BODY MIND EMPOWERMENT
HANDBOOK
SIIM LAND
www.siimland.com
Cover
Disclaimer & Copyright
Text Copyright © Siim Land 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced in any
form without permission in writing from the publisher except in the
case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Legal & Disclaimer
The information contained in this book is not designed to replace or
take the place of any form of medicine or professional medical advice.
The information in this book has been provided for educational and
entertainment purposes only.
The information contained in this book has been compiled from
sources deemed reliable, and it is accurate to the best of the Author's
knowledge; however, the Author cannot guarantee its accuracy and
validity and cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions. Changes
are periodically made to this book. You must consult your doctor or get
professional medical advice before using any of the suggested
remedies, techniques, or information in this book.
Upon using the information contained in this book, you agree to hold
harmless the Author from and against any damages, costs, and
expenses, including any legal fees potentially resulting from the
application of any of the information provided by this guide. This
disclaimer applies to any damages or injury caused by the use and
application, whether directly or indirectly, of any advice or
information presented, whether for breach of contract, tort,
negligence, personal injury, criminal intent, or under any other cause
of action.
You agree to accept all risks of using the information presented inside
this book. You need to consult a professional medical practitioner in
order to ensure you are both able and healthy enough to participate in
this program.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods,
without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the
case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other
noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission
requests, contact the publisher, at the address below.
http://www.siimland.com.
Cover design by Siim Land.
Introduction
Hey,
So, you’ve decided to become a self-empowered being?
That’s just amazing – an exceptional decision, I must say. It’s the first
step of many you need to take in order to truly work on your potential
and reach greatness.
What you’re reading now is the Body Mind Empowerment Handbook –
it’s a collection of principles and best practices of improving and
optimizing your physical and mental performance.
Truth be told...
Your behaviour, your performance, your results – the epitome of
your achievement and life’s purpose – will always be limited by the
state of your physiology and psychology.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe great people can accomplish great things
despite how healthy or disciplined they are.
It’s just that you as a person have a body and a mind – both of which
can be made stronger, more adaptable, and better. That’s what this book
is supposed to do.
Let me give you a short overview of myself as well.
My name is Siim Land and I’m an
author, blogger, content creator,
YouTuber and a body mind
empowerment coach.
I’ve been doing biohacking and
self-experimentations ever since
I turned 18. I strive for living an
empowering
life
and
teach
others to do the same. My
method is holistic, including not
only health and fitness, but also
the mental mindset aspect of life
enhancement.
Some fun facts:
•
I’m a certified sharpshooter
•
I wrote my first book in 30 days
•
I have a degree in anthropology.
The Body Mind Empowerment Handbook is written for people who want
to enhance their personal effectiveness, their health and mental state.
It’s a guidebook for beginner’s but works for everyone with a beginner’s
mind. Whatever your background or current condition, the principles
written here will serve you for a lifetime and you can always default
back to them.
Becoming a self-empowered being both physically and mentally is not
just for selfish purposes – it’ll also help you to be a greater person to
others. Because, let’s be honest, no one likes being around people who
feel like sh#t or have a poor mindset.
The Foundation
Fundamentally, all personal development should begin with the body.
It’s the vessel for our consciousness and the seat of our intelligence.
Our
physiological
condition
has
a
massive
effect
on
the
psychological state of our mind. If you ever need proof to this, notice
how getting a breath of fresh air after being stuck in a suffocating
apartment building immediately rejuvenates your emotions and
motivations. Or how slouching over in a chair makes you feel more tired
versus exercising.
Where the body leads, the mind will follow. And this works both ways your mindset can alter your bodily states as well.
Our perception is the key with which we experience the surrounding
world and all of its physical stimuli.
• For instance, there’s a huge difference between being in a hot
sauna versus the Sahara desert. In the desert you’re trying to
survive and may panic, whereas in a sauna you’re enjoying
yourself and relaxing, although the conditions are quite similar.
• Another example is cold exposure. Taking an ice bath is just
insane, if you look at it from the perspective of nature - you’re
freezing. However, by changing our perception and consciously
controlling our physiology, we can entirely alter our experience.
Wim Hof can stay can stay in ice neck down for 2 hours without
losing core temperature, whereas there are some people who freak
the f#%& out in a cold shower.
William
Shakerspeare
said:
“Nothing is either good or bad,
but thinking makes it so.”
Our perception of ourselves, the
world
and
everything
that
happens to us is ultimately what
dictates our experience.
Because of such power of sentience, we can alter our experiences, both
physically and mentally, which leads us to...
Biohacking
Biohacking is a term used to define ways of taking control of and
optimizing your biology. It’s about improving your health, performance
and well-being across all domains – self-upgrading.
Biohacks are activities and strategies you can use to make yourself into
a high performing individual. They enhance your biological limits and
turn yourself into almost a superhuman. If you’ve drank coffee, taken
fish oil, gone to the sauna or exercised, then you’ve done some
biohacking.
And with Body Mind Empowerment, you’re adding in the aspect of
augmenting your mindset and perspective on life – the epitome of
personal development.
Let’s get to it.
The Body
In this first section, we’ll be taking care of your body and health, as to
give you more energy and vitality. It’s important to keep our physiology
functioning at its peak so our mind and consciousness could flourish as
well.
Key Principles of Nutrition
But, let’s also remind ourselves of what the principles are.
• Your Gut comes first: It’s called the gut-brain axis, where the gut
has a much greater impact on the brain. What we eat gets broken
down into nutrients, digested and released into the blood stream.
From those calories, we can either get energy, vigor and cognitive
acuity or exhaustion, lack of motivation and brain fog. 90% of
serotonin – the relaxation neurotransmitter – gets produced in the
digestive tract. You really feel the way you do based on your gut.
• Fight Inflammation: One of the greatest dangers to the body is
inflammation. The body prioritizes its survival over anything else
– if there’s a fire in your kitchen then you won’t be able to think
about self-actualizing yourself. Therefore, you want to reduce
inflammation as much as possible.
• Control Insulin: When it comes to body composition and health,
then the most important hormone is insulin. It gets released by the
pancreas in response to rising blood sugar levels and tries to bring
it back down to normal. Insulin opens the cell receptors to let all
of that sugar enter the muscles and be stored as glycogen.
However, whenever our muscles are already full, all of the excess
will be directed into the adipose tissue. Whenever insulin is
elevated we’re more prone to storing the food we eat rather than
burning it.
• Eat as much as you need: Our daily caloric demands vary hugely
between individuals. A NAVY SEAL can burn up to 6000 calories a
day, whereas a sedentary office person doesn’t even have to eat
any more than 2000. You have to determine yourself how much
food you need to eat to achieve optimal health and meet your
goals.
Based on those principles, let’s now turn to the guidelines to follow.
Here are the Foods to Avoid:
•
No refined sugars: no added sugar, no soda, no desserts, no
candy. Especially High Fructose Corn Syrup(HFCS). They cause
cellular death and inflammation, quite literally.
•
No trans-fats and vegetable oils. Margarine, canola oil,
safflower oil because of their high omega-6 content and increased
inflammation.
•
No artificial sweeteners. Sucralose, aspartame, saccharin and
many more. Although there is no clear research on this, it’s still
best to avoid or at least limit the consumption of artificial
sweeteners whether in the form of diet sodas or supplements.
They can create a placebo-like insulin response and jack up your
blood sugar levels. You want to maintain low levels of insulin the
majority of time. Natural ones, like Stevia, are fine.
•
No grains, such as wheat, barley, rye, corn, pasta, bread, oatmeal,
pastries etc. Even gluten free products cause gut intestinal stress
to a significant degree and lead to leaky gut syndrome, in which
the grain compounds create holes in the gut walls and cause all of
that garbage enter the blood stream. Inflammation will skyrocket
and you’ll experience brain fog. Yes, even if you’re not intolerant
and yes, even whole grains are as bad. Rice is the only source of
clean grains. However, it’s micronutrient content is extremely low
and almost useless.
•
No GMOs. They’re not meant to be a part of your plate. This is not
a jab against science. It’s just that currently our engineering skills
aren’t that great and it’s best not to take any chances. There are
no studies about the long term effects of eating GMOs in humans
and chances are the results wouldn’t be that great. Most corn is
GMO.
•
No soy, limit lectins. Soy is also mainly GMO and not very good,
when consumed excessively. It lowers testosterone in men and
promotes estrogen-dominance. Lectins are found in legumes,
nightshade and peanuts. White potatoes as well. They’re toxins
and are stressful on the gut. Although I would advise you to not
eat lectins or beans, you don’t have to avoid them completely but
it’s best to limit their consumption. Sweet potatoes are fine.
•
Limit your alcohol intake. Completely forget about beer, ciders
or other sweet long drinks full of sugar. You shouldn’t drink until
very drunk, as it kills your brain cells and lowers mitochondrial
density. A glass or two of wine from time to time is okay. If you do
drink, stick to clean alcohol, like vodka and gin, not whiskey and
liquors.
What to Eat:
Next to that, there are a whole range of things we can eat.
