Dee Edington, Ph.D.If you are interested at all about the future of wellness and healthcare, then you need go no further than our guest for this podcast Dee Edington Ph.D.  Dee is the author of over 500 articles on the subject, and his new book entitled “Zero Trends: Health as a Serious Economic Strategy” certainly is a must read for anyone involved in the delivery of wellness and healthcare solution.

In my interview with Dee we discuss the two major problems that need to be solved: the rising cost of healthcare in America, which is eroding profits at an accelerating rate and leading toward disaster for businesses.  As well as the do-nothing approach which is not a solution at all.

Dee suggest that we need to move from a sickness orientated culture to a culture of health, a culture in which we not only care for the sick but also enable the healthy to stay healthy.   This is an approach that lowers healthcare costs and as the same time increases productivity and human satisfaction.

Edington quotes  Albert Einstein “the world we have made as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far creates problems we cannot solve at the same level of thinking at which we created them.”    It is clear that after all of these years of the same medical approaches to managing health, more doctors, nurses, hospitals, procedures and devices will not solve the problems.  Edington disagrees with those in the medical profession and some of the health economists and politicians who argue that prevention and healthy lifestyles will not lower the total costs of sickness or lead to a better way of life for individuals and businesses.  The information and data presented in “Zero Trends”  will support the argument that improved health status will not only reduce healthcare costs for companies but also increase performance and productivity in the workplace.

The bottom line is that we need to focus on bringing back vitality to our businesses and the people that work in them. The new model for healthcare in America redefines healthcare as a combination of illness and wellness strategies.  It is designed to help employers enable employees to become self-leaders in maintaining their energy, vitality and overall performance.
If you are interested in learning more about “Zero Trends” then I highly recommend that you visit the Health Management Research Center at the University of Michigan by clicking here.  You can also purchase Dee’s book at this website by clicking this link to take you directly to the book’s landing page.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful interview with a man who has dedicated his career to helping us better understand the challenges we are facing in healthcare.

Andreas MoritzI was recently introduced to Andreas Moritz the author of “Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation”  and was thoroughly amazed at not only his depth of knowledge, but the detail that he includes in his book about the various ailments and diseases and how to treat them.

As Andreas writes in his introduction “Timeless Secrets to Health and Rejuvenation” can help the tremendous power of healing that lies dormant within you and restore balance on all levels of the body, mind, and spirit.  Using your own healing powers establishes a permanent comfort zone or continuous sense of satisfaction which forms the basis for a creative, successful and rewarding life.

In my interview with Andreas we discuss the challenges associated with attempting to find a quick fix to our deteriorating health, and that each time we attempt to find the quick fix we truly are not treating the symptoms that are causing the disease in the first place.  As Andreas points out many of the diseases can be associated to emotional upsets in our lives or prior emotional issues that have never been addressed.

Most diseases can be distilled down to issues of lifestyle, diet, nutrition, exercise, daily routine, and exposure to sunlight.  Andreas utilized the ancient form of Ayurvedic Medicine to help him in the diagnoses of many of the challenges that his patients are faced with as well as recommended natural remedies.  His book is like the encyclopedia of health and nutrition with in excess of 500 pages of reference information on causes and treatments of the aliments.  Andreas’ new book is a must reference book for anyone who from time to time deals with challenging medical conditions.  We are all aware that our physical health is a mind, body, soul and spirit connection, and “Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation” does an amazing job of providing the reader with the necessary information to address and resolve many of the common physical ailments we deal with.
Please go to Andreas’s website by clicking here to get more information on his new book as well as the many other titles that he has authored.  He also has several videos you can watch that will provide you with additional information.  Enjoy this wonderful interview with a great teacher and wise guidance counselor regarding your health.

Rick Hanson Ph.D.Hanson is a wonderful author, and expert in the field of neuroscience. I have interviewed Rick in a previous podcast #137 entitled Buddha’s Brain, I would recommend that you take a listen to this podcast as well.

In my interview with him we discuss a new CD release by Sounds True entitled ” Meditations to Change Your Brain“.

Much of our dialogue together revolves around practical techniques that one can practice to re-route the nuro pathways of the mind for improved creativity, greater focus and overall clarity of mind.

It is probably no surprise that meditation has been studied the most, and has proven to be the most powerful technique/practice to assist in creating joy, peace and life balance.  In this CD series Rick and his partner Richard Mendius MD discuss the topics of: steadying your mind, to tap the full creative power of your attention, taking in the good to maintain a positive emotional landscape, antidotes to stress, a conscious way to activate your body’s relaxation response, and healing painful experiences to free yourself from the charge of negative emotions.

