BODY MIND EMPOWERMENT

HANDBOOK

SIIM LAND

www.siimland.com

Cover

Disclaimer & Copyright

Text Copyright © Siim Land 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced in any

form without permission in writing from the publisher except in the

case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Legal & Disclaimer

The information contained in this book is not designed to replace or

take the place of any form of medicine or professional medical advice.

The information in this book has been provided for educational and

entertainment purposes only.

The information contained in this book has been compiled from

sources deemed reliable, and it is accurate to the best of the Author's

knowledge; however, the Author cannot guarantee its accuracy and

validity and cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions. Changes

are periodically made to this book. You must consult your doctor or get

professional medical advice before using any of the suggested

remedies, techniques, or information in this book.

Upon using the information contained in this book, you agree to hold

harmless the Author from and against any damages, costs, and

expenses, including any legal fees potentially resulting from the

application of any of the information provided by this guide. This

disclaimer applies to any damages or injury caused by the use and

application, whether directly or indirectly, of any advice or

information presented, whether for breach of contract, tort,

negligence, personal injury, criminal intent, or under any other cause

of action.

You agree to accept all risks of using the information presented inside

this book. You need to consult a professional medical practitioner in

order to ensure you are both able and healthy enough to participate in

this program.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

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Cover design by Siim Land.

Introduction

Hey,

So, you’ve decided to become a self-empowered being?

That’s just amazing – an exceptional decision, I must say. It’s the first

step of many you need to take in order to truly work on your potential

and reach greatness.

What you’re reading now is the Body Mind Empowerment Handbook –

it’s a collection of principles and best practices of improving and

optimizing your physical and mental performance.

Truth be told...

Your behaviour, your performance, your results – the epitome of

your achievement and life’s purpose – will always be limited by the

state of your physiology and psychology.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe great people can accomplish great things

despite how healthy or disciplined they are.

It’s just that you as a person have a body and a mind – both of which

can be made stronger, more adaptable, and better. That’s what this book

is supposed to do.

Let me give you a short overview of myself as well.

My name is Siim Land and I’m an

author, blogger, content creator,

YouTuber and a body mind

empowerment coach.

I’ve been doing biohacking and

self-experimentations ever since

I turned 18. I strive for living an

empowering life and teach

others to do the same. My

method is holistic, including not

only health and fitness, but also

the mental mindset aspect of life

enhancement.

Some fun facts:

• I’m a certified sharpshooter

• I wrote my first book in 30 days

• I have a degree in anthropology.

The Body Mind Empowerment Handbook is written for people who want

to enhance their personal effectiveness, their health and mental state.

It’s a guidebook for beginner’s but works for everyone with a beginner’s

mind. Whatever your background or current condition, the principles

written here will serve you for a lifetime and you can always default

back to them.

Becoming a self-empowered being both physically and mentally is not

just for selfish purposes – it’ll also help you to be a greater person to

others. Because, let’s be honest, no one likes being around people who

feel like sh#t or have a poor mindset.

The Foundation

Fundamentally, all personal development should begin with the body.

It’s the vessel for our consciousness and the seat of our intelligence.

Our physiological condition has a massive effect on the

psychological state of our mind. If you ever need proof to this, notice

how getting a breath of fresh air after being stuck in a suffocating

apartment building immediately rejuvenates your emotions and

motivations. Or how slouching over in a chair makes you feel more tired

versus exercising.

Where the body leads, the mind will follow. And this works both ways -

your mindset can alter your bodily states as well.

Our perception is the key with which we experience the surrounding

world and all of its physical stimuli.

• For instance, there’s a huge difference between being in a hot

sauna versus the Sahara desert. In the desert you’re trying to

survive and may panic, whereas in a sauna you’re enjoying

yourself and relaxing, although the conditions are quite similar.

• Another example is cold exposure. Taking an ice bath is just

insane, if you look at it from the perspective of nature - you’re

freezing. However, by changing our perception and consciously

controlling our physiology, we can entirely alter our experience.

Wim Hof can stay can stay in ice neck down for 2 hours without

losing core temperature, whereas there are some people who freak

the f#%& out in a cold shower.

William Shakerspeare said:

“Nothing is either good or bad,

but thinking makes it so.”

Our perception of ourselves, the

world and everything that

happens to us is ultimately what

dictates our experience.

Because of such power of sentience, we can alter our experiences, both

physically and mentally, which leads us to...

Biohacking

Biohacking is a term used to define ways of taking control of and

optimizing your biology. It’s about improving your health, performance

and well-being across all domains – self-upgrading.

Biohacks are activities and strategies you can use to make yourself into

a high performing individual. They enhance your biological limits and

turn yourself into almost a superhuman. If you’ve drank coffee, taken

fish oil, gone to the sauna or exercised, then you’ve done some

biohacking.

And with Body Mind Empowerment, you’re adding in the aspect of

augmenting your mindset and perspective on life – the epitome of

personal development.

Let’s get to it.

The Body

In this first section, we’ll be taking care of your body and health, as to

give you more energy and vitality. It’s important to keep our physiology

functioning at its peak so our mind and consciousness could flourish as

well.

Key Principles of Nutrition

But, let’s also remind ourselves of what the principles are.

• Your Gut comes first: It’s called the gut-brain axis, where the gut

has a much greater impact on the brain. What we eat gets broken

down into nutrients, digested and released into the blood stream.

From those calories, we can either get energy, vigor and cognitive

acuity or exhaustion, lack of motivation and brain fog. 90% of

serotonin – the relaxation neurotransmitter – gets produced in the

digestive tract. You really feel the way you do based on your gut.

• Fight Inflammation: One of the greatest dangers to the body is

inflammation. The body prioritizes its survival over anything else

– if there’s a fire in your kitchen then you won’t be able to think

about self-actualizing yourself. Therefore, you want to reduce

inflammation as much as possible.

• Control Insulin: When it comes to body composition and health,

then the most important hormone is insulin. It gets released by the

pancreas in response to rising blood sugar levels and tries to bring

it back down to normal. Insulin opens the cell receptors to let all

of that sugar enter the muscles and be stored as glycogen.

However, whenever our muscles are already full, all of the excess

will be directed into the adipose tissue. Whenever insulin is

elevated we’re more prone to storing the food we eat rather than

burning it.

• Eat as much as you need: Our daily caloric demands vary hugely

between individuals. A NAVY SEAL can burn up to 6000 calories a

day, whereas a sedentary office person doesn’t even have to eat

any more than 2000. You have to determine yourself how much

food you need to eat to achieve optimal health and meet your

goals.

Based on those principles, let’s now turn to the guidelines to follow.

Here are the Foods to Avoid:

• No refined sugars: no added sugar, no soda, no desserts, no

candy. Especially High Fructose Corn Syrup(HFCS). They cause

cellular death and inflammation, quite literally.

• No trans-fats and vegetable oils. Margarine, canola oil,

safflower oil because of their high omega-6 content and increased

inflammation.

• No artificial sweeteners. Sucralose, aspartame, saccharin and

many more. Although there is no clear research on this, it’s still

best to avoid or at least limit the consumption of artificial

sweeteners whether in the form of diet sodas or supplements.

They can create a placebo-like insulin response and jack up your

blood sugar levels. You want to maintain low levels of insulin the

majority of time. Natural ones, like Stevia, are fine.

• No grains, such as wheat, barley, rye, corn, pasta, bread, oatmeal,

pastries etc. Even gluten free products cause gut intestinal stress

to a significant degree and lead to leaky gut syndrome, in which

the grain compounds create holes in the gut walls and cause all of

that garbage enter the blood stream. Inflammation will skyrocket

and you’ll experience brain fog. Yes, even if you’re not intolerant

and yes, even whole grains are as bad. Rice is the only source of

clean grains. However, it’s micronutrient content is extremely low

and almost useless.

• No GMOs. They’re not meant to be a part of your plate. This is not

a jab against science. It’s just that currently our engineering skills

aren’t that great and it’s best not to take any chances. There are

no studies about the long term effects of eating GMOs in humans

and chances are the results wouldn’t be that great. Most corn is

GMO.

• No soy, limit lectins. Soy is also mainly GMO and not very good,

when consumed excessively. It lowers testosterone in men and

promotes estrogen-dominance. Lectins are found in legumes,

nightshade and peanuts. White potatoes as well. They’re toxins

and are stressful on the gut. Although I would advise you to not

eat lectins or beans, you don’t have to avoid them completely but

it’s best to limit their consumption. Sweet potatoes are fine.

• Limit your alcohol intake. Completely forget about beer, ciders

or other sweet long drinks full of sugar. You shouldn’t drink until

very drunk, as it kills your brain cells and lowers mitochondrial

density. A glass or two of wine from time to time is okay. If you do

drink, stick to clean alcohol, like vodka and gin, not whiskey and

liquors.

What to Eat:

Next to that, there are a whole range of things we can eat.

