Author Archives: admin

Fotopala Plan

Welcome to the Fotopala Plan for improving your personal wellness. There are no secrets here – eat well, exercise, meditate, and focus on inspirational words and concepts.

EAT WELL

Eat six small meals a day for a total of 1500 calories per day.
Eliminate sugar. In the early 1800’s the average person consumed 10 grams of sugar per day, and now it is 150 grams a day. Lower your daily intake of sugar to about 30 grams. (FYI, one banana has 15 grams of sugar).
Go gluten-free. For many years I ate lots of wheat products. believing that I was eating healthfully. Unfortunately, the Big Food industry has eliminated almost all wheat varieties by replacing them with their genetically modified wheat, with the result that many people have become gluten intolerant and actually gain weight by eating wheat. Here are two books to consider reading: Wheat Belly, and the other is called Wheat-Free Worry-Free.
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Period.
Protein. Eat lean or non-fat protein items such as non-fat greek yogurt, non-fat cottage cheese, lean meats, and nuts such as almonds, pecans, etc.

EXERCISE

Day 1 – 45 minutes of light exercise such as walking
Day 2 – 60 minutes of intense exercise such as an aerobics class
Day 3 – 45 minutes of light exercise such as walking
Day 4 – 60 minutes of intense exercise such as an aerobics class
Day 5 – 45 minutes of light exercise such as walking
Day 6 – 60 minutes of intense exercise such as an aerobics class
Day 7 – Rest

MEDITATE

This is not so much about mantras as it is about attending to the breath. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, be aware of the present moment, and start observing each breath in and each breath out. Do this at least 15 minutes every day, and more is better.

FOCUS ON THE REALITY BEYOND INSPIRITIONAL WORDS

Obviously, you cannot get wet from the word “water” because a word only points to something or someone beyond itself, a word is merely a collection of letters, or a symbol, or a sound that points to some reality beyond itself. With that in mind, below are at list 70 inspirational words for your enjoyment … I hope that you will experience the reality beyond each word.
Be, word, believe, wellbeing, breathe, water, communicate, vegetables, create, universe, dance, stillness, drink, spirituality, eat, sky, encourage, silence, exercise, rest, feel, recreation, flow, peace, give, now, gratitude, grow, nature, help, music, hug, mindfulness, imagine, meditation, kiss, love, know, light, laugh, life, learn, language, listen, joy, live, hope, love, happiness, manifest, God, share, gap, beauty, smile, fruits, teach, freedom, think, energy, touch, earth, travel, discipline, volunteer, detachment, truth, walk, being, watch, acceptance, write, abundance.

THE FOTOPALA PLAN IN PRACTICE

The following is a detailed explanation of how I used the Fotopala Plan a few years ago to lose 17 pounds in one month, dropping from about 199 pounds to 182 pounds. After that I used the plan a few more times over several weeks to lose an additional 13 pounds in order get down to 169 pounds … thus, at the age of 53 I was able to get down to nearly the same weight I had when I was an 18 year old senior in high school who was playing basketball virtually every day. Here is the history of my past success using the Fotopala Plan:

After I completed an extensive health assessment, I was not surprised to hear that I would do well to lose at least 10 pounds. As a result, I put myself through a mini boot camp last week to see if I could lose 7 pounds in 7 days.

Is that even possible?

Several weight loss programs promise that you will lose a pound a day if you follow their program and buy their products. So when I put myself through my own self-imposed boot camp, not only was I losing a few pounds, but I was also able to evaluate the hype surrounding weight loss programs and their promise of … LOSE 1 POUND A DAY.

Each one of us consumes a certain amount of calories every day through food and drink. If the number of calories consumed equals the number of calories burned, we stay at the exact same weight. What exactly is the limit to how many calories I can consume daily if I want to stay at the same weight? How about if I want to lose weight?

The daily calorie burn is different for each person, and the exact figure is calculated based on your gender, age, height, weight, and activity level. Here is how you calculate your daily calorie burn:

Multiply your body weight by 10. This figure is called your basic metabolic rate (BMR), and it is the number of calories you would burn if you stayed in bed all day.

