Archive for April, 2009

Low Carb Dieting For Successful Weight Loss. Points to Keep in Mind

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Low carb dieting has become fashionable in recent years especially with the publication of the Atkins diet. Losing weight is a goal for so many people and everybody is looking for the quick and easy way to lose weight. Some people do not need to lose weight at all but still get stressed over a couple of pounds. Others need to lose for medical reasons and may have one hundred pounds or more that they want to shed.

There are many different diets out there including low carbohydrate diets and the truth is that most of them will achieve weight loss if they are followed correctly. This does not mean always doing what the diet says every moment of every day. What is more important is how you deal with the inevitable occasion when you eat too much or feast on foods that are not on the plan. If you can write this off and return to the plan without giving yourself a hard time, you are likely to succeed. Everybody has those days - the important thing is to let them go and accept them as just another step on the road to permanent weight loss.

It is also important to find a diet that you can easily follow. Low carb diets suit many people because the rules are quite simple. As the name suggests, the diet consists of avoiding or limiting foods that are high in carbohydrates. These include bread, pasta, potatoes, rice and other grains. Sugar is also a carbohydrate. Once you understand what these foods are, it is a simple matter to choose dishes that avoid them.

Most criticism of low carbohydrate dieting is based on the fact that the dieters will get most of their daily calories from meat, dairy and other high fat products. This can lead to high cholesterol and other problems related to a high intake of saturated fats. Medical advice is advised before starting this type of diet. Sometimes weight loss is good in the early stages but people cannot handle the restrictions in the longer term and start to deviate from the diet.

One of the problems that many people have with low carb dieting is the elimination of bread and pasta. No more toast, spaghetti or pizza! Many of the foods that are quickest to prepare are based around carbohydrates - burgers in their buns, fries, sandwiches, pasta and sauce. Beer and other alcoholic drinks are high in carbs too. It is true that alcohol is generally restricted on any diet, because it is high in calories and very low in nutritional value, but low carb diets put particular emphasis on this.

Still there are many foods that can be enjoyed on a low carb diet. If you are fond of meat you will relish the opportunity to consume beef, chicken and other animal products. The popularity of these diets is clear from the length of time that they stay on the bestseller lists. It is just a matter of what suits you. Low carb dieting works for many people.

distributed by:
Muscle Mass Workouts
Weight Gain Workout

Want to know an easy way to lose 10 pounds - visit this blog!

best women weight loss diet - and it`s healthy and easy!

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

It’s now official. The simple act of fidgeting can mean the difference between lean and obese. It’s the natural best weight loss diet for women.

My friend likes to relate a story from time to time about when he was just a lad. His grandfather called him “Worm”, because he fidgeted so much. And between you and me, it can get rather annoying.

But he had the right idea, even if it wasn’t intentional. He’s 5′8″ tall and weighs around 145 lbs.

To my knowledge, he doesn’t work out, jog, or go to the gym. He fidgets. When we visit, I watch him twist and turn, tap his feet in the air, get up and down from the chair and walk around. It’s enough to drive you crazy, but his slim physique speaks volumes.

I’ve always believed that fidgeting is a result of a fast metabolism, so he naturally burns more calories, producing natural weight loss. But I also believe that fidgeting can be learned. Of course that’s all we need, more people to drive us crazy!

Now there’s a study to confirm what I’ve always believed. A detailed study conducted of mundane bodily movements found that obese people tend to be much less fidgety than lean people and spend at least two hours more each day just sitting still. The extra motion by lean people is enough to burn about 350 extra calories a day, which could add up to 10 to 20 pounds a year.

“There are these absolutely staggering differences between people who are lean and people who are obese,” said James Levine of the Mayo Clinic, who led the research. “The amount of this low-grade activity is so substantial that it could, in and of itself, account for obesity quite easily.” That is what best weight loss diet for women is all about.

Here are some things you could try.

* When a commercial come on TV, get up and stretch or better yet, move around. Just avoid the kitchen.

* Wriggle your toes and your fingers whenever you can. This will also tell you how sore they are and if their condition is so bad, just think of the rest of your body.

* Tap your feet in the air. Think of an upbeat song and tap along. This helps get your blood flowing.

