Disclaimer: This is all anecdotal advice. I’m not linking studies nor will I. I got my info from Google Searches, SubReddits, YouTube Videos. I’m not advising you to do anything mentioned here and I sure can’t follow through with everything written here but I’m trying. Also, this might change as we get more research done on these topics.
Minimal Diet additions:
- Dark Leafy Greens: Broccoli/Sprout, Cabbage, Spinach for Vitamin K1 and other micronutrients.
- Sour Curd/Yoghurt for Calcium.
- Meat Organs: Beef or chicken liver/kidney important nutrients like choline and more that are more bioavailable in animals.
- 2 eggs.
- 1 banana and 1 sweet potato.
My plan with this diet addition is to ensure I get small amounts of these everyday since I don’t really enjoy anything on this list except for bananas. One more consideration I’m testing is the affect this has on my hyperuricemia and gout. Meat organs usually make it worse, but I’m seeing more people say that this is more due to inflammation caused by processed foods rather than the purine in red meat.
I’ll be experimenting with collagen, whey protein and creatine later when I start training.
Minimal Supplementation Stack:
- 1 Organic bio-available Multivitamin from Primitive Sciences: For general health, this contains Vitamin K2 in both MK4 and MK7 forms. I plan on taking 1 - 2 tablets everyday rather than the prescribed 4 since they’re expensive. I’m focusing on my diet additions to cover the rest.
- 1 D3 7000IU supplement: Since we don’t get sunlight.
- 1 Fish oil: Since we don’t eat fish or seeds and Omega-3 Fatty Acids are well-studied to have health benefits.
- 1 Magnesium complex(Sleep and recovery): In this case I settled for Magensium Glycinate since it is the form of magnesium that is best absorbed and I didn’t find any other product.
- 1 tablespoon on natural coconut oil with supplements to help in absorption
From my research the things that can contribute the most to optimal health is Cod Liver Oil or Fish Oil that contains enough Omega-3 Fatty Acids. You need 3-4 servings for them to have effect. Next is Vitamin D3, since most of us don’t work outdoors anymore it’s essential for us to get D3 as supplementation. The recommended daily value is 400IU but more optimum health some say that upto 5000IU can be supplemented. Before supplementing, make sure you also get enough Vitamin K2(organ meats) and Magnesium, as they are the ones that prevent calcification that may occur from too much D3. Getting the B vitamins is also important which is why I settled for a multi-vitamin but you can get these from vegetables as well.
Minimal Behaviours/Actions I take for my health:
First of all you don’t need to do these things but from research this is the least you can do that can greatly improve your health.
- Prioritize sleep. Get enough of it and make sure you can optimize your sleep in the best way possible.
- Try to wake up early and get morning sunlight. This regulates mood and energy the most in my observation.
- Walk 7k-10k(depends on your life) steps a day in short sessions maybe in between work. Walking also seems to be the most effective way to lose fat, given that you’re in a calorie deficit.
- Train your body and mind. Do resistance training 2x/week, light cardio 2x/week and 1x/week high intensity cardio. You can combine these sessions or start with 1 form, however doing a combination of these in small amounts lead to the most benefit. For the mind, do some meditation and, I’d also like to believe, combat training. Meditation trains your mind for calm and self-defence/combat trains your mind for war, I feel those are equally required.
- Fast and/or restrict your eating windows significantly, this means limit snacks and eat at set times throughout the day. Our body was built to move, not eat all day. I’m Muslim so I know how good it feels to do dry(no food or water) intermittent fasts for a whole month.
- Stop eating sugar, vegetable oils, alcohol. Replace with olive/coconut/palm oil. Drink a lot of water during the day and reduce intake during the night.
- Last but most important, prioritize relationships, social bonding and community. Prioritize fun and travel. Other than the physiological benefits, this is truly what makes life worth living. In the pursuit of our goals, money or status we sometimes forget this important part of our lives.