Category: Uncategorized

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Implementing a New Habit

While I’m blending ghee and C8 MCT oil into my coffee in the morning, I like to do 1 set of 30 standing calf raises. And as I prepare a second cup of coffee for later on in the day, I do a second set of 30 calf raises. While on my way to work, I use a hand grip strengthener and do 3 sets of 15 each hand as I wait for the traffic lights to turn green. These are two examples of how we can integrate new habits with what we are already doing regularly. Implementing a new habit can then become a painless process.

Implementation Intention

“Implementation intention” is described by James Clear in his book Atomic Habits, as “a plan you make beforehand about when and where to act. That is, how you intend to implement a particular habit.” Just stating that we want to exercise more or read more, for instance, is not enough. We have to concretely plan ahead when and where we can start the given new habit based on our schedule. Depending on what we want to implement into our routine, certain times of the day may be more suitable than others. It’s all about “clarity” and being determined with mapping out how we want to reach our goal.

 James Clear gives a few examples such as:

  • Meditation. I will meditate for one minute at 7 a.m. in my kitchen. (Starting small is okay, as mentioned in One Simple Way to Build a New Habit for Good).
  • Studying. I will study Spanish for twenty minutes at 6 p.m. in my bedroom.
  • Exercise. I will exercise for one hour at 5 p.m. in my local gym.

Habit Stacking

What Clear calls “habit stacking” is one form of implementation intention created by Standford professor BJ Fogg. In this case, instead of focusing on the time and location for the new habit to be carried out, you just want to “pair” the new habit with another already built behavior. This might even be easier as the time and location have already been decided for the established habit. Clear gives a few examples like:

  • Meditation. After I pour my cup of coffee each morning, I will meditate for one minute.
  • Exercise. After I take off my work shoes, I will immediately change into my workout clothes.
  • Gratitude. After I sit down to dinner, I will say one thing I’m grateful for that happened today.

You can then build more habits on top of the two first ones, or insert a new habit in between two already established behaviors, for instance. The choice is yours. This strategy leads to a great number of options to map out everything that you want to get done every day.

In Summary

Starting a new habit to reach a specific goal can be done with ease. Planning ahead and being consistent is necessary, but not much more than that is needed. Commander Mark Divine, a retired Navy SEAL, said, “Consistency is the omnipotent force behind change.” One new habit at a time, one step at a time.

Until next time!

References

Clear, James. Atomic Habits : Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results : An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. New York, Avery, An Imprint Of Penguin Random House, 2018, pp. 69–79.

Divine, Mark. Unbeatable Mind : Forging Mental Toughness. United States, Mark Divine, United States, 2015, p. 14.

You can also find me on Instagram.

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The Gut Microbiome

The gut has trillions of microorganisms from three hundred up to a thousand different species (it varies from person to person). In Your Personal Paleo Code, Chris Kresser adds that “those microbes have one hundred times more genes than the human genome does.” Stanford microbiologist Justin Sonnenburg concluded: “Humans can be regarded as elaborate vessels evolved to permit the survival and propagation of microorganisms.” We are clearly more bacteria than human!

The gut microbiota (or gut flora) helps with normal gastrointestinal function and with protecting us from infections. Indeed, it is home to most of our immune cells and it helps regulate metabolism. Knowing that the gut microbiota is critical to our overall health and wellness, it is important to stay away from things that can disrupt it.