* Do things like fetching, turning things off and on by yourself. Often when we come back tired from work, we tend to get others to do simple chores for us. These things are no big deal. They are things that we can very well do for our selves but we don’t.

* When talking on the phone, get up and pace. Just vary your walking area. You don’t want to wear a path in your carpet.

* Try breathing exercises. You might be surprised to know that breathing exercises too can lead to weight loss. If you are doing the breathing exercises properly, you will find that you can exert a lot of pressure on the muscles around the mid section.
You can feel a tightening of these muscles each time you breathe in or breathe out. So go ahead and breathe properly, it is good for you.

* Do not slouch in your chair, but try to maintain an erect posture with your tummy tucked in. Slouching is a very bad habit. Not only is it bad for your back but it also gives you a very flabby figure. It is your way of saying yes to a comfortable, weight-gaining pose.
Make it a point to always sit as erect as you can. It is also a terrific way to ward off back problems.

Fidgeting isn’t a cure-all for obesity, but if you’re physically unable or just too plain lazy to eat right and workout, it’s a great start.

Make sure you grab the FREE weight loss report at weight loss for women website!

Visit this blog in order to know more about how to loose weight fast!

Acne Diet - Are Acne Diets Really Dangerous?

Monday, April 27th, 2009

One of the reasons many dismiss an acne diet as a solution to their skin issues is because there is so much information out there. Confusion is a major problem. How do you distinguish which one is best?

The truth is, if you simply keep it simple and follow some well worn methods with acne diets then the confusion can quickly mely away. Because a particular diet plan has helped someone else it doesn’t mean it will work miracles for you.

By sticking to a sensible plan early you will soon find what helps and what doesn’t. In other words, you have to find your own “middle ground.” The first thing you need to do is look at how your eating right now. What’s in your diet? You need to make some changes if you want this to work and help to clear up your acne.

Choosing A Diet Plan

There are several different things that you want to consider when picking a diet plan to combat acne.

1. First, you will want to pick a plan that has worked well for other people. A great way to do this is by doing some research on the Internet. There are tons of diet for acne plans available online that can help you fight against it that only cost twenty five dollars.

2. This can definitely save you money over time because you can just change the foods that you eat instead of spending tons of money on over the counter prescription medications. You may be surprised to see that your issues can clear up within a few days if your problem is not bad by changing your diet.

3. There are several myths that exist surrounding acne diets. The truth is that you can’t get rid of it by just washing the surface of your skin or by taking an antibiotic that a doctor tells you to take. An acne diet will help you to heal your body from the inside instead of the outside. This is the most effective way to fight against it.

4. By healing your acne from the inside this will rapidly eliminate toxins and harmful chemicals from your skin on a consistent basis. The skin of your body is designed to eliminate harmful waste through the pores of your skin. This means that the type of food that you choose to eat can really make a world of difference when fighting it.

5. Many people do not realize that acne diets involves eating normal foods. You want to try your best to eliminate processed and sugary foods. Drinking water helps a lot as well. After you begin making these types of changes in your diet you will see significant improvement. A diet without sugary food is a good path to take.

6. Many people believe that diets for acne are difficult to follow, but the fact of the matter is that if you know which foods you should avoid you can plan ahead. By doing this you will see drastic improvements in your skin and you can love your face once again!

Guides Dr. Atkins Diet Informations

Sunday, April 26th, 2009

The Atkins diet has make headway it’s popularity over the past few decades and run into the diet world with full force. This health phenomenon is based on The weight loss Atkins Diet, a book by Dr. Robert C. Atkins. His conception for weight loss is that we need to be implicated with the carbohydrates we eat, not the fat. Many people have found great success using the Atkins diet. However, it is not for everyone. Before you start the Atkins diet, or any kind of diet, talk to your doctor to make certain it is a good idea for you.

