Tending to your Temple. 5 steps to a proven happier, healthier, stronger body and brain. Fitness to Food. (Practical)

Tending to your Temple. 5 steps to a proven happier, healthier, stronger body and brain. Fitness to Food. (Practical)

Most people who know me know that I am a keen but quiet physical fitness and mental health fanatic. These people also know that I am a cooking and food enthusiast. I like to push my own limits and continue to evolve  in the way of physical and  mental development.

If there is anything I have learnt in the last 4 years that I started truly taking lifestyle choices seriously it's that it really does make a difference. I can honestly say that I have never been what could be classified as over weight or unfit even when I had some truly laughable eating habits and questionable lifestyle choices in my very early 20s and late teens. For that, I was lucky; this being said, I was always reasonably physically active; even when I was eating rubbish. But aside from the fact that I have a good metabolism - my eating and fitness choices have long since changed and with it so has my core strength, flexibility, endurance, physical form, agility and mental ability.

So, in this modern world full of trends in the physical fitness and "dietary" realm - how do you self motivate yourself to become the best version of yourself?

We'll narrow it down first.

First, the word diet. Remove it. Replace "diet" with lifestyle. There is no quick fix or temporary solution. If you make a change the change is made to be maintained and ingrained into your everyday. "Yo-yo" dieting is dangerously bad for the health of your body and brain. It leads to thyroid problems which will affect your metabolism and all those days of starving yourself will suddenly be pointless. Restricting yourself from a particular amount of calories everyday will also have effects on your brain health. If you don't have energy, you don't have fuel - your brain will not function productively without fuel. The point is refilling yourself with the RIGHT fuel.

Secondly - Exercise is not a scary word. This being said, it is also not used correctly. Exercise is not so much about weight loss as it is about strength. If you want that Victorias Secret body ladies, or Ryan Renolyds' temple boys - you're not going to get it by just walking for hours on a treadmill shedding fat and "burning calories".  Fitness should be your new word - keep fit, keep building, keep strong. Don't simply "loose weight". If you don't turn remaining fat (that your body requires)  into muscle, your over all body composition will be poor. Adequate excerise involves versatility and change in regime in order to sculpt you in the most prominent possible way. I have always said - as unappealing as it sounds "if you feel like you may vomit - you've just done enough."

Now that we've cleared that up. The points!

1. MONITOR YOURSELF. Invest in one of these. The Nike Fuelband. These are great, you can track all forms of your daily activity. This way you know if you're generally doing enough on a daily basis. Whether you are an avid fitness freak or you just want to maintain a certain amount of physical movement and action everyday; this will keep you in the loop as to what you are really achieving: from heart rate to calories to kms per day. The fun side is that you can join an online community that shares, compares and competes.

2. SLEEP MORE. No, don't take naps all day. But give yourself a full nights sleep as often as possible.  If you are at risk of or prone to injuries - A lack of sleep can worsen this due to a higher rate of inflammation throughout the body. Forgetting things lately? That's probably because you're not sleeping enough or properly, sleep deprivation impairs cognition through the lack of ability to process and store information correctly. Stressed and Weak? Not sleeping enough raises the levels of anticipatory reactions, this automatically affects anxiety: in turn your natural time clock goes out of balance which leads to a poor white blood cell count; white blood cells control physical stress weakness responses; which could lead to infections and poor immunity. High Blood Pressure and Hypertension. Not having enough sleep at night (under 6 hours) increases the risk of hypertension . Not sleeping enough doesn't allow our blood pressure to drop enough or for long enough and because of this hightens our over all blood pressure. Midnight Snack? Sleep maintains healthy levels of hormones. Gherlin levels change when your body does not experience enough sleep. Leptin levels become higher and your body cheats you into believing you are hungry when you don't actually need it. So maybe log out of Facebook, Twitter or Instagram an hour earlier than usual (computers are hideous for your brain before shut eye) and prepare your body for a healthy sleep instead.

3. EAT CORRECTLY  - GLUTEN, WHEAT, ADDED SUGAR AND DAIRY FREE DOES NOT MEAN BORING!

I'm Paleo (see more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet). After several years of being a Vegetarian (for ethical reasons rather than health) my digestive health was impeccable - but in terms of over all, I was very clearly missing nutrients that could not be mimicked in supplements. After a few health scares earlier in the year I made the decision to become an Omnivore again. My fall back during vegetarianism was often dairy and complex carbohydrates (gluten and wheat). So the days that I wasn't just eating fruit and vegetables but in tern filling myself with starch, breads, pastas and rice -  I  found my over all energy levels to be incredibly low, at the same time my brain became very prone to depression: which after some research is a 100% side effect of consuming these "man made" goods in all people. Dairy is my own mistake. I am intolerant and have been since birth so the results are endless from headaches to nausea. In a regular person dairy is also not ideal - as humans, we were not built to digest dairy other than that of a human during nursing. So, any unexplained bloating after a few pieces of cheese or a latte can be blamed on our systems inability to break down dairy quickly. Sugar! Stay away from added sugar. Unnatural, added sugar will give you the boost you require..for 30 minutes. Natural glucose - found in fruits does not only not saturate but gives you the energy you desire for longer, the sweet kick you needed and is a high source of fibre and often anti-oxidants. The tube of smarties will, for lack of a better expression - just go straight to your ass. I have found a great range of bars called nakd http://www.naturalbalancefoods.co.uk/nakd-fruit-and-nut-bars/ for those who require that snack feel in a healthy (and delicious)  form.

