MB #006: What I Would Do If I Was Starting My Health Journey From Scratch

Read time: ~7 Minutes

Hey friends,

Honestly, I think the fitness industry is consistently failing humanity.

There are a lot of reasons I believe this so strongly, but one of the top reasons is we've created a world of polarization of ideologies that makes it more confusing than ever for a man to know what to do to get and stay healthy.

People are wondering; should I do a low-fat or a low-carb diet? Paleo? Keto? Vegan? Carnivore? Should I do intermittent fasting or do I need to eat within 30 minutes of waking up? And these are just a few examples.

Here's the reality though, the people who are most successful in any sphere of life are the ones who are radical about executing the basics with consistency.

We get so caught up with the details that we don't just do the simple things that if done with consistency over time, will compound into greater health.

I recently talked with a friend of mine on their finance podcast about the correlations between finance and fitness, and this topic of execution with consistency over time is one of our primary topics. You can listen to that here.

Many of you have heard me talk about the basics a lot, but it's worth me being the 'Chief Reminding Officer' of these truths.

So what are the basics? Let's break each one down.

Here's what I would do if I had to start from scratch with a brand new health journey - and I would continue these indefinitely:

1. I would drink a gallon of water per day. This is a generalization, some need more, and few need less, but aiming for a gallon a day with proper electrolytes is usually a great idea for most people. I will typically add and encourage others to add trace minerals and a pinch of pink Himalayan salt to aid hydration. This is going to improve mood, and mental clarity, help metabolism, sleep, exercise, etc. The body is ~70% water and most people are chronically dehydrated and have ZERO clue. I would also skip the tap water. Tap water usually has all sorts of contaminants - often in small "safe" amounts, but no one is assessing the prolonged compounding effects of many of these, nor are they as well regulated as I believe they should be. Additionally, the water itself might be "okay" according to skewed standards (IMHO), but the piping the water runs through isn't healthy. A quick google search can show you the downside of the water pipelines themselves. As far as contaminants go, here's a short list of what has been found in various tap waters tested: Arsenic, Chlorine, Fluoride, heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides, water softening, nitrates, radon, bacteria, pharmaceutical drugs, etc.

2. I would develop the habit of working out every single day - even if that’s only 20 push-ups on your “days off”. This will develop your consistency and discipline to exercise no matter the seasons or demands of life. When you develop the habit with something small like pushups, it's like a gateway drug. Pushups can be done anywhere, any time, any season of life, they take less than 2 minutes, and barring a major injury or illness there's nothing that would stop you from being able to do them. If you become someone who does them automatically because it's so habitual, it makes the step of executing a full daily workout, much much easier.

3. I would walk with my family 3-7x/week for 30-60 minutes. You’ll burn fat, reduce stress and anxiety, get fresh air, and see God’s creation. Physical, emotional, and spiritual health wrapped up in one action. Walking will help you clear your mind, digest food, breathe more oxygen by being out in nature, and so much more. If you want to optimize this even further I will disconnect from all devices (phone, apple watch, etc) so that there's no EMF around, and I'll walk barefoot. I do this because the negative ion charge from bare feet on the ground has been shown in 20+ published research studies in medical journals, to help alleviate inflammation and more.

4. I would aim to train with free weights 3-6x/week for 30+ minutes. Focus on progressive overload and periodization. Progressive overload - if I were to oversimplify it - is adding more weight or reps progressively over time, to increase the demand on the muscle as it adapts. Periodization is modifying the volume of your loads every 12-16 weeks as you adapt. I would also squat in every session (most of the time with light weight) because squatting is one of the most primal/native movements to the human body’s design. I would opt to choose weights over cardio any day, and there are countless reasons for this that I plan to unpack in a later Mission Briefing edition.

5. I would go to bed at the same time every day and wake up at the same time every day so that I can leverage my circadian rhythm. Having regular sleep and wake times will help you fall asleep faster, and wake up more rested (sometimes without an alarm). It will also help your body get into deep sleep and REM sleep more effectively, maximizing your time in bed. I would get 7-8 hours of sleep and focus on cutting caffeine by 12 pm and eating my last meal/snack by 6-7 pm (if bedtime was 9-10 pm).

6. I would cut out any food that comes in a package that has more than 2 ingredients and aim for single-ingredient whole foods. Typically if it doesn't live in the outer ring of the grocery store it's probably not something I would opt to buy/eat. I would cut refined sugar and cut any calorie-containing beverage, especially alcohol. Drinking calories is one of the worst things if you're trying to stay healthy and fit. Alcohol has significant implications on your health, even if you only drink 1 drink per week. Here's a great podcast on alcohol that I highly recommend.

7. I would fast for at least 12+ hours per day. Give your gut a rest so it can heal and repair the gut lining, help promote autophagy, increase cognition, improve sleep, and limit your eating window to reduce excess caloric intake due to bad habits or mindless snacking. For me, I stop eating at 6 pm, I wake up and exercise in a fasted state after my morning bible reading and prayer time (and black coffee), and usually, I will break my fast with my post-workout protein shake and greens around 7, and eat breakfast an hour or 2 later - pending work schedules.

8. I would do cold water therapy 2-3x/week at minimum. First of all, getting into cold water or taking a cold shower is HARD. And we live in a day and age where everything is freaking easy. We have it easy. We're never uncomfortable. The moment we get cold we pop the button on the thermostat a few degrees and boom, we're comfortable again. We have all the clothes and food we could ever desire. The world is at our fingertips. And yet people are more anxious, stressed, lazy, unhealthy, sick, and entitled than ever before. So the #1 benefit for me with cold therapy has been staying comfortable being uncomfortable. It helps me prevent anxiety and I find that I'm way more adaptable to the changes happening around me every day when I'm consistent with this. There's also a whole slew of physiological benefits like improved immune function, fat loss, recovery from workouts, dopamine and adrenaline responses, mental clarity and focus, and more.

These are the basics. You'll notice there wasn't any talk of powerlifting, HIIT training, CrossFit, marathon racing, or some other "special" kind of workout. There wasn't mention of keto, paleo, low carb, carnivore, or any other fad diets. There wasn't mention of these expensive tools or devices. Just the basics. Eat nutritious whole food, drink water, sleep well, only eat half the day, lift some heavy stuff, get uncomfortable and cold, and go on walks. It's simple.

That said just because it's simple doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be easy. You'll need good habits and good systems to help you create and maintain those habits.

If you're ready to master your health and would find value in an environment with synthesized content, simple pathways to developing content, a great community, and all the workout and nutrition programs and coaching you need - consider joining one of our coaching pathways.

Lead the way,

Chris