13 Ways to Help Protect Your Gut Microbiome

The following strategies are mentioned in Young and Slim for Life, by Dr. Frank Lipman:

  • Avoid GMOs whenever possible – we simply don’t know enough about them.
  • Keep away from sweet and starchy foods.
  • Avoid junk food and processed food, as most have trans fats, GMO corn, GMO soy, or industrial seed oils.
  • Keep away from gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and some other grains, as well as in soy sauce, seitan, beer, and a lot of packaged and processed foods.
  • Steer clear of preservatives and artificial ingredients.
  • Keep away from conventionally farmed meat, poultry, dairy products, and eggs as they likely contain antibiotics and hormones, and as they likely have been fed on GMO corn or soy.
  • Whenever possible, avoid antibiotics, (NSAIDs, and other medications).
  • Steer clear of artificial sweeteners.
  • Drink filtered water. You can add water filters to your home taps, for instance. Also, there is the Aqua Tru countertop water purifier that I like to use.
  • Consume fermented foods – kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, or other fermented vegetables. Fermented foods offer natural bacteria that help protect your gut microbiota.
  • Consume prebiotics: foods that have the fiber on which friendly bacteria feed (like garlic, onions, radishes, leeks, asparagus, and Jerusalem artichokes).
  • Find efficient ways to deal with stress.
  • Get sufficient sleep.

In Summary

Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.” Many things can influence gut health, so we want to do our best to put into practice as many of the above strategies as possible, as a start. By choosing to eat a paleo/primal diet over 6 years ago, I got to eliminate the unwanted or suspect foods that can easily disrupt the gut microbiome. And as mentioned in My Paleo/Primal Eating Habits, I do not contemplate, even for a minute, going back to eating foods that are not beneficial to my health and wellness. 

Until next time!

References

Kresser, Chris. Your Personal Paleo Code: The 3-Step Plan to Lose Weight, Reverse Disease, and Stay Fit and Healthy for Life. 1st ed., New York, NY, Little, Brown and Company, Dec. 2013, pp. 162-66.

Lipman, Frank. Young and Slim for Life : 10 Essential Steps to Achieve Total Vitality and Kick-Start Weight Loss That Lasts. Carlsbad, California, Hay House, Inc, 2016, pp. 33–42.

Mailing, Lucy, and PhD. “The Ultimate Quick-Start Guide to the Gut Microbiome.” Lucy Mailing, PhD, 11 Feb. 2020, http://www.lucymailing.com/the-ultimate-quick-start-guide-to-the-gut-microbiome/. Accessed 3 Sept. 2020.

You can also find me on Instagram.

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Tree Pose

Why Balance Training Matters

We don’t necessarily think about it, but balance training is of primordial importance. Working on our balance is recommended as we are getting older to help prevent falls which can further lead to things such as hip fractures. Working on our balance is also helpful when we practice a sport like running, swimming, or cycling. And if this isn’t enough to convince you how beneficial balance training can be, it turns out that balance training can help improve memory too!

What Helps You Maintain Your Balance

Three sensory systems allow you to control your balance (along with the cognitive system and the musculoskeletal system): the vestibular system, the somatosensory system, and the visual system.

In Beyond Training, Ben Greenfield defines these three sensory systems:

  • Vestibular system – the sense organs in your head, primarily your ears, which regulate equilibrium and give you directional information as it relates to your head position.
  • Somatosensory system – the nerves called proprioceptors in your joints, along with the pressure and vibratory sense information in both your skin and your joints.
  • Visual system – the ability of your eyes to figure out where your head and body are in space, and also where you are relative to other objects.

9 Training Strategies to Work on Your Balance

The following are different strategies suggested in the same book listed above. 

To help better your vestibular balance, you can:

  • Go barefoot as much as possible, or use minimalist footwear. Neuroscientist Dr. Michael Merzenich said: “I have invested in shoes that help me feel the ground beneath my feet better. I don’t want every step I take to be predictable.”
  • Balance on one leg while keeping your gaze on something stationary. You can practice the one-leg standing exercise for 30 seconds as a first goal (“without having to put your other foot down for balance”), then aim at 60 seconds. Then try with the eyes closed. In that case, it is helpful to mentally picture something stationary. I like to stand on one leg with my eyes closed for 60 seconds on a regular basis. It’s important to keep practicing. Every day may be needed at first. Also, make sure you engage the core muscles and the glutes, and grip with the toes. Have something nearby you can hold on to at the beginning, just in case. This exercise is beneficial to the brain cells in your cerebellum and inner ear-vestibular system. Yoga is also great to work on your balance skills – try the tree pose!
  • Look for things to stand on wherever you are, like narrow ridges, sidewalks, or posts.

