Tony Robbins Ten Day Challenge

Tony Robbins Ten Day Challenge Aerobic Power Aerobic exercise is absolutely vital to our health and energy. Diet alone can only get you so far! While anaerobic exercise (weight training and high-intensity training) are also very beneficial to our long term health, during the ten day challenge it is important to focus upon aerobic exercise as a way to help cleanse and detoxify the body. There are obviously many ways to exercise aerobically, however, the key principle is to have a solid understanding of what aerobic exercise actually is. "Aerobic literally means 'with oxygen', and refers to the use of oxygen in the energy-generating process for muscles. Aerobic exercise describes any type of exercise, typically performed at moderate levels of intensity for extended periods of time that increases your heart rate. Oxygen, fats, and glucose are used to produce adenosine triphosphate, the basic fuel for all cells." Source: Wikipedia More practically, aerobic exercise means performing exercise at a heart rate that is no more than 180 minus your age. Sustained exercise in this heart rate zone will burn fat as your primary source of fuel as opposed to sugar, meaning you can exercise for longer and get in great shape. In this resource we focus upon two highly effective aerobic exercises: running/walking and rebounding. As mentioned, the intensity level of exercise during a cleanse/detox should remain within the 'fat burning zone'. By this it is understood that your heart-rate should not exceed a certain level. This is particularly for those who chose running as their form of exercise as it is very easy to exceed your maximum heart rate. The 'fat-burning zone' is different for everybody. To calculate this zone, we recommend the Stu Mittleman method. Stu is an ultramarathon champion and set the world record for running the 1,000 mile run (he completed it in 11 days) and also holds the US record for the Six Day Run: 578 miles (96 miles/3.7 marathons per day!). Stu also ran across America in 55 days, at a rate of 52 miles per day in 2000. We can consider him to be somewhat of an authority on aerobic training and running! Calculating your Heart Rate Zones The method for calculating your heart-rate zones according to Stu is to subtract your age from 180. This defines your uppermost limit before you start burning sugar instead of fat. Have you ever finished a run and felt dizzy and queasy? This is because you were burning sugar instead of fat! When exercising at this level, the exercise actually becomes anaerobic instead of aerobic and serves more to increase muscle strength/capacity. Indeed, while training above this zone has many benefits and uses as part of a wider training regime - it is far too intense while detoxing. The fat burning zones are broken down into three stages, at the lowest level of intensity is the warmup zone, followed by the mostly aerobic pace (MAP) and then the most efficient pace (MEP). MAP is the zone where the most fat burning takes place and it is within this zone that you should concentrate your efforts whilst detoxing in order to give yourself a work-out and to help flush your lymphatic system. Using myself as an example: 180 - my age (25) = 155

MEP Upper Limit = 155 - 10 = 145 MEP Lower Limit = 145 MAP Upper Limit = 145 - 10 = 135 MAP Lower Limit = 135 -10 = 125 Warm-up Zone = 125-135 Unless you run frequently, it will probably be fairly difficult to keep within the warm-up and MAP zones whilst running and therefore you may need to intersperse your running with walking, perhaps for 200 meters every kilometer in order to keep your heart-rate down. Knowing your Heart Rate Obviously, the best way to know your heart-rate is to wear a heart-rate monitor. However, if you do not own one of these, you can still roughly estimate which zone you are in using the following guidelines: Signs of being in MAP or MEP: - you can still talk normally without being short of breath - your vision is clear and you have heightened senses of smell and sight - you are in a steady, comfortable rhythm - you would rate your level of intensity somewhere between 4 and 7 (at the very most) Signs of being out of the fat-burning/aerobic zone: - you are short of breath, especially when talking - you may feel dizzy or nausea - you do not feel comfortable - you are looking forward to finishing! - you would rate your level of intensity as above 7

Vital Breathing Taking ten minutes each day to practice deep, cleansing and energising breathing is something that we should all be doing. Not only does it give incredible health benefits, but it is also free! The source of all energy in the body can be provided through deep breathing. Cells use oxygen to convert glucose into the energy, called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Without sufficient oxygen, cells begin to die* and energy cannot be sufficiently produced. There are two principle breathing techniques that Tony Robbins discusses throughout his live shows and products: - BreathWalking - Vital Breathing During the ten-day challenge it is recommended that you practice one of these exercises three times per day.

