The best healing and wellness support system we have is Nature. Yes, Mother Nature!
Here is the latest edition of 1 thing I’m doing, 2 things I’ve learnt and 3 things to explore so you can live a happier, healthier and longer life.
Each newsletter is lovingly created to bring you the latest information, tools and tips on how to optimise circadian health, reconnect with nature and her rhythms and thrive.
Happy Reading!
1 THING I’M DOING
Cheers to Two Years of Cold Shower Magic!
This week I celebrated a personal victory as I hit a milestone of 2 years of cold showers. Imagine that! This means I’ve had over 730 mornings with exhilarating cold showers, including dancing through two glorious chilly Melbourne winters. That’s a whopping total of more than 1,460 minutes (or one full day!) spent under cold running water.
Yes, flipping the switch from hot to cold requires digging deeper on some days than others And sure, the initial shock can sometimes make me question my life choices, like “what the hell am I doing?”. But friends, those few seconds of doubt and discomfort disappear quickly and I certainly wouldn’t swap one moment for how good it feels afterwards, and the vitality it has helped fuel for my mind, body and soul over the past two years.
In the hope that I can inspire you to take the cold plunge, if you’re not a chilly bunny already, here are 14 icy nuggets of wisdom that two years of cold showers have taught me:
- You are stronger than you think – you can do this, anyone can
- The cold is something we’ve been programmed to avoid or fear – that doesn’t mean we should avoid it or fear it
- Yes, even after two years, cold water still feels cold (imagine that!). Sorry to break the bad news
- Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable builds your resilience muscles
- Thinking about it is harder than doing it. Just do it
- Start at the front, and then do the back. It’s easier that way (for me at least)
- Small shifts can make monumental impacts to your health
- Cold showers are like that first domino – it kickstarts a chain reaction of magical transformation
- Singing your heart out to “Titanium” or “Unstoppable” makes it more epic (and much more fun for your kids to listen to)
- You can say goodbye to post-shower shivers – they no longer exist
- Cold showers make you smile, and laugh, for no reason at all (thanks dopamine rush)
- Your kids think you’re a superhero
- You feel like a superhero and the unstoppable warrior you are
- When in doubt, your breath is your best friend – just breathe through it
- You become an inspiration to others and a ripple effect for good – including your kids as you inspire them that the cold is nothing to fear
So, what do you have to lose? Believing the cold is more of a foe than your friend is just in your mind. Think of cold showers as the veggie you didn’t like as a kid or the early bedtimes you fought. As adults, we too need to dig deep at times and do the things we may not be a super fan of – especially when we know it’s so good for us. Trust me, the brief shiver will pay off in waves of warmth, wellbeing and empowerment.
✔️ Action Item – Ready, set, plunge! Make your next shower the start of something amazing. Just 15 seconds is all you need to start with. Go on, you’ve got this!
2 THINGS I’VE LEARNT
Health Star Rating Credibility
Have you ever used the Health Star Rating and scrutinised the number of stars on food packages, trying to make the healthiest choice? Well, here’s a little food for thought which may just change the way you view those stars. It did for me. 👎
Did you know that Australian Butter, a simple blend of Milk, Water, and Salt, scores a mere 0.5 stars whilst Canola Oil has a whopping 4.5 stars rating? With such a high rating, you’d almost think it were a health food – not!
Canola is a manmade and heavily refined oil. It is made from genetically modified rapeseed which has usually been heavily treated with various pesticides and chemicals. During processing, the oil goes through solvent extraction where the oil is put into an extractor and saturated with a solvent called hexane (yikes!). It is then bleached (double yikes!), and then heated at 220°C for ten hours – which can affect the stability of the oil’s molecules, destroy the omega-3s in it, and create trans fats (quadruple yikes!). Canola oil is also highly associated with deep fried foods which means the oil is being heated again at extreme temperatures which is causing further chaos in your body.
It’s widely understood in health circles that Canola Oil is inflammatory to our bodies, raising a big red flag on its reported health benefits. And if you’re looking to canola oil to reduce your cardiovascular risks, there are far healthier paths you can explore.
