What’s in a label?
Written by Mike Cheliak on February 15, 2010 – 10:54 am -I recently found out that I am gluten intolerant. It’s not that “I” am intolerant of gluten…I actually LOVE gluten. Heck…I would have a gluten sandwich for lunch if I could. The problem is my “body” (prick that it is) has decided that it doesn’t like gluten anymore.
OK…all comedy aside (or a poor attempt at it); gluten intolerance is a fairly common problem these days. Celiac disease which is the most serious level of gluten intolerance is an extremely serious health concern.
This brings me to my little note today on labels. I have been a pretty good label reader over the last few years. What I have found since I have had to change my eating habits a great deal is how much CRAP is really in packaged, pre-made and processed food products.
I have to read everything for any sign of gluten, modified starches and so on. It is amazing when you read further into a label just how much garbage you are ingesting. Stabilizers, preservatives, chemicals, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), sodium, modified starches and so on are the cornerstone of most processed food. After all it has to sit on the shelf for a long time without turning bad (unless it is just BAD from the start).
As frustrating as it is to have to dig deep into every label, it has first and foremost opened my eyes even wider and has made me choose to buy almost exclusively foods in their original (or near as possible) state.
Here is a prime example of what I am talking about. There is a HUGE “Health food Market” that focuses on whole foods. Its name rhymes with “SHMOLE SHMOOD SHMARKETS”. A friend on facebook posted a photo of what should be an awesome product. Sweet potatoes and apples! I love sweet potatoes and use them as one of my only choices for starchy carbs. I love apples…one of the best choices for fruits you can make. Here is where it goes VERY wrong!!!
Disclaimer
The following list of ingredients may be offensive to some, reader discretion is advised.
Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Red Onions, Jalapeno Honey, BBQ Sauce (honey, ketchup [tomato, vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, salt, onion, spice]), water, Dijon mustard (mustard seed, vinegar, water, sea salt), sugar, cider vinegar, jalapeno, curry, garlic, lemon, shoyu (water, soybean, salt, wheat, alcohol), Worcestershire (cider vinegar, soy sauce, water, molasses, agave syrup, garlic, salt, tamarind, spices, mushroom, xanthan gum, botanical extracts, cloves, smoke), canola oil, paprika, Tabasco salt and pepper.
Healthy Choice…bullsh**! Anything that has HFCS in it in any amount is a pile of steaming crap. Add to that multiple sources of more sugar, more salt and other pointless ingredients and you have a recipe for junk disguised as health food. SHAME ON YOU SHMOLE SHMOOD SHMARKETS!!!!
I have a better recipe. Go buy some organic grown Sweet potatoes and apples, add some sliced onion and ground nutmeg, and toss with extra virgin olive oil. Season it with a little Celtic Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Roast until it’s done.
I decided myself that I would start eating a Primal Blueprint lifestyle instead of fighting with labels. I eat healthy meat and protein choices, vegetables, fruits and healthy fats like seeds, nuts and so on.
The lifestyle is simple, plays on our genetic inclinations which aren’t really suited for grain consumption and also makes label reading a lot easier since there aren’t a lot of labels on real whole food. While the Primal or Paleo or Caveman or hunter/gatherer type regimen isn’t for everyone, it is well worth reading about. Visit http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ to read about the Primal Blueprint if you are interested. Agree or disagree with it, you have to admit…I don’t think Cavemen had to read labels.
In happiness and health as always,
Mike C.
Posted in Mike's Posts | No Comments »
Taco Bell Post from Mark’s Daily Apple
Written by Mike Cheliak on January 15, 2010 – 4:30 pm -This post speaks for itself. PLEASE read it and try not to pee your pants laughing. GO PRIMAL!
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/an-open-letter-to-taco-bell/#more-10195
In happiness and health as always,
Mike C
Posted in Mike's Posts | No Comments »
Resolutions don’t work!
Written by Mike Cheliak on January 7, 2010 – 4:38 pm -It’s just about a week since many people have made these incredible, life altering, well meaning, supercharged, ambitious, inspiring resolutions.