The Atkins Diet reviews implements calorie counting, merely saying goodbye to junk foods and processed foods. You also end up eating less of certain fiber-rich fruits and vegetables because of their high-carb content, yet you’re allowed to eat ample amounts of high-fat and/or high-cholesterol foods because they are lower in carbs, including fried eggs, red meat, mayonnaise, bacon, cheese and butter. The hypothesis behind the low-carb diet found with the Atkins diet is that by reducing your intake of these junk foods, you will enter a stage in your body called ketosis. During ketosis your body starts using fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. Which will in turn stop insulin production, will prevent more fat from being stored. Side effects from ketosis can include dizziness, nausea, lethargy, and even bad breath. Because of the lack of fiber in the Atkins plan, some people may even find themselves feeling constipated.

There are four main procedure to the Atkins diet program: INDUCTION, ONGOING WEIGHT LOSS, PRE-MAINTENANCE, and MAINTENANCE. During the first two weeks, you are in the initiation stage. Although this phase can be continued for much longer if you can bear it! During Induction, you must severely limit your intake of carbohydrate to a tiny 20g a day (most of us eat around 250g a day). As well as avoiding carb-rich foods. The second procedure, known as ongoing weight loss, will let you have 25 grams every day. Until you find your Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing Weight. You will then move on to pre-maintenance, in which you can try out other foods to see what carbohydrates you can add into your diet. The idea is to slow down your weight loss to no more than 1lb a week. The fourth and final stage, the maintenance. After you have reached your weight loss goals, you may eat all good carbs, but the assumption behind the diet plan is that you won’t want to eat these foods. Choosing healthy carbs will become a way of life.

As with any diet program, you will have to exercise in order to lose weight. Healthy lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, are also important. Many people have called into question the safety of the Atkins diet due to its severe methods, and some say that the plan only makes you bounce back to your original weight as so as you hit the maintenance level. The key is to find something that works for you and your atkins diet program weight loss goals and that is healthy for your body.

Visit this blog in order to know more about how to loose weight!

female weight loss diet - weight loss diet for women that work?

Sunday, April 26th, 2009

Except the sun and the moon, everybody seems to be in a hurry! You are too, if you are looking for a woman weight loss diet!

We can predict by mathematical calculations the time of sunset after 1000 years and the time of moonrise on the same day. Through calculations, we can predict it today! The natural forces are not in a hurry! Everything is unfolding as it should! In a set pattern! Nature evolves with a method and it is in not in a hurry to prove and disprove anything!

You don’t learn something from nature, though you are a part of the nature! When you disobeyed the laws of nature and went on an eating spree, you never thought of the consequences—that your body will grow and expand like a Bo-tree one day. Now you want a fast/ quick weight loss program!

Better late than never! You have woken up at the right time! Can you ever achieve by female weight loss diet that picture-perfect figure, that was you 20 years ago? Your goal is achievable, provided you make certain firm decisions!

A morning-walk schedule is best to start with! On the first day, you may feel tired! On the second day, you may feel extremely tired! On the third day, you are bound to have joint pains! On the fourth day, your weak will power, may advise you—okay, please skip today’s schedule -sleep for another two hours! And you have ignored this advice and had a pleasant walk- your will power is gaining ground and stabilizing!

When you are walking alone, thus, you know that you are walking. There is another type of walk, one in which you do not know that you are walking, and yet is a double-benefit scheme! Your ever faithful dog! Dog ownership nearly doubles the amount of time you spend in your walks!

By now, you must have shed some grams of your weight, if not some kilograms! Well done! You can think about the realms of higher adventures now! Read and understand the texts like Ashtanga Yoga and Bikram Yoga. The procedure is foolproof ! Ashtanga Yoga was authored by a realized soul and hence, undoubtedly faultless! This is very important for female weight loss diet.

Our eating menu need not be that extensive and contain matchless spices! Just go back to your own history—human history! Life at the earlier stages was not all that complicated! How did our ancestors cook before the advent of fire? Look at the animals -they eat raw, that which is available in nature and according to their own nature! Only man has taken to the habit of cooking! Do animals have these many diseases and so many hospitals? Therefore the cases of obesity among birds and animals are rare!

Woman, discover yourself! Ponder deeply! Fast and quick weight loss with a female weight loss diet is a possibility within your range!

Find more information at the weight loss diets for women website. Make sure you also get the FREE weight loss guide!

Visit this blog in order to know more about how to loose weight!

