Chalk & Consistency

01/06/2022

https://halfway2hannah.com/2018/07/19/marilyn-monroe-what-you-didnt-know-about-her-journey-with-mental-illness/

Written by Hannah Blum In 1961, a year before her death, Marilyn Monroe wrote a six-page letter letter to her psychiatrist Dr. Ralph Greenson about her time at Payne-Whitney’s psychiatric war…

10/20/2021

Hello everyone

In November I will be speaking to 3 sections of 3rd year Justice Studies students to share my lived mental health & addictions related experience …

After posting the following video yesterday to Instagram I was offered several additional dates at UofG as well…

I am looking forward to giving this endeavor my all…

But I need your help…

If you have any question that you would like answers to concerning your health or the health of someone you might know— relative to mental illness / symptoms / nutrition / strength training / sleep hygiene / wellness related— please comment below, DM or email me (chalkandconsistency@gmail.com) and your question might be helping a young person out there who is trying to better themselves…

I will be drawing upon my experience in the system working to successfully manage my own mental illness symptoms, my work within the community for a mental health & addictions non-profit agency and my years coaching fitness to people with mental health related concerns and disabilities…

I will be posting a video before the lectures here on IG and may use the questions/answers in the presentation I create for the University…

Thank you everyone! Looking forward to your ideas and questions 😊

More of my health content:

▪️ (IG)

05/28/2021

Throwback to driving to Woodstock of all places in May of 2017 to meet The Rhino— the worlds strongest Pro bodybuilder with the world’s greatest consistent REM sleep cycle on record

After this seminar, I asked Stan how a trainer should best train a client with mental illness. He said to keep it simple and not change very much at all. The powerful effects of sleep hygiene, a healthy gut biome, hydration, nutrition, 10 min walks and resistance training on a person’s wellness extend to everyone.

Stan opened up to me about supporting his mother and her story shared some similarities to both mine and the folx I have supported in my profession leading a mental health program in the community alongside social workers, nurses and psychotherapists. As he sat there eating his lunch with me I was floored by how generous and articulate he was with life changing information.

This experience helped me to become a better strength coach, a better athlete and it bolstered my approach to helping people who struggled with disabilities—particularly those with anxiety, depression and substance use concerns.

Just a few months ago I was invited to give a number of my own health seminars to kids who struggled with disabilities and my content centred on the literature within Stan’s e-book, The Vertical Diet 3.0 . When I arrived early to do a 10min walk beforehand, I looked across the street startled to see the gym where I met Stan 4 years earlier to take this photo by pure coincidence.

Stan’s approach to optimized health through practices held in his diet is meant to improve how our hormone’s function. If you are someone struggling from anxiety, depression, grief, other symptoms of mental illness or just feeling unwell and willing to make a change, I highly suggest opening YouTube and searching for Stan’s full seminar and this rant in particular:

➡️ “Stan Efferding KOMPLETTES Seminar in THOR's Powergym“

OR:

➡️”The REAL reason Westside barbell athletes are so strong”

If you’re interested, challenge yourself during this COVID era to implement just some of the habits Stan promotes in these talks. ��It has been more than 5 years since I began implementing The Vertical Diet and have managed my own symptoms of mental illness successfully because of it. Back in 2016 I submitted to Stan my story of having lost 110lbs from 2010-2012 and having used The Vertical Diet in the years that followed to sustain my health and transformation—one that began with giving up a dependence to alcohol, drug use, ci******es, institutionalization, a reliance on the “system” and an eating disorder.

Stan’s E-Book is available on his website. Stan’s YouTube (Search “Stan Efferding”) channel is also an invaluable resource of free information for any person trying to live healthier. ��Anyways, after this day, Stan later went on to run about 42 businesses, write a seminal book that would change the fitness industry, and among other things, train some guy named Jon Jones. As for me, I kept doing 10 min walks in random locations, kept eating salt like it was going out of style, and also implemented the teachings of the Vertical Diet in the community here in London as a personal trainer and as a mental health worker-- continuing to use it to help me achieve goals for myself and for others.

FOR MORE OF MY HEALTH CONTENT 👇🏼

Instagram:
▪️

Facebook:
▪️ Chalk & Consistency

04/27/2021

The path to managing an addiction is a path to managing the feelings of the heart.

Whether substance or behavioral related, along this path, you may have to let go of some of the people around you. Many people fall short of ever confronting their problem because they worry who they will lose.

To lose anything meaningful is to grieve.

The circle that you keep informs your identity and justifies and triggers your behavior.

After 10 years of sobriety and 15 years knowingly living with a mental illness I can tell you that the people who truly had love for me in the beginning are here now.