• Dark leafy green vegetables are the best source of fiber. The

antioxidants in broccoli, kale and cauliflower protect against

cancer and promote a healthy gut. Best sources are cabbage,

spinach, sea kelp. Additionally, carrots, turnips and beetroot are

also great.

• Organic whole food protein. Grass-fed meat, like beef, pork,

lamb are full of essential amino acids and minerals. Red meat is

full of creatine, which is important for physical performance but

also has cognitive benefits. Don’t eat industrial bacon that’s cured

in sugar. Read the labels.

• Quality brain food. To satisfy our hungry brain, we have to eat

foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and DHA. Pastured eggs, wild

caught oily fish, such as salmon, sardines and mackerel are

amazing. Don’t eat the ones that are covered with vegetable oil.

• Some dairy. Neglect pasteurized dairy products and use raw milk,

kefir and yogurt. Cheese and heavy cream are fine but you should

still limit your overall dairy consumption.

• Good quality fats. The more fat you eat, at the expense of

carbohydrates, the more efficient you become at using fat for fuel.

This will have profound effects on your performance, especially

cognition. Butter, coconut oil, olive oil, MCT oil are all incredibly

nutrient dense. They’re good for our mitochondria and give us an

abundance of energy.

• Fruit and berries. Berries, such as strawberries, raspberries,

blueberries, currants and cherries are great. They’re full of

antioxidants and have low amounts of sugar in them. You can also

eat some fruit, such as apples, bananas, pears and oranges.

However, fructose doesn’t have any benefit to it. It can only be

metabolized by the liver and will thus be used only as back up fuel.

Your body and mind don’t gain nothing exceptionally good from

eating fruit that you won’t get from vegetables and berries. If you

want to fully optimize, then don’t eat it. If you do, stick to 1-2

servings a day because there’s still a lot of sugar in them.

Eat lots of fat, vegetables and quality protein. These nutrients empower

our body and mind all at the same time.

Intermittent Fasting

A healthy nutrition plan should also include some abstention from food.

When in a fasted state the body actually conducts a lot of the necessary

repair mechanisms. It detoxifies the organism by triggering a metabolic

pathway called autophagy, which removes waste material from cells1.

1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3106288/

In the process, inflammation throughout the body and overall oxidative

stress get reduced2. This fights all illnesses.

Contrary to popular belief, intermittent fasting doesn’t slow down the

metabolism but actually increases it by 3.6% after the first 48 hours3.

Even further, 4 days in, resting energy expenditure increases up to 14%.

• Fasting drastically increases growth hormone, by up to 1300-

2000%4.

2 Alternate day calorie restriction improves clinical findings and reduces markers of oxidative stress and inflammation

in overweight adults with moderate asthma.

3 Enhanced thermogenic response to epinephrine after 48-h starvation in humans.

4 Fasting enhances growth hormone secretion and amplifies the complex rhythms of growth hormone secretion in

man.

• Intermittent fasting has been shown to increase life span in other

mammals.

• It fights tumors and cancerous cells.

• Increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that protects

against neurodegenerative disease and boosts brain power.

For healthy people, intermittent fasting can instead be used as disease

prevention. Increased insulin sensitivity and autophagy are quite good

predictors of longevity. It’s the most natural antioxidant there is. It

heals, repairs and regenerates the body. These qualities are greatly

enhanced during a fast and can cure diseases that don’t go away while

eating.

How to Do Intermittent Fasting

There are many ways you can do intermittent fasting.

• There’s the 16/8 time frame where you skip breakfast and have it

at noon.

• There’s the One Meal a Day approach or OMAD, which is exactly

that what it sounds like.

• There’s the Warrior Diet, which is 20/4 time frame.

• There’s the 24 hour fast, in which you fast from dinner to dinner.

It doesn’t matter which kind of IF you do, as long as you simply do it in

some shape or form.

Here’s a standard blueprint done for the purpose of maximizing fat loss

and increasing your body’s ability to burn fat for fuel.

• Instead of having breakfast first thing in the morning, continue to

fast for a few hours.

• Drink a lot of water to keep yourself hydrated. Either add some

salt or drink mineral water.

• Wait until you get hungry and then drink either black coffee or tea.

• Fast for about 14-18 hours until noon. HGH and other hormones

will have peaked by that time.

• Before you eat, have a glass of warm lemon water. Optionally, you

can add some apple cider vinegar as well. The citric acid will

promote the creation of good digestive enzymes and prepares your

gut for digestion. Apple cider vinegar would be especially great.

• Break your fast with something small. Eating a big meal will put

too much stress on your intestines. Have a few eggs and vegetables

with some fat. You shouldn’t feel the need to eat more than 300-

500 calories

• Wait a few hours and continue eating the rest of your calories.

To be honest, the majority of the benefits will be covered with that short

time period. However, having a 24-hour fast once a week and a 48-hour

one every few months will do your health an extraordinary service.

But still, food is equally as important. What you eat has a direct effect

on your body’s energy levels and your mental state.

You don’t have to eat breakfast – I relieve you from the obligation.

You’re free, but if you do want to eat something, then I’m going to tell

you what you should have to maintain mental clarity and sharpness.

Shopping List

Here are the foods that are good to eat for taking care of your body.

These are the nutrients your diet should consist of 80% of the time.

EAT

• Grass-fed meats

• Fish/seafood

• Fresh fruits

• Fresh vegetables

• Eggs

• Nuts

• Seeds

• Healthy oils (olive, walnut,

flaxseed, macadamia,

avocado, coconut)

DON’T EAT or LIMIT

• NO cereal grains

• NO refined sugar

• NO processed foods

• NO overly salty foods

• NO refined vegetable oils

• NO candy/junk/processed

food

• Limit

legumes (including peanut

s)

• Limit dairy

• Limit potatoes

One simple axiom that you can keep in mind when every making optimal

food choices is to think whether or not it can be found in nature. Just

eat whole foods that are least processed and you’re setting yourself up

for 80% of the results you’re after with nutrition. There are some

deviations and exceptions to this, such as legumes and potatoes, but you

will already notice a significant change by removing processed food.

Now, the actual foods.

MEAT

• Poultry

• Turkey

• Chicken

breast

• Pork

tenderloin

• Pork chops

• Steak

• Veal

• Bacon

• Pork

• Ground beef

• Grass-fed beef

• Chicken thigh

• Chicken leg

• Chicken wings

(yum!)

• Lamb rack

• Shrimp

• Lobster

• Clams

• Salmon

• Venison

steaks

• Buffalo

• New York

steak

• Bison

• Bison steaks

• Bison jerky

• Bison ribeye

• Bison sirloin

• Lamb chops

• Rabbit

• Goat

• Elk

• Emu

• Goose

• Kangaroo

• Bear (good

luck getting

this!)

• Beef jerky

• Eggs (duck,

chicken, or

goose)

• Wild boar

• Reindeer

• Turtle

• Ostrich

• Pheasant

• Quail

• Lean veal

• Chuck steak

• Rattlesnake

VEGETABLES

• Asparagus

• Avocado

• Artichoke

hearts

• Brussels

sprouts

• Carrots

• Spinach

• Celery

• Broccoli

• Zucchini

• Cabbage

• Peppers (all

kinds)

• Cauliflower

• Parsley

• Eggplant

• Green onions

OILS/FATS

• Coconut oil

• Olive oil

• Macadamia oil

• Avocado oil

• Grass-fed butter

NUTS/SEEDS

• Almonds

• Cashews

• Hazelnuts

• Pecans

• Pine nuts

• Pumpkin

seeds

• Sunflower

seeds

• Macadamia

nuts

• Walnuts

FRUIT

• Apple

• Avocado

• Blackberries

• Papaya

• Peaches

• Plums

• Mango

• Lychee

• Blueberries

• Grapes

• Lemon

• Strawberries

• Watermelon

• Pineapple

guava

• Lime

• Raspberries

• Cantaloupe

• Tangerine

• Figs

• Oranges

• Bananas

WHAT NOT TO EAT

ARTIFICIAL

SWEETENERS

• Acesulfame

potassium

• ACK

• Ace K

• Equal

Spoonful

(also

+asparta

me)

• Sweet

One

• Sunett

• Aspartame

• APM

• AminoS

weet

(but not

in US)

• Aspartyl

-

phenylal

anine-1-

methyl

ester

• Canderel

(not in

US)

• Equal

Classic

• NatraTa

ste Blue

• NutraSw

eet

• Aspartame-

acesulfame

salt

• TwinSw

eet

(Europe

only)

• Cyclamate

• Not in

US as

per FDA

• Calcium

cyclamat

e

• Cologran

=

cyclamat

e and

sacchari

n (not in

US)

• Sucaryl

• Erythritol

• Sugar

alcohol

• Zerose

• ZSweet

• Glycerol

• Glycerin

• Glycerin

e

• Glycyrrhizin

• Licorice

• Hydrogenated

starch

hydrolysate

(HSH)

