Corona Virus Information Page
Welcome
This is a page I am going to provide the links to the most useful bits of information and expert interviews on this world stopping virus. I thought it would be handy having all this on one page…even if it is just for me :-)
I’ll always put the dates of the information next to the links so you can be current
Always Current Links
John’s Hopkins University - This site is the desktop live statistics on the virus and it’s global effect everywhere. Addictive!
For the Australians:
Here is a fabulous site that is pretty update with stats and explains and breaks things down well, at least as well as the government site…if not better
.This is a daily short podcast of all the current information as it comes through. Just knowledge, Q&A, no fear-mongering, just quality. Go CoronaCast!
Signs/ Symptoms
From Business Insider Article 16 March 2020
Fantastic Expert Interviews
Don’t get the information from the governments or their people in charge who are restricted by the powers that be in what they can say. Better to know where we all stand.
14 March 2020
Peter Attia Interview with expert Peter Hoetz. This link has show notes you can read through if you don’t want to listen to the hour of talk…which is excellent.
10 March 2020
Joe Rogan interviews Michael Osterholm . This is a youtube link but he also has this on his podcast. Listen to at least 20 minutes. This is gold
Articles or websites
David Sinclair’s Corona Virus page. This one will probably be a brilliant always updated reference site to the scientific information about the virus and also with practical tips I imagine. It’s full of links too. This guy is fabulous.
Ben Greenfield on immunity and ideas to help yourself get through this time.
Please comment below if I can supply other information relevant to this issue or if you found something particularly helpful.
Thanks :-)
Why you should exercise MORE as you age, NOT less
Where do we start? Why should YOU include exercise into your daily life?
The benefits of moving your body everyday is extensive. We all know it increases well being and its “healthy” and “good for you”…….but in what way is it really? There are plenty of studies. Let's go to a small list of what some have shown.
National Cancer Institute finds exercise, anytime and level , can extend your life by up to 4.5 years. Even low intensity exercises got a life extension, although those moderate to high intensity and frequency gained the longest time.
Exercise lowers mortality in this study. It lessens mobility problems and stops tendon breakdown in older adults. It also lowers or prevents joint problems in later life.
This study found that exercise can protect against neural dysfunction, particularly the deterioration associated with aging.
HIIT and weight lifting increases mitochondria by up to 69% in older adults and in some cases actually reversing the aging of muscle mitochondria
"Sedentary aging can lead to a stiffening of the muscle in the heart's left ventricle, the chamber that pumps oxygen-rich blood back out to the body”
Exercise is very cardio protective and can even reverse damage in the heart cells, preventing future heart failure. This study showed this is particularly the case if started before the age of 65 and done 4-5 x a week for 30 mins
Now the thing with exercise is that it is a broad and vague term. Exercise is not just walking. To get the full health and longevity benefits of it you need to address the following several times a week:
Strength
Mobility
Flexibility
No Excuses
“But it hurts my back/ knees/ hands/ (insert body part) if I try to do that .."
Oh yes! Absolutely, and who wants to move and lift things and stretch the way this young 40 something (cough, cough) woman is telling me I should.
Let's think to the things you do everyday that.
Everyday you sit down and stand up …..
thats a squat,
thats a squat with a fair bit of body weight.
If you squat like this with weak muscles and let the knees and back try to perform it for you, its going to hurt. Do it several times a day with poor form and it becomes a daily chronic painful issue.…. You carry shopping bags, your own bags daily, or at least you SHOULD be able to do that. Thats 3-8 kilos right there. You may lift luggage into overhead compartments, shopping into the car, jars onto high shelves and here we have an overhead press. Shoulder muscles that should be performing their duty and not the unsupported joint which will hurt. We drop things, we should be able to pick it up with out looking at it for a while deciding whether its worth it. We want to be able to bend down and pick up kids and grandkids. Many play golf or other sports, even walking, gardening and would like to be able to do this pain free….a fair thing I think!
Most of these movements we are going to perform everyday regardless of our fitness status, so why not do some strength and mobility work and be able to breeze through those movements and not let them restrict you and take your brain power that can now be used for other more interesting things.
The thing is, most aches, pains and injuries are the result of poor posture and poor movement patterns. Add years and years of moving and lifting and carrying this way and you have chronic patterns that aren’t serving you in anyway. What is fantastic about our bodies is that it wants to be healthy and strong. Start correcting posture and rebuilding poor movement patterns and the body will almost immediately give you positive feedback with a flood of wellbeing and less pain. You sleep better, move easier and suddenly you find you have the brain space to want to do more things in life and the energy to do them. It really only takes a little bit of time out of everyday. 30 mins everyday is not a big amount of time when the payoff is so profound.