Motivating Your Team: What It Will Take For Your Team To Win Big

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

A few months ago my wife and I decided we wanted to take our Network Marketing business to a “Woman’s Expo”. We have a network marketing business and several affiliate marketing businesses. After some discussion with my wife we decided to invite a few of our team members to join us. We sent out emails inviting those that lived in the area. We had decided that it would be beneficial for our personal home based business and for the team as a whole, the more exposure the better. After that we sat down with the Event rules in hand for guidance and made some rules we thought would benefit the whole team. We wanted our team to be organized. We then sent out more emails and held a couple meetings informing everyone what we had planned. It was just 2 nights before the Expo when half of the team decided not to go. We thought we had done everything right but what we didn’t do is involve the team in the decision and planning process. Go to team development for more information.

Team motivation is always affected by a lot factors. According to many experts, the clearness of purpose, the actual challenges faced, the existent leadership, the camaraderie and the development opportunities present in the team will affect its overall performance.

Clearness of Purpose

One of the most crucial components that can keep a team together is clarity of purpose. As long as the members of the team hold a common goal or determination, they will be motivated to act in agreement. According to late studies, team motivation lives at its utmost when all the members of the team have a full understanding of their function and they strongly believe in what it is they are doing. To achieve clarity of purpose and to afford each team member a common sense of ownership over the team’s goal as a whole, everyone should be involved in the decision making process. Furthermore, involving each person in setting the focus of the team is critically important to be sure that everybody acknowledges the direction the team is headed in and what specific roles each person is going to play to accomplish the common goals of the team.

Present Challenges

Team motivation may be determined by the present challenges faced by each team member. In most cases, teams work easily during crisis and intense challenge. According to analysis, human beings have the born ability to fight and defend. This power to fight and defend is greatly heightened when it is done by team efforts. To keep a very high team motivation level, you need a few challenges to examine the ingenuity, bravery and staying power of your team members.

Camaraderie

The human desire of each team member is very important. Each person needs to belong and to be loved. It is very important that each team member can feel the camaraderie of all team members. According to recent studies, extremely functional teams do not just work together; they also know how to play and have fun together. To improve the social human relationship between the team members, openness, respect and honesty should always be practiced. A team is like a family and needs to be close knit like a family. Should you choose to lie to the members of the family, you are bound to cause yourself trouble with all the members. Refer to Motivational Consultants for more information.

Leadership

Above everything else, leadership is the most crucial aspect in maintaining a high team motivation level. A team needs to have someone who can and will keep things together and someone who will do the dirty work every once in a while. The best of Team Leaders are just like the head of any family. He or she should always without regard take full responsibility of each person in the team. When making the decision to choose a team leader, you should always take into consideration the ability of the person to inspire loyalty, trust, respectfulness and love from each of the members of the team.

Stephen Meyer, Proudly doing my part to help others with our Home Based Business Opportunities. It CanHappen4u2 Home Business Opportunities. Visit Motivational Speaker for further information.

Want Six Pack Abs ab Flat Stomach Diet

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

Everywhere you turn, someone’s promising the next secret to getting 6 pack abs. Some of these so called ’secrets’ have some degree of accuracy, while others, not so much. Deciphering which are the best methods to getting 6 pack abs is going to be critical to your having success with this goal.

The biggest area you need to focus on when trying to obtain 6 pack abs is going to be on your diet. Like it or not, the old saying that ‘abs are made in the kitchen’, is probably one of the most truthful statements in the fitness industry. If your diet isn’t in line, your stomach is going to show it.

flat six pack abs

So, what should you be doing with your diet?

First, ensure you are getting enough protein. Not only is protein going to form the key building blocks you need to build muscle tissue, but it’s also going to provide you with a better feeling of fullness than eating just carbohydrates alone would for example. Protein is more “expensive” than any other macronutrient meaning that your body will burn more calories breaking down protein compared to carbs and fats.

Next, don’t be afraid of dietary fat that comes from primarily monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as olive oils, fish oils, a mix of nuts, natural peanut butter and avocado. While it’s true that eating fat will increase your calories fast, as long as you keep it between 20-30% it can be one of the best things to get 6 pack abs fast. The important point here is that dietary fat helps keep your insulin level stable, which, when high enough can actually cause fat gain itself.

