4 Habits to BOOST WELLNESS

Dr. Rhonda Patrick, PhD is a biochemist who has a passion for aging research, optimum nutrition, and the prevention of cancer. Her mission statement is  "encourage the wider public to think about health and longevity using a proactive, preventative approach." She hosts the Found My Fitness podcast and is very active on her Instagram account dropping wellness nuggets on a weekly basis.  The following points are based on takeaways from her interview with Tim Ferris and notes from her podcast show notes. 

1)Use of cold exposure to promote well-being is an ancient practice dating back many centuries (check out my book review of 'My Water Cure' https://everfit.co.nz/articles/everfit-book-review-my-water-cure-by-sebastian-kneipp). Regular cold exposure may improve fat metabolism, decrease inflammation, improve immune function, and improve cognitive performance. These positive effects could be due to hormesis which is a favourable biological response to a mild stressor. The simplest way to introduce cold therapy to your daily habits is to take cold showers. Start with the final 10-30sec of the shower cold and increase until the entire shower is cold. I've been taking cold morning showers since 2015 and love the way I feel exiting the shower; I liken it to having a double espresso shot without the jitters. I feel invigorated and primed to make the most of the day. Progressing the cold therapy to include swimming in a cold ocean, river, or lake will amplify the feel good vibes and wellness benefits. 

2)Cut out refined sugar and triple the amount of vegetables you take in on a daily basis. Most people in Western countries consume too much highly processed food which is devoid of nutrient value, fibre, and high in sugar, salt, and poor quality fats. Vegetables have been shown to be protective for many of the lifestyle diseases we are dealing with. Increasing vegetable content increases nutrient and fibre intake, and can help prevent obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. If I was going to give society three words to improve our societies diet it would be EAT MORE VEGETABLES. Don't get set in a nutritional camp (vegan, LCHF, Keto, etc) look at tweaking your daily intake to maximise nutritionally power packed plants and shy away from ultra processed crap. You are what you eat.

3)Time restricted eating within a 9-12 hr time frame that fits with your lifestyle.  Rather than jump straight into fasting for 24hrs try having a 12 hr window (for example 7pm to 7am) free from eating then increase to 15hrs once or twice a week. Studies have shown that limiting your eating to smaller periods during a 24hr period can have benefits including decreased fat mass, increased lean muscle, reduced inflammation, and protection from obesity. Over the last few years I have attempted to limit my after dinner snacking to tighten the eating window and I enjoy a longer fast of 18-20hrs once a week for increased autophagy, and digestive rest benefits. Check out my fasting article here https://everfit.co.nz/articles/fast-for-wellness

4)Take a Vitamin D supplement. Vit D is a pro hormone that controls over 1000 different genes in our bodies. The primary source of Vit D is through UVB radiation from the sun (mushrooms also have this ability). As we age we produce less Vit D, a 70 year old produces 4 x less Vit D compared to a 20 year old. Another compromising factor to our ability to utilise Vit D is body fat percentage. A recent study showed that daily supplementation of 2000IU improved CV fitness (increasing maximal O2 consumption) by 28% and increased muscle strength by 18% after 60 days compared to the control group (made up of identical twins!) that were given a placebo. The more fat we carry the more Vit D is stored in the fat and less is released into the blood stream. During the winter most people should be supplementing with Vit D. Latest recommendations suggest we should be getting 4000IU/daily. If you would like more information on the importance of Vitamin D click on this link to an article I wrote https://everfit.co.nz/articles/vitamin-d-the-super-enhancer

So what are you waiting for? Turn your shower to cold, eat more vegetables, limit snacking after dinner, and go for that lunch time walk to catch some sunlight. If you are interested in changing your daily habits so they accumulate improving your well-being, then please get in touch. I love working with people towards improved holistic health that benefits not only yourself but our planet #expansivewellness #VitD #plantpower #fast #cold 

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Dr. Rhonda Patrick taking a green juice