Between poly-substance use, alcoholism, ci******es, and 130lbs, the hardest things for me to give up were meaningful friendships.

However, the support of the right people who care about your vision is what augments your stability and moves you forward like a guiding wind at your back.

But you must walk the path alone at times.

And you may not get validation or encouragement for the crucial personal victories behind closed doors that no one was around for.

But that’s the test.

Your example may also be inspiring others to act without knowing it. That energy is precious.

You may find that you’re not only doing this to help yourself, but you’re learning to also spread love to others.

If you are to live life to the fullest you must do it with an open heart and to be vulnerable. You must also be willing to let go of things in order to level up and get what you truly want deep inside.

👇🏼HOODIES STILL FOR SALE 💯

▪️www.lionhearttraining.ca

INSTAGRAM:

▪️

📷
🎨 .lsd

04/09/2021

If a world wrought with mental illness and addiction is a jungle then you ought to be a lion. This s**t can seem impossible but you got to repeat to yourself— f**k it I’m tryin...

FOR HOODIES & WORKOUT APPAREL
👉🏼 https://lionhearttraining.ca/

INSTAGRAM (Fitness & Mental Health Content)
👉🏼

Nick Twum 💯

03/25/2021

Yesterday marked what could be our final day together with the great youths of Woodstock as part of the Leads program and my workshops on wellness...
•
Due to COVID circumstances, some factors outside of our control and also that my friend and program facilitator Alex Hoffman will be moving on to a new leg of his great career in mental health work, the program may become discontinued...
•
For our last day I attempted to drive home some of the exercise, nutrition, sleep hygiene and habit forming principals we learned in the first few sessions so that the group could indefinitely use the knowledge to maintain consistency in their health for months and years to come...
•
We also had a very meaningful discussion around injury- of the mind, body and heart— which drew input from every youth in the workshop.
•
We had spent several hours together up until yesterday but when we all discussed our past adversities, struggles with disabilities and accidents- we grew closer to one another...
•
I heard stories of traumatic experiences, premature birth, broken bones and even a story of one youth being in a coma for 27 days. All were informed they would never be the same again based in these experiences. And as they reported, they weren’t— because they instead got stronger thereafter and became truly aware of how resilient they really were in life. When we are careful about the story we tell ourselves about our life, great things can happen...
•
I believe they should all be very impressed with themselves. And as much as I think the doors might be closing, something tells me this isn’t the end. There’s only so long I can really go before I’ll need to be heckled again by a group of kids for talking way too much about the benefits of potassium inside a potato 🚪 🥔 ♥️ 💯 🥡

01/18/2021

https://www.cbc.ca/news/gopublic/hospital-patient-crawls-out-mental-illness-1.5871307

Medical staff at a Toronto hospital told a man complaining of excruciating leg pain that he was fine and to go home — forcing him to crawl out of emergency. He believes a serious health disorder was ignored due to his mental illness, a problem mental health experts say is far too common.

12/28/2020

New hoodie’s I designed for Lion Heart Training available at www.LIONHEARTTRAINING.ca

“We livin’ this till the day we die. Survival of the fit only the strong survive 🎵” -

•Softest hoodie you’ll ever own
•Perfect for training in and to stay warm during at-home workouts
•100% cotton face
•65% ring-spun cotton
•35% polyester
•matching flat drawstring
•3 panel hood

12/28/2020

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/smarter-living/how-to-complain-.html?referringSource=articleShare

A mantra to embrace: “This sucks I’m unhappy with what’s going on.”

12/26/2020

Ten years ago when I was struggling with addiction I got into the habit of exercising on holidays. I would go running in Harris park and do hill sprints in the snow. In one sense I was running away from my problem but in another I was running toward it with a sense of love that would distract me from and dilute my sense of shame. It’s a habit I’ve since maintained to routinely prove to myself how committed to my own stability and resilience I am— especially on Christmas.

Changing your environment, putting your head down and committing to some kind of work is a powerful way to change how you think (if only for 15mins!) and choosing a transitional activity to something with less harm or no adverse effects is what I’d suggest to anyone struggling to cope with any kind of substance, behavioural addiction, or to anyone grieving a loss this holiday season.

Never forget the power of having strong people around you who are genuine and share that level of drive and compassion. You aren’t just making the change for yourself— you’re really doing it for those around you

👇🏼More Health & Fitness Content 👇🏼

Instagram:

💯 ♨️

12/08/2020

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/london-ontario-homeless-1.5825210?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar

12/07/2020

12/07/2020

Karuna is the Pali & Sanskrit word for compassion. Loving kindness is your portal into heightened well being, forgiveness and strength ⚓️✍🏼 ...
•

12/05/2020

https://cmhamiddlesex.ca/news/24-7-support-line-volunteerism-scholarship-fall-winter-recipient/

For mental health or addictions information, support or crisis services contact Reach Out at 519-433-2023 or 1-866-933-2023.

