Less Food Equals Sharper Mind
Taking a few moments yesterday to avoid life, I was scrolling Twitter (side note: somehow calling it Twitter, not 'X', feels like an act of defiance, a reclaiming of power from Elon and tech’s megalomania. And I call him Elon. Like he knows me).
In my scrolling, I invested a few of my precious minutes ('cos they are all - precious) in the company of Steven Bartlett. Not something I normally do (probably because I'm jealous of his wildly successful podcast). He was in conversation with a Doctor - Dr Boz (Bosworth, to you and me) - talking about brain fog, aching joints and your rapidly approaching Parkinson’s train.
Parkinson's Disease And You
Attention caught - my dad has Parkinson's and, as Jeremy Paxman, one time prominent UK current affairs interrogator / journalist, said - as a Parkinson's sufferer - “it'll not kill you. But it will make you wish you had not been born”. Understanding it - and avoiding - would clearly be nice.
Her prescription, in a roundabout way, is an invitation to lean - in mind, body and spirit (and a lot to do with insulin - which I'll come back to).
Lean - in body and spirit. That's what I'm interested in. Not feeling fat. Not feeling like my brain is clogged. That I'm focused only on the most important things, responding not reacting to the triggers and petty annoyances of life. That I've the energy, hunger and desire to create work which is impactful and meaningful to me. That I'm full of life and joy.
This is what LeanMind is - helping you to the same.
Less Food Equals Sharper Mind
Much of the 'work' thus far as been helping you to lean in mind.
Maybe now the time to lean in body?
Let's start with what you're eating.
A friend's parent had an exchange with their doctor on the back of a mid life medical:
Doctor: “So, you're in pretty good condition, if a little overweight”.
Patient: “ok, what can I do about that?”.
Doctor: “put less food in your mouth”.
Food is energy and we eat like we're burning a lot, whether we are or not. Heading on a car journey? Better take snacks! And much else besides.
Food is a primal need, so our hunger for it (pun intended) is well placed to hijack our brain; the desire tail wagging the body dog.
A Long Walk To Wisdom
A few months ago I walked with 12 inspiring men on a pilgrimage, led by Sujith Ravindran. A walk into a deep awareness of what we do, how and why. The invitation whilst walking was to fast during the day and eat only 75% of what you'd normally do at other times. That's a sharpener, trust me, triggering story and doubt and habits of the mind.
On the walk, Yuri van Geest, a fellow brother and walker, told me about an earlier pilgrimage and his experience with fasting: after the pangs of hunger subside, he said, what remains is a renewed vitality, energy, life force (I paraphrase).
And this is the game.
When we cut away the fat, trim the mind, what remains is a healthy vitality, energy and a rich and renewed clarity of purpose. A right kind of hunder remains, we might say.
This is what LeanMind is for and about - cultivating the right hunger.
My oft repeated bastardizing of the Dao De Ching:
In the pursuit of knowledge, we add one thing every day.
In the practise of wisdom, we subtract one thing every day.
This about your mind AND body, about what food does or doesn't go in, about ideas we hold onto, or let go.
Try This
So, my invitation for you today comes from the aforementioned Dr Boz.
Load the calories in the morning, not the evening.
Avoid heavy carbs.
Intermittent fasting is important.
No food after six.
Lots of exercise, sunshine and water.
And go easy on the biscuits (this last one for me).
I invite you to this. It's an elite level practise, what with food as trigger, as safety blanket, and avoidance of boredom - and much else besides.
But the win is big: lean in mind, spirit and body; thinking clearly, acting smartly, alive to your potential.
Beauty.
And if you want this way in the company of an inspiring pool of leaders, founders, execs, dads, hit me up and join LeanMind. Apply here.
Apply Here: It's Time To Get Lean
For now, keep walking.
PS if this likely resonates with anyone you know, please share with one friend (particularly if they're a marginally paler, greyer version of their former selves).