TD

Once you change your perspective on exercise, your life transforms Viewing it as a chore or punishment breeds dissatisfaction and commitment problems. When you view it as a healing practice and a pathway to transcendence, You will see profound changes in your life.

Working out isn't just about looking good. It's about giving yourself the confidence and feeling of power to take on the world. It's the discovery of your mental fortitude and how deep your resilience truly goes. The muscles are purely a byproduct.

67% of adults in the UK suffer from disrupted sleep and 31% battle insomnia. But what if I told you there's a much simpler solution than relying on sleeping pills and sh*t supplements? Let's break down these 6 factors of sleep hygiene, so you can enjoy a better night's sleep: 1) LIGHT: The most important component of sleep hygiene is light. Light is THE MOST INFLUENTIAL factor in the regulation of circadian rhythm. For those that don't know, your circadian rhythm is your body's internal biological clock that is crucial in regulating a myriad of functions such as sleep, hormone production and temperature regulation. Human biology has evolved with sleep following the natural daily patterns of sunlight and darkness. However, the introduction of electricity has made artificial light a constant part of modern life which has its drawbacks, specifically on one's circadian rhythm. When we view morning sunlight as soon as we wake, we signal to our body and brain that we have risen in alignment with the sun, therefore aligning our circadian rhythm with the natural rise of the sun (which is imperative in today's world IMO) To go into more depth, our MITOCHONDRIA is the body's engine in our cells and is controlled by… LIGHT. In order for our mitochondria (ENGINE) to function effectively, they need sunlight in the morning & darkness in the night to restore and repair. LIGHT is crucial to reset mitochondrial function, no supplement can repair mitochondria if it's not firing on all cylinders. However, not all light… ARTIFICIAL Blue light is one of the most damaging things for mitochondrial function and circadian rhythm regulation, emitted from electronic devices such as your iPhone and TV. It suppresses the release of melatonin & means that you are more alert in times when you should be sleepy. Quickly, melatonin is a hormone that is closely tied to light. Darkness = release of melatonin Light = slows production High release of melatonin makes you more tired & reinforces your sleep-wake cycle. Red light contains longer wavelengths (compared to blue light) which stimulate mitochondrial function without disrupting melatonin production. In turn - supporting cellular energy and circadian health. So, let's apply this to sleep hygiene - we know that our mitochondria are our engine, and let's think of light as the fuel. We must view light in the morning for energy and function, and remove light in the evenings (when the sun is down) to initiate repair. Here are some tips: - View sunlight as soon as you wake up. - Avoid going on your phone for the first 30 mins/hour of waking. - Remove artificial blue light when the sun goes down. - If you can't do this, wear blue light-blocking glasses or download applications like ‘flux’. - Use red light bulbs, and opt for sources of light in the evenings such as candles and fires. - Make your room as dark as possible or wear an eye mask. 2) TIMINGS: Ensuring you have a consistent sleep routine is one of the most crucial factors of sleep hygiene. It helps to maintain uniformity within your circadian rhythm. When you sleep is dependent upon the individual, their environments and commitments but aligning your sleep schedule to nature and the rise and fall of daylight is the recommendation. The most important factors within 'timings' of sleep hygiene are: - consistency within sleep and wake times - duration of sleep. Don't force yourself to sleep when you are not tired, vice versa. The ideal duration for sleep is again dependent on the individual however a general rule of thumb is 7-9 hours. You will soon intuitively know how many hours you need for optimal function. 3) FOOD: During your sleeping period, your body's primary focus should be on deep restoration and recovery. However, when you consume food in close proximity to bedtime, you essentially divert your body's energy to two separate areas – digestion and sleep. This dual demand on your body's resources can disrupt the efficiency of both processes and have a negative impact on your overall recovery during sleep. Aim for a gap of at least 3 hours between your last meal and bedtime. This allows your body ample time to complete the digestion process, ensuring that your sleep can be dedicated to essential rest and repair activities. The same principle applies to beverages (Although i am partial to a chamomile tea before bed, don't shoot me) 4) CAFFEINE: Equal importance should be placed on when you last consume caffeine during your day. Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors (The neurotransmitter that regulates sleep and feelings of tiredness) So, if you consume caffeine too close to your bedtime, it will block the natural release of adenosine and you will struggle to drift off into that restful sleep. Aim to consume your last drop of caffeine at least 10 hours before bed to ensure the majority of the caffeine has been metabolised and eliminated from your system. Also, Delaying caffeine consumption for about 90 minutes after waking aligns with the natural release of cortisol in the morning which will increase alertness, and the lower adenosine levels during this period also means that the need for caffeine is minimal. This delay will allow you to consume caffeine without interrupting any natural cycles. 5) ALCOHOL: Now this is a slightly nuanced topic in terms of sleep maxxing as I hope that the majority of people reading this understand the effects of alcohol in terms of sleep quality and recovery. But regardless, “Alcohol is really good at helping me fall asleep” Technically - yes, some alcohols have sedative effects but so does heroin (doesn't mean I shoot up before bed does it…) Drinking alcohol too close to sleeping has similar effects to the consumption of food, many people will experience restlessness as the liver aims to metabolise the alcohol and therefore negatively impacts sleep. Having alcohol in your system when you are sleeping also inhibits your ability to tap into the deeper stages of sleeping, keeping you in lighter sleep and reducing your recovery and restoration that we experience during deep sleep. Alcohol also suppresses REM sleep which is going to negatively impact things such as memory formation and cognitive function. Have you ever noticed after a heavy night of drinking you don't remember a single dream? Now, I know people enjoy a drink and so do I - so what can we do? Most importantly, don't let the stress of a bad night's sleep get in the way of a night of laughter and memories with mates. Just remember, the dose makes the poison in this situation. Aim to stop drinking a couple of hours before sleeping to give your body time to metabolise the alcohol before sleeping. Make sure to rehydrate and try having a glass of raw milk and honey before bed (elite) 6) TEMPERATURE: Our circadian rhythm isn't just based around light, our body temp also fluctuates throughout the day. It’s lowest during the early hours of the morning and highest towards the afternoon/early evening when our energy is peaking. Falling asleep is facilitated by a drop in our body's core temperature. This drop in core temperature signals to the brain that it's time to initiate sleep. This therefore means that a cool room is ideal for optimal sleep. Now, ideal temperatures can vary from person to person and there is no ‘one size fits all’, however, a general rule of thumb for optimal sleep is having a bedroom temperature of anywhere from 60-67°F (if you have the luxury of controlling this temp). Using natural fibres such as: - Silk - Wool - Cotton also helps to regulate temperatures better & is much better for overall health than toxic synthetics. 7) EXTRA TIPS: Now that we have covered the foundations of sleep hygiene, We can look to other areas to make it a more enjoyable process. Creating morning and evening routines can be a great help to avoid bad habits that are going to be unfavourable in our sleep optimisation. In the mornings you may want to follow something like this: - Shower - Drink some water - Meditate - Plan your day - Light movement - Breakfast Or in the evenings to wind down: - Epsom salt bath - Incense - Read - Journal Other tips you may want to use: - Only use your bedroom for s*x and sleep. You don't want to associate your sleep space with activities you do during the day maybe I worded that wrong ;) - Regular daily exercise is also going to be crucial to exhaust your energy systems and make it much easier to fall asleep. That's all folks! Hopefully, this can come in handy for you and help you sort your sleep out for FREE. Don't forget to bookmark, like, share & drop me a follow @TD_Based if you enjoy this sort of content. Namaste brothers 🤲

You know the hidden gems of esoteric twitter are playing a vital role in your life when you: - Cook in butter. - Put honey and salt on everything. - Stop using deodorant and shampoo. - Use coconut oil and tallow for skincare - Hardly wear shoes outside anymore. - Take joy from the smallest of things. Keep going bros, this is only the start 🥂 Enjoy it 🤲🌞

Majority of individuals problems stem from neglecting their physical self. Fix the body and the mind will follow suit.

