The Strength Code

It’s pretty safe to say that most of us want to live as healthy and successful a life as possible. So maybe we take the stairs instead of the elevator. We burn the midnight oil to finish that business proposal. We try to stop eating junk. And most of the time, this gets us nowhere…and with more junk. In The Strength Code, Eric Falstrault teaches us, in his no-frills, no-punches-pulled approach, how to identify the root of a bad habit and find a solution that will flip it into a positive, so we can lead the stronger and healthier life we’ve always wanted. It takes more than stairs to condition our bodies. Working late stimulates the mind and when it’s ready to wind down not only does our work suffer but so does our sleep. And taking control of our health requires much more than giving up donuts, so we shouldn’t bother, unless we’re ready for a complete overhaul of everything we’re used to feeding ourselves. For example, one of the code's lesson is: “Preserving life is a matter of what we eat.” Sounds a lot like the adage, “You are what you eat,” doesn’t it? It’s easy to forget and difficult to live by, but Falstrault provides a wealth of information and advice on how to eat well, and continue to eat well, for life. Falstrault follows his five simple lessons with real-world examples of “modern-day warriors,” who live the lessons. We all will find ourselves identifying with these warriors on some level and consequently will learn from others’ mistakes. The meat of The Strength Code is served up as twelve habits, which he boils down into simple phrases, and then expounds upon with loads of justification, advice, and even the cause and effect the habit will have. For example, “Habit #3: Getting your sleep right,” addresses a major fact of life. Nothing causes a bad, unproductive day like starting out with a bad night’s sleep. This includes both the inability to stay asleep and getting too much sleep. Falstrault explains the common chemical and behavioral reasons for bad sleeping habits, such as improper levels of magnesium and cortisol, working late, eating late, or even some type of food intolerances. Only by identifying what’s causing our bad habits can we begin to solve them. The code finishes with a hefty section on building strengths—both physical and mental. We’re talking about the strength of a warrior—the strength to quiet the voice in our head that tells us to take the easy route, to stay in our comfort zone. He pairs a wealth of advice on physical training and weight lifting with principles on training the mind to be equally strong. When one achieves a goal, it triggers hormones that influence us to do even more, to go the extra mile, in order to experience that feeling again. It establishes a positive pattern of success that builds upon itself over time, until meeting goals and being successful becomes part of who we are. And this is the start of a new life. A new beginning, when we are able to discover our true passions, live them out, and share our newfound enthusiasm with others, as we help them achieve their own goals. The Strength Code arms us with a warrior’s habits, as we build a personalized program that will give us the mental and physical strength to maintain a long, healthy life of success.