Sunday Story…The last 3 (sleep!)

Okay, the last 3 things that complete our discussion of living longer better are about your mental health. It’s no good to be fit and eat right if we feel like something the cat brought in, our relationships are in the tank and we can’t sleep.

Let’s start with sleep. Many of us got the message that we didn’t need to sleep…4 hours is plenty! Less sleep results in more time for work, right? Wrong!!! Inadequate sleep is a death knell for a healthy fit lifestyle. When we sleep our body repairs itself. When we sleep our mind rejuvenates and finds new pathways of creativity. When we sleep, we allow our entire being to find a new set point.

So how do we sleep better? First, establish a bedtime “ritual”. Do the same things every night on your way to bed…take your vitamins, and brush your teeth. Then get in bed to sleep. Second, do this at the same time every night. Third, wake up at the same time every morning. Here are some more tips and tricks…Sleep in a completely dark room, try to sleep in a room about 68 degrees (if you are cold get a blanket), turn off all devices at least 30 minutes before bed, and limit alcohol consumption.

I highly recommend “Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival ” by T.S. Wiley. This book lays out the science of sleep. I found it fascinating.

Sleep well! Sleep more!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

 

 Sunday Story…More Food

 

This is our last Installment on food…First was Eat Real Food. The Second was Eat less (NO!) sugar. And the third…Eat to Perform. And what I mean by that is you need to eat in a way that fuels your activity. Overeating is an epidemic. Not only does the Standard American Diet (SAD) contain Calorie Rich And Pathetic (CRAP) food, but we also flat-out eat too much.

What do you do in the course of your day? Maybe you work out for an hour, do a little walking around (take the dog out) and then sit around for 10 or 12 hours. Depending on your energy expenditure in that workout hour your calorie burn for the day isn’t 5000. But if you eat 5000 calories and burn 2000 you have a caloric surplus. Unlike a bucket that is full and will overflow, your body keeps all those calories for a rainy day. Our modern life never gives us a rainy day. We live in a world of overabundance. No one reading this (I am guessing) is in danger of forced starvation. If you miss a meal, it’s usually by choice or happenstance. The problem is you, as a human, have been hard-wired by millennia of scarcity to overeat when food is abundant because it won’t always be that way. But now it is.

You need to eat the right amount of food to fuel your activity level. And you need to eat the right food for your activity level. For that information, I refer you to my first two articles on food. But here it is in a nutshell…eat protein, some fat, and a little carbohydrate…source the food from sources that don’t carry labels…eat only enough to keep moving.

I know there are forces at work that are making this very difficult…advertising, preconceived ideas, emotional connections around food, and many others, but in essence, it is simple. Just not easy.

Living longer better is not about deprivation or scarcity or lack. It is about playing the Long game. If you want to be healthy and vital as you age (and you are going to age anyway!) you will find the road much easier if you eat in a way that serves your long-term goal.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…More Food!

 The second of 3 pillars around food (#1 was Eat Real Food!) is Eat Like a Neanderthal! If we do the first thing (real food) there are still things we need to avoid on our path to a longer, better life. And I hate to tell you that you need to avoid sugar. And it isn’t going to be easy because sugar is everywhere and your brain and body are programmed to want it and love it.

 Way back in our ancestry someone got ahold of some honeycomb and found it delicious. Fortunately, there wasn’t honeycomb to be found on every corner. To get some was work and probably some pain (the bees aren’t giving it up without a fight!). But our brains and bodies knew this food source was rich in calories and a way to get needed energy in a small package.

Today the honeycomb is everywhere and in everything…spaghetti sauce in a jar? Added sugar. Some things are apparent…frosted doughnuts? Brownies? Full of sugar. But wait! It isn’t just the sugar…all those carbohydrates turn into sugar when your system gets through with breaking them down.

The answer to the problem is simple…eat meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and NO sugar. Keep intake to a level to support movement and exercise but not body fat. Now you are going to start…what about…(fill in the blank…pasta, cake, etc.) and I am going to point you to what I just wrote.

This is not rocket science. But it is a big departure from the way most people currently eat. It will take some planning and effort…just like everything else in life!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

 Sunday Story…Eat!

Real Food. 

There are 9 things you must do on your path to Living Longer Better…3 of them are physical, 3 of them are food or nutrition related, and 3 of them are mental or emotional.

 We’ve covered the physical things at great lengths…long, slow distance, lift weights, and go really hard and fast once in a while.  We could spend hours just on this topic.

Let’s tackle food/nutrition today. Food is simple. But our relationship with food is anything but simple. We are all carrying around baggage in regard to our eating.  Maybe you had to be part of the “clean plate club.” Maybe you were shamed when you ate certain things. Or you were made fun of when you consumed certain kinds of food. We end up with all kinds of weird head trips around food.

Here is the first rule of thumb around food…Eat Real Food! If it comes in a can, bottle, or box and it has a nutritional label it probably isn’t real food. Broccoli does not come with a label. That New York Strip? No label. Head of Lettuce? Again, no label. And don’t start whining about having to cook it. Cooking is not hard. Especially these days when you can put a few ingredients into a search engine and get dozens of recipes. Follow the instructions and see what happens. It really isn’t rocket science.

Start simple. Cook an egg, maybe some bacon and you’ve got a passable breakfast. Take some lettuce and a few more favorites (tomatoes, cucumbers, olives) add a bit of Olive Oil and some lemon juice, and Bang! It’s a salad. Open a can of good tuna (the exception to the things in a can rule!) and throw that on the salad and you’ve hit all the essential parts of a healthy meal.

I will expound on this next week.

Eat with intention, ease, and enjoyment.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412