According to Decima research; 35% of the people who make a New Year resolution will stop after one week, 65% of those who started will quit after one month and a whopping 95% will quit their resolution or fall back into their habits after 6 months.
What does this mean? It means that people using the New Year to make a change are generally unsuccessful at committing to the change. The holiday season in general is a time of over-indulgence. Too much food and drink and not enough emphasis on restraint or healthy activity makes us susceptible to a huge mental guilt trip.
We tend to have a Gateway mentality when it comes to starting something. A starting point, a start line, a point of reference, a measuring point, point of convenience and so on. The New Year is an obvious point because many of us have really sank to new low levels. Gaining weight, drinking excessively, lying on the couch to recover and so on are catalysts. The result of this makes you feel that you need to “do something quick”.
In comes the convenient “resolution”. You convince yourself that you are going to do it, you plan it, you join a gym, you dump the booze, you throw away the smokes, you vow to cleanse with lemon juice, maple syrup and water for a month and you shop at the health food store and so on.
Your resolution has become a monster, an enemy, an inconvenience, a source of stress and eventually a thing of the past. You are now part of the statistical reality.
I decided that I wanted to race a couple Duathlons and Mountain bike races again this summer so I wanted to lean out by around 25 pounds. I have been lifting very heavy and eating clean but a little heavy on the carb side. I informed myself that I was going to eliminate all grains and booze and would eat clean (the 80% rule) until I hit my weight of 180lbs.
I made my decision in mid December shortly after finishing another challenge (30 runs in 30 days) which was FANTASTIC! I am now eating according to the Primal Blueprint (Google it if you want to know more). This meant I had committed to a REAL CHANGE regardless of the date.
With the Holidays just literally around the corner, I got a lot of questions from friends and family about the “timing” of it. I told them simply that it has nothing to do with the time of year and everything to do about “MY TIME”. I explained to them that I was quite happy to “eat around” the menu and still enjoy everything including (most importantly) the company.
Over the Holiday season I dropped 5 pounds, I remained committed to my fitness and I ate according to the Primal Blueprint better than 80% of the time.
I may have come about this conclusion for you in a very roundabout way but here is what my point is. Resolutions don’t work. What works is committing yourself to the task at hand. Four years ago I made a commitment to myself (and my family) to get in control of my health, nutrition and fitness. I have done that. THAT was my only commitment! No specific groundbreaking, earth shattering resolution, just one main challenge…take control of yourself!
Control is achieved by educating yourself, surrounding yourself with positive influences, communicating with support groups (health and fitness forums, local groups, Addiction counselling centres…) and most of all believing in yourself!
Once you have control and know what you need to do, then you can start challenging yourself to do more specific things. I lost 60 pounds just by “taking control”. Once you have control…then the FUN BEGINS!
In happiness and health as always,
Mike C
Posted in Mike's Posts | No Comments »
Chillin’ in the Shower
Written by Mike Cheliak on January 3, 2010 – 12:34 pm -Every winter I get a really nasty case of dry skin which usually sets in around the time that the weather gets decidedly colder in December.
I am not a big cream and body lotion guy but I have used stuff in the past that relieves some of the symptoms. Many people suffer the same type of patchy and itchy skin and it varies in location. Mine is usually the hands and my right and left sides as well as a couple other small areas.
For years I have heard that avoiding hot showers in the winter will help. This makes sense in that you avoid stressing the skin with really hot water. The problem is that most of us REALLY like a nice hot shower after a workout or being outdoors in the cold.
It is also true that too much exposure to harsh deodorant soaps and such will also cause a drying effect on the skin. For that, I switched a long time ago to a lighter scented, moisturizing body wash.
The soap may slow the onset of my itchy skin problem but it doesn’t eliminate it and I eventually end up suffering the same pattern of problem.
That is until this year. I finally made a commitment to eliminate hot showers from my daily routine. I like cooler showers in the summer anyway so I just continued to take cooler showers right through the fall.
