I didn’t expect this disaster.

It was Wednesday evening when I got the email from our community complex.

‘Be prepared for the incoming hurricane and loss of power’ it started off.

It shared details on how to prepare for loss of water and power.

I drove into the pouring rain a few minutes later.

A quick supply run to the store for water and bananas.

The wind started to howl.

Thursday came.

The rain continued to drop.

Our home shook throughout the day.

By early Friday morning, things had calmed down.

Or so I thought…

Up early with Anthony, I started my morning routine.

No internet.

No power.

I tried again.

Nothing.

The next 24 hours things started to get more clear.

By Saturday morning the power had come back on.

But then the water was shut off.

Internet was still off.

The night before, we drove through town to see how things were.

The water reached the bottom of traffic lights.

Our river arts district with dozens of art studios was washed away.

I was stunned.

Somehow Helene had ravaged our small mountain town.

Then, the rumors started stacking up Saturday.

‘Water wouldn’t be back for weeks’, whispers came in.

We decided to pack for a few days due to Anthony’s cloth diapers and dishes stacking up (plus slowly running out of water).

After hours of driving and traffic, we made it to Tennessee.

My family had spent days trying to contact us.

I spoke with my mother.

Let her know we were okay.

But reports continued to pour in.

Water and internet would continue to be out for weeks.

And all roads were now officially closed except for one.

We made it out just in time.

With just a few days of clothes and food.

This was last weekend.

Watching Asheville’s turmoil unfold was unbelievable.

But thankfully we’re safe and sound.

My prayers go out to all those whose homes and families were destroyed.

This newsletter is dedicated to them.

As a reminder - Murphy’s Law is very real.

It’s always good to be prepared.

I wonder if we could have prepared better.

Lesson: Don’t expect the worst, but be prepared for it.

Here's Your 1-3-1 Friday:

#1.) 5 markers of great health

Here’s 5 signs of good health:

1. You have day-long energy

The average person is lethargic.

Tired and out of shape.

They live on coffee, energy drinks, and additives.

You’re not the average person though.

Which is why you’re reading this.

Energy is your birthright.

Harnessing your life force can take up an entire article series but here’s the main premise:

You are energy.

Your body is energy.

Your life is energy.

Read any book by any credible quantum physicist and this will become clear.

So what’s the takeaway here?

Learn to harness your energy to live a high energy life.

It’s that simple.

2. You have mental clarity and focus

Most people struggle to stay focused.

But when you’re healthy and centered, focus comes easily.

When your body is strong, your health is radiant, and your mind is clear, high performance is within your grasp.

Without the High Performance 3 (HP3)?

You’ll struggle to make momentum in any area of your life.

Health is wealth.

You need health to create a great life.

3. You live a calm and centered life

Anxiety. Depression. Overwhelm.

These are the ‘norm’.

Doesn’t make them normal.

But that’s what’s ‘normal’.

Break the societal chains.

Break the negative feedback loop.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

Be a force to reckon with.

Be your best plant-fueled self.

Living a centered and calm life isn’t ‘woo woo’.

It’s called growing up.

And becoming a mature adult.

4. You have a healthy body composition

By 2030, it’s estimated 50% of Americans will be obese or overweight.

50%.

Let that sink in.

It’s no longer about ‘looking good’.

Health is distant with high levels of body fat.

Disease is nearby with poor body composition.

If you create an environment for sickness, sickness will thrive.

If you create an environment for health, health will thrive.

Both are under our control.

And yes, society doesn’t help our health efforts.

Nor do any of the big industries.

But you can fight back.

You are a sovereign being.

No one can take this from you.

Take back your health.

Create a lean, strong body that fuels your life and impact.

We need you at your best.

5. You eat a high performance plant diet (70/30 split)

A whole food plant based diet has been found to be the MOST beneficial for humans who want great health.

Dr. Gregor. Campbell. Bernard.

Countless researchers and doctors have verified this.

So what’s a high performance plant diet?

A diet that balances whole foods with strategic plant protein paired with your favorite plant-based foods.

A 70/30 split.

70% of your foods coming from whole foods like potatoes, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.

30% coming from strategic vegan proteins like tofu, tempeh, minimally processed mocks, protein powder, and sprinkling your favorite foods like ice cream, pizza, and thai food.

It checks your health boxes.

It checks your fitness boxes.

It checks your food desires.

It checks sustainability.

It’s simple and approachable.

Now go test it out.

#2.) The mindset for success

I grew up a perfectionist.

Doing everything perfect was a firm belief.

Until it no longer worked anymore.

It started hindering real progress.

It makes me wonder if it ever really worked.

If you’re working on your health and fitness, perfectionism is a quick way to self sabotage your efforts.

I know.

This was me for years.

The simple solution?

Create a new belief that fosters positive growth.

The no-matter-what-it-will-happen-kinda-belief.

I call it progress over perfection.

It’s not my invention.

But it’s one that I've adopted with tremendous success.

Not just in my life.

But in 100’s of client’s lives.

The results speak for themselves.

You can read ​dozens upon dozens of 5 star reviews of VFR clients​ who have used our Accelerator Mindset System.

It’s a gamechanger.

Back to progress over perfection.

This can rewire your relationship with perfectionism forever.