•
Dark leafy green vegetables are the best source of fiber. The
antioxidants in broccoli, kale and cauliflower protect against
cancer and promote a healthy gut. Best sources are cabbage,
spinach, sea kelp. Additionally, carrots, turnips and beetroot are
also great.
•
Organic whole food protein. Grass-fed meat, like beef, pork,
lamb are full of essential amino acids and minerals. Red meat is
full of creatine, which is important for physical performance but
also has cognitive benefits. Don’t eat industrial bacon that’s cured
in sugar. Read the labels.
•
Quality brain food. To satisfy our hungry brain, we have to eat
foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and DHA. Pastured eggs, wild
caught oily fish, such as salmon, sardines and mackerel are
amazing. Don’t eat the ones that are covered with vegetable oil.
•
Some dairy. Neglect pasteurized dairy products and use raw milk,
kefir and yogurt. Cheese and heavy cream are fine but you should
still limit your overall dairy consumption.
•
Good quality fats. The more fat you eat, at the expense of
carbohydrates, the more efficient you become at using fat for fuel.
This will have profound effects on your performance, especially
cognition. Butter, coconut oil, olive oil, MCT oil are all incredibly
nutrient dense. They’re good for our mitochondria and give us an
abundance of energy.
•
Fruit and berries. Berries, such as strawberries, raspberries,
blueberries, currants and cherries are great. They’re full of
antioxidants and have low amounts of sugar in them. You can also
eat some fruit, such as apples, bananas, pears and oranges.
However, fructose doesn’t have any benefit to it. It can only be
metabolized by the liver and will thus be used only as back up fuel.
Your body and mind don’t gain nothing exceptionally good from
eating fruit that you won’t get from vegetables and berries. If you
want to fully optimize, then don’t eat it. If you do, stick to 1-2
servings a day because there’s still a lot of sugar in them.
Eat lots of fat, vegetables and quality protein. These nutrients empower
our body and mind all at the same time.
Intermittent Fasting
A healthy nutrition plan should also include some abstention from food.
When in a fasted state the body actually conducts a lot of the necessary
repair mechanisms. It detoxifies the organism by triggering a metabolic
pathway called autophagy, which removes waste material from cells1.
1
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3106288/
In the process, inflammation throughout the body and overall oxidative
stress get reduced2. This fights all illnesses.
Contrary to popular belief, intermittent fasting doesn’t slow down the
metabolism but actually increases it by 3.6% after the first 48 hours3.
Even further, 4 days in, resting energy expenditure increases up to 14%.
• Fasting drastically increases growth hormone, by up to 13002000%4.
2
Alternate day calorie restriction improves clinical findings and reduces markers of oxidative stress and inflammation
in overweight adults with moderate asthma.
3
Enhanced thermogenic response to epinephrine after 48-h starvation in humans.
4
Fasting enhances growth hormone secretion and amplifies the complex rhythms of growth hormone secretion in
man.
• Intermittent fasting has been shown to increase life span in other
mammals.
• It fights tumors and cancerous cells.
• Increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that protects
against neurodegenerative disease and boosts brain power.
For healthy people, intermittent fasting can instead be used as disease
prevention. Increased insulin sensitivity and autophagy are quite good
predictors of longevity. It’s the most natural antioxidant there is. It
heals, repairs and regenerates the body. These qualities are greatly
enhanced during a fast and can cure diseases that don’t go away while
eating.
How to Do Intermittent Fasting
There are many ways you can do intermittent fasting.
• There’s the 16/8 time frame where you skip breakfast and have it
at noon.
• There’s the One Meal a Day approach or OMAD, which is exactly
that what it sounds like.
• There’s the Warrior Diet, which is 20/4 time frame.
• There’s the 24 hour fast, in which you fast from dinner to dinner.
It doesn’t matter which kind of IF you do, as long as you simply do it in
some shape or form.
Here’s a standard blueprint done for the purpose of maximizing fat loss
and increasing your body’s ability to burn fat for fuel.
• Instead of having breakfast first thing in the morning, continue to
fast for a few hours.
• Drink a lot of water to keep yourself hydrated. Either add some
salt or drink mineral water.
• Wait until you get hungry and then drink either black coffee or tea.
• Fast for about 14-18 hours until noon. HGH and other hormones
will have peaked by that time.
• Before you eat, have a glass of warm lemon water. Optionally, you
can add some apple cider vinegar as well. The citric acid will
promote the creation of good digestive enzymes and prepares your
gut for digestion. Apple cider vinegar would be especially great.
• Break your fast with something small. Eating a big meal will put
too much stress on your intestines. Have a few eggs and vegetables
with some fat. You shouldn’t feel the need to eat more than 300500 calories
• Wait a few hours and continue eating the rest of your calories.
To be honest, the majority of the benefits will be covered with that short
time period. However, having a 24-hour fast once a week and a 48-hour
one every few months will do your health an extraordinary service.
But still, food is equally as important. What you eat has a direct effect
on your body’s energy levels and your mental state.
You don’t have to eat breakfast – I relieve you from the obligation.
You’re free, but if you do want to eat something, then I’m going to tell
you what you should have to maintain mental clarity and sharpness.
Shopping List
Here are the foods that are good to eat for taking care of your body.
These are the nutrients your diet should consist of 80% of the time.
EAT
•
NO cereal grains
•
Grass-fed meats
•
NO refined sugar
•
Fish/seafood
•
NO processed foods
•
Fresh fruits
•
NO overly salty foods
•
Fresh vegetables
•
NO refined vegetable oils
•
Eggs
•
NO candy/junk/processed
•
Nuts
•
Seeds
food
•
Limit
legumes (including peanut
•
Healthy oils (olive, walnut,
flaxseed,
s)
macadamia,
avocado, coconut)
DON’T EAT or LIMIT
•
Limit dairy
•
Limit potatoes
One simple axiom that you can keep in mind when every making optimal
food choices is to think whether or not it can be found in nature. Just
eat whole foods that are least processed and you’re setting yourself up
for 80% of the results you’re after with nutrition. There are some
deviations and exceptions to this, such as legumes and potatoes, but you
will already notice a significant change by removing processed food.
Now, the actual foods.
MEAT
•
Ground beef
•
Poultry
•
Grass-fed beef
•
Turkey
•
Chicken thigh
•
Chicken
•
Chicken leg
breast
•
•
Pork chops
•
Steak
•
Veal
•
Bacon
•
Pork
Venison
steaks
•
Buffalo
•
New
York
steak
•
Pork
tenderloin
•
Chicken wings
(yum!)
•
Lamb rack
•
Shrimp
•
Lobster
•
Clams
•
Salmon
•
Bison
•
Bison steaks
•
Bison jerky
•
Bison ribeye
•
Bison sirloin
•
Lamb chops
•
Rabbit
•
Goat
•
Beef jerky
•
Pheasant
•
Elk
•
Eggs
•
Quail
•
Emu
•
Lean veal
•
Chuck steak
•
Rattlesnake
•
Peppers
(duck,
chicken,
or
goose)
•
Goose
•
•
•
Wild boar
Kangaroo
Bear
(good
luck
getting
this!)