December came along and I still stuck with my cool shower routine. I now have my showers below body temperature (slightly cool but not cold). I don’t know what the actual temperature is but it doesn’t come across as even warm.
By this time of year I am usually deep into my itchy stage and some areas are very red and quite uncomfortable. As of today, I still have absolutely NO signs of any irritation at all. I am not using any body lotions or wonder creams and I still use my mild moisturizing body wash but nothing else has changed.
Will this be my cure for my winter rash? I don’t honestly know. There is one thing for certain. Chillin’ in the Shower has become really enjoyable for me and I can guarantee it saves money in heating water!
In happiness and health as always,
Mike C.
Posted in Mike's Posts | No Comments »
VERY INTERESTING STUFF
Written by Mike Cheliak on December 31, 2009 – 2:10 pm -Happy New Year to everyone (not quite here yet).
Since I didn’t have a whole lot to say, I thought I would copy and paste this really neat email of factoids that my brother sent me. I truly hope everyone has a fantastic, happy, healthy and prosperous 2010!
VERY INTERESTING STUFF
In the 1400’s a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have ‘the rule of thumb’
————————————————————————————————
Many years ago in Scotland , a new game was invented. It was ruled ‘Gentlemen Only…Ladies Forbidden’.. .and thus, the word GOLF entered into the English language.
————————————————————————————————
The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV was Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
————————————————————————————————
Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the U.S. Treasury.
————————————————————————————————
Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.
————————————————————————————————
Coca-Cola was originally green.
————————————————————————————————
It is impossible to lick your elbow.
————————————————————————————————
The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska
————————————————————————————————
The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this…)
The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
————————————————————————————————
The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $ 16,400
————————————————————————————————
The average number of people airborne over the U.S. . in any given hour: 61,000
————————————————————————————————
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
————————————————————————————————
The first novel ever written on a typewriter, Tom Sawyer.
————————————————————————————————
The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.
————————————————————————————————
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:
Spades – King David
Hearts – Charlemagne
Clubs – Alexander, the Great
Diamonds – Julius Caesar
————————————————————————————————
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321
————————————————————————————————
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle.
If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle.
If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes
————————————————————————————————
Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4: John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn’t added until 5 years later.
————————————————————————————————
Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A… Their birthplace
————————————————————————————————
Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name
requested?
A. Obsession
————————————————————————————————
Q.. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you
would find the letter ‘A’?
A. One thousand
————————————————————————————————
Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common?
A.. All were invented by women.
————————————————————————————————
Q. What is the only food that doesn’t spoil?
A.. Honey
————————————————————————————————
Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year?
A. Father’s Day
————————————————————————————————
In Shakespeare’s time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase…’Goodnight, sleep tight’
————————————————————————————————
It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.
————————————————————————————————
In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts… So in old England , when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them ‘Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.’
It’s where we get the phrase ‘mind your P’s and Q’s’
————————————————————————————————
Many years ago in England , pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. ‘Wet your whistle’ is the phrase inspired by this practice.
————————————————————————————————
At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!
————————————————————————————————
Don’t delete the following just because it looks weird. Believe it or not, you can read it:
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the first and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
————————————————————————————————
YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2010 when…
1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.
2. You haven’t played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don’t have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn’t even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )
12 You’re reading this and nodding and laughing.
13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.
15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn’t a #9 on this list
————————————————————————————————
AND FINALLY
NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.
Copy and forward this to your friends. You know you want to! Go lick your elbow.
In happiness and health as always,
Mike C
Posted in Mike's Posts | No Comments »
Merry Christmas, Not Happy Holidays
Written by Mike Cheliak on December 25, 2009 – 9:13 am -I am a very unapologetic Evolutionist and RC (Recovering Catholic). I don’t apologize because I don’t expect anyone of any faith or non-faith to have to explain their position and belief system.
I am also a very big fan of Christmas. I don’t have any religious reason to love it but I sure do have a great affinity for the season and how it seems to bring out the best in people (for the most part). It almost seems like a good excuse to just be a little nicer to someone or to bury the hatchet if needed.