Things you can do right now
Try to do:
Grab a broomstick and use it to circle the head and open your posture up every morning (broom stick video)
30 mins of exercise everyday
10, 000 steps a day
Include big movements for your legs like squatting and step ups, for improved brain cognition, all over strength and weight control
Try a group session for the social benefit (study showing greater benefits in older adults when working out in a group)
The beauty of exercise is that it is cost free. Out you go and walk, deeply breathe in that fresh air and take a look up, see that beautiful blue sky and tree tops. Or at least I hope thats what you can see :-). In my suburb there are still trees and birds. Walk around the city, again glancing up and notice the details on the top of these buildings. This reminds me when I’m in the middle of Adelaide, Melbourne or Sydney…..Above the trendy new facades there is still the imprint of the old buildings originally built. Fascinating to see….just look down occasionally and mind the cracks!
Having a good look at the blue sky does many things, Its great for the posture and perfect to set the circadian rhythm of your body. Certain neural processes happen when we look at the sky, particularly first thing in the morning. As long as there is nothing in the way of your gaze and the sky, such as glasses and windows, the body sets up a certain sun protection for your skin and also activates melatonin production for that night. Producing melatonin is essential for sleep, glucose control and brain health.
More free things.
As you are walking, sit and stand at every bench you find, 10 times.
Set yourself a daily routine. Move while the coffee is boiling, stretch while you brush your teeth. Set yourself a squatting goal of 100 for the day and bit by bit knock it off, grab a friend and walk to and from a coffee shop.
*bonus - a 20 min walk after eating while increase your insulin sensitivity and therefore blood glucose control. Increase that = fat burning, also the glucose control has a cascading series of benefits to reduce obesity, activate our immune system, increase brain health
These are examples of things you can do when you do not have a routine and are nervous about beginning one. Just start, just do. The only exercise that works is the one you do, not the one you think about. Get a coach/trainer (let me help you. We can set a day to day routine for you.) Coaches are great. You can use us for workout sessions or if you are shy or strapped for cash, just ask for a routine that you can do on your own. Have a look at my youtube channel or website for some short easy ideas to mobilise the body.
All the very best,
Vash :-)
Making Movement a Daily Thing
Movements for the elderly or less mobile
Body tune ups for Active Owls
We are Older, Wiser and Living Stronger for a reason, and that reason is that we do something most days to make our body healthier. Now if you are not yet an Active Owl, don’t despair! The following is all you need to do to create more physical health and wellness for yourself. Commit to doing something everyday. Do as much or as little as you like. The most important thing is to just do something everyday. The habit is the true secret to success, so I don’t care at all whether you can do 20 minutes or 1 minute of the following movements, and neither will your body. Your body will be so happy you did something, that you will immediately feel a reward of wellbeing flood your body. Honest.
Go from this
To THIS!!
first thing in the morning, before or after a glass of water.
Cat/cow spinal stretch
Thread the needle
Plank ( hands or elbows)
Rolling twist
Superman
Rolling twist
Crab lift and release
Seated forward bend
Start with 3 repetitions (or 3 breaths) and work your way gradually over weeks and months to 10 of each. It won’t take long. Here is a video showing you the movements. It is on the floor and shortly I’ll attach a routine for those needing a chair and to stand. In the meantime, do check out my youtube page. I have many videos that are aimed for the less mobile person. (remember, only less mobile for now. You just wait!)
What next?
Now that you have spent a few minutes waking the body up, activating the nervous system, especially those of the spine, moving the blood and lymphatic flow, I want to give you some other options you can use to make it more specific to your needs.
You will almost definitely have sore and tight areas in your body. Maybe some old injuries or just pain that has snuck up to you and become a resident in your muscles and joints.
With the following I’d preference you to warming the body up as above and THEN adding one of the following series after. Add it whenever you like during the day. The next day, try a different one.
Always do a quick body scan during a deep breath before you start the exercises and then finish with a deep breath and another inner scan and note the differences you are feeling.
Each focus below has stretches and mobility for each area and then a strength section. All you need is some elastic bands that are light, medium and heavy resistance.
Only do the exercises that cause no pain. Aches can be ok if its stimulating an underactive area.
Consult your health professional if you are not sure. Contact me too, I can help in person and online. Use the bands as necessary to make something more challenging but don’t overdo it, that will make things worse.
Shoulder focus
Shoulder circles with stick
Twist with stick
Neck stretch looking front on and then angle upwards
With stick, elbows together and high. Hands wide
With roller, pressure under arms and on shoulder head
Pec minor stretch
Shoulder Strength
Rotator cuff against wall
Angled raises
Elbow wall press
Band around hand and wall walks with elbows. Hands remain parallel and wide.
