Physiology; How to take care of your body properly

phys·i·ol·o·gy
noun
  1. the branch of biology that deals with the normal functions of living organisms and their parts.

So what are the normal functions of a human? Or what does it take for a human to function “normally?

The 3 things that every human needs to function are; Nutrition, Hydration and Sleep.

The #1 biggest mistake I see people make is not taking care of their nutrition, hydration, and sleep schedule. Mostly because the information isn’t readily available, trusted(or the wrong information is trusted) and/or people don’t have the time or money to invest in their health. I called you out in my first article and I’m going to again… If you are going to invest in a house, a car, an office, a vacation, a pair skis or anything else but you’re not willing to invest in your health, you’re paying twice as much in effort and quality of experience for half the experience… Let that sink in, you’re paying more, in multiple areas, for less fulfillment. I’m not here to beat you up about your decisions, just getting real when it comes to priorities. If you needed that, hope it helped wake you up, if you didn’t thanks for being patient.

Back to the nutrition, the more greens, nuts, lean proteins and healthy, organic, non GMO, non processed foods you eat the healthier and happier people seem to be, I can’t speak for everyone but I am happier.

Everyone is different, every BODY reacts differently to different foods, forms of exercise and amounts of hydration. No one person is the same as another, so I’m going to illustrate what works for me. I recommend keeping track of your food in a journal, just like I recommend keeping track of how you feel while you practice moving and breathing functionally. It’s so much easier to see trends when you have it written down. When you document the moment, you don’t allow your brain to reshape the experience through  skewed lenses. Take the time to do this now and you’ll always have a road map for success.

That said, this is what works for me. I’m not going to claim that I can guarantee that it will work for you exactly the same way it did for me, but what I can guarantee is that you’ll find more and more about yourself and how your body functions. If you spend the time finding that out, you will be a successful athlete. I can guarantee that.

So let’s look at what I want a typical work out day look like for me in the summer;

Daily Routine

6:30 AM

 

 

8:00 AM

 

 

 

 

 

10:30 AM 

 

10:45 – 11:45 AM

 

12:00 PM Post work out shake: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1:00

 

 

2:00 12 oz of water

 

 

2:45 PM

 

 

4:00 Post work out meal:

 

 

 

5:00 12 oz of water 

 

 

6:00 12 oz of water

 

7:30 Dinner:

 

 

8:30

 

9:30

 

10:30

Wake up, 8 oz of water followed by 8 ounces of bone broth with a table spoon of butter. Followed by a morning routine that includes a warm up for my body and some work.

 

Breakfast shake #1, check out one of my favorite recipes here: 

  • 1 Banana
  • Handful of Greens
  • 1/4 cup of Blue Berries
  • 5 Strawberries
  • Tablespoon of Chia Seeds
  • Tablespoon of Hemp Seeds
  • 1/4 Cup of Flax or Almond Milk
  • 1/4 cup water

12oz of water

 

Work out (stay hydrated)

 

Shake #2 and 1st Meal

  • 6 oz Coffee
  • 6 oz Nut Milk
  • 1 Tablespoon of Butter
  • 1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons of Almond butter or Nutzo Nut Butter
  • 1/2 Frozen Banana 
  • 1-2 eggs
  • 1/4 Diced onion
  • 1/4 Red and Green Peppers
  • 1 Slice of Bacon
  • 1 Slice of Raw Grass-fed Cheese
  • Cooked in Avocado Oil

Stay Hydrated with 12oz of water throughout the hour

 

 

Stay Hydrated with 12oz of water throughout the hour

 

 

Work out – Drink about 12 oz during working out

 

 

Salad w/ Chicken

 

 

 

Stay Hydrated with 12oz of water throughout the hour

 

 

Stay Hydrated with 12oz of water throughout the hour

 

Greens, Chicken and Bacon, Veggies

 

 

Stay Hydrated with 12oz of water throughout the hour

 

Stay Hydrated with 12oz of water throughout the hour

 

Bed Time

Intense… It doesn’t always look like this, but often right now it does.

Let’s break this down. 

First and foremost, not everyday is like this for me and most people won’t be able to design a schedule like this, so let’s look at what is transferable.

1. The way I design my meals, if you notice the majority of my carbohydrates are centered around my work outs and I don’t really eat many carbs, especially sugars, after working out.

This is because carbs are most beneficial when directly used for energy, if stored and not turned into glycogen, they turn into fat and this is an inefficient use of your body’s energy… So I give my body carbs when it’s going to use them most efficiently and for the best purpose, ENERGY, and reenergizing right after work outs!!!

You’ll also notice I consume A TON of calories a day and that I eat about 5 meals a day, plus snacks that I haven’t mentioned! I recommend calculating how many calories you use in a day and designing your diet based on that. For more questions on diet email me!

2. Hydration is PRIORITIZED, I drink water, tea, kombucha, nut milks, smoothies and no more that 2 cups of coffee in a day.  Mainly, water though! And I try to drink at least 80 oz a day. When it says 12 oz on the hour, I mean that I’m sipping that 12 oz through the hour, trying to limit my intake of water around meal times for optimal absorption. Water is key to life and not many of us really utilize clean water to its fullest potential. I can’t stress it enough, water and breath are the two life sources and need to be.

Let’s jump right into sleep and routine, staying in a routine can be difficult but it’s how successful people stay prepared for anything. 

3. Time management is key, what works for me may not work for you but there are overarching themes that will guarantee success. Plan your days, your meals and your snacks, keep a journal with you and document how you feel as you experiment with different foods. See if your skin becomes more or less clear, see if you have more or less energy, see how eating at certain times of the day affects your mood or energy levels and make a schedule that most benefits your way of life. Try to adjust your sleep schedule to allow for more sound sleep. Since we’re looking at 3 of the major components of physiology we have to be sure to not give one thing the credit of good or bad unless we know it for certain. This is where the journal is going to be your best friend, in scheduling and in tracking how you feel and what you eat for your roadmap.

4. At least 6 Hours of sleep; not everyone gets the pleasure of sleeping 8 hours a night but if you want to be a successful athlete, I’d recommend trying to get as much as possible up to 8 hours or maybe just slightly more depending on how much time you have and how much you are going to work out. 

Hydration, Breathe, Nutrition, Sleep, Movement; these are the 5 life sources, if you master these and you will master yourself as an athlete and person like never before. 

 

Remember I’m always here to listen to your questions;

Scot Chrisman

Professional Skier

Owner/Founder Academy of Skiing

 

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