Start Using This Brain Plan

The most alarming brain research that I recently came across deals with sleep and the brain.

Do you know that the brain does not have a lymphatic system? That means it can’t get rid of waste whenever it wants like our bodies do (pee, poo or sweat). Our brain has to wait until we are asleep to remove the waste proteins that were created all day. So, if you do not get a good night’s rest then your brain has not removed all of it’s waste. That waste starts to collect on the neuro synapses in the brain like goo. A result is grogginess in the morning. Night after night and month after month, this build up could be a cause of dementia.

How do you get better sleep? 1) Cease caffein intake seven hours before bedtime. 2) Set a cooler temperature in your sleeping room. 3) Invest in a comfortable mattress, pillow, and sheets. 4) Dim the light one hour prior to bedtime. 5) Prepare for quiet by putting animals in other rooms or getting earplugs. 6) Stay hydrated during the day, not right before bed. 7) Set a soothing alarm 6-8 hours from the time you plan to fall asleep. 8) Get physical exercise during the day.

There are two basic forms of movement that make up physical exercise: Cardiovascular Endurance and Muscular Strength. The first involves elevating your heart rate for longer that 10 minutes. The talk test will tell you how you’re doing. If you can speak a full sentence without pausing for extra breaths, your heart rate is not high enough. If you cannot say three syllables out loud in a row, you heart rate is too high. Stay right between those recommendations while walking, running, biking, swimming, etc. Strength training involves overloading a muscle or muscle group with resistance. When your muscles start to fatigue, take a break. This is called a set. If your set takes longer than one minute, you can probable increase the resistance.

Now, what you came here for… There are three important aspects of Cognitive Exercises. 1) Attention and Focus - Improve these areas by practicing memory recall. Short term memory games deal with remembering a list or poem. Long term memory games deal with listing details from past events or recalling names of former friends or teammates. Here is a great focus exercise for short term memory that will improve many areas of wellness: see if you can count 100 of your normal breathes in a row. 2) Problem Solving - Get better brain function through creative planning. Almost any art or music hobby will improve this area of the mind. Here is an easy exercise to practice: Have someone draw a squiggly line around a sheet of paper. Your job is to trace that line from start to finish using your non-dominant index finger. 3) Stay Social - Create new experiences by visiting a variety of environments. Think of it as stimulating all senses differently every week. Set a family dinner at new locations with new foods each time. Join a club or group that participates in a new hobby. Learn a new language by speaking it with others.

This should give you plenty to practice over the next few weeks. Please share your experiences with others.

You Think I'm Too Small

     I realized something very important on my recent trip to Italy. You think Real Recess is too small to handle your business's needs. I came to this conclusion while looking at the massive churches in this country. It's all about perception. There were 2-hour lines just to see inside the massive churches of Pisa, Assisi, Florence, Rome, and Venice. Yes, they were impressive in their scale. These giant religious monumental meeting places hold a lot of history and that is why everyone was flocking to them. But... what about the smaller churches? Some "off-the-beaten-path" churches had just as much history to share and artwork to show. There were absolutely no lines at the small but still magnificent churches of Citta di Castello.  

     John, how are you relating churches to your corporate wellness company? Well, the giant conglomerates (mostly insurance companies now) are the major corporate wellness providers who do the bare minimum but reap the most benefit. They have the history of being the most trusted because everyone was using them. The other small players (like myself) are the ones working hard to step outside the box and create new and better methods for employee health.

     The small churches can do the same thing as the big churches. Of course, there are some advantages and disadvantages to each. The fact is you have to consider both and find which is best for your needs. Same with corporate wellness companies. Give the small guy a chance to prove he is just as mighty as the conglomerates. I guarantee there are a lot of services we can provide your company on a one to one basis that you won't find with larger providers. 

Silhouettes are a Great Metaphor for Health

A night sky casts a beautiful silhouette of tree branches but you can't tell how strong that tree is just from the outline. Much like looking at your beautiful body from the outside, you can't tell how healthy it is on the inside. Remember there are many dimensions of health including mental, social, and occupational.  

We all like to have fun and do what feels good (snack on chips while laying on the couch) but is it benefiting you in anyway? You might say it makes you happy but that is just the release of Oxytocin making you feel happy and covering up many negative results of your decision. 

Don't get me wrong, you are definitely beautiful. We all are in our own way. Take a deeper look into your lifestyle.

Are you sleeping comfortably?

Do you eat a balanced diet minimizing artificial chemicals?

Are you challenging your physical fitness with new patterns?

Real Recess has easy to follow steps that build healthy habits and change your lifestyle into a beneficial one. Silhouettes are beautiful but I'd rather see the magnificent detail up close. Start your first Recess Break today and drink one full glass of water with any meal. Just that one little change makes a difference in so many aspects of health. 

Sample: Free Consultation

Hello Client,

    Thank you for filling out the "Better @ Life" Free Consultation through Real Recess! Let's create your B@L Plan...