• Sugar

alcohol

• Isomalt

• Sugar

alcohol

• ClearCut

Isomalt

• Decomal

t

• DiabetiS

weet

(also

contains

Acesulfa

me-K)

• Hydroge

nated

Isomaltu

lose

• Isomaltit

ol

• Lactitol

• Sugar

alcohol

• Maltitol

• Sugar

alcohol

• Maltitol

syrup

• Maltitol

powder

• Hydroge

nated

High

Maltose

Content

Glucose

Syrup

• Hydroge

nated

maltose

• Lesys

• MaltiSw

eet (hard

to

purchase

)

• SweetPe

arl

• Mannitol

• Sugar

alcohol

• Neotame

• Polydextrose

• Sugar

alcohol

• (Derived

from

glucose

and

sorbitol)

• Saccharin

• Acid

sacchari

n

• Equal

Sacchari

n

• Necta

Sweet

• Sodium

Sacchari

n

• Sweet N

Low

• Sweet

Twin

• Sorbitol

• Sugar

alcohol

• D-

glucitol

• D-

glucitol

syrup

• Steviol

glycoside

• Rebiana

• Sucralose

• 1′,4,6′-

Trichlor

ogalacto

sucrose

• Trichlor

osucrose

• Equal

Sucralos

e

• NatraTa

ste Gold

• Splenda

• Tagatose

• Natrulos

e

• Xylitol

• Sugar

alcohol

• Smart

Sweet

• Xylipure

• Xyloswe

et

• Anything

that says

“artificia

l”

GRAINS

• Cereals

• Bread

• English

muffins

• Toast

• Sandwiches

• Triscuits

• Wheat Thins

• Crackers

• Oatmeal

• Cream of

wheat

• Corn

• Corn syrup

• High-fructose

corn syrup

• Wheat

• Pancakes

• Hash browns

• Beer (and the

world

mourned)

• Pasta

• Fettuchini

• Lasagne

LEGUMES

• All beans

• Black

beans

• Broad

beans

• Fava

beans

• Garbanz

o beans

• Horse

beans

• Kidney

beans

• Lima

beans

• Mung

beans

• Adzuki

beans

• Navy

beans

• Pinto

beans

• Red

beans

• Green

beans

• String

beans

• White

beans

• Peas

• Black-

eyed

peas

(and,

yes, you

should

also

avoid the

band)

• Chickpea

s

• Snowpea

s

• Sugar

snap

peas

• Peanuts

• Peanut butter

• Miso

• Lentils

• Lupins

• Mesquite

• Soybeans

• All soybean

products and

derivatives

• Tofu • Any other

beans.

You’d want to follow these guidelines no matter what diet protocol you

choose because our physiology functions based on the same principles

across individuals.

What to Base Your Nutrition On

The main idea is to increase your mitochondrial density.

The mitochondria are the

powerplants of our cells that

convert oxygen, food and

calories into energy, or ATP.

They’re the generators that allow

us to exist in the first place.

Aging and the most common

diseases of the Western

civilization are facilitated by

mitochondrial degeneration,

which consequently leads to the

death of brain cells and

downregulation of other bodily

functions.

Fundamentally, the single most effective way of increasing

mitochondrial density is to improve your body’s ability to burn its

own body fat.

Fatty acids provide cleaner fuel in the Krebs cycle, as opposed to glucose

that by-produces free radicals and advanced glycation end-products,

which promote inflammation. Inflammation is the biggest enemy for the

mitochondria, every cell within the body, really.

Building mitochondrial density should fundamentally start with

nutrition. Food is a source of electrons that influences the body’s

electromagnetic balance, thus determining bioenergetics.

Eating low-inflammatory ketogenic foods is a sure way of creating a fat-

burning engine inside your body. The increased nutrient density will

keep you satiated for longer and thus allows you to become more self-

sufficient with your own fuel supply, which is key for mitochondrial

density.

In a nutshell, ketosis is a metabolic state, in which the body has

shifted from burning glucose as its primary fuel source into

supplying its energy demands with ketone bodies.

Being in ketosis means that you’re following optimal nutrition 24/7

because your body is burning its own storage and using it for fuel. You’ll

become self-resourceful and independent of exogenous calories that

could potentially damage you.

The ketogenic diet isn’t as necessary as the key principles listed in this

handbook. It requires more thorough description, which is why I’ve kept

it for another book. But I also have other keto products to make it easier

for you.

• Simple Keto Video Course (60% Off discount code)

• Ultimate Keto 21 Day Meal Plan

• Keto // IF – Ketogenic Diet Combined With Intermittent Fasting

Let’s continue with some other nutritional biohacks.

Working Out

Now, let’s get strong as hell. Build muscle and strength for longevity

and greater mitochondrial density.

The bottom-line is this: Exercise is the necessary dose of movement

that’s needed for the body to maintain it’s healthy functioning.

I can’t give you definite guidelines of what workout protocol to follow

because I don’t know what your specific goals are nor what your

condition is like.

Nevertheless…

Muscle loss, or sarcopenia, is being more and more considered as

one of the most important aspects of aging.

So what’s the solution?

You have to increase your mitochondrial density through an anti-

inflammatory fat burning diet and an exercise routine that

incorporates both low intensity aerobic activity and high intensity

resistance training.

This will improve your health, cognition, mood, strength and all the

other stuff that enhance your life.

To alleviate sarcopenia, you would want to do heavy resistance training

that increases strength, boosts growth hormone and enhances bone

density. – all of which promote longevity.

It doesn’t matter what type of training you mostly do, whether that be

cycling, martial arts or fencing, you would still want to do heavy

resistance training for the said reasons. You would always be a more

effective and happier version of yourself if you were stronger.

Resistance training also represents life in general – you encounter heavy

resistance, overcome it, adapt to it and get better.

The Exercises.

StrongLifts 5×5 Beginner Program includes 8 exercises. You’ll do 4 of

these every workout to hit all muscles.

• Squat. Squats are key to the program. 3x/week. They work your

whole body, not just your legs.

• Bench Press. Works your chest & triceps muscles. The strongest

upper body exercise.

• Overhead Press. Push weight overhead while standing.

• Deadlift. The toughest of all exercise. Works your legs and builds

a strong back by teaching you to keep your spine rigid against a

load.

• Barbell Row. Pulling weight from the floor against your lower

chest. The Barbell Row works your back & biceps.

• Pull-ups & Chin-ups. Pull-ups are done palm facing away, Chin-

ups palm facing you. Both work biceps & back muscles.

• Dips. Last one, Dips work your triceps & chest muscles.

Program Template.

StrongLifts 5×5 Beginner Program takes 3×30mins/week. Most train

Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Tu/Th/Sa or Su/Tu/Th works too. Always

keep at least 1 day rest between 2 workouts. Alternate between workout

A & B every session.

Week1: A/B/A, week2: B/A/B, week3: A/B/A, week4: B/A/B, etc.

Workout A

• Squat 5x5

• Bench Press 5x5

• Overhead Press 5x5

• Barbell Row 5x5

• Dips 5x5

Workout B

• Squat 5x5

• Overhead Press 5x5

• Deadlift 1x5

• Pull-ups/Chin-ups 3xFailure

Cardiovascular Fitness

On top of that, there’s also the importance of cardiovascular fitness. For

the health of our heart, it’s probably a lot more important. Muscle is

great for longevity and should be the foundation to our training but

incorporating other modalities is also essential.

Both aerobic and anaerobic training contributes to the development of

our cardiovascular fitness. However, long hours of cardio are not

beneficial because of the excessive duration of repetitive motions will

begin to tear down our joints and eventually becomes too much of a

stressor on the body as well.

The most time efficient way – the biohacker’s way - of approaching

cardiovascular fitness is actually by doing high intensity interval

training (HIIT).

When it comes to building muscle and strength, then the benefits of HIIT

far outweigh those of low intensity steady state cardio (LISS). Studies

have shown that people who do HIIT have better body composition and

do not suffer from other chronic exercise syndromes.

The benefits of HIIT are:

• Increased metabolism for the upcoming 48 hours.

• Less stress on the nervous system and joints.

• Develops both aerobic and anaerobic fitness.

• Increased mitochondrial density

• Improves insulin sensitivity.

• More mental toughness.

• Saves a lot of time.

• It’s incredibly empowering.

For overall cardiovascular development, the exercises would have to

incorporate the entire body. Burpees and sprints are by far the best

ways of getting fit and promoting functionality as well.

