1. Manage your testosterone Testosterone for men is essential and the defining hormone that makes a man a man. High levels make you feel confident and rambunctious and aggressive. It makes you lean and muscular and gives you a strong sex drive. What’s not to like? In terms of testosterone, we’re supposed to be half the men our fathers and grandfathers were. Testosterone is produced at night and your body needs sleep and dietary fat to produce it. So eat red meat, nuts, butter and oil and get your sleep. And stay away from stress as well as stress produces cortisol, the stress hormone, and the testosterone killer. 2. The mind and body are inextricably linked When you have problems with your body, you will have problems with your mind. When you’re ill with the flu, you have nothing to give with your mind. When you’re sad and depressed, your energy …[Read More]
Body
In pursuit of better sleep
I’ve been an insomniac for most of my life. The first memory I have of it being a thing for me was in my first or second year at boarding school when my housemaster remarked on it. He said it was a condition that affected bright people. Of course, I took that. 🙂 Left to my own devices on school holidays, I would stay awake long past midnight. I would read the latest Harry Potter until I finished it, say at 6am in the morning. I would then wake at 11am or 12 noon and not be tired until the early hours again. Over and over. This is fine when you’re on holiday but less so when you have stuff to do the next morning. I remember at university, I had a 9am exam on Personal Identity. I went to bed at 11pm and watched the hours tick by. By …[Read More]
How I became a morning person. Finally.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been an insomniac. I remember being awake for a whole night before a 9am exam. I’ve punched the walls in frustration at not being able to sleep the night before an important interview. I’ve lain awake so often that for years on a Sunday night, I would pop downstairs at 3am for a glass of port and a sleeping tablet to help my mind relax and finally get some sleep. Not ideal I know. I’ve long dreamed of being able to sleep when I want to. I’ve dreamed of bouncing out of bed at 6am and going to the gym, reading a book and doing some writing. But I’ve never been able to do it. The snooze button was always too inviting. The pillow was too soft and too warm. Until now. I was in Hong Kong and Australia recently to celebrate …[Read More]
Try this breathing exercise for stress release and getting rid of cortisol
Anxiety is the scourge of our generation. As I mentioned in a previous article, I’m pretty damn happy most of the time, but I do get anxious and stressed. Stress is linked to the hormone cortisol, which is produced by the body in fight or flight mode. When you’re on a losing streak, or anxious about stuff, your body will produce cortisol. Cortisol is perfectly normal and has served us well for millennia. But it’s only supposed to be in the body for short amounts of time. In the last century however, cortisol stays in the body for longer at low-levels, due to the lifestyle we now have. This is not good. In fact, this will kill us. I accidentally discovered this breathing exercise when out and about recently. Stand up tall (a bit like power posing as we saw in the earlier article on Amy Cuddy). Tilt your head …[Read More]
Defeating anxiety and stress
I’m an anxious person. I’m a happy person but I can also be an anxious person. Those who know me, know that I have OCD as well as general worry about things. My OCD is pretty standard as things go. I have a routine upon leaving the house. I check the balcony door is locked. I check the hob. I check the taps are shut off in the kitchen. I turn off all power sockets. I check that the shower is off. I check that the bathroom taps are shut off. Then I get to the front door. I check this is locked by pushing the door 30 times. This must sound utterly insane to someone who has no OCD tendencies. And it is. I know it’s crazy but still I do it. Why do I continue to do it? Because it gives me reassurance that it’s done. I’ve been …[Read More]