#0008: BRAVO T.T.P THE SERIES
A SEGMENT OF " BRAVO STRONG " WHERE I SHARE NEW STRATEGIES I AM IMPLEMENTING, TOOLS I FOUND USEFUL, TACTICS THAT FAILED, METHODS THAT HAVE STUCK LIKE GORILLA GLUE ; ALL RELATED TO THE PHYSICAL.
THIS IS BRAVO T.T.P. SERIES ARRIVING AT YOUR INBOX!
A SEGMENT OF BRAVO STRONG WHERE I SHARE:
>EXPERIMENTS THAT MADE ME FEEL WEAK
>EXPERIMENTS THAT MADE ME STRONGER
>METHODS THAT I CAN’T IMAGINE MY ROUTINE WITHOUT
>MISTAKES THAT I’VE LEARNED FROM
>NEW STRATEGIES I AM IMPLEMENTING
>TACTICS THAT FAILED
>TOOLS I FOUND USEFUL
>STRATEGIES THAT BACKFIRED
ALL IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, RELATED TO THE PHYSICAL BODY.
*4 FOUR THINGS
*1ST OF EVERY MONTH
Suscrito
If you have any suggestions, objections, opinions, proposals or advice GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST AND LEAVE A COMMENT! (: I enjoy discussion.
And if you get anything out of the writing, forward it to your training partner, running partner or the friend you keep inviting to train but never shows up. That friend might be your mom or your cousin.
ONLY SHARE IT IF IT BRINGS VALUE TO YOUR LIFE !
Links to my Collection of Conversations for your own Curiosity.
DO YOU LOVE MUSIC? DO YOU LOVE POETRY? DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE UNSEEN? DO YOU WANT TO HEAR THE UNHEARD?
IT IS MY HONOR TO RECOMMEND YOU DIVE INTO THE WORK OF AN ARTIST WHOSE WORK HAS SHAPED THE WAY I SEE, THE WAY I HEAR, THE WAY I LOVE AND THE WAY I LIVE IN THIS WORLD.
Lets get to it →
1. TOOL I FOUND USEFUL
HELIX MATTRESS
A few words on Sleep.
Aaaahhhh. That beautiful window of time where the body repairs itself from any damage incurred throughout the day, that window of time where the mind processes the vasts amounts of information received from the outside world, that window of time that evolution has set as one of the most important physiological process we experience in our lives.
GRACEFUL, DEEP SLEEP.
Through personal experimentation you may find the optimal amount of sleep you feel your best will be between 7-9 hours. Anything less can wreck havoc on every major physiological process.
Here is a quote from a book called “ Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker” (Page 6 Kindle Version)
“As one sleep scientist has said, “If sleep does not serve an absolutely vital function, then it is the biggest mistake the evolutionary process has ever made.” Yet sleep has persisted. Heroically so. Indeed, every animal species carefully studied to date sleeps. This suggests that sleep evolved with—or very soon after—life itself on our planet. Moreover, the subsequent perseverance of sleep throughout evolution means there must be tremendous benefits that far outweigh all of the obvious hazards and detriments.”
Now a few words on purchasing a mattress.
I try to often tell me myself, you don’t need it, you want it. And it’s true, I could sleep on the floor of my apartment and be an extreme minimalist who has no need for a $1000 dollar mattress. I consider how my ancestors didn’t have a “ comfortable “ bed to sleep in and they still had to get some sleep, wherever the circumstances allowed them to. Could’ve been on stones and boulders or could’ve been on a forest floor but they definitely didn’t have the ability to transport a dedicated item for sleeping, such as a mattress. These are just things I think about when writing these sort of things. I don’t want to be another person on the internet who says you need to buy this. I’d rather be a person who says, listen you don’t need this, but taking advantage of the tools we have available to us in this modern world, we have come realize sleep is important so if you have the resources, it’s worthwhile spending resources on this one tool rather then spend it let’s say on anything else such a widescreen tv. But then again, that’s me telling people how to spend their money, and that’s not in line with my principals either. So that’s the dilema I’m grappling with while writing this. So I’m just sharing things I buy that make my life better and that’s all there is to it.
This was the first mattress I’ve purchased in my adult life, other mattresses in my life where chosen by my parents. And this medium-feel mattress, has the firmness my spine needs but also gives in enough to be able to sleep on my side. It has been a tool I appreciate in my life. We spend about 1/3 of our lives in a sleep state so in my book, a mattress a worthwhile investment.