All fours shoulder shrugs
Hip focus (this helps your back)
(try to squeeze bottom while doing. Use the bottom squeeze to open the knees and hips further)
Hip circles
Hip open hold
Lunge wide knees hold
Leg swings side
Sumo lunge hold
Windmills
Hip Strength
Standing leg pulses front, side and behind
Seated clams
Standing clams
Side walks with band
Lateral lunges
Single toe touch and up
Hip hikes on step
Core focus
Side plank
Superman
Calf/ Ankle/ Foot focus
Calf stretch
Achilles stretch
Ankle circles
Toe spread
Standing toe spread
Calf/ Ankle Foot Strength
Calf raises (feet neutral, wide and pigeon)
March wide and centre
Tap toes front, to sides and behind (standing leg bent)
Towel scrunches with feet
I hope you’ve gotten some ideas of how to start building your new stronger and more mobile body. Its easy to become overwhelmed if you are not used to it so just start with one or two moves and build only as you feel keen to. ANY movement and exercise is going to work and make you feel better.
I’m always reaffirming it but contact me for help.
I’ll happily reply.
If it requires extra time to answer, I’ll recommend a short consult via email (or Skype if you wish) to give me some personal details and I can write you up some specific exercises, and even include a video if necessary. My fees are very reasonable and I’ll always try to work in with you.
Have a wonderful day!
Vashti x
Stronger, smarter with creatine?
You may be familiar with Creatine or you may never have heard of it. It is one of the most widely studied supplements out there and is very affordable. Let me show you why this amino acid is not going away anytime soon in gym culture but also why it is a valuable contributor to living a long and healthy life.
What is Creatine?
Creatine Monohydrate has long been used by athletes and gym junkies to give them that extra edge in performance and muscle building. Outside of the gym however, it’s not widely talked about.
Creatine monohydrate is an amino acid created by the aminos arginine and glycine and is stored in predominantly in the energy demanding skeletal muscles and brain (95%) and a little in the liver, kidneys and testes. As mentioned, it is one of the most studied substances and also one of the cheapest.
Supplemental creatine has traditionally been used to replenish the Phosphocreatine (Pc) in muscles. Pc is used for the fast energy pathway. It gives you that extra oomph for the first few seconds an exercise and high intensity exercise. Its anaerobic and doesn’t rely on oxygen to perform. Pc joins with Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to create Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) for energy. It can also work the other way and breakdown Pc from ATP to replenish muscle Pc stores, ready for the next explosive bout. Sprinters, power lifters, tennis players, basketballs etc use the Pc energy source a lot during their sport. Whether or not you are involved in those sports, the everyday athlete (you, yes, you) can benefit. Sometimes life will require quick moves from you, ie, grabbing a falling object of various weight, size and velocity, and having your fast twitch muscles ready and able to cope with this sudden tension without damaging yourself (or others), is one of the keys to longevity.
Does it work?
In short yes.
In most people it increases the creatine content in muscle when supplemented. Studies show a 12-20% increase in strength and a 12-26% increase in power output when creatine was used in combination with an appropriate training program.
Concerned about your brain health? In those with lower creatine levels, which is generally those with low red meat and seafood intake, it will also aid in increasing alertness, memory, learning and cognition. or those with ample stores their seems to be no extra cognitive benefit.
Here is a list of other benefits from Examine.com (Examine has many links to studies there) :
DNA damage - Creatine appears to mitigate much of the DNA damage associated with exercise and may be useful for cancer therapy.
Lowers depression? - A few studies have shown a lowering in depression. It seems to help SSRI therapy and is more pronounced in females.
Heart disease - It has heart disease protective properties by lowering triglycerides, LDL and total cholesterol. It also is protective by lowering possibly homocysteine levels which are high in heart disease patients.
Anti-aging - topically applied, it has been shown to decrease lines and firm skin. (yes I’m looking further into that!)
Can be protective to the effects of stroke as it can work in an oxygen deprived environment.
Can I supplement it with just food?
Yes, kind of. Red meat and seafood contain higher levels of creatine. This will give your muscles and brain a fair bit of stored creatine to work with. However:
Those with certain gene mutations may not be able to create creatine their diets and use it efficiently.
It also may not be necessarily of benefit to eat too much red meat for other health reasons, such as heart disease risk from high saturated fat intake.
Cooking denatures creatine so to avoid destroying the creatine you would need to have your seafood raw and your steak quite under cooked.
If you do decide to follow a diet or predominantly diet way of supplementing, I would also recommend considering a broad spectrum digestive enzyme with your meals, to help your body digest and utilise the nutrients as efficiently as possible. Choose grass-fed beef and wild sourced seafood and only lightly cook them.
Are you vegetarian, vegan, sleep deprived or an older adult?
These groups are often lacking in ready creatine supplies and can benefit greatly from adding it into their diet.
Vegans and vegetarians are most likely to be deficient in stored creatine.
