Defying Circumstances Through Inner Conviction: The Sapeurs


When you think of who you are and what you’re made of, the implication is to go big. Embody extraordinary and you will achieve. And that’s the American mantra that teaches us, “go big, or go home,” “work hard, play hard” mentalities. But today I wanted to focus on a small group of men in the Congo that are not about being big anything. They’re just a cool group of men that defy circumstances on a daily basis, to bring hope and inspiration to those around them.

“I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.”

Meet The Sapeurs–members of the Congolese society, a group of men united by style but bonded by an underlining moral code of inspiring others by example. I came across an article about them on Co.Create. The Sapeurs are “all about defying your circumstances through inner conviction–something which though small, is totally unique to human beings and extraordinary in its own right.” I like that mentality, not just for style, but for living a healthy life. I like the idea of celebrating people who put more into life to get more out of it. That’s the type of coach I want to embody everyday–a person who inspires their athlete to put their all into their effort, not because they’ll win but because they’ll get more out of life by going outside their boundaries. And as The Sapeurs remind us, it doesn’t have to be a big effort. It can be a small moment, a microsecond during competition where you think, “huh, why not change my frame of mind; do it not to be better personally, but to inspire others around me to be better.”

Here are a few tidbits from their life and how they succeed in living it:

  1. you have to mix it up
  2. look up to your elders
  3. it’s not about money
  4. it’s not the cost, but the man inside
  5. respect others
  6. be polite, not vulgar
  7. peace

When there is peace, there’s The Sape. When there is peace, there is life. You can always choose who you are.

 

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Aging Well; My Favorite Secrets To Beautiful

Shayna Robinson

1) Change your diet: Eat anti-inflammatory.

There are certain foods that reduce inflammation and cause positive cell turnover. I try to eat a diet rich in spinach, kale, blueberries, coconut water, olive oil, agave and peppermint. Watermelon and cantaloupe can be great during the summer. The best athletes will also supplement their diet with vitamins and minerals. My essentials include a proprietary blend for liver detoxification (NOW brand Liver Regenerator and Detoxifier), Thyroid health (NOW brand Thyroid Energy), Raw B Complex (Vitamin Code Brand), Undernatured Type II Collagen (NOW brand UC-II) and a hair, skin and nails proprietary blend (Nature’s Bounty Brand).

2) Sweat: Work out hard enough to detox.

Some argue sweat causes breakouts, but that’s only if you don’t shower immediately after a workout. Sweat is your bodies natural detox process, and it also helps maintain body temp and water balance. When you sweat, your body causes your metabolism to adjust to a burning mode. It’s struggling to maintain the internal body temperature, and your thyroid is engaged producing endorphins that make exercise feel easier so your body is more efficient. Sweating should be part of your goals in exercise to maintain healthy organs.

3) Electrolytes: Refuel the right way.

Both muscle tissue and neurons are considered electric tissues of the body. Muscles and neurons are activated by electrolyte activity between the extracellular fluid and intracellular fluid. Electrolytes work to aid the body in transferring water in and out of cells. Without proper electrolytes the ability of muscles to contract is weakened and can cause muscular contractions (such as cramping). It’s important to maintain this electrolyte balance when exercising so that there is proper contraction of muscle and nerve fibers in addition to maintaining the proper strain on the kidneys. In terms of aging, constantly being dehydrated can lead to cell death and a diseased cell turnover. Keeping yourself hydrated results in healthy cell turnover, muscular strength and correct rapid firing of the nerves. I love coconut water for it’s hydrating benefits. It makes my skin glow and unlike other sports drinks, it has a natural electrolyte component, as opposed to synthetically added electrolytes in Gatorade.

4) Regimen: Set your routine.

Your body functions better and more efficiently when it knows what to expect from your level of care. When you nourish your body with good food, exercise, sweat and electrolytes, it responds in the best possible way–glowing skin, a young complexion, a body that rivals a teenager and recovery from the common daily routine. Send your body a positive message in these three ways on a daily basis and it will function better and look better in 4-8 weeks.

 

 

 

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Forks Over Knives; Plant Based Diets

Looking for a non-diet nutritional plan? Focusing solely on fat or calories often leads to yo-yo dieting–which as we all know, is not healthy. Aim to maintain your weight by reducing your meat intake and sticking to a healthy (TASTY!) vegetarian routine. I follow the 3 day dinner rule: meat every 3rd day for dinner. Repeat till the week is over and you’ll shed pounds fast.

Day 1: 6-80zSalmon with 12oz veggies

Day 2: All vegetarian meal

Day 3: 6-8oz Chicken breast with 12oz veggies

Reach for a fork over a knife and increase your health benefits by going veg for a week. I like this recipe from Wendy Solganik over at Forks Over Knives. It’s a website dedicated to healthy vegetarian eating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Italian White Bean, Kale and Potato Stew
Serves 6

Ingredients

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60 Second Healthy MicroWork

Sometimes getting healthy means making a major time investment at the gym or eating really healthy for a month straight. But sometimes you can make bigger broader strides by making small changes. I call this MicroWork. Check out my own personal set of MicroWork; 18 little opportunities a day to make a change.

MicroWork

Studies have shown changing small habits can help you achieve your goals faster. You should have a long term goal and small short term goals, with sets of habits you can change and check off. These ground rules have a lasting impact on your overall success in any future goals too.

When The Change The Benefit
When you get out of bed Stand up and stretch your hamstrings for 30 sec 27% increase in flexibility in 6 weeks
Before you brush your teeth Take a baby aspirin 20% reduced risk of breast cancer in women who take one a day
At breakfast Take a daily vitamin 19% reduced risk of getting sick. When you take daily vitamins, you support your immune system
At the office Walk to talk to your co-workers, instead of emailing More than 1lb of weight lost per year by taking an extra 4-5k steps per day
With every meal Drink ice water 1lb lost every 8 weeks

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