Here’s a typical HIIT routine.

o Warm up with 2-5 minutes of easy jogging or jump rope

o 30 seconds of burpees/sprinting/cycling hard

o 30 seconds of rest

o Repeat for 5-10 rounds

o Cool down for 1-2 minutes of light movement

You can also do circuit training with HIIT to bring in more variation and

make it more fun.

o Warm up with 2-5 minutes of easy jogging or jump rope

o 30 seconds of burpees

o 30 seconds of rest

o 30 seconds of squat jumps

o 30 seconds of rest

o 30 seconds of pushups

o 30 seconds of rest

o 30 seconds of sprinting

o Cool down for 1-2 minutes of light movement

Before jumping in head first and pushing yourself through the dirt you

have to come to terms with your current state of health and fitness. If

you suffer from any medical condition of poor lung capacity, then it

would not be a good idea to start doing HIIT sessions every day. To not

cause any long term damage to your body you have to start from your

current level and gradually build up from there.

Mobility and Joint Integrity

On the other hand, you don’t want to neglect mobility because otherwise

you’ll get injured.

Top mobilization exercises you should do every day:

1. Cow stretch, or the cat-camel

2. Deep lunge hold

3. Foam rolling the tight spots in the fascia

4. Internal shoulder rotation

What to do during movement breaks:

• The campfire squat - Hold it for a few minutes and use your hands

to move your hips around.

• Deep lunge - You can do the Yoga Warrior pose sequence.

• Sun salutation - A very simple and easy way to re-engage your

spine and shoulders. Make sure to incorporate the Downward Dog.

• Handstand/headstand - This is for working against the

gravitational force we’re exposed to 24/7. It’s good for directing

blood flow to your head as well.

• Walk around - Or dance - whatever gets you moving and floats

your boat.

You should also consider swapping out your chair with a standing work

station. This is a huge game changer in terms of productivity and joint

integrity.

Use this template to eat right and feel right, so that you could train hard

and ball hard.

Eat a full day of eating following the foods listed and have a heavy

resistance training workout StrongLifts style.

Let’s continue with the most important part for optimizing your

performance.

Sleep

Sleep is probably the biggest thing that gets neglected when it comes to

enhancing our performance. It’s an essential part of our physiology and

actually improves the quality of our life. Even when it might seem like

we’re doing nothing, our body and brain are conducting numerous

repair mechanisms and adaptations.

• Lack of sleep can increase our risk of heart disease, diabetes,

neurodegenerative disease and obesity.

• It will also cause insulin resistance, mood swings and fatigue, both

physical and mental.

• It decreases your testosterone and leads to lower libido in both

men and women.

Human growth hormone actually

gets released during the first

hours of our sleep, which is

incredibly important for building

tissue and maintaining leanness.

That 2000% boost starts at 11PM

and lasts until about 2PM, during

which the body conducts its

physical repair. Missing out on

this makes you gain weight and

lose strength.

Lack of sleep releases cortisol that is the catabolic stress hormone.

As a result, we will not be able to recover from our activities and keep

on creating a deficit. Our body will begin to break down its muscle and

accumulate fat. It also accelerates aging and makes our skin more

wrinkled and dry.

If we want to becoming high-performing individuals in everything we

do, then it’s important to get adequate amounts of shut-eye.

How much Sleep?

The bare minimum would be 7-8 hours. Because we’re training quite

hard, we need even more than that. On harder training days you should

aim for 9-10 hours.

But it isn’t the quantity of your sleep that matters but the quality of it.

Recovery takes place only in the deepest stages which we can enter after

about 90 minutes. Sleeping more won’t increase our performance.

Doing it smarter will. Optimization is crucial if we want to get the most

bang for our buck.

Total Sleep Optimization

Here is a list of the most important things we can do for our recovery

and sleep like a baby.

Adjust to the circadian rhythm. We’re all connected to the daily

planetary movements. When the sun is out our mind perceives it as a

time to be active. Once darkness falls we are supposed to rest. This

happens to us unconsciously.

If we want to get the most out of our recovery, then we need to sleep

when nature does. Daylight dawns at different times in all parts of the

world and is dependent on seasonal change. During summer there’s

more of it while at winter less.

That way we’re ensuring that we’re following the patterns of different

hormones which rise and fall during the day no matter what. For

instance, cortisol is highest during the morning and gradually begins to

drop afterwards. It helps us to wake up properly and start moving.

Our bodies are unconsciously connected to our surroundings which

we’re unaware of. These things happen whether we realize it or not.

The best thing we can do is to optimize the way they’re expressed so

that we can get the most benefit with the least amount of negative

effects.

This means:

• get up early at about 6-8 AM

• go to bed between 9 and 11 PM

Getting exposure to natural sunlight first thing in the morning will

enable us to adjust to the circadian rhythms and sets the stage for us to

sleep well at night.

• Establish a daily sleep routine. Follow a series of habitual

activities prior going to bed letting your unconscious self know

that it’s time to go to sleep. This will include certain activities both

physical and mental. It can be anything, such as reading, brushing

your teeth, stretching or whatever. Just make it a habit so that

your mind knows it’s time to rest.

• Sleep in pitch black darkness. This is incredibly important

because of the effect circadian rhythms have on us. The brain

doesn’t tell the difference between light coming from the Sun or

an artificial source. It perceives it as all the same. Even if our body

detects a tiny bit of glow on any part of the skin the mind thinks

it’s daytime and no sleeping ought to be done. Instead, it sees it as

a time to be alert and gather food, run from predators etc.

Artificial light creates a situation where our body thinks it’s

constantly at the equator. To prevent this from happening don’t

use bright lights in the house after sunset.

• Cover all the windows – make no ray penetrate your sleeping

cave because that’s what it’s supposed to resemble. To truly

optimize it put pieces of duct tape on the blinking red spot on your

smoke detector, alarm clock, television.

• When you go to bed use a sleep mask or a scarf to cover your

head. When I first tried this I couldn’t believe how rejuvenated I

felt the next morning. If there is nothing but darkness in front of

your face you won’t have any other option but to doze off. You

won’t notice the short occurrences of waking up in the middle of

the night either. It all turns into one big continuous slumber of

tranquility and make you sleep like a baby, literally.

• Change your lightbulbs. The UV light from ordinary lightbulbs is

artificial and emanates blue light which stimulates the body to

reduce melotonin and makes us more wakeful. Changing to amber

lights will fix that by reducing the spectrum to more red which at

night resembles the sunset.

• Use a program on your computer called F.lux which changes the

bright color of the screen to orange and relaxing. Wear special

eyewear to block blue light. Less ideally you can use sunglasses as

well. All of this needs to be done at least 2 hours before going to

bed. Your subconscious mind needs time to wind down and adjust

to the change. It’s downloadable for free. On Android it’s called

Twilight.

• Soft-tissue massage. Let’s be honest here. Everyone loves a good

massage. Kneading different muscles makes them release tension

and become more relaxed. Because of the stress we experience

throughout the day our body tends to become excessively tight.

This can lead to stiffness, lack of mobility and a lot of pain. If you

don’t have access to someone who could rub your back and

shoulders, then don’t worry. All of it can be done by using an

ordinary tennis ball. Lay on the ground and start to roll on top of

it. Push it against your pecks, shoulders, hips, quads, back, neck –

everything. This will untie the knots that have built up in the

fascia. Additionally, do some stretching as it will also loosen up

your body. Doing this will not only make you more calm but also

prepare your joints to being in a single position for a long time.

• Use an acupuncture mattress. Purchase a small bedding that has

little spikes on top of it. This is relatively cheap yet very effective.

You can lay down before going to bed for 15 minutes or sleep on it

throughout the night. I have used both options. At first it feels like

a lot of thorns are trying to penetrate your skin. After a while the

body relaxes and it becomes incredibly soothing. It creates a nice

feeling of surging energy in the back. There is a lot of evidence for

the health benefits of this. In China needle therapy is a key

component to traditional medicine. The Yogis of India have also

been using beds of nails for centuries. We don’t have to fall into

such extremes but instead simply use it to empower our sleep

prior going to bed.

• Unwind your mind. Either meditate or simply dwell on your

thoughts. This is the time do destress ourselves. If we are anxious

and worrisome then it will impact our recovery in a negative way.

The key is to relax and not think about the responsibilities we have

the next day. Just loosen up, soften your gaze and become calm.

Don’t be angry at anything or anyone. Spend time with your family

or follow your bedtime ritual.

• Sleep in a cool environment. The perfect temperature is 20

degrees Celsius (65 Fahrenheit). Turn down the heating and cover

yourself with only the bed sheets. Extra fluffy blankets are actually

counterproductive. It might seem like it’s comfortable but if it’s

too warm then we’re jeopardizing our recovery. During the

military the best night’s sleep I ever had happened during the

winter when you would have to lie in a fetal position inside the

sleeping bag to maintain a safe body temperature. It was difficult

at first but once you got used to it you barely even noticed the cold.

• Turn off all electronics in your room. Not only are they a

possible source of blue light sneaking in but they also radiate

Electro Magnetic Frequencies (EMF) which not only decrease

testosterone production but also have a negative impact on our

overall health including sleep. Studies in these area are only

beginning to take place and it can’t be said that nobody saw this

coming. We’re already surrounded by radio waves and other

magnetic fields on a daily basis. Wi-fi is included into this. Turn

off your router for the night and keep your phone on airplane

mode most of the time. We want to minimize the presence of EMF

not only in our bedroom but in our entire life. There are some

products online that when attached to your computer can absorb

the radiation. Additionally, some stones, such as quartz, moss

agate, amethyst and obsidian are said to have similar properties.

