Welcome, fun-loving viewers, to another edition of Healthy Living. At some point in our lives most of us find ourselves seeking ways to attain better health and greater happiness.

Mission X is an Australia-based organization that helps individuals reach this goal by spreading love and friendship and sharing information on health and the vegan diet. The group’s workshops, seminars, outdoor gatherings and sporting events inspire participants to find the power and motivation to improve their lives. Mission X members thus consider themselves ambassadors of constructive, fit living.

As founder and chief executive officer of both Mission X and the Australian Institute of Health and Nutrition, Ralf Behn promotes health and fitness by giving talks and advising youth groups, corporations and celebrities around the world. Mr. Behn is also a health/lifestyle and success coach, a fitness and raw-vegan nutrition expert, an athlete, an entrepreneur and the best-selling author of “Unlocking Your Health and Happiness.” Mr. Behn is thus known as one of Australia’s leading authorities on healthy living, disease prevention and the raw vegan diet.

And now, off we go to Sydney, Australia to where Mission X is hosting a dragon boat race.

Can you explain what today’s event is about?

The dragon boat race is the very first Mission X university-club event. We’re going to have every month some adventure event like this and the reason being is to bring all the people, young people and the middle aged people, basically all age groups together to have fun, to be active which is a very important part of the whole lifestyle thing because we see it in a holistic way.

Tina is one of the enthusiastic, upbeat Mission X trainers.

Hi Tina, how are you?

Good thanks, how are you?

Good. You’re the trainer of this event today and you’re also a part of the club, can you tell us what is involved with the training?

Today’s training is just an introduction to dragon boats and so we run through the techniques on how to paddle and how to move the boat through the water. It’s a team effort so it’s all about everyone doing it together so we practice a lot about timing and the technique and we do just a short race to get people excited about competing together.

Do you need to prepare before this event in advance?

In terms of preparation, because we train as a sporting club all the time, we actually do it three times a week on the water, that’s our preparation for racing. And in terms of preparation for this event, we run introduction courses all the time. So it is essentially what we do.

If you cannot come to Sydney, Australia and join Mission X in their body-toning activities, you can still participate and find out how to become fit and healthy through Mission X TV, which has its own channel on YouTube.

Mission X TV is a place where you can always go for free information, workouts, recipes, interviews, health education, talks, seminars, everything related to our cause, holistic lifestyle, to help people get better, to guide them in the right direction and show them the light. And it’s really worth to subscribe to the Mission X TV channel, because every week we pop out a new video. That’s our commitment, a commitment to have every week a new video, a new workout, a recipe or interview or anything which is entertaining and fun for people to watch.

For example, you can tune up your body with the “3 minute Mission X Office Power Weight Loss Fat-Burner Workout.” Or if you’re someone who would like to try a high energy weight loss exercise routine, try the kettlebell workout! You might have noticed that all these workouts are done in the sunshine and on the beach, which brings up the subject of applying sunscreen. Is it necessary? Let’s hear Ralf Behn’s perspective.

People are now so scared of the sun because doctors and health educators or health professionals tell us stay away from the sun. The sun is good for us. I love the sun, I go every day in the sun and I make sure I get an hour of sun every day. And to be honest I am so addicted to the sun, it’s even more important to me to go out in the sun than do my exercise. And I am very passionate about exercise and fitness, as you know as well. The sun is good for us. It has always been, and always will be.

What is causing skin cancer is a lack of fruit and vegetables, a lack of vital-living food, and on top of that, if I apply petroleum-based sunscreen to my skin, and that’s what many people do now every single day, it’s absorbing into your deeper tissues and the bloodstream, and is actually causing disease and skin cancer and all other kinds of things.

Since we’ve been at the beach, I know that your eyes are coping very well with this light. Do you wear sunglasses?

No, I actually never wear sunglasses and I never wear sunscreen either. Sunglasses do more harm than good as well. We actually are made to be exposed to the sun. If you have enough fruit and vegetables in your diet, and obviously, you spend time outdoors, you exercise, you’re fit, your skin can handle the sun. And if it really gets too hot, you just cover up with a hat or you wear long sleeves and it’s good too.

It’s really more a question if you have a profession like being a pilot or a truck driver, by all means, wear your sunglasses so you can actually see on the road. But besides that, I think you wouldn’t need them, at all.

Another passion in Ralf Behn’s life is helping people to quit smoking and end other injurious habits such as taking drugs and drinking alcohol.

So how important do you think it is to have the mind in shape, whether it be for sports or for health or for quitting smoking?

I think the mind is still the most important thing. Winning and losing is between our ears. Losing is a habit and so is winning. So when our mind is programmed in a positive way, passion plays a big role as a winning edge. You can achieve everything you put your mind to. And of course, with a mix of persistence, you can actually really, literally be and do everything you want to, if you really hang onto it. Because people give up too early.

They start something, and think, “Oh this is not working.” Like they change the diet or they start exercising. After three, four weeks, they go back to normal. That’s how it happens now. So persistence and a strong mind is very, very important. And of course, find your passion. Passion is another thing. Passion can overcome literally everything. If you're passionate about life, nothing can happen to you.

Alcohol has a lot of negative aspects and obviously damages the human body and your brain cells.

So we really see people drifting out further and further away from nature and from a healthy lifestyle. And those habits obviously, accompany them through their whole life. We all have problems. We all have to deal with financial issues, and all the things; we all have a fair share of that. But dealing with those problems with alcohol and drugs, can’t be the answer. Never.

To wrap up today’s program, here are some final thoughts from Mr. Behn.

I would say the biggest message I have for you, my friends, is to take action. There are too many fence-sitters out there just talking and blaming and judging all day long. So I think that’s what Mission X is as well, about. Mission X is Mission You. That’s why the X is in that person, I don't know if the camera can pick that up.

Mission X is Mission You. I try to inspire and encourage people to start working on themself, because it’s always easier to work on other people and then talk about other people rather than working on ourselves. So, I think leading by example is very important and for you guys just, it doesn’t matter where you are right now on your journey, if you are a vegetarian, a vegan, a raw vegan or not even any of that.

If you're just interested in your health and you get information or you gather information, you’re attending workshops and you're reading books. Just start step by step. Every journey starts with the first step, and every battle is lost or won first in the mind.

I personally live a very simple life. I don’t use any chemicals, any, hardly ever any soap even. I don’t use any packaged food or bagged food. I buy my stuff obviously in big boxes, a box of tomatoes, a box of oranges or bananas. So my footprint is a tiny footprint, I do the right things for the planet and people. So, I really try to live my life as close as possible to nature. And for you, I think the biggest message I can give you, there are only two times in life: now and too late. And knowing is not enough, guys. We must do.

Ralf Behn and all the members of Mission X, thank you for your devotion and effort in sharing knowledge on health and happiness. May your wonderful, uplifting message for humanity spread far and wide.

Hallo, I’m Ralf Behn from Australia. I am a health educator, and an inspirational speaker, personal trainer and also author of the amazing book, “Unlocking Your Health and Happiness.” World Vegan, World Peace.

For more information on Mission X, please visit www.MissionX.com.au
Ralf Behn’s book “Unlocking Your Health and Happiness” is available at the same website
Mission X TV can be viewed at www.YouTube.com/user/MissionXTVi

Energized viewers, please join us next Monday on Healthy Living for the conclusion of our two-part program on Mission X. Thank you for your company on today’s show. May peace, love and happiness forever be known in all communities.