Walking often was a critical part of human evolution. Yet most of us don’t do it nearly enough. Instead, we sit for long periods of time, staring at the computer monitor, tv or smart phone. This is great video on how sitting for long periods of time effects your body — “Our bodies aren’t designed for being sedentary.” Recent research has revealed maintaining a regular fitness regimen cannot counteract the accumulated ill effects of sitting eight to 12 hours a day in between bouts of exercise. When you stop moving for extended periods of time, it’s like telling your body it’s time to shut down and prepare for death! Additionally, there is strong scientific evidence that walking can have long-term effects on serotonin levels and mood throughout the day.
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Fasting, Coffee, Bed of Nails and More
My Experiments – July Log:
I did another 5-day water-only fast (4th time in 2 years). Health benefits from fasting include a “house cleaning” of damaged/dead cells, reducing cancer risk and allowing the strong and healthy cells to thrive. It seems to get easier each time I do it and I’m actually looking forward to my next one in December. This time around I did a thorough blood work and microbiome analysis. I would recommend everyone try at least a one-day fast to, at the very least, re-sensitize yourself to the felling of hunger. When you fast, you quickly realize how much eating is just habit and not necessarily the need for more energy.
If you want to dig into fasting some more, check out my Step-byStep Guide to Start a Fasting Lifestyle.
Entertainment Of The Month — I’m Currently Testing Out:
My Experiments – August Log
DISCLAIMER: DO NOT USE ANY DRUGS, SUBSTANCES OR DIETS WITHOUT CONSULTING A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. THIS IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
My August experiments —
5-Day Water Fast (Aug 1-5) – I listened to an interesting Tim Ferriss podcast about the benefits of longer (5-7 day) fasts which inspired me to complete my first 5-day fast in January of this year. From the existing research, something like this twice a year may bring the most health benefits. So I decided to do my second fast in August. This time around I allowed myself black coffee, unsweetened tea and water with lemon, which added some flavor (January was strict water only) and made it a easier. I didn’t find it that difficult overall. After the fast, I felt almost “reset” with an optimistic view on life. I plan to write a full article on this soon. Stay tuned.
Supplementation with PQQ (Aug 1-31) – Pyrrolloquinoline (PQQ) has research to support that it can help rebuild and restore mitochondria, your cells’ power plants, increasing performance of physical workouts. I tried it for the past 30 days and I think it really helped. Fatigue was slower to set in and I was able to get more out of my body than I normally could. I will be adding this to my morning workout stack. Here it is if you’re interested.
Competition and Recovery (Aug 27-28) – I competed in my first CrossFit competition which gave me a prime opportunity to put all of my recovery techniques to the test. The competition involved four intense workouts which included weight lifting, plyometrics and gymnastics in addition to a 5k run. I posted all of my techniques on Instagram – techniques included nutrition, grounding, and infrared contrast showers. My recovery was spot on…I felt great on the second day, soreness was almost non-existent and I even had a really good workout two days after the competition. And if you’re interested in what I used to fuel my performance, check out this picture.
This month:
SISU Comfort Challenge begins – Anything that makes us uncomfortable often causes us to grow. Are people interested in stepping out of their comfort zone to grow as an individual? I am and we will see if other are as well. Let’s see how large this group gets and how interactive it becomes. Every Monday I will post a daily comfort challenge on this private facebook group. I kicked the challenge off Sept.1 with a 5-day event, each day with a new challenge. Check it out here.
40/50 Challenge – I’ve developed a simple protocol that (might) allow you to eat whatever you want at dinner (including dessert!), and still lose weight, build muscle and stay fit. I’m testing it out along with several other folks. Here are the rules…
For 30 days…
- Eat whole foods (no processed food or anything with added sugar) for breakfast, lunch and snacks. This includes healthy fats (coconut, avocado, olive, yolks, nuts/seeds, whole dairy), veggies, fruits and protein.
- Do 40 air squats and 50 Russian kettlebell (KB) swings As Fast As Possible (AFAP) before dinner. Break it up into multiple sets if you have to but have the goal to do all 50 in one set.
- Eat whatever you want for dinner. You must eat within a 2-hour window following 40/50. NOTHING AFTER (that includes midnight snaking).
- Once a week do 100 KB swings AFAP. Keep track of time (baseline to track progress)
- DO 40/50 EVERY DAY BEFORE DINNER!
For proper weight, I recommend men start with 35lbs and women 18lbs. You can purchase a kettlebell here. Or make your own – here’s how.
Becoming Comfortable with Discomfort
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. –Anais Nin
Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone to see where life truly begins?
When you choose the path of least resistance, you’re fighting millions of years of evolution. In our past environment, everything took effort and everything was uncomfortable. The thing that made you most comfortable back then, saved your life. Doing a certain amount of difficult work was part of survival.
We even make exercise comfortable…air conditioned gyms, watching TV while on a treadmill or require someone to push us during a spin class.
You will become a better, stronger person by going through the difficult stuff.
One of the simplest ways to inoculate yourself to becoming embarrassed by trivial things and prepare for the big things that actually matter is to micro-dose discomfort. Micro-dosing discomfort helps you push past your own belief systems around what you’re capable of doing — It breeds fortitude and mental strength. Over time, this type of thinking becomes a pattern that carries over to how you approach everything — relationships, parenting, business.
I’ve created a unique facebook group called the SISU Comfort Challenge.
What Does Success Look Like
When I say the word “success“, who is the first person that comes to mind?
Be honest, you thought Bill Gates.
That is until you step back and unpackaged what success looks like.
If you ask a person that is nearing the end of their life, they would give you a different perspective.
You wouldn’t hear anything about expensive cars or a big houses.
It wouldn’t be someone rich in wealth but rather someone who lived a rich life.
Someone who was surrounded by people who loved them
Someone who always knew how to laugh
Someone who never missed a day of shaving
Someone who lived an interesting life
Someone who valued family above all
Someone who lived by a set of values
Someone who wasn’t afraid of hard work
Someone who lived a life true to themselves, living out their dreams
Someone who enjoyed life until their last breath
Someone who left a legacy that will forever be remembered and passed down
I hope I can be as successful as you, Opa (September 15, 1925 – June 25, 2016).
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