Breath Walking: Breath Walking is a principle that Tony first discusses on the Daily Magic session on Get the Edge (GTE). It is the principle of walking and breathing in a pattern that stimulates the lymph system and energises the body. Tony suggests using this during the 'Hour of Power' in order to create a peak, mental state. The process of Breath Walking outlined during this session is to make strong, purposeful strides and walk in a rhythm. You want to be at a steady pace, but do not want to be out of breath. The rhythm of breathing is 4-4, so take four short breaths in, one after another, followed by four short breaths out - in time to your steps. So: in-in-in-in | out-out-out-out. The breaths in should be through the nose, and the breaths out through the mouth. Tony also discusses a further technique to this, which involves stimulating the meridians in the fingertips (an acupressure technique) by touching your thumb to a fingertip on each breath/step. The technique is to tap your thumb to finger starting on your left index finger, then on each finger across to your little finger (on breaths in) and then repeating on your right hand on (breaths out). This walking technique is excellent for increasing energy, even when practiced for just fiveto-ten minutes and can be an excellent pick-me-up during the afternoon or early morning. This is an excellent resource on walking and the correct technique to walking and I recommend you take a look at it before you start Breath Walking. Vital Breathing: Vital breathing is a slightly different technique and one that Tony Robbins promotes more during the Unleash the Power Within Seminar and on Personal Power II. If you are able to give yourself five to ten minutes each day to practice deep, cleansing ‘power breathing’ then you will definitely reap the rewards. This is one of the best, most effective exercises you can do for free, every day. The Tony Robbins breathing exercise is mentioned in the excellent book Unlimited Power and basically consists of breathing in the following ratio: Breath in for 1 count Hold for 4 counts Breath out for 2 counts For example – if you were to breath in for four seconds, then you would hold your breath for sixteen seconds and then breath out for eight. If you are able to do this ten times, three times a day (morning, evening and before bed) you will notice a huge difference to your energy, your clarity and your ability to ward off illnesses. The full Vital Breathing resource, including information on the lymph system can be found here

Living Water and Live Food There has been much discussion over the past few years about the quality of the water we drink and the effects that this may have on our health. Many health experts believe that the low-quality of tap water in the UK can pose health concerns, particularly if we rely upon this as our main source of water when consuming the recommended 3+ litres each day. As a result, millions have turned to bottled water - creating a £1.57 billion market in just one generation. However, with prices constantly on the rise, and serious question marks over quality (is it really any better than tap water) - individuals are now looking to increase the quality of water in their own home. The Gift of Pure, Living Water Water is one of the most important factors when becoming and staying healthy and vibrant. Our bodies are 70% water and our blood is 94% water - if we follow the recommendation to drink at least three litres of water per day and this water is acid and polluted - imagine what this will do to our bodies?! As the majority of the foods we eat create acid wastes in our system, it is important to drink pure, alkaline water in order to maintain a optimal health and energy, particularly as acid water (less than pH 7.0) is a hotbed of microorganisms, bacteria and viruses. Acid wastes (from the lifestyles we lead - not only from food and drink, but also from stress and other pollutants) are dumped into the bloodstream and lymph, and then are transported to the liver and kidneys for the detoxification processing and elimination. The pH level of our internal fluids affects every living cell in our bodies and the effect that over-acidification can have upon the health of our bodies is immense, with a chronically over acidic pH creating an extremely negative environment which affects all cellular functions from the beatings of the heart to the neural workings of the brain. In order to hydrate your body optimally, you need to drink water that is alkaline and mineral rich. Alkaline water helps to neutralize acids and remove toxins from the body. Alkaline water also acts as a conductor of electrochemical activity from cell to cell. Ideally, water should have a ph between 9 and 10, and you should be drinking 3-4 liters of it daily. As you hydrate your body properly, you’ll develop more of a thirst for water. Food cravings are often the body’s cry for water. You might already have more of a thirst than you even realize. Where Can We Find Alkaline, Pure Water? There are several methods for making our water more alkaline. The first step is to purify the water using either a distiller or an ioniser. You can find more information on distillers and ionisers in our full resource. Further to this, the alkalinity of the water can be increased by using pH drops such as the Alkalive pH Booster. Products such as these are extremely effective as they structure and cluster the water for optimal absorption, alkalise the water to an optimal pH of 9.5 and infuse your body with charged ions.