Helix offers a sleep quiz to determine your sleeping style. That’s how I decided on mine.
Which Matress is Right? Helix Sleep Quiz
**RESOURCES ON SLEEP FOR YOUR OWN CURIOSITY AND EDUCATION WILL BE UNDER #3 **
2. TOOL I FOUND USEFUL
SLEEP MASK
I grew up intermittently using sleep masks because my mom would. So every time she got a pair I would too, there was always some defect with the sleep masks though; they would slip off during the night, the strings would become loose, they wouldn’t actually block out all light. My mom was on the right track for utilizing them but she would choose aesthetic over utility.
So about a 1 year ago I purchased my first pair (in my adult life). I pack them everywhere I go and I keep them near my bed when at home. It’s been a useful tool to achieve better sleep by blocking light.
I have blacked out curtains in my bedroom but you never know when you might end up sleeping in the living room blasted with light, or when you are on a long road trip trying to get some rest. These are the times when I most appreciate the utility of these.
WAOAW Sleep Mask for Men Women, Eye Mask Sleeping of 3D Light Blocking Blindfold (Blue)
3. STAPLE IN MY LIFE
100% COTTON SHEET SET
I run hot at night. Recently, I have been making a joke to myself that if the Earth is indeed going through an increase in temperature, then I probably won’t survive a night in the Texan heat. Whether you are of the school of thought that climate change is man-made-man -caused or of the thought that just like the Ice Age epoch, an increase in temperature is apart of the cycles of the Earth, there’s no denying that it’s getting hotter.
Well, one of the things I most appreciate about my own bed are my cool (as in temperature cool) sheets. I wash them frequently and they show no sign of wear or tear within the last 2 years of use. They are 100% organic cotton light blue sheets. I own only 1 set of sheets because I haven’t had the need for another.
It’s like turning the other side of the pillow and feeling the cool surface but on the entirety of the bed.
*I originally bought these sheets at a Target store front, and I looked for a link in Targets website and did not find them. So I don’t know if maybe they don’t carry the brand anymore, but here is a picture I found on Google. The set of sheets I own are a Full size and the color Light blue just to paint a picture.
RESOURCE THREADS ON SLEEP TO FOLLOW FOR YOUR OWN CURIOSITY AND EDUCATION:
#221 ‒ Understanding sleep and how to improve it - Peter Attia
Joe Rogan with Dr Matthew Walker
Dr. Matthew Walker Website Sleep Diplomat
Dr. Matthew Walker: The Science & Practice of Perfecting Your Sleep - Huberman Lab
Dr. Matthew Walker on Sleep for Enhancing Learning, Creativity, Immunity, and Glymphatic System
How fasting can impact sleep - Peter Attia
Temperature triggers sleep and influences sleep depth | Matthew Walker
The importance of sleep - Peter Attia
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker PHD BOOK
4. NEW ADDITION TO MY ROUTINE
ENGLISH BREAKFAST BLACK TEA
I didn’t think I would be a black tea drinker. Until I tried black tea with dashes of milk and honey. This combination changed my experience of tea overall.
I was at work one day, drinking a pot of hot chamomile tea with honey, nothing unusual. A coworker and I, which I will call Danielle, started talking about teas and the varieties, the caffeine content, the mixture of honey in the tea, then we started talking about tea culture in England and she brought up that in England it is normal for them to dash tea with milk or half and half, whatever the preference. I’d never heard this combination and I was struck. This new idea hang around in my head for a few months.
There was a period of time, I was in the mindset of easing off my coffee consumption when I decided to try black tea. I tried an organic English breakfast. I unpacked the tea bag, let it steep for about 5 minutes in small white pot of steaming water, then I poured some into a small white tea cup and I had my first sip. Not my cup of tea. So I added some honey, not quite there for my taste. Then I remembered the new idea that had been introduced to me a few months back by Danielle. So I dashed some half and half into my tiny white cup of black tea and I was blown away by the combination of floral and dairy flavors. So most days instead of drinking a cup of coffee or an espresso with steamed milk, I choose to drink black tea. Maybe one day I will come to like drinking it just as is, no honey or milk.
English Breakfast Tea is a black tea blend that usually includes Assam, Ceylon, and Kenyan teas.
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
BRAVO OUT
Perfect post for the winter! Good sleep and hot tea ☕️