Zen Commuter

2017 seems daunting for a great many people.  There are those who see the world as chaotic and turbulent.  On a grand scale it seems there are challenges to overcome, and on a personal level there are the same, if not more challenges.  How do you face adversity.  How do you thrive in difficult times.  John Vespasian knows how, and he learned it from a source that many would not expect.  John has spent many years researching ancient greek culture to answer that very question: how do we thrive in difficult times.

Ancient greeks didn't have a tenth of the advances we have today, and yet they thrived.  Today I am very pleased to welcome back to the show, John Vespasian, as he discusses his latest book, aptly titled, How to Thrive in Difficult Times.

• "Why harsh, rigid solutions are unwise"
• The importance of self-sufficiency as told by Diogenes
• How the riddle of the Sphinx was solved

Thriving in Difficult Times: 12 Lessons from Ancient Greece to Improve your Life today

ONNIT - Onnit is the place for supplements that support your mental and physical health.  They are also the place for home fitness equipment.  

Carbonite - The files on your computer are too valuable to lose.  Carbonite saves all your files safely on the cloud.  Sign up for a two week free trial membership.

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Also, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful, they help it reach a wider audience.  The more positive reviews the higher in the rankings it goes.  Of course that means more peace in the world.  So please let me know what you think.  I read ever one of them.

Today I am excited to introduce you to Brendan Barca.  He is a blogger and the founder of Straddletheline.com, a site dedicated to helping millennials live a fuller life by helping them find their passion.  I met Brendan when he joined the mastermind group that I belong to.  Even though we both share an entrepreneurial spirit, I have asked him to be on ZEN commuter to talk about his meditation practice.  As a self-professed beginner, I thought it would be to talk to him about his successes and challenges with meditation in the hope that others just starting out can learn from our discussion.

• The benefits of meditation
• a tip for keeping a meditation habit
• The benefits of meditating in the evening

Straddletheline.co

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eMeals - Save time and money by having your weekly meals planned out for you.  ZEN commuter listeners get to try it out for two weeks free.

The Great Courses - Learn at home from cooking healthy meals to chemistry.  The Great Courses has a variety of subjects available to stream or on DVD's.  See their extensive list of topics that are 70% off.

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Also, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful, they help it reach a wider audience.  The more positive reviews the higher in the rankings it goes.  Of course that means more peace in the world.  So please let me know what you think.  I read ever one of them.

I have told you time and again that I am a very organized guy.  I like structure.  Call me a control freak but I like having a plan.  Each Sunday I start off the week getting everything ready for the upcoming week.  This means meals for the week, exercise plans as well as work. It is a plan that has benefitted me for years and today I want to share it with you.

• How to prepare weekly meals in under 2 Hours
• How to create the ultimate schedule for the week
• How to create a shopping list
• Planning your week for exercising

4 Tips for Planning Your Week by Makeuseofit.com

Sample of a daily schedule for your use

eMeals - Save time and money by having your weekly meals planned out for you.  ZEN commuter listeners get to try it out for two weeks free.

The Great Courses - Learn at home from cooking healthy meals to chemistry.  The Great Courses has a variety of subjects available to stream or on DVD's.  See their extensive list of topics that are 70% off.

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Also, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful, they help it reach a wider audience.  The more positive reviews the higher in the rankings it goes.  Of course that means more peace in the world.  So please let me know what you think.  I read ever one of them.

The Paleo Diet is right up there with the likes of Atkins and others as far as popularity is concerned.  But is there any benefit of a Paleo Diet? Is it actually what it claims to be?  Most importantly, will it help you eat in a way that promotes health and optimal weight?  I am going to attempt to answer all these questions in today's episode.

• What is the Paleo Diet
• How is it beneficial
• What are the drawbacks
• Is it an eating plan that is easily followed

Paleo 101 by Paleo Leap

ONNIT - Onnit is the place for supplements that support your mental and physical health.  They are also the place for home fitness equipment.  

Carbonite - The files on your computer are too valuable to lose.  Carbonite saves all your files safely on the cloud.  Sign up for a two week free trial membership.

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Also, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful, they help it reach a wider audience.  The more positive reviews the higher in the rankings it goes.  Of course that means more peace in the world.  So please let me know what you think.  I read ever one of them.