As far as when to do your ab workouts , I recommend doing them every other day. This will still give them a chance for recovery as well as giving them the workout to get more and more ripped every week.

Now if you follow this plan and stick to a good diet including lots of veggies and protein you will have people asking you if you had surgery on your stomach in no time. They won’t believe how great your abs look. Just stick to the plan and remember consistency is the key to changing your body, never just give up keep going and believing and you will achieve you goal.

So you want that FLAT stomach eh? You curious about the best 100 abdominal exercises? You really think there are 100 exercises? Well there might be, but there are only 3-4 exercises that REALLY work those abs!

What are they you ask?

You’ve probably never even heard of them. Abdominal exercises are probably the most common exercise people do, but how come everyone doesn’t have a six pack. Cause they are doing the wrong exercises!! Are you one of those people? You been doing sit ups for a year and have nothing to show for it?

exercises for stomach

I know how you feel! I was like that too, was busting my butt with no results. I finally ran into a professional who told me what I was doing wrong. And that was it, I now have my six pack. I realized, people are doing the wrong exercises!!

Furthermore, dietary fat will keep you feeling the fullest for the longest duration in time; longer than both protein or carbohydrates would. Interestingly, some diets high in fat can get you 6 pack abs fast because your body learn to metabolize fat for energy.

So, while you do need to watch it, be sure you are getting some in your diet.

Finally, when it comes to carbohydrate intake and getting 6 pack abs, you want to focus most of your carbohydrate intake around the post workout period.

Why?

The biggest reason for this is because this is when your body is going to need those carbohydrates the most and will really suck them up into the muscle tissue. When you eat them at this time, it is least likely that they will turn into body fat.

Additionally, consuming carbohydrates during this period will also help to aid with muscle recovery and repair, so that means less down time from the gym for you.

If getting 6 pack abs fast is your goal than each meal you should consist of 1-2 cups of raw vegetables to control insulin levels, improve absorption of your protein and flood your body with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.

So, if you are aiming to get 6 pack abs in the coming months, have a good hard look at your diet. That is the big secret that must not be overlooked if you are to succeed.

CAN I LOSE WEIGHT FOR BEACH: TOP DIET PROGRAM TO LOSE WEIGHT

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

SHOULD YOU LOSE WEIGHT FOR BEACH SEASON

I wanted to Lose Weight because it was getting closer to beach season so I bought into this Contour Abs belt system thinking it was going to remove my beer belly and give me those tight abs you have seen on TV. Boy oh boy was I WRONG. After wearing it couple times and feeling like my heart was going to explode I finally realized there really is no way to lose weight without some sort of cardio exercise and diet.

If you’re having to Lose Weight for beach season or getting ready for a beach trip please DO NOT buy into the Contour Abs product or any other “lose weight over night” hype! Use your brain and find products that help you by combining excercise with a healthy diet.

Tired of the Endless Loop of Yo-Yo Diets? Introducing The “Strip That Fat Diet” !

“Strip That Fat and End The Vicious Cycle Once and For All”

Hey there frustrated dieter!
If you are like most, you are getting tired of endless dieting regimes with little or no results. The average person spends a great deal of time and money dieting throughout their lives, but for what? MOST DIETS SIMPLY DO NOT WORK!

This is not fair to you! You deserve to lose weight and we are about to reveal a diet that will lead you to the body, health, and happiness that you have be looking for. So…

What does it take to strip unwanted fat from your body?

…And Why the Heck Are YOU Still Overweight?
Do YOU eat the wrong foods?
Do YOU sneak into McDonalds for a late night meal?
Do YOU eat during the wrong times of the day?
Do YOU eat empty calories while watching your favorite TV Show?
How about exercise, do YOU forget to walk your dog?

Are You Tired of Battling With Those Troublesome, Impossible-to-Get-Rid-Of FATS?

Fat loves to make its home in the worst possible places on your body. No one ever asked for fat to be stored in the gut, hips, lower back, or thighs!

