What moves the needle today on your health to graduate to tomorrows work?
Doctor's, coaches, mentors, guru's all have their own advice, systems, tips, tricks and hacks in how to eat, move and be healthy. It can be overwhelming and confusing in what to actually listen to or how to start. Asking clearer questions is how we can figure out where we need to start and where we can double down to help you heal.
It helps to create a picture in our mind- think of a pyramid, they have stood the test of time and enamored us for thousands of years and part of the magic of their integrity is their immense foundation. Our foundation will dictate how large we can build in other words- how long and how well we can live. Levels 1 and 2 will prop up everything else and how strong these are will be how receptive our body is for physically shifting in the positive direction.
Level #1 - Sleep
“The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.” - Dr. Matthew Walker
If we do not have healthy, restful sleep we do not have health. If we have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or do not feel rested when we wakeup it all tells different stories on where we have room for improvement and what systems we need to implement.
The magic numbers we need to hit are:
Men: 7.5 hours
Women: 9 hours- you are majestic creatures and have super powers, these must be cultivated by restful sleep.
Children: 12 hours- for optimal brain brain development, hormonal optimization, immune system development and more.
Having a morning and evening routine will strengthen your sleep patterns and set you up for restful sleep.
3 easy tips for building sleep pressure and getting better rest:
No screens 2 hours prior to bed/ wear blue light blockers- blue light disrupts hormonal cascades that build sleep pressure.
No carbohydrates close to bed time ideally 2-3 hours prior. Spikes in blood glucose can disrupt sleep restfulness. If you are waking up between 2-3am you may have blood sugar handling issues. Make dinner mainly protein and fat.
Get into sunlight first thing in the morning. Anywhere from 5- 30 mins depending on the amount of sunlight available from weather. The more natural sunlight hits your eyes the stronger your circadian rhythm sets to help you rise and fall with the sun.
This is mainly in reference to physiological optimization, if you wakeup with a racing mind or cannot calm your mind that will be covered in another post.
Level #2 - Spine/ nervous system health
Dr. Hung Ha Suh from The University of Colorado found- the weight of a dime: 2.2 grams on a spinal nerve can reduce the nerve communication by 60% in as little as 15 minutes.
In other words- if you have inflammation in your spine from an injury, chronic inflammation from an autoimmune disease, it is positioned incorrectly and stuck (subluxation) or you are getting irritation from an organ being under stress you WILL put pressure on nerves.
If I reduce nerve metabolism for days, months, years, what does that do for your brain? Specific organs? Overall health?
Spinal posture also dictates blood flow to organs and your brain. In a forward flexed/ hunched over posture you reduce blood supply to organs and your brain making you more fatigued. Proper upright true neutral posture wakes up your nervous system and allows for proper organ function, digestion etc...
Next time you feel fatigued during your work day instead of grabbing another cup of coffee- sit up straight, go for a walk and make sure your ergonomics are correct at your work station.
3 tips for helping your spine and nervous system get back on track
Go see a Gonstead trained chiropractor- they view the spine specifically, are highly trained and know how to specifically correct the parts that need to be corrected and leave the rest alone.
Daily intentional movement in all directions: we are plastic in nature, we change and adapt to the stress put on us- positive or otherwise. Muscle is a longevity organ.
Learn/re-learn how to not be in a stress breath pattern: if you take a deep breath and your chest rises only and your next stiffens up- you are stress breathing. This will agitate your neck, give you upper back/rib problems, shoulder issues and disrupt your entire nervous system. Your body will think you are running away from the proverbial tiger- your digestion will not work, your body will move blood to your muscles and away from your organs and you will have low level tension always. Learning to belly breathe, ground down through your abdominals and proper control of your pelvic floor will pull you out of this stress state and protect your spine during daily life and exercise.
"The quality of your life is a direct correlation to your muscle health" - Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
Level #3 - Hormones
"The best and most efficient pharmacy is in our own system:" - Robert C. Peale
Ladies- Night sweats, sleep issues, dysfunctional menstrual cycle i.e. heavy flow, irregularity, excessively painful, headaches in your temples, digestive issues among other symptoms all point to hormonal dysregulation.
Birth control, IUD's and surgeries are typically not the fix.
Guys- Night sweats, memory issues, fatigue, apathetic mood, loss of muscle mass, fat accumulation around the abdomen are all signs of hormonal dysregulation .
Collect data first- an in depth hormone panel not only looking at thyroid or just "X". Having a clear picture in what is going on can give tactical data and give a route to restoration as long as your sleep and nervous system are already in check.
3 tips for hormone mastery
Remove all plastics from the home; plastic water bottles, plastic food containers, plastic bags to name a few. These plastics act like estrogen in the body and can disrupt hormones dramatically.
Get them checked to collect a baseline- year over year of yourself is the most beneficial data.
Get solid sleep- see above and eating an animal based diet rich in zinc, magnesium and B-vitamins aid in hormone production.
Level #4 - Nutrition
Nutrition science is relatively new and unfortunately has largely been bought and paid for by the food companies. Food pyramid, myplate, American heart association, FDA, CDC, etc... are all places people look for reference and unfortunately they are not reliable in the outcomes and have even been linked to worsening health of the American population.
Leverage protein- protein intake is correlated to longevity, muscle mass retention, healthy weight and hunger levels, healthier tissues and the list goes on. 1 gram per pound of body weight is ideal.
In further articles we will get specific on how to eat and what to eat and for brevity here are 3 tips to make it simple:
Did it walk, swim, or fly and was treating well in raising? EAT IT
Limit carbohydrates especially if you have blood sugar handling issues, unstable hormone fluctuations and are trying to lose weight.
Fats are healthy and are not something to be avoided.
Call to action
Sleep mastery/ optimization is the priority, then work on your spine- I can help or find a Gonstead trained doctor near you. Then test and optimize your hormones and during all of these we are cleaning up your diet and ensuring we are getting the right food for you.
I can help.
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