Preparation for the 30 Day Challenge:    Your Challenge Guide

In order to have success in anything in life, you must be like a Boy Scout. You must prepare.  It is strongly recommended that you to make preparations well in advance of your new journey.  In preparation, I want you to list the things that you wish you were able to get out of your life.  This can be Diet Cokes to Cigarettes, to too much TV or lack of exercise.  This list will be your Goal List. One of the things that I want you to focus on is Time Management, Stress Management and Relaxation. These are all very important to your overall success in health, weight management, and life.  Although, this is only going to be a 30-day challenge, there are certainly things here that I want you to learn and to apply to your everyday life if it will bring improvement to your health.

Checklist:  Just as a pilot completes a flight checklist, you must complete your checklist before your successful journey begins.  This is your personal Checklist.  Please make sure that all boxes are checked before beginning the Doctor’s Challenge.

Challenge Checklist:

• I am committed to the 30-Day Challenge.
• I do understand that this will be a Challenge but I am fully prepared, committed and engaged.
• I am willing to reduce my white sugar, my white flour, and refined foods from my diet (For maximum results, I do understand that I should cut them out completely).
• I have reduced my caffeine intake by at least 50%.  If not before I started, I will reduce by 50% my caffeine intake within the first week.
• I am taking Vitamin D3, a Multivitamin, Vitamin C 2000 mg, and 2000 mg of Omega 3 Fatty Acid (fish oil) each day as a bare minimum of my supplement needs
• I have geared myself for at least 10 minutes of exercise a day.
• I have the support of my family for this challenge.
• I have asked my family, my friends, and my support system to support me on this journey.
• I have asked my support systems to not tempt me with unhealthy foods or choices, to distract me with their doubts, or to undermine my progress just because they are not ready to start their journey of personal health and wellness.
• I have taken my measurements of my BMI, Weight, and my Waist-to-Hip Ratio. I have also recorded them in my Journal.

Food Journal:  FAQs

1. Why should I food journal?  Since health is a lifelong journey, you are never going to be “set in stone” with this simple 30 Day Challenge.  That being said, you will want to create a roadmap.

As you go through this 30 Day Challenge, you will actually be able to “look behind” and see your progress. It may be in your weight, your inches, or your energy level, but you will see the difference.  Over the next 30 days, you will collect a journal filled with your thoughts and your key events during this process.   I invite you to keep this somewhere special and make sure that you review it often. In fact, I would make it private so that you can be sure to write down your most personal thoughts about yourself during this challenge. This will be your roadmap to health, something that you might have to get back out if you lose your way.

There are a few things that you need to get together before you get started.  I am including a list below.  Please try and gather this together before our start date of August 1, 2010.

• Health Quiz—You will take this quiz before and after your challenge
• Grocery List of the basics
• Journal Guidelines
• Essential supplements that are recommended
• Exercise recommendations
• Time Management techniques
• Stress Management ideas
• Relaxation Techniques
• Bowel Health Recommendations
• Food Log
• Symptom tracker

Remember, this is for your health.  Do you want to be on an ever-growing list of medications for your health?  No, I didn’t think so. That is why you are enrolled in our 30 Day Challenge!  Let’s get started!

Answer these questions:

Starting Food List / Grocery List (Partial):

You will most likely need to make many copies.  Do this for yourself. You will see the difference in your awareness if you journal your intake.

Hunger Scale:  0 = Not hungry at all   5 = So hungry that I could eat anything

Pay it Forward

You have obviously taken this challenge because you feel that you need to lose weight.  You might also have enrolled in the program for the prizes. However, when I ask people the reason for enrolling, most will tell me that it is because they know something in their life has got to change.  We do see rapid change all around us.  We, as a collective unit, know that our health is headed down the wrong path.  If you are like me, you do not want another prescription for your pharmacist to fill. You want real solutions.  If you play full out over the next 30 days, you will have a fundamental paradigm shift in your approach to health. You do not need to be the victim any longer.  You can improve your life by taking just a few small steps. Once you get started, you might find that you really want to run!

If you are willing to play “full out” and pay the price to truly understand you body, your nutrition, and your health, apply the habits and principles that I write about, you will reap powerful benefits that will improve the outcome of your attitude, your health, and you wellness.