If you are older, then be aware that protein doesn’t digest as well, so your body won’t be able to take advantage of your food as much as say a 20 year old. Supplementation and adding a digestive enzyme will greatly enhance the uptake of creatine for muscle building and mental enhancement. You still have to lift the weights however creatine will counter act the older bodies from breaking down muscle as fast (probably due to its myostatin lowering effect which in high levels will facilitate muscle breakdown). It stops muscle wastage, builds strength and aids endurance.
Interesting
Creatine has been found to increase memory, learning and cognitive ability especially in older women.
How do I take it?
Take 2.5 - 5 gms a day. It will increase the water stored in your muscles so make sure to have plenty of water when you take it. There used to be stories of needing a juice or source of sugar to enhance its uptake and avoiding caffeine as it can nullify creatine effect. Fortunately none of that is worth following and certainly adding sugar or juice is not recommended for a healthy body. An elite athlete however may notice a difference if taking creatine with berries or a healthy low glycemic carb meal. Please note that the extra uptake a low glycemic carb can give isn’t of much benefit for those that aren’t athletes whose diet is right on point where every small change can potentially make a difference in performance.
The time of day also, doesn’t seem to play any factor in the efficacy of uptake, so take your dose when its convenient. Although there is a little research that taking it too close to bed can interfere with sleep.
Do you need to load it?
Loading is a method to take a higher dose of a product to get higher levels into your system quickly. There is no need to load creatine, you can go straight to daily doses of 2.5-5 gms. This will mean it will take 2-3 weeks for noticeable benefits.
BUT if you want to fast track the benefits. Start by loading for 5 days with approx 20 - 30 gms a day, pulling it back to 2.5-5 gms daily thereafter.Be aware with higher doses that you may experience stomach upset and bloating. Water retention is often associated with higher intake too. Counter this with high water intake when you take creatine. If you find you have gained a pound or several with creatine in water weight then consider lowering the dose and even cycling your intake by giving yourself days, weeks off from taking it.
Cycling?
There is no study showing creatine should be cycled but it may be a useful technique as mentioned above to counteract the cycling.
Which creatine is best?
There are LOADS of creatine supplements out there and most say they have the best uptake into the body because of the type of creatine they use or the extra ingredients they have added into the supplement. All this means it will cost you more. There is no research out there yet that shows that any are better than your standard readily available creatine. Personally I would look for a brand with a good reputation, that is approved and goes through testing processes, just to ensure that the product is 100% creatine and not creatine with ‘extras’.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about Creatine. Its a very interesting supplement and from my personal experience, it is one of the few supplements that I did notice that extra strength I suddenly gained. Its not much but every bit counts and now that I am fully aware of its neural protective and enhancing effects I shall be much more consistent with taking it. I will still cycle the product, as is my habit, but not leave it a couple of years as I have done. I’m back on it!
Please note that if you have a poor diet, creatine will not work miracles at all. Ensure that you are exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet most of the time before trying to get extra benefits from supplementation.
If you have any interesting stories or questions about creatine please comment below. If you would like a consult to upgrade your nutrition and fitness then don’t hesitate to contact me.
Vashti x
References and Links:
https://selfhacked.com/blog/creatine/
https://www.leafscience.org/geroprotectors-creatine/
Brain health and Dame Judy
I’ve just been watching (please read in a posh English accent), an absolutely delightful documentary that interviews four wonderful old English theatre actresses, Judy Dench, Joan Sutherland, Maggie Smith, and Eileen Atkins. It’s called Tea with the Dames.
I’ve always found reading or hearing of others lives and thoughts a very enriching experience and this was no exception. These ladies have lived fascinating lives and have all been through ups and downs that many can relate to, although playing opposite Lawrence Olivier (one of the most famous actors ever for those unaware), is probably not relatable for most of us, however, we can imagine…ahhhhh.
One wonderful bonus from this mesmerizing documentary is that I am enjoying all my thoughts coming to me in a FABULOUS English accent….. trust me…I sound just ‘magnificent’.
The other, less self-centred bonus
While I was soaking in the wit and humour from each of these ladies. I was struck with the lost art of repartee, quick-witted direct communication in our modern society. More and more, electronics have become our main form of learning and communication…..personallyI feel that I have lost a lot of that ability even though I grew up largely without electronic distraction and plenty of note writing and outdoor play, let alone the proceeding generations who are mainly indoors and bent over some device, thumbs moving wildly.
I promise this is NOT a modern society put down piece as I am adamantly positive about our future as a species even when it can often seem to be hurtling down a terrible slope (example Trump being Trump…and STILL president! My God)
I do believe/ hope, there will be a swing in the reverse direction, back to older values like those of outdoor play, falling over, getting hurt without a helicopter parent racing in to soothe, and manners where men (and women) will once again open the doors for others. Probably the main reason I feel confident about this and don’t get too despondent is that eventually the link between being sedentary and eating processed food with the diseases of dementia, diabetes, cancer, etc, will be proof enough that even the naysayers will quieten down. It will take to go this mainstream….our governments always are the slowest to learn……. but I think it will happen.
