Pillars of health

Pillars are the basic structure of any building. They support the superstructure. Without them, buildings would fall. Accordingly,  in the context of health, you want to have a strong foundation to ensure that you will live a long life free of illness. When you think about it, there are two important pillars one should consider : nutrition and training.

Nutrition

• Use the 50/50 rule as a starter (adjust according to your needs afterwards). When preparing a meal, make sure half of your plate is filled with mixed fresh or cooked vegetables. The other half of your plate should be filled with meat, fowl, fish, seafood or eggs.

• The quality of your food should be as high as possible. Basically, only foods that bring a lot of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, etc. to the table should be eaten. The food you eat should be fresh and the meat should be free of hormones and antibiotics.
• Eat only when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied. Instinctive eating is actually a pretty good way to eat.It ensure that you are not overeating and that you will not be bloated after your meal.
• Eat foods high in omega 3. Fish, fish oil, grass-fed beef, etc. are all good sources of omega 3. The modern diet is too high in omega 6 which can cause inflammation and other health problems. It is generally agreed by experts that a ratio of 1:1 between omega 3 and omega 6 is desirable.
• Avoid grains and dairy. Grains contains anti-nutrients that are bad for our health. They also make insulin rise and can cause insulin resistance. The lactose in dairy is bad news for a lot of us. However, if you happen to be one of those people that can digest it, I would suggest getting full fat raw dairy instead.  Make sure the bulk of your calories does not come from dairy. Instead, eat meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds (the last two are optional).
• Eat organs from reliable sources at least once a week. Organs were a favourite of our ancestors because they contain a lot of nutrients.

Training

• Strength workouts should be short to maximize the hormonal benefits of your training.
• Always train with high intensity during your strength training sessions. It does not mean you should add more volume. Keep the weight heavy, do more sets and less reps.
• Full body workouts are superior to body parts workouts because the hormonal response is better (more muscle is being used). Compound moves  will teach your body to work as a unit. Isolation exercises teach  an unnatural way of moving to your body (using single muscles).
• Never train to failure. Strength is an adaptive process by which the body gets used to the unusual – yet beneficial-  tension you are producing with your workouts. Too much tension for too long will be counter productive because you will over train quickly and you will change the hormonal response  (e.g. : less growth hormone and more cortisol are being released)
• Rest a lot. You grow outside the gym, not in it. I suggest you walk, trek, play some sports, etc. on some rest days. Some call it play or active rest, I would call it living an active life. Stress management and quality sleep are important too.