I have another project for you.  Remember, when I told you that the challenge was going to be interactive?  I meant it!  The goal of the challenge is to help you get a fundamental paradigm shift in your thinking that will inspire you to move to greatness in your health, nutrition, and hopefully in your ability to reach your goals, whatever they are!

I want you to do a little experiment.  I want you to expand your ability to relate to others.  There are four simple little exercise (well, maybe not so simple).  Please make sure that you follow the instructions. If you want to give me some feedback, you can email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  I will do my best to get back to you OR I will answer your questions in the body of our daily email contacts.

What’s THEIR Dream?

1. Make a list of the three to five most important or most influential people in your life.  Connect with them again.  Show them that you do have an interest in them and that they do have value.
2. Take some time this week to ask them about their goals and their dreams.  How is their health and what is are their short and long term goals.

Give them support and let them know that you value them.  Let them know that you believe in them and give them encouragement to reach their goals.  Give them a time to shine!  Support your list!  If you share with them that you are interested in seeing them reach their goals, the mere fact that someone is supporting them will:

1. help them to reach the wanted goal.  You help yourself by helping others.  It is the old “pay it forward” concept.  Try it! It really does work.
2. Ask three people that you don’t know, in an ideal setting, what their goals are for the short and long term.  Just by asking them to voice their goals, you are helping them to organize their thoughts, put it in voice, and further their chances of reaching their goal.

You might not be up for this kind of communication with people. However, if you want to tone your muscles, you have to exercise them. The ability to share your love and connect with your friends, family and your community is really keeping a communication muscle toned. Start today by exercising this muscle. Tell them that Dr. Haendiges made you do it.  It is part of your 30 Day Challenge and then, going forward, make it a habit of touching base with them every so often and getting an update on their goals.

“When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced.  Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.”

-Indian Proverb

Health Blueprint:  Doctor’s 30 Day Weight Loss Challenge

Welcome to your roadmap to Weight and Health Mastery.

Congratulations! By accepting the Doctor’s 30 Day Challenge, you have set your sights on beginning the process of transforming your weight, but more importantly your health.  You have done something that most people do not do nor know how to do even if they wanted to!  Therefore, congratulations are in order.  You have now committed to stop dreaming about weight loss and health and to start doing something about it.

Action is surely the key to success.  Therefore, failure to act is the single most important reason why people do not achieve their desired level of success.  Most people will waste their time and money on diets, nutritional schemes, and fraudulent marketing, searching for the quick fix. Even worse, people are expecting a pill for every ill. Not you!  You are looking for the real thing.  You want to reach for that level of success and goal achievement so that you don’t have to travel this road again.  You want a permanent resolution to your problem.

You realize that be redirecting your focus and your energy on the things that will yield success, goal achievement, and health maintenance you are creating your own success!

Although the Challenge is only for 30 days, you will use this as a springboard to successful weight management, good health, and a reduction of disease.  Let’s get started.

On this first day of the Challenge, we are going to start with an assessment.  I want you to think about the things, events, and people in your life—take an inventory.  You are to also think about your average day.  Is there more time that you can apply to achievement of your goal?  Finally, for today, what is your goal?  These are very important goals and I need you to write them down.  You must learn to track your thoughts, your goals, and your time.  You will find a list of the things that I want you to get for the next 35 days.

• A Journal—3 ring binder, spiral notebook, Moleskin notebook, steno pad, loose paper . . . it really does not matter what it is, you just NEED to have one.
• An honest approach to your life’s questions that are for your eyes only
• A private place to keep your journal
  • An open-mind when it comes to self assessment and self-awareness

Goal Setting:

Are you an eye-roller?  Do the rules not apply to you?  Doing the same things over and over yet expecting different results is insanity according to Albert Einstein.  Are you insane?  No, you are not so why not keep an open mind on this next task?

It is a very simple thing to do.  In fact, it is so simple that most people choose to ignore the viability of this task—write down your goals.  Today, I want you to make a written list of your goals—weight, fitness, retirement date, relationships, faith, health, or financial—there are no limits.  You must make this list.

If you want to benefit to the maximum on this Challenge, then don’t bend the rules.  These are tested to scientific standards—writing your goals on paper makes them more likely to be achieved.  Just do it!

Today, list for yourself, what is your goal:

• Over the course of the Doctor’s 30 Day Challenge
• Over the next year
• Over the next 3 years
• Over the next 5 years
• Over the next 10 years
• Over the next 20 years.

