Health & Fitness

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That title was a bit abrasive, but let me break it down. You ever hear people say you are the sum of your 5 closest friends? I've lived it and can confirm that your community 100% impacts how you operate. My community keeps itself accountable and we push each other to grow physically and get comfortable living outside of our comfort zone. Naturally, this boils over into your overall life approach. It's not that I choose not to have fat friends, its just that they have no place in that community - unless they are seeking to change. Otherwise, the fat, complacent, unambitious individual would constantly feel attacked even when words come from a place of love. 

Get it now?

Very often, I hear people talk about going to the gym in a celebratory fashion as if it's a great feat. That "feat" for you is as routine as any other basic activity for most high quality individuals. I go to the gym or workout as regularly as one would sleep or eat. You don't celebrate these things when you do them, so if you're serious about looking and feeling good, exercise should be done just as regularly, otherwise what's the point? Your workouts will get less effective with age and the body is already extremely unforgiving. "Being active" is the bare minimum for me. I expect anyone I associate with closely to be EXTREMELY F*CKING ACTIVE.

 Frankly, I can't even listen to people who don't look in shape. That alone tells me this individual is not disciplined and doesn't make time to work on themself. It takes strength to push through and get a workout in even on the days you don't feel like it, so your fellow gym goers automatically have that respect for you. As for non-gym-goers, they treat you better than most people. That sounds odd, but I've had multiple experiences where I've been treated better than others, solely because of physique. Your words mean more, you're  given preferential treatment, and you feel damn good in the middle of it all.  It's worth it in every way. 

I despise junk food with a burning passion. I think of it as an easily accessible, cheap means of undoing yourself when you give in to weakness. On a day you might be feeling sad, you might grab a giant bag of chips or fast food and binge eat it to trick your brain into "soft ephemeral happiness" , and done often enough, damages your health in the long run. Don't eat boring, but EAT HEALTHY. There are loads of resources online that break down food by the calories and explain their effects on the body. Tailor your diet as needed. I will also be upfront about personally having a fast metabolism, so I've never struggled with weight gain, however I do lose weight just as quickly hence someone like me would need to eat more and do appropriate exercise to maintain.

One benefit of black and white films is that it masks the age of the actors very well. Ever seen the twilight zone - I recommend it. I make a conscious effort to reduce the aging of my body. This ranges from reducing facial expressions to managing emotions. The release of cortisol (the stress hormone), causes premature aging, and reduces the supply of white blood cells making you more susceptible  to sickness.  Use Sunscreen! It's the vampire's secret to being eternally gorgeous. Jokes aside, the sun ages your cells faster than you can imagine. Put on sunscreen before you go outside even if the sun isn't shining (the UV rays are still coming through). Get adequate sleep. A full 8 hours isn't always necessary. I understand there aren't enough hours in the day sometimes, but sleep deprivation ages you.

I have a sensitive nose, so this one affects me more than most. Many people would think this is common sense, but I think  it still needs to be said:

• Shower
• Brush your teeth
• WEAR DEODARANT

When I checked, online sources showed that occasionally orthodox Jews and Muslims while in the state of Ihram can't use deodorant, but everyone else should be able to.  Too often I've come across people who reek (usually men), and they wonder why no women even look at them. I don't hesitate to tell people when they smell, not from a place of anger, but simply because I would want someone to tell me. I however have zero tolerance for people who do this out of laziness.