The 8 Pillars of Health: Understanding Circadian Rhythm

The 8 Pillars of Health

You must do these 8 things if you want to be TRULY healthy: pic.twitter.com/3ymIHpnrqq

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

1. Circadian rhythm

Our 24 hour clock is one of the most overlooked parts of health.

It affects every organ and cell in the body, and thousands of genes on and off throughout the day.

Chronic circadian disruption can cause chronic diseases and destroy our metabolic health.

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

The biggest factor when it comes to circadian rhythm is your light environment.

Getting morning sunlight, sunlight throughout the day, and limiting artificial blue light at night is absolutely vital to be in tune with your circadian rhythm.

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

2. Sleep

Sleep deprivation is linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, mental health issues and so much more.

Quality sleep is the number one performance enhancer, both physically and mentally, and your quality of life depends on it.

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

The biggest things that can improve your sleep quality are:

1. Circadian rhythm (morning sunlight, reduce artificial light before bed)
2. Going to bed and waking up at the same times every day
3. Exercise
4. Cold, dark room

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

Other things that can help:

1. Magnesium glycinate & theanine supplements
2. Mouth tape
3. Bed time tea (blue lotus or chamomile)
4. Not eating 2-3 hours before bed

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

3. Nature

Human beings have an innate desire to be in nature, and it’s something many people lack in modern urban environments.

Getting sunlight, grounding and breathing fresh air are some of the most overlooked aspects of health.

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

Whether it is stress relief, vitamin D production, reducing inflammation, immune boost, or a mood boost, being in nature is absolutely necessary.

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

4. Diet

This one is obvious; what you put into your body affects almost every part of your life.

To keep it simple, you should be eating a majority of foods that do not have an ingredient list.

Eat animals that roam/swim free, or plants that grow in the ground.

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

Do this simple rule and you will be healthier than a majority of the population, then you can worry about smaller optimizations.

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

5. Exercise

Any exercise/movement is great, but ideally a mix of:

-Resistance training
-High intensity training
-Endurance training

Is ideal for your overall health and longevity, as they all have unique benefits.

However, any movement is better than none!

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

6. Stress management

We evolved with a complex system of managing acute stress.

We didn’t evolve to handle the chronic stress that many people deal with, which can wreak havoc on your mind and body.

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

Avoid environmental stressors as much as possible without adding more stress (chemical/toxin exposure, poor food, pesticides, chronic artificial blue light)

Work on:
-Breath work
-Exercise
-Mediation
-Nature
-Any other hobby that helps you unwind

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

7. Breath

Many people are constantly shallow breathing and/or mouth breathing.

You should be diaphragmatic breathing, through your nose only.

This will reduce blood pressure and stress.

Nasal breathing will also boost oxygen uptake and filter out pollutants.

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

8. Community

Social isolation and loneliness is one of the greatest risk factors for premature death.

Humans are meant to connect with others, and some studies even show that blue zones (people who live to 100 years old) are all connected to and supported by a community.

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

Luckily, the internet exists and it couldn’t be easier to connect with like-minded people.

This is why I created my community; to help connect likeminded, health-conscious people.

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

Whether you need help on your health journey, want to help others, or just want access to unlimited healthy recipes, this community is for you. https://t.co/pIe48Cr3kq

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023

Join now and receive:

-Access to ALL my recipes plus new recipes every week
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and SO MUCH MORE

— Cooking with Chris (@coookwithchris) April 5, 2023