Achieving maximum health in The Matrix (part 1)

Its an uphill battle for all of us from the start, so no excuses

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note: I was going to do this all in one article but it got so long I decided to break it up into two, with this being the primer on the basics only, building up the pyramid in part 2

If you haven't already, check out a recent article of mine going deep into some philosophical, psychological and more importantly practical aspects of surviving and expanding in this matrix reality. The link is here:

Understanding the deeper reality to navigate the matrix

That was the mental and spiritual aspect and here is the practical health aspect. Achieving above average health is crucial to giving a fighting chance of success here in this reality. I think we can all agree on that! Not much is worse than being sick constantly, fatigued, overweight and depressed. Sadly this is a reality for a large portion of the American population and this is trending globally as unhealthy Western habits spread to the furthest recesses of the world.

I say its uphill because with rare exception we grow up learning unhealthy habits from a very young age. Things that used to be delicacies are handed out like candy, literally. As in tons of candy, soda, ice cream, sugary cereals and fast food. This was my reality, and I would consider myself in the top 5% in terms of health in the U.S. But it wasn't always that way. I'm a testament that if you make little improvements over time, you can not only attain basic health but extend far beyond that.

Because as we all know the matrix can be a depressing and confusing place, but it can also be hacked and optimized beyond most people's wildest dreams.

One step at a time

A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step.

Here's the technical aspects. You don't have to know how to read every ingredient on a food label. You will be fooled, constantly on the journey into making poor choices that appear beneficial. You don't need to count and weigh every meal (although it might be very beneficial short term). You don't need to count your steps, count your macros or spend tons of money on a dietician.

You just need to start with the most important things first, the fundamentals, the basics. This forms the ground floor of the pyramid of knowledge. Without the stable foundation it will invariably crumble.

I derived it down to 5 basics that will form the base of the structure. Your mental, physical and spiritual health is that structure. And since they are the fundamentals they must be exercised repeatedly, daily and hourly if possible. They are:

1. Breathing
2. Basic Nutrition
3. Basic Movement
4. Sleep
5. Stress Control

You will notice that these are nothing special but I assure you that 90% of global health problems arise from deficiencies and failures in these key areas!

Any athletes know that as boring as "the fundamentals" are, they are also the key to success on the field / court as inconsistency is the product of shaky basics, and inconsistency with health and wellness is the prime stimulus for being unwell.

Don't hold your breath

Breathing is the most overlooked skill and tool as is it widely misunderstood how to breath properly and what it does for you. This is the simplest way to put it: we are all aware that stress, anxiety, depression and the associated issues that come along with these. This creates fear and procrastination, a defensive posture to life, which means aggressors will run all over you if you let this happen. And what happens when scary things happen in real life? What happens when someone jumps out and scares you at night? You breath in sharply. When really cold water hits you, you breath in sharply, when you're tense during a scary movie, you hold your breath. Do you see the pattern? Stress creates shallow breathing. We need full breathing. Now the opposite of the spectrum: you find out you passed a crucial exam that you didn't know if you would...you breath a sigh of relief. The action hero in the movie narrowly avoids death...he breaths out a sigh of relief. Here's the key: when you are stressed and uncomfortable you typically have shallow breathing or held breath. This type of breathing, the shallow, semi-choked and inefficient way, produces all types of health problems over time.

• It causes lower circulation of oxygen through the body...not good
• It builds up carbon dioxide which is one of the main reasons we have to exhale...not good
• it can create an acidic environment which is associated with disease
• it induces stress much like the anxiety you get when holding your breath underwater for too long

Pay attention to your breathing constantly until it becomes a habit. Notice when you're breathing shallowly. Practice deep breathing and full exhalation and notice how much calmer and energized you feel.

Nutrition 101

Nutrition can be as simple or overly complicated as you want it. As someone who has studied it for years I can tell you first hand, there are twists and turns and entire fields of study that could take a lifetime each. And you still wouldn't know barely a thing about all of it.

Let's keep it simple and focus on being 1% better each day. This can be something as simple as making sure to drink a glass of water first thing in the morning, every morning. Or deciding consciously against that extra creamer in the gas station coffee. Very small details, compounded over time. Here are the basics:

• There are 5 macronutrient categories. They are fats, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins / minerals, and water. One of these we do not need to survive and that is carbohydrates. That doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't eat them but its important that the one nutrient that is not crucial to life is also the one that is in the crosshairs publicly these days; that is sugar. So right off the bat we know that we must have the other 4 so focus on them.