Nourishment:

The goal here is to have a 12-hour window for nutrient consumption followed by a 12-hour fasting window. This should eliminate the need to snack. Lets say you wake up at 7am and have your first meal at 8am that means your following meals should be at noon, 4pm and 8pm. If you get hungry for snacks between those meals then you are not eating enough during the meal time. On the other hand, if you are not hungry when your next meal time rolls around then you are eating too much during those meals. And, if there is some snack food that you absolutely love, make it part of one of your meals. It will take some planning however once this pattern becomes a habit, you will realize how much of a difference meal timing makes in your energy levels. 

Movement:

Have you ever seen what a cat or dog does after a nap? They get a good stretch! It is the same principle I am using with these Recess breaks. If you are sitting in a commute, at work, or on the couch at home for at least 30 minutes it is time to practice at least 30 seconds of movement. Use the movement chart on the website which consists of Rolling, Crawling, Squatting, Pushing, and Pulling skills in Laying, Sitting, or Standing positions. Your goal (depending on your ability level) is just to move, not necessarily build muscle yet. An advanced athlete may use their 30-second Recess Break to bust out 20 pull ups real quick and then get back to work. 

Recovery:

Now that you have set and are working toward short and longterm goals, it's time to take it to the next level. In the morning, have these plans written where you can see them. Say out loud how you are going to make this happen. Your objective is to visualize your goal happening and truly believe in it. Each evening, reassess your accomplishments from that day in journal form (using an app or a notebook). Just a quick note about how you got closer to your goal or even what you are grateful for happening or having that day. These are short steps but over time make lasting benefits for your lifestyle. 

Notes:

Practice one of these habits at a time over the next 3 weeks. Do you have any health concerns that might affect this plan?

Remember: One step at a time creates lasting habits. If you overwhelm yourself with multiple changes you will lessen your chances of success. Like I talk about in the "9-Week Lifestyle Transformation" workbook, take an entire week to master one new habit at a time.

After these next three weeks, I will reach back out to you and see how they went. I am always here to answer questions when they arise. Please, consider some of the additional programs available on my website RealRecess.com And as always, be kind and share these health habits with friends and family. 

In Good Health,

John Anderson

Did you eat 4 meals today about 4 hours apart?: No

Did you drink 1-2 glasses of water with each meal?: Yes

Did you combine nutrient-dense proteins, carbohydrates and fats each meal?: Yes

Did you move 30 seconds for every 30 minutes of inactivity?: No

Did you increase your heart rate 10-60 consecutive minutes today?: No

Did you participate in new activities that challenged athleticism?: Yes

Did you sleep 6-8 hours in a comfortable environment?: Yes

Did you set and pursue short and longterm life goals?: Yes

Did you use mind/body relaxation techniques?: Yes

Active Home Re-Design

You get home from work. Throw on the comfy clothes. Grab a snack and turn on Netflix. There you lay for the next 4 hours.

Sound familiar? It's only because that is the way you have your home designed. Now, take 30 seconds and think about removing all that your furniture except your TV. Let's replace the couch with a oversized beanbag, replace the area rug with a gymnastics mat, add a climbing cage over your bookcase, that overhead light fixture could be a yoga hammock, and your walls could be more durable with targets on them to play catch with yourself. 

This doesn't change anything you already do. It's just making movement more convenient while you "chill".  I have done this at my house and it's made a world of difference in me and my family's evening activities. It's like having a rec center in our living room. There are limitless activities and games we can play while watching TV. Sometimes we even forget to turn on the TV and focus on games / competition so much that we go to bed early because we're exhausted. 

Give it a try one step at a time by taking away your coffee table to make space on the floor. Now add an exercise ball in its place or even a balance board to stand on while watching TV. Let me know how it goes after a week. Soon enough houses will be designed like this and it will become second nature. Why do we need to lay down for 4 hours before we sleep for 8 more? Because we made it a habit. Let's create new habits that benefit our health!

Free Team Building Contest

The Holiday season (end of October through the beginning on January) is notorious for weight gain. Between all of the amazing food we eat and the limited daylight for outdoor activities that Old Man Winter brings, it's no wonder we pack on some extra LB's. Now, it is not appearance issues that cause the most problems. Each day, these extra calories literally make you lose sleep. You body knows it has extra energy and therefore you get restless at night. When you do not get a good recovery sleep at night you tend to crave fattier foods during the day (because you have been moving all night). As you can see, it's a viscous cycle. 

Suggest this Team Building Contest to your co-workers. It takes minimal time and can change your lives in the process. 

Click above for a downloaded PDF of the contest and scorecard. 

This contest fights that downward spiral of eating poorly and limited sleep. One small Recess Break at a time retrains your brain to feel good about accomplishing healthy habits. Reward yourself for small accomplishments even if you do not win the overall contest!