Category: Brainstorms

Making The Most Of The Mind-Body Connection

Athletes of all kinds focus on building and maintaining a healthy and productive mind-body connection. Generally, this means managing mental stress as a tool for enabling maximum physical performance. As a BMX freestyle athlete, I’ve spent years developing a mind-body connection that allows me to overcome both physical and mental obstacles. This connection allows me to push through fear and becomes adept at making quick, intuitive decisions that help me to achieve my goals both on and off the BMX course.

Several years ago, I had a transformative experience that made me realize the mind-body connection has more than one dimension, and that taking care of yourself physically is essential to having a healthy brain.

In March 2010, I was told I had a brain tumor that required immediate surgery. I was fortunate that the surgery went well and that I was back on my bike within two months of the procedure. But that wasn’t the end of it. While performing in India, I learned I had two more brain tumors. I didn’t have a choice in the diagnosis, but this time I did have a choice in treatments.

[See: Exercising After You’ve Gone Under (the Knife, That Is).]

Tapping into the mind-body connection that I’ve honed over years of BMX training, I put my fear of the tumors aside and focused on identifying the best treatment option. After doing some digging on all the options out there, I decided upon radiosurgery with Gamma Knife – a non-invasive treatment that uses focused beams of radiation to destroy tumor tissue without the need for open brain surgery. The Gamma Knife procedure was incredibly simple and I was back out on my bike six days later. I’m always somewhat surprised that, when I tell my story, most people aren’t familiar with Gamma Knife. It’s an important treatment option for people with brain tumors and other neurological disorders.

My brain tumor diagnoses were a real catalyst for thinking about how I could better care for myself. I started to think about factors that impacted my brain health and were in my control and realized that food and nutrition might play an important role in helping repair the damage from the tumors and the head injuries I had suffered in the past. To be honest, up to that point in my life I had made some pretty unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Committed to finding a healthier path, I learned about the work of Dr. David Perlmutter, a top-notch neurologist, and fellow of the American College of Nutrition. He has a unique perspective on the brain and how the food we eat affects it.

Inspired by his work, I undertook a yearlong program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I took what I learned in the program, combined it with the knowledge I’d gained from Dr. Perlmutter’s work and applied it to my own day-to-day nutritional choices. I began eating fermented foods like sauerkraut and kombucha, got rid of the added sugars, starchy carbs and gluten, and started including more healthy fats like avocado, coconut oil, grass-fed butter and ghee, and extra virgin olive oil.

[See: 12 Psychological Tricks to Get You Through a Workout or Race.]

With these changes, I lowered my total carbohydrate intake by about 80 to 90 percent. I also started taking probiotics and got serious about my fitness – which became a key priority after going through an ACL reconstructive surgery. I’ve also found that getting enough sleep, being grateful for what I have and finding strength in helping others are all good for my soul and for my brain.

My mornings went from having a bowl of processed cereal loaded with sugar and conventional cow’s milk, toaster strudels, cheap pasteurized juice, soda, pastries and even more horrific foods, to starting my day with a large amount of water, a bulletproof coffee and a healthy breakfast consisting of lots of healthy fats (avocado and coconut oil), quality protein (organic, pasture-raised eggs) and low-starch veggies (broccoli, red cabbage, mushrooms and onions) with spices (black pepper, pink Himalayan sea salt, garlic and turmeric). I ditched the cheap recovery protein shakes and swapped them for Garden Of Life’s non-GMO, organic, gluten-free protein and various other supplements. I’ve also added Barleans organic and wild-caught fish oil to my meals. My lunches and dinners have the same basic components as my breakfasts, and I find that healthy fats add delicious flavors and keep me satisfied.

From adopting these healthy eating habits, I have seen great changes take place. I don’t oversleep, and I look forward to waking up and starting my day. I have significantly reduced my body fat and see even more definition in my muscles. I feel stronger and more energized throughout my whole day on and off the bike. In addition to feeling better physically, I’m able to think more clearly without the constant brain fog and forgetfulness that I experienced before adopting better eating habits. Importantly, this clarity of thought has really improved my ability to assess my emotions and be realistic about my life. Perhaps the best result of the changes I’ve made to my diet is that I know I’m doing everything I can to protect my brain’s health today and for the long term. This knowledge allows me to live in a constant sensation of gratitude, peace, love, and happiness.

[See: 10 Ways to Break a Bad Mood.]

