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
Don't Let Eating Out Derail Your health
In the culture we live in now, it is becoming more and more common to dine out, lunches at cafes, dinner at a restaurant. In Adelaide we are completely spoilt for choice, value for money and food styles and I know this is becoming more and more the norm world-wide. When you travel you also tend to eat out, well, all the time really, don’t you? Unless you make a large effort to go to a supermarket and bring food back to your room.
So how do we do this and still maintain a level of health?
There is no doubt that eating out will put on the pounds and not in a good way. Most restaurants will use vegetable oils, cheap butter and even if they advertise olive oil…most are low grade. None of these fats are good for your body. They contribute higher levels of triglycerides leading to clogged arteries, diabetes and heart disease amongst other things….yet, damn it…we want to eat out!
Like all healthy lifestyle factors, it comes down to choice.
Your choice.
You have the power to eat out, enjoy the company and not gain the pounds. You just need a little bit of knowledge, a little bit of guidance and all the pressure is off.
In a perfect world …..
……… we would all be able to go to a restaurant, order one glass of quality red wine. Ignore the bread. Order a large serve of vegetables or salad and get a serving of protein to join that. All with only quality extra virgin olive oil as a sauce. OR as apparently the French do, go out and order, but eat only a tiny portion of the meal.
BUT… it’s not ALWAYS that easy …
If you can do the above…wonderful, you are fantastic and you don’t need to read further. However, if like me, you are a little less self controlled…well, come this way …. lets real world this …..
Being able to comfortably and easily order healthily when out can’t be forced and rushed…else you are plunged in denial and a binge will come sooner or later….thats a for sure win bet.
Lets make it all painless. Its just like adjusting to a new diet, which really shouldn’t be a diet but a way of eating for life. A new way of eating is best done in stages else you really will rebound straight back and probably past your previous weight.
First - we take this is stages.
This is how I would coach you to do the dinning out (contact me if you would like help with this. Being accountable to someone is really useful)
Play imagine if …
At first, just read the menu and pick out exactly what you would order, if you were picking a meal that looked like the suggested one above. Don’t order it, order what you want, just make sure you have picked what you would if you were right into this. You’ll be surprised that this is actually fine and doesn’t make you feel guilty or anything.
Do this each dining out visit till you are ready to move forward. NO RUSH.
Pretend …
… do exactly as before but this time imagine the plate in front of you and imagine you eating it and jump your mind ahead to how you will feel when you get home tonight. How you feel mentally and physically from having a vegetable based meal that doesn’t require some supersonic digestion. Remember too, that because you did what you set out to do you will get a serotonin dump of happiness because you achieved what you set out to do. (Make sure it only takes a minute of your time at the most)
Then order as you normally would like to. Do this for at least 5-10 dining out visits. Make a list and tick off the times you do this.
Get Veged up!
Now this time you will order as normal BUT with an extra large bowl of vegetables. Eat as many or little as you can. All are ticks on your list….. again 5 -10 visits
Next Habit …
Order as last time but try to just eat the meat and vegetables and skip the white starches. Bread, rice white potatoes and pasta.
Now try to do the above without the sugary or calorific sauces. If you feel brave, order yours without any sauce or oil and bring your own organic olive oil. Organic, unheated olive oil has so many health benefits.
TIPS
Definitely go through each stage at least 5 times each or more if you don’t feel its really easy to do. Take your time to go through each stage (days, weeks, months)…it doesn’t matter, it only matters that you do it most of the time (ie, 95% of the time you eat out, else you are not forming a permanent habit). Move on ONLY when you are positive you actually WANT to and not that you feel you MUST or SHOULD move forward. This is about your HEALTH, not aesthetics (always remember you look your best, your glowing best, when you are healthy)
IMPORTANT:
One of the biggest stumbling blocks to this is the embarrassment or peer pressure of ordering a little differently around friends/ family, even to the waiter/ess. So just say you’ve been having some stomach issues/ pain/ allergies when you eat certain foods, and you are avoiding it for now. Everyone understands that. Friends and family want whats best for you but they generally don’t realise that ‘just this once’ isn’t the most supportive phrase to a healthy body. If they think it will cause you pain or discomfort, no one will press you further.