12/03/2020

ON THE STRENGTH OF THE COMMUNITY

Although money may seem to be the answer to one’s health problems in some cases, so to can fostering a welcoming environment where folx feel comfortable to genuinely open up about their struggles...

If you feel comfortable (and even if you don’t) to talk about your pain and show yourself to be vulnerable and are met with a sense of compassion, you can grow, become stronger and be more resilient in the face of more hardship...

If you are struggling, I implore you to take this first step, combine it with a small amount of hope and just see where it takes you...

What you’re not seeing in this picture are the dozens upon dozens of people who came to the parties that myself, Lemuel King and Rory Mitchell threw who donated money from their ticket sale so this cheque could even be made and were overheard openly discussing mental health and addictions related concerns while attending our events to become stronger...

This was about our community...

12/03/2020

Whether we are just beginning a workout for the 1000th time, doing a hard set, working toward a goal that scares you or returning to training after taking some time off, we’re all facing a comparable level of fear and anxiety leading up to our attempt to do it...
•
The difference between us comes in the form of the relationship we choose to build with that fear and discomfort knowing that with the unpleasantness, comes success and greatness...

11/22/2020

I recently listened to this podcast where James R. Doty spoke on empathy levels of doctors in the medical system. James is a clinical professor in the department of Neurosurgery at Stanford University, philanthropist, director of the Compassion Project and friend/colleague to the Dalai Lama…

James makes the case that the more successful a doctor in Neurosurgery becomes, the less incentive there is for them to express normal amounts of humanity and empathy for patients they treat as a means of being more technically vigilant. It’s widely known that some of these doctors seem to be more arrogant however effective by exercising a more callous and less subjective attitude in the face of life or death scenarios during surgery...

I believe Jame’s assessment of this demographic captures my sense of what is wrong with the hospital, political, and/or medical system at large. There seems to be a relationship between compassion, empathy, wealth and ownership for responsibility. When one of these things is sacrificed in order to have more of the other, an imbalance ensues that gives way to marginalizing, forgetting about and oppressing people who are left with mistrust, derangement and horrifying life circumstances…

Although I do in some way understand the utility, in my experience that the more insulated the manager, president or CEO is from the front line, the less informed and genuine the empathy they can express in a crisis when it arises. In January of 2013 we saw the closure of London’s South Street Hospital and in 2014 the London Psychiatric Hospital closed its doors on Highbury Street- not to mention all other provincial hospital ward closures for the chronically ill around that time (St. Thomas, Kingston, Brockville, Penetanguishene etc). This left countless people shut out from hospital programs and some ushered into what were known as “Homes for Special Care”. These programs were short lived and there’s no telling what happened to all the lives of so many desperate and unwell people...

Having worked through this pandemic as a mental health worker in the community for a non-profit, I’ve bared witness to the closure of long running programs where the oppressed, homeless and forgotten could no longer routinely dwell, shower, and above all else, feel the absolutely critical and rejuvenating effects that real human connection fosters. I’ve seen chronically ill folx who don’t possess phones, computers, homes or any access to technology at all be told by doctors and nurses to simply leave hospital and wait for phone calls they’d never be able to receive to learn of their critical medication and housing updates...

I have been privileged to work alongside selfless social workers who I believe fully and earnestly support participants and build meaningful rapport within many community programs that still operate. They are doing everything they can to apply love and kindness in the face of suffering and to educate folx on preventative measures, coping mechanisms and the idea that their community-- not always the hospital-- is a place they can turn to in the midst of mental uncertainty as they struggle with symptoms of mental illness...

I predict that the fallout we’re about to witness in the community as far as mental health, addictions and homelessness supports for this pandemic era will rival, if not, multiply that of the devastation caused by these former London psychiatric hospital closures. We must take into account that the mistrust and trauma folx experienced leading up to ‘13 and ‘14 in London may now be compounded by the “system’s” approach to COVID we are seeing now coupled with the limited effectiveness of hospital treatment in many cases...

But perhaps a more hopeful outlook is that the fallout may give way to the recognition that this paradigm of how those in power demonstrate objectivity without adequate amounts of humanity and empathy paired with reason, how mental health and social work can be applied and valued better, and why exactly we’ve been paying homage and being overdependent to this overvalued system of pharmaceutical intervention for so long might be reframed and shifted. It just seems to be an utter shame that this might happen one day at the expense of untold human lives and suffering…

11/17/2020

I began deep breathing exercises about 2 years ago out of necessity because I found that lying on my back with my feet above my heart and taking in deep breaths was the fasted way to reduce anxiety and negative thoughts...

