Quote of The Day: Use It Or Lose It!

"That which is used develops, and that which is not used wastes away. If there is any deficiency in food or exercise the body will fall sick." - Hippocrates, 400BC

PRIMALity: Paleo Lifestyle Model

"We are now increasingly seduced by technology and labour-saving devices into the lure of a repressed and sedentary state." -Darryl Edwards

One key mantra of paleo nutrition is that we should use our ancestral hunter-gatherer heritage as a model for the present day.  We were designed to eat certain foods that are optimal for our health: if we deviate from this we suffer.

Most of us begin this journey by researching books on paleo nutrition improving our intelligence with the knowledge of what constitutes real-food and see significant improvements in health and body composition.  But there is usually one other factor missing for most of us.  Physical intelligence.  The physical intelligence that comes from experiencing movement.  Not only were we designed to eat certain foods.  But we were designed to move.  Our ancestors chased prey and fled from predators.  More recently, they laboured in agriculture and industry.  Unfortunately we are now increasingly seduced by technology and labour-saving devices into the lure of a repressed and sedentary state.

The way our environment has become is conducive to being less active.  We create artificial habitats, equipment and technologies to make even physical activity in the gym easier, mundane and less intense.  We celebrate activity by watching others do it - as spectators, living our lives through other's sacrifice.  Or we perceive activity only as a way to "lose weight" or "build the body beautiful" rather than the maintenance and guardian of health.

Studies show that activity protects us from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, stroke, coronary heart disease, depression.  It also boosts memory, develops new neurons in the brain and improves mental intelligence.

Based on this we should model our movement patterns on our ancestral heritage.  It doesn't mean we need to hunt and gather foods, but we can choose movement patterns that help us to thrive and be in good health.  

We were designed to move in a wide variety of ways that are optimal for our health: if we deviate from this we suffer.  

Food is medicine, movement is medicine.

 Learn more at a PRIMALity workshop

Workout: Tabata Tuesday

Workout: 

Tabata Intervals (21 minutes including rest periods)

• 20s 1 arm KB Swing**, 10s Rest - (repeat for 8 rounds).
• rest - 60s
• 20s Fork Lift Truck, 10s rest - (repeat for 8 rounds)
• rest - 60s
• 20s All Out Sprint or Drivers, 10s rest - (repeat for 8 rounds)
• rest - 60s
• 20s Double Unders , 10s rest - (repeat for 8 rounds)
• rest - 2m

* The Tabata protocol requires maximum effort for 20 seconds and then 10 seconds recovery.

** KB = 20kg Kettlebell - male, 12kg - female

Finisher: 

• 100 Floor Wipers (use a plate, kettlebell or barbell)

Thought of the Day: Seize The Day

Thought of the Day: 

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.” Shunryu Suzuki

So often we accept that there is nothing else we can do: no more options available, all doors are closed to us. Why did I even try? Those closest to us will even reassure us with this same thinking and make us feel comfortable doing 'nothing'.

We lose our sense of enthusiasm and optimism when adversity comes our way or we are mocked for our efforts by others. But this is the time to ask "why not?" instead of saying "it can't be done!".

It is not time to have BLIND faith, but the opposite to have your eyes WIDE open. Wide open to the possibilities available rather than blinded by the limitations and constraints we create or that allow others to do for us.

Ask questions, be curious and inquisitive. Challenge convention and work with your convictions. Fight for what you believe.

Make a decision to view not achieving an objective as failure, or decide to treat it as worthwhile education.

Carpe Diem