The Choices we make today will effect us 20 years from today. Another way to understand that statement would be – Today, I’m feeling _(amazing, lousy, energetic, sluggish, free, painful, happy, drained, excited)____ from the choice(s) I made 20 years before today. The book, Outlive, by Peter Attia, explains.
Peter Attia, along with a yoga instructor, also explains a lot of foot and body health in the middle of the book. They suggest, we should be stepping with every corner of the foot. Imagine your foot as a rectangle. When you step, allow each corner of your foot to make contact with the ground, carpet, floor. Try to walk barefoot at least 10 minutes or more each of three times throughout the day. This helps the tendons elongate along the two natural hammocks that line the bottom of our feet.
There’s great knowledge in Outlive by Peter Attia and/or Peter Attia’s “The Drive” podcast recorded April 1, 2024, Episode 296, with guest Courtney Conley, DC.
We do have two brains, one in our skull or cranium, and one in our gut or our digestive tract. There’s a cranial nerve, cranial nerve 10 or X, that begins in our brain stem and dips down into our gut. It’s the vagus nerve. You might have heard of the vagus nerve, but what you may not know is that the vagus nerve helps operate every part of our gut, including stomach, intestines (large and small), the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and the heart and lungs.
The skull’s brain on the other hand, allows thinking, processing, balance, coordination, and houses the 12 cranial nerves. The skull’s brain sends receives sensory messages from itself and from the body, allowing for sending motor impulses out by way of the nervous system.
Our mind (skull brain) can help our body, and our gut brain can help our mind. But, the reverse is also true. When our body is in :fight or flight, freeze or fright” mode, the vagus nerve slows, or shuts down, allowing “fight or flight, freeze or fright” to keep us protected so we have enough energy to ward off what’s attacking us. However, this shut down of the vagus nerve also keeps us from digesting our foods and creating fuel from those foods we eat. Therefore, extended “fight or flight, freeze or fright” mode creates a negative environment for our skull brain, impairing it’s ability to “process and repair” and our gut from “resting and digesting” so it can fuel our skull brain for processing, learning, balance and coordination during movement, and our sensory system navigation.
Think of a person in the hospital. They usually have symptoms of constipation and it used to be they wouldn’t be sent home unless “digestion” is occurring. That “digestion” is known as bowel movements. When the vagus nerve is allowed to rest, it digests.
What we feed our gut, feeds our skull brain. What we feed our brain, mindset, feeds our gut (second brain). It is imperative we allow time for our bodies to rest, process, repair, and digest so the second brain can fuel the repair and learning process.
So, the next time you feel anxiety, stress, worry, be mindful of how that’s affecting your gut (second brain) and your mind (skull brain). Breathe, listen to calming music, focus on the gift and abilities you have. Restore your mind and your body to good breath leading to good health.
Choosing positive thoughts far outweigh negative ones. When you’re in a dark time in your life, remember the smallest of light penetrates the darkness. Choosing to focus your mind on the good, the blessings, the sunshine, the events you’ve overcome will create blossoms of positivity. Those will far outweigh the negative and dark moments. What you focus your mind on, your body and mood will grow those thoughts, turning either into a good body and mood, or a bad / toxic body and mood. The tree grows well in nurturing environments. It will not survive negative environments unless it has roots and has built strength, then it will survive through the poor weather or environmental conditions. Much like a tree, if we focus and surround ourselves with good thoughts, our body and emotions and mind will grow positively. So choose your mindset to dwell on positivity, even when it’s dark. For The Light overcomes the darkness. “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” + John 1:5
Yes. Your body, meaning all body structures, need water to be healthy. The body requires 1/2 your weight in ounces of water daily. Now, if you have a fluid restriction issued by a physician, stick to that amount. Your fluid restriction should primarily be water. Otherwise, humans require 1/2 their weight in ounces of water daily in order for body structures to function correctly Body structures are anything our human bodies have: skin, hair, heart, eyes, brain, bones, muscles, lymphatic system, etc.
Caffeine, tea, coffee, soda pop, juices, milk, additives in water (like the powder packets), etc do not count towards the water intake. Water and small pieces of fruit added to water count toward water.
Take your body weight in pounds, divide that amount in half. That number should be how many ounces of water you drink daily. An individual who weighs 200# should drink 100 ounces daily + 20 ounces once consistent. An individual who weighs 160# should drink 80 ounces daily + 20 ounces once consistent.
Measure and know the ounces of each cup you drink out of. Increase water intake slowly, adding to the daily amount every 3 days. Start with what water you, on average, drank the last 3 days. If its 1 glass (8 oz) of water, then stay at 1 glass (8 oz) daily for 3 days. On the 4th day, increase to 2 glasses (16 oz) each day. On day 7, increase to 3 glasses (24 oz) daily. Keep going until you consistently stay at the total ounces your body requires daily. Once consistent, then add the bonus 20 oz. As your weight and activity fluctuates, so will the required daily water intake.
Drink most of the water 4 hours prior to bedtime, then taper fluid intake. This allows your urinary system to drain before interrupting your sleep. This DOES NOT include teas, coffee, juices, pop, etc.
The digestive system filters out the additives which requires energy and minimal water remains. The lymphatic system is our trash collector and disposer of our body. It’s the garbage trucks that clean off the trash from our sidewalks, or in our body, the trash out of our arms, legs, gut, and brain. Think what happens if the garbage truck drivers put diesel fuel in their gas tanks? The garbage trucks wouldn’t go. Drinking fluids other than primarily water is creating your body into a toxic place for trash to live. Putting water in your body is the best mechanism to remove trash and toxins naturally. Diesel fuel : garbage trucks = trash fluids : toxic human body. Gasoline : garbage trucks = water : human body structures and function.
Remember:
Individuals should be drinking ½ their weight in ounces of water + 20 additional ounces daily. Track the ounces you should drink and are drinking in a journal, on a calendar, somewhere you will remember. Label each bottle you have with a 1, 2, 3, 4, etc for each bottle you must drink. Or use a method to help you get the ounces of water in daily.
Journal how your body feels in the initial 21 days of increasing water hydration.
Tips:
If you drink hot drinks such as coffee, tea, etc, a 94 year old patient started drinking hot water instead. He couldn’t believe how good that tasted.
Another 63 year old lady didn’t realize how much soda pop she and her family were drinking. She calculated the $$ she was spending on soda pop and realized water helped the family’s health, energy level, and huge savings at the grocery store and restaurants.
Chay Mission 