I then progressed to attempting to count each breath I’d hold for 10sec and see if I could get to 7 total breaths and not lose count. If I lost count I went back to the first breath and kept going till I reached the 7th. This is deceptively difficult. Now when I coach clients in mental health crises, I ask them to do it...

I’ve been very vocal and honest about my struggles with mental illness and taking 10 minutes out to breathe slowly became a new tool in my kit for managing my symptoms. At the end of each time I tried this--and don’t ask me why-- I would say out loud my feelings and try to speak as confidently as possible on anything that was causing me stress in my life so I could hear my views expressed candidly so I could check in with myself. I found out quickly that my attitude before the breathing exercise and my attitude after were situated in very different worlds...

A short time later I learned that one of my favourite authors and scientists, Sam Harris had a meditation app so I tried the 50 session introductory course. It was around this time that I realized I’d been spending an awful lot of time in the gym but relatively no time independently training my mind to manage my attention and energy directly. I soon found out that I was stronger in the gym and a better person to those around me the more I meditated...

Having just finished 5000 minutes of guided meditation along with several side courses on loving kindness meditation and stoicism practice, I can say mindfulness-- although I doubted its utility at the outset-- has really taught me how to not react to my thoughts and instead how to change the channel of distorted static that stress, negative thinking, distraction, depression and anxiety often keeps me tuned in to…

Mindfulness is quite simply the art of doing nothing. For these 5000 minutes I meditated daily for 10-30mins (usually before bed) and paid attention to all sounds, sensations, and thoughts intently. You’d be surprised how calm you become when you only focus on sounds (part of the reason why most of us love music)...

The biggest take away from this for me is that one’s sense of self is an illusion. That, and compassion is incredibly powerful. As much as we believe we’re the authors of our thoughts, we are not. It’s a lot easier when you view the stress in your life with a perspective that takes into account ‘impermanence’. The stress will float on like waves in the ocean (if you decide to let that happen) and you will likely always return to your baseline emotional regulation eventually anyways. This is a calming thought; the thought of choosing to wake up. Calmness and equanimity may be more prized than anything in the material world. If you have any questions, please message me!

11/12/2020

How and why scheduling "time to worry" in your day actually improves the quality of the rest of your day. Really good read!

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/02/smarter-living/how-to-worry-mindfully.html?campaign_id=33&emc=edit_sl_20201109&instance_id=23930&nl=smarter-living®i_id=87155398&segment_id=44019&te=1&user_id=1d905319afcb443db0362848c076ccfc

It’s possible. Here’s how to cope when stressful thinking seems constant.

10/22/2020

Had a blast teaching another class with my students out in Woodstock yesterday...
•
Today we learned some martial arts— namely the jab & power punch with proper use of the hips...
•
Each student calmly and confidently stepped up with gloves on and beat my palms into submission as if they were finally tired of hearing me talk about the virtues of micronutrients found in cooked spinach and potatoes for the 4th time 🥔 😐 🍃 ...
•
They’re hopefully gaining confidence with more knowledge about health for every bruise I accumulate! ...

Instagram:

•
•

10/17/2020

"These concerns are not unique to U of T. Anushka and Natalia’s stories underscore a critical and ongoing crisis at Canadian universities: the vulnerability of students seeking out care, and the problems and limitations with institutions’ responses. They also reflect a broader crisis in youth mental health across Canada, which has seen increasing rates of depression, anxiety and su***de among young people over the past decade"

https://www.macleans.ca/education/inside-the-mental-health-crisis-at-canadian-universities/?utm_source=Academica+Top+Ten&utm_campaign=b19d7d2fcd-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_10_14_08_42&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b4928536cf-b19d7d2fcd-47723233

Students are at increasing risk of mental health problems, and universities are struggling in their efforts to respond

09/23/2020

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/he**in-prescription-treatment-middlesbrough-hat-results-crime-homelessness-drugs-a9680551.html

‘Prison, increased sentencing, police crackdowns and all other efforts to break that cycle have failed,’ says police and crime commissioner

09/21/2020

▪️There is serious merit behind adding cookies, cake or chocolate to your diet as a means of complying to your plan long term and hitting a set goal...
•
In a 32 week study, researchers from Tel Aviv university found that obese, non-diabetic participants who consumed a higher protein, 600 cal breakfast with a dessert item lost 15 lb more weight and were less likely to regain the weight back due to a satisfaction of cravings and compliance as compared to a group that consumed a300 cal, low carbohydrate breakfast. The higher calorie breakfast also helped regulate the hunger hormone ghrelin 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207133750.htm