Here’s how it works:

• Every time you start to focus on perfectionism, slow down. Notice what’s happening around you (externally and internally)
• Acknowledge how you feel and what you’re thinking.
• Slowly repeat with EMOTION and FEELING to yourself: ‘My goal is progress. I make progress every day in every way. I can do anything I set my mind to regardless of how fast I go’.
• Repeat 2-4x daily or as needed (each time with emotion)

The emotion part is important.

When it comes to rewiring our subconscious beliefs and our self-image, you need to go to the core root.

Emotions lie at the heart of our subconscious mind.

The ocean of the unconscious is fueled by emotions.

When you replace the negative emotions (or unconscious ones) with positively chosen emotions, you create radical transformation.

Your thoughts create reality.

Choose yours carefully.

(Struggle with affirmations? Then, ​try using paraliminals.​ They’re evidence-based audio technology which can rapidly replace unconscious beliefs in days - not years.

No affiliation, just love sharing great tools).

#3.) The glasses I swear by at night

The past 6 months I’ve been wearing glasses.

Now, I don’t use glasses for eyesight.

But for blue light I use them everyday.

According to a systematic review on the influence of blue light on sleep and performance, here’s what they found:

• Cognitive performance, alertness, and reaction time.
• Benefit decision-making and may help prevent injury.
• Blue light also has negative effects such as the decrease in sleep quality and sleep duration, which worsen physical and cognitive performance and recovery.
• Blue light can slow or stop your body’s release of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep.

Basically, blue light disrupts health and recovery.

Which is a no-no if you care about high performance and great health.

Here’s a few blue light sources to be aware of:

• Televisions
• Smartphones
• Tablets
• Gaming systems
• Fluorescent light bulbs
• LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs
• Computer monitors

Blue light is everywhere.

But it doesn’t need to impact your sleep.

Here’s what blue light glasses can do for you:

• Blue light glasses can help reduce eye strain and discomfort, which can be caused by prolonged use of screens and devices.
• Eye strain is a common cause of headaches, so reducing it with blue light glasses can help reduce headaches.
• Wearing blue light glasses before bed can help you fall asleep faster and sleep better throughout the night.
• Blue light glasses can help you feel refreshed after working at a computer for long periods of time.
• Blue light glasses can protect your eyes from the harmful effects of blue light, which can lead to vision problems over time.
• The best blue light blocking glasses also have an anti-glare coating to further prevent digital eye strain.

 ​Here’s the brand​ I use if you want to check them out (no affiliation although I love them).

Setup your health for repeatable success.

It starts the night before.

1 Action Step

Rather than add something new this week, what can you eliminate? What do you NOT need to be doing anymore? Cross it off your list permanently.

Client of the Week

Meet Liza.

She’s a busy realtor, mother of 2, and wife.

Long days as a real estate agent keeps her busy with open houses and tours.

Eventually this led to her neglecting her health for extended periods.

It’s a reminder that our health isn’t a one-time decision… but rather a multitude of small choices we make over time.

She wasn’t happy with her body. Or how she looked.

She wanted to regain her confidence and energy.

So we got started.

Strategy: Nutrition was a big focus for us. Liza wanted to drop body fat permanently. But she also wanted to do this the right way.

We set her calories to a moderate deficit to average a 1 pound of body fat down per week. Tracking her nutrition was non-negotiable for 5 days but we also paired this with her meal prep system.

Creating simple meals that her and her family could enjoy as she embarked on this new journey became a core pillar.

We then created a standard for her home workouts.

Liza wasn’t keen on working out in a public gym where everyone in the community knew her and could distract her.

Plus, working out from home was more convenient.

Lifting hard and pushing her reps each workout became a priority so we could maximize each session.

Results started to pour in.

But to be fair - it wasn’t perfect.

We had a few hiccups with adjusting her macros that threw off her tracking for a few weeks. Work got crazy. Family relationships got strained.

Liza travels frequently too. Added on top of this was several family trips over the summer and being on the go a LOT.

She still persevered.

Wins: As of writing this, she’s down nearly 35 lbs even having done a metabolic reset to go into a further cut. She’s dropped 5+ inches off her waist. She’s leaner, confident, and more energetic than she’s felt in years.

She’s a new person.

She’s learned how to set non negotiable standards for her life.

And she’s never going back.

Recently accepted into our Lv2 Program, she’s excited to solidify her new habits into a permanent lifestyle. Excited to watch her create this reality. 🙂

If you're a busy vegan, plant-based human, or plant-curious and want to get in the best shape of your life while leading by example, ​apply here to get lean, strong, and healthy in 2024. ​ 

(2-week waiting list and capped at 5 new spots per month)

One Quote To Finish Your Week Strong

Learning to make lemonade from lemons this week.

So far?

It’s working.

- Gabriel

P.S. Apply for the Accelerator 2.0 Program before prices go up on October 21st. ​Lock in your best rates here.​ 

References:

1. ​https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9424753/​ 

2. ​https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-blue-light​ 

Whenever you're ready, there are three ways I can help you:

#1 ​Join our free high-performance fitness FB group​ to get access to dozens of live trainings recorded along with a tight-knit group of leaders who want to get healthy, lean, and strong.

#2 Are you a high achiever who wants to be lean, strong, and lead by example? ​Apply for private 1:1 coaching​ and get in the best shape of your life (2-week waiting list).

#3 Want to fuel your fitness curiosity and follow along with the latest findings, insights, and evidence-based practices? Let's be friends on ​Facebook ​and ​Instagram​. :)