Mind Over Body The Key to Lasting Weight Loss Is All in

Your Head

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Copyright © 2007 by Nordine Zouareg

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of
1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval
system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Springboard Press
Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017

Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com.

First eBook Edition: June 2009

Springboard Press is an imprint of Warner Books. The Springboard name

and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group.

ISBN: 978-0-446-56302-4
 Contents

Dedication

Copyright

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Introduction

PART 1 THE FOUR STEPS FROM KNOWING TO DOING

One: Identify Your Core Desire

Two: Use the Power of Intention
Three: Make an Appropriate Action Plan
Four: Apply Your Resolve and Make It Automatic

PART 2: HOW TO EAT WELL AND EXERCISE RIGHT WITHOUT

GIVING UP YOUR LIFE

Five: The 40/40/20 × 5 Fat-Loss Plan

Six: The 12/12 × 5 Ultimate Workout Plan
Seven: A Total Workout for Body, Mind, and Spirit
Further Resources

About the Author

 Acknowledgments

I thank from the bottom of my heart and the depth of my soul all the people
who have contributed to this book and stood by me all the way. To Yogi
Bhajan, for whose love and blessings I am forever grateful. To my wife,
Keri, whose patience and love for me fueled my spirit when times were not
so favorable. To my son, Armand, and my daughter, Isabella, for their daily
dose of love, noise, and demands. To Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD, and Kirti
Kaur Khalsa for their love, trust, and life-changing teachings. To my agent,
Susan Ginsburg, and my editors, Karen Murgolo and Michelle Howry, for
believing in me. To Judy Kern for helping me in the preparation of this
book and for her wonderful spirit. To Jill Cohen, for trusting in the value of
this book. To John and Maria Assaraf for inspiring me and supporting me
with this project. To chef Cary Neff, who always believed in me and my
work. To the amazing photographer Jerry Avenaim, whose creativity
exceeded my expectations. To Liz Dickinson, CEO of Physi-Cal
Enterprises, for her generosity and love.
Thanks also to Polly Anthony of Interscope Entertainment; Michelle
Anthony; and Carol Berg, PsyD, for their constant love and appreciation. To
Dana Paterson for seeing this book in her vision and for her warm
encouragement. To my friends Dr. Ty Endean, Gurumeet Khalsa, Nirvair
Khalsa, Jennifer Morris, Keith Arnold, Fred Singer, Beth Singer, Jeff Lamp,
Alyson Steel, Mark Urlage, Matthew Hummel, Paul and Kathy Rizzuto,
Bill Gower, Bret and April Bott, and Roger and Helen Abramson for their
love and support. To Luz Elena Shearer, MS, RD, for her valuable
feedback.
To all my friends and colleagues and the wonderful guests at Miraval
Life in Balance—I am so grateful to have you in my life. Special thanks to
Steve Case, Bill O’Donnell, George Ruff, and Joseph DeNucci, Miraval
partners; and to Dan Dearen, CFO, Dan Hirsch, vice president of business
development, Harley Mayersohn, vice president of branding and marketing,
and Chris Willett, executive assistant and director of projects, at Miraval,
for their support and trust in me. My thanks also to Barbara MacDonald,
public relations manager at Miraval, for making the photo shoot for this
book run so smoothly.
Finally, to the thousands of clients and guests I’ve worked with
throughout my career, you contributed to the creation of the concept for this
book and don’t even know it. Thank you for the great fun and for the life
lessons I’ve gained from you.
 Foreword

