Table of Contents
Healthier habits
Move more: Walking
I finished reading Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s The 4 Pillar Plan. It, along with Feel Better in 5, helped me move more. Which is the main health intervention I want and need.
As a result, I’ve started dancing for 5 minutes when I get home from work, and now my mum joins me too. And I went for long walks at the weekend; 3 hours with a friend on Saturday in a park and 2.5 hours with my mum, in a wood and along our local streets.
Speaking of walks, I’m excited to check out the walks on Go Jauntly.
I really want to achieve an excellent life balance and improved wellbeing, so I need to increase my physical activity to 90 minutes of moderate intensity activity every day.
I did low intensity activity for 2 ¾ hours every day of the weekend… Making progress. Still a way to go.
Digital detox: Switching off my phone more
Had a digital detox: a day of using no devices – also because of Dr Chatterjee’s recommendations – I really enjoyed it. So chilled. And I noticed how much more reliant on my phone I am than I thought. For example, I wanted to identify a tree and first thought of looking online. But then I realised I have tree books at home, so I looked it up when I got back. And I love looking at those books but I never would have thought of doing that if I hadn’t switched off my phone.
So many times that I tried to make exceptions. To reply to messages from friends. To edit and publish these weeknotes. Nothing that couldn’t wait.
How Not to Diet by Dr Michael Greger
I’m halfway through this gigantic, extensive and comprehensive book. 🙌🏿 (It has 4990 footnotes 😯 if that’s not well-referenced I don’t know what is.)
I love Dr Greger’s style of writing, full of puns and such. I feel like I’m in the company of a fellow nerd… 😄
Reading The Circadian Code the previous week elaborated a lot on the ‘ideally don’t eat after 7pm’ point. I changed my eating habits to have all my meals, snacks, everything between 8am and 5pm (+/- 1 hour)
And it’s working really well for me.
Listening to an episode of Feel Better, Live More is/was the first time someone described what so-called ‘intermittent fasting’ is actually about and what is and isn’t helpful, based on the science. It’s what prompted me to buy, and read, The Circadian Code by Dr Satchin Panda too.
I think time restricted eating combined with fixed bedtime and waking times are what’s given me so much energy and helped me focus this week.
Practising doing stuff I enjoy
Went to the National Gallery at lunchtime during the week. Felt really good to be doing something fun for myself during lunch before heading back to work. Loved the landscape paintings.
And I finally visited La Fauxmagerie, the UK’s first plant-based cheesemonger. Stocked up on a variety of cheeses, predominantly Kinda Co, including my favourite Garlic + Herb, which has a pretty streak of beetroot pink running through it and tastes divine. Now I just need to find some wholemeal bread and/or crackers with no added salt or oil…
In audio
Black Nature Narratives
Dr Mamie Parker in Black Nature Narratives spoke of fear standing for False Evidence Appearing Real 😯🤯