VEGETABLES
•
Reindeer
•
Turtle
•
Ostrich
•
Carrots
•
Asparagus
•
Spinach
•
Avocado
•
Celery
•
Artichoke
•
Broccoli
•
Zucchini
•
Cabbage
hearts
•
Brussels
sprouts
OILS/FATS
(all
kinds)
•
Cauliflower
•
Parsley
•
Eggplant
•
Green onions
•
Coconut oil
•
Olive oil
•
Macadamia oil
•
Avocado oil
•
Grass-fed butter
NUTS/SEEDS
•
Pecans
•
Almonds
•
Pine nuts
•
Cashews
•
Pumpkin
•
•
seeds
•
Macadamia
nuts
seeds
Hazelnuts
Sunflower
•
Walnuts
FRUIT
•
Apple
•
Mango
•
Watermelon
•
Avocado
•
Lychee
•
Pineapple
•
Blackberries
•
Blueberries
•
Papaya
•
Grapes
•
Peaches
•
Lemon
•
Plums
•
Strawberries
guava
•
Lime
•
Raspberries
•
Cantaloupe
•
Tangerine
•
Oranges
•
Figs
•
Bananas
WHAT NOT TO EAT
ARTIFICIAL
SWEETENERS
•
•
APM
•
AminoS
•
Acesulfame
weet
potassium
(but not
•
ACK
•
Ace K
•
•
Equal
ste Blue
•
in US)
•
Aspartame-
Aspartyl
acesulfame
-
salt
Spoonful
anine-1-
(also
methyl
•
(Europe
only)
me)
•
•
•
Canderel
Sweet
(not
One
US)
Sunett
Aspartame
•
Equal
Classic
TwinSw
eet
ester
•
NutraSw
eet
phenylal
+asparta
NatraTa
•
Cyclamate
in
•
Not
in
US
as
per FDA
•
Calcium
•
cyclamat
Glycyrrhizin
•
•
nated
Licorice
e
Isomaltu
•
•
Cologran
Hydrogenated
and
•
Sucaryl
•
Sugar
•
Zerose
Sugar
alcohol
•
•
•
•
Maltitol
•
Glycerol
•
•
Glycerin
•
Glycerin
e
Maltitol
syrup
•
Maltitol
powder
DiabetiS
weet
Sugar
alcohol
ZSweet
•
Sugar
alcohol
Decomal
t
•
•
ClearCut
Isomalt
alcohol
•
Lactitol
Isomalt
Erythritol
•
•
alcohol
n (not in
US)
Sugar
Isomaltit
ol
(HSH)
sacchari
•
•
hydrolysate
cyclamat
•
lose
starch
=
e
Hydroge
•
Hydroge
(also
nated
contains
High
Acesulfa
Maltose
me-K)
Content
Glucose
•
Syrup
•
MaltiSw
•
•
•
•
Equal
•
Necta
Sweet
•
Polydextrose
Sugar
alcohol
Steviol
glycoside
•
n
Sucralose
•
1′,4,6′Trichlor
Sacchari
ogalacto
n
sucrose
Sweet N
Low
•
•
Rebiana
Sodium
Neotame
•
syrup
Sacchari
•
•
glucitol
•
•
alcohol
•
D-
n
SweetPe
Sugar
Acid
sacchari
Mannitol
•
D-
Saccharin
)
arl
•
glucitol
to
•
Sugar
alcohol
sorbitol)
eet (hard
purchase
•
and
maltose
•
Sorbitol
glucose
Hydroge
Lesys
•
from
nated
•
(Derived
Sweet
Twin
•
Trichlor
osucrose
•
Equal
•
Sucralos
e
•
•
•
NatraTa
Xyloswe
et
Xylitol
•
•
Anything
that says
Sugar
“artificia
alcohol
l”
Splenda
•
Tagatose
Smart
Sweet
•
GRAINS
•
e
ste Gold
•
Natrulos
Xylipure
•
Crackers
•
Pancakes
•
Hash browns
•
Beer (and the
•
Cereals
•
Oatmeal
•
Bread
•
Cream
•
English
of
wheat
muffins
•
Corn
•
Toast
•
Corn syrup
•
Sandwiches
•
High-fructose
•
Triscuits
•
Wheat Thins
corn syrup
•
Wheat
world
mourned)
•
Pasta
•
Fettuchini
•
Lasagne
LEGUMES
•
All beans
•
•
Black
beans
•
•
•
•
•
Horse
beans
•
•
Lima
beans
•
•
Mung
beans
Pinto
•
•
Snowpea
s
•
Sugar
snap
peas
String
beans
•
Peanuts
White
•
Peanut butter
•
Miso
•
Lentils
•
Lupins
•
Mesquite
•
Soybeans
Peas
•
Chickpea
s
Green
Blackeyed
peas
(and,
yes, you
•
•
Red
beans
Kidney
beans
band)
beans
Garbanz
o beans
•
beans
beans
Fava
beans
•
avoid the
beans
Broad
beans
•
Navy
Adzuki
should
beans
also
•
All
soybean
products
•
Tofu
•
and
Any
other
beans.
derivatives
You’d want to follow these guidelines no matter what diet protocol you
choose because our physiology functions based on the same principles
across individuals.
What to Base Your Nutrition On
The main idea is to increase your mitochondrial density.
The
mitochondria
are
the
powerplants of our cells that
convert
oxygen,
food
and
calories into energy, or ATP.
They’re the generators that allow
us to exist in the first place.
Aging and the most common
downregulation of other bodily
diseases
functions.
of
the
Western
civilization are facilitated by
mitochondrial
degeneration,
which consequently leads to the
death
of
brain
cells
and
Fundamentally, the single most effective way of increasing
mitochondrial density is to improve your body’s ability to burn its
own body fat.
Fatty acids provide cleaner fuel in the Krebs cycle, as opposed to glucose
that by-produces free radicals and advanced glycation end-products,
which promote inflammation. Inflammation is the biggest enemy for the
mitochondria, every cell within the body, really.
Building mitochondrial density should fundamentally start with
nutrition. Food is a source of electrons that influences the body’s
electromagnetic balance, thus determining bioenergetics.
Eating low-inflammatory ketogenic foods is a sure way of creating a fatburning engine inside your body. The increased nutrient density will
keep you satiated for longer and thus allows you to become more self-
sufficient with your own fuel supply, which is key for mitochondrial
density.
In a nutshell, ketosis is a metabolic state, in which the body has
shifted from burning glucose as its primary fuel source into
supplying its energy demands with ketone bodies.
Being in ketosis means that you’re following optimal nutrition 24/7
because your body is burning its own storage and using it for fuel. You’ll
become self-resourceful and independent of exogenous calories that
could potentially damage you.
The ketogenic diet isn’t as necessary as the key principles listed in this
handbook. It requires more thorough description, which is why I’ve kept
it for another book. But I also have other keto products to make it easier
for you.
•
Simple Keto Video Course (60% Off discount code)
•
Ultimate Keto 21 Day Meal Plan
•
Keto // IF – Ketogenic Diet Combined With Intermittent Fasting
Let’s continue with some other nutritional biohacks.
Working Out
Now, let’s get strong as hell. Build muscle and strength for longevity
and greater mitochondrial density.
The bottom-line is this: Exercise is the necessary dose of movement
that’s needed for the body to maintain it’s healthy functioning.
I can’t give you definite guidelines of what workout protocol to follow
because I don’t know what your specific goals are nor what your
condition is like.
Nevertheless…
Muscle loss, or sarcopenia, is being more and more considered as
one of the most important aspects of aging.
So what’s the solution?
You have to increase your mitochondrial density through an antiinflammatory fat burning diet and an exercise routine that
incorporates both low intensity aerobic activity and high intensity
resistance training.
This will improve your health, cognition, mood, strength and all the
other stuff that enhance your life.
To alleviate sarcopenia, you would want to do heavy resistance training
that increases strength, boosts growth hormone and enhances bone
density. – all of which promote longevity.
It doesn’t matter what type of training you mostly do, whether that be
cycling, martial arts or fencing, you would still want to do heavy
resistance training for the said reasons. You would always be a more
effective and happier version of yourself if you were stronger.
Resistance training also represents life in general – you encounter heavy
resistance, overcome it, adapt to it and get better.
The Exercises.
StrongLifts 5×5 Beginner Program includes 8 exercises. You’ll do 4 of
these every workout to hit all muscles.
• Squat. Squats are key to the program. 3x/week. They work your
whole body, not just your legs.
• Bench Press. Works your chest & triceps muscles. The strongest
upper body exercise.
• Overhead Press. Push weight overhead while standing.
• Deadlift. The toughest of all exercise. Works your legs and builds
a strong back by teaching you to keep your spine rigid against a
load.
• Barbell Row. Pulling weight from the floor against your lower
chest. The Barbell Row works your back & biceps.
• Pull-ups & Chin-ups. Pull-ups are done palm facing away, Chinups palm facing you. Both work biceps & back muscles.
• Dips. Last one, Dips work your triceps & chest muscles.
Program Template.
StrongLifts 5×5 Beginner Program takes 3×30mins/week. Most train
Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Tu/Th/Sa or Su/Tu/Th works too. Always
keep at least 1 day rest between 2 workouts. Alternate between workout
A & B every session.
Week1: A/B/A, week2: B/A/B, week3: A/B/A, week4: B/A/B, etc.
Workout A
•
Squat 5x5
•
Bench Press 5x5
•
Overhead Press 5x5
•
Barbell Row 5x5
•
Dips 5x5
Workout B
•
Squat 5x5
•
Overhead Press 5x5
•
Deadlift 1x5
•
Pull-ups/Chin-ups 3xFailure
Cardiovascular Fitness
On top of that, there’s also the importance of cardiovascular fitness. For
the health of our heart, it’s probably a lot more important. Muscle is
great for longevity and should be the foundation to our training but
incorporating other modalities is also essential.
Both aerobic and anaerobic training contributes to the development of
our cardiovascular fitness. However, long hours of cardio are not
beneficial because of the excessive duration of repetitive motions will
begin to tear down our joints and eventually becomes too much of a
stressor on the body as well.
The most time efficient way – the biohacker’s way - of approaching
cardiovascular fitness is actually by doing high intensity interval
training (HIIT).
When it comes to building muscle and strength, then the benefits of HIIT
far outweigh those of low intensity steady state cardio (LISS). Studies
have shown that people who do HIIT have better body composition and
do not suffer from other chronic exercise syndromes.
The benefits of HIIT are:
• Increased metabolism for the upcoming 48 hours.
• Less stress on the nervous system and joints.
• Develops both aerobic and anaerobic fitness.
• Increased mitochondrial density
• Improves insulin sensitivity.
• More mental toughness.
• Saves a lot of time.
• It’s incredibly empowering.
For overall cardiovascular development, the exercises would have to
incorporate the entire body. Burpees and sprints are by far the best
ways of getting fit and promoting functionality as well.