For example, my weight at 190 pounds multiplied by 10 equals 1900. Thus, my BMR is 1900 calories, which is the minimum amount of calories my body needs every day for basic functions such as breathing, keeping my heart beating, regulating my body temperature, etc. Multiplying your weight by 10 gives you a fairly good estimate of your BMR, but at this online BMR Calculator you can add your gender, age, height, and weight … and thus, you can calculate a more accurate BMR.

Is that it?

No, because you are not likely to stay in bed all day, and thus you burn more calories every day than your BMR.

Now, multiply your BMR by your daily activity level, and then add that amount to your BMR. Here are activity level factors:

Sedentary (sitting most of the day) – 20%
Lightly active (walking here and there; daily chores) – 35%
Moderately active (constantly moving around; daily exercise) – 40%
Very active (substantial exercise for a long time) – 50%
Extremely active (intense exercise for an extended period of time) – 60%

For example, if I was sedentary I would multiply my BMR of 1900 by the sedentary factor of 20% to get 380, and then add that amount of 380 to my BMR of 1900 to get 2280.

Woo hoo! When I am sedentary I still burn 2280 calories a day! 1900 + (1900 x 0.20) = 2280.
If I am just lightly active one day, I burn 2565 calories. 1900 + (1900 x 0.35) = 2565.
When I am moderately active, I burn 2660 calories that day. 1900 + (1900 x 0.40) = 2660.
And if I exercise heavily on a given day, I burn 2850 calories. 1900 + (1900 x 0.50) = 2850.
Finally, when I really work it, I burn 3040 calories. 1900 + (1900 x 0.60) = 3040

But wait, there’s more! Your body actually burns calories to digest food, and the number of calories burned is estimated to be 10% of your daily consumption according to your activity level. Thus, take the sum shown above based on your activity level, and multiply that amount by 10% … and then add that extra to the total. For example:

Sedentary, 2280 + (2280 x .10) = 2508 calories
Lightly active, 2565 + (2565 x .10) = 2821.5 calories
Moderately active, 2660 + (2660 x .10) = 2926 calories
Very active, 2850 + (2850 x .10) = 3135 calories
Extremely active, 3040 + (3040 x .10) = 3344 calories

This final figure is called your Total Daily Caloric Expenditure. It is a measure of how many calories a day you burn based on your gender, age, height, weight, and activity level.

So what would it take to lose 1 pound in one day?

Since a pound of body fat is equal to 3500 calories, theoretically I would have to eat nothing or very little during the day, and also be extremely active that day to achieve a Total Daily Caloric Expenditure of 3500 calories. Thus, for me to lose 1 pound a day for 7 days, I would have to eat little or nothing all week, and be extremely active through exercise every day.

Actually, I believe that I lost about 6 pounds during the week. Granted, some of it was probably the “water weight” that everyone loses at the beginning of a diet, and the scale in my house may not be precise, and/or I may not have replicated exactly the starting and ending weigh-ins (i.e. clothes worn, time of day, etc.), but even if I only lost 3 or 4 pounds, I am pleased. I can see the difference in the mirror, and I can feel the difference in the way my clothes fit.

So what’s the point? My point is that I think people can lose weight fairly quickly, and lose it in a safe manner while eating well but without having to starve. So how did I do it?

I burned a lot of calories exercising every day. On at least 3 of the days I was extremely active for over an hour by bicycling up a canyon, starting at about 4700 feet above sea level at my house and rising to slightly over 6000 feet above sea level at the end of the trail (7 miles up, 7 miles back). On every other day, my exercise was lighter … perhaps I only walked for an hour. FYI, a person my size can burn 100 calories per mile walking, or as much as 200 calories per mile running or bicycling swiftly.

Also, I ate 6 small meals every day, about every 2.5 hours to avoid feeling hungry. At each mini-meal I had a high quality low or non-fat protein source (such as non-fat yogurt, turkey jerky, non-fat cottage cheese, non-fat protein powder in a shake, etc.), some fruit, something whole-grain (whole-grain crackers, cereal, brown rice, or some healthy gluten-free item, etc.), and veggies. With each meal I drank at least 16 ounces of water in order to feel full. I had no cookies or deserts of any kind for the week, although after a long bike ride I may have had something like a 100-calorie Healthy Choice fudge bar (since protein after a good workout helps rebuild muscle).

I consumed about 250 calories at each mini-meal, so I estimate that my daily intake was no more than about 1500 calories. Like I said, I never really felt hungry during the week, for if you eat something healthy about every 2.5 hours that includes protein you will stay satiated and keep your energy level constant.