Live Food Of course, the ideal waters to consume are those that are nutrient-rich and can be immediately used by your body. These waters are those that are found in fresh, raw foods such as vegetables, salads and low-sugar fruits. You should aim to consume approximately 70% water-rich food. The following chart outlines some of the most water-rich, alkaline foods that you should look for: Food

% water

Cucumber

94%

Watercress

90%

Tomatoes

93%

Spinach

92%

Onions

89%

Lettuce

96%

Grapefruit

88%

Aubergine

92%

Cauliflower

91%

Carrots

90%

Broccoli

92%

Click here for a full list of alkaline foods and for a list of the types of foods you should avoid on the ten day challenge.

A Directed Mind Having a totally directed mind is an important part of having a healthy, energised body. Being comfortable, relaxed, directed, motivated and confident plays a huge part in maximising your energy and knowing what to do with that energy to create consistent success. There are three basic components to having a directed mind: 1. Relaxation/ Stress Control 2. Creative and Achievable Goals and Aims 3. Strong and Enjoyable Relationships How does having a directed mind effect your health? Many people do not realise this, but the mind is hugely influential in the state of your health. It effects everything from the your energy levels to your immune system. Dr Weil among many others have researched the link between the mind and our physical health. His research at Harvard University has found that external matters are not the cause of disease, rather that they are agents who are waiting to cause specific symptoms within susceptible bodies. Accordingly, the more vulnerable we are (though poor diet, nutrition, exercise and stress/worry), the more susceptible we become.

This makes perfect sense - consider the times when there is a bug 'doing the rounds' - if you are under high levels of stress, working too hard, under pressure or worrying do you think there is more chance that you will come down with the bug? Of course there is - this doesn't mean that the bug was suddenly stronger, but that it found a susceptible host. On the ten day challenge there are seven points to consider in having a directed and focussed mind: 1. The mind has a tremendous power over the body - the two should not be considered in isolation 2. Anger and resentment are poisonous to the body! 3. Stress is a result of how you interpret situations and the associations that you have to specific situations 4. Fear and stress compromise your immune system! 5. Stress disappears in a state of certainty - it is essential to develop empowering beliefs that let you know that there is always a way if you are committed. 6. Physiology plays a major part in how we feel mentally. If we behave physically as if we are vibrant, happy and directed we will be so. Emotion is created by motion! 7. Stress and upset disappears if we have a compelling future. Set goals, review your goals and reward yourself for moving forward.

