I’d like to focus exclusively on your health here for a minute.

What kind of results are you experiencing today? Are you feeling inspired and full of energy all the time? Are you satisfied with your body and level of personal fitness – or at least working hard towards that end? Or do you feel lethargic and beat down, worn out? Out of shape and not feeling like you’re at the top of your game?

The single most important thing for you to realize is that right now there are countless people experiencing exactly what you’re experiencing; but even more important, there are countless people experiencing the exact OPPOSITE of how you’re currently feeling. Grasp the real importance of this: if you’re feeling tired and “out of it” all the time, stressed out and falling out of shape, there are countless others who have turned that around in their lives and found themselves with boundless energy and inspiration, the body of their dreams and an incredible state of health and overall vitality. You can do this, and it’s entirely possible for you.

On the other hand, if you’re experiencing incredible health right now…just realize that your daily habits have taken you there. Never take your daily habits for granted, but rather maintain and continually build upon them in new, exciting ways. You know where you stand on this scale. With 1 being a state of chronic disease and 10 being a state of incredible, luminous health and vitality, where would you place yourself on a scale of 1-10? Ground yourself and realize that this is just your starting point on a path that will lead you beyond what you ever thought possible.

This becomes possible for you through your DAILY HABITS. Your daily habits are the actions you take consistently every day that either move you progressively forward or progressively backward. Your current daily habits are the cause and effect that determine your health, fitness and energy levels. All of the results you’re experiencing today, and will experience in the near future, stem from your current daily habits.

Let’s pull out the magnifying glass. Zooming in on fitness, if you never worked out and just sat at a computer all day, you’d likely have less-than-optimal personal fitness levels. On the other hand, if you live an active lifestyle and commit to a few powerful workouts every week, you’re on course to enjoying an incredible body and experience of life. It’s not your genetics. It’s not your lack of time. It’s not because of work. It all comes down to the effectiveness of your daily habits.

In changing your results, you need to take a glance at cause and effect. The causes are your daily habits – the actions you take consistently every day. The effects are the results you’re seeing – your state of health, personal fitness, energy levels, mood, enthusiasm in life, mental performance, etc. To change the effects (your results), all you have to do is change the causes…your daily habits.

The only way to really see your causes – and the effects they bring you – is to become aware of them. The best way to do this is through a daily checklist of some kind. It could be on a small notecard you carry around in your pocket, a folded 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper, a task list on your cellphone, or any other way you can think of. The true value of this practice is first and foremost building an awareness of your current habits. By taking the same actions consistently every day (or every week), you can track your results and see which actions are really panning out for you and delivering value to  your life.

It’s almost like running a business: you wouldn’t just hire someone to do a few random actions for your business each day. You’d have a step-by-step plan for them to get the most out of their time. Manage your life in the same way. Track your daily habits and notice how they make you feel. If certain ones instantly improve your mood and energy, keep them and even see if they could be improved upon! The ones that take away your energy, ditch em and  replace them with new, empowering daily habits.

Here’s your 60-second action step of the day:

Grab a notecard or quickly fold up an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper in half. Whatever you chose to go with, hold it so it appears tall from top to bottom (not short and side-to-side). Title your card or paper, “Current Daily Habits” and brainstorm some ideas. Include your morning routine as it is today, and then think of some ways you could improve it. This could means batching tasks together, such as bathroom tasks, to save time and energy, or adding new habits that give you energy in the morning. Include your work schedule as a single habit, and if you have a lunch break in-between schedule that in as well.

=> Here’s how mine starts out as a real-life example:

Current Daily Habits:

* Watch MindMovie and Review Goals/Objectives

* Morning Water w/ Celtic Sea Salt

* Shower Up

* Superfood Smoothie w/ Fresh Greens from Garden

…………………………………………………

I start my day by watching an inspiring “MindMovie” – a blend of pictures, affirmations and music to get and keep you focused on what you want in life. I then head downstairs and grab my morning glass of water with a pinch of celtic sea salt (for electrolyte content). After that splash of hydration, I then shower up to start my day and make a tall superfood smoothie for breakfast (heading outside to the garden to grab some fresh greens to blend in). This gives me the mental clarity, focus and concentration I need to tackle the day head-on.