It is also the season where we see our kids glow when they get a special gift or see their proud faces when they give something to someone. We have always taught our children to appreciate what they have, cherish what they get and to share with others who need.
Now that we feel a little warm and fuzzy, let me bring us down a notch.
Since when did it become potentially offensive to wish someone a Merry Christmas? My wife works for a big department store and was told not to wish anyone a Merry Christmas. There was a poll on a cable network asking if it was politically incorrect to wish someone a Merry Christmas.
I fail to see where political correctness or even religion comes in to play when offering someone a gift of joy and happiness. Heck it’s not like you are tossing them a Jehovah’s Witness pamphlet and asking them to join in the fun. It’s a simple greeting to someone that lets them know you are wishing them happiness.
I don’t care if you are Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Orthodox, Satanist, Druid, Pagan, Wiccan, Atheist, Communist, Republican, Socialist, Liberal, Democrat, Anarchist or just a plain old Johnny or Jane come lately. Merry Christmas just means Merry Christmas. Regardless of the word origin it is only a way to share your joy with another person.
You don’t have to observe it, practice it, follow it, like it, hate it or care one way or the other about it. It just means Merry Christmas. It’s not political and it really isn’t a religious incantation unless you translate it that way. I don’t.
I love Christmas because it means family, friends and a good reason to enjoy and appreciate both. It means good food, giving and getting thoughtful gifts and sharing the day with people you love.
If you find the words Merry Christmas in any way politically incorrect or offensive to your faith or lack of faith, then you should go crawl into a cave and stay there from the middle of November until the end of December.
I would like to offer a most heartfelt and hearty MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR to everyone I know, everyone I don’t know and anyone who reads this.
Mike C.
Posted in Mike's Posts | No Comments »
Outside the comfort zone
Written by Mike Cheliak on December 16, 2009 – 8:20 am -One of the hardest things we do is to push ourselves beyond our comfort zone. This applies to much of our daily life. Our nature is to look for the path of least resistance.
To push yourself outside of this comfort zone is something that you really should do. The reason is simple. If you convince
yourself you can’t do something because you “don’t know how” or “it’s too hard”; you have cheated yourself of a great learning and growing experience.
I just completed my 30 runs in 30 days challenge along with my sister Lynne and two friends Greg Collett and Ted Albert. Lynne is in North Eastern Ontario (North of North Bay), Ted is in North Central Ontario, Greg is in Mexico and I live in Southern Ontario.
We could have lived around the Globe and it wouldn’t have mattered. For over 30 days we prodded, poked, encouraged and drove each other along to complete the task. Living outside your comfort zone is much better when done with support!
Living outside the comfort zone for 30 days is something that really opened my eyes. I am (was) a horrible runner. At the beginning I could barely get through 20 minutes and 2.5K. As the days rolled past, my runs increased in intensity and duration and all of the sudden I started running pretty well.
What opened my eyes is what happened on day 30. About a week previous we were communicating on our Facebook Thread, http://www.facebook.com/mike.cheliak?v=feed&story_fbid=174773569308 and I mentioned that I would like to “try” to do a 10K on day 30 but I didn’t think I could do it.
Greg immediately hammered on me with some colourful motivational words and my attitude took an immediate 180 and I knew I needed to move further outside my comfort zone.
On day 30 I ran a 10K in 1:08:08.
Challenge yourself to live outside your comfort zone. Don’t do it for one workout or one meal or one day but for a month. Find a reason, find a cause or find a challenge. Just find something that you can set as a goal.
Make the goal only attainable by living outside your comfort zone. DON’T CHEAT! If you do, you will only cheat yourself and your end result will show for it. Don’t EVER say you can’t (or Greg will yell at you).
Read our Facebook thread and see how we motivated each other. We all looked forward to our daily posts. Finding someone or even a few people to do the challenge together is a GREAT idea. It gives a common goal and support to everyone.
WHAT’S YOUR CHALLENGE?