Here’s a typical HIIT routine.
o Warm up with 2-5 minutes of easy jogging or jump rope
o 30 seconds of burpees/sprinting/cycling hard
o 30 seconds of rest
o Repeat for 5-10 rounds
o Cool down for 1-2 minutes of light movement
You can also do circuit training with HIIT to bring in more variation and
make it more fun.
o Warm up with 2-5 minutes of easy jogging or jump rope
o 30 seconds of burpees
o 30 seconds of rest
o 30 seconds of squat jumps
o 30 seconds of rest
o 30 seconds of pushups
o 30 seconds of rest
o 30 seconds of sprinting
o Cool down for 1-2 minutes of light movement
Before jumping in head first and pushing yourself through the dirt you
have to come to terms with your current state of health and fitness. If
you suffer from any medical condition of poor lung capacity, then it
would not be a good idea to start doing HIIT sessions every day. To not
cause any long term damage to your body you have to start from your
current level and gradually build up from there.
Mobility and Joint Integrity
On the other hand, you don’t want to neglect mobility because otherwise
you’ll get injured.
Top mobilization exercises you should do every day:
1. Cow stretch, or the cat-camel
2. Deep lunge hold
3. Foam rolling the tight spots in the fascia
4. Internal shoulder rotation
What to do during movement breaks:
• The campfire squat - Hold it for a few minutes and use your hands
to move your hips around.
• Deep lunge - You can do the Yoga Warrior pose sequence.
• Sun salutation - A very simple and easy way to re-engage your
spine and shoulders. Make sure to incorporate the Downward Dog.
• Handstand/headstand - This is for working against the
gravitational force we’re exposed to 24/7. It’s good for directing
blood flow to your head as well.
• Walk around - Or dance - whatever gets you moving and floats
your boat.
You should also consider swapping out your chair with a standing work
station. This is a huge game changer in terms of productivity and joint
integrity.
Use this template to eat right and feel right, so that you could train hard
and ball hard.
Eat a full day of eating following the foods listed and have a heavy
resistance training workout StrongLifts style.
Let’s continue with the most important part for optimizing your
performance.
Sleep
Sleep is probably the biggest thing that gets neglected when it comes to
enhancing our performance. It’s an essential part of our physiology and
actually improves the quality of our life. Even when it might seem like
we’re doing nothing, our body and brain are conducting numerous
repair mechanisms and adaptations.
• Lack of sleep can increase our risk of heart disease, diabetes,
neurodegenerative disease and obesity.
• It will also cause insulin resistance, mood swings and fatigue, both
physical and mental.
• It decreases your testosterone and leads to lower libido in both
men and women.
Human growth hormone actually
gets released during the first
hours of our sleep, which is
incredibly important for building
tissue and maintaining leanness.
That 2000% boost starts at 11PM
and lasts until about 2PM, during
which the body conducts its
physical repair. Missing out on
this makes you gain weight and
lose strength.
Lack of sleep releases cortisol that is the catabolic stress hormone.
As a result, we will not be able to recover from our activities and keep
on creating a deficit. Our body will begin to break down its muscle and
accumulate fat. It also accelerates aging and makes our skin more
wrinkled and dry.
If we want to becoming high-performing individuals in everything we
do, then it’s important to get adequate amounts of shut-eye.
How much Sleep?
The bare minimum would be 7-8 hours. Because we’re training quite
hard, we need even more than that. On harder training days you should
aim for 9-10 hours.
But it isn’t the quantity of your sleep that matters but the quality of it.
Recovery takes place only in the deepest stages which we can enter after
about 90 minutes. Sleeping more won’t increase our performance.
Doing it smarter will. Optimization is crucial if we want to get the most
bang for our buck.
Total Sleep Optimization
Here is a list of the most important things we can do for our recovery
and sleep like a baby.
Adjust to the circadian rhythm. We’re all connected to the daily
planetary movements. When the sun is out our mind perceives it as a
time to be active. Once darkness falls we are supposed to rest. This
happens to us unconsciously.
If we want to get the most out of our recovery, then we need to sleep
when nature does. Daylight dawns at different times in all parts of the
world and is dependent on seasonal change. During summer there’s
more of it while at winter less.
That way we’re ensuring that we’re following the patterns of different
hormones which rise and fall during the day no matter what. For
instance, cortisol is highest during the morning and gradually begins to
drop afterwards. It helps us to wake up properly and start moving.
Our bodies are unconsciously connected to our surroundings which
we’re unaware of. These things happen whether we realize it or not.
The best thing we can do is to optimize the way they’re expressed so
that we can get the most benefit with the least amount of negative
effects.
This means:
• get up early at about 6-8 AM
• go to bed between 9 and 11 PM
Getting exposure to natural sunlight first thing in the morning will
enable us to adjust to the circadian rhythms and sets the stage for us to
sleep well at night.
• Establish a daily sleep routine. Follow a series of habitual
activities prior going to bed letting your unconscious self know
that it’s time to go to sleep. This will include certain activities both
physical and mental. It can be anything, such as reading, brushing
your teeth, stretching or whatever. Just make it a habit so that
your mind knows it’s time to rest.
• Sleep in pitch black darkness. This is incredibly important
because of the effect circadian rhythms have on us. The brain
doesn’t tell the difference between light coming from the Sun or
an artificial source. It perceives it as all the same. Even if our body
detects a tiny bit of glow on any part of the skin the mind thinks
it’s daytime and no sleeping ought to be done. Instead, it sees it as
a time to be alert and gather food, run from predators etc.
Artificial light creates a situation where our body thinks it’s
constantly at the equator. To prevent this from happening don’t
use bright lights in the house after sunset.
• Cover all the windows – make no ray penetrate your sleeping
cave because that’s what it’s supposed to resemble. To truly
optimize it put pieces of duct tape on the blinking red spot on your
smoke detector, alarm clock, television.
• When you go to bed use a sleep mask or a scarf to cover your
head. When I first tried this I couldn’t believe how rejuvenated I
felt the next morning. If there is nothing but darkness in front of
your face you won’t have any other option but to doze off. You
won’t notice the short occurrences of waking up in the middle of
the night either. It all turns into one big continuous slumber of
tranquility and make you sleep like a baby, literally.
• Change your lightbulbs. The UV light from ordinary lightbulbs is
artificial and emanates blue light which stimulates the body to
reduce melotonin and makes us more wakeful. Changing to amber
lights will fix that by reducing the spectrum to more red which at
night resembles the sunset.
• Use a program on your computer called F.lux which changes the
bright color of the screen to orange and relaxing. Wear special
eyewear to block blue light. Less ideally you can use sunglasses as
well. All of this needs to be done at least 2 hours before going to
bed. Your subconscious mind needs time to wind down and adjust
to the change. It’s downloadable for free. On Android it’s called
Twilight.
• Soft-tissue massage. Let’s be honest here. Everyone loves a good
massage. Kneading different muscles makes them release tension
and become more relaxed. Because of the stress we experience
throughout the day our body tends to become excessively tight.
This can lead to stiffness, lack of mobility and a lot of pain. If you
don’t have access to someone who could rub your back and
shoulders, then don’t worry. All of it can be done by using an
ordinary tennis ball. Lay on the ground and start to roll on top of
it. Push it against your pecks, shoulders, hips, quads, back, neck –
everything. This will untie the knots that have built up in the
fascia. Additionally, do some stretching as it will also loosen up
your body. Doing this will not only make you more calm but also
prepare your joints to being in a single position for a long time.
• Use an acupuncture mattress. Purchase a small bedding that has
little spikes on top of it. This is relatively cheap yet very effective.
You can lay down before going to bed for 15 minutes or sleep on it
throughout the night. I have used both options. At first it feels like
a lot of thorns are trying to penetrate your skin. After a while the
body relaxes and it becomes incredibly soothing. It creates a nice
feeling of surging energy in the back. There is a lot of evidence for
the health benefits of this. In China needle therapy is a key
component to traditional medicine. The Yogis of India have also
been using beds of nails for centuries. We don’t have to fall into
such extremes but instead simply use it to empower our sleep
prior going to bed.
• Unwind your mind. Either meditate or simply dwell on your
thoughts. This is the time do destress ourselves. If we are anxious
and worrisome then it will impact our recovery in a negative way.
The key is to relax and not think about the responsibilities we have
the next day. Just loosen up, soften your gaze and become calm.
Don’t be angry at anything or anyone. Spend time with your family
or follow your bedtime ritual.
• Sleep in a cool environment. The perfect temperature is 20
degrees Celsius (65 Fahrenheit). Turn down the heating and cover
yourself with only the bed sheets. Extra fluffy blankets are actually
counterproductive. It might seem like it’s comfortable but if it’s
too warm then we’re jeopardizing our recovery. During the
military the best night’s sleep I ever had happened during the
winter when you would have to lie in a fetal position inside the
sleeping bag to maintain a safe body temperature. It was difficult
at first but once you got used to it you barely even noticed the cold.