The fortunate thing for you is that weight loss is possible in all of these areas. In fact, did you know that it is possible to lose up to 2lbs of fat every week? We are not talking about only 2 pounds when you step on the scale, we are talking about 100% FAT, and 2 pounds of it!

The World Has Become SICKLY Obese & at the Fastest Pace Ever!
You may not be obese, but you are likely part of the overweight category. 70% of the entire country of the United States of America is overweight…this is over 210,000,000 people (Yes, 210 Million). The rest of the world is fairly close, coming in at around 60% of people being overweight.

This number is only continuing to grow as people are not just eating more, but eating more of the wrong foods. People also are not exercising. When exercise is done, the wrong muscles are worked rather than targeting the muscles that will boost the bodies metabolism and literally strip away fat and cellulite.

Did you know that you can actually lose more weight simply by eating the right metabolism burning foods? There are even certain exercises that will make your body burn more calories while you are resting (and even sleeping)!

This is all possible and is just a few of the things we teach within Strip That Fat! More Info is only a click away ! Click below and start your journey !

Ready to lose weight for beach season now?

Click Here For Beach Diet Info

Visit this blog and discover more about how to loose weight in order to prepare yourself for a new beach season!

practical info On Losing Weight

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Being overweight is not a condition, it’s a habit. When you get into the habit of overeating and not exercising, this culminates into heavy weight or obesity. To lose weight, you merely have to change that kind of thinking into something healthier; and to stay that way, well, that’s easy.

If you are an overweight male, imagine this - you have just met this damsel that looks like she took a holiday from heaven. The way she looks at you, you can tell that she adores you. But deep inside, you know also that she is bound to have an issue with your weight. Isn’t that reason enough to do everything you can to lose weight, even if it means spending hours daily in the gym?

Fitness is not only for your fitness instructor to instruct; you should listen to a doctor too. The reason is that you could do damage to your body by overstretching muscles and tendons, or shedding too much fat. This certainly is detrimental.

Hypnosis is alternative medicine that can be risky if used wrongly or by an inept person. It is possible when you open your mind to someone else to allow them take control of you, and indeed your thought process. If used rightly, you might even be able to employ its benefits in weight loss programs.

With a gastric bypass, you hardly ever have to agonize about what you eat anymore, or what your body retains. If you are the type with a very rapid metabolism, food you consume will not spend sufficient time in your system to cause you to accumulate fat, so you will find that you begin to lose weight.

If you don’t drink a lot of water, even during weight loss, you are asking for it. Just think of it as the lubrication that oils the engine that is your body. It does not matter how much fuel you have or that you are trying to burn off; but the lubrication has got to be on point.

No matter how bad you need to lose weight, you cannot do it too rapidly because your body will most certainly complain and ask for something back. You want to do it slowly, gradually allowing your body to adjust to the changes. This way, you get to stay healthy as you shed the weight.

Another option for losing weight is crash dieting. You can do this by denying yourself any kind of ingestion pleasures save for water, for protracted periods. This can force your body to consume its stored up fat in the place of fresh food intake. The setback with this method is that the weight you have lost during the process often comes back the moment you start eating.

Get more valuable Weight Loss information like information about herbal weight loss, or even Diet Pill For Weight Loss, visit Ras Reed’s site to be entertained with very revealing information.

Visit this blog in order to know more about how to loose weight!

Motivational Wisdom From A Chef Rat - Part I

Friday, April 24th, 2009

There’s a new management breed springing up in high Paris society led by a motivational talking rat who happens to cook. Go to motivational speaker for more information.

If you don’t believe me, watch Disney’s feature-length animation film, Ratatouille. The movie takes place in Paris and is about a rat named Remy who dreams of becoming a gourmet chef.

Only problem is he’s a rat! Go figure. Remy has a highly developed sense of smell and a keen appreciation for food. He yearns for a better life and desires to raise himself out of a meager existence of living in sewers and scrambling for crumbs and rotten cheese.

Ahh, but it’s not to be, mon ami. You see, he eees after all a rat! And responsible rats have to look after themselves. So Remy’s Dad puts his talent to use by making him the Chief Sniffer. Remy’s sole job is to sniff all the rotten food and human leftovers day in and day out to make sure there’s no rat poison in the food for his Dad’s rat colony.