Structural Support The final part of this is to develop three empowering questions and answers that will put you in a positive, vibrant state at any time! The premise of the 'structural support' element of the ten day challenge is that you should look to reward your body - as making so many physical, mental and dietary changes can feel restrictive. You should always reward yourself for every little success. The five rules of structural support are as follows: 1. Give Yourself Rest! Your body needs rest just as much as it needs movement and exercise. You should aim to make the most of the opportunities that you have to rest your body. Take time out to think about all of the things that are good in your life and plan all of your future successes. Take an extra long bath and ask yourself some power questions to put yourself into a positive and relaxed state. 2. Give Yourself Sunshine! Not always easy in the UK and Northern Europe, granted, however, daylight is just as important. One of the primary causes of depression is a lack of bright light. Although the lack of sunlight during the winter months is a major contributor, this can also be exacerbated by our lifestyles, as many Europeans now work up to 10 hours per day in artificially lit offices and rarely see daylight before or after work during these months. To put the importance of sunlight into context - the sun emits up to 100,000 lux (the Metric measurement of light quantity), whereas artificial lights emit just 300-500 lux. If this is our only source of light each day, it is easy to see how problems can occur. Make sure you spend plenty of time outdoors, breathing full breaths of fresh air! 3. Indulge in muscular relaxation or massage! As mentioned - you should reward your efforts! Whether this means a massage, a day spa or just a long hot bath - set time for yourself and reward your good efforts. 4. Have an assessment for spinal alignment! When the body is correctly aligned the head is positioned over the shoulders, the

shoulders align with the hips, the hips sit directly over the knees and the ankles are straight with feet pointing forward. The human body relies upon correct alignment and joint position to function properly. Incorrect alignment can arise through a variety of reasons, with a lack of motion (exercise) being one of the most common. Tony Robbins extols the virtues of The Egoscue Method which is a postural program involving a series of gentle stretches and exercises to properly align the body. 5. Give Your Body Any Other Support it Needs... Whatever this may be - listen to what your body is telling you...

Eliminate Excess Fat & Oil To be more accurate, the lesson should be to eliminate excess bad fats and oils, but to maximise the consumption of good fats and oils. First, however, lets tackle the bad fats. Bad fats include, hydrogenated fats, saturated fats, trans-fatty acids and any oil that has been heated, fried, exposed to light or air excessively. In less technical terms this includes margarine, butter (although better than margarine), vegetable oils, castor oils, canola oil, sunflower oil, any oil contained within packaged foods and any cooked or heated oils or those packaged within clear, plastic containers. Milk and dairy products are also very high in saturated fats and so should be limited (as discussed below). There are several consequences of a high fat diet: - Diabetes: According to Diabetes UK, Type 2 Diabetes is, in most cases, caused by being overweight. Type 2 is caused when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough. A diet high in fat leads to insulin production becoming desensitised, causing poor glucose control. There are hundreds of studies including this one undertaken by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute which prove, beyond doubt that a high-fat diet dramatically increases the onset of type 2 diabetes. - Cancer: Research published in one of the most respected medical journals in the world, The Lancet has shown that women who eat 90g of fat per day have twice the risk of developing breast cancer than those who eat less than 40g of fat. More specifically, they are measuring this as being a high proportion of saturated fats such as 'high fat milk, butter, meat and some cereals such as biscuits and cakes'. - Arthritis: The Arthritis Research Campaign point out that fat is 'the most important single link between your diet and arthritis''. If nothing else, the weight gain from a high-fat diet will cause far more stress on our joints and bones and the lowered oxidation caused by excess fat can accelerate the wear and tear of our joints. - Increased Blood Pressure: a diet high in fat causes thickened blood and blocked arteries increasing the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and other degenerative diseases. According to the American Heart Association: Eating too much saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol level, which increases the risk of coronary artery disease (clogged arteries) and heart attack. These are just a few, however, what is more important to note is the health benefits that are gained by including good fats in your diet, namely the Essential Fatty Acids omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9 in the correct proportions. They are called 'essential' because the body relies upon us to provide a food source as it cannot produce them on its own.

