The Foundation
Without a formidable body, the mind has nothing to stand on. Taking care of the body, as you would a car, is important as when you are stressed to the limit, you will need the engine running strong. And even more importantly, putting the right foods in your body is probably the most important advice to take away from this book.
The purpose of food is to provide fuel. The mind uses energy to stay disciplined and focused. Its ok to let go and have a “cheat” day with the intent of giving yourself a break from the structure and routine. A change of routine also provides different perspective for the body and mind. Breaking routine and the same thought pattern is also helpful for mental sanity.
Another necessary ingredient: Sleep. Exactly 0% of humans can successfully function off of less than 7 hours of sleep for a prolonged period of time, without health issues cultivating under the surface. Sleep recharges, but it also helps rid the brain of toxins and stressors that came up from the day’s trials.
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When the brain is confronted with certain daily fight or flight stressors, like facing stress at work, driving in rush hour, or getting into a verbal confrontation with someone else ignites the brain’s stress response. Go back to a point in time you felt agitated from some sort of stressor. For the rest of the day, did you feel “off” or not entirely yourself? The reason for this is that your brain is still processing from the rush of chemicals released into the brain from that external stressor. Once you wake up, the following morning, from a restful night sleep, your likely noticed you are not as upset about what occurred the day before. Like the saying “time heals all wounds.” Its not time that heals wounds, rather, its sleep.
Like the need to have a routine for food intake, its important to have a sleep routine that recharges you and provides you the energy and focus needed for the following day. When the body gets the right food, its sleeps better. When the body gets the right amount of sleep, you have less sugar cravings and want to eat better.
There may be days that sleep may not be the main priority. So long as this is not ongoing and becomes a habit.
The purpose is not to become an elite specimen, but rather to maintain sanity and confidence through proper exercise, food intake, and sleep — which thereby allows you to be operating at you elite level.