Finally -
Make the commitment now
Choose a better meal. There are so many temptations…sooo many…and they taste wonderful….however, is that really worth the aches, pains, inflammation, chronic disease? I sound alarmist, but thats exactly what is being invited in. Its easy to ignore because the change is so gradual and we can all get away with it for a while till suddenly we can’t.
So commit to yourself out of respect for your body. Choose healthier, start small. Your healthy body will thank you for it as you will FEEL fantastic ….
…… and enjoy many fun times out with friends for years to come.
Please comment below if you try this and let me know how you went. I’d love to hear some stories :-)
Further ideas on eating out choices:
Gene Genie?!
Is gene testing the health key to the optimal body?
Answer : possibly
I have been following avidly, the advent of mainstream gene testing. Its such exciting stuff. Like Indiana Jones finding ancient tresures, we can now find the hidden treasured data within our bodies...the blueprint to what our body actually needs and wants to be the best version it can be. How incredible does that sound!? So is it really that good...is it the end of guess work in what the hell new diet or fitness style we need to follow
A few weeks ago I noticed a fairly cheap way to have a few genes tested at my local pharmacy. For $100AUD this test will look at four genes that current research shows have impact on our body and how it processes fat, carbs, what diet the body is better on and what kind of exercise is more effective. Being cheap, it's four genes only, so I was not expecting any ground breaking detail, just perhaps some guidelines.
Let me tell you what I found out
First the genes,
The ones tested are (with basic descriptions of each),
LIPC - regulates the production of hepatic lipase enzymes. These enzymes are involved with the regulation of cholesterol and triglycerides. Risk variants have less activity of this enzyme, which can lead to increased levels of HDL, LDL and triglycerides
APOA5 - major gene that regulates triglyceride concentrations. Risk variant carriers are more susceptible to higher triglyceride levels than those without the risk variant.
FTO - This little guy has many roles. He participates in the regulation of body size and fat accumulation. Risk variants have trouble controlling eating as they are not sensitive to the satiety alert in the brain. It's also associated with an increased incidence of ALzheimers. If BMI is high their is also an assocaition with developing type 2 diabetes. Generally those with the risk variant are 1-3 kgs heavier than their counterpart , higher BMI, higher fat mass and at risk of obesity. On the bright side it has no association with energy expenditure. So controlling the weight will not be impeded by the body resisting the weight loss...just the mind!
PPARG - What happens with any excess food we eat depends on the workings of these busy genes. Risk variants are far more prone to fat storage than non risk variants. Not only that but this gene shows what sort of sensitivity we have to fat and carb digestion, therefore what kind of diet would be more suitable.
So how does this apply to me?
In point form:
- I respond best to medium intensity exercise (I agree and am relieved as I always feel bad when I do high intensity and also feel low intensity does little for me)
- I do better on a diet lower in carbs and also lower in fats, particularly saturated. So potentially look at some digestive enzymes to help my body break these down and also blood sugar controllers, such as bitter melon, to keep the insulin in its place
- I need to keep my BMI lower to avoid obesity, diabetes
- I need to keep my brain active and also feed with healthy fats to keep alzheimers at bay
- My mind doesn't register satiety very well, so I need to work on feeling comfortable at being 80% full and training myself how to know when I hit that stage
- I should get a lipid blood profile and keep aware of it as I am more likely to have higher LDL and triglyceride levels if my diet isn't on point most of the time
- I have the gene variant related to obesity (I knew it!), and as such it's important I keep active and aware of my diets health
So was it worth it?!
For me personally, absolutely! I like to be proactive and I also like the fact it has taken a fair bit of guess work out for me. Probably because fitness is my life, I completely over analyse and question what I am doing for exercise and what I am eating....this causes me to go all over the place , trying everything, and changing everything...way, way too often. Now I know why the Keto diet has never felt good to me and I have struggled doing it. For a start I was including too many saturated fats and I never felt satisfied as many people say they do. I'm not scared to add a little carbohydrate to my meals now and I am happy to workout at a medium state predominantly (I add a bit of the low and high intensity to hit all 3 states....got to keep the body balanced)
So what are your thoughts? Would you consider it?
Here's where I got the test, MyDna, I did the health one, they also offer a test which shows how your body responds to many medications.