Personally, I wear a necklace of rock crystal and shungite all the

time. There are other reasons for doing so but they definitely

provide us with some protection from these sources.

• Get grounded. Because we’re constantly surrounded by EMF and

other esoteric radio waves we begin to build up a negative charge.

Our body is like any other conductor that attracts these ions in its

magnetic field. This not only influences our hormonal profile but

also has an effect on our sleep. Luckily, this can be alleviated

thanks to the Earth’s ability to absorb our charge. By walking

barefoot on natural ground we’re “earthing” and resetting our

magnetic field.

• Create a source of white noise in your room. Whether that would

be from an audio player switched to airplane mode or something

less technical. I would suggest using a simple fan. Not only will

the ventilation keep the air moving and cooling the temperature

but the noise will contribute to the production of alpha waves

while we are sleeping. Ever noticed that when it is raining you

sleep especially well? The sound of raindrops falling on top of the

roof seem just so soothing and relaxing. We’re designed to rest in

an environment with natural sounds in it. White noise promotes a

meditative state which will allow us to enter the deepest stages of

recovery more easily.

• Dehydrate a few hours prior to bed time. Drinking water is

incredibly important for our health. However, if we have to

constantly wake up to go to the bathroom at night then we will

never establish the deep stages of sleep where all the magic and

recovery happens. Waking up once or twice is fine and actually

beneficial as it prevents us from getting too stiff. After dinner

don’t consume any form of liquid as it will inevitably have to come

out. This won’t happen in the morning but somewhere in the

middle of the night. Being dehydrated for a few hours won’t do us

much harm.

• Optimize your bed and pillow. Sleep ought to not rejuvenate us

but also prevent us from building up tension in our bodies.

Spending that much time in one position can seriously degrade our

mobility and jeopardize joint integrity. If our mattress is too soft

then our spine will be in a disadvantageous position making us

that more prone to injury. The surface on which we lay should be

slightly hard and solid. Do not use a big pillow either because it’s

bad for the neck. Instead, use something minimalistic that simply

supports the head. Another issue is sleeping on one side. If our

entire weight is on one part of the body, then our shoulders and

arms will receive too much pressure. Waking up to numb limbs

isn’t beneficial because of the restricted blood flow. The best

position to be in is on our backs. It’s another habit we should

cultivate in order to get the most out of our recovery. Using a

sleeping bag is a great tool to use initially. If there isn’t much space

for us to turn around, then we will inevitably be motionless. You

can simply tuck yourself in really nicely as well to sleep like a

baby.

• Binaural beats. While awake our brain is producing mainly beta

waves which is an alert state of consciousness that promotes

stress and anxiety. This we don’t want to have during our sleep.

To enter deeper stages, we have to drop lower to alpha waves.

During the day it can happen while we’re daydreaming or

meditating. Binaural beats can help us to go from beta to alpha

and then progress further into theta and delta, which resembles

the natural progression of a healthy cycle.

• Essential oils that emanate different aromas can be used around

your bed that will improve the quality of our sleep. For instance,

rose oil inhibits sympathetic nervous system activity and

decreases adrenaline. Additionally, lavender enhances deep sleep,

lowers our stress, blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature

and cortisol levels. Their soothing smells will prime our body and

mind for relaxation and augmentation.

Sleep Nutrition

What we eat is also extremely important. Of course, filling up your gut

right before bed will not only keep your digestive track active but will

also keep you awake because of the discomfort.

Stable blood sugar levels are essential for a constant stream, therefore,

high HI carbohydrates are not optimal.

What research has shown is that some protein and fat before bed

decreases the amount of times people wake up a night in comparison to

high carb diet. It also improves body composition and enhances muscle

recovery by providing more assistance to the repair mechanisms.

To make yourself sleep better, have a nice ketogenic dinner with some

good protein and fat, such as butter or coconut oil. However, don’t eat

too much protein, as it can spike your insulin. This will increase blood

glucose and keeps you up at night. Keep it moderate.

There are also some natural supplements we can use.

We definitely don’t want to start taking any hard medications that

would only relief the symptoms not the actual cause.

• Herbal teas, such as chamomile, peppermint, lavender, valerian

and hibiscus reduce bodily inflammation and induce relaxation.

They’re also very good for detoxification and improve our immune

system. However, don’t fill your bladder up before bedtime.

• GABA is great if we’re serotonin deficient. Called gamma-

aminobutyric acid, it’s the main inhibitory neurotransmitter, and

regulates the nerve impulses in the human body. Therefore, it is

important for both physical and mental performance, as both of

them are connected to the nervous system. Also, GABA is to an

extent responsible for causing relaxation and calmness. It can be

taken at dinner.

• Melotonin is actually a hormone that gets produced by the pineal

gland inside the brain. Its central role is regulating sleep cycles

and circadian rhythms. In its synthetic form it’s used for sleeping

aid and as an antioxidant. Small doses before bedtime will make

you produce more melotonin which lets your body know it’s time

to sleep. It’s also great for making up lost sleep and jet lag. One

thing to rememberer is that by using such additives we’re teaching

our brain to depend on them, leading to simply treating the

symptoms not the cause. We need to know how to produce those

hormones without any aid. Therefore, we need to change our

lifestyle by implementing the strategies above first, and using this

as a last resort or only in situations when it’s necessary.

The sleep ritual should start at least an hour before bed time. Start

winding down preemptively and incorporate the habitual habits that let

your subconscious mind know it’s that time of the day.

Those who say that sleep is for the weak and wicked don’t know what

they’re talking about. It’s the most important thing for our recovery.

Work hard. Rest harder. Exert yourself like a warrior. Sleep like a baby.

Let’s continue.

Supplements

Natural Supplements We Should Consume Every Day

• Turmeric. One of the best spices we can use is curcumin or

turmeric. It has a lot of medicinal properties, such as anti-

inflammatory compounds, increase of antioxidants and brain

health. Also, it fights and prevents many diseases, such as

Arthritis, Alzheimer’s and even cancer. In addition to that, it tastes

amazing and can be added to everything. I sprinkle it on all foods

and run out quite quickly which is why I also buy it in bulk so that

it’s cheaper. You can also take a capsule.

• Ginger. Continuing on with turmeric’s brother. It has almost as

much health benefits. In addition to that, it lowers blood sugar

levels, fights heart disease, treats chronic indigestion, may reduce

menstrual pain for women, lowers cholesterol and heals muscle

pain. Once again, bulk or capsule.

• Cinnamon. These three create the most important natural spices

we should be eating on a daily basis. They’re incredibly cheap and

easy to come by yet have amazing health as well as performance

enhancing benefits. Moreover, they all make food taste amazing.

Cinnamon falls into the same category as ginger and turmeric -

superfoods, because it truly empowers us. In addition to the same

medicinal properties it also increases insulin sensitivity, fights

neurodegenerative disease and bacterial infections. What’s best

about it is that it can be added to not only salty foods but on

desserts as well. I even add it to my coffee. The best to use is

Ceylon or „true“ cinnamon.

• Green tea. It isn’t an actual supplement but is still extremely

empowering. In fact, it can be considered to be the healthiest

beverage of the world after water. It improves health, brain

function, fat oxidation and detoxifies the system. Additionally,

lowers blood pressure and prevents all types of disease, including

Alzheimer’s and cancer. We don’t need to take pills with extracts

but can get all of the benefits by simply drinking a cup a day.

However, to get all of the benefits we need to be consuming about

15-30 cups. Using a capsule would be very efficient.

• Garlic. It has a strong taste and smell but is incredibly healthy

nonetheless. Chopping garlic cloves forms a compound called

‘allicin,’ which, once digested, travels all over the body and exerts

its potent biological effects. It fights all illness, especially the cold,

reduces blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels, contains

antioxidants, increases longevity, detoxifies the body from metals,

promotes bone health and is delicious. Because of its flavor it

makes a great addition to meals. It also comes in capsuled form.

Supplements You HAVE to Take

Moving on with actual supplements. These things we’re all deficient of

and they also take our performance to the next level, they empower us.

• Fish/Krill oil. It’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for

the brain and heart. The counterpart to that is omega-6, which are

pro-inflammatory and bad for us. Omega-6 can be found in a lot of

processed foods and vegetable oils, which we would want to avoid

anyway. For our body to be healthy the omega-3’s need to be in

balance with the omega-6’s. Unfortunately, that balance can be

easily tipped off as every amount of omega-6 requires triple the

amount of omega-3 to reduce the negative effects. Additionally,

fish oil has DHA, which promotes brain functioning, fights

inflammation, supports bone health, increases physical

performance etc. Naturally, it can be found in fatty fish such as

salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines. Fish oil falls into the same

category because of its vital importance for superhuman health. It

can be used easily as a capsule or liquidized. Taking one teaspoon

a day will drastically improve your life. Krill oil might simply be a

more potent and bioavailable source. Make sure to use wild caught

sources to avoid mercury poisoning.