I include this just to give you an idea about how you can innovate and improve existing systems. Notice how I have that glass of water before my shower, which allows me to hydrate myself in the morning before eating breakfast. It’s always about the little things we do each day – our daily habits. Start your list now and leave me a comment below  — if you’re up for it, even post a few of your own daily  habits! Looking forward to hearing from you.

Unleash Your Vitality,

– John Brackett

Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

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Here’s The List:

• Cat’s Claw Tea (Wildcrafted, Tea-Cut) - Cat’s Claw is a large, woody vine that grows in South America’s Amazon Rainforest. The tea itself is the dried, ground and tea-cut inner-bark of the Cat’s Claw vines. This makes an incredible, natural anti-viral tea that’s been proven to help balance out over-stressed immune systems. The flavor? Woody and heavy, with a nice “bite” to it :) You can enjoy this tea straight-up or with some form of natural sweetener (like goji berries, yacon root syrup, agave nectar, etc). Again, absolutely incredible for your immunity. More On Cat’s Claw
• Pau d’Arco Tea (Wildcrafted, Tea-Cut) - Pau d’Arco tea is the inner-bark of a “majestic, flowering Amazonian tree” that can grow up to 3 meters wide at the tree’s base! The story goes that indigenous people saw these wonderful trees – even when dead – never begin to rot. Based on this observation, it’s likely they began to use the rich inner-bark medicinally to ward off and protect against fungal conditions. Just as Cat’s Claw is revered for it’s anti-viral capacity, Pau d’Arco is noted for it’s powerful anti-fungal and mold capacity. Anyone struggling with poor air quality, damp environments, or fungal and/or mold conditions should definitely consider investing in this herb on a consistent basis (very inexpensive). Flavor is naturally much more neutral than Cat’s Claw and is even considered slightly sweet by some – I personally enjoy the light, woody flavor it has to offer. More On Pau d’Arco
• Swadhisthana – Sacral Chakra Tea - For anyone who’s into spirituality or energy medicine (as well as many types of current alternative treatments gaining popularity today), you may be familiar with the 7 chakras, or “energy centers”, of the body. This tea is a synergistic blend of 7 different herbs (Orange Peel, Rosehips, Annatto Seed, Cloves, Allspice, Organic Peppermint & Organic Lemon Grass) designed to balance and nourish the second chakra, or the sacral chakra. The second chakra has to do with your creative and sexual energies, which are more intertwined than you might think, and addresses how you reproduce results in your life – meaning things like problem-solving, drive to get things done, persistence, etc. Knowing this, it was hard to separate the placebo effect of expectations from the actual effects of the tea. Either way, the combination of the feeling the tea left me with and the mental direction I was focused upon has always put me into a state of increased drive, results and creativity – in short, getting the job done. Tastes absolutely incredible - what I’d consider to be a perfect blend – and leaves a pleasant aftertaste every time…highly recommended. Check Out This Line Of Teas (*Note: I’m not affiliated financially here – just trying to pass along helpful resources your way!)
• Focus & Concentration Tea - This was a loose-leaf bag of mixed herbs I picked up at Passiflora the other week. While I don’t have the ingredient list with the package, I was able to talk to the hostess about the ingredients in person – and it’s a terrific blend. Gives you a slight boost in focus and concentration without having to resort to coffee and other drinks heavy in caffeine. Extra edge for when you need that intense focus and attention on the job, in your personal life or at school – without burning out your adrenals in the process! Check Out Passiflora (Located in CT)

So there you have it – that’s what I’ve been getting my hands on lately in the world in herbalism. As I’ve said before, I highly recommend jumping right into this fascinating arena and seeing for yourself firsthand. The power that each individual herb can hold has been revered by cultures across the globe for thousands of years – it’s nothing to be taken lightly, but it is something that can bring you a world of fun and fascination along the way. As with all else, moderation is key. 9 teas/day will take your body out of balance and likely dehydrate you – as well as throw some cramps and nausea your way! 1-2 teas a day? Excellent. I personally cycle my days, depending on lifestyle and what I’m up to at the time. I may have 2 teas/day for a few days in a row, and then nothing but pure, clean water for a week. Go with moderation and you’ll be fine.