While most diets contain ample, if not some omega 6 and omega 9, it is estimated that up to 90% of the UK are deficient in omega 3 (according to the Institute for Optimum Nutrition). The benefits of increasing your intake of essential fatty acids include: - Increased Energy - Weight Loss - Cardiovascular Disease Prevention - Decrease in Symptoms of Inflammatory Diseases such as Arthritis - Strengthened Immune System - Improved Brain Function - Increased Recovery and Healing Capabilities - Healthy development of Infants - Decreased Possibility of Infection - Stronger Bones - Protected Genetic Material - Reduced PMS Symptoms - Clearer Skin, Stronger Nails, Shinier Hair! More recently, studies have also highlighted the positive effects of omega3 fatty acids on the development of infants, in treating ADHD and other behavioural problems, in treatment for depression and to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Among other things, omega 3 can be gained from the following food sources: - Flax/ flaxseed - Hemp Seed - Sesame Seed - Walnuts - Brazil Nuts - Avocado - Almonds - Salmon, Trout and other Freshwater Fish - Soy - Many Leafy Green Vegetables - Spinach - Pumpkin Seeds However, the most effective way to ensure that you are consuming the recommended amount of EFAs is to take a high-quality, organic oil supplement such as Udo’s Choice.

Udo's Choice ensures that a correct balance of high-quality EFAs are delivered to your body on a daily basis.

Eliminate Animal Flesh The pro's and con's of eating meat have been and will probably continue to be debated to death. For that reason, it is not necessary to regurgitate the same arguments again and again here. Eating meat is a personal choice that most people hold strong opinions on and do not make their choices lightly. Our philosophy at EFL is generally to stick to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle and we have created a vegan resource here for Vegan Week 2005 which outlines some important articles and resources on how to make the transition to a vegan lifestyle. However, there are many extremely healthy athletes such as Stu Mittleman who live a 99% alkaline lifestyle but still enjoy the odd steak every now and then. The key principle here is that you must make the decision that is right for you and makes sense to you long-term. For the ten day challenge, I urge you to attempt a vegan lifestyle and to assess how this works for you over the ten day period. Here is a list of some of our favourite vegan and vegetarian resources: Vegan Forum - an extremely busy and friendly forum dedicated to the vegan lifestyle The Vegetarian Society - the home of vegetarianism VegWeb - great source of recipes PCRM - Vegetarian Starter Kit from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Eliminate Milk, Cheese & Diary While we leave you to your own devices over whether to eat meat or not above, we strongly urge you to eliminate milk, cheese and all other dairy products from your diet. Millions of people around the UK consume dairy products on a daily basis. Our huge consumption of dairy is due not only to the convenience it brings to cooking and the habit of cooking with and eating dairy for the majority of our lives but more alarmingly because of the mantra that we are fed by government and the dairy industry that it is beneficial to our health that somehow you need dairy to ensure you consume enough calcium to maintain strong and healthy bones. The stories we are told about why we should consume dairy are based almost entirely upon half-truths and are driven, not for the benefit of the nation’s health, but to ensure the continued profits of the dairy industry. The Myths Surrounding Why We Should Drink Milk We Need the Calcium Provided by Dairy for Strong Bones

