necessary to attain whatever it is you want.

Whether it be on tv, at social gatherings, or just conversations with friends, I have seen more dissatisfaction than ever with people's health. By health I mean anything from weight, looks, fitness levels, mental health, or just physical wellness. It is no secret that the United States is seeing obesity rates higher than any other time in history. The leading cause of death is heart disease but some predict type II diabetes to eventually take that number one spot due to poor dietary choices combined with a lack of physical activity.

Yet with this dissatisfaction and numerous warnings, very little is changing. Most people treat the problems rather than work at preventing them in the first place. That is the purpose of this article. I want to encourage you to truly count the cost and realize that it is far more affordable to pay the price now than later.

What are the costs? First, understand that there is no easy, quick fix. You will have to watch what you eat. You have to sacrifice junk food you may crave for good food your body needs. You may have to count calories for a while until you establish a healthy yet consistent eating pattern. Secondly, you have to sweat. You will have to breathe hard and hurt. You will have to build muscle which requires hard work. In other words, stop walking and start running. Stop sitting on expensive bicep curl machines and resting between sets. Instead, start moving your own body weight vertically, horizontally and in every other direction possible. Do pull-ups, squats, push-ups and sit-ups. Start lifting barbells, dumbbells, and medicine balls. Learn to jump rope, hurdles, on and off boxes, and in turn, life's obstacles. Workout safe yet hard, controlled yet fast, and know your limits yet test them daily. Do all of this and you will truly realize that the cost was well worth the price you paid.