To help better your somatosensory balance, you can:

  • Stand one-legged or two-legged on unstable surfaces like wobble boards, thick balance mats, or balance disc pillows.
  • Use an unstable mat under your desk. I like to use a thick balance mat, engaging the core muscles and glutes. 
  • Use a mini-trampoline, great for practicing single-leg stances.
  • Stand on one leg on a raised height, like a balance beam or a plyometric jump box.

To help better your visual balance, you can:

  • Play a sport that requires eye tracking, like soccer, golf, tennis, basketball, and ping-pong.
  • Do vision drills – exercises to help strengthen the 6 eye muscles and boost your visual-acuity skills, using, for instance, the Z-Health Vision Gym. I do those regularly too, as mentioned in a previous post.

In Summary

These are 9 balance training strategies that can help make a big difference over time. Being that I am now 50 years old, I see working on my balance as something essential to do for the rest of my life. Which strategy will you pick first?

Until next time!

References

Chiu, Titus. BrainSave : The 6-Week Plan to Heal Your Brain from Concussion, Brain Injuries & Trauma without Drugs or Surgery. Middletown, De, The Modern Brain, 2018, pp. 105–6.

Dunsky, Ayelet. “The Effect of Balance and Coordination Exercises on Quality of Life in Older Adults: A Mini-Review.” Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 11:318. 15 Nov. 2019, http://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2019.00318/full. Accessed 23 Aug. 2020.

Greenfield, Ben. Beyond Training : Mastering Endurance, Health and Life. Victory Belt, Las Vegas, 2014, pp. 137–45.

Merzenich, Michael M. Soft-Wired : How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life. San Francisco, Parnassus Publishing, Ltd, 2013, p. 228.

You can also find me on Instagram.

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Home Cooking

In Cooked, Michael Pollan states, ”The decline of everyday home cooking doesn’t only damage the health of our bodies and our land but also our families, our communities and our sense of how our eating connects us to the world.” It doesn’t have to be this way. 

What I like the most about cooking my own meals (with well-sourced ingredients) is that I can better control what fuels my body every day. As mentioned in Why Home-Cooked Meals Sustain Health and Wellness, you don’t have to cook every single day in order to obtain an optimal level of health and wellness. Most of us have busy schedules and aren’t able to set that time aside each day. Instead, you can implement a few different strategies into your weekly routine to achieve the same goal. One strategy you can implement is to set some time aside on the weekend to prep several dishes for the week. Prepping meals ahead of time lets you enjoy those meals at the end of busy weekdays with even more pleasure!   

What Prepping Meals Ahead of Time Looks Like

Home-cooked meals imply cooking with whole foods, which means using nutrient-dense ingredients that have not been tampered with. Once you have selected a few recipes to make for the week ahead (also called “batch cooking”) make sure you have all the ingredients written down on your shopping list. If you buy certain items online, order early enough so you have all the needed ingredients delivered in time. This does require some organizational skills that can progressively be learned and improved. If you keep your pantry stocked with the basic primal/paleo staples, that helps too.

Then, you can pick a couple of hours or so to prepare your meals. The weekend is usually the best time to do that. Cooking in batches gives you big enough quantities of ready-to-eat food that you can store in the fridge and/or the freezer for the upcoming days.

You can even make salads ahead of time! In The Plant Paradox Quick and Easy, Dr. Steven Gundry explains how to use a jar to cleverly layer the different ingredients of your salad: “dressing on the bottom, dense/heavy ingredients next […], then extras like cheese or nuts, topped off with veggies and greens. Since the greens won’t touch anything wet, they won’t wilt, and the whole jar will last in your fridge at least three days. To serve, just invert the whole thing into a bowl and toss.”