If you’re trying to get results from powerful herbs that really do affect your mood and wellbeing, remember moderation but also remember consistency. 1-2 teas everyday will always beat out 4-5 teas every few days. If you are trying to treat yourself for any serious condition, remember to get in contact with a licensed practitioner – they’ll keep you safe and monitor your actual results so you can see what’s working over time. Keep yourself in a state of balance and start experimenting with what’s really possible for yourself!

Unleash Your Vitality,

– John Brackett

Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

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I felt right at home the second I walked through the door. On one side was a cozy, dim-light cafe and on the other was a loose-leaf herbal shop full of containers with the freshest, most natural herbs around. The shop is called Passiflora in New Hartford, CT and it was the scene of Wednesday’s lunch :)

I couldn’t help but feel reconnected to my passion for  natural health and lifestyle. Here were hundreds of different herbs, each one with its own unique effect on our minds and bodies – and each combination its own as well. When I see people immediately go to the drug store or opt-in for prescription or over-the-counter medications for things like stress, anxiety, sadness, or even the common cold or flu, I have to wonder if they even know about nature’s prescriptions at all. There are thousands and thousands of herbs out there that can give us so many of the results and benefits we’re looking for through chemical creation today. If you’ve been caught up in the system at an unreasonable level, let this serve as a wake up call!

Many people forget that you CAN take herbs for things like sadness and depression. There are certain herbal teas that have been known for ages to boost your mood and happiness – without any of the side effects that can otherwise ruin your life while you stay happily afloat with medications. This can be life changing for someone caught in this vicious cycle, and without the drastic change in personality that so often comes with prescriptions today. But the benefits don’t stop there.

What about daily stress levels? We all know there are millions of people who smoke cannabis regularly for stress relief and/or a significant mood boost. If you’re caught in a discussion with someone proclaiming that natural herbs just aren’t effective and it’s all cultural myths, realize this fact – people are using them in dramatic ways every day…and they are working. However, you don’t have to become illegal just to get your hands on some effective herbs. There are scores of natural remedies for stress and anxiety relief that not only relax your body physically, but help to calm, clear and still your mind. With the pace of much of the world today, that’s becoming all too essential.

One popular tea you can easily find at your local health food store – or even possibly the supermarket – is peppermint tea. Get a high-quality, organic peppermint tea to really feel the effects. Peppermint is an incredibly soothing herb that not only tastes great and leaves you with fresh breath afterwards, but actually relaxes you while leaving you clear-headed. It’s the perfect evening wind-down – and not only is it all-natural, it’ll hardly cost you a thing! Try that compared to prescription medication :)

I’d love to continue both researching and personally experimenting with various herbal remedies (I have peppermint tea all the time, among many others I’m currently trying out). If you’re interested in what I’ve shared above – or other herbal uses you’d love to hear about – please leave me a comment below. Is there anything specific you’d like to know that I could address in a future blog post? Let me know!

Get out there and pick up your own natural herbal remedies today – whether it’s peppermint tea or anything else. Jump into the fascinating world of natural cures and nature’s original prescriptions :)

Unleash Your Vitality,

– John Brackett

Leave a comment below and share your thoughts, ideas and opinions on this post!

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The further we dig back in history, the more it seems that fasting has always been an important part of many cultures throughout the world. Fasting has been known for its spiritual value for ages, whether it was used as part of a purely spiritual path or as a religious ritual. There’s always been some mystical quality to fasting, something outside of our traditional range of awareness. Today, I’d like to dive into fasting and really explore its effects on the mind and body – and why its proven itself to be the most effective method of healing through the ages.

The most profound benefits of fasting come no doubt through the channel of the mind. While bodily benefits and physical healings can be astounding, the mental clarity and enhanced awareness brought on by fasting are the most valuable assets, in my personal opinion. Just imagine yourself waking up in the morning and downing that tall glass of water. You feel great, hydrated and clear-minded, right? Now if you go ahead and eat a breakfast loaded with sugar, you’ll start to feel the buzz of a sugar high, coupled with a loss of focus and concentration – a foggy mind. If you combine all sorts of foods together that don’t mix well, you’ll have chaos in your stomach and your mind! So what you eat does dramatically affect your mental faculties.