The Key to Mind Over Body’s Success

I’ll never forget the day I met Nordine, because it changed my life. I was
working out on the upstairs balcony of Gold’s Gym in Albuquerque, New
Mexico. My trainer, a pretty buff dude himself, pointed to a strikingly
handsome and obviously fit fellow downstairs and asked me, “How’d you
like to meet Mr. Universe from Paris, France?”
I said I would very much like to meet him, so off we went downstairs. As
Nordine and I shook hands that first time, we both felt the energy pass
between us. It was as if we were each meeting a long-lost brother. That was
the beginning of a wonderful friendship that continues to grow stronger
with each passing day.
Not too long after, Nordine moved to Tucson, Arizona, and we began
working together with patients in my Brain Longevity Program. We also
started training together. Nordine, I learned, was a master at helping people
lose fat, gain muscle, and regain their health fast and forever. I’ve seen him
work wonders with people who came to our program out of shape and in
dire need of physical fitness. In one particular instance that comes to mind,
Suzy, a forty-eight-year-old patient, came to me with severe stress-related
memory loss. Nordine quickly isolated her physical problem and designed a
specific fitness program that helped heal her mind as it strengthened her
body.

The Benefits of a Mind Over Body Lifestyle

When you follow the exercise and nutritional ideas in this book, you will
definitely feel great. Your mind will be sharp and refreshed, your muscles
will feel invigorated, and your joints will be fluid.
But, of course, “feeling better” is a subjective assessment. As a doctor
who respects science, I’d like to share with you some of the many well-
researched scientific benefits of the mind/body exercise plan presented in
Mind Over Body.
Let’s begin with your skin. Many people today, men and women alike,
spend millions of dollars on potions and lotions to make their skin look
beautiful. But true beauty, as I’m sure you’ll agree, must come from the
inside, and Nordine’s program gives you a distinctive, healthy glow. I think
you’ll notice it right away.
Next, recent research clearly shows that exercise can actually keep the
brain, as well as the body, young. When you follow a plan like Mind Over
Body, which includes techniques such as visualization and meditation,
depression is eased, anxiety is reduced, and memory improves. Work by my
colleague Andrew Newberg, MD, at the Center for Spirituality and the
Mind at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where I am a
research fellow, has shown that both these practices help your brain to
function at a much higher level.
Moreover, fascinating new work by Dr. Sara Lazar at Harvard has
revealed an actual antiaging effect of meditation. The thickness of the
cortical, or outside, layer of the brain increases with ongoing practice. This
remarkable discovery shows how the brain can be changed positively
throughout life.
Studies also indicate that people who are at risk for Alzheimer’s disease
because of genetics or family history score better on memory tests when
they exercise. Moreover, my own research shows an improvement in
attention, concentration, and focus, as well as an anti-Alzheimer’s effect,
when you follow the mind/body principles, such as daily meditation, that
Nordine shares in this book.
Equally significant, following the Mind Over Body plan will normalize
your sleep pattern and help you sleep more deeply. This is particularly
meaningful because, according to the latest research, close to 60 percent of
Americans report that they don’t sleep well.
 As you’re probably aware, heart disease is still America’s number one
killer of both men and women, which is why it’s important to note that the
exercise and nutritional plans in this book will also reduce your risk for
heart disease and stroke by building a healthy cardiovascular system,
normalizing your blood pressure, and balancing your good and bad
cholesterol levels. At the same time, your lung function will be markedly
improved, and if you’re a smoker, your habit will go up in smoke!
And what about your bones? Nordine’s exercise plan will increase bone
density, which will reduce your risk for osteoporosis and the bone loss
associated with meno-pause. You will also have increased joint mobility,
improved flexibility, and better balance, all of which are especially
important as you reach midlife. Many of us plan on living well into our
eighties and beyond, so building strong bones is important to reduce the
chances of falls and disability.
Exercise also enhances your immune function, and there is even some
preliminary evidence to support the idea that an exercise program like
Nordine’s may help to reduce the risk of breast, colon, prostate, and other
cancers. A recent study, in fact, reveals a number of improvements in
survivors of breast cancer who exercise regularly.
When you put the Mind Over Body program to work in your life, your
digestion and elimination will improve. I remember once hearing that if you
exercise well, you can even digest stones! I wouldn’t recommend trying it,
but you get the message: Exercise is good for your gastrointestinal system.
And because you will simply feel better and younger in all areas of your
body, your libido will also be boosted. As your overall health and vitality
improve, you will look and feel more attractive, and you’ll have greater
self-esteem, less stress, and more energy than you could have imagined.
There are three more important benefits to note. One is that Nordine’s
mind/body/ spirit approach will cause your spiritual well-being to soar.
Spirituality is an important component of a happy life and leads to one of
higher quality and meaning.
Second, when you take care of yourself in this way, you will increase
your net worth. How can that be? you might ask. When you’re functioning
at a higher level physically, mentally, and spiritually, all the good things in
the universe are drawn to you, including wealth. And don’t forget that when
you’re healthy, happy, and whole as a human being, you simply don’t spend
so much money on health care. That puts more money in your pocket, be it
for getting out of debt, saving for retirement, putting the kids through
school, or whatever your financial needs might be.
But perhaps the best benefit of all is this plan’s proven success in the
long term. The program in Mind Over Body is the only one I know of whose
benefits have been clinically proved to be long-lasting. Unlike other
programs that merely show you how to lose the weight, Nordine’s gives you
a proven way to keep it off. I believe the main reason the Mind Over Body
program is so effective in the long term is that it taps into your core desire.
The ideas presented in this book become so embedded in your true identity
that they become second nature to you. The concepts become your lifestyle
as you effortlessly manifest the optimal health and fitness that are your
destiny.