Try out the Fotopala plan and let me know how it goes. You can do it!

Arequipa Perú in Pocas Palabras

Our adventure in Arequipa, Perú, has ended, and so I would like to sum up our experience there in a few words (pocas palabras).

Rocoto Relleno — Possibly the most common dish in Arequipa, this spicy stuffed pepper is delicious.

San Camino Market — The largest market in the center of town is a great place to find bargains and cheap produce.

Purple Corn Juice (Chicha) — Served everywhere.

Alpaca Yarn — Perú is famous for this soft yarn.

Ceviche — Though Arequipa is two hours from the coast, this fresh fish that is marinated (or “cooked”) in lemon and/or lime juice is a staple.

Traffic — Arequipa has grown rapidly in the last 10 years, and the roads are not well equiped to handle the increase in traffic.

Papaya and Mango — My two favorite local fruits, and I will miss them.

Sun — Shines virtually every day this time of year.

Cheese Ice Cream — Yum!

Inka Terraces — Farming the Inka way is still commonly done thanks to the many terraces left behind by this native community.

Potatoes — There are seemingly dozens of varities.

Combis — Vans and buses packed with commuters that clog the streets.

Aji — The national spice of Perú, and in different varieties.

Plaza de Armas — The central square and park.

Drinkable Yogurt — Many varieties and in large containers, however low-fat and low-sugar versions are scarce.

Walking — Without exaggeration I walked well more than 100 miles a month while there.

Menu del Día — The daily lunch menu of soup, entre, and beverage, all for as little as $2.

Vicuñas — The smallest of the camel family, these beautiful animals yield the most expensive yarn in the world.

Inka Cola — It’s yellow and tastes like cream soda, but it’s the most popular soda in Arequipa.

Catholic Church Buildings — They are all over town, including monasteries, parishes, and the grand cathedral that anchors the central square.

Bottled Water — That’s all I drank for two months after my early bought with Montezuma’s Revenge.

Pigeons — All over town.

Vea — Kind of like a mini Walmart, and my favorite grocery store.

Taxis — They dominate the streets.

Cheese — Several local and tasty varieties.

Slow Internet — Enough said.

Cornbread — Deliciosa!

Narrow Sidewalks — Always an adventure, but I won’t miss them.

Maca — This root vegetable that may only be found in Perú is purported to be a wonder food.

Club International — This sporting and exercise facility close to the center of town sits on about 5 acres right next to the river and it has just about everything you can imagine.

Coca — The leaves from which cocaine is made is all over town and used in teas, snacks, etc. … I would have loved to try it, but didn’t want to risk failing a job-related drug test back home.

Misti — One of the volcanoes that tower over Arequipa, it is your constant companion while there.

Buñuelos — A Peruvian donut drizzled in honey, need I say more?

3:30 AM in Perú

Today is Sunday, and I am so glad that I woke up early today because I am getting an early start on my day off from teaching English and being tutored in Spanish.

No one is completely extroverted, and no one is completely introverted, but since I am more introverted I find myself peopled-out by the end of a week of trying to infuse my students with the English language. An extroverted person might find that really energizing and want more, more, more — not me! Nonetheless, I don´t want to spend the whole day cooped up in my room, so I wonder if I can venture out into this city of half a million people and appear invisible? (Invisible appearance, my new oxymoron).

In any case, it is so wonderful to wake up early enough to watch the sky be gradually enlightened by the rising sun. From 3:00 AM until 4:00 AM is the best hour of the day because the night owls have finally gone to bed, but the early birds are not quite up, so it feels like you have the whole world to yourself … and then you get to watch the sun rise. They say that the 3:00 hour is the most spiritual hour of the day because the world is still and quiet like God.

How can it be that God´s one and only voice is silence, and how can it be that God dwells in stillness? It seems so contrary to the busy and noisy lives that so many of us live. Yet God´s silent voice speaks volumes, and God´s stillness moves all things … therefore it seems to me that we would all do well to speak less in order to say more, and we would all do well to remain still in order to do more — just like God.