In Summary

There you have it! There is no better way than making our own meals to help maintain our health and wellness. Preparing meals ahead of time allows us to achieve this goal without any big fuss. Eating healthy is possible, even on hectic days. And to rediscover where real food comes from, how it grows and thrives, can lead to moments of true amazement!

Until next time!

References

Gundry, Steven R. The Plant Paradox Quick and Easy : The 30-Day Plan to Lose Weight, Feel Great, and Live Lectin-Free. New York, Ny, Harper Wave, An Imprint Of Harpercollinspublishers, 2019, pp. 112-15.

Hyman, Mark. Eat Fat, Get Thin : Why the Fat We Eat Is the Key to Sustained Weight Loss and Vibrant Health. First Edition. New York, Little, Brown And Company, 2016, pp. 190–91.

You can also find me on Instagram.

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What about Carbs?

When I eat, I do not count calories and I do not count macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat). Strictly focusing on primal/paleo foods, I minimize carb intake while optimizing fat intake. When it comes to protein intake, Mark Sisson said, “Your appetite will guide you effectively to meet your protein requirements, just as your thirst does for hydration requirements.” This intuitive approach to eating feels just right to me. 

If one wants to lose weight, it is important to keep in mind that too many carbs will trigger a high insulin production and this will put one’s body into fat-storing mode. The Primal Blueprint Carbohydrate Curve highlights what may be the best daily carb intake, in most cases, whether we have a few pounds to lose or for “effortless weight maintenance.” So here’s the suggested carbohydrates’ consumption range:

0 to 50 Grams of Carbs Per Day  

So few carbs a day will put one in ketosis and usually allow for quick fat loss. This might be alright for a day or two (like when doing Intermittent Fasting), but it is definitively not recommended for long periods of time for the majority of people.

50 to 100 Grams of Carbs Per Day

This amount of carbs is the “weight loss sweet spot.” Insulin production is still fairly low, so the body will be able to tap into its fat stores and produce ketones. At the same time, it is alright to eat from the whole selection of primal nutrient-dense whole foods (meat, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, vegetables, and low-glycemic fruits).

100 to 150 Grams of Carbs Per Day

This amount of carbs is what works for most people for “effortless weight maintenance,” after reaching ideal body composition goals. I would say that this is when intuitive eating is king, provided there are no grains or processed foods eaten.

150 to 300 Grams of Carbs Per Day

Eating that many carbs each day will likely trigger “insidious weight gain” as insulin will have to be produced in greater quantities throughout the day. This amount of carbs can easily be reached when one eats grains and sugary snacks.

300 or More Grams of Carbs Per Day

So many carbs undoubtedly puts someone in a situation where measures have to be taken in order to head back in the right direction. Processed foods have to go!

In Summary

This carbohydrate curve is a nice help when we try to figure out what may be the next best step to reach optimal body composition. It takes time to be attuned to one’s body, especially after years of eating the Standard American Diet. But after switching to primal/paleo nutrient-dense foods, intuitive eating comes much more easily. See how your body responds to the changes you introduce. We are all unique individuals so you will have to decide for yourself what to eat depending on your daily activity levels. And of course, always consult your primary physician before starting anything new!

Until next time!

Reference

Sisson, Mark. The New Primal Blueprint : Reprogram Your Genes for Effortless Weight Loss, Vibrant Health, and Boundless Energy. Oxnard, Ca, Primal Blueprint Publishing, 2017, pp. 414–26, 448-50.

You can also find me on Instagram.