Dairy UK advocates the promotion of three portions of dairy products per day. They claim that research results show that dairy is ‘even more favourable (in terms of blood pressure, cholesterol, weight control, certain cancers, bones and teeth) than fruit and vegetables’. This has been the golden ticket of the dairy industry for many, many years – regardless of the fact that it simply is not true. Literally hundreds of highly respected research studies conducted over many years and with a huge cross section of participants have shown that increased dairy intake does not correlate with improved bone strength (Cumming and Klineberg, 1994; Huang and Himes, 1996; Cummings, Nevitt and Browner et al, 1995; Nordin, 1997). In several studies, dairy calcium has been shown to actually increase the risk of osteoporosis and decrease the strength of bones! How the dairy industry is still allowed to promote their products on the basis of the benefits of dairy calcium is beyond comprehension. Research has proven beyond doubt that bone strength is not related to calcium intake. Bone strength is increased through exercise (Lloyd, Petit et al, 2004), increased intake of vegetables and fruit (Tucker, Hannan et al, 1999) and a reduction of animal protein and sodium (Finn, 1998). 3 Servings of Dairy Helps Weight Loss ’Dairy Management Inc. (responsible for the 3-a-day campaign) is the non-profit domestic and international planning and management organization responsible for increasing demand for U.S.-produced dairy products on behalf of America's dairy farmers.’ – So clearly our welfare is more important than sales and profits then…. The UK and US dairy industries are allocating more and more of their marketing spend to the message that three servings of dairy can actually help people to lose weight. This campaign has clear commercial, rather than health goals as the dairy industry looks to ensure that dieters are given a reason to continue consuming dairy. In the US, the $180million milk-moustache ad campaign during early 2005 was spearheaded by celebrities such as Dr. Phil, giving consumers very little information, but sending the message that it is ok to consume dairy on a regular basis. This campaign has been met with mixed reviews in health circles, but the bottom line is that it has boosted sales of milk in the US through the publicising of just one research study, funded by the dairy industry and with very questionable data. Is this legal? The basis of their argument is that dairy contains calcium (stronger bones argument again), plus potassium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins D, A and B12, riboflavin and niacin. However, nowhere on throughout the 3-a-day literature are quantities of these nutrients or daily requirements discussed – nor the fact that you can get each of these nutrients in abundance from fruit and vegetables without having to consume the cholesterol, calories, saturated fats and sugars contained in dairy produce. There is simply no way that dairy can help support weight loss. Even skimmed milk is over 50% sugar (as a percentage of calories) and of the thousands of research studies conducted on dairy and its role in health, only one researcher claims that milk aids in weight loss. And his research is funded by the dairy industry. The Facts about Dairy

The increase in cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and asthma that has occurred in the Western world over the past century directly correlates with the increase in dairy consumption. In fact, a Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, Colin Campbell, has undertaken the largest study of diet and disease in medical history. His findings are incredible - high animal calcium and animal protein intake is the primary cause of degenerative disease. Granted, dairy may contain certain useful nutrients in varying proportions. However, similarly to how we often hear that coffee, red wine and dark chocolate are ‘good for us’, it doesn’t mean we should ignore the negatives or start on a diet of red wine and chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As with all life choices, we have to weigh up the pro’s and the cons – and with dairy, the cons far outweigh the pros . Twelve pounds of milk are required to manufacture one pint of Ben's very rich ice cream. Reasons to Kick the Dairy Habit: 1. Trans Fats, Sugar, Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, Chemicals, Calories Dairy products are riddled with dangerously high levels of bad, saturated fats, cholesterol and sugars which all contribute significantly to degenerative disease. For example, butter is 100% fat, Cheddar cheese 74% fat, whole milk 49% fat and even ‘2% milk’ is 35% fat . High fat diets are, without doubt, strongly linked to the alarming obesity levels in the US and UK, with research showing that 59% of American men and 49% of American women now being overweight. In relation to dairy, this may have something to do with the fact that the average American consumes approximately 600 pounds of dairy products every year – that is five times more dairy than fruit! 2. Cancer Dairy products are directly related to an increased risk of prostate cancer , ovarian cancer , prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and testicular cancer The American Cancer Society states that "about one-third of the 500,000 cancer deaths that occur in the United States each year is due to dietary factors…Although the committee recognizes that no diet can guarantee full protection against any disease, we believe that our recommendations offer the best nutrition information currently available to help Americans reduce their risk of cancer." Furthermore, their two highest recommendations are: "1. Choose most of the foods you eat from plant sources"; and "2. Limit your intake of high-fat foods, particularly from animal sources." 3. Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) CVD is the number one cause of death in the UK and the US with research suggesting that over 3,000 Americans suffer a heart attack every day – and over the past 40 years, research from highly respected journals such as, the International Journal of Cardiology , European Journal of Epidemiology and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have all found a direct correlation between regular dairy consumption and a massive increase in CVD.