Caught in 2 minds between letting your hair down or continuing your pursuit of greatness? As surprising as it may sound, choosing the former will benefit the latter... Sometimes, wrestling with the beast of your inner temptations can pave the path to vitality in unexpected and diverse ways. Case in point: I'm at my sister's wedding this weekend. I have 2 options: 1) Obsess over every drink, scrutinize every sub-optimal choice, and let every deviation from perfection get to me. OR 2) Revel in a carefree weekend with loved ones and create lasting memories. Obviously, I will opt for option 2. The essence of a life of vitality is finding balance. A healthy existence doesn't just stem from physical health, but also from emotional and social happiness. There is no vitality in sacrificing our joy for perfection. Imagine if I spent this entire weekend worrying about what I'm eating and drinking because it's 'not optimal'. Letting the guilt build up inside, In turn not even let myself enjoy a beautiful occasion. Optimisers are down seriously bad... It is going to be extremely counterproductive. Instead, I'll let my hair down. Send it. Create lifelong memories. Craft tales to tell future generations. Trust me, they would rather hear about this than some random weekend 10k I did instead. Life is all about experience. Sometimes choosing health over joy can be detrimental in the long run. A life without experiences is a story left untold, no matter how healthy you are. You catch my drift? The negative energy we harbour from stressing over every little detail has a domino effect. It'll catch up with us eventually. In the grand scheme of things, that one weekend away from your routine won't derail your goals. It's okay to take that break. It's okay to live. Remember, it's your life. Enjoy it. No scrutiny, no stress. Just memories, happiness, and yes, a cheeky bit of indulgence to keep the spirit content and add some spice to the rhythm of our existence. c'est la vie.

Weak men are destroyed by periods of hardship. Average men survive them. Winners are improved by them. Be a winner.

The ability, or lack of, to step outside your comfort zone is what separates the winners & losers in this game of life. Consistent growth and consistent exposure to uncomfortable activities will always create a winner in the end.

As you embark on your journey, Understand that you are a constantly evolving being. However, the beauty of the journey is that it has no definitive end point. The beauty of growth is that there is no limit to how great you can become. There is no limit to what you can achieve. Set your goals so high that people will tell you, you are crazy. Then let your actions, your aura, your achievements do the talking. That Ali quote comes to mind, I’ll show you how great I am.

SUPPORT. YOUR. LOCAL. 🗣️

Modern day health advice is all just pumped out by the propaganda machine designed to keep you unhealthy. It’s all misinformation. Healthcare is designed in a way where it’s the cure, Not prevention. The money is in the cure. The ‘healing’ Designed to wait for you to get sick, and then act as the ‘saviour’. To fill big pharmas pockets. To keep society weak and reliant. As a modern man you have a duty to provide and to protect. This means you have to take matters into your own hands. Take the path that gets you called deluded. Delve into the depths of the health space and craft your winning formula. What works for you, might not work for everyone. It takes time. It takes mistakes. Question EVERYTHING. But once it clicks, You will be an unstoppable force.

THE SINGLE EASIEST WAY TO INCREASE CONFIDENCE IS: EXPERIENCE. You will naturally become more confident in every area that you commit to showing up in. Can’t hold a conversation? Speak to more people and it will become easy. Scared to admit you can’t run a mile? Run everyday and I bet you will be telling everyone about the 10k you did at the weekend. Shit at Muay Thai? Go to more Thai sessions and you will naturally become more confident in your ability, wanting to spar with everyone to test yourself. Experience beats wisdom from any book. Don’t let other people tell you how to increase your confidence. Just put the reps in. And let the experience speak for itself. Experience will make you 100x more confident than any “10 TiPs To 10x YoUr CoNfIdEnCe” YouTube video or twitter thread.

Take a moment and reflect upon this: Are you truly happy to settle for the ‘easy life’ or are you driven to discover your full potential? For humanity to thrive, we need confident individuals to share knowledge, innovate, and fearlessly explore new realms. Let that be you.