Dear Dad,
It’s easy to over complicate the path to better heath and wellness but many times keeping it simple, practical, and direct is the way to go. If you tend to get in the weeds or paralyzed by details, don’t over complicate it—the meme below made me chuckle this week and rings mostly true.
A legend is someone who stands out among the rest and if you do these four things—lift weights (exercise in general), eat real food, sleep, and get sunlight (spend time out doors)— you will be on your way to legendary status. As it stands today, how many of the four habits do you check off the list on a daily basis?
Lift weights/exercise: I’ve heard it said that if exercise was a drug everyone would take it. To be honest, exercise kind of is a drug with only good side effects (aside from an unfortunate injury). Not only does exercise provide you lasting health as you age it also provides immediate and powerful daily benefits. After completing a workout you’ll feel amazing, receive a dose of mental clarity, and become fit enough to fully participate in your life. Mix in cardio (walking, running, biking) with resistance training multiple times a week and you will not regret it.
Eat Real Food: This is one of my favorites. Real food is the best. It tastes the best and provides the most nutrients. This week, choose 3 real foods that you will commit to eat and eat them often. I’ll go first. Lentils. Cauliflower. Sweet Potatoes. My mouth is already watering thinking of the delicious salads and stir fries I’m going to eat. What three will you choose?
Sleep: I wrote about this last week. 7-9 hours must be mandatory, which might involve going to bed earlier than customary, but think how much time is wasted at the end of the day scrolling a phone or TV streaming service. What a waste. Find a good book to read and get good quality sleep.
Go outside (sunlight): This category is the one that I certainly lack! (To be fair, the temperature in central New York last week was in single digits) But, I can be better and so can you. Truman needs morning walks and most mornings we do our mile loop, though with the cold weather lately he has been hard to peel off the couch.
The fresh air, even when cold and crisp, does wonders in the morning and starts the day off great. Finding sunlight in the winter months proves another difficult challenge. Make sure to take advantage of any time that the sun does shine, eat your vegetables (kale, spinach, broccoli) for vitamin D, and take a Vitamin D3 supplement if you feel inclined.
Be a legend this week and the weeks to come!
With Love,
JSR
