Breathing Life - Joshua Roy's Blog

Energy is defined as the strength and vitality required to sustain physical or mental activity.   Energy is required to fuel our body and to stimulate our mind. Does energy come from the food we eat, or does it come from the mind? We have all heard stories of incredible individuals who were able to push through fatigue, exhaustion, hunger and other deprivations to reach their goal. In the Queensland Police Service if a member wants to qualify for the Special Emergency Response Team, he or she must undergo a final test that involves deprivation of food, shelter and sleep over a period of three days.  The test is extremely difficult and many fail.  How is it that those who pass this test can still function?  The answer is mental toughness and the will to succeed.  Energy abounds in those who have a big enough “WHY”.  Those who survived concentration camps attest that survival is a mental, and not a physical condition.  Even when the body lacks nutrition and fuel for energy, the body is still able to somehow produce energy.  In Understanding energy, we first need to understand that our mind plays an integral part in determining out energy levels. …

Watched a documentary on health. It showed a man who was only 42 years of age. That is 2 years older than I am. This a man was successful financially and was happy for the most part. Yet his physical health was letting him down. He had let himself slide into a lifestyle that had caused him to move toward obesity.   Furthermore this man became heavily reliant on daily medication to help him to live a somewhat normal life. He had developed conditions, or diseases that needed to be treated and kept in check, and in his own words he described himself moving toward an early grave.   He was filming the documentary that showed him going on a 2 month food fast. For 2 months he did nothing except juice natural fruit and vegetables. That became his only sustenance for 60 days.   The results were remarkable, and he was able to see dramatic changes in his health. He lost more than 25kg in weight and was able to get off all his medications.   As he was filming and travelling around he talked to many people who liked what he was doing, however after describing that it…

How fast can you run toward a pine box?   I recall a radio celebrity once say, “Your heart only has a certain number of beats, when that runs out, you die.  That is why I choose not to exercise”.   Others say, “You’ve gotta die of something”, as they finish their third piece of chocolate cake.   No one has a crystal ball and yet most people can tell you about the 92 year old relative who drank and smoked all their life.   When it comes to the subject of health, there are so many books, opinions, reports, studies, youtube videos and differing doctors’ opinions that it is overwhelming.  Even the government has given us the food pyramid, which books today warn about.  After viewing all the contradictory information it is difficult to decide what to do and what to eat.   The biggest changes over the last 20 years have been to do with carbohydrates and fats.  Healthy fats are now good and excess carbohydrates are now bad.  Excess carbohydrates and sugar are believed to be the main causes behind the obesity and diabetic epidemic we are now facing.  For another example of dietary shifting sands, one…

As I have spoken to people of all ages and of all different walks of life one recurring theme continually finds its way into conversation.  This theme is HEALTH. Teens constantly talk about Abs.  The boys and girls want well defined and flat stomachs.  They want the type of HEALTH that will give them exceptional ‘Selfies’, and a stunning body. Young adults want to be in great shape to attract the girl/guy of their dreams.  They want to look and feel great to impress the opposite sex.  To turn heads and break hearts. The middle age want the HEALTH to keep up with energetic and hyperactive children.  They want health that enables them to work and then be there for their family.  To still have energy after a long day at work, so their family will receive all of the love and care they deserve. The older generation want HEALTH to prolong their lives.  To be able to enjoy association with their children and grandchildren for many years. HEALTH is really a subject in which everyone wants something.  Some want more ENERGY.  Others want greater levels of FITNESS.  Other want greater STRENGTH.  Others desire more FLEXIBILITY in stubborn joints.  Others…

Christmas has just passed and if like myself you feel like you may have overindulged to excess, you may be thinking of dieting or going onto a detox program.   As I have been thinking about this over the past few days, the realisation of the ineffectiveness of these types of programs became apparent. Dieting, detoxing and health kicks all have one thing in common. They all have a start date.  They also all have an end date.  It has always been recognised that once a diet goal was achieved, the need for the diet may no longer be relevant.  Therefore the weight that was shed would often return once the diet ended.  The fundamental principle behind diets, detox or health kicks, is that it is a short-term health endeavour.  It is a temporary change to eating patterns, and is not considered to be long-term or permanent.   This way of thinking lacks resolve, certainly and will not create a lasting health change. Many years ago the health and fitness industry coined the phrase “lifestyle change”.  This is the only way to get lasting change and great health. In the health seminars that I provide I show simple solutions that address the…

Who does not like cakes?  A good cake is very desirable.  It will tantalize the taste buds, put a smile on your face and create a party in your mouth.  Social gatherings, parties and events all have one thing in common. People gather around to chat and enjoy a slice of your favourite cake, filled with the sugary goodness.   It is a compelling and almost irresistible thing to watch others indulge in delicious sweets and goodies.  What’s more, when you are offered a piece it is difficult to resist.  It is also hard to resist that second piece that needs to be finished off.  If the serving size is particularly large we think to ourselves ‘just this once’, or ‘I will burn it off with exercise’, or ‘I have to be sociable/polite/gracious’ etc.  This would not be an issue of course if this were a once off treat.  If there was a very small amount of processed sugar in our overall diet our body would handle this with ease.  If it was not for the compelling impulses of our sugar addiction, we could withstand the look of this type of food without excruciating effort.   When the holidays arrive…

In 2010 I looked at my stomach and thought it was time to regain my 6 pack abs.  I worked out like crazy and certainly this made a little difference however that little podgy belly continued to hang on.  I was 34 years old and thought to myself that this stomach was there to stay.  After many hours of exercises I realised that there was really nothing more coming off my stomach so I gave up, accepting that I would always have a fat belly.  After all I was heading toward my mid to late 30’s and how could I possibly have the fitness levels, or physique that I had as a younger man. Resigned to this fact I gave up on working out and slimness and instead began to bulk.  I decided to do weight lifting and to put on some muscle and size.  I greatly increased my food intake.  After doing this for a couple of years I had increased the size of my arms, chest and back considerably.  I also increased the size of my belly.  Then I got an injury on my right bicep and was unable to train for a time. I felt tired and…