VegUp, Takapuna (2026)

19/01/2024

More muesli! I don't know why I'm so obsessed with muesli when we come to NZ, probably just because it's not really a common thing in the US + the yogurts here in NZ are so good and muesli goes great with a good dairy free yogurt!

These are some yummy ones I spotted at one of our favorite places - - a sustainable, refillable food and household supplystore (bulk style foods, grains, baking goods, teas, supplements, soaps, laundry detergents, etc. that you can refill as much or as little as you want in your own containers) = less packaging waste! 🙌

But I didn't buy any of these mueslis this time because I was there to buy ingredients for making my own (Reel COMING SOON! - Stay Tuned!)

Kiwi friends, have you visited Good for before?

12/01/2024

Yogurt Bowls!! (Autocorrect almost just made me type yogurt bowels 🤣)

This has been my go-to breakfast here in New Zealand.

They have some delicious, clean plant based yogurts here.

Our favorites so far are coconut yogurt and Zenzo (can't find their tag).

I love topping it with tons of fresh fruit, some muesli or granola (usually I prefer making my own super food muesli mix, I'll have to share more on that later), and the amazing
balls we have access to here! 🤤

This one also had some chia pudding which our 5 year old has been enjoying for snacks lately.

Takes all of about 5 minutes to prepare. ⏱️

Is this something that you would eat for breakfast?

03/12/2023

"Your child has ADHD Starter Pack".
(Many people do not know this)

This might sound obvious to some..
But the typical cereal many eat for breakfast is why you get

- Brain fog
- Anxiety
- ADD / ADHD
- Digestive issues

Straight sugar-bomb, glyphosate packed, chemical sh*tstorm.

It is not even food.

This stuff should never enter your home. And if you have it, learn from this post and toss it.

Replace it.👊

You'll see fitness influencers
smashing back big bowls of these kinds of cereals.

And sure, you can 'hit macros' and get a visual result (increased muscle mass / lose fat).

But the junk in these foods are the reason people have terrible skin,
Attention issues, cravings and mood challenges.

And you can get away with this for a while when you are younger.

But try eating all this
kind of trash in your 30s, 40s +.

You will end up with
diabetes, cancers or
autoimmune diseases.

Imagine what this is doing to your kids on the daily.

And many might take them to the family doctor and get prescribed Ritalin or Adderall for what is actually a nutritional problem.

THIS was my own story growing up.

Diagnoses with
Bipolar disorder /
Severe anxiety &
ADHD in my early teens.

Medicated with lithium carbonate / prozac / ritalin & klonopin for 10yrs.

And at the time, my parents..

And I did not know the connection between nutrition & the body/brains chemistry.

Like I always say..

Food is like software.
Your body is the hardware.

That software is either malware/virus and will make the computer crash & glitch.

Or it will be a good operating system update and iron out the bugs.

We get to choose.

And THAT is the power diet exerts over our physiology.

Which is why fine tuning your nutrition & supplementation based off things like

- bloodwork
- hair mineral analysis
- food sensitivity testing

(DM me if you want links for this stuff)

It can be such a potent tool in optimizing how you perform and feel.

You must remember
that becoming Superhuman.
And teaching your kids superhuman principles is so much more than just counting calories and watching your portion sizes.

It's QUALITY of the food you consume too.

MICROnutrients
(Vitamins & Minerals)

There are some healthier food upgrades out there like and .

(Check them on IG)

Often (and a component of what I teach) is "healthy food upgrades".

For any trashy junk food out there..
There is a healthier upgrade for it.
That may have the same calorie content.

BUT much healthier nutrient breakdown.

= You FEEl better.

It is not enough to just work on your own diet and health. Alll the while supplying your kids with bad food.
And I say this as a father myself..

Knowing it can be difficult dealing with kids' pickiness.

But if you can acknowledge this.
You can achieve so much.

If you work on your own health + diet.
You owe it to your kids to clean this stuff up.

These aisles in the grocery stores are a massive part of why society is so unhealthy.

Do you agree?

And what do you think is
one of the trashiest cereals there is?

I've seen some with freakin mini marshmellows in it.

What in the actual hell.

Damn. 😐😬

28/11/2023

4 things I wish I knew when I was overweight.

First off..

There was a point in time where people asked why I was so skinny.
(Swipe to see 19 year old me.. Man, it's embarrassing.)

I was on 100mg of ritalin per day.
It crushed my appetite.

Then when I got off my psych meds in my mid 20's..

Appetite came back in FULL FORCE.

And as I aged and began to get more into entrepreneurship, stress magnified.

My self soothing with
food magnified too.

I found myself slamming back ice cream bars, after my workout. Eating entire pizza's by myself.