This links to the next point and if you have remained with me this far through my waffle, this is the reason for this article.
What do you wish you had changed or known when you were younger?
Each woman was asked this question and AS THEY WERE LAUGHING AND TEASING EACH OTHER ABOUT HEARING AIDS and diminishing eyesight, Dame Joan said that she wished she had known how important our brain health is. She mentioned that it's not apparent when you are younger, how much the health of the brain affects us, but it becomes quite clear when you get older how important it is. Dame Judy now does her best to look after her mind, but she wishes she had started younger.
Each woman agreed and they all said this was the one thing they would all have changed and looked after their brain health from their forties.
I wrote a few articles on brain health last year as I noticed many of us are noticing memory loss, brain fade, or worse with too many of our family and friends being diagnosed with dementia or cognitive issues.
Its NEVER too late to start helping your brain and the wonderful bonus is that all things that help your brain also help the rest of your body and that means you are happier and are probably enjoying your life a lot more.
Click the links below for some direct ideas on improving your brain health
Blog Snack: Truth about sodas / soft drinks
I’m not going to preach too much today but instead let the graphics speak for themselves. You may have seen them before as apparently they are famous. I hadn’t so here they are, fresh from the Renegade Pharmacist. A great website to have a look around.
Whether you drink soft drinks or not, most of us are aware that they are not good for us. Not good is a pretty vague statement though. Here is a terrific infographic on Coke. Simple and to the point.
from: therenegadepharmacist.com
Diet soft drinks
Unfortunately the only thing diet soft drinks can deliver on is a low calorie beverage. Thats where the health value starts and finishes. The artificial sugars used still trick the body to release insulin which is then not needed and so converts energy to fat by reflex. The artificial ingredients cause a major upset in the body as it struggles to break them down and the gut microbiome (last years catch phrase), is also compromised. We need healthy gut bacteria for all sorts of processes including producing hormones at the right ratio. Compromise that system and serotonin is not produced sufficiently, melatonin, the list goes on.
Have a look at this next infographic
from: therenegadepharmacist.com
If you wish to drink a soft drink, it may be better for you to drink a non diet one. The chemicals are less as they use sugar to sweeten and not a poor artificial one. In some places drinks are sweetened with Stevia, a more natural sweetener that the body is able to process much more efficiently. Those ones are certainly your best bet, but always check the label and see what sweetener is used, there are sweetness made from Stevia that may not be completely good for you either
To finish, please drink water, lots of water Lemon juice or lime will make it taste more interesting if thats your need. There is no good road ahead to health and long life if you consume the more available soft drinks out there, they negatively impact your cognition and gut health, increase your chances markedly for diabetes, dementia, heart disease etc, and make those conditions worse …. and wear the enamel from your teeth.
I’m always here for your health :-)
Vashti x
Do you want a MIRACULOUS morning?
I heard the term ‘morning miracle’ first used by an author named Hal Elrod. This young man had a nasty accident in his early 20’s and through a lot of perseverance and positivity and support was able to go from not being able to move and given a fairly dismal future diagnosis, to moving and fully functioning fairly quickly. My details won’t be exact, as it is several years since I have heard about this man, but what he achieved against the odds and in short time is astounding. He was inspired to create a concept he dubbed the ‘6 minute morning miracle’, it was his way of making sure that every morning he started the day with meaningful actions designed to get him stepping toward goals.
This concept in itself is nothing new. I’m sure you have heard of doing regular small things that end up being a big thing such as a new skill or productive habit, new business, better relationships etc. What I appreciated about Hal is that he appealed to my lazy yet structured brain with this one minute concept.
The idea is to allot 1 or 2 mins to 3- 6 things. For example, as soon as you wake up you could:
From life hack.org
Meditate
Write in a gratitude journal
Squats
Pushups
Write a to do list
Stretch
1 minute each and in 6 minutes you are done. It’s not a lot of time but I’m sure you can see by the end of it you would feel like you have started your day off brilliantly. Mentally inspired, physically ready to go and emotionally settled.
It’s the concept of this that I appreciate. It’s a great way to start new habits but not feel overwhelmed when you really have little to no motivation at times.
We all could do exercise for one minute even when feeling like its the last thing on earth you would like to be doing.
Just Do it.
Try it right now, lets just do something for 3 tiny little minutes.
Put your timer on. Make it easy and start with 3 big impact things.
First 60 seconds,
Exercise. Squats, star jumps, pushups...a combination of the above, or simply stretch, 30 secs per side in a lunge or waist or hamstring stretch.
