So What Do You Do?

As Director of Fitness at a private country club, I am routinely asked questions about exercise,

nutrition, lifestyle, supplements etc. This is sometimes followed by, “So

what do you do?” This article will serve as a general account of my daily

activities and lifestyle habits as they pertain to health and wellness.

It can be helpful to find out what the health professionals are actually putting into practice themselves.

During the week, my alarm goes off between 345-415am. On the

weekend this can range from 5-7am. Gratitude journaling and the word

of the day are done before my morning supplements. The morning

supplements are fish oil, turmeric/curcumin, DHEA, pregnenolone, lower

dose of magnesium bisglycinate, Vitamin D3/K2 and a daily essentials

supplement from Thorne that I use for a variety of reasons. The majority

of these are used based on bloodwork results. Monday through Friday I

lift weights and will consume a whey protein drink about 90 min before

that contains 30g of protein, ~5g creatine monohydrate, ~5g glutamine

and 1 TBSP of chia seeds. Along with this I have 2 bananas. This is to

help fuel the workout, bananas are just my personal preference. Before

I begin the workout, I consume another drink that contains citrulline

malate, beta alanine and caffeine. This is a very simplified version of a

“pre-workout” that helps promote blood flow, muscle fiber recruitment

and energy. The workouts typically last around 60-90 min depending

on the day and target different muscles groups, planes of movement and

movement styles to help keep myself well rounded. Most days I also

consume a packet of LMNT electrolytes during my workout to hydrate

and help replace what I lose through sweat. Post workout another drink

is consumed that contains 40g whey protein, ~50g carbohydrate, ~5g

creatine monohydrate, ~5g glutamine and 1 TBSP of chia seeds. The chia

seeds are used to increase my overall daily fiber intake.

Meals during the week are standard. I will bring either 16 oz grilled

chicken breast or beef patties along with a bowl full of plain baked

potatoes for my lunch(es). The majority of this is prepped on Sunday. This

will provide mainly protein and carbohydrate, and another fish oil gel will be

consumed with it. Last year I had a reverse osmosis water system installed at

my house and I bring a gallon of that water in a stainless-steel vessel with me

to work to stay hydrated.

Dinner is typically chicken, beef, fish or eggs, and my current vegetable

is broccoli florets with some olive oil and salt. There is usually a side of

fermented food such as sauerkraut or kim chi as well. If I am still hungry, as I

often am, “Too Good” Greek yogurt will be my after-dinner option. A higher

dose of magnesium bisglycinate is taken ideally 1 hour before bed. I will

sometimes use other supplements to enhance sleep such as glycine, inositol,

L-theanine and apigenin. Around 6pm we turn off bright lights, and I have

put red light bulbs in our lamps downstairs as they are much less stimulating.

This may not be practical for most, blue light blocking glasses are another

alternative. Bedtime is about 8pm during the week so that I can get 8 hours

of sleep. This is absolutely one of my top priorities. Without adequate sleep,

everything else loses its potency.

On the weekends my routine is different, but the overarching nutritional

framework is typically the same. This is where I will get my cardio in, in the

form of riding the spin bike. I also try to get outside more, take walks and go

to the park with my wife and daughter . Getting outside and being exposed to

sunlight is very important and is best to be done in the morning and evening

when the UV index is lower.

Other notes: we use standalone air filters upstairs, downstairs and in the

bedroom, I like the Coway brand. We also have a whole home water filter

that removes most toxins, chlorines and softens our water. We are trying

to eliminate plastic where possible, mainly using glass to store food and

stainless steel and glass for drinking. We use non-toxic cookware and wooden

cutting boards. I use a salt bar for deodorant and a non-plastic toothbrush.

For sleep hygiene, we have blackout curtains in the bedroom, tape over any

lights showing (smoke detector, adjustable bedframe plug etc.) and lower

the thermostat a few degrees. Caffeine is avoided in the afternoon. Artificial

food dyes and sugar are avoided; stevia and monk fruit are preferred. We stay

away from scented things aside from natural oils as much as we can (soap,

detergent, candles etc.)

This may seem like a lot, but these habits have been built in over years. If you

are just getting started, focus on sleep, food and water quality. Keep in mind,

you also must live your life and cannot focus on perfection but do what you

can. If you have questions regarding anything written about here, please

contact me, I am happy to assist.