Aside from generally feeling better mentally and energy wise - you will also look better. If you clean up your food you're going to find a lot less edibles that saturate and layer around your muscles. Animal fat is not bad!! The old mentality that fat is bad has long since been proven wrong. Sugar is bad..not fat. Animal fat is extremely crucial to full body muscle health (we are natural born omnivores, this is why we have K-9s in our jaw). Animal fat, not unlike most fruit and vegetables - is a brain food. We've come a long way since apples. Add flaxseed to your meals, thank me later.

So, what is left to eat? Well, I adore food, I love food and I am (people say) a very good cook (training to be a classical french chef). I would not, under any circumstances sacrifice my love of food if it meant a life of dull salad and chicken. Be creative. You have the choice of essentially all meats and all vegetables (barring the high starch consumers - Potatoes), you do not require man made grains to accompany a meal or a cream to create a sauce. You can use coconut milk, coconut oil, avocado oil, almond milk, spices. If you prefer, there are also many "free from" alternatives. There's nothing wrong with a steak and veg, but here's an example of how you can get creative and make something delicious that people wouldn't associate with "Paleo". I avoid using onions and garlic because both of these are water retaining therefore can affect energy and mood. (Though I obviously make exceptions as these are two core flavors AND I believe nobody should deprive for life: one cheat day a week for everything never hurt anyone). 

A Thai Yellow Chicken Curry by me. Using no dairy, no gluten, no starch, no added sugar and no water retaining vegetables - paste made with fresh herbs and spices.

and one of my more "typical" Paleo Meals (with themed table of course)

4. EXERCISE BENEFICIALLY 

Stretch more, there's a good reason Yoga and Pilates didn't just fade in and fade out. It's fine to say you do weights and run for hours but if you don't learn to fully extend and tone all of your muscles you will soon be a walking cripple old beyond your years. Increasing flexibility in your muscles is a form of exercise for the core of muscle tensing, toning and tightening. This means you have the composition of a well toned set of muscles with the flexibility to be able to expand without actually loosing any strength or softening the muscle tissue. Extending our body fully also encourages a  better posture, which has a knock on value of lessoning back problems (and it looks better). People also try Pole Fitness but I find although testing your strength, you end up with more injuries than anything else. Yoga has the added benefits of mental wellbeing as it is a form of meditation - please see my other blogs to read more about meditation and inner development.

Examples of my bridge and lower body hold that help maintain full body flexibility, agility and endurance. 

Run in Endurance and Sprinting patterns: The big mistake most people make, myself included in the past - is thinking purely endurance running will have a long term benefit to your over all fitness. Yes, obviously if you can run marathons you are a fit person - and I will continue to do so for as long as I can! But in terms of development, body composition and joint health it may not be the best idea. Developmentally, you have already pushed yourself as far as you can and you are no longer "surprising" the lactic acids in your body. This means your body will stop producing the adrenalin you require for good heart rate health, and because of the lactic acid, your muscles will be tested and your joints (knees usually) will come under scrutiny.  If you are training for both weight loss and toning/strength: intervals of sprints, distance and gradient are the best options for you. Not only are you toning different parts of your body accordingly - but you are not applying pressure to all of the same areas continously. In terms of the way you will look, and feel - training in intervals is the best thing you can do for yourself.

Row, row, row you can use a machine or if you're really up for it get on a boat. Rowing is one of the best forms of upper body strengthening and toning you can get. You must make sure to really stretch before and after as the neck and shoulders are prone to over tightening as a result. The resistance of weights or water pushes your upper body in both cardiovascular movement and weight training. So you are both "loosing weight" and "building muscle" at the same time. If you are doing it correctly you should be tensing your stomach muscles which will make your abdominal wall progressively more impressive. I personally enjoy rowing because I consider it an almost all in one. Girls, it will not make you "bulky"; this is a myth.

Cross Training. I mentioned the benefits of intervals and versatility earlier. Cross training is as good as it gets. It requires little explanation but it's a play on the old circuit training route of a crash course of ropes, rowing, sprinting, lifting free weights, jumping jacks, push ups and pull ups in fast movement to keep your adrenalin pumping. You've got everything at once and you're unlikely to get bored. You mustn't be worried about "keeping up" with everyone else, though it is a form of work out where you really do need to push yourself; not for the faint hearted.

If you sit around like a couch potato all day, you will more than likely look and feel like one.

5. HAVE INTERESTS ,The more busy you keep your body and mind the more you will see and feel the results. So if your idea of fun is playing or participating in competitive sports, then great! You're moving, your mind is focused and you have given yourself a "purpose". If you play instruments you are concentrating on achieving a particular goal - you are using the cognitive cells to remember, train and discipline yourself. The same applies to the painters of the world. If you are a reader - you are training your eyes and your brain to consume and store information. If you are a dancer you are maintaining both body fitness and memory. Trekking, climbing, swimming, martial arts, cycling, skiing, surfing - The list could go on but the most important point is to never be idle. I don't mean don't relax and switch off every now and then (that completely contradicts my beliefs about meditation and growth). In order to self-motivate most people require a "reason." Idleness can throw people into bad eating habits and sloth like behavior which quite obviously affects the body and catalyzes depressive mental health. Once in a rut it's quite difficult to get out. Try to veer away from un beneficial interests - i.e. interests that encourage an unhealthy (excessive drinking is not an interest for example) or unproductive lifestyle (hobbies that require little to no activity or mental stimulation).  Keep looking for things that interest you that your body and brain will thank you for. A stimulating life is an interesting life. 

I hope this was of some help. Although I know it can all seem quite daunting; small changes are very simple. In order to have an optimal life we must try and take what we continue to learn and apply it to ourselves; however remedial the subjects in question may seem.

Until next time,

Namaste.