Body-Mind Balance with Tips Part 1

Have you ever felt a blissful state, as if every atom in the body works in unison to support you as you go about your day?

This is what I call being in a FLOW state. You are beaming with full energy, everything comes so naturally and effortlessly.

From my experience, the greater the feeling of well-being when biology (physical) and psychology (mental and emotional) support each other!

Taking good self care daily and prioritizing this have great long term benefits.

To be truly fulfilled in a long lasting life, your body and mind health needs to be at its heart!

If you remember that it was not always like that for me. But life has taught me well. Now I am sharing my experience so you can greatly improve the way you experience yourself in every given moment. Life is too precious to suffer. This is only an option you do not need to go for anymore! You can choose how you want to feel.

It is time to embrace its counterpart!

Body That Support Mind

From a physical standpoint, maintaining optimal energy levels is a key! As I could experience this on many occasions, when I am tired my mind is likely to “attack” me and take control by dropping to my old patterns which do not serve me. Now I understand that in order to have that mind working for me, my energy needs to be maintained at a sufficient level.

Similar applies when we are sick as it directly impairs cellular energy production. We have all experienced that, haven't we?

Therefore I wouldn't be wrong when I say that energy and health become synonyms. Here health does not mean just the absence of disease, but a vibrant health!

Who We Are?

I need to say being sick for me is a fading memory only now. I still periodically experience tiredness and work on this to improve too!

It is good to mention that our bodies are sophisticated solar powered machinery, hybrid vehicles fueled by fat and glucose need daily maintenance to make sure all hardware and software (microbiome, hormones, neurotransmitters, fluids, bones, organs and tissues) are in a good working order.

That includes the right type of food and ratio of macro and micronutrients, hydration, activity/rest ratio aka stress management and of course a great night of sleep.

Lifestyle Matters

I will always be a proponent of a simple and natural approach. Also being proactive and preventing unwanted states in the first place. That requires understanding and nourishing to give your body what is needed in a way your genes expect you to do it!

Our role and responsibility is to create that right environment for their optimal expression so you can be the best version of you!

Our bodies need a stimulus for its optimal function. That requires incorporating challenging times too, as genes expect us to move - definitely sedentary lifestyle and watching TV are not written in our DNA. As well as constant eating during the day and nightlife!

My daily practices are to ensure that my metabolism is at the right pace. That includes activities: morning cold exposure (cold bath) and sauna later the day, walking (including barefoot) and my kung fu training outside while exposed to direct sunlight first thing in the morning to set circadian clock properly. Also I move or exercise regularly (every hour for up to 10min) when I have a seated job to maintain the blood flow. After training, always rest to bring the heart rate down ASAP. Good night of sleep is my all time top of the list. I was underestimating the importance of it for far too long as if it was a waste of time. Body needs a rhythm so it can efficiently carry on all necessary metabolic processes so we can function well. A lot of those processes are happening at night with great quality sleep!

Food, What and How Much?

My belief is not far from true is that we eat too much, too often, wrong type of food (processed) in a wrong manner (fast/mindlessly).

To use full body potential it is essential to use a different energy source both from the body and plate. I ensure that every day I use both strategies. This requires skillfully using that metabolic switch between fat storage and fat utilization. When constantly eating, it is impossible to enable stored sources like glycogen and white adipose tissue to be used. Plus remember the fact that food these days which is highly processed makes it difficult to be read by the genes. This causes inflammation (usually precursor of diseases).

Body needs regular breaks to digest all that information provided from food and heal from inflammation if necessary and to tap into the storage we carry within. The ketosis (fat burning mode) feels good as the brain loves ketones (fat energy molecules). The best practice which works for me is to cycle regular in and out from it.

To do it I create a small feeding window (6-8 hrs) for my daily food intake in my low physical activity days - where I have plenty of healthy fat, moderate protein and few healthy carbs (mainly leafy greens and berries). All time outside this window is allowing the body to process it.

Also it is important to understand that metabolism is a fast learner and is a very adaptive mechanism, which means that after doing the same thing all over again it will slow it down as it gets used to this pattern. That is why once or twice a week usually on my super active day (when I hit gym and cycling) I switch to frequent but smaller meals ensure they are full of healthy carbs (tons of veggies and starch - I prefer rice).

So to recap - when I move more I eat more, when I move less I eat less.

I highly recommend the above strategy, but if you have preexisting conditions of course before any change, this has to be addressed first. So please consult with your physician.

As for what to eat, the golden rule is to always eat pure, organic, from naturally grown and fed sources which are rich of nutrients our genes can recognize. You cannot go wrong with this approach!

Rule number one is to treat your body as a temple, a sacred vehicle which runs better and longer based on the fuel you supply and your driving style.

When you take care of it, it will take care of you!

These are just a few tips but make the whole of the difference in the way you feel.

Happy Discoveries <3