I remember the reflux.
Using Tums almost daily.

I remember that bloated,
heavy feeling.

You don't want to move.

At the time I literally
could not see how big I got.

I look back and can see
what I call a "moon face".

Big swollen, puffy moonface staring back at me.

All I remember was my hats were so tight they would leave a headband
mark across my forehead & give me migraines.

I was so sluggish at times,
I would have to midday nap to function.

Telling people I was "on a call / in a meeting".

Yeah.

A meeting with my bed.

It was embarrassing..
Even now to share it, it feels that way.

1 - Energy.

I wish I knew how much more energy I could have had.

I think about it now, that I was carrying 40-50lbs "weighted vest"
of body fat.

For anyone who rucks or trains
with a weighted vest.

It's like wearing one ALL day.

And I wondered why I was
so tired all the time.

As an entrepreneur, time isn't your most precious asset.

It's ENERGY.

2 - Walking billboard.

At the time like I said,
I literally had not realized how big I got.

Because it happened gradually.

It's only when I look back, I SEE it.

But I do reflect and realize I was not helping myself or my business
aspirations. Knowing people would see me and to be honest..

Judge me.

(As superficial as that sounds, but often subconscious too)

Judge me on my knowledge.
On my habits.

Based on how I looked.

I am certain that had negative consequences for my business, sales and leadership skills.

I also avoided shooting videos/
being on camera because of it.

So there are periods of my life where it's like I didn't exist.

That just hits different now.

3 - MICROnutrients & quality nutrition.

I wish I knew there was more to fitness or getting 'jacked',
than macros and calories.

Because my diet was
pretty damn processed..

It definitely meant I was missing nutrients.

So I felt anxious. Sluggish.
I got colds/flus a LOT.

I just didn't know (as obvious as it seems now)
That my food choices were affecting more than just body fat.

Biofeedback.

Like mood, cravings, energy, sleep, libido, digestion etc.

4 - Skin.

At times my skin was terrible.
Acne and a lot of redness.
A ton of puffiness around my eyes.

Highschool was brutal for me because I was so self-conscious about my skin.

Anyone who struggled with that KNOWS, how bad it can get.

With my diet being so 'clean' now..
My skin is so clear.

And people often think
I am in my early 30s.

Not 39, heading into my 40s.

So many things I did not know.

And I share this in the hope that if you are in that place I was..

To use it to take massive action.
To see you have a lot of untapped potential.

So many positive things
you can experience.
Life can feel SO much better.

And even though I had gone through both ends of the spectrum/
Being skinny then fat.

It taught me so much.
A level of awareness and
emotional IQ.

Stack a win today.

Wherever you are at,
start or keep going.

It won't change in a day.

But doing a couple of good things today,

Each day.
Over and over.

Can change everything.

You are capable of massive change.
I know first hand.

And I see people do it daily.

Get around people who SEE the potential in you..

And challenge you to go after it.
Those are your people.

23/11/2023

Thank YOU.
Happy Thanksgiving
to my American family & friends.

I have built so many awesome connections online over the years.

My ecosystem is full of badasses.

People who strive,
Who don't whine about life.
Who help each other & grow,
Who cheer each other on.

You will become the
average of the people
you are around.

So today I am so thankful for you.

Thankful for my beautiful wife
& little girl.

My family.

And I consider many of you family.
Know this. Happy Thanksgiving.

And if this is a period in
your life that is tough.
Or this time of year
isn't the best for you.

I am thinking of you.

And hoping you can find the good amongst the challenges.
Know I am here if you ever need to drop me a message.

What is something you are thankful for?

I would love to hear it.

Share it below,
let's get this thread full of good vibes.

🙏🌄

15/11/2023

"The day you do not want to workout,
Is the day you NEED to workout."

The day you don't want to eat healthy..

The day you don't want to shoot that video..

The day you don't want to put that drink down..

The day you don't want to take that leap..

Those are the days you NEED to do it.

Our intuition / consciousness
is our compass.

Believe me..

There are days I do not want to do a lot of the things I do.

Literally remind yourself
of this notion above.

And think about the person
you need to become.
You can CREATE that person.

Think about the vision / dream you have.

It's why you NEED
to do those things that feel hard. That you have resistance to..

I challenge you to DO that today.

I'm there with you.

👊🙏

31/10/2023

A good daily 'program'
will save your sanity.

(I swear it saved my life
+ my daily routines revealed)

I've had some pretty cool experiences in my life.

I've seen a decent amount.
Achieved a few things.

And yet..

Most of it is fleeting.
A flicker of motivation,
then it's gone.

We tend to think..

"Once I achieve XYZ".
"Once I have 'x' dollars".
"Once I have 'x' body fat".