•
This study doesn’t exactly address full-on cheat meals but in my experience, there are optimal ways to cheat and I’m sure we can pull from the findings of the results...
•
PLAN AND PREP— Structuring your nutrition in the days leading up to a cheat meal removes guilt and keeps you on track. The real question should be however, have you actually earned the cheat meal?...
•
KNOW WHAT YOU’RE ACTUALLY EATING— Choose foods that don’t irritate your gut. Lowering / removing gluten and alcohol (& sugar alcohol additives), sticking to 100g of sugar per day or less, and not indulging in foods / sauces who’s ingredients are a mystery are simple ways that your intestinal tract won’t take 5 steps backwards after a cheat day. With every high comes a low!...
•
The hours and days that follow the meal should indicate to you how well (or poorly) you “assimilated” the nutrients. So for the next cheat meal, refine your selections. Cheat meals done poorly can be especially disruptive to work outs in the subsequent hours and days...
•
GO HEAVY ON CARBOHYDRATES— If you’re training in the gym, carbs are your friend and a cheat day complete with a higher than normal ratio of carbs to protein is not a bad thing. Your glycogen levels will be topped up to start the following days of training...
•
These peanut butter cookies I’m holding are made with 5 ingredients and I can pronounce every one of them. Although the high level of omega-6 in peanut butter isn’t useful (nor is peanut butter a great form of protein in ones diet), I love them in small doses and once I indulge, I am more likely to stay on track the rest of the week with nutrition...
•
This all ties into the concept of balance and moderation and having a healthy relationship with food. Before anything, be HONEST with yourself about what you NEED. Try adding foods you actually crave into your diet in controlled amounts while respecting the daily calories in VS. calories out equation and track how foods affect not only your stomach but your mind and mental health. FOOD COMAS are hard on your hormones!...
•
If you have a question about nutrition, I am one message away. Always happy to help anyone out there!

Check out my Instagram page for more fitness & health content updated regularly 💪🏼

▪️

•

09/15/2020

I had an amazing day in Woodstock on Friday coaching a group of incredible kids with thanks to my friend and program coordinator 💪🏼 ...
•
I was asked to be a guest speaker on all things fitness and health and our discussion for the day centered around how being more active & sleeping better can improve everything in one’s life including time with friends, learning and even video games 🕹🎮...
•
The kids were all great participants and I walked them through a workout with bands, taught the basics of squatting, what foods make you feel to best, and the importance of vitamins and potassium 💪🏼...
•
Some of us even got our plank on!...
•
Prior to coaching fitness as a personal trainer I was a martial arts instructor for the better part of 10 years so coming back to teaching and counselling kids was a seriously rewarding experience and end to my week. I really can’t thank you guys enough! I am very grateful!...
•
And just in case I didn’t say it enough in the seminar— please DO NOT tell anyone I told you I read a book on planking!!! 🧁 😂 🤫...
•

More health content (Instagram) :

•
•

09/12/2020

I come to you today with stolen content that I boosted from some guys page...

•

For anyone looking for brilliant insights into how to form better habits— especially as it pertains to building better eating habits, training or managing any form of addiction— I highly suggest both following and subscribing to his free, simple and thought provoking email he releases every Thursday by using :

https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1

The email is great resource and it’s mission is “working to deliver the most wisdom per word of any newsletter on the web.”...

•

I really should get around to reading his book but for now I’ll just repost these and straight up plagiarize what I find in his next newsletter to make myself seem more informed 😂!

More of my fitness & health content:
👉🏼 Instagram:

Cheers everyone 📚...

09/01/2020

THE MEANING OF MINDFULLNESS x FREE MEDITATION APP FOR 1 MONTH 🌊🌊🌊

Meditation has come to mean as much to me as anything else. Years ago I thought of meditation as corny and requiring patience I would never have. I just finished 3,800 minutes on this Waking Up app...
This is my mediation teacher, Sam Harris describing the goal of meditation and mindfulness. The app comes with a beginner course which was just upgraded and is easy to follow. I am able to give away a free month for anyone to try. There is no catch and I’ve nothing to sell you. I simply believe that setting 10 mins aside each day will improve your life...
Although many of the lessons may pull from Buddhism, this is not a religious pursuit- if anything it’s a spiritual pursuit where you learn to let go of pain, anxiety and discomfort and become mentally stronger by truly understanding consciousness...
This skill applies directly to the uncomfortable physical effort you put forth in the gym...
Please message me & I’ll be happy to send this app to you. Cheers everyone!