The 5 Principles of Fly Bodies

 

EATING WINDOW

Why should I have an eating window?  

• Less thinking. Less counting. More eating!! 

• When our circadian rhythms are interrupted, we are more susceptible to developing diseases and cancers.(3)  

• Counting calories is a pain in the butt and unsustainable over the long-term.  

• Less pressure when it comes to making decisions about what and how much to eat 

• Eating within a specific window promotes an overall healthier lifestyle.  

• Focusing more on nutrient density(micronutrients) rather than calories(macronutrients) 

• Improve digestive process in our body 

• Eating with the natural rise and fall of the sun will help your body regulate hormone production in the body as well as release digestive enzymes that will allow the body to break down food naturally. 

 

How do I implement a healthy eating window into my life? 

• Start eating 1-2 hours after waking and finish eating 2-3 hours before going to bed.(7) 

• 10 hour eating window examples: 7am-5pm, 8am-6pm, 9am-7pm, 10am-8pm

• 11 hour eating window examples: 7am-6pm, 8am-7pm, 9am-8pm

• 12 hour eating window examples: 6am-6pm, 7am-7pm, 8am-8pm

• Eat while the Sun is up and don’t eat while the sun is down.  

• These principles are not set in stone.  Remember, they are more like guidelines.  

•  Eating late at night, just before going to bed, does not give your body enough time to digest the food being consumed, and the food is stored as fat as a result.

 

WATER INTAKE

Why should I drink an adequate amount of water each day?   

• A human can go without food for about 3 weeks and without sleep for about 11 days but would typically only last three to four days without water.(8) 

• Males’ bodies are on average 60% water, while women’s bodies are on average 55% water.  The brain and heart are 73% water, lungs are 83%, skin is 64%, muscles and kidneys are 79% and bones are 31%.(2) 

• 3 in 10 people worldwide, or 2.1 billion, lack access to safe, readily available water at home.

• 6 in 10, or 4.5 billion, lack safely managed sanitation, according to a new report by WHO and UNICEF. (1)  

• Our cognitive abilities diminish when we are not hydrated

• While sleeping, just based on the humidity in our breath, we lose about 1 liter of water each night! (13)

 

How do I drink enough water throughout the day? 

• Buy a durable water bottle that is able to hold 32-50 ounces of water

• Put your water bottle beside your bed before going to sleep

• When you wake up each day, drink 12-16 oz of room temperature water

• While at work, keep your water bottle visible in order to remind yourself to drink throughout the day

• Carry your water bottle with you throughout the day if you are constantly on the move

• Before each meal, drink 8-16 ounces of water

 

References

2.1 billion people lack safe drinking water at home, more than twice as many lack safe sanitation(1)

https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/12-07-2017-2-1-billion-people-lack-safe-drinking-water-at-home-more-than-twice-as-many-lack-safe-sanitation 

 

What Is the Average (and Ideal) Percentage of Water in Your Body?(2)

https://www.healthline.com/health/body-water-percentage#dehydration 

 

Here’s How Many Days a Person Can Survive Without Water(8)

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-days-can-you-survive-without-water-2014-5#:~:text=A%20human%20can%20go%20without,to%20four%20days%20without%20water

 

The Relationship Between Water And Sleep Is a Two Way Street - How to Avoid Dehydration(13)

https://thesleepdoctor.com/2019/02/17/the-relationship-between-water-and-sleep-is-a-two-way-street-how-to-avoid-dehydration/?cn-reloaded=1 

 

SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE

Why do I need sunlight exposure? 

• Regular sun exposure is the most natural way to get enough Vitamin D.

• About 42% of the US population is vitamin D deficient with some populations having even higher levels of deficiency

• Vitamin D is needed for bone growth and bone remodeling by osteoblasts and osteoclasts.

• Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen.(5)  

• Vitamin D has other roles in the body, including reduction of inflammation as well as modulation of such processes as cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, and glucose metabolism.(5)  

• In 2002, a blue light sensing protein, named melanopsin, was discovered in 5000 neurons in our eye, and those neurons are hard wired to the master clocks in our brain, which raises alertness and reduces depression.(3)  

• Sunlight activates the production of melanopsin.  

 

How do I get an adequate amount of sunlight exposure?

• Midday, especially during summer, is the best time to get sunlight.(6) 

• Spend 10 to 20 minutes outside in the sun for an adequate amount of sunlight exposure in the spring and summer months

• During the winter months, we need to spend almost two hours outside to get our fill of vitamin D. 

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References

Vitamin D - Fact Sheet for Health Professionals(5)

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

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Circadian Code to Extend Longevity | Satchin Panda | TEDxVeniceBeach(Circadian Rhythm)(3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrP78K1objc

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How to Safely Get Vitamin D From Sunlight(6)

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-from-sun#time-of-day

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EXERCISE & MOVEMENT

Why should I exercise?  

• Exercise promotes better brain health, better sleep, including improvements in insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea

• Exercise contributes to better bone health and balance, with less risk of injury from falls

• Your increased heart rate is accompanied by harder and faster breathing depending on the intensity of your workout. 

• Increased breathing pumps more oxygen into your bloodstream, more oxygen is delivered to your brain, leads to neurogenesis, or the production of neurons

• Neurogenesis increases brain volume, and this cognitive reserve is believed to help buffer against the effects of dementia.(9) 

• Exercise promotes the production of neurotrophins, leading to greater brain plasticity, and therefore, better memory and learning.

• Neurotrophins are proteins that aid neuron survival and function

• Exercise results in an increase in neurotransmitters in the brain, specifically serotonin and norepinephrine, which boost information processing and mood.(9)

• Lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