We are one with the One who is the silent voice and effortless power at the core of our being. In the same way that a slice of orange tastes just like the orange from which it was sliced, and in fact is part of that very orange from which it was sliced, we are all like the One from which we came. We are all made in the image of God, therefore it stands to reason that we are also made with the ability to say a lot without saying anything, and to do a lot effortlessly. Jesus said that even the least among us can do all that he did and even greater things. Do we really believe that? No we don´t because we have been trained to believe that those words applied only to the so-called “age of miracles” when God was present in human form, and that those words applied only to a short period in history. Prophecies will end, and miracles will cease, but no one can prove that this has come to pass … so many of us live our lives believing that we don´t have access to the same effortless power and silent voice that … can do even greater things.

I refuse to believe that the full power of God is no longer available in and through us … or to put that in the positive, I believe that the full power of God is within each of us.

There´s no doubt that some people will read what I just wrote and say that I am full of shit, or at least misinformed. They will say that I have to believe this or that first, that I have to do this or that first, that after many years of loving … and believing … and doing … and praying … and fasting … and serving … and penance … and alms … and self-flagellation … and whatever, I MIGHT get access to the full power of God, but only for a brief moment, and only if God just happens to make a momentary exception in my case. Nonsense! What a negative, limited, discouraging way to think and live! Or, to put that in the vernacular … what a shitty way to think and live!

In any given moment, without having to satisfy a laundry list of requirements, each of us can tap into the full power of God. It can happen in an instant. Even the least among us has access to God´s power, even me. And really, the only requirement is that we BELIEVE. Everything that is not inconsistent with God´s nature, that is, everything that is true and beautiful and love and more, is available to us if we only believe and act on that belief.

Someone who believes that they are healthy will act on that belief and be healthy. But if by chance they forget who they are and what they believe with the result that they feel unhealthy for a season, all they need to do is remember that they are healthy and act on that belief in order to manifest the habits and help that will enable them to return to being healthy.

Someone who believes that they are abundant will act on that belief and give freely to others because they know that there is no end to the abundance that flows through them, and that same abundance will never cease to flow into their life because they believe that they are abundant. Give and it shall be given to you, overflowing into your life, for by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.

Someone who believes that they are creative will act on that belief and do creative things, and though there may be people around them who inadvertantly or even deliberately try to hinder their creativity, the creative person holds fast to their belief that they are creative. Thus, they live their life constantly inspired, seeing what others don´t see, creating something out of nothing, and they will always inspire others to be creative as well.

Someone who believes that they are truthful will act on that belief and live an honest and truthful life. They will return money and things that don´t belong to them, and they will not enrich themself at the expense of others. The truth that is within them is evident to all because they know that they are truthful and act on that belief.

Someone who encourages others is an Encourager … they act on the belief that encouragement is what everyone needs, and so they go about encouraging others. They don´t criticize or ridicule or belittle other people because all of us are made in the image of God. It seems unnecessary, even foolish, to criticize or ridicule or belittle the handiwork of God, doesn´t it? So it goes without saying that an Encourager does not discourage, but instead serves as a vessel of hope and support and help and encouragement to others.

Someone who wants to bring peace into the world will act on that belief and do peaceful things. They will manifest peace where there is strife, and thus dissolve strife through their peace in the same way that light dissolves darkness. People who live in peace with others are Peacemakers, and if it weren´t for these Peacemakers our world would be full of strife. Mother Teresa was once asked to join a march against war, but she refused to join because she was a Peacemaker … so then she told the anti-war movement that if they were to hold a march for peace, she would be there. Thank God for Peacemakers because they reflect the peaceful nature of God, and they bring peace into our world.

Someone who believes that they are loving will act on that belief and love themself and others. They will be a centered person who has a healthy sense of self-respect and self-love because they know that they are made in the image of God … and God don´t make junk. Someone who believes in the love of God within them will act on that belief and spread genuine, unconditional, love throughout the world. God is love, and those who live to love are living in God.

The full power of God is within each of us, so let´s all believe and act on those beliefs in order to manifest “even greater things” for all to enjoy.

Keith

Words

Obviously, you cannot get wet from the word “water” because a word only points to something or someone beyond itself … a word is merely a collection of letters, or a symbol, or a sound that points to some reality beyond itself. With that in mind, below are at least 70 inspirational words that you can use like a mantra to meditate on. So for example, if you want to manifest more laughter in your life and in the lives of the people around you, just carry the word “laugh” in your mind throughout the day … and you will no doubt be prompted to laugh during the day because you have been carrying that thought in your mind. Pick an inspirational word to meditate on today, and may you experience the reality beyond each word.