I will finally feel good.
But those things leave us real quick.

So what remains?

Your daily systems.

The routines, habits & rituals you deploy to go from "Park",
to 5th gear.

The times you feel most whole & clear.
Are the days you execute your foundational principles.

"The results you seek,
lie in the work you are avoiding"..

I know this is true because it is quite literally how I healed from:

- Bipolar disorder.

- Severe anxiety.
To the point I wasn't sure if it was a
panic attack or a heart attack.

- ADHD.
Unable to focus to save me.

I drank too much.
I over ate on crap food.

Bloated face.
Pimples & rashes.
Exhausted.
Felt very anxious.
Mentally foggy.

To a point where life is so different now.
A complete 180.

It's in these processes you find peace.

Realize that -
The award or accolade or acquisition..

It will give you a tiny rush.
Then it's gone.

And what is left is your daily process.
You realize you were closer to peace
& contentment than you thought.

But it is a daily practice.

5th Gear is..
The place where the magic happens.

Clear.
Motivated.
Confident.
Energetic.

And that energy bleeds over into everything you do.
And the people around you.

Rituals / habits like..

Consistent wake up time.
Super-hydrate on that spring water
Spring dragon longevity tea for bonus points.

Sending someone a message of support.
Morning walk as the sun comes up.

That useful podcast or
Youtube video.

Stacking early wins.

Hug and kiss your tribe when they wake.

Hit that workout.

That clean post workout meal.
Hitting 15K steps per day.

Ditching the mindless snacking.
Paying attention to that pull
to want to stuff your face,
When you feel stress.

Observe & pattern interrupt it.

Short Dumbbell burpee session at 2-3pm.

To get that second wind to take you through to dinner,

Sharp & focused.

A daily post on social media with some value.
Like this one.

Taking a few mins to support others on here,
Let them know.

To give to others.
To be of service.

The days I have massive outward success but skip on these things.
Were the days I felt like straight trash.

Even on the outwardly hard days,
The times where I executed these things..

Have been the most rewarding times too.

Remember,

It's not what we do and
how we show up when stuff is easy.

It's the quality of our choices when things are tough.

Your 'program' is the key.

And if you need help upgrading your program message me.

This is quite literally
what I do for the
best of the best.

I love this stuff.
It was the key for me saving myself.

🙏

26/10/2023

You've got to be a team.

We have disagreements.
Sometimes there are tough challenges.

Mis-communications.

And such is life..

Weathering the storms of life, together.

Raising little humans
can bring so much to the surface.

Sometimes you feel
you have no space for you.

Almost suffocating.

Sometimes you can feel like life can get in the way of the connection you used to have.

You've got to be a team.

- You could do all the yoga,
- drink all the cold pressed juices,
- eat all the broccoli sprouts,
- do all the workouts
- and make boatloads of cash..

But none of it will make you feel good,
unless you guys are a team.

I know.
I've tried.
And learned.

And continue to learn.

Massive identity shifts.
Motherhood.
Fatherhood.

You've got to be a team.

Often a yin & yang.

I am the Yolo'er.
The crazy person that goes all in.
Does not hold back.

Sometimes to a fault.

Lauren is calculated.
Logically minded.
Yet spiritual.

It creates a balance.
She pumps my breaks.
And I get her to accelerate down those straits of life.

A team.

I genuinely enjoy talking to her about our goals & dreams.
Sometimes it feels out of reach.
Sometimes I wonder, do I have what it takes?

Seeing her belief in me..
Helps me believe.

A team.

You will not always agree.
Sometimes the tension will be thick.

But having that person by your side who has a big dream..
Who believes 'miracles can happen'..
And is willing to work on themselves,
Alongside you..

So you can both be better..
Both write a story worth telling.

Is what it's all about.

Have that team huddle today..
What is the dream?
How can you both contribute toward that?

When you guys synergize
and feel that 'team energy'..

Anything is possible.
It is your secret weapon.

When it's good,
Your ability to overcome mountains,
becomes unavoidable.

I love my team.

And this post is
simply to express that.

🙏💚

22/10/2023

We were watching our little girl.

Face lit up,
on the little toy train ride
at the Wears Valley Fall Festival.

She flashed a * thumbs up *..
Lauren shot one right back.

I talk about life, goals, mindset, parenting & relationships often because ultimately these things
are the glue that hold your life together.

And they can also be the catalyst for
massive pain - but equally massive change.

Just think how much your life has changed over the years.

Sometimes we
can feel stuck.

Stagnant.

Often we are zooming in on a micro time frame.

And even if we aren't..

It's just feedback.
That something needs to change.

I would have never ever been ready to be a husband or father 20 years ago.