• Vitamin D-3. It’s called the sunshine vitamin and is one of the

most important nutrients. But it’s not actually a vitamin but gets

synthesized into one inside the body. Life exists on Earth because

of the Sun. D-3 governs almost every function within us starting

from DNA repair and metabolic processes making it a foundation

to everything that goes on. It’s embedded in nutritious food, given

it has received enough exposure to solar light. Vitamin D-3 fights

cardiovascular, autoimmune and infective diseases. Of course, the

best source would be to get it from the Sun but that is not always

possible because of seasonality and location. It can be consumed

as oil or a capsule.

• Magnesium. Another foundational mineral. It comprises 99% of

the body’s mineral content and governs almost all of the processes.

Magnesium helps to build bones, enables nerves to function and is

essential for the production of energy from food. This is especially

beneficial for the physically active. Some people who are

depressed get headaches because of this deficiency. Because our

soils are quite depleted magnesium needs to be supplemented. It

can also be used as an oil on your skin for greater absorption in

specific areas.

Supplements Empowered

We have covered all of the supplements we should be taking no matter

what, the most important and essential ones. Now I’ll get down to the

empowering ones.

They are not foundational but beneficial nonetheless. With the help of

these we can transcend the boundary between healthy and superhuman

performance as they will take us to the next level.

• Creatine Monohydrate. Creatine is an organic acid produced in

the liver that helps to supply energy to cells all over the body,

especially muscles. It enhances ATP production and allows for

muscle fibers to contract faster, quicker, and makes them overall

stronger. That means increased physical performance with

explosive and strength based movements and sprinting. However,

it doesn’t end there. Creatine has been found to improve cognitive

functioning, as it’s a nootropic as well, improving mental acuity

and memory. Naturally, it can be found most in red meat. It’s dirty

cheap and easy to consume, as only 5 grams per day will do

wonders and doing so won’t make a person big nor bulky.

• Pro- and prebiotics. Having a well working digestive system is

incredibly vital for getting the most nutrients out of our food.

Industrialization has done another disservice to us by destroying

all of the bacteria in the food we consume, the good and the bad,

and replacing them with preservatives. We might be eating but

we’re not actually deriving a lot of nutrients. In order to have a

healthy gut we need to have a well-functioning microbiome.

Naturally, food is full of living organisms. Sauerkraut, raw milk,

yoghurt, unprocessed meat all have good bacteria in them. With

there being no life in our food, we need to create it within us

ourselves. Probiotics are alive microorganisms in a pill that

transport these good bacteria into our gut for improved digestion

and immune system. Prebiotics are different, they’re not alive, but

plant fiber that feeds the bacteria. They’re indigestible parts of the

vegetable that go through our digestive track into our gut where

the bacteria then eat them. If you don’t like eating a lot of broccoli

and spinach, then you should still get a lot of fiber into your diet.

• Thyroid supplementation. The thyroid gland is incredibly

important for our health because it regulates the functioning of

our metabolism. Moreover, because of its location in our throat it

also is a connective point between the brain and the rest of the

body. This organ is a part of an incredibly complex system which

creates this intertwined relationship between the two. With a low

functioning thyroid one will have an impeded metabolism, suffer

hypothyroidism and many other diseases because of the necessary

hormones will not be produced. Promoting thyroid functioning can

be done by taking iodine supplementation or eating a lot of sea

vegetables. The daily requirements for selenium can be met with

eating only 2-3Brazil nuts.

• Multivitamin. There are definitely a lot of vitamins to be covered

for our body to not only be healthy but function at its peak. It

would be unreasonable to take too many tablets or pills while

neglecting the importance of real food. However, taking a

multivitamin that has a lot of beneficial minerals all combined into

one bottle is very effective and will most definitely be useful.

• Maca. Another superfood comes from the Peruvian mountains and

is the root of ginseng. It has numerous amounts of vitamins and

minerals in it, such as magnesium zinc, copper etc. Also, it

promotes hormone functioning for both men and women, as well

as increases our energy production just like creatine does. It can

either be powdered or made into a tablet.

• GABA. Called gamma-aminobutyric acid, it’s the main inhibitory

neurotransmitter, and regulates the nerve impulses in the human

body. Therefore, it is important for both physical and mental

performance, as both of them are connected to the nervous

system. Also, GABA is to an extent responsible for causing

relaxation and calmness, helping to produce BDNF.

• Chaga mushroom. Chaga is a mushroom that grows on birch

trees. It’s extremely beneficial for supporting the immune system,

has anti-oxidative and soothing properties, lowers blood pressure

and cholesterol. Also, consuming it will promote the health and

integrity of the adrenal glands. This powder can be added to teas

or other warm beverages. Or you can grind it yourself.

• MCT oil. For nutritional ketosis having an additional source of

ketone bodies will be beneficial. MCT stands for medium chain

triglycerides which are fat molecules that can be digested more

rapidly than normal fat ones, which are usually long chain

triglycerides. Doing so will enable the brain to have immediate

access to abundant energy and a deeper state of ketosis. Basically,

it’s glucose riding the vessel of ketones. Naturally, it’s extracted

from coconut oil and is an enhanced liquidized version of it.

Additionally, I also eat raw coconut flakes, which have MCTs in

them.

• Collagen protein. Collagen provides the fastest possible healthy

tissue repair, bone renewal and recovery after exercise. It can also

boost mental clarity, reduce inflammation, clear your skin,

promote joint integrity, reduces aging and builds muscle.

Naturally, it’s found in tendons and ligaments, that can be

consumed by eating meat. As a supplement it can be used as

protein powder or as gelatin capsules.

• Branched Chain Amino Acids. L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, and L-

Valine are grouped together and called BCAAs because of their

unique chemical structure. They’re essential and have to be

derived from diet. Supplementing them will increase performance,

muscle recovery and protein synthesis. There is no solid evidence

to show any significant benefit to BCAAs. However, they can be

very useful to take before fasted workouts to reduce muscle

catabolism.

Reduce Inflammation

Other nutrition hacks that are good for the gut is to add cinnamon,

ginger and turmeric, at least a dazzle of them, onto all of your foods.

• Cinnamon has prebiotic properties and improves insulin

sensitivity, so it’s a great idea to add it to your meals before you

eat them (0.5-1 tsp is enough).

• The same for ginger and turmeric – they reduce inflammation and

are incredibly potent antioxidants, leading to an overall healthier

body (the same – 0.5 to 1 tsp).

I’m going to share with you a simple and quick anti-inflammatory

cocktail that will rock your world and heal the gut, which you can

conjure whenever you feel bloated, inflamed or tired.

It goes as follows.

• One dash of ginger,

cinnamon, turmeric,

Cayenne pepper, black

pepper, sea salt thrown

into a cup of green tea.

• Squeeze in some lemon

juice as well if you like a

slight sour kick.

This concoction tastes horrible and like pure death. However, at the

same time it feels awesome once you have taken it and has immense

benefits. You can also take it from a shot glass so it would be over more

quickly. Be warned though that it might also trigger an immediate bowel

movement so stay close to the bathroom.

Enjoy and be less inflamed.

That is it for the body. Let’s now turn to the mind.

The Mind

The thing is that our subconscious mind is one of our greatest tools but

it can also be turned against us like a weapon. If we have no idea of how

our beliefs and mindset limit us, then we would never get the idea that

it’s us – it’s our own own mindset that's causing the issues.

As in the case of food and exercise, the thoughts we feed our mind will

change our experience and perception of reality. Our paradigms are

literally the lens through which we see the world through and, unless

we’re aware of them, we won’t be able to see anything else either.

Having a solid and self-assuring mindset allows you to look at any

situation or circumstance from the perspective of empowerment.

Rather than throwing your hands above your head and giving in like a

victim, you decide to take the high road and be above it all. It’s not like

you aren’t accepting your situation – you are accepting it so much that

you choose to behave differently.

The most important mindset – the basis of all psychological

development and the mentality for success – is realizing that we are

in full control of our own reality.

In her groundbreaking bestselling book Mindset: The New Psychology

of Success, Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., talks about 2 types of mindsets people

tend to have.