Why I love Bitter Melon
A miracle fat loss supplement?......... Maybe!
What is it?
This wierd looking fruit, bitter melon, is also known as bitter gourd, bitter squash, bitter cucumber or balsam pear. It refers to the fruit grown on a Cucurbitacae vine. It grows in tropical and sub tropical climates in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.
What is it meant to do?
The Chinese have long used Bitter Melon as a blood sugar controller, and finally the Western World is becoming more aware of its uses. Bitter melon is a plant that has the amazing ability to improve glucose tolerance and reduce blood sugar levels. This is why bitter melon is highly recommended for diabetics (always check with doctor first!). The benefits don't stop there. Due to its improvement to glucose tolerance it is also great for:
- Skincare and acne, psorriasis, eczema (drink the juice 3 x a week)
- Has more beta carotene than broccoli
- Vitamin K (blood thinning and antiinflamatory)
- Relieves acid reflx and indigestion
- Diabetes type 2,
- Lowers cholesterol , (therefore reduces heart attacks and ehart disease
- Anti cancer properties
- Due to blood sugar and liver tonic benefits it is an effective weightloss controller.
So how does it do it?
These days, extra weight, lifestyle, and dietary intake all play a part to make many of us insulin insensitive. This results us in having an excess of blood sugar in our system. Fat loss wise, the body can not burn fat in a sugar filled environment. It will stop using other energy sources (such as fat) and use only the sugar until its gone. Dietary fat at this point, is not broken down for energy use, but rather stored in adipose (fat) tissue around the body and also accumulates in the liver and contributes to clogging in aortic valves. High levels of blood sugar will also damage blood vessels and nerves. None of this is good for longevity and good health!
The fruit has at least three active substances with these glucose tolerance properties, charantin, vicine and an insulin-like compound known as polypeptide-p. It seems these work individually or together to reduce blood sugar levels. Bitter melon also contains lectin, which has similar effects to insulin in the brain (insulin secretion is needed to lower blood sugar levels) and promotes insulin sensitivity in the body.
The Garvan Institute in Australia has done some interesting studies in the last few years, looking at bitter melon as an effective supplement for diabetics. Noting that it has few side affects compared to pharmaceuticals.
"When we give this compound to our mice just before a meal, we then give the meal, we find that they have a much more efficient removal of glucose from the blood compared to animals that have not been given the drug," Garvan Institute's Professor David James
How do I take it?
Take it in capsule form, I use iherb generally for my Bitter Melon capsules, and take them around 30 mins before a higher carbohydrate meal. However don't worry too much if you forget before your meal, you can still take it while eating. The other option is to use the actual plant. These are generally found at your local Chinese market place. Be warned the fruit is well named. It is BITTER! The recipes below are worth following to make sure you are able to hide the taste sufficiently. :-)
So if you suspect you might be a little insulin insensitive or have high blood glucose levels, bitter melon is a great and natural substance to try. Just a word of caution. Its highly effective. Take the recommended dosage. Hypoglycaemic attacks have been associated with high intakes of the supplement (admittedly these intakes have been over 5 times the recommended dosages). These extreme intakes are very unlikely if you are just adding the actual food into your diet and not the supplement.
If you found this interesting, you may want to implement this into your way of eating. If you are unsure in any way feel free to contact me
Recipes
Recipe ingredients:
- • 1 Bitter melon seedless, chopped
- • Ice to taste
- • Honey or stevia to taste
- • Lemon to taste
Place bitter melon pieces and ice cubes into blender.
Stir until smooth and blended. When the ice cubes rather smooth, enter lemon juice and honey to suit your taste (to get around for the bitter taste of bitter melon covered with sweet honey and fresh lemon).
References
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-benefits-bitter-melon-that-makes-even-more-worth-eating.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/308112-how-to-use-bitter-melon-to-lower-blood-sugar/
http://www.naturesgoodness.com.au/Bitter-Melon-Capsules.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-03-26/humble-vegie-may-end-diabetes-fight/1083716
https://www.garvan.org.au/research/diseases-we-research/diabetes-type-2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momordica_charantia
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/07/11/aloe-bitter-melon-help-treat-diabetes.aspx