As Rick states, “science has proven what contemplative traditions have taught for centuries: meditation holds a key to a life of balance, peace and joy.  Whether your’re discovering meditation for the first time or looking for a way to deepen an existing practice, with Rick’s new series entitled “Meditations to Change Your Brain” you have a full spectrum of techniques to make your brain your greatest ally on the path to personal fulfillment.

 

If you would like to take a deeper dive into Rick’s work, then I would highly recommend that you visit his website by clicking here.  He has a vast array of resources and most of them are free of charge.  Rich Hanson is truly one of the most knowledgeable authors that I have interviewed about the connection of neuroscience and how meditation effects our brain positively.  Enjoy this great interview with a wonderful author and thought leader in his field.

Mingtong Gu

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to be introduced to Mingtong Gu, a Qigong master from the San Fransisco Bay area, who has has his training directly from the Grandmasters in China.  Mingtong is a very humble man, my intuition told me as we delved deeper into the interview, that he is extremely balanced, and has a very deep spiritual connection.  It is articulated through his voice and in the  deliberateness of the language he uses in explaining the concepts of Qigong.

Some of you might be aware of what Qigong is, but when you hear the amazing stories that Mingtong tells me about healing, as well as watch the video testimonials at his website,  it is a real testament to the practice of Qigong, this ancient form of connecting to the energies of the Universe.

Mingtong explains that as we go through the movements of Qigong and align our energy with that of the Universal source, we will experience personal healing at all levels.  Qigong can be used as a practice to balance our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energies for improved levels of  healing.

Qi (Chi) means “life energy” and gong means “cultivation and its benefits.” Qigong, an ancient technology and revitalized science of energy healing, has developed through more than 5000 years of Chinese history. Through gentle movement, visualization, sound, breathing and conscious intention, the ancient practice of Qigong energy healing dynamically restores the life energy and creative power within oneself. As the underlying causes of life’s challenges are released, you reconnect with the universal source and bring new and vital energy streams into the flow of life. With this practice, you amplify a web of positive changes for you, your loved ones, and planet Earth.

If like most people in our fast paced world of today, you are looking for a way to reconnect, slow down and revitalize your body, mind, and spirit, then utilizing the practice of Qigong would be a wonderful way to get started.

I recommend that you listen to and visit Mingtong’s website “The Chi Center“.  His website is loaded with video’s and will provide you with a deeper insight into the many benefits of Qigong.  Enjoy this wonderful interview with Mingtong Gu.

Patrick Ryan It is always a pleasure having author Patrick Ryan on our show.  This is Patrick’s second visit to Inside Personal Growth, and in this podcast we take a deeper dive into his book entitled “Awakened Wisdom“.

In my interview with Patrick we discuss the eight (8) states of an Awakened Life.  Patrick covers in depth two of the eight (8) states of being: A Good State of Being, and A Good State of Effort.  As Patrick states in his book, a good state of being is to be in relationship with all that there is.  To be without any sense of separation from each other, the plants, animals, and even the rocks and all the other things and beings that exist.  Any sense of me versus you or we versus them or I versus it is separation.  We must relearn and find out way back to our knowing of this fundamental truth.   So in essence, he is speaking about the oneness of us–all of us.  If can can learn to live in this state of consciousness our lives will be more fulfilled and blissful.

The other state of an Awakened Life is ” A State of Effort” as Patrick refers to it.  Moving through the world in a Good State of Effort will have the most profound impact on your life if practiced well.  You have no doubt heard the expression that life is about the journey, not the destination.  That’s at the center of a Good State of Effort.  It is important to be present as you move through each moment and each task of your day.  When you move with presence you are aware of the quality of the moment that you are in while moving forward with the objective in mind. Both of these ideas must be present at the same time in order to be and remain in a Good State of Effort.  Be in the present moment and be aware of the effort that you are putting forth.

I believe that the states of being that Patrick articulates in his book ” Awakened Wisdom” are something that everyone should learn to apply in life.  They should become as natural as breathing!.  If you are interested in learning more about the “Awakened Life Programs” please click here to be directed to Patrick’s website.  He has lots of resources that you can avail yourself of at no charge.

Please take advantage of this website, it is a wonderful resource for anyone on the path of enlightenment!!!

Philip Zimbardo In the western world, we all seem to be driven by the clock. The question that I hear frequently asked is, “what time is it”?  In this wonderful interview with author and psychologist Dr. Philip Zimbardo, we explore the meaning and value we place on time, as well as his time perspective inventory.   His book entitled, “The Time Paradox“, reveals how to better use your most irreplaceable resource, based on solid science and timeless wisdom

The reality is that we are all going to run out of time at some point in our lives.  In other words we are going to exit this physical plane of existence and move on to a spiritual realm.  We are all going to die, and this life will end.  As Dr. Zimbardo points out, our time perspective reflects attitudes, beliefs, and values related to time.   He asks the question, do you spend more time thinking about the past, the present or future?  And when you think about the past, present or future are your thoughts positive, or negative, happy or sad, hopeful or fearful?  Your personal time perspective helps determine your answers to these types of questions and reflects your thoughts, feelings and behaviors–in fact, all aspects of your life.