• The FIXED mindset is rooted in the belief that your traits and

potential are predetermined, thus limited.

o People with this one see their abilities as set within a certain

range of parameters that have been created there whether

by the genome, the environment, or their own

personality. „I’ll never be able to do that; I’m just not that

kind of a person; I don’t know how could I ever do that? It’s

just the way I am.“

o The fixed mindset also applies to traits you’d consider

positive, like being good at sports or showing better results

in school. Here the difference is that with a fixed mindset

you see your abilities in any vocation as a part of your innate

genius, not the hard work you put in. „I’m just born for this;

I have those genes of excellence; I’m just better than others

because it’s who I am.“

• The GROWTH mindset is based on the belief that your abilities

can be developed and cultivated.

o People with this one see themselves capable of achieving

anything as long as they commit and put in the effort. They

respond to setbacks and failures as challenges that will make

them grow as individuals. „I’m willing to learn and improve

myself; If I dedicate wholeheartedly to this, then I’ll increase

my chances of getting the results I desire.“

o They don’t see their pre-requisite conditions, like

upbringing, past history or social role as detrimental.

Instead, they’re looked upon as stepping stones that made

them the person they are today. „This is difficult, but it will

prove to be an invaluable lesson in the future. I’m able to

change my bad habits because they’re not bound to me.“

The power of mindset and the consequences of believing in the potential

of one’s abilities have a profound effect on a person’s success in life.

Dweck found in her years of research that people with a growth mindset

showed better results in their work, relationships, personal

development, and happiness.

Both of these mindsets are learned ways of thinking – you exhibit

one or the other based on how you’ve grown up, what your parents

taught you about believing in oneself, how your teachers encouraged

you to behave and what kind of interpretations you made between your

actions in the world and the results you’ve been getting.

If you think that you’re a person with a fixed mindset, then rest assured

you are because you’ve already pre-emptively made up your mind about

it.

A person with a growth mindset focuses on the things they can

control – their perceptions and actions.

Now, I want you to say to yourself: “I am in control of my own reality.

I’m not subject to circumstance but can dictate what I become. Everything

is possible as long as I set my mind to it. My past or other predisposing

conditions do not prevent me from achieving greatness.” Say it to

yourself and keep re-affirming positive beliefs of boundless potential

because it will make your frame of reality more powerful.

The Ultimate Mind Hack

Now that we’ve set the right baseline for our mindset, which is the

software, we have to turn to the hardware, which is the mind itself.

This ultimate mind hack is meditation, which has been practiced by

people for thousands of years.

What you’re really doing is consciously regulating your own nervous

system. Thanks to that, you’ll have greater self-control, less anxiety, and

a greater capacity for love and gratitude.

You have to realize that you are not your thoughts, your emotions, the

people you’re surrounded by, the culture you were born in, the music

you like to listen to, the food you like to eat or anything that happens to

you.

Meditation helps you to identify

all of the programming you’ve

received and allows you to come

to terms with some of your

limiting beliefs. When journaling

makes you see yourself and your

thinking process from an

external viewpoint, then

meditation makes you see why

you’re thinking and behaving in

such a manner in the first place.

The essence of meditation is to realize that you are not your

thoughts and that the conversations you have in your head aren’t

always truthful. Instead of them being a part of your real self, they

derive from the ego and are risen due to causality.

Realize this – you are not your mind, you have a mind.

How to Meditate

• Find a place where you won’t be disturbed. Either sit down with

your legs crossed or lay down on your back – it doesn’t matter.

• Close your eyes and become centered. Just stay calm and relaxed.

• Start breathing slowly. Inhale from the bottom of your stomach

and move upward until the top of your lungs. Don’t overemphasize

it either – keep it simple and sooth.

• Become mindful of your body. Notice how you’re feeling right

now. Feel the weight of your arms and legs. How your heart is

beating. The blood flowing through your veins. The floating and

deflating of your chest. Are there any aches and pains?

• Become mindful of your mind. What thoughts are you having?

“This is bulls*it” or “Is this working?” That’s fine. Whatever goes

on – accept it. Don’t beat yourself up for any emerging emotion or

thought. Instead, allow them to rise, say “Thanks, mind!” and then

dissolve them. The key is to remain aware by focusing on your

breath and become the observer.

• Become mindful of your environment. You can also allow your

consciousness to travel beyond your physical meat-suit. There’s

the ground your sitting on, the wind that’s blowing to your face,

the cold temperature, birds outside, noise on the streets or other

people in the next room. Observe what goes on around you but like

with your mind, don’t attach on to the perceptions you experience.

• Do some self-enquiry and contemplation. After a while, you’ll

condition your mind to remain still…at least for the most part.

Herein lies the point where you can start investigating some of the

deeper depths of your subconscious mind. Meditation doesn’t have

to be done to completely blank out in your head. During practice,

you can find out a lot of new things about who you really are. It

can also lead to certain epiphanies or revelations about what your

purpose in life is or, if not that fundamental, realize what you need

to do in the near future.

The best time to do this would be first thing in the morning, because

your monkey mind is still in between full on wakefulness (chaos) and

slumber. Meditate for about 20-30 minutes and you'll set the right tone

for the entire day.

There are also other calibrating techniques you can use to condition

your mindset with meditation. Check out my guided meditation

soundtrack!

What makes meditation work so effectively is that your brain goes

through adjustments of its own frequencies. There are several mental

vibrations we go through throughout the day.

Brainwaves 101:

• Delta (0.1–4 Hz): deep sleep, complete loss of self-awareness

• Theta (4–8 Hz): light dreaming, unconscious activity and

processing

• Alpha (8–14 Hz): meditative state, awake but relaxed, in between

sleep and waking, improved memory recall

• Beta (14–30 Hz): awake, concentrated, alert, full wakefulness

Using audio entertainment as background music can dramatically

increase awareness. You can use simple binaural beats and white noise

to promote any activity. For instance, alpha waves can help you

establish a meditative state 8x faster. Also, using a simple fan at night

will also help you sleep better.

Breathing

We all get into stressful situations from time to time - unexpected email,

impeding deadlines, being stuck in traffic, almost getting hit by a car,

heating arguments or anticipating public speaking.

The body perceives all stress as the same - running away from a lion

is physiologically identical to approaching a stranger.

This stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and triggers the ‘FIGHT

or FLIGHT’ response, that shuts down digestion, directs energy away

from hormonal reproduction and taxes the adrenals.

Stress is actually good for you – it boosts your metabolism, increases

alertness and reinvigorates the body.

The problem is that the modern world is full of stressors and most

people are in fight or flight 24/7. They have demanding jobs, afflictive

relationships, bad habits and they watch the news.

Chronic stress wreaks havoc to the adrenals and mitochondria. It’s a

vicious cycle – the more stress you experience, the more stressed out

you become. The more stressed out you become, the more stress you

experience. Difficult to escape from, which is why managing your stress

is a crucial skill for life. For surviving survival scenarios as well as

navigating the ebbs and flows of the modern world.

To control your stress response, you have to first take control of

your BREATHING.

Controlling your breath gives you confidence to take control of anything

else in your life as well.

Breathing is the gateway between your subconscious and conscious

mind.

The decisions you make in any situation depend on your current level of

awareness - how conscious and present you are - and the solution to

becoming more aware starts off by first becoming mindful of your

breath.

How to Shut Off Your Fight or Flight Response

There are many ways of taking control of your breath that take less than

4 minutes to take effect.

I’m going to give you 2 simple and quick exercises.

(1) BOX BREATHING

There are 4 stages, each one lasting for 4 seconds.

• Inhale to the count of 4

• Hold for 4

• Exhale to 4

• Hold for 4 again

• Repeat

(2) THE WIM HOF METHOD

Do about 25-30 repetitions of the following breathing exercise:

• Max inhale (raise chest) and

• Let go exhale (drop chest sharply).

• You’re breathing in a whole lot of air but you’re exhaling just a

little bit.

• Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. The let-

go breath is a short “hah.” You may experience mild

lightheadedness and tingling in your fingers.

• On the last breath cycle, breathe in completely, exhale completely

and hold your breath for as long as you can.

The Wim Hof Method will help you reduce stress, increase your ability

to stay in control, improve your focus and make you feel amazing.

Doing these exercises for even just a few cycles will DRASTICALLY

improve the quality of your life. It teaches you mindfulness and enables

you to always stay in control of what happens to you.

At the end of the day, you're either in control or being controlled. If

you're stressed out and in fight or flight all the time, you'll never get an

opportunity to come off the constant cycle of feeling burnt out.

Control your stress or be controlled by it.

Cold Exposure

Speaking of Wim Hof, it’s prime time to talk about cold exposure.

Every single morning, I have an ice cold shower. It’s like a wake up call

that says it’s time to focus and sets my mindset right.

Why take cold showers in the first place? Trust me, if there wouldn’t be

any benefits to them, then I would much rather spend my time doing

something more enjoyable.

There is an array of benefits to taking cold showers, which will all give

you access to the YOU+ version of yourself.

The Benefits of Taking Cold Showers

• Triggers anti-inflammatory norepinephrine release that

reduces short-term pain from injuries [i]

• Reduces muscle soreness (DOMS)[ii] After exercise, your tissues

are damaged and inflamed. Cold water lowers the temperature in

those regions and constricts blood vessels, which helps to reduce

the swelling and trauma.