• Turn off all electronics in your room. Not only are they a
possible source of blue light sneaking in but they also radiate
Electro Magnetic Frequencies (EMF) which not only decrease
testosterone production but also have a negative impact on our
overall health including sleep. Studies in these area are only
beginning to take place and it can’t be said that nobody saw this
coming. We’re already surrounded by radio waves and other
magnetic fields on a daily basis. Wi-fi is included into this. Turn
off your router for the night and keep your phone on airplane
mode most of the time. We want to minimize the presence of EMF
not only in our bedroom but in our entire life. There are some
products online that when attached to your computer can absorb
the radiation. Additionally, some stones, such as quartz, moss
agate, amethyst and obsidian are said to have similar properties.
Personally, I wear a necklace of rock crystal and shungite all the
time. There are other reasons for doing so but they definitely
provide us with some protection from these sources.
• Get grounded. Because we’re constantly surrounded by EMF and
other esoteric radio waves we begin to build up a negative charge.
Our body is like any other conductor that attracts these ions in its
magnetic field. This not only influences our hormonal profile but
also has an effect on our sleep. Luckily, this can be alleviated
thanks to the Earth’s ability to absorb our charge. By walking
barefoot on natural ground we’re “earthing” and resetting our
magnetic field.
• Create a source of white noise in your room. Whether that would
be from an audio player switched to airplane mode or something
less technical. I would suggest using a simple fan. Not only will
the ventilation keep the air moving and cooling the temperature
but the noise will contribute to the production of alpha waves
while we are sleeping. Ever noticed that when it is raining you
sleep especially well? The sound of raindrops falling on top of the
roof seem just so soothing and relaxing. We’re designed to rest in
an environment with natural sounds in it. White noise promotes a
meditative state which will allow us to enter the deepest stages of
recovery more easily.
• Dehydrate a few hours prior to bed time. Drinking water is
incredibly important for our health. However, if we have to
constantly wake up to go to the bathroom at night then we will
never establish the deep stages of sleep where all the magic and
recovery happens. Waking up once or twice is fine and actually
beneficial as it prevents us from getting too stiff. After dinner
don’t consume any form of liquid as it will inevitably have to come
out. This won’t happen in the morning but somewhere in the
middle of the night. Being dehydrated for a few hours won’t do us
much harm.
• Optimize your bed and pillow. Sleep ought to not rejuvenate us
but also prevent us from building up tension in our bodies.
Spending that much time in one position can seriously degrade our
mobility and jeopardize joint integrity. If our mattress is too soft
then our spine will be in a disadvantageous position making us
that more prone to injury. The surface on which we lay should be
slightly hard and solid. Do not use a big pillow either because it’s
bad for the neck. Instead, use something minimalistic that simply
supports the head. Another issue is sleeping on one side. If our
entire weight is on one part of the body, then our shoulders and
arms will receive too much pressure. Waking up to numb limbs
isn’t beneficial because of the restricted blood flow. The best
position to be in is on our backs. It’s another habit we should
cultivate in order to get the most out of our recovery. Using a
sleeping bag is a great tool to use initially. If there isn’t much space
for us to turn around, then we will inevitably be motionless. You
can simply tuck yourself in really nicely as well to sleep like a
baby.
• Binaural beats. While awake our brain is producing mainly beta
waves which is an alert state of consciousness that promotes
stress and anxiety. This we don’t want to have during our sleep.
To enter deeper stages, we have to drop lower to alpha waves.
During the day it can happen while we’re daydreaming or
meditating. Binaural beats can help us to go from beta to alpha
and then progress further into theta and delta, which resembles
the natural progression of a healthy cycle.
• Essential oils that emanate different aromas can be used around
your bed that will improve the quality of our sleep. For instance,
rose oil inhibits sympathetic nervous system activity and
decreases adrenaline. Additionally, lavender enhances deep sleep,
lowers our stress, blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature
and cortisol levels. Their soothing smells will prime our body and
mind for relaxation and augmentation.
Sleep Nutrition
What we eat is also extremely important. Of course, filling up your gut
right before bed will not only keep your digestive track active but will
also keep you awake because of the discomfort.
Stable blood sugar levels are essential for a constant stream, therefore,
high HI carbohydrates are not optimal.
What research has shown is that some protein and fat before bed
decreases the amount of times people wake up a night in comparison to
high carb diet. It also improves body composition and enhances muscle
recovery by providing more assistance to the repair mechanisms.
To make yourself sleep better, have a nice ketogenic dinner with some
good protein and fat, such as butter or coconut oil. However, don’t eat
too much protein, as it can spike your insulin. This will increase blood
glucose and keeps you up at night. Keep it moderate.
There are also some natural supplements we can use.
We definitely don’t want to start taking any hard medications that
would only relief the symptoms not the actual cause.
• Herbal teas, such as chamomile, peppermint, lavender, valerian
and hibiscus reduce bodily inflammation and induce relaxation.
They’re also very good for detoxification and improve our immune
system. However, don’t fill your bladder up before bedtime.
• GABA is great if we’re serotonin deficient. Called gammaaminobutyric acid, it’s the main inhibitory neurotransmitter, and
regulates the nerve impulses in the human body. Therefore, it is
important for both physical and mental performance, as both of
them are connected to the nervous system. Also, GABA is to an
extent responsible for causing relaxation and calmness. It can be
taken at dinner.
• Melotonin is actually a hormone that gets produced by the pineal
gland inside the brain. Its central role is regulating sleep cycles
and circadian rhythms. In its synthetic form it’s used for sleeping
aid and as an antioxidant. Small doses before bedtime will make
you produce more melotonin which lets your body know it’s time
to sleep. It’s also great for making up lost sleep and jet lag. One
thing to rememberer is that by using such additives we’re teaching
our brain to depend on them, leading to simply treating the
symptoms not the cause. We need to know how to produce those
hormones without any aid. Therefore, we need to change our
lifestyle by implementing the strategies above first, and using this
as a last resort or only in situations when it’s necessary.
The sleep ritual should start at least an hour before bed time. Start
winding down preemptively and incorporate the habitual habits that let
your subconscious mind know it’s that time of the day.
Those who say that sleep is for the weak and wicked don’t know what
they’re talking about. It’s the most important thing for our recovery.
Work hard. Rest harder. Exert yourself like a warrior. Sleep like a baby.
Let’s continue.
Supplements
Natural Supplements We Should Consume Every Day
•
Turmeric. One of the best spices we can use is curcumin or
turmeric. It has a lot of medicinal properties, such as antiinflammatory compounds, increase of antioxidants and brain
health. Also, it fights and prevents many diseases, such as
Arthritis, Alzheimer’s and even cancer. In addition to that, it tastes
amazing and can be added to everything. I sprinkle it on all foods
and run out quite quickly which is why I also buy it in bulk so that
it’s cheaper. You can also take a capsule.
•
Ginger. Continuing on with turmeric’s brother. It has almost as
much health benefits. In addition to that, it lowers blood sugar
levels, fights heart disease, treats chronic indigestion, may reduce
menstrual pain for women, lowers cholesterol and heals muscle
pain. Once again, bulk or capsule.
•
Cinnamon. These three create the most important natural spices
we should be eating on a daily basis. They’re incredibly cheap and
easy to come by yet have amazing health as well as performance
enhancing benefits. Moreover, they all make food taste amazing.
Cinnamon falls into the same category as ginger and turmeric superfoods, because it truly empowers us. In addition to the same
medicinal properties it also increases insulin sensitivity, fights
neurodegenerative disease and bacterial infections. What’s best
about it is that it can be added to not only salty foods but on
desserts as well. I even add it to my coffee. The best to use is
Ceylon or „true“ cinnamon.
•
Green tea. It isn’t an actual supplement but is still extremely
empowering. In fact, it can be considered to be the healthiest
beverage of the world after water. It improves health, brain
function, fat oxidation and detoxifies the system. Additionally,
lowers blood pressure and prevents all types of disease, including
Alzheimer’s and cancer. We don’t need to take pills with extracts
but can get all of the benefits by simply drinking a cup a day.
However, to get all of the benefits we need to be consuming about
15-30 cups. Using a capsule would be very efficient.
•
Garlic. It has a strong taste and smell but is incredibly healthy
nonetheless. Chopping garlic cloves forms a compound called
‘allicin,’ which, once digested, travels all over the body and exerts
its potent biological effects. It fights all illness, especially the cold,
reduces blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels, contains
antioxidants, increases longevity, detoxifies the body from metals,
promotes bone health and is delicious. Because of its flavor it
makes a great addition to meals. It also comes in capsuled form.
Supplements You HAVE to Take
Moving on with actual supplements. These things we’re all deficient of
and they also take our performance to the next level, they empower us.
•
Fish/Krill oil. It’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for
the brain and heart. The counterpart to that is omega-6, which are
pro-inflammatory and bad for us. Omega-6 can be found in a lot of
processed foods and vegetable oils, which we would want to avoid
anyway. For our body to be healthy the omega-3’s need to be in
balance with the omega-6’s. Unfortunately, that balance can be
easily tipped off as every amount of omega-6 requires triple the
amount of omega-3 to reduce the negative effects. Additionally,
fish oil has DHA, which promotes brain functioning, fights
inflammation,
supports
bone
health,
increases
physical
performance etc. Naturally, it can be found in fatty fish such as
salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines. Fish oil falls into the same
category because of its vital importance for superhuman health. It
can be used easily as a capsule or liquidized. Taking one teaspoon
a day will drastically improve your life. Krill oil might simply be a
more potent and bioavailable source. Make sure to use wild caught
sources to avoid mercury poisoning.
