Early to bed and early to rise- CRUCIAL FOR HEALTH!

I've been enjoying some vacation time!

I say this not to gloat (although it has been pleasant!), but to share with you some insights I've gained over this period:

Work/Activity is overrated!


All of us, Americans I believe in particular, have been brainwashed into believing that, if we are not being productive, i.e. engaged in making money, or preparing to make even more money, that we are wasting our time!

And on the other end, if we are spending our leisure time,  time we have gained away from work, we had better do it productively: 


Attending expensive spectator sporting events!
Luxury travel to far-distant "pre-packaged" destinations!!
Going to "spas" and "fat farms"; where we are told WHAT TO DO health wise!!!
And, don't just SIT!  Watch TV!!  It is at least 'mind-expanding'!!!!


I'm here to tell you, first-hand, that it is just not so!

Work is important; yes it's true!  Crucial even- but it needs to be real work!


How many of us can honestly say today that we go to work to... labor?  
To accomplish real, physical things?


Very few of us, in modern corporate America at least, can lay claim to doing so.  We sit in offices, we drive to conferences, we connect and network on our computers and other devices...

We don't really do honest work anymore!


I know, I know- I am pushing the point; of course we all are "stressed" mentally and socially, and have to cope with lots of paperwork and such...  but, my above point still holds.

THAT is why, when we are NOT engaged in "WORK", modern-style-


WE NEED TO REVERT TO OUR PRE-INDUSTRIAL AGE PAST!


1. Do LOTS of physical things!  
Work out.  Cut wood.  Hike.  COOK!!
2.  But also other "Physical" things we ignore:
Lie around.  Meditate.  Ponder things.  Sing and play with family and friends!  Pray!!

But mainly, we need to sleep!


The last few nights, I have gone to sleep around 8 PM or so.  And then, I have slept through the night, and not gotten up until 9 AM!


This from a guy who normally wakes up and gets going at 4:30 AM!

Why?  It is really a conscious decision to use my vacation to "reconnect" with my "paleo past" if you will...  and I believe it really paid off!
I have had several "lucid" dreams- strongly visual dreams that are actually more meaningful upon awakening than my real, actual life!  I am certain that these dreams are my "subconscious, inner self" trying to tell me what is really important.
Thinking about these dreams, and trying to interpret them, becomes more important than you would believe- if you have the leisure to actually contemplate them!


So, if you can, give yourself that leisure!  If you have a vacation coming up, don't turn it into a "work substitute", where you run from event to event, just like work! 


Try to actually relax; cut loose from things!  If you normally work out each day, don't!
If you rarely work out- DO! 


Try to eat really, really well- totally Paleo!  Vacations are where we are trained to "let it all go diet-wise".  Huge mistake- we want to get back in touch with our primeval selves!!

And then- sleep a lot!  I mean much more than usual- try out how it was for our primeval ancestors, before electric lights and alarm clocks.  Rejuvenating....

And if you don't have a vacation??


This is even more important for you:

Get to bed REALLY EARLY!  Early enough so you will have a good 8-9 hours of sleep....

GET UP really early!!  You will feel like getting up, since you've had ample sleep...

Work out, early morning!  If you do this one thing, you are setting yourself up for a happy, fulfilling, and ultimately very successful day!!

Start out with "mobility-type" movements, next do some stretches- include the Asian Squat-asian squat video

Follow up with self-resisted exercises- visualized, or self resisted exercises
Finish up with pushups, sit-ups, and hindu body-weight squats.  

If you do all of this, and if you are like me you will do it in front of the TV!!  Netflix streaming!!

Reward yourself for working hard!  You will come to LONG for your exercise sessions, if your restrict your TV watching to ONLY during those times!!

Trust me, you will feel great! Have a Paleo smoothie and toddle off to "work"-

Everything you experience there will "fall into place", and you will recognize everything for just what it really is...

And you will have some really interesting dreams to ponder, as you do your paperwork and teleconferencing and such...

J

Paleo is achievable, anywhere!

Here I am, in Columbus Ohio- I am visiting the North Market, which is a wonderful collection of independent restaurateurs, grocers, and butchers in one neat old building!  I'd never been to Columbus (or even Ohio!), but I was very impressed with the town, the people, and the culinary opportunities...

Most major, and even middle-sized communities are now like this: they have Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or some such marketer that supplies REAL FOOD in lieu of the processed crap that has become, lamentably, mainstream in the past few decades.  If YOU live in a major metropolis, you don't need to lament- real food is available now in metro areas easily- fresh, or frozen fruits and vegetables, meats, even grass-fed are readily available prepared and ready to eat! The only variable??

YOU!

You just need to choose REAL FOODS!  No boxes of "helpers", no "Ultra pasteurized", or "radiated" need to be chosen- vote with your dollars!  Real, Raw, minimally processed foods are ALL that we should eat.  This will get the attention of the food providers better than any proselytizing we could ever do- if the providers really believe that we only want REAL food- they will, finally, and reluctantly, move in that direction.

Processed, nutrition-less foods are much more profitable, and so they are reluctant to leave them behind...  there will be a backlash from the mainstream big-food grain cartels, Pharmaceutical companies and the American Medical Association that they support...

A BIG BACKLASH!!  Get ready!!

Lots of misinformation will be coming our way in the next decade or so!

Stick to your guns:

Real food.
Real exercise.
Real sleep.
Real relaxation and community with family and friends.

Medicine and medical professionals, i.e. Doctors, Dentists, Optometrists should be kept to a BARE MINIMUM!!

Go Old Westerns: you only see the old "sawbones" when you are shot, broke a limb, or you need a tooth extracted.  Otherwise, you STAYED AWAY and took care of yourself!!

SO, STICK TO YOUR GUNS!

"Have Paleo Will Travel!"