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The Unavoidable Daily Stress

Stress is ubiquitous nowadays, even more so this year with this pandemic that came upon us. And some days can certainly feel “heavier” than others. Dr. Steve Maraboli said, “Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.” As the years go by, we can definitively become stronger and more resilient. But it is not just one thing that can help us handle stress better (and life-changing events at times). Rather it is a set of tools, such as daily meditation, exercise, and better nutrition. As mentioned in 10 Reasons You Feel Old and Get Fat, by Dr. Frank Lipman, what follows is a list of some of the things we can do that can help us unwind and better handle whatever we have to deal with every day:

Strategies to Manage Stress

  • Exercise
  • Meditate
  • Practice mindfulness
  • Use guided visualization
  • Do a breathing exercise
  • Listen to some music
  • Take up tai chi, yoga, or some other type of “moving meditation”
  • Set some limits when it comes to engagements; learn to say “no” at times
  • Set time for yourself (like two hours a week) to do something that brings you calm and fulfillment
  • Get enough sleep to strengthen your mitochondria, among other things
  • Try to limit your exposure to toxins in your food, water, and personal-care products the best you can
  • Avoid sweets and too many starches; see which foods work for you and buy accordingly

In Summary

Being equipped with the right tools like the ones listed above to handle stress better and to tackle life’s never-ending ups and downs can help in more than one way. Choose the strategies that resonate the most with your present mindset as a starting point, and then add a few more whenever it feels right to do so. Building new habits takes time. Be patient and persevere!

Until next time!

Reference

Lipman, Frank. 10 Reasons You Feel Old And Get Fat : — And How You Can Stay Young, Slim, And Happy!. Carlsbad, California, Hay House, Inc, 2016, pp. 86–7.

You can also find me on Instagram.

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Why Foam Rolling

When it comes to working on improving your flexibility and mobility, there are a plethora of options to try: pilates, yoga, tai chi, gymnastics, dancing, and dynamic rolling/stretching/therapy work (as mentioned in The Primal Blueprint Fitness Pyramid post). Having a foam roller handy is helpful in order to massage muscles and break up knots, those tender spots in your muscles. It has a restorative effect on the fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds the bones, muscles, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and organs. Foam rolling helps increase blood flow, which means more oxygen and nutrients delivered to the tissues, along with “waste removal.” As stated in How to Be Well, body alignment expert Lauren Roxburgh “calls foam rolling an essential self-care tool in a world where we are ‘overworked, overstressed, overfed, and overstimulated.’”

When to Foam Roll

Just five to ten minutes at a time is fine. It can be in the morning as part of your morning routine. It can also be before a workout, after exercising, and/or in the evening.

Before a workout, you would foam roll at a fast/rapid rate, targeting a light to moderate depth. This gets your muscles ready to work hard and it up-regulates the nervous system.

After a workout, you should foam roll at a slow rate, targeting a moderate to deep depth. This is a nice way to recover and calm the nervous system.

In Summary

Foam rolling can become part of your life as an easy and affordable option for better health and wellness. You don’t have to feel any pain anywhere to foam roll. It can just be another enjoyable way to relax and unwind from each day’s ups and downs.

Until next time!

References

Goodman, Eric, et al. Foundation : Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence. New York, Ny, Rodale, 2011, pp. 226–29.

Lipman, Frank M D. How to Be Well: The 6 Keys to a Happy and Healthy Life. Houghton Mifflin, 2019, pp. 137-39.

You can also find me on Instagram.

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Controlling Blood Sugar

Given that I now have a high carbohydrate sensitivity (as mentioned in my first blog post), I have to constantly watch my carbohydrate intake. I am doing this very rigorously by eating a low-carb diet (almost borderline keto diet). I bought a blood glucose monitor to help me see which foods tend to raise my blood sugar too much. This is really helpful to get a clear picture of what is okay to eat. No one should have to wait to have diabetes in order to do that. When I eat something slightly sweet, right away it makes me want to eat more. So I really stay away from anything containing too much sugar at this point. Healthy fats are way more satisfying anyway!