The Secret of Mind Over Body

At the heart of Mind Over Body is one powerful, unique message: Nordine
will teach you how to use your mind to tap into your inner power of peak
performance. In addition to well-known techniques such as visualization,
which Nordine used to become a world champion, he also recommends
mind/body techniques such as meditation and mental reconditioning, which
are generally associated with Eastern spiritual traditions but have not, until
now, been applied to teaching true lifelong health and fitness. The
techniques he presents and teaches in this book are those he learned from
Yogi Bhajan, the highest yoga master of our generation.
These mind/body exercises are also steeped in medical science. They
have been shown to have a positive effect on every system of the body and
to help heal every illness ever studied, from diabetes to chronic pain.
Equally important, however, they’re unbeatable for helping you focus your
mind, relax your body, and get in touch with your inner being.
I’ll never forget the day Nordine and I went to visit the master himself.
The yogi looked at Nordine with his deep, luminous, penetrating eyes,
which seemed to see the past, present, and future all at once.
“You’re an avatar,” the yogi said to Mr. Universe. An avatar is someone
who is ahead of his time, and the yogi recognized that in Nordine.
 “Sir, I want to write a book,” Nordine said.
“Just relax,” the master said. “Write from the heart.”
I believe with all my heart that Nordine listened very well. He has written
a book from his heart, and I know it will take you on a wonderful journey to
a lifetime of fitness and great health.
You deserve it. Enjoy the blessing.

Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD

President/Medical Director
Alzheimer’s Prevention Foundation
www.drdharma.com
Tucson, Arizona
 Introduction

The Path to Fitness—Mine and Yours

Your body is the servant of your mind and has no choice but to obey your
thoughts.

