Thursday, December 29, 2022

5 Habits for Better Health

The beauty, serenity of the early morning
One of mine and Otto's favorite places, the beach

There is this prevailing thought today that health is very complicated. You have to do some crazy things, weigh food, count macros, eat mostly plants, less meat and animal fat, starve, that it has to be extremely difficult, you must suffer, otherwise you aren’t getting “healthy”. I don’t believe any of this. Rediscovering your health does not need to be difficult, a suffering fest that you are miserable and can’t ever enjoy anything. I am not saying that it will be a walk in the park and easy with no sacrifices, struggles, frustrations, because that is not true. Changing your lifestyle involves creating new habits, confronting your own demons, working through things, having the courage to take new steps and take that step over and over until it is a part of who you are.

These 5 steps are simple. Simple does not mean easy, they are not interchangeable. The answers to life’s toughest questions are usually the simplest. Because they are simple, we reject them because simple makes them approachable, doable, we can implement them into our lives. When things are difficult, we can blame our lack of achievement on the fact it is difficult. On the flip side, we view simplicity as too easy, the answer cannot be that simple. If it is that simple, it won’t work. Simplicity scares us.

 

5 Habits for Better Health:

Eat mainly animal protein and fat

Be in the sunlight throughout the day, especially mornings

Move your body frequently, walk, lift heavy, sprint

Sleep

Put down the technology, take it off, be with people you love and those who inspire you to pursue your dreams and become a better version of yourself

Begin implementing these 5 habits into your life and live them for the next several weeks. Notice how your health and life change with these simple habits.

If you are good to go, go forth and be a force of the awesome. If you need some more info on these 5 habits, continue reading.

 

*Animal protein, epically beef, should be at the base of your eating. 80-90% of your food consumption should be meat.

Break your fast with protein and fat, think steak, eggs, butter and salt. Eat a good first meal, front loading your day with a significant amount of protein. Beef will help you be satiated for the day, curb hunger and cravings for the day, especially at night. This protein will also give your brain the signals it needs that there are enough amino acids to keep it happy.

There is a war on meat and it is by design. Trying to convince us that meat is bad, destroying the environment, you don’t need it. The lack of protein creates sick, weak, unhealthy, humans, especially men. If we are weak, sick, unhealthy, we can be overtaken and controlled. When men are not eating meat as the base of their diets, their testosterone plummets. They become weak, don’t want to fight, protect, defend, stand up and fight back against the evil. Infertility increases. Gut health issues abound. Malnourishment is rampant because the foods we are being told to eat, we are not designed as humans to be able to break down and absorb the nutrients from these foods, thus disease abounds. We don’t have four stomachs like a cow. We don’t digest our food for 23 hours like gorilla. I don’t know about you, but I want to look like either one.

 The nutrients in animal protein, especially beef, are easily broken down and absorb by the body. For our bodies to thrive, we need the amino acids, vitamins and minerals from protein. These are vital for life, creating you. This is what the signal for hunger is: our brains and cells telling us they need nutrients to build and create you, organs, cells, dopamine, serotonin, thoughts, movement of muscles, all of you. Respond to the call of hunger with animal protein.

 

Otto and I love our early morning walks

*Sun exposure, morning, noon and evening 5-30 minutes at a time, be out in nature as much as possible

By exposing your body and eyes to the morning sun, you are setting your circadian rhythm, your 24 hour wake and sleep cycles and what time of year it is. We have clock genes that have to be set daily by the sun. Morning sunshine ends the release of melatonin, wakes us up. Signals a pulse of cortisol which is a good thing in the early morning, this supports our immune system, aids in setting a time for sleep 14-16 hours later, increases energy. Exposure to morning sun aids in better moods, is anti-inflammatory, reduces the risk of sun burning later in the day, the list of benefits for the morning sun are endless.

High noon sun is, depending on the time of year and your latitude, when our body produces vitamin D. Viewing the sun throughout the day produces melatonin. Yes, the sun signals our bodies to produce the hormone. Darkness triggers the release. Get more sunshine.

Watching the sunset tells the body the day is coming to a close and it is time to begin winding down.

The sun is extraordinarily important to our overall health. Be out in the sun as much as possible, even if it is a cloudy day. The sun rays are coming through the clouds and you will receive the benefits.


*Move your body frequently, walk, lift heavy, sprint once in awhile.

Don’t sit for long periods of time. Even something as simple as standing when on a phone call, texting someone, or even better, while you are scrolling through social media, stand. Prolonged sitting is detrimental to your health.

Walking is one of the best exercises we can do. The health benefits of walking 10,000 steps a day are endless. Begin a walking routine, taking a morning and evening walk to be in the sun, have a time you go for a long walk, walk in nature on a trail.

Muscle is the organ of longevity. We build and maintain muscle by lifting heavy things, our bodies, weights, weighted objects, don’t be afraid to lift heavy. Use your muscles or you will lose them and your health will decline. One of the best predictors of health into old age is the amount of muscle you have. Want to be healthy into your late 90’s, build healthy muscle.

Sprint every 7-10 days. Nothing is more Primal than sprinting. Sprinting will naturally increase testosterone, human growth hormone, trigger positive gene expression, build muscle and bone, keep you young. It is also a way to intentionally do something hard.

 

*Sleep

We need the courage and discipline to put ourselves to bed.

Here are a few tips for better sleep:

Get outside in the morning sun shine, as already discussed above. Morning sun exposure is one of the best things you can do to improve your sleep.

Watch the sunset and then keep the lights dim in your house. Watch the amount of blue light you are being exposed to, wear blue blocking glasses. These have been a game changer for me. I have Viva Ray’s Clip and Go, love them. I have no association with them; I own and use a pair.

Eat beef.

End your last meal several hours before bedtime.

Watch the time of day you are exercising, see how it impacts your sleep. As a norm, you don’t want to be exercising intensely too close to bed time, this wakes the body up. Maybe try a stroll around the neighbored instead.

Have a bedtime routine. Your body won’t go from being awake and going, mind running to falling asleep. Set a routine to signal to your body to calm down, prepare for sleep. Gratitude journal, read a book, stretch, take a hot bath or sit in a sauna, work on a craft or hobby that is calming, deep breath. Dim the lights way down so your body will begin releasing melatonin. Your body and mind need time to de-stress, relax, so you can sleep.

Strive to be in complete darkness from 11pm - 4am for better sleep and mental health.

 

*Put down your technology; take it off if you have wearable technology. Spend carefree timelessness with your loved ones just being. Surround yourself with people who motivate you to dream, to go after your dreams, inspire you to become a better version of yourself. Who will help hold you accountable to a better you, hold high standards. Be around those who are pursuing their dreams and want you to go after yours. These types of people will be a living example and encouragement to you. You become who you surround yourself with, chose wisely.

 

These 5 Habits have been a game changer for my own life. This isn’t advice I don’t follow or do but recommend you do, this is a way I strive to live my life. The more I adopt them, the better my life is. I hope they impact your life as positively as they have mine.

In courage, gratitude and kindness,

Jenn

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