So what happens when you actually decide to simply take a break from food? You get extreme mental clarity- the kind most people have never experienced. You finally see things clearly from a state of peak mental performance, and you may even arrive at some startling conclusions about the nature of life. This is why the practice of fasting has been paired so strongly with spiritual paths! If you want to fully experience truth at the level of the mind, you need to let go of the obstacles that may be holding back that perception. What obstacles?

This is where the physical part comes in: everything circulating throughout your body! When you fast, your body goes to work further digesting and assimilating nutrients that may not have had a chance to be fully digested yet. In addition, your blood is cleansed – which may have all sorts of odds and ends accumulated without your knowing it! This is why those fasting under medical supervision show all of their blood markers normalizing in a wildly short period of time. Blood pressure, cholesterol, tryglyceride levels, and even blood sugar/glucose levels all commonly normalize under a moderate water fast. So the bits and pieces of undigested food are digested (or stored if not possible), your blood is cleansed, and your organs get a rest! It can really be compared heavily to the effects of sleep and rest on our physiology. It recharges us, revitalizes us, charges the battery! Giving your organs a rest through fasting does the same thing.

After basic maintenance and repair work has been completed by the body, it’s then able to shift its energy toward physical healing. I always find it amazing reading stories of people who found the strength to endure the longer water fasts, the 2, 3, or 4-week long cycles. These are the ones who receive that astounding physical healing, whether it’s better eyesight from cataracts completely disappearing, eliminating tremors from Parkinson’s disease, or even the wild case of one man who regained hearing in a deaf ear he hadn’t heard from in 6 years! Still, it’s not all about the physical. The mental clarity we touched on in the beginning is so important, and many have found that through fasting they’ve eliminated all sorts of addictions from their lives. Many have also overcome more severe mental problems, those who would have been considered “troubled” or even “insane” have found clarity and complete reversal of these conditions.

It just goes to show that thorough healing and rejuvenation are always possible, and there’s usually something profound hiding in these ancient rituals handed down through the ages. While I can’t offer medical advice, I’d certainly be glad to write another post with more specifics on common fasting practices for physical, mental and spiritual health, covering topics like how long to fast for benefits, what you can expect from a 24-36 hour water fast, and water fasting vs. juice fasting. If this is something you’d like to read more about, tell me below and I’ll follow up!

Unleash Your Vitality,

John Brackett

This week’s post is on something you can start doing tomorrow morning, and ideally every morning from here on out. It’s not a complicated routine, it’s not a certain meal, and it takes less than 30 second to do. What is it? This morning ritual is starting your day off with a large glass of water!

Sure, it sounds simple. But really think about how you start off every morning. Do you only occasionally start it off with a large glass or two of water? Do you head right over to breakfast and pour yourself a bowl of cereal? I’m not trying to put off your breakfast here! Here’s the small tweak: instead of doing your morning routine and then eating breakfast before heading out, pour yourself a tall glass or two of pure, clear water before you go about that morning routine. While you do your routine (shower, brush your teeth, whatever it may be) that morning hydration is surging through your body, getting things moving and cleansing the entire system…all before you even sit down for breakfast!

The reason I called this post “Weight Loss, Detox & Water” is because when you start to really get into this ritual every morning, you’ll find that the water does two things: it cleanses and detoxifies you, and it dramatically enhances weight loss. You already know that starting your day off with water leaves you feeling more energized and hydrated. But having a good amount of water first thing in the morning also gives your body a chance to go to work and get some of that debris out of there! Some of the most radical weight loss stories I’ve heard, mostly from women losing anywhere from 50-150 lbs, involve this one simple morning ritual. Don’t underestimate this one!

If you’re interested in weight loss at all, I really recommend just adopting this one quick habit. Try it for 7 days and see if you notice a difference in your weight, in how “light” you feel from starting to move out more toxins and wastes. Even better, make it a 21-day challenge and set a goal for yourself! While I know not everyone reading this wants to lose weight, I can guarantee that you’ll want to move as much waste out of your body as you can! Waste can do one of two things: stay stuck in your body and drain your energy levels or be flushed out. I’ll choose the second!

Try this one out if you haven’t picked up that morning ritual of starting out every day with 1-2 glasses of pure water. It’s worth the walk to the kitchen ;)

Unleash Your Vitality,

John Brackett