I don’t believe that anyone who claims to be a leader can ask people to
follow him— whether the journey takes them from New York to Chicago or
from self-doubt and poor health to confidence and fitness—unless he’s
traveled that path himself. I’ve traveled every inch of the journey you’ll be
making with me in this book. And my path, like many of yours, has been
strewn with stumbling blocks and disrupted by detours. In fact, it’s because
I was able to surmount those obstacles to arrive at the place where I am now
that I know I can lead you, too, to a place where your body, mind, and spirit
will work together to give you a healthier, happier life.
The beginning of my life was not auspicious. In fact, my mother used to
tell me that I “died” three times as an infant. It was only because of her
perseverance (and some inborn luck or stubbornness within me) that I
survived to celebrate my first birthday. I was born on July 1, 1962, to
illiterate Bedouin parents in the back of a French army truck in Algeria. My
mother was just fifteen years old, and my father was twenty-nine. Algeria
was a French colony at the time, and the truck was part of a convoy taking
Bedouins to vote on the question of Algerian independence.
 As they were traveling through the desert, my mother went into labor,
and the driver finally had to stop the truck so that she could deliver her baby
by the side of the road with the help of the elder women of the tribe. I
weighed just over two pounds at birth, and my mother later told me that all
she could see of me were my eyes and my stomach. I was literally nothing
but skin and bones, and to this day it amazes me that I survived that
journey, much less all that was to come after. My mother—young and
ignorant but determined—managed to keep me alive.
We lived in a small town called El Houamed, which was the last oasis
before entering the Sahara. To my mother, living a difficult life in the
desert, I presented a terrible dilemma. No more than a child herself, she was
burdened with a sickly baby who no one—including she—believed would
survive. Finally, after about six months, the elder women held a “wisdom
meeting,” which would, to put it bluntly, decide my fate. The problem, as
they saw it, was essentially this: We don’t think this baby will survive, but
we can’t kill him, so what are we going to do? In their “wisdom,” they
decided that my mother should make sure I was fed and happy, then leave
me on a tombstone in the cemetery and walk away. But if she heard me cry,
the elder women cautioned, she would have to take me back.
My mother did what the women said. She fed me and left me on a
tombstone. She has said that I seemed content. But the minute she turned
her back to walk away, I began to cry. Of course, she went back for me.
A few weeks later, my parents decided to take me to M’Sila, a larger
town about three hours north of where we lived, to get me proper medical
care. They took me to the main hospital in the center of M’Sila and left me
with the doctors overnight for observation. When my mother went back to
the hospital the next day, the doctor who had been treating me told her I
was dead. My mother asked to see my body, but the doctor refused.
In fact, I was not dead, but my vital signs were at such a dangerous level
that the doctor and his colleagues honestly believed they wouldn’t be able
to save me. To them, I was as good as dead. On the one hand, they believed
that keeping me alive would only cause my mother more pain when I
ultimately died—as they were sure I would. On the other hand, they
understood that if she knew I was still alive, she would continue trying to
save me. And so, when my mother asked to see my body, the doctor
believed he had no choice but to refuse.
 My mother, however, wouldn’t leave M’Sila without seeing me, so she
went to the police for assistance. An officer returned with her to the hospital
and told the doctor that she had every right to claim her baby’s body and
give him a proper burial. At that point, there was nothing for the doctor to
do but to confess that I was not dead—yet. He apologized profusely but
said that he truly believed he had done the right thing. As he saw it, my
mother was very young—she could have more children—and letting me die
in what he considered a “proper” place would be easier for her than
watching me die in the desert.
So once more my mother took me back home, but both my parents knew
I was in critical need of immediate medical attention. Their last resort, they
felt, was to take me to France. All Algerians were at that time still French
citizens. But my parents spoke only Berber, and they didn’t have any
money for the trip. Still, they managed to collect what they needed from
their fellow tribespeople and, speaking not a word of French, set out to
build a new life for themselves and me in France.
There I was promptly diagnosed with rickets. The French doctors treated
me in the hospital and then sent me home. But my health problems
continued for the next several years.
My father worked whatever jobs he could find to support our family,
which grew to a total of thirteen children—me, three brothers, and nine
sisters—all living in a small two-bedroom apartment. In addition to
economic difficulties, we also had to deal with extreme prejudice against all
North Africans. In school I was beaten up regularly and had my lunch and
clothing stolen. Thinking back on it now, I realize that I was a skinny runt
of a kid with absolutely no self-esteem. In some terrible way, the negative
energy I was putting out was almost certainly exacerbating the treatment I
received. That insight, however, was a long time in coming; at the time all I
knew was that I was miserable.
The turning point came when I arrived home from high school one day to
find my entire family gathered around the television. They were watching a
gymnastics competition, including one guy performing the iron cross on the
still rings—a pair of rings suspended from the ceiling about eight feet above
the floor. The iron cross requires the gymnast to hold on to the rings with
his arms straight out at his sides while both his body and the rings remain
absolutely still. The amount of upper body strength required to hold this