Yuk! Talk about one stinking job! I’m treading on dangerous ground here, but can’t we all relate to this story on some level? I mean, sometimes we just fall into doing work that’s less than desirous and not even close to what we’re really, really passionate about in our hearts.

Sometimes we just settle for far less than the best we deserve in order to ‘make a living’ or meet other people’s expectations of us. Pretty soon we fall into a rut - a routine - and get cozy. Welcome to the Rat Race! The never-ending treadmill of constant busyness. A dream stealer disguised as a golden ladder to nowhere.

Ratatouille is a story about one rat’s dilemma to either play it safe by sticking to his normal rat routine and winning the approval of his friends and family or enter the forbidden human world and risk everything in pursuit of his dream to become a gourmet chef in the most prestigious restaurant in Paris.

We can all learn from Remy’s adventures and wisdom. I certainly did, and I’d like to share with you some insights I took away from the movie:

> LOOK UP!

After being chased away by a gun-totting human and being tossed and turned in a raging river, Remy gets separated from his friends and family and ends up shivering, stranded and feeling utterly lost in a dark, cold gutter. This is what mythologist Joseph Campbell would call ‘the approach to the inner most cave.’

Remy spends days in this gloomy dungeon paralyzed by fear and never venturing out. In this moment of darkness and delirium, a mentor figure appears in his imagination - the late Auguste Gusteau, France’s culinary genius.

Gusteau gently encourages Remy to look up and venture out! And so, with some trepidation, Remy climbs up the drainage pipes and enters a brave new world. He is shocked to see the magnificent city of Paris unfold before him with its shimmering lights and the Eiffel Tower beckoning him forward. Refer to Life Coach for more information.

All these years Remy has been scrounging around underground with his fellow rats while getting occasional peaks of his hero Chef Gusteau work his culinary magic on TV in glamorous Paris. Now, hungry and tired and being stranded for days in some dingy gutter, he realizes that he’s in the very heart of Paris - at the doorstep of Gusteau’s famous restaurant!

So what’s the application here?? I mean, it’s not like we’re living in some kind of rat hole! (Sorry Remy). Well, first of all, it’s important to realize that with each seed of failure and loss there’s an equivalent seed of new hope and opportunity. And second, when we get into a rat of a rut, it’s important to look up and venture out.

How do we do that as humans? One of the fastest and most memorable ways to ‘look up’ and develop a higher perspective is to once in a while upgrade some of our routine experiences: flying first class instead of economy, staying in a five star luxury hotel, joining a pricier, more exclusive business or fitness club, or attending a prestigious auction or art gallery.

Upgrading some of our experiences serves the multiple purpose of sending a message to our subconscious that we value ourselves while opening up higher learning and networking opportunities and developing friendships with people that can help us grow.

Of course, you don’t always have to shell out big money to accomplish this. You can offer to volunteer and help out at these types of establishments or events; you can join an online newsgroup at one of the higher brow establishments such as Washington Post, New York Times, or Harvard Business Review and participate or eavesdrop on some of the conversations; you can read a biography; or - if you can muster up the courage - you can ask to meet with someone you admire to learn how they became successful.

I used this last strategy once when I was working at a bookstore quite a few years back. Harry Rosen, world renowned men’s clothier, once walked into the store looking for a Kiri Te Kanawa opera video. Of course, as Murphy’s Law would predict, we didn’t have the video and he left the store promptly.

I then wrote a letter to him saying I tried various suppliers but could not find the video but really admired his success and was wondering if he could give me a tour of his head office and share with me how he became successful in his field.

A couple weeks later I got a reply letter back from his secretary to call and arrange for a time to meet with Mr. Rosen. I ended up meeting him at his penthouse office and getting a brief tour. He showed me his architectural design concept for a new store he was opening up in Chicago and we spent close to an hour chatting. (Actually, he was doing most of the chatting while I was listening and taking notes).

I later learned that there were a number of very important people wanting desperately to meet with him and that they’d be lucky if they even got fifteen minutes with Mr. Rosen.

One thing I never did get a chance to do is watch that Kiri Te Kanawa video. Visit Author for further information.