Immunity Week 7 - Move Your Body

Hey Hey... Week 7.

When I retired from playing field hockey I knew I had to find a form of exercise I loved. I knew if I didn't love it, I'd struggle to do it.  

I taught myself to surf and found extreme joy in being in nature, vs being on an astroturf field, as I had been for the past 20 years. That decision helped me see the connection between our bodies, the food we eat and the earth. It is what prompted me to create HYDRATE and become plastic free in the restaurant. Instead of an Olympic athlete I saw myself as a Nature Athlete.

I had spent my life moving, since I could walk. My mom tells me that I would run and jump in the deep end of the pool with the big kids long before I could swim. We grew up in a neighborhood where we could be outside from dawn till dusk. We could play tennis, basketball, baseball, skateboard, ride our bikes all without crossing a street. We'd come in for dinner, mom would scoop peas on to the plate, we'd eat them, then potatoes, we'd eat those, and then whatever else, we'd eat it. She'd sit down to eat and we'd be finished and get up and run back outside to play until it was bedtime.

The 70's was the golden age for being kids outside.

When I became a serious athlete I'd do physical activity for 3-9 hours a day.

12 years straight of high intensity exercise, for that long each day, was truly insane.

When I opened GOODONYA deli in 2001, I'd work 8-12 hours a day. Come home, grab my yellow lab, run her for an hour and then go surf for 2 more. I did that until 2010.

I then decided to launch the GOODONYA bar and start making products. My restaurants were running themselves with my awesome staff in charge.

For the first time in my life, at age 40, I sat down.

I was fancy. I got a desk, a cool chair, a big computer and I really felt like I made. I was professional.

You know my story, at age 35 I was diagnosed with Hashitmotos, Celiac and Hypoglycemia. I was a mess. My immune system was S*&!. From age 35 on I run my bloodwork with my Naturopath 2-4x/year. I was slowly making changes in my life. Eating better. Just surfing vs running. Working on less stress. I married Bren and finally had an amazing fulfilling relationship.

But I was sitting.

I am just going to say this.

When I was stressed out because the GOODONYA bar imploded. It was combined with a long work days at the computer. I suddenly had no time to surf. I went for my end of the year blood test and it seemed all the progress I had made vanished overnight.

My numbers were like those of a woman who would have a heart attack. Stress and stagnation were about to give me a heart attack, and I was pretty much a perfect eater at this point.

Meet Scott. My good friend and personal trainer.

I love this guy, he's understanding, knowledgeable, smart, kind, and kicks your ass when you can handle it.

I’ve asked him to write up his thoughts on our immune system + moving our body.

This entire next section is from him, in his words. All the way down to the video gifts at the end:)

FROM SCOTT, owner of KoolBody Personal Training:

Living the life of the high achieving, productive people I know you to be, we find ourselves dealing with stress in some form or another.  A stressful email, text message, phone call or deadline, consequently, sets off a chain of events in our body.  The hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released in times of stress, influencing your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing, putting our body into “fight or flight” response.

STRESS TAKES CONTROL

Stress is not the enemy; actually, it’s kept the human species alive through the centuries.

However, when mismanaged, stress can play havoc on your body on multiple levels:

·   Tension in your musculoskeletal system

·   Compromise in your respiratory system

·   Compromise in your cardiovascular system

·   Impacts gut health

·   Weakened immune system

Unfortunately, drugs, alcohol, and emotional eating have become common quick fix solutions; only compounding into much greater problems such as depression, alcoholism and obesity.

THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE TO DE-STRESS

The simple act of MOVING the body can literally physiologically de-stress us … in minutes!

Not to mention the many other benefits of exercise:

•   Release the “happy hormones” such as endorphins and dopamine.

•   Decrease the level of cortisol ( the stress hormone)

•   Increase lean mass (muscle)

•   Increase your cardio-respiratory capacity

•   Decrease fat

•   Improves mood

•   Boosts energy

•   Reduces anxiety

•   Enhances your clarity in problem solving

Thanks Scott!
I love and curse you often. Especially when you made me do squats to that Moby song. #4minutesofhell

So what the heck do we do if we just don't have the time?
Don't stress or obsess about not working out. We know that makes all things worse.
Make moving a priority. Remember, this is our immunity campaign and you need to figure out a way to implement moving your body for your immune health. It doesn't have to be hours. Can you dedicate 5-15 minutes a day?