• Boosts happiness. Cold water unleashes a floodgate of mood-

boosting neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and

norepinephrine. It can help you battle depression[iii] and enjoy

your life more. Regular winter swimming will increase your well-

being and energy[iv]

• Bolsters the immune system that kills viruses and fights off

tumor factors [v][vi][vii]

• Increases the antioxidant glutathione and superoxide

dismutase, which support the liver functioning, optimize cellular

processes and protect against oxidative stress [viii]

• Improves blood circulation by sending more blood down to your

organs. This is good for the cardiovascular system and will make

you healthier overall.

• Reduces oxidative stress, inflammation and detoxifies the

body. Cold makes the lymph vessels contract and pump out toxins

that may be found there. Your lymphatic system is responsible for

carrying out waste from your cells. If it gets jammed up or blocked,

then you’re more prone to getting sick and diseased

• Increases brown fat[ix], which increases metabolism and burns

energy to produce heat, which doesn’t happen with regular white

fat[x]. Mitochondria are brown in colour.

• Increased norepinephrine, or adrenaline, which is a hormone

that boosts your energy, focus, mood and sleep cycles[xi]. It can

also trigger neurogenesis, which improves your memory[xii].

• Increases your tolerance to stress through the body’s mechanism

for hardening[xiii]. This makes your body more capable of

handling oxidative stress and exposure to harmful stimuli, such as

temperature, disease, toxins etc.

• Teaches your body to generate its own heat and allows you to

control your autonomic nervous system.

• Cold showers wake you up in the morning unlike anything else.

It’s not like a shot of espresso. It’s more of a polar plunge that zaps

you out of your slumber at an instant. By the same token, cold

showers before bed knock you out like an elephant-tranquilizer

and improve the quality of your sleep.

In addition to the physiological and mood-enhancing benefits, taking

cold showers makes you more disciplined. Doing this every day develops

mental toughness and more willpower. You’ll become comfortable being

uncomfortable and can dwell in discomfort for as long as your will

allows you to.

Having a cold shower in the morning will make everything later in

the day so much easier. You’ve already done something quite hard and

will thus not be afraid of anything. You become ruthlessly effective and

like an ice-cold killer.

How to Take Cold Showers

The first thing you have to do is make a conscious decision of starting

to take cold showers. It’s a choice that’s difficult to make and requires

courage. But once you choose to make it a habit, you give yourself the

power to deliberately lead your own life.

Remember this though, once you pick up the task, there’s no turning

back. To get the long-lasting benefits, you have to make it a part of who

you are. No hesitations, no excuses, no “I’ll just skip it for the day” and

no blind spots.

There are 2 parts to getting used to the cold

• One is the purely physical adaptation and getting used to lower

temperatures. You have to condition your body by exposing

yourself to the cold like with any other training.

• The second part is mental. Your mind will try to fight back at you

every second of it. If you listen to your own voice of self-doubt and

give in to fear, then you won’t be able to muster enough courage

or willpower either. You have to realize that it’s not going to harm

you but will actually make you better.

Tips for Taking Cold Showers

• Just breathe. Do box breathing under the shower – two birds with

one stone.

• Visualize success. Don’t think about how bad it’s going to be.

Instead, think about all of the benefits you’re going to get and

envision yourself being perfectly fine.

• Just do it. The longer you think about it the more anxiety you’ll

create. It won’t get easier and you won’t be able to get it over with

by simply standing there. At some point you simply have to take

the plunge and do it.

• Don’t freeze or tense up. Your immediate reaction to the cold is

to stiff up and become paralyzed. You’ll start shivering and moving

around like crazy. This is a mistake because you’re teaching your

body and mind to cause a habitual response. If you tense up every

time, then you’ll never get used to it.

• Yield to the cold. Becoming a Spartan will give you the right

mindset, but to actually adapt to the freeze, you must not fight it.

You have to become vulnerable and yield to the cold. Fully accept

it for what it is. Feel how the water is falling down on your face

and what effect it has. Do you get scared, want to escape or are

you completely calm and relaxed? You’ll actually start noticing

stuff about your body you previously didn’t. It’s like a practice of

becoming more mindful and experiencing the present moment.

Quite magical.

Cold Showers VS Hot Showers

At first you may not have enough courage or strength to jump right in.

If that’s so, then you can have what’s called a Scottish Shower, like

James Bond. He started off with hot water, washed his hair, amazed

over himself, did some other stuff and then finished off with ice cold

water.

This is a great first step for getting used to the cold.

• Begin with warm water

• Dwell in it for 20-30 seconds

• Turn it all the way up until it gets hot

• Switch to the ice cold polar opposite

• Allow yourself to cool

• Wait until it starts to get freezing

• Endure through it for 20-30 seconds

• Swap back to hot water

• Repeat for about 5 minutes

• Always finish off with cold…

If we were to endure low temperatures, then we would have to have a

body that knows how to create its own heat. In the contemporary world

it happens less and less as we have the opportunity to turn up the

central heating and always cover ourselves with fluffy clothing.

By not being exposed to cold weather, the body will eventually lose its

ability in heat regulation or at least decrease its efficiency at it. To not

lose this vital skill we ought to voluntarily train cold thermogenesis.

As we adapt to the cold, the muscles in the cardiovascular system are

conditioned. Our blood flow improves throughout the body and the

efficiency of our heart increases.

How to Level Up Your Cold Exposure

To begin we have already learned one of the fundamentals to doing this.

Breathing is essential here as well because it will directly allow us to

become conscious of our autonomic nervous system and take control of

it. In so doing, we will be able to resist the immediate desire to escape

the cold and not give in to its freezing effects.

By staying mindful of our respiratory process we will be able to

maintain our control and reign supreme over the temperatures.

Small veins restrict blood flow. With exposure to cold you can condition

the veins to get larger and allow more warm blood to reach the

extremities. As you progress through the stages of the cold exercises,

you will begin to understand the body on a deeper level.

• Phase 1 cold shower after a hot one. Try to control your breaths

and lungs. Instead of gasping breathe with ease. Regular practice

will improve your arteries and conditions the entire vascular

system.

• Phase 2 straight to cold showers. Before you even begin, your

body temperature will already drop because of your mind

anticipating it. Our thoughts have that much power over our

physiology. That’s why it’s important to first master our mind.

Breathe naturally and you will be able to steer your mind towards

adaptation and consciously regulating the autonomic nervous

system. Forcing it doesn’t work because of the body will begin to

fight back.

• Phase 3 ice water immersion. Add in visualizations. Visualize

heat generating within your body just before you enter. With every

breath, make this sensation more intense and keep your mind

focused on the heat. Stay in the cold water for as long as it feels

comfortable. If you feel pain or uneasiness, then it’s time to get

out and wait for the next time.

• Phase 4 cold-hot contrasting. There are immense benefits to

some heat exposure as well. It stimulates the lympathic system,

which will detoxify your cells from waste material. Combining it

with cold exposure will improve cardiac functioning and promotes

blood circulation. The best way to do it is to have a 15-20 minute

sauna session, followed by an ice cold shower or a plunge into an

ice bath for a few minutes. Then you repeat it for a few extra

rounds.

To maintain control over the core temperature, you have to

influence the body by steering the hypothalamus, the thermostat in

the brain.

• The hypothalamus is a part of the Limbic System – the seat of our

emotions.

• What influences our emotions? Our thoughts and perceptions –

how we perceive and think about the things that happen to us.

• Ergo, change the way you associate the situation in your mind and

you change the way you perceive the situation. Which in this case

is the cold.

Attain this Jedi-like concentration and you won’t even notice the cold or

any other external stimuli.

Imagine heat in your lower stomach. With each breath you’re inhaling

fire, that fills your body, and exhale out the cold. Go to somewhere

warm with your thoughts. Not to a beach, but rather focus on your inner

furnace.

This is a prime-example of body mind empowerment.

Conclusion

Body Mind Empowerment is a discipline of physical and mental personal

development.

It’s learning about the innate nature of our physiology and influencing

it with our psychology and vice versa. Biohacking is a tool for optimizing

our health and increasing performance.

You as a self-empowered being will use different techniques and

strategies to augment and enhance your life. Not just for your personal

well-being, but so that in so doing you could be an inspiration to others

to do the same.

This Handbook is just a foundational collection of best practices we

should all be doing no matter what. I mean, our modernity is already

overly abundant and there are no excuses to poor fitness or lack of self-

control.

Although the beginning of your empowerment journey, there are many

ways you can take this further.

• Join our Facebook group

• Check out my books and products!

• Check out my Udemy courses.

Consider contacting me for 1-on-1 individual coaching services. I

offer:

• Customized nutrition programs

• Customized workout programs

• High performance practices

• Paradigm and mindset shifts

• Greater accountability and support

• Assistance in structuring routines

• Help in breaking bad habits and building new ones

If you’re interested, then schedule our first call for free through this

link.

I’m sure you’ve found this handbook of great value and I’m sure you’re

going to keep in touch.

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Stay Empowered

Siim