To help you get a better handle on monitoring your blood sugar levels, there are different strategies that you can implement. Ben Greenfield highlights these in Boundless. Here are four of them:

Strength Training

Strength training helps lower blood sugar and improves insulin sensitivity, which also means less of a chance to store sugar as fat. Simple bodyweight exercises can be enough, such as: push-ups, lunges, and air squats. Squats are my favorite, since they’re easy to do throughout the day whenever you have a minute or two.

Pre-breakfast Fasted Cardio

According to research, exercising in the morning in a fasted state (meaning before you eat anything) can really help to keep your blood sugar in check.

Walking Right After Having your Meal

Short walks (20-30 minutes) right after eating are highly recommended too as they have been shown to lead to lower fat concentration in the blood.

Staying Physically Active During the Day

If walking after your meal is not always possible, then standing is the next best option (as opposed to sitting) in order to lessen post-meal blood sugar spikes. You can also switch between standing and sitting every 30 minutes or so. The main thing is to keep moving throughout the day, as mentioned in my two previous posts: 5 Simple Leg (&Hip) Stretches and Why Everyday Movement is Non-Negotiable.

In Summary

To help with maintaining desired blood glucose levels, the above approaches are simple habits to take on. As always, it doesn’t have to be challenging. Just one or two small new changes at a time in the right direction. Which strategy will you implement first?

Until next time!

Reference

Greenfield, Ben. Boundless : Upgrade Your Brain, Optimize Your Body & Defy Aging. Las Vegas, Victory Belt Publishing Inc, 2020, pp. 166–68.

You can also find me on Instagram.

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The Importance of Daily Movement

As I mentioned in my previous post, Why Everyday Movement is Non-Negotiable, it is said that when we have to sit for long periods of time, we should get up to stretch and walk around every thirty minutes or so. The same goes for if we are at a standing workstation. It is important to incorporate movement throughout the day to nourish our cells. A few squats or other simple exercises can be nice little breaks throughout the day. That way, going to the gym after work can be optional.

As a matter of fact, if you think that going to the gym for one hour can make up for a long day of sitting for hours, that is not the case. We want to shape our daily life so that it is as similar as possible to how it was during hunter-gatherer times. And when it comes to movement, it has to be varied motion throughout the day. Taking short walks in the morning, at lunch, or after dinner, whenever you have a few minutes can be a great addition to your daily movement regimen. Start trying whatever fits your schedule best and be sure to only implement one change at a time in order to ensure adherence to it. 

Each day, I do a certain amount of stretches. Stretching is a habit most of us can benefit from, no matter what our fitness level is (Just make sure you get the okay from your personal physician before starting any new exercise routine). What follows are 5 simple leg (& hip) stretches that can easily be done every day.

Calf Stretch

  • Stand facing a wall 1 to 2 feet away.
  • Place your hands on the wall.
  • Keeping the right foot in place, position the left foot 1 to 2 feet behind the right foot.
  • Bend the right knee and lean towards the wall as you are keeping the left heel on the floor, 2 to 4 feet away from the wall. 
  • Hold the stretch for about 20 seconds or 3 deep breaths.
  • Repeat on the other side.

Quad Stretch

  • Stand upright with weight balanced on the right leg (hold on to something if needed).
  • Keep the right foot pointing straight forward and the right knee almost straight.
  • Bend the left knee by grabbing the left foot or ankle tightly and pulling the left heel backward and upward without over flexing the knee. Also, do not let the left knee go out at the same time.
  • Push the hips forward by doing a slight pelvic tilt.
  • Hold the stretch for about 20 seconds or 3 deep breaths.
  • Repeat on the other side.

Hamstring Stretch

  • Lie flat on your back. Place a yoga strap over and around the toes of the left foot and grab both ends of the strap firmly with your hands. Slightly activate the core muscles.
  • Slowly raise the left leg (pulling on the strap) until you feel a stretch in the back of the left thigh.
  • Hold the stretch for 20 seconds or 3 deep breaths.
  • Repeat on the other side.