Dr. Zimbardo states that while time perspectives will continue to emerge, change and evolve, for the Western world, he has identified six perspectives: two past, two present, and two future.  These time perspectives are called the: 1) past negative 2) past positive 3) present-fatalistic 4) present hedonistic 5) future 6) transcendental-future.

If you would like to determine your own time perspective I would recommend that you take the (Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory) This is a very short questionnaire but something you will find quite useful in determining your personal time perspective.  You can access this questionnaire by clicking here.

If you are have ever wondered where does all the time go, or you are wanting to learn more about how your personal perspective about time effects your emotions, attitudes and feelings then I highly recommend that you read “The Time Paradox.”  This is a wonderful book that will provide each reader with a new and altered perspective about time and the value we place on it.

I hope you enjoy my interview with Dr. Philip Zimbardo and please visit his website for additional information about this book and others.  You can access his website by clicking here.

Finding True magicI had the pleasure of recently interviewing Jack Elias the author of, “Finding True Magic“.  Our dialogue was really enlightening, and Jack provided me with a new way of seeing my reality.  Actually much of our discussion was based on providing an understanding of how we are really hypnotized, and our job is to wake up and become un-hypnotized.

This book explores the possibilities for recognizing and freeing ourselves from a destructive process of perceiving, thinking, and acting that can be viewed as a pernicious worldwide epidemic.  Unlike other diseases, which we strive to isolate and cure, this insidious fever has a characteristic that make us blind to it presence: we come to identify it’s symptoms as our very own self.   This disease is lovingly referred to as our ego.   Our author prefers to call is “egoic-minding”, because it is a process not a thing.  Egoic-minding is a fragmented, biased way of perceiving and thinking–it is that hypnotic trance that we are in most of the time.

Our author has synthesized insights and techniques of Eastern and Western philosophy and psychology, “Finding True Magic” explores various ways to disperse the feverish trance of egoic-minding, heal the trauma it causes, and wake us up to the sacred magic of our true Self.  As Jack states, “this true inner Self is the well spring of our capacity for cooperation, community building, and the celebration of life.

Jack Elias

Jack’s mind blowing, thought provoking ideas you really need to listen to, and take action on. This interview could truly transform your relationship with yourself, and more importantly everyone you love.

I can highly recommend  Jack’s book “Finding True Magic” Please  listen to this fascinating interview with a true master of Transpersonal Hypnotherapy and NLP Certification that will provide you with the insights and knowledge to truly heighten your awareness of the habit patterns we are trapped that help to form our reality, but truly are not our reality.

For more information about Jack Elias and his teachings please visit his website by clicking here.

Stefan Ripich M.D. I recently had the honor of interviewing a physician by the name of Dr. Stefan Ripich who has published a book entitled, “The 30 Day Diabetes Cure“.   It is certainly not new to anyone who has read a newspaper or watched the evening news to know that diabetes in our country is out of control.  Diabetes is now the fastest spreading disease in human history. Its incidence around the world had doubled in the past two decades, prompting the World Health Organization to declare it a global pandemic.

Dr. Ripich combines both Western and Eastern western medicine in treating people with diabetes.  He has distilled his treatment down into a simple step by step approach for 30 days.

1)  Dr. Ripich suggest is that we take a break from sugar.  Americans consume, on average, 170 pounds of sugar per person per  year.  2) Add cinnamon for lower blood sugar.  The US Agricultural Research Service says less that half a teaspoon of cinnamon daily reduces blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. 3) Drink lots of water-Drinking plenty of water is still tops when it comes to staying hydrated without adding your health troubles or weight. 4) Eliminate all of the “Fast Carbs”-One of the single most important things you can do to quickly lower your blood sugar and reduce your weight to stop eating bread, baked goods and other “fast carbs”. 5) Eat a diabetes healing breakfast-If you ask an overweight person if he or she eats breakfast, and the answer is usually no.  Ask a fit, trim healthy person and you’ll virtually always hear an enthusiastic “yes”.

Dr. Ripich’s new book, “The 30 Day Diabetes Cure” is a must read for anyone who is interested in improving their health.  I personally believe that everyone should read this book even if you are not diabetic.  The information contained, could prevent a person from becoming diabetic.

I thoroughly enjoyed my interview with Dr. Ripich, and I know you are going to appreciate the wisdom that he imparts throughout our interview together.  Dr. Ripich also has a website with lots of information and videos that one should watch if you are investigating diabetes cures.  You can link to Dr. Ripich’s website by clicking here.

Enjoy this wonderful interview with a very knowledgeable physician.