• Just eating more fruits and vegetables is great, but its certainly not enough long term. Your body needs plenty of fat and protein too. Plants tend to be low in both. This is why diversity is key. Remember the 1% rule. That 1% could be as simple as choosing a vegetable that you don't usually eat, like radishes or squash, and choosing that over the usual suspects. You're expanding your pallet but more importantly you're expanding your nutrient diversity. Go for different colors, experiment, but don't overthink it.

• Water is the the staple in the entire diet. Water needs to be drank, throughout the day if possible, every day possible. Dehydration can come quickly especially if you live in hot / dry / high altitude. Dehydration is the most common and worst event possible in the foundation. How does any place on earth look without water? Arid, dehydrated, brown and dead.

• The last thing on nutrition is to slowly increase knowledge. Try new recipes along with the new foods. Buy a few books on nutrition and health. People should be reading this stuff anyway in my opinion. People will cram three hours of studying for 10+ years of life, but then can't spend 20 minutes a day learning how to be healthy? To me that's just a sad, sad affair. Unless of course you really don't care and in that case don't be surprised when you're sick I guess.

Get moving

You don't need to run five miles (yet). You don't need to get a gym membership. You need to simply do what kids always do (or at least used to) and that is move!. Walk, stretch, hike, jumping jacks, it doesn't matter, just move your body throughout the day. Oh and most of the time you probably won't want to, because its easier to sit. The easy way is always the way our Ego minds want us to go. So know that you might have to force it and get moving. Usually when you get moving you start enjoying it anyway, because the body likes moving. Your soul likes moving. You're not a tree. Of course its good for you physically as for stress relief but there are countless other benefits.

Zzzzz

Insomnia and sleep disturbances are incredibly prevalent as society moves to a fast-paced digtal matrix-within-a-matrix reality. The screens are addictive. They change the brain waves (literally) and could be considered the opposite of meditation. We're in a spaced, programmable state. We are open to suggestion, hypnotized. Then we see the commercial for McDonald's and the rest is history.

All of this stress and stimulation builds up through the day and then, like clockwork, people can't sleep. Just look at how many people are on sleeping pills these days. According to this Time news article 50-70 million Americans have sleep disorders or deprivation. That's roughly a quarter of the population...so off the bat 25% of people are missing at least one fundamental.

The main point I'd make about sleep is don't get in the mindset where you feel like you're some sort of champion because you're rushing around sacrificing your sleep and health as if its a good thing. Maybe short term you can get some big projects done but long term sleep deprivation, to me is nothing more than a clever way for society to convince workers to go past their limits...similar to how a horse can be whipped well past exhaustion. But sooner or later it falls apart.

6-8 hours, in a room as dark as a cave, with no distractions or electronics nearby especially lights of any kind. If you're deprived, take a nap here and there. You can even master 20 minute power naps and practice falling asleep quickly.

using the human release valve hacks

The last foundation is stress management. Each fundamental wraps into the others and affects the whole, and stress is probably the most important. Stress relief is like the glue that holds the foundation in place (hopefully more like concrete). If you're super-stressed, which is a real issue it will result in shallowed and gaspy breathing, sleep disruption, and most importantly fear and anxiety which leads to freezing as in sitting on the couch worrying while eating sugary "comfort foods".

Ultimately as I explained in my other article (sourced at the start) stress, anxiety and the feelings of pressure that affect us all are purely mental. Lots of people don't want to accept this because its a very personal and no-bullshit mentality. It means that there might not be an easy pill, powder or drink to make the bad man go away.

It takes hard work. This is the hardest part of the foundation really, because its something that we are literally feeling 24 hours a day, even during sleep. Its our thoughts and because of the stimulation from society they are generally out of control and coming through in droves. We've all heard people say it "my mind is just racing, because I have ADD". No, you don't "have" ADD. You just don't have a well controlled and mastered mind. Let's change that.

And best of all, its completely free so the excuses generally fly out the window. Basic stress relief involves focusing on your breathing. In. Out. In. Out. Its very mezmorizing. In. Out. After awhile, this will become a habit, and then you're stress relief will start to expand throughout the day! Its like any habit at all. At first you have to constantly remind yourself to do it, but then it becomes automatic and that's part of the 1% philosophy. While you're at it buy a book on stress relief techniques here and there.

In conclusion...

So those are the basics. Master those, slowly, day by day. Decision to decision, creating habits and removing poor ones. 1% better each day. Just a little bit. A little bit more knowledge here, more controlled breathing there, a little bit more water throughout the day...less stress...better sleep....more energy, more confidence to go out and go for your goals. And I promise you, your health will reach new levels and unlock abilities you probably never dreamed of.

Part 2 coming shortly