The moral of my story is that being diagnosed with a life-threatening situation isn’t always the worst thing that can happen. In fact, any “negative” diagnosis, challenge, failure or obstacle can be a positive experience if you allow yourself to see it that way. In my case, my brain tumor diagnoses helped me see I was making lots of decisions that were taking me further and further away from the healthy lifestyle I needed to have. It took the prospect of death to make me open my mind to change. It’s now my mission to help others become aware of the changes that they can make to improve their lives, without having them go through the challenges I’ve experienced.

Strangely, my brain tumor diagnoses ended up being blessings in disguise, and I am beyond grateful for all that I have learned from them. I am proud of who I have become and the choices I am making to take care of my mind and my body, and I am honored to have the opportunity to share my story with you.

The connections between our minds and bodies are truly powerful. Take care of both, and you’ll be able to live life to the fullest.

-Josh P.

What Surviving 3 Brain Tumors Taught Me About Health

First, they said I’d never ride again. Then they said I’d never compete again. Then they said I’d never win again. I didn’t believe them. I was right.

Let me back up. I’m a professional BMX athlete, which means I compete in freestyle BMX bike riding events where we do tricks like backflips, spins and tail whips. When I was in my 20s – not long after I had won a major professional competition and competed in the X-Games, the most elite of extreme sports competitions – I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. This tumor, known as a meningioma, took up almost the entire left side of my head. I went from feeling on top of the world to feeling like the world was on top of me. A team of surgeons opened my skull and cut out the tumor. The surgery was intense and the recovery was tough, but fortunately, I was back on my bike just over a month later.

[See: Exercising After You’ve Gone Under (the Knife, That Is).]

The experience changed me, but not as significantly as you might expect. I thought of my brain tumor as a short pause in an otherwise normal life; not much different than the sort of bumps I went over on the BMX course. I went back to training, traveling and competing. I was your basic 20-something kid: I rode hard during the day, and ate, drank and stayed out late with my buddies at night. Life goes on, right?

Wrong. Two years after making a full recovery from surgery, I was traveling in India when I found out I had two more brain tumors. The news hit me hard. I knew I was lucky to have come out of the first diagnosis and surgery with little more than a scar on my scalp. With this second diagnosis, I started to worry that my luck was running out.

That was when I knew it was time to make some changes. While I had probably known all along deep down that I couldn’t fuel my dreams on 42-ounce sodas and microwaved burritos, the return of my tumors made me realize how precious good health really is. It gave me the motivation to take a serious look at my life and lifestyle and to reconsider my choices.

I started with my most pressing issues, which, quite literally, were the brain tumors pressing on my skull. My intense desire to beat the tumors and get on with my life almost matched my desire not to live through another craniotomy. I believed that there had to be another way to fix the tumors, so I sat at my computer searching the web until I found something that seemed like it might be an alternative: Gamma Knife radiosurgery, a way to treat the brain tumors without having to cut the skull open. I soon found a doctor who would perform the procedure, which involves directing a high dose of irradiation through the intact skull to control the tumors. The radiation works to make the tumors disappear, shrink or stop growing.

Next, I focused on revamping my diet. Now, the sodas, beer, and fast food are out, and real, whole foods are in. I try to eat organic whenever possible. I’ve cut way back on sugar and I drink a lot of water. One of the things that surprised me when I changed my diet was that eating healthy really isn’t that complicated. Staying away from packaged and processed foods and eating organic when I can are small changes that made a big difference – at least for me. I now have more energy and fewer midday energy crashes, which means I can train harder and longer. My digestive issues have gone away. I heal faster and get sick less often. I’ve also found that my mood is more stable, which helps me focus my mind and block out anxiety and fear.

[See: 10 Ways to Break a Bad Mood.]

Finally, I made important changes to how I view and use my brain. I started to use breathing and visualization techniques when I’m practicing and competing. For example, before a competition, I run through the moves I want to do in my mind, picturing what it would look like if I accomplished them perfectly. Then, I focus on my breathing, telling myself to take nice, slow, deep breaths. This routine, which I perform over and over, keeps my energy up and my heart rate down, and also lets me really be in the moment. To be honest, though, these rituals don’t always work. But even then, I just take the hit and get back up on my bike and try again. If brain tumors weren’t enough to knock me out of the race, then an occasional fall off my bike isn’t going to stop me either.

Taking better care of my body and my mind is paying off: I recently competed at the FISE World Series in Osijek, Croatia, where I had hoped to make it to the top 12. (I didn’t set my goal higher since it was my first big event since I had ACL surgery in November 2015.) At the competition, I didn’t stress about being back in the spotlight and instead visualized myself succeeding at each stage of the competition and made sure I kept breathing. I made it through qualifiers, then through semifinals and hit my goal of being in the top 12 finalists. Then, I took third place.