In happiness and health as always,
Mike C
Posted in Mike's Posts | 1 Comment »
A Fitness and Nutrition Balancing Act
Written by Mike Cheliak on December 8, 2009 – 3:46 pm -Have you ever felt as if you were running in circles when it comes to your fitness goals and routines? Most of us have wrestled with different programs, theories and methodologies only to find we tend to migrate back to our comfort zone.
Endurance athletes will opt for lighter routines, more long steady cardio and a more goal oriented training regimen (IE…getting ready for a big race).
Lifters (meatheads as I love to be referred to) are different. Athletes who lift as a primary means of fitness are fairly diverse. Strength, stamina, size, muscularity, lean body mass, power…the list goes on. Training cycles for people who lift vary from leaning out to bulking up…from adding size to increasing strength.
The one common denominator in any fitness regimen is your nutrition. There are thousands of different schools of thought about nutrition and more programs, diets and scientific principals than there are days in a decade.
The key to success in any case is finding your balance. Your equilibrium in fitness and nutrition is different from anyone else. Your metabolism, genetic inclinations, ability to process certain foods, adaptability, size, sex and many other factors will all come to play when it pertains to your balance.
I am very intolerant of processed carbs (pasta, bread, boxed or bagged stuff…). My balance is found by limiting carbs to fibrous veggies and a small amount of starchy veggies (potatoes, yams…). I function much better on a Primal diet which is comprised largely of unprocessed foods. I am also a short, thick and strong body type bordering on Endomorphic. I am inclined to Fast Twitch (Sprint, power) as opposed to Slow Twitch (Endurance). My balance is found by eating a diet of fruit, veggies and meat with very little coming from any processed carbs at all. I maintain somewhere between 50-150 grams of carbs per day depending on which state I am in (bulk or lean).
I have a friend who would waste away to nothing if she didn’t have bread, pasta, rice and other grains to supplement. She is an extreme Ectomorph and an endurance athlete. She can run for days but needs to constantly reefed and jack up on carbs just to maintain her slight frame. She really needs to have calorie dense foods like breads and high starch grains to ensure she is giving her system enough calories to function.
Whichever route you need to take, it HAS to be a route that works for you. There are no cookie cutter solutions when it comes to fitness and nutrition. Fighting your genetic inclination is like swimming upstream. You are constantly battling the route your body wants to take. The trick is to find the path that yields you the best results.
You need to put in the effort in your workouts, you need to control and adapt your eating to provide you with the best results and you need to commit to your method once you have figured it out. You don’t need to do this alone. Find a good resource to help you build a good fitness routine and then find someone who understands the dynamics of nutrition.
All of the mainstream solutions for nutrition are all but useless. They provide a means to an end but don’t tell you that once it ends, you go back to square one. That’s why they make so much money…repeat business!
In happiness and health as always!
Mike C.
Posted in Mike's Posts | No Comments »
Happy Birthday to Me
Written by Mike Cheliak on December 3, 2009 – 9:05 am -As I turn 47 today, I thought I would write myself a little Happy Birthday blog. These are the top 47 things I have to be thankful for.
Every year on our birthday we should all write out a list of things that we are thankful for. Rather than dwelling on the negatives in life, affirming our commitment to the positive things that surround us is a far better way to begin another year on the planet.