•
Vitamin D-3. It’s called the sunshine vitamin and is one of the
most important nutrients. But it’s not actually a vitamin but gets
synthesized into one inside the body. Life exists on Earth because
of the Sun. D-3 governs almost every function within us starting
from DNA repair and metabolic processes making it a foundation
to everything that goes on. It’s embedded in nutritious food, given
it has received enough exposure to solar light. Vitamin D-3 fights
cardiovascular, autoimmune and infective diseases. Of course, the
best source would be to get it from the Sun but that is not always
possible because of seasonality and location. It can be consumed
as oil or a capsule.
•
Magnesium. Another foundational mineral. It comprises 99% of
the body’s mineral content and governs almost all of the processes.
Magnesium helps to build bones, enables nerves to function and is
essential for the production of energy from food. This is especially
beneficial for the physically active. Some people who are
depressed get headaches because of this deficiency. Because our
soils are quite depleted magnesium needs to be supplemented. It
can also be used as an oil on your skin for greater absorption in
specific areas.
Supplements Empowered
We have covered all of the supplements we should be taking no matter
what, the most important and essential ones. Now I’ll get down to the
empowering ones.
They are not foundational but beneficial nonetheless. With the help of
these we can transcend the boundary between healthy and superhuman
performance as they will take us to the next level.
•
Creatine Monohydrate. Creatine is an organic acid produced in
the liver that helps to supply energy to cells all over the body,
especially muscles. It enhances ATP production and allows for
muscle fibers to contract faster, quicker, and makes them overall
stronger. That means increased physical performance with
explosive and strength based movements and sprinting. However,
it doesn’t end there. Creatine has been found to improve cognitive
functioning, as it’s a nootropic as well, improving mental acuity
and memory. Naturally, it can be found most in red meat. It’s dirty
cheap and easy to consume, as only 5 grams per day will do
wonders and doing so won’t make a person big nor bulky.
•
Pro- and prebiotics. Having a well working digestive system is
incredibly vital for getting the most nutrients out of our food.
Industrialization has done another disservice to us by destroying
all of the bacteria in the food we consume, the good and the bad,
and replacing them with preservatives. We might be eating but
we’re not actually deriving a lot of nutrients. In order to have a
healthy gut we need to have a well-functioning microbiome.
Naturally, food is full of living organisms. Sauerkraut, raw milk,
yoghurt, unprocessed meat all have good bacteria in them. With
there being no life in our food, we need to create it within us
ourselves. Probiotics are alive microorganisms in a pill that
transport these good bacteria into our gut for improved digestion
and immune system. Prebiotics are different, they’re not alive, but
plant fiber that feeds the bacteria. They’re indigestible parts of the
vegetable that go through our digestive track into our gut where
the bacteria then eat them. If you don’t like eating a lot of broccoli
and spinach, then you should still get a lot of fiber into your diet.
•
Thyroid supplementation. The thyroid gland is incredibly
important for our health because it regulates the functioning of
our metabolism. Moreover, because of its location in our throat it
also is a connective point between the brain and the rest of the
body. This organ is a part of an incredibly complex system which
creates this intertwined relationship between the two. With a low
functioning thyroid one will have an impeded metabolism, suffer
hypothyroidism and many other diseases because of the necessary
hormones will not be produced. Promoting thyroid functioning can
be done by taking iodine supplementation or eating a lot of sea
vegetables. The daily requirements for selenium can be met with
eating only 2-3Brazil nuts.
•
Multivitamin. There are definitely a lot of vitamins to be covered
for our body to not only be healthy but function at its peak. It
would be unreasonable to take too many tablets or pills while
neglecting the importance of real food. However, taking a
multivitamin that has a lot of beneficial minerals all combined into
one bottle is very effective and will most definitely be useful.
•
Maca. Another superfood comes from the Peruvian mountains and
is the root of ginseng. It has numerous amounts of vitamins and
minerals in it, such as magnesium zinc, copper etc. Also, it
promotes hormone functioning for both men and women, as well
as increases our energy production just like creatine does. It can
either be powdered or made into a tablet.
•
GABA. Called gamma-aminobutyric acid, it’s the main inhibitory
neurotransmitter, and regulates the nerve impulses in the human
body. Therefore, it is important for both physical and mental
performance, as both of them are connected to the nervous
system. Also, GABA is to an extent responsible for causing
relaxation and calmness, helping to produce BDNF.
•
Chaga mushroom. Chaga is a mushroom that grows on birch
trees. It’s extremely beneficial for supporting the immune system,
has anti-oxidative and soothing properties, lowers blood pressure
and cholesterol. Also, consuming it will promote the health and
integrity of the adrenal glands. This powder can be added to teas
or other warm beverages. Or you can grind it yourself.
•
MCT oil. For nutritional ketosis having an additional source of
ketone bodies will be beneficial. MCT stands for medium chain
triglycerides which are fat molecules that can be digested more
rapidly than normal fat ones, which are usually long chain
triglycerides. Doing so will enable the brain to have immediate
access to abundant energy and a deeper state of ketosis. Basically,
it’s glucose riding the vessel of ketones. Naturally, it’s extracted
from coconut oil and is an enhanced liquidized version of it.
Additionally, I also eat raw coconut flakes, which have MCTs in
them.
•
Collagen protein. Collagen provides the fastest possible healthy
tissue repair, bone renewal and recovery after exercise. It can also
boost mental clarity, reduce inflammation, clear your skin,
promote joint integrity, reduces aging and builds muscle.
Naturally, it’s found in tendons and ligaments, that can be
consumed by eating meat. As a supplement it can be used as
protein powder or as gelatin capsules.
•
Branched Chain Amino Acids. L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, and LValine are grouped together and called BCAAs because of their
unique chemical structure. They’re essential and have to be
derived from diet. Supplementing them will increase performance,
muscle recovery and protein synthesis. There is no solid evidence
to show any significant benefit to BCAAs. However, they can be
very useful to take before fasted workouts to reduce muscle
catabolism.
Reduce Inflammation
Other nutrition hacks that are good for the gut is to add cinnamon,
ginger and turmeric, at least a dazzle of them, onto all of your foods.
• Cinnamon
has
prebiotic
properties
and
improves
insulin
sensitivity, so it’s a great idea to add it to your meals before you
eat them (0.5-1 tsp is enough).
• The same for ginger and turmeric – they reduce inflammation and
are incredibly potent antioxidants, leading to an overall healthier
body (the same – 0.5 to 1 tsp).
I’m going to share with you a simple and quick anti-inflammatory
cocktail that will rock your world and heal the gut, which you can
conjure whenever you feel bloated, inflamed or tired.
It goes as follows.
• One
dash
cinnamon,
Cayenne
ginger,
• Squeeze in some lemon
turmeric,
juice as well if you like a
of
pepper,
black
pepper, sea salt thrown
into a cup of green tea.
slight sour kick.
This concoction tastes horrible and like pure death. However, at the
same time it feels awesome once you have taken it and has immense
benefits. You can also take it from a shot glass so it would be over more
quickly. Be warned though that it might also trigger an immediate bowel
movement so stay close to the bathroom.
Enjoy and be less inflamed.
That is it for the body. Let’s now turn to the mind.
The Mind
The thing is that our subconscious mind is one of our greatest tools but
it can also be turned against us like a weapon. If we have no idea of how
our beliefs and mindset limit us, then we would never get the idea that
it’s us – it’s our own own mindset that's causing the issues.
As in the case of food and exercise, the thoughts we feed our mind will
change our experience and perception of reality. Our paradigms are
literally the lens through which we see the world through and, unless
we’re aware of them, we won’t be able to see anything else either.
Having a solid and self-assuring mindset allows you to look at any
situation or circumstance from the perspective of empowerment.
Rather than throwing your hands above your head and giving in like a
victim, you decide to take the high road and be above it all. It’s not like
you aren’t accepting your situation – you are accepting it so much that
you choose to behave differently.
The most important mindset – the basis of all psychological
development and the mentality for success – is realizing that we are
in full control of our own reality.
In her groundbreaking bestselling book Mindset: The New Psychology
of Success, Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., talks about 2 types of mindsets people
tend to have.
•
The FIXED mindset is rooted in the belief that your traits and
potential are predetermined, thus limited.
o
People with this one see their abilities as set within a certain
range of parameters that have been created there whether
by
the
genome,
the
environment,
or
their
own
personality. „I’ll never be able to do that; I’m just not that
kind of a person; I don’t know how could I ever do that? It’s
just the way I am.“
o
The fixed mindset also applies to traits you’d consider
positive, like being good at sports or showing better results
in school. Here the difference is that with a fixed mindset
you see your abilities in any vocation as a part of your innate
genius, not the hard work you put in. „I’m just born for this;
I have those genes of excellence; I’m just better than others
because it’s who I am.“
•
The GROWTH mindset is based on the belief that your abilities
can be developed and cultivated.
o
People with this one see themselves capable of achieving
anything as long as they commit and put in the effort. They
respond to setbacks and failures as challenges that will make
them grow as individuals. „I’m willing to learn and improve
myself; If I dedicate wholeheartedly to this, then I’ll increase
my chances of getting the results I desire.“
o
They
don’t
see
their
pre-requisite
conditions,
like
upbringing, past history or social role as detrimental.