Psoas (Hip Flexor) Stretch

  • Step forward with the right leg and bend the knee at about a 90-degree angle. Keep the right knee positioned above the right ankle. (If you have any knee issues you can instead put the right foot on a stable chair or couch, for instance, and bend the right knee. In that case, the left leg will not lie on the floor, of course). Hold on to something if needed.
  • Extend the left leg behind the torso and touch the floor with the left knee. The lower leg lies on the floor. 
  • Move the hips forward (doing a slight pelvic tilt and activating the glutes), pushing the right knee in front of the right ankle. Make sure to keep the right knee pointing forward. You should feel the stretch in the hip area on the left side.
  • Hold the stretch for 20 seconds or 3 deep breaths.
  • Repeat on the other side.

Piriformis (Hip Rotator) Stretch

  • Sit on the floor with the left leg extended.
  • Bend the right leg and place the right foot on the outside of the left knee.
  • Bend the left arm and place the outside of the left elbow against the outside of the upraised right knee.
  • Put the right arm on the floor near the right hip. 
  • Push the left elbow against the right knee, twisting the trunk as far as possible to the right. Maintain enough pressure with the left elbow to keep the right knee in a stable position. Do not arch the back or bend forward at the waist.
  • Hold the stretch for 20 seconds or 3 deep breaths.
  • Repeat on the other side.

So, which one is your favorite stretch?

Until next time!  

Reference
Nelson, Arnold G, and Jouko Kokkonen. Stretching Anatomy. Champaign, Il, Human Kinetics, 2007, pp. 78–9, 98–9, 104–7, 130–1.

You can also find me on Instagram.

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Why Boosting Mitochondrial Function is Important

Being that I am now 50 years old and that I want to keep my energy levels up as much as possible, anything related to how we can boost our mitochondrial function is of interest to me. The mitochondria truly are the powerhouses of the cells. They are little organelles within the cells that produce ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), the energy that our body needs each day in order for us to do anything. In Head Strong, Dave Asprey mentions: “From age thirty to age seventy, the average person experiences a 50 percent decline in mitochondrial efficiency.” So whatever we can do to strengthen our mitochondria, especially as we get older, is a big plus. I am devoted to red light therapy (as mentioned in 4 Easy Steps to Start the Day), grounding, and cold showers.

12 Actionable Steps to Strengthen your Mitochondria

These steps are highlighted by Dr. Frank Lipman in How to Be Well:

  • Quit eating sugar. Mitochondria don’t like using sugar as food.
  • Adopt a grain-free diet to further limit the amount of sugar in your blood.
  • Eat more vegetables to gain more nourishing phytonutrients.
  • Consume plenty of healthy fats. These are the preferred fuel of mitochondria.
  • Eat clean. Pesticides and toxins damage mitochondria.
  • Practice intermittent fasting.
  • Develop a routine of high-intensity interval training. HIIT has been shown to make more mitochondria.
  • Get strong. There is more mitochondria in lean muscle mass than in fat.
  • Practice better sleep hygiene.
  • Soak up some sun. Sunlight is a powerful mitochondrial booster.
  • Avoid electromagnetic radiation.
  • Start your day with a cold shower. Cold exposure, in short bursts, helps trigger the production of new mitochondria.

In Summary

The above steps are a great starting point in building new habits for improving mitochondrial health. Always check with your personal physician first, of course. Just focusing on one or two of these steps when starting this habit is fine. You can always progressively add a few more as time goes on. Eating primal may help in choosing the right foods for your mitochondria. Then you can later implement the other steps gradually according to what works best with your schedule. To better energy levels no matter what your age!

Until next time!

References

Asprey, Dave. Head Strong the Bulletproof Plan to Activate Untapped Brain Energy to Work Smarter and Think Faster – in Just Two Weeks. New York Harper Wave, 2017, p. 41.

Lipman, Frank M D. How to Be Well: The 6 Keys to a Happy and Healthy Life. Houghton Mifflin, 2019, pp. 168-69.

You can also find me on Instagram.