I am thankful for…
1. A wonderful wife who continues to tolerate my silliness after 18 years
2. An amazing daughter who never ceases to amaze me
3. The best son I could have (he constantly reminds me of ME)
4. Having 3 fantastic brothers and 1 incredible sister that I brag about all the time
5. A group of family and friends that is as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar
6. A business that lets me do what I love
7. A healthier body than I had 20 years ago
8. A better attitude than I had 20 years ago
9. Three little doggies who’s love is unconditional (as long as I have treats)
10. My SIRIUS satellite in the car so I can listen to the 80’s and RAW DOG comedy!
11. All the people who have helped my business grow over the last 9 years
12. HDTV so I can watch my beloved Leafs in HD, win or lose because I AM A FAN!
13. An Internet packed full of knowledge just waiting to be learned
14. A country that gives us all a chance to succeed (as long as you try)
15. A country that provides us with free access to world class healthcare
16. A country that gives you a million dollars when you turn 47 (OK, I just wish that one)
17. A sister that brings me beets, pickles and Thornloe cheese when she visits
18. The fact that I refuse to be politically correct
19. Having seen Santana in concert 7 times and Peter Gabriel 6 times (That is music)
20. Being able to help great charity causes with my services
21. Taking all those computer courses when I worked for the Government
22. Being a computer geek that can squat 405 lbs for 3 reps
23. The amazing world of food that allows me to create in the kitchen
24. Being able to admit that there is ALWAYS something more to learn
25. Reruns of Seinfeld
26. A portfolio that has bounced back after getting hit when the markets crashed
27. Corona Light on a hot summer day after cutting the grass
28. Stupid videos on You Tube to kill the time when I am processing photos
29. Online shopping (Christmas is nearly done without even hitting a store)
30. Working with Walter Gretzky during the 2004 Ontario Senior Games Actifest
31. Having the ability to choose
32. My Monty Python DVD collection
33. All my friggin’ computers and my dual 24 inch monitors!
34. A brain that allows me to multitask
35. People who inspire me
36. People who I inspire
37. The Almond, Banana, Chocolate Protein Shake I am drinking right now
38. Jack Nicholson, The Shining and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest…Brilliant!
39. Gator Hammock Lethal Gator Hot Sauce
40. Uncut versions of Bugs Bunny Cartoons
41. My memory foam mattress topper (AAAAAAAAHHHHH)
42. The ability to make a difference and the willingness to try
43. Afternoon naps when it’s raining on your Birthday (like today ?)
44. The smell of fall leaves (when they aren’t in your yard)
45. Surviving the 80’s with as many brain cells as I have
46. Bacon (I know it’s not good for you but you JUST HAVE TO LOVE IT)
47. LIFE!
Posted in Mike's Posts | 2 Comments »
Affiliate overload and opting out
Written by Mike Cheliak on November 26, 2009 – 7:33 pm -I am guilty as the next person when it comes to learning about new fitness, nutrition and health ideas. I often purchase programs and products just to learn more. I don’t always or even often vary from my current schema but it’s always good to know more, learn more and adapt your plan if something new and improved comes along.
All this being said, I am (or was) an affiliate junky. I generate quite a bit of traffic on my sites and have always had a large number of affiliate links. I have also blogged and emailed affiliate information.
I have now decided that enough is enough. Over the last week, I have received 8 emails from 8 different people that I have done business with offering the SAME PRODUCT. I understand the dynamics of viral product marketing, affiliate crash marketing and all the other vehicles to sell more stuff. I have just decided that I am not going to participate any longer. The only thing I am keeping is Google Adsense because that only works if you see something you want more information about and you HAVE to click it to get it.
An email from a friend and online nutrition guru Brad Pilon was the reason. Brad spelled out that he was also tired of getting tonnes of identical emails from everyone he knows in the fitness industry. I also was an affiliate member of Brad’s program but have now opted out. I know he doesn’t mind becuase Brad is first and foremost a great guy. He also doesn’t sell other peoples stuff.
On top of me “opting out” of my affiliate memberships, I am also unsubscribing from every person that sent me that same old drivel over the last week. If I want information on something, I can data mine with the best of them using conventional search methods, some diligence and common sense.
Forums are a fantastic place to find info. There are millions of people just like yourself who share and learn just as you do. My suggestion is that you ditch the email subscriptions and go for the forum for information exchange.
I mean no disrespect to the people who sell their ideas and information…it’s something I may do one day. What I do object to is the constant interlink of emails that attempt to lure you into another program. Some of these link emails are actually for products and ideas that compete with and even contradict the person that is referring them.
Money is nice…but it isn’t everything and it certainly isn’t worth alienating the people that purchased your program in the first place.
In happiness and health as always,
Mike C
Posted in Mike's Posts | No Comments »