This increased risk of CVD is not just a result of the cholesterol and fat contained in dairy produce , but also the animal protein, milk carbohydrates and milk sugar lactose which play havoc with our bodies health. 4. Osteoporosis For many years milk has been marketed for its supposed ability to prevent osteoporosis – however, research has shown this to be untrue . According to the 12-year Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, milk intake had absolutely benefit with regards to bone fracture risk and that increased dairy calcium could actually have the reverse effect and lead to a decrease in bone strength! Studies into the factors that effect bone strength in young adults have highlighted that exercise is actually the predominant determinant of bone strength. Another research exploration which examined over 58 studies into nutrition and bone health found very little evidence to suggest that increasing milk or other dairy intake improved the bone strength of young adults . 5. Diabetes Medical science has proven, beyond doubt that there is a direct relationship between frequent dairy consumption and an increased risk of diabetes. For instance, a cross-cultural study conducted with children from 40 different countries identified that the higher the consumption of dairy and other animal products, the more likely the child was of developing diabetes. The study also found that those children who had a largely vegetarian diet has a highly decreased risk . Diabetes UK claim that ‘over 80 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight at diagnosis. The more overweight you are, the greater your risk of diabetes.’ They also add that those with cardiovascular illness and those with high blood pressure are also highly at risk of diabetes. As it is clear that a diet high in dairy dramatically increases the likelihood of being overweight and of suffering from cardiovascular problems, the chances of suffering from diabetes are also increased.

Eliminate Acid Addiction A full alkaline/acid balance resource exists, however, to put things most simply: the over acidification of our bodies (through the consumption of acid foods, drinks and drugs) can be attributed to be the root cause of almost all illness and disease in the human body. In an acid environment harmful microforms thrive and our body slowly breaks down trying to maintain an alkaline/acid balance. In this compromised environment, disease is given the opportunity to thrive and our depleted immune system is not able to ward off illness. Through live blood analysis, the microbiologists Dr Robert Young, Dr Theodore Baroody and Dr Christopher Vasey have shown that an over acidic diet can be the cause of the following symptoms and diseases: Infections, fatigue, indigestion, diarrhoea, food cravings, antisocial behaviour, hyperactivity, asthma, poor memory, aching muscles, dizziness, diabetes, cancer, multiple sclerosis, yeast infections, loss of sex drive, cysts and tumours, mood swings, PMS, hay fever, acne, overweight, underweight, bad breath, bladder infections, gum disease, low energy, heartburn, bronchitis, colitis, insomnia, impotence, psoriasis, viral infection, Crohn's disease, Leukaemia, arthritis, mental disorders,

dizziness, kidney failure, osteoporosis and more!

The antidote to over-acidity is of course to a) eliminate acids foods from your diet and b) to replace them with alkaline forming foods! As part of the ten day challenge the focus is to eliminate the following seven acid forming foods: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Sugar Vinegar Salt Tobacco Alcohol Caffeine Drugs and OTC Prescriptions

However, we recommend that you go one step further on the challenge and try to incorporate alkaline foods into your diet for ten days too. The combination of these two will give you immense benefits! Alkaline foods to include could be: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Green drinks Vegetable juices (fresh) Salads Lightly steamed vegetables Pure, alkaline water Veggie snacks with hummous Raw soups Herbal teas

Further Resources: A list of alkaline/acid foods Alkaline diet resources Alkalising recipes

Ten Day Challenge Conclusion: We strongly urge that you keep a journal of your experience on the ten day challenge. If you have regular access to the internet, then a blog could be a great place to do this. Blogger offer free, easy to use accounts. If you would like support on getting a blog set up and running or if you would like to publish your experience on the ten day challenge on the Energise for Life Blog then please do not hesitate to contact us. The ten day challenge is not easy. However, the rewards will be well worth the effort. Start a new healthy lifestyle and keep your momentum going. If you have any questions at all on any of the above resources please email us and we will do everything we can to answer you as soon as possible (usually that day).