Next 60,
Paper and pencil and write. Write things and people you are grateful for. Go!
And the final 60 seconds,
Close your eyes. Breathe and listen for a while and sounds around you. Then bring the focus to the breath passing in and out of your nose. then follow that breath to feeling inside your head, all around and gradually make your way down your spine to your.... oops! Times up.
Now, how do you feel?
Imagine starting everyday like this
.... imagine finding every day like this .... theres no limit or restriction. We are all individual. Where could this idea most benefit you?
Individualise this
Again, theres no real rules and restrictions ..... this is just a cool flexible way of adding good quality routines and beneficial habits into your life. So think what you really need to address ..... is it more activity? Is it calmness? Is it learning a skill? Is it just to be happier?
If you are not sure, or need a bit of help, a good coach is the perfect person to go to. Someone like myself who is positive, open and individualised will help you set the goals and methods that best fit your life. They can either hold your hand for a few weeks/ months/ years.... or leave you to it... what ever you need.
Lets do it
Write a free list of things you would like to add into your life to enrich your world. Don’t analyse, just write.
When you are done pick the top 6. Then pick the top 3.
Start with 3 things at one minute each. It sounds tiny, but just do it at least once....then you can either add a few others or make it 2 mins each. No over achieving here.... just for a few days. After say 5 days in a row have a think about increasing it or leaving it exactly as it is for now.
But what if I’m in the flow and don’t want to stop?
Say you are exercising first, then before meditating you have your gratitude list minute to do and you are really getting into it. Just stop....its good discipline and if you kept going the odds are that you won’t do the meditation section no matter that you may tell yourself you will. Do the meditation. when that’s finished go straight back to your gratitude exercise.
It sounds easy and it should be, but what can derail you is if you want to add ‘exercise’ but then come unstuck about the best one to choose as you only have one or 2 minutes for it....thats where a friend or coach can help.
Say you want to learn a language and think how on earth in that short time can I make it count? Or you don’t like meditating but know its ‘good for you’ so you want to add it to your life.
Let me give you some more examples:
First is exercising :
You may have a fatburning goal and want to make your bottom a nice shape. Aobviously you will not be able to accomplish fatburning in your time, BUT you can increase your blood flow and energy to be ready to put in later. So 30 seconds of either vigorous squat jumping or squatting and 30 seconds of bottom squeezes would be a great start. thats for a one minute interval.
life hack.org
Second, a language:
Pick out one or two new words at the most and write them out over and over and then look at them and say them out loud. Voila!
Third, for the reluctant meditators:
Do a forward fold and hang or lie on your back with your legs up on the wall and allow them to sink to the sides. Now breathe and hold. As you breathe, think about the muscles you feel stretching, note your desire to get out of that stretch and breathe through that.... one minute is up before you know it and your body is echoing a big THANK YOU!
Meditating outside the box
There are endless options.
Think about the last year you have had...
did you grow or change? Are you sitting here feeling you are in the same or similar spot?
Imagine if you did some little habit everyday for the next year ..... the difference it would make to you as a person.
Pretty significant huh!?!
It’s easy, but most of the time we don’t do this. Any steps you make will benefit and change you. Start today, don’t make excuses. If you need help, let me know. If you start doing it yourself, let me know too! I want to hear :-)
Make 2019 YOUR year.
Love, Vash x
References
Sample morning routines from super achievers:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/08/tools-of-titans-author-tim-ferriss-on-his-morning-routine.html
https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/lifestyle-articles/ben-greenfields-morning-routine/
https://www.success.com/10-morning-routines-of-wildly-successful-entrepreneurs/
Hacks to enhance my life, brain, body, performance
A few weeks ago I was quite taken aback … in a good way ….
The owner of one of the gyms I work at asked me to sit with him and film a short video of what my day consists of. In short what do I do now, at the age of 47, to keep me fit and healthy. He knows I love bio hacking (which is just finding simple ways to live, think and move better through life), and we have spent a lot of time in the past exchanging ideas and any interesting things we come across that may help a person to perform better and more happily through life.
We chatted briefly, made a few notes and went straight to video. It’s amateur but a good first go I thought. You can see it and other videos here.
Although our chat on the video went well, due to it being impromptu, I later I realised I had missed several other interesting things that someone might find useful.
So I have decided to write a little about my daily routine with a few why’s of what I currently do and share it below.
The steps below are ones I take nearly everyday. They are things I have found through my research and experience. I try many things, some stick and some don’t . I try what appeals and keep it if it works easily into my life….. at heart I’m sure I am really very lazy. This is what I’d like you to do, pick out something interesting and doable. I think you’ll find several really easy things to action straight away, and you never know…they just might make the difference you are needing at this point in time.
I do the following roughly 80% of the week (a silly statistic meaning it may be 7 days, it may be 5 days a week).