Cytokines, Inflammation and Pain Article

Love With Food - Get healthy snacks delivered to your door.  ZEN commuter listeners get $2 off their first box

Lynda.com - Update your skills with professional videos teaching a variety of subjects for the workplace or your personal life.  ZEN commuter listeners get a 10 day free trial.

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Also, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful, they help it reach a wider audience.  The more positive reviews the higher in the rankings it goes.  Of course that means more peace in the world.  So please let me know what you think.  I read ever one of them.

I have been doing a ton of research, sifting through the hundreds of beliefs and supposed science to help me determine an optimal nutrition plan for health and weight loss.  I would imagine I am just like millions of people doing the same thing.  However, in all my research one topic continually comes up, the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6 fatty acids.

Today I want to take you along as I discuss the benefits of these fats that continue to confuse.

• The benefits of Omega 3 Fatty Acids
• How omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids differ (no chemistry!)
• Where to find each of these fatty acids in foods
• Why Omega 6 fatty acids are deemed "bad"

Balancing Omega 6 and Omega 3 Fatty Acids - By Dr. Weill

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Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Also, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful, they help it reach a wider audience.  The more positive reviews the higher in the rankings it goes.  Of course that means more peace in the world.  So please let me know what you think.  I read ever one of them.

In the past 6 months I have heard the word inflammation used no less than a hundred times.  In the past when I thought of inflammation I only thought of ingrown hairs and stubbed toes.  I was accurate to do so, but so far off the mark about what inflammation truly is.

That's the reason I decided to tackle the topic for the two of us, you and me.  The article I will read in the episode is a great resource for helping us understand what inflammation really is and how you can take steps to prevent it.

Love with Food

Paleo Meals to Go

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Also, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful, they help it reach a wider audience.  The more positive reviews the higher in the rankings it goes.  Of course that means more peace in the world.  So please let me know what you think.  I read ever one of them.
Did you enjoy the podcast?

One of the greatest changes I have made in my eating is to eliminate processed foods.  I never ate huge amounts of crappy frozen food, but i certainly did eat my share of frozen dinners and healthier pizzas ( if there is such a thing ).  Way back when I was a teenager, I never turned a box around to se what was in it.  I went by the very misguided notion that the government would never make food available that was not healthy.  Boy, was I wrong.

Today I want to share with you the ways that I was able to kick the processed food habit.  Hopefully, you will enjoy the same level of health and energy that I was able to discover.

• How staying hydrated will keep you away from processed food
• 5 ways to eat more whole food.
• How shopping once a week can help you eat healthier

Love with Food

Paleo Meals to Go

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Also, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful, they help it reach a wider audience.  The more positive reviews the higher in the rankings it goes.  Of course that means more peace in the world.  So please let me know what you think.  I read ever one of them.
Did you enjoy the podcast?

When you think about it you are on the ground for the majority of your life.  You see things at eye level.  You may look up occasionally, but you are still on the ground, seeing things from one perspective, and that's just a physical perspective.

What about your mental outlook, how you see things as they relate to your values?  Is it possible that by not looking at things differently, you will never grow?  That is an interesting question.  Today I encourage you to ask it and more so, follow the advice I offer for changing your perspective.

• How changing your perspective improves your life
• 7 Ways to see things differently

Eight - Smart sleeping technology as part of your mattress

Strength.com - The best supplements for your workouts at an affordable price

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Also, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful, they help it reach a wider audience.  The more positive reviews the higher in the rankings it goes.  Of course that means more peace in the world.  So please let me know what you think.  I read ever one of them.
Did you enjoy the podcast?

Everyone has heard about it; certainly since 1996, as you will learn in today's episode.  What is the "it"?  High Fructose Corn Syrup.  The corn refiners association wants you to think it's nothing to worry about, but the truth is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is contributing to our nations obesity.  Today I will talk about how HFCS came to be, how it is made and why we should be alarmed by it.

• How High Fructose Corn Syrup is Made
• How it impairs your health and leads to Diabetes

Why High Fructose Corn Syrup Is Bad

Video about how HFCS is made

Onnit - Your source for MCT oil and a variety of supplements to optimize your performance.

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Also, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful, they help it reach a wider audience.  The more positive reviews the higher in the rankings it goes.  Of course that means more peace in the world.  So please let me know what you think.  I read ever one of them.
Did you enjoy the podcast?