There is a lot of confusing, conflicting advice about how to maintain good health. Eat these foods, not those. Do this kind of exercise for so many minutes per week. Take these supplements.
It’s overwhelming.
In my experience the recipe for good health is simple:
- sleep well (8 hours a night)
- eat food (per Michael Pollan)
- do weight-bearing exercise (kettlebells + calisthenics)
- play competitive aerobic sports (make it fun)
- meditate (daily)
The end.
Ok, so a couple points deserve some elaboration…
You can spend a lifetime chasing fad diets and hacks, but the only thing that has worked consistently for me is focusing on eating real food (actual whole fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy, etc.—little to nothing from the middle of the supermarket) and just being mindful of overall quantity. The first part (real food) makes the second (quantity) more or less automatic, especially averaged over time. Food is too joyous a part of life to ruin with a bunch of complicated rules.
I like kettlebells and calisthenics for weight-bearing exercise because they encourage greater range of motion and functional strength. Moving a big barbell up and down in a straight line does little to help you haul trash bags without pulling a muscle or play a sport with friends.
Speaking of sports, reintroducing competitive aerobic sports into my life has been super impactful in improving overall wellbeing. This doesn’t have to be a lot—I currently play tennis and basketball once a week each.
Meditation can take many forms, including walking or running (without music, podcasts, etc.), journaling, or traditional seated contemplation. The key is to take some quiet time for yourself each day to mindfully reflect. Observe your thoughts, get to know how your mind works, how life works.
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