I found being this way has allowed me to keep my figure at this current weight of **cough cough…60kg….(that was confronting to say, although I know thats very healthy, I have left over disordered thinking from being 50kg a few years back which likes me to panic if I am ‘heavy’)
…. so 60kg and approximately 19% body fat (BF)….fairly easily. Personally I would love to hit 55kg again, which with my muscle mass is around 15-16%BF, but to do that means I don’t eat out a few times a week and probably zero alcohol and a little more training…. It would make me tired and less able to cope with stress (I have a little chronic PTSD I deal with…not from the weight mentioned above …. so stress is a regular thing for me to cope with)… which reminds me…resilience training is the next thing I’ll be putting in my schedule soon!
This was a long winded way of saying I put in work, most but not all, of the time so I can still eat out and relax with friends and family and not be overly strict with my diet, and exercise constantly (I have done that in the past…and although I thought my body was great...its not the way to live a life thats happy for me and also to be good to be around).
Lets start!
First thing in the morning
I get up early.
5am weekdays, I like an early start. I try to make weekends 6am as it is best for your body’s health and circadian rhythm, to get up at the same time every morning. I haven’t mastered that, but I do the best I can, and I admit to sleeping in at least once a week most weeks.
I have half to one litre of water between now and my shower with apple cider vinegar to help the bile acids activate for the day. This aids in digestion and the natural detox system.
My sons *love :-)
I walk the dogs for 30 mins. Its easy and fairly slow which used to frustrate me but they so LOVE to fossick around and check everything out…. then I decided to use this time to stretch my body and I feel so much better ( as do my joints), that I have never looked back.
I do stretching and rotations of my :
Shoulders
Neck
Chest
Hamstring
Hips
Hip flexors
Calves
…and I do some pushups and yogic down dogs on benches at certain spots.
Nothing to strenuous. I breathe deep. The shoulder and neck stretches make me look upward to the lovely trees and I always hold and relax for a breath or two. This particular one I have given the highest importance as its the key to a straight posture - so no turtle neck!
Cortisol is high in the morning and because of this I don’t overdo morning exercise as that would create too much cortisol. Instead the dog walking and stretching increases my mobility and posture while nurturing my parasympathetic system( rest and digest).
During walk I make sure to take in the sky so my eyes can soak in the morning uv light, stop melatonin production .... terribly important for a healthy circadian rhythm, enhanced immunity, weight control, stress control, and brain health amongst other things.
It's interesting actually what looking at the sky in general does.
We have all these sensors in our eyes that absorb the uv lights and others and that initiate processes and systems in the body. If we cover up our eyes with glasses or windows then we don’t get the full benefits for our body. So it doesn’t mean don’t cover up, but just try to get some pure light to your eyes in the morning and evening at least. Shield your eyes when glare is around.
When I want to burn more fat I will go for a 20 to 30 min gentle running shuffle after the dog walk, my running is a shuffle and on my toes (to use my body’s natural suspension system) ….. my version of a jog that I hope to continue most of my life. If I don’t run I will do yoga instead.
After the run, more water and then shower time.
I am gradually acclimatising myself to cold showers. I do this by playing with the temperature. A few seconds cold and then hot. I gradually lengthen the cold time and its surprisingly bearable to do it this way and my body has taeken to it well. Its no longer quick the shock when the cold hits me and I am able to keep it cold longer than the time before generally. Trust me, I’m not brave, I LOVE my hot showers and am the last to jump into pools as everyone who knows me is well aware. I’m a complete coward. So why on earth would I add this seeming torture to my morning schedule
Health benefits of cold
Hot cold contrast showers to activate brown fat, helps body’s natural thermal regulation stimulates the vagus nerve (largest cranial nerve), slows and even prevents inflammation.
The vagus nerve has been shown to cure rheumatoid arthritis when electrically stimulated. It can also be stimulated stimulated by cold and deep breathing. Low vagus activity is associated with poor memory , inflammation, brain fog and fatigue. The higher the vagus tone the more oxytocin (the cuddle hormone) you produce. ….so a cold shower and a cuddle could be the ultimate happiness recipe maybe…hmmmm
With higher vagal tone we are less anxious, gut health is promoted and with the oxytocin produced we feel closer to people and more altruistic.
Brown fat is the metabolic beast of the body. Some of us have more, some have less. The more you have, the more white (think ugly) fat we will burn doing everyday things. So we want more. It also works a charm at allowing us to adapt to extremes in temperature more easily.
My extra hack: I will be taking bitter melon before I shower as this works synergistically with the cold to increase the brown fat activity.