Since my second diagnosis, I’ve learned that fear is something that exists in our minds. If you focus on a goal rather than on the fear, you can accomplish anything. Mental focus is important for success, and how we fuel our bodies impacts how we think and feel. Since I started paying more attention to my mind and my body, I find it’s easier to deal with stress and anxiety. I can pick myself up, take a step back and then figure out the best way to keep pushing ahead.

[See: 12 Psychological Tricks to Get You Through a Workout or Race.]

Whether it’s a health scare, a relationship that has gone bad or career setback, eventually, we all get knocked down. The trick is to get back up, learn from it and keep going. You don’t need a frightening diagnosis to change your life for the better. The only second chance you need is the one you give yourself.

-Josh P.

What Would It Take For You To Live Your Dreams?

“I been thinking about the places I frequent. All the people that I see. I’m just out here living decent. What’s it mean to be a G?” – Mac Miller

What would it take for you live your dreams?

I believe it starts with that initial thought, followed by a belief structure built around that thought and feeling, combined with taking action. No matter how you define “success”, all successful people are successful because they took action for a thought/ dream after believing they could. You don’t need to know the how or when you just need to know exactly what and why you want to do something in your life.

-Josh P.

Your Dream, Your Vision

“Sometimes you have to risk everything for a dream no one can see but you” -unknown.

Because if you don’t, no one else will for you. Doesn’t matter if people don’t get it. You get it. That’s all that matters. As a BMX athlete, the risk is my job. No lie. Every time I step on my bike, my life is at risk. Why do I do it? Because I love it. It fuels me and my passion for living life. It makes me become a better human off the bike. It has taught me so many valuable lessons that money can’t buy. It’s shown me the world and led me to an amazing life full of love, positivity, and awesome friends, aka family.

It started with an idea, to become a pro rider like/ with my idols. Then it became a feeling, more like an obsession and addiction. Then I started talking action. By the time I was 17 (4 years into riding) I was riding Dew Tour as a professional athlete, left my life at home and moved to Greenville with no plan other than to live my dream. That’s it! Risked it all by not doing what society said to do, but what I wanted to do. Faced death many times, which one time I literary died and came back.

But with an idea that became a feeling, mixed in with action, topped off with a belief system that I’d succeed, I came out on top and get to live my dream while sharing with you all in hopes you do just that very thing. Take a risk. Believe in yourself, feel it, take action, and DO IT!

-Josh P.

GQ The Real-Life Diet Of a Pro BMX Rider (Who Survived Cancer Three Times)

Josh Perry has a lot of reasons to not be here. In 2010, shortly after becoming a pro BMX rider, he received the first of his three brain tumor diagnoses. That one was a meningioma, a large mass on his brain that was benign but only removable via open craniotomy. The next one, two years later, called for an evocatively named procedure called gamma knife radiation, which beamed radiation into his brain.

“It sounded pretty scary, just because of the name, but the more I researched it the more comfortable I became,” Perry says today. “It seemed painless, and it was.” He was back on his bike six days later.

Perry, now 27, says it took going through surgery to get him thinking about nutrition. These days, when he’s not riding up to six hours a day, he’s touting a holistic post-cancer lifestyle. That means a diet benefitting both his body and his brain, including these two super-simple, instant-fresh meals—which he can assemble in about 10 minutes.

Mornings

“I never get tired of this: Sautee organic coconut oil, organic butter, minced garlic, onions, purple cabbage, and broccoli. Add pink Himalayan salt, black pepper, turmeric, ginger root and maybe some curry. Sautee until the veggies are soft, and then crack an egg over the top. When that’s about done, add sliced avocado, a little sriracha sauce, and organic olive oil.” While that’s happening, he’ll whip up fresh oats, with chopped apple, cinnamon, and peanut butter.

The secret, he says, is advance prep. Chop veggies in advance (make it a Sunday night project) and store them in glass Tupperware. Buy spices in bulk, and store them in glass jars as well. Then it’s just a matter of grabbing what you need and throwing it in a skillet; it’s a mix of good-quality fats, proteins, and carbs.

Afternoons and Evenings

Perry takes the ready-made approach for lunch and dinner as well: “Sautee spinach or kale, chopped-up chicken, avocado, BBQ sauce, olive oil, pumpkin seeds and chickpeas. I can put that Tupperware and take it to the park or the gym. If I’m late, I’ll whip up a smoothie with banana, peanut butter, avocado, cinnamon, salt, and ice. It’s too easy.”

He’s also big on sweet potatoes, which he toasts in their skins at 400 degrees for an hour. “Take them out, slice them open and they fall right out of the skin,” he says. “And they work for any meal.”