Instead, they’re looked upon as stepping stones that made
them the person they are today. „This is difficult, but it will
prove to be an invaluable lesson in the future. I’m able to
change my bad habits because they’re not bound to me.“
The power of mindset and the consequences of believing in the potential
of one’s abilities have a profound effect on a person’s success in life.
Dweck found in her years of research that people with a growth mindset
showed
better
results
in
their
work,
relationships,
personal
development, and happiness.
Both of these mindsets are learned ways of thinking – you exhibit
one or the other based on how you’ve grown up, what your parents
taught you about believing in oneself, how your teachers encouraged
you to behave and what kind of interpretations you made between your
actions in the world and the results you’ve been getting.
If you think that you’re a person with a fixed mindset, then rest assured
you are because you’ve already pre-emptively made up your mind about
it.
A person with a growth mindset focuses on the things they can
control – their perceptions and actions.
Now, I want you to say to yourself: “I am in control of my own reality.
I’m not subject to circumstance but can dictate what I become. Everything
is possible as long as I set my mind to it. My past or other predisposing
conditions do not prevent me from achieving greatness.” Say it to
yourself and keep re-affirming positive beliefs of boundless potential
because it will make your frame of reality more powerful.
The Ultimate Mind Hack
Now that we’ve set the right baseline for our mindset, which is the
software, we have to turn to the hardware, which is the mind itself.
This ultimate mind hack is meditation, which has been practiced by
people for thousands of years.
What you’re really doing is consciously regulating your own nervous
system. Thanks to that, you’ll have greater self-control, less anxiety, and
a greater capacity for love and gratitude.
You have to realize that you are not your thoughts, your emotions, the
people you’re surrounded by, the culture you were born in, the music
you like to listen to, the food you like to eat or anything that happens to
you.
Meditation helps you to identify
all of the programming you’ve
received and allows you to come
to terms with some of your
limiting beliefs. When journaling
makes you see yourself and your
thinking
external
process
from
viewpoint,
an
then
meditation makes you see why
you’re thinking and behaving in
such a manner in the first place.
The essence of meditation is to realize that you are not your
thoughts and that the conversations you have in your head aren’t
always truthful. Instead of them being a part of your real self, they
derive from the ego and are risen due to causality.
Realize this – you are not your mind, you have a mind.
How to Meditate
• Find a place where you won’t be disturbed. Either sit down with
your legs crossed or lay down on your back – it doesn’t matter.
• Close your eyes and become centered. Just stay calm and relaxed.
• Start breathing slowly. Inhale from the bottom of your stomach
and move upward until the top of your lungs. Don’t overemphasize
it either – keep it simple and sooth.
• Become mindful of your body. Notice how you’re feeling right
now. Feel the weight of your arms and legs. How your heart is
beating. The blood flowing through your veins. The floating and
deflating of your chest. Are there any aches and pains?
• Become mindful of your mind. What thoughts are you having?
“This is bulls*it” or “Is this working?” That’s fine. Whatever goes
on – accept it. Don’t beat yourself up for any emerging emotion or
thought. Instead, allow them to rise, say “Thanks, mind!” and then
dissolve them. The key is to remain aware by focusing on your
breath and become the observer.
• Become mindful of your environment. You can also allow your
consciousness to travel beyond your physical meat-suit. There’s
the ground your sitting on, the wind that’s blowing to your face,
the cold temperature, birds outside, noise on the streets or other
people in the next room. Observe what goes on around you but like
with your mind, don’t attach on to the perceptions you experience.
• Do some self-enquiry and contemplation. After a while, you’ll
condition your mind to remain still…at least for the most part.
Herein lies the point where you can start investigating some of the
deeper depths of your subconscious mind. Meditation doesn’t have
to be done to completely blank out in your head. During practice,
you can find out a lot of new things about who you really are. It
can also lead to certain epiphanies or revelations about what your
purpose in life is or, if not that fundamental, realize what you need
to do in the near future.
The best time to do this would be first thing in the morning, because
your monkey mind is still in between full on wakefulness (chaos) and
slumber. Meditate for about 20-30 minutes and you'll set the right tone
for the entire day.
There are also other calibrating techniques you can use to condition
your mindset with meditation. Check out my guided meditation
soundtrack!
What makes meditation work so effectively is that your brain goes
through adjustments of its own frequencies. There are several mental
vibrations we go through throughout the day.
Brainwaves 101:
•
Delta (0.1–4 Hz): deep sleep, complete loss of self-awareness
•
Theta (4–8 Hz): light dreaming, unconscious activity and
processing
•
Alpha (8–14 Hz): meditative state, awake but relaxed, in between
sleep and waking, improved memory recall
•
Beta (14–30 Hz): awake, concentrated, alert, full wakefulness
Using audio entertainment as background music can dramatically
increase awareness. You can use simple binaural beats and white noise
to promote any activity. For instance, alpha waves can help you
establish a meditative state 8x faster. Also, using a simple fan at night
will also help you sleep better.
Breathing
We all get into stressful situations from time to time - unexpected email,
impeding deadlines, being stuck in traffic, almost getting hit by a car,
heating arguments or anticipating public speaking.
The body perceives all stress as the same - running away from a lion
is physiologically identical to approaching a stranger.
This stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and triggers the ‘FIGHT
or FLIGHT’ response, that shuts down digestion, directs energy away
from hormonal reproduction and taxes the adrenals.
Stress is actually good for you – it boosts your metabolism, increases
alertness and reinvigorates the body.
The problem is that the modern world is full of stressors and most
people are in fight or flight 24/7. They have demanding jobs, afflictive
relationships, bad habits and they watch the news.
Chronic stress wreaks havoc to the adrenals and mitochondria. It’s a
vicious cycle – the more stress you experience, the more stressed out
you become. The more stressed out you become, the more stress you
experience. Difficult to escape from, which is why managing your stress
is a crucial skill for life. For surviving survival scenarios as well as
navigating the ebbs and flows of the modern world.
To control your stress response, you have to first take control of
your BREATHING.
Controlling your breath gives you confidence to take control of anything
else in your life as well.
Breathing is the gateway between your subconscious and conscious
mind.
The decisions you make in any situation depend on your current level of
awareness - how conscious and present you are - and the solution to
becoming more aware starts off by first becoming mindful of your
breath.
How to Shut Off Your Fight or Flight Response
There are many ways of taking control of your breath that take less than
4 minutes to take effect.
I’m going to give you 2 simple and quick exercises.
(1) BOX BREATHING
There are 4 stages, each one lasting for 4 seconds.
•
Inhale to the count of 4
•
Hold for 4
•
Exhale to 4
•
Hold for 4 again
•
Repeat
(2) THE WIM HOF METHOD
Do about 25-30 repetitions of the following breathing exercise:
•
Max inhale (raise chest) and
•
Let go exhale (drop chest sharply).
•
You’re breathing in a whole lot of air but you’re exhaling just a
little bit.
•
Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. The letgo breath is a short “hah.” You may experience mild
lightheadedness and tingling in your fingers.
•
On the last breath cycle, breathe in completely, exhale completely
and hold your breath for as long as you can.
The Wim Hof Method will help you reduce stress, increase your ability
to stay in control, improve your focus and make you feel amazing.
Doing these exercises for even just a few cycles will DRASTICALLY
improve the quality of your life. It teaches you mindfulness and enables
you to always stay in control of what happens to you.
At the end of the day, you're either in control or being controlled. If
you're stressed out and in fight or flight all the time, you'll never get an
opportunity to come off the constant cycle of feeling burnt out.
Control your stress or be controlled by it.
Cold Exposure
Speaking of Wim Hof, it’s prime time to talk about cold exposure.
Every single morning, I have an ice cold shower. It’s like a wake up call
that says it’s time to focus and sets my mindset right.
Why take cold showers in the first place? Trust me, if there wouldn’t be
any benefits to them, then I would much rather spend my time doing
something more enjoyable.
There is an array of benefits to taking cold showers, which will all give
you access to the YOU+ version of yourself.
The Benefits of Taking Cold Showers
•
Triggers
anti-inflammatory
norepinephrine
release
that
reduces short-term pain from injuries [i]
•
Reduces muscle soreness (DOMS)[ii] After exercise, your tissues
are damaged and inflamed. Cold water lowers the temperature in
those regions and constricts blood vessels, which helps to reduce
the swelling and trauma.
