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Recharging
I like to lump sleep and recovery together as Recharging!
To perform optimally we need to recover. There are many things that can help us feel our best, but few are as important as getting adequate sleep.
Sleep at least 7 hours per night, it’s important to try to make those the same 7 hours as well.
Some hacks and studies to getting great sleep and why it’s important…
Our current bed, which I highly recommend, is a Helix Midnight Luxe mattress.
I use blue-blocking glasses similar to these to prevent Blue light in the evening.
Tips for a better night's sleep from expert Matthew Walker
The Sleep Side of Aging and Alzheimer's Disease
Why Sleep is More Important Than Diet—Optimize it Today! Podcast by Dr. Mark Hyman
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Movement
Lifestyles are becoming more sedentary. This is leading to obesity and the diseases that come along with it.
I believe that diet and exercise are the best medicine. Everyone is on a spectrum of physical abilities, which is why we promote movement. Walking for 150 minutes a week is something that almost anyone can start with. That is equivalent to a 30 min walk or three 10-minute walks, 5 days a week.
Strength training is crucial for maintaining health. “Muscular strength is inversely and independently associated with death from all causes and cancer.” Grip strength, correlated with overall strength, has been recommended as a measurement of all-cause and disease-specific mortality.
Zone 2 training boosts mitochondrial function and impacts longevity. It improves metabolic flexibility, increases insulin sensitivity, and improves cardiovascular health. Zone 2 is defined as the highest metabolic output/work that you can sustain while keeping your lactate level below two millimoles per liter. I like to incorporate it 2-3 times per week, as research suggests for longevity.
Easy way to roughly calculate your Zone 2
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Use the max HR calculation 208 – (0.7 x age)
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Take 60% of this number as our minimum and 70% as our maximum
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So for me at age 36, 208-(0.7 x 36)=183 -then, 183 x 0.6=110 and 183 x 0.7=128
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Therefore my Zone 2 HR goal is 110-128.
The Research…
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Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality
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The average 30-year-old will lose about a quarter of his or her muscle strength by age 70 and half of it by age 90.
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Exercise Attenuates the Major Hallmarks of Aging
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Exercise, Diet and Sleeping as Regenerative Medicine Adjuvants: Obesity and Ageing as Illustrations
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Training for Longevity
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Zone 2 Training
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Association between muscular strength and mortality
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Nutrition
Focus on eating foods that are in their natural form; vegetables, nuts, seeds, meats, fish, and fruits, in this order; eating a full spectrum of them at levels that support exercise but not body fat.
Stop eating processed foods. These are foods that contain refined and added sugars and trans fats. Processed foods are too easily accessible in our homes. Having whole foods easily available makes eating poorly less convenient. Optimal nutrition comes from healthy fats and proteins, with carbohydrate consciousness (understanding glycemic index and eliminating sugar intake).
Everyone should also fast for at least 12 hours per day. Widely known as intermittent fasting, compressing eating windows to 8-12 hours per day can have profound health benefits including weight loss and improving insulin sensitivity. For me, it is easiest not to eat from 7 p.m. to 11 a.m. Find what fits your schedule and lifestyle.
Sanz Solutions Simple Grocery List…
-Broccoli, cauliflower, spring mix, kale, squash, any vegetable…
-Mixed nuts (i.e. Planters lightly salted deluxe mixed nuts), hemp seeds, flax seeds, almond butter
-Beef, Eggs, Chicken, Pork
-Salmon, Snapper, Tuna
-Avocado, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, banana
-Butter, low-carb wraps, olive oil, spices, Primal Kitchen dressing, starch (i.e. sweet potato, quinoa, black rice)
-Spices (i.e. salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, all-purpose seasoning, Italian seasoning)
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Supplementation
Food and exercise are the best medicine. With that said, there are certain supplements that can help us achieve optimal health and performance while trying to maximize longevity.
Here is a running list of my current supplements, and those I’d recommend looking into, with links to studies supporting their benefits. As always, this is not a recommended list for everybody and always work with your primary care provider when initiating new medications or supplements.
Along with zinc, vitamin B, and vitamin C, these are the supplements I am currently taking…
Multivitamin
Multivitamins are a great safety blanket. Eating a wide range of Whole Foods can be difficult, and even with a great diet, there are some nutrients that are unaccounted for. Multivitamins make sure that you are getting any of the vitamins that your diet misses.
https://sanzsolutions.com/products/ultra-multivitamin-for-men
https://sanzsolutions.com/products/ultra-vita-for-women
Fish Oil
Modern diets provide insufficient levels of omega-3 fatty acids. The benefits of fish oil come from omega-3, which is a polyunsaturated fatty acid with the first double bond 3 carbons back from the final carbon. EPA and DHA are the two omega-3 fatty acids that are important in fish oil supplements. They are anti-inflammatory, make blood platelets “less sticky” and help cellular metabolism be more efficient. They also lower triglycerides and raise HDL (good cholesterol)
https://sanzsolutions.com/products/omega-3-fish-oil
Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays a role in the maintenance of immune system homeostasis. Several epidemiological studies have linked inadequate vitamin D levels to a higher susceptibility to immune-mediated disorders, including chronic infections and autoimmune diseases. It can also present can as rickets, osteoporosis, and osteomalacia in adults.
https://sanzsolutions.com/products/vitamin-k2-d3
Magnesium
Significant portions of the population have magnesium intakes below recommended levels. Magnesium is needed for the activation of many enzymes, parathyroid hormone secretion, bone metabolism, and muscle and nerve function. Magnesium is second only to potassium as the most predominant cation within cells.
Magnesium can range in price, and there are many different forms with different uses. I recommend going with Magnesium Oxide to save money. While it is not the most bioavailable, at higher doses you will still get the benefits without any risks.
https://sanzsolutions.com/products/magnesium-glycinate