Write them down.  You don’t have to share them with anyone. However, if you are in a relationship, you might find it helpful to talk about these goals. You might as well find out now if you share the same goals.

Well, what does this have to do with weight loss?  “Weight” and see!

Inventory and Assessment Time

Now that you have identified your goals, it is time to take an inventory of your time.  Measure your current level of productivity that is focused on achieving your goals.  There will be some crossover but try and get this done. This, again, is very important.

1. How many hours per week to you spend in achieving each of your goals?
   1. Less than 10
   2. 11-20
   3. 21-30
   4. 31-40
   5. 41-50
   6. 51-60
   7. 61-70
   8. 71-8
2. Are you organized with your time?          
   
3. Do you use a task list to organize your time?
4. Do you sleep until the last moment?
5. How do you define your normal goal progression? (Very Focused, Focused, Not focused?)
6. How many unscheduled disruptions occur in your normal day, business and home?

What time is it?

Most people who are honest with themselves will find that there is plenty of room for improvement when it comes to time management.  I now want you to find time in your schedule when you can “squeeze” in time for your health.  Below, I want you to document and commit the time that you will specify as your “health time” and make sure that it is a “protected, do not disturb, and leave me alone time.”

 When is that time?

What are your favorite foods?

The food that we eat is actually two things:  Information and energy.  When you eat healthy, wholesome foods, you are actually giving your body good information and pure energy.  Then why do we eat the junk foods and the empty calories?  Serotonin and addiction. The reason is simple.  We become addicted to those foods much like a heroin addict.

 90% of all premature death and disease is linked to diet and lifestyle.  In fact, the generation of children that we have in 2010 is the first generation of children that are not expected to outlive their parents.

 Over the next 30 days, you are going to experience some withdrawals. Ask yourself this simple question.  Can I commit to following the directions of Dr. Haendiges for 30 days?  If you can, you will experience a renewal. You will learn what good health is and how to achieve it.  On the other hand, you can sacrifice your long term health for the very short term fix OR you can sacrifice the short term fix for the long term benefits.  It really seems like a no-brainer to me. What say you?

 Below is a brief list of the foods that will be on our 30 Day Challenge:

• Fruits—low glycemic
• Vegetables
• Fiber
• Lean whole meats
• Good fats—avocado, almonds, olive oil, fish, flax seed)
• Nuts
• Seeds

I will go over these in more detail on our 30 day Challenge.

One basic rule of thumb is good to keep in mind. Remember, we are truly Hunters and Gatherers in our Genetic Code. If you are ever confused about what is good to eat or what is bad to eat, step back for a second and ask yourself, “Would I have eat this if I were alive a thousand years ago?”  As a rule, if the answer is no, then put it down!

True story:  I was driving through Illinois this past winter. I had stopped at a truck stop to fill up my truck with diesel.  However, what I got was a much bigger headache than I could ever imagine.  I got a full tank of gas and went down the road about 50 miles and my truck just stopped.  It jumped and sputtered and then ran out of power.  Fortunately, for us, we were able to drive to another service station that was open at midnight.  However, I had gotten bad diesel that was full of water.  When this happened, my engine said, “Sorry that fuel is not good enough for me and I don’t want to work well for you anymore.”  That is exactly what our body does for us in our thirties and forties.  Years of eating the wrong foods and not taking care of our body will lead to our fuel lines “gelling up” and not working well for us.  Is it really a big surprise when you hit that tipping point and you start gaining weight, feeling exhausted, being irritable and non-motivated?  No, it really isn’t. However, you can make a U-Turn.  You see, if I could have gone back and turned my truck around and NOT put that bad fuel in, I sure would have.  I am telling you now that if you feel bad, are overweight and exhausted. You can turn your health around. You might not be able to get completely off medications but I can guarantee you that if you follow the plan that I am going to outline for you, you will reduce your risk and return to a better state of health. Keep the MOMENTUM!  Stay on track.

“When you’re in an earthquake on a unicycle, juggling chain saws, the only way to survive is to tack down everything you can tack down, so you can deal with what you can’t!”

-Stephen Chakin

Dr. Haendiges’ interpretation:

You don’t have any idea what life is going to throw at you in health and disease.  However, if you take care of the things that are in your control –weight, immune system, nutrition, exercise-you are better equipped to handle the unforeseen illnesses, diseases, and infections!

If you wear out this body this early, where else are you going to live?