•
Boosts happiness. Cold water unleashes a floodgate of moodboosting
neurotransmitters,
such
as
dopamine
and
norepinephrine. It can help you battle depression[iii] and enjoy
your life more. Regular winter swimming will increase your wellbeing and energy[iv]
•
Bolsters the immune system that kills viruses and fights off
tumor factors [v][vi][vii]
•
Increases
the
antioxidant
glutathione
and
superoxide
dismutase, which support the liver functioning, optimize cellular
processes and protect against oxidative stress [viii]
•
Improves blood circulation by sending more blood down to your
organs. This is good for the cardiovascular system and will make
you healthier overall.
•
Reduces oxidative stress, inflammation and detoxifies the
body. Cold makes the lymph vessels contract and pump out toxins
that may be found there. Your lymphatic system is responsible for
carrying out waste from your cells. If it gets jammed up or blocked,
then you’re more prone to getting sick and diseased
•
Increases brown fat[ix], which increases metabolism and burns
energy to produce heat, which doesn’t happen with regular white
fat[x]. Mitochondria are brown in colour.
•
Increased norepinephrine, or adrenaline, which is a hormone
that boosts your energy, focus, mood and sleep cycles[xi]. It can
also trigger neurogenesis, which improves your memory[xii].
•
Increases your tolerance to stress through the body’s mechanism
for hardening[xiii]. This makes your body more capable of
handling oxidative stress and exposure to harmful stimuli, such as
temperature, disease, toxins etc.
•
Teaches your body to generate its own heat and allows you to
control your autonomic nervous system.
•
Cold showers wake you up in the morning unlike anything else.
It’s not like a shot of espresso. It’s more of a polar plunge that zaps
you out of your slumber at an instant. By the same token, cold
showers before bed knock you out like an elephant-tranquilizer
and improve the quality of your sleep.
In addition to the physiological and mood-enhancing benefits, taking
cold showers makes you more disciplined. Doing this every day develops
mental toughness and more willpower. You’ll become comfortable being
uncomfortable and can dwell in discomfort for as long as your will
allows you to.
Having a cold shower in the morning will make everything later in
the day so much easier. You’ve already done something quite hard and
will thus not be afraid of anything. You become ruthlessly effective and
like an ice-cold killer.
How to Take Cold Showers
The first thing you have to do is make a conscious decision of starting
to take cold showers. It’s a choice that’s difficult to make and requires
courage. But once you choose to make it a habit, you give yourself the
power to deliberately lead your own life.
Remember this though, once you pick up the task, there’s no turning
back. To get the long-lasting benefits, you have to make it a part of who
you are. No hesitations, no excuses, no “I’ll just skip it for the day” and
no blind spots.
There are 2 parts to getting used to the cold
•
One is the purely physical adaptation and getting used to lower
temperatures. You have to condition your body by exposing
yourself to the cold like with any other training.
•
The second part is mental. Your mind will try to fight back at you
every second of it. If you listen to your own voice of self-doubt and
give in to fear, then you won’t be able to muster enough courage
or willpower either. You have to realize that it’s not going to harm
you but will actually make you better.
Tips for Taking Cold Showers
•
Just breathe. Do box breathing under the shower – two birds with
one stone.
•
Visualize success. Don’t think about how bad it’s going to be.
Instead, think about all of the benefits you’re going to get and
envision yourself being perfectly fine.
•
Just do it. The longer you think about it the more anxiety you’ll
create. It won’t get easier and you won’t be able to get it over with
by simply standing there. At some point you simply have to take
the plunge and do it.
•
Don’t freeze or tense up. Your immediate reaction to the cold is
to stiff up and become paralyzed. You’ll start shivering and moving
around like crazy. This is a mistake because you’re teaching your
body and mind to cause a habitual response. If you tense up every
time, then you’ll never get used to it.
•
Yield to the cold. Becoming a Spartan will give you the right
mindset, but to actually adapt to the freeze, you must not fight it.
You have to become vulnerable and yield to the cold. Fully accept
it for what it is. Feel how the water is falling down on your face
and what effect it has. Do you get scared, want to escape or are
you completely calm and relaxed? You’ll actually start noticing
stuff about your body you previously didn’t. It’s like a practice of
becoming more mindful and experiencing the present moment.
Quite magical.
Cold Showers VS Hot Showers
At first you may not have enough courage or strength to jump right in.
If that’s so, then you can have what’s called a Scottish Shower, like
James Bond. He started off with hot water, washed his hair, amazed
over himself, did some other stuff and then finished off with ice cold
water.
This is a great first step for getting used to the cold.
•
Begin with warm water
•
Dwell in it for 20-30 seconds
•
Turn it all the way up until it gets hot
•
Switch to the ice cold polar opposite
•
Allow yourself to cool
•
Wait until it starts to get freezing
•
Endure through it for 20-30 seconds
•
Swap back to hot water
•
Repeat for about 5 minutes
•
Always finish off with cold…
If we were to endure low temperatures, then we would have to have a
body that knows how to create its own heat. In the contemporary world
it happens less and less as we have the opportunity to turn up the
central heating and always cover ourselves with fluffy clothing.
By not being exposed to cold weather, the body will eventually lose its
ability in heat regulation or at least decrease its efficiency at it. To not
lose this vital skill we ought to voluntarily train cold thermogenesis.
As we adapt to the cold, the muscles in the cardiovascular system are
conditioned. Our blood flow improves throughout the body and the
efficiency of our heart increases.
How to Level Up Your Cold Exposure
To begin we have already learned one of the fundamentals to doing this.
Breathing is essential here as well because it will directly allow us to
become conscious of our autonomic nervous system and take control of
it. In so doing, we will be able to resist the immediate desire to escape
the cold and not give in to its freezing effects.
By staying mindful of our respiratory process we will be able to
maintain our control and reign supreme over the temperatures.
Small veins restrict blood flow. With exposure to cold you can condition
the veins to get larger and allow more warm blood to reach the
extremities. As you progress through the stages of the cold exercises,
you will begin to understand the body on a deeper level.
• Phase 1 cold shower after a hot one. Try to control your breaths
and lungs. Instead of gasping breathe with ease. Regular practice
will improve your arteries and conditions the entire vascular
system.
• Phase 2 straight to cold showers. Before you even begin, your
body temperature will already drop because of your mind
anticipating it. Our thoughts have that much power over our
physiology. That’s why it’s important to first master our mind.
Breathe naturally and you will be able to steer your mind towards
adaptation and consciously regulating the autonomic nervous
system. Forcing it doesn’t work because of the body will begin to
fight back.
• Phase 3 ice water immersion. Add in visualizations. Visualize
heat generating within your body just before you enter. With every
breath, make this sensation more intense and keep your mind
focused on the heat. Stay in the cold water for as long as it feels
comfortable. If you feel pain or uneasiness, then it’s time to get
out and wait for the next time.
• Phase 4 cold-hot contrasting. There are immense benefits to
some heat exposure as well. It stimulates the lympathic system,
which will detoxify your cells from waste material. Combining it
with cold exposure will improve cardiac functioning and promotes
blood circulation. The best way to do it is to have a 15-20 minute
sauna session, followed by an ice cold shower or a plunge into an
ice bath for a few minutes. Then you repeat it for a few extra
rounds.
To maintain control over the core temperature, you have to
influence the body by steering the hypothalamus, the thermostat in
the brain.
• The hypothalamus is a part of the Limbic System – the seat of our
emotions.
• What influences our emotions? Our thoughts and perceptions –
how we perceive and think about the things that happen to us.
• Ergo, change the way you associate the situation in your mind and
you change the way you perceive the situation. Which in this case
is the cold.
Attain this Jedi-like concentration and you won’t even notice the cold or
any other external stimuli.
Imagine heat in your lower stomach. With each breath you’re inhaling
fire, that fills your body, and exhale out the cold. Go to somewhere
warm with your thoughts. Not to a beach, but rather focus on your inner
furnace.
This is a prime-example of body mind empowerment.
Conclusion
Body Mind Empowerment is a discipline of physical and mental personal
development.
It’s learning about the innate nature of our physiology and influencing
it with our psychology and vice versa. Biohacking is a tool for optimizing
our health and increasing performance.
You as a self-empowered being will use different techniques and
strategies to augment and enhance your life. Not just for your personal
well-being, but so that in so doing you could be an inspiration to others
to do the same.
This Handbook is just a foundational collection of best practices we
should all be doing no matter what. I mean, our modernity is already
overly abundant and there are no excuses to poor fitness or lack of selfcontrol.
Although the beginning of your empowerment journey, there are many
ways you can take this further.
• Join our Facebook group
• Check out my books and products!
• Check out my Udemy courses.
Consider contacting me for 1-on-1 individual coaching services. I
offer:
•
Customized nutrition programs
•
Customized workout programs
•
High performance practices
•
Paradigm and mindset shifts
•
Greater accountability and support
•
Assistance in structuring routines
•
Help in breaking bad habits and building new ones
If you’re interested, then schedule our first call for free through this
link.
I’m sure you’ve found this handbook of great value and I’m sure you’re
going to keep in touch.
•
YouTube Channel
•
Facebook Page
•
Facebook Group
•
Instagram Page
•
Twitter
Stay Empowered
Siim