The Heath Star Rating system, by their own words, and yes, I did email them “does not take into consideration other real, claimed or potential health effects of particular ingredients, products or processing methods. This is a factor that must be considered outside the constraints of the HSR system if it is important to your purchasing decisions.” That means a lot of the nitty-gritty details don’t factor into those star ratings – a crucial piece of info for us health-conscious warriors.
This discovery really highlights the importance of using our own discernment and not relying on the number of stars you see on a food. We need to become sleuths who ask the right questions. What are the ingredients? Is this something our grandparents would have eaten? How refined or processed is this product? Is it promoting calm or chaos in my body?
✔️ Action Item – It’s time to take a step back from those Health Star Ratings. Do your own homework, ask the right questions and read the labels thoroughly. And when it comes to choosing the best oil, opt for a locally produced olive oil – organic would be the cherry on top.
Puppy Love
Walking doggo may seem like just another daily chore to tick off your to do list, but behind the scenes, that simple activity holds a wealth of holistic benefits, extending your life and theirs. So, next time Maxie is staring at you with those adorable button eyes saying “walk me, walk me, pleeeeease”, why not grab that lead and give Maxie an extra big cuddle and pat for doing you a huge favour!! Here’s what a 1 hour brisk dog walk is equivalent to…
🚴 25 minutes of cycling
🧘♂️ 80 minutes of yoga and
💃 53 minutes of dancing
Taking your fur baby on a walk has so many pawsitive mental health benefits too including:
🗨️ Increased social engagement
📉 Reduced stress-related nerve activity
🌟 Improved emotional well-being and
😄 Positive impact on mood
You check out the Dog Walking Benefits Calculator here – it’s fun to play with and informative. You can also click on the image below to find even more health perks you’re getting. Remember, every step you take is a step towards better health for you and Maxie.
✔️ Action Item – Never miss the opportunity to take your furry friend for a walk. In fact, why not make it two.
3 THINGS TO EXPLORE
Sleep Fact of the Week – Which Type of Sleeper Are You?
The benefits of sleep can’t be overstated which means anything we can do and learn to become better sleepers, is a win, win, snoozy win!
During a recent sleep study, four different sleep patterns were identified. These were said to help predict a person’s long-term health so to enhance your sleep, it may be worthwhile knowing just what kind of sleeper you are and if you’re one of the sleepers at risk. Here they are:
- Good sleepers have the best sleeping habits across all data points
- Nappers are mostly good sleepers, but frequently take daytime naps
- Weekend catch-up sleepers have irregular sleep on weekdays and sleep longer on weekends and holidays
- Insomnia sleepers have sleeping issues such as taking a long time to fall asleep, short sleep durations, and increased tiredness during the day
Surprising, over half of the participants in this study were categorised as either Insomnia Sleepers or Nappers. These two groups, particularly the Insomnia Sleepers, were at a higher risk for conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression over a 10 year period. The next group to face health challenges were the nappers due to disruptive sleep. Although, if the well-timed nanna naps didn’t interfere with nighttime sleep, these were considered perfectly fine.
✔️ Action Item – Take a moment to consider what kind of sleeper are you? If you’re a Napper or Insomnia Sleeper, it may be time to work on healthier sleep patterns. To get you started, check out my 20 Proven Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep. Your sweet dreams are waiting for you!
Banking Lifestyle
People get lost in the game of life so we need to understand why we are playing the game. The game of working hard, running around, building businesses, investing, buying a house and trying to get ahead. We forget what we were trying to do. What we should be trying to do is figure out what makes us happy.
Living on a beach may make you happy. This can be solved in two ways. You can have a shack on a beach in Nicaragua and still be on the beach where the sun comes up every day and have a beautiful life. Or you can have a beautiful house on a beach in the Cayman Islands because you’ve been able to accumulate more wealth. Either way, you can still have the same basic experience of living your life on the beach.
So, you don’t need to be the richest person in the world. You just need to be the happiest. And the whole game we’re playing – is not about scoring points for money. It’s about banking lifestyle. Quality of life is the game we should be playing!
(Inspired by Raoul Pal)
Nature
“One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man and nature should not be broken.” – Leo Tolstoy
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