Finally, Perry has joined the growing group of athletes and chefs focusing on GI health. “I never thought I’d eat sauerkraut, but there are so many different variations. I’m into ginger beet sauerkraut, which is great for your gut.” He’s also known to knock back kombucha, which has its own probiotic benefits. “Everything we put in our body goes to our gut, and fermented foods are amazing for that. At the end of the day, everything I do is for my brain—which is for my body.”

-Josh P.

Fear Is Just A Thought

“A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves insecure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort.”

Fear is just a thought. Once we can remove fear from our mind and vocabulary, and live in gratitude, there is no longer such a thing as taking a risk. That risk taking just becomes something we feel deep down that we must do like it’s just a way of life. We create the lives we want, whether or not we are conscious of it. Fear is something I deal with on a daily basis as a BMX athlete but I decide whether or not I give into it.

I’ve had to learn to acknowledge if it’s coming from me, a past experience, an anxious thought, or if it’s coming from another source. Not every day is the same and it’s a constant battle of the mind, but each day gets better and better. I challenge you all to step out of your comfort zone and take a risk, rather, take a step in the direction of your dreams.

Fall In Love With Your Life

I am in love with the life I live, and I work hard for it. More importantly, I believe it’s possible. If you have a dream, get it! Believe in yourself and surround yourself with others that believe in you. Build your tribe of like-minded people and fill it with love, gratitude, and possibilities. Don’t ever listen to anyone that says “no” or “it’s not possible”.

If you don’t have anyone that supports your dreams, you have me. I believe in all of you. I was told “no”, “that’s not possible”, and “you’re not gonna be successful with that choice of a life”. I took that and fueled my fire of determination. Not to necessarily prove them wrong but to prove to myself I can do what I believe.

Our thoughts become our reality, both positive and negative. You can’t just think it for it to come true, though. You gotta take action and do things you’re uncomfortable with.

I’ve been practicing that more and more lately and oh my! The people I’ve attracted to my life, the places I’ve seen, the opportunities that have presented themselves to me, and the experiences I’ve been a part of are truly eye opening to my previous sentence.

Follow your heart, stay humble, share love and gratitude, and don’t ever give up!

Embrace The Journey

“Perhaps the real treasure isn’t waiting for us at the end of the road, but rather, is comprised of the experiences we have as we travel the road itself.” 

Life is a journey and full of experiences that teach us things if we let it, and shape our perspectives and personalities. Rather than focus on a “destination” you’re trying to reach, I challenge you to live in gratitude for the life you already have and be grateful for each chapter of your life as it unfolds. 

We determine what’s “good” and what’s “bad” as human beings. What if every experience was looked at as good and a learning experience and we shared gratitude for said experience? 

We literally choose what we think and life can be a lot brighter if we think positive and live with love & gratitude. 

Don’t Regret Where You Started

My past Friday night consisted of me busting my ass at the BMX park. What did yours look like? My past Friday’s used to consist of aimlessly going out drinking with friends with no goal in sight other than to have fun.

That was then and this is now. Now I’m goal orientated, driven, passionate, and persistent towards making my dreams come true. I’m healthier than ever, more fit than ever, more dialed on my bike than ever, and the most confident on and off my bike that I’ve ever been. I contribute part of that to having a goal in mind with the focus to choose things that will supplement my efforts, not take away.

I don’t regret any of the past times and choices I’ve made because it is what led me to where I am now. In the moment, it was fun followed by feeling like absolute shit and pushing myself to ride through it because I was sort of committed to making my dreams come true. Little did I know it would be a life changing experience that reiterates everything I’ve learned about #holistic #health and #nutrition.

One morning riding with Dave Mirra hung over and feeling like I was about to throw up all over the ramps, I fell because I wasn’t 100% focused on what I was doing. Luckily I didn’t get hurt but it didn’t help the pain I was already in.

I’m not saying drinking is bad or that you shouldn’t go out with your friends.  I’m simply saying making those choices for me, my goals, and my life was indeed toxic and bad. Alcohol on those levels and frequencies destroys our brain and body. Definitely not what I’m about now. This doesn’t mean I never drink. Although it’s been months since I’ve had a drink, when I do drink I choose to have the best quality drink available to me (usually high-quality wine), consume activated charcoal before and after, as well as get some MCT oil in my system. Some quick Bulletproof Biohacking tips

The point of my sharing this is to point out the growth in which I’ve achieved from past experiences and help inspire you all to assess your choices. The most important change is my perspective on my goals and which lifestyle choices helps or takes away from reaching those goals. 💚✌️