It would have mentally crushed me.
Be thankful when your path forces you to perform a

"Lifectomy"

On yourself.

Monk Mode.

Where the challenges and pain became so great..
Change was unavoidable.

Each day I ask myself..

Am I working toward
being a great daddy?

What else can I do to be better?

Am I working toward being a great husband?

What else can I do to be better?

A great leader & mentor.
A student.
A friend.

Am I looking after ME?
Am I treating this vessel - this mind & body.

With a level of self love..
That represents my values?

What are we teaching & showing our people?

Our family.
Our tribe?

Questions can be powerful.

It's easy to pat ourselves on the back with stuff we are doing well in.

It can feel harder to be a student in the areas we suck in.

But it's in those things..

That real change is found.
Change is going to happen..

It's just a matter of whether it is change where we 'win'.
Or change where we 'learn'.

Ultimately either way, we 'win' if we view it through the right lens.

Think about where you were 20 years ago.

10 years ago.
5 years..

Last year?

How much has life changed for you?

And could you see yourself in the exact same position a year from now?
(What are a couple of massive things that have changed for you?

I'm genuinely curious - even drop a comment sharing it)

Good or bad..

If the answer makes
you feel uncomfortable.

THAT is your sign.
Your compass.

Your catalyst.

💚👊

19/10/2023

My little tribe
(my beautiful ladies 😍🙏)

- Have been the reason I have been able to harness this 'curse'
I am about to share below..

Making it a weapon.

I've got a very addictive personality.

I know many of you guys too.
In my life it has caused a lot of suffering..

And I felt compelled to share some strategy around this, this morning.

For a long time,
I felt like that addictive mindset was a weakness.
.And, honestly? it was.

So much self-medicating.

Prescription meds -
Uppers & downers.

Ritalin/Adderall to get me going.
Alcohol / Benzo's to 'relax'.
I talk to people daily who face this stuff.

It's a very common set of problems.

When I started to break away from those patterns..

Food became the crutch.
I would snack and stuff down emotions.

And have this little neurochemical kick.

Followed by a crash.
The brain fog.

The thing I have realized with addictive patterns is they tend to just evolve / shape-shift.

And if we can shape-shift them into things that actually create a better outcome & life..

We can become such a weapon.

I realized the way I felt & looked
was a direct accumulation of the
patterns of addiction I was opting for.
And to rewire that & upgrade your life, lies in..

Key daily Non-Negotiables.

Things you MUST do.

Daily.

Especially in this 4th quarter of 2023
when people tend to get sloppy & allow a lot of the old patterns to creep back.

Here are some of my daily non-negotiables,
that I have found help me get grounded.

And help me actually turn this mentality into a useful tool.

A - Outside & walk every single day in the fresh air.

Even if it's raining.
Even if it's cold.
It does not matter.

B - Send at least 1 audio or video message to someone showing some love.

Or weave it into a daily post (like this) just sharing my ladies.

My angels.

That acknowledgement.

C - Train daily.
Even if it's just a short 10min Dumbbell Burpee session.

It cannot be something you just cram in "when you have time".

You MUST lock it into your routine with zero exception.

The ones that do not do this are the same ones that get fat & exhausted in this 4th quarter.

D - 90/10 nutrition quality.

Most of the time, for most meals - keeping the diet dialed in and clean.
Realizing food is like software.
And your body is like a computer.

Most are uploading malware/virus onto their system daily.
And you feel like trash.

I can see directly how much my mood & anxiety is impacted by
my food choices.

At this point, it's not even a "nice to do"..

It's a "MUST do".

E - "The bookends of your day".

The stuff you mentally consume & think about when you first wake..
Will set the energetic/mental tone for the day.

I always take in some positive video, or podcast to set that tone.

It acts like bookends to your day.
Propping up the challenges through the day so you can weather the storms.

Start the day,
End the day..

With something good, hopeful and useful.

F - Share it.
I post this stuff in my stories, daily.
I leverage it as an accountability mechanism.

Knowing you might find motivation & value in something I share.
And that notion of "service to others" is key.

Share your path.

Share what you know.

Share what is useful.

Some of the most potent, epic people I know
Also have the most addictive mentalities.

We go ALL in.

And sometimes that version of all in, is super destructive.

But if we can get around the right people, coaches & mentors.

And channel that energy into the right non-negotiables..
You will be able to move mountains.

Don't see it as a weakness.

It is a weapon.

But you MUST learn how to wield it.

What is a daily non-negotiable for you that you know has helped you? Would love to hear it.

💪🌄

VegUp

19/01/2024

12/01/2024

03/12/2023

28/11/2023

23/11/2023

15/11/2023

31/10/2023

26/10/2023

22/10/2023

19/10/2023

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