Believe, word, create, wellbeing, breathe, water, communicate, vegetables, be, universe, dance, stillness, drink, spirituality, eat, sky, encourage, silence, exercise, rest, feel, recreation, flow, peace, give, now, gratitude, grow, nature, help, music, hug, mindfulness, imagine, meditation, kiss, love, know, light, laugh, life, learn, language, listen, joy, live, hope, love, happiness, manifest, God, share, gap, beauty, smile, fruits, teach, freedom, think, energy, touch, earth, travel, discipline, volunteer, detachment, truth, walk, being, watch, acceptance, write, abundance.

Teacher

Here in Perú almost all of my students call me “Teacher” instead of Keith, even my adult students. I can only assume that in this culture the students call you “Teacher” as a sign of respect, however I´m not sure that I was feeling much respect from the teenage boys I taught on Saturday morning last month. One of those boys gave me the middle finger about 40 minutes into his first class after I had told him for the 4th time to put away his cell phone. When talking about those boys I had to force myself to refer to them as my “angels” instead of as my “devils” … and I did that only because I was afraid of the consequences of calling them devils, fearing that they would fully become what I labeled them and what I perceived them to be. Granted, there are the “name it, claim it” charlatans that are out there just trying to make a buck off naive followers, but I do believe that there is enormous power in words … for with a single word you can tear down or build up. In any case, my teenage angels and I made it through the month relatively unscathed.

I´ve worn many hats in my life, and teacher is just one of them. For these two months in Perú I am working in the official capacity as teacher, however the reality is that our teachers are everywhere, and everyone of us is a teacher.

I have come to believe that every single person that we cross paths with in life can be our teacher … from the child gleefully kicking a plastic bottle down the street and who teaches us how to find joy in the simple things of everyday life, to the elderly blue-haired lady who is in front us driving 20 MPH in a 45 MPH zone while teaching us to slow the hell down, and I could go on and on. We can view everyone as our teacher.

On the other side of the coin, in everyday life I tend to be a little hesitant about making myself out to be anyone´s teacher. Is there anyone who actually enjoys being around someone who acts like they know the answers to all of life´s questions? When I am around people like that I generally disregard most (if not all) of what they say, and then I try to get as far away from them as possible just as soon as I possibly can. An over-inflated ego is moving away from wisdom and not toward it. So, I try to remember that the best time to offer advice is when someone asks for it, and if I do offer unsolicited advice, I try to do it with a genuine attitude of service. They say that all the answers are within us, so perhaps real teaching is about helping people discover the wisdom that is within.

The business of teaching English as a second language has been a very eye-opening experience for me. First of all, it is a business, and there is a fair amount of money to be made in this business … that is, if you are a school owner or in administration. Generally speaking, English teachers are not raking in the big bucks. I´ve heard that the best places to make money teaching English are in South Korea and in the oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and others. One really good thing about this business is that if you are willing to travel and adapt to different cultures, you will have no trouble finding work. All the world is learning English.

One other aspect of this business that I´ve discovered is that in many places (especially in Spanish America) it is only the upper class rich people who can afford to pay for English classes in a private school like the one where I am teaching right now. What that means is that you have to be prepared to deal with a fair amount of snobby, spoiled, generally unmotivated students. In fact, during teacher orientation here I was told NOT to give any of my students homework, that homework is not something they want or will do. But as for me, in every place I have taken Spanish classes I have insisted on receiving homework virtually every day because I am very motivated to improve my Spanish.

To this day, the best experience I have ever had teaching English was in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, through a program that was known at the time as “Children of the Dump.” A large evangelical local church was operating an after-school program at a facility that was located a few blocks from the city landfill, and the kids that lived in that poor neighborhood were provided English language lessons for free since all of us teachers were volunteers. The classes were held at night after the regular school day, and guess what? Those kids were the most motivated, well-behaved, students that I have ever had. They were truly angels in contrast to the rich and snotty so-called angels that I have taught in private English language schools.

Well, I suppose that I will continue to teach English for pay for the foreseeable future, but I look forward to the next time I can teach English to an entire class that really wants to learn, to teach people who can use English to escape poverty and improve their standard of living. And I expect that those people will be my greatest teachers.