Intermittent Fasting
I intermittent fast most days and everyday if possible I try not to eat for a 12 hour window. It’s a lot easier than you may think. It gives the body a chance to rid itself of old, damaged cells, and also to rest from the digestive process. Our body prioritises digestion before running other healing processes completely so allowing those to take precedence for some extra time everyday is a good thing to do for general health. It also balances blood sugar and insulin levels, which of course leads to fat loss.
Fasting is interesting, and for the health benefits I mentioned above. It can be done SO many ways. This is just one. I like the regular everyday one, or you could fast for one day a week, or a few days a month, etc…. there are plenty of ways to do it so try the one you feel will be easiest to fit into your lifestyle.
I will still have black coffee and water and then I will eat/consume any calories (like a coffee with milk) when I feel I need it between 10am to 3 pm. Because the body is so receptive at that point, I will make sure the very first thing is either vegetables or a quality protein and fat. If I put anything carby like toast, my body would go into a little spasm and over produce insulin and I’d have the blood sugar levels sky rocketing and then plunging….a recipe for ill health and fat gain.
As I have double checked all the knowledge I have on how my body works with a DNA test I know that I have a tendency to obesity, diabetes, cardiac issues. I can go into that more another time, but the upshot is I am a little more vigilant with my blood sugar response to food and drink and I supplement and choose my foods accordingly. Supplements I sweat by, especially if I eat breads, pastas, fruits, anything sugary.
Apple cider vinegar
Berberine
Bitter melon
These 3 power house supplements help my body to slowly release glucose and also for my insulin level to respond normally and immediately when these foods are eaten. The calories still count of course but my body’s response to them is sensitive now and not dulled by chronically high levels which anyone over weight, is.
Later
As the day draws on, cortisol naturally dips and even if you made sure to keep your carbs low to avoid that sleepy afternoon feeling, you may still feel flat and mentally drained. To work with this dip, I lift weights. Sometimes its quite hard to get in to the gym, but most of the time I will go their and not allow myself to start thinking about it…else I will sit my bottom back down in a chair and probably eat. Weights….or any exercise, in the afternoon will provide a lift to your energy and mood and settle the cortisol. This is even true if you are suffering unnaturally high cortisol levels which is generally due to chronic stress. In this later case the higher cortisol will be utilised more productively to enhance muscle gain and thus will lower afterwards naturally and help to reset your cortisol cycle.
Exercise is often easy to avoid later in the day. Don’t talk yourself out of a session just because its not the best time of day or you are tired. Listen to your body, do a lighter workout, do yoga, do anything, just be consistent. A little everyday ….. there’s magic in that.
The best workout is the one you do
At the end of the day
I take bitter melon with my evening meal to again deal with higher sugar levels from dinner which is often concluded by fruit (I do LOVE my sweets so fruit is a wonderful substitute to ice cream)
Sleep
Sleep is a high priority and I guard it tightly. I like to go to bed at 9pm for my 5 am start. My room is as dark as possible and I use a salt lamp as the light is not the blue of normal lights. You may remember above that you look at the sky in the morning to soak up the blue light which switches off melatonin production amongst other things, well the red light of the lamp allows the body to start producing it.
Be careful of electronics. Looking at a screen of any sort (they emit a blue light) and the body reacts by suppressing melatonin, so ideally you would wear either blue blocking glasses or turn all electronics off an hour or so before bed.
Melatonin is a wonder hormone (although aren’t all hormones wonders). It is released every evening to inform the body to shut down and wind down. It activates the healing processes and all systems needed to rejuvenate the body. It seems that as we age, we produce less and less melatonin, which could be why many older adults sleep less and less. If you go to sleep at different times then the body doesn’t know what time to release melatonin and your sleep will no doubt be quite unsatisfying. By going to sleep at a consistent time the body is able to reliably produce melatonin at the best moment for a therapeutic sleep. However one or two late nights and it takes a while to settle back down again. You can see this is why health professionals advocate sleeping at the same time everyday of the week and not just Monday to Friday. You can also imagine why jet lag takes quite a toll on the body as it has to work our gradually when on earth is the best time to release melatonin.
As a result, for many years I have cycled through supplementing melatonin.
I use either 5 HTP (5 hydroxy tryptophan, this is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, take 150-300mg) and / or melatonin ( 1+ gm, not the homeopathic stuff) to ensure that my body and circadian rhythm is consistent. I especially use this the night after a late night before. It resets my body by ensuring the release of melatonin happens when it should, it should be taken an hour before bedtime. It really is a miracle worker for jet lag.
Now, if this has caused more questions than answers please send me a message or comment below. If you agree or disagree, also please send a message. I love to get others opinions and thoughts….and if you have tried any of the above, put that down too! The above is basically what I do, and I have another list of things I PLAN to add in the future.
Do try something, any time spent improving your health will repay you back many times over, so start small.
Click the button to download your free PDF. Start with something that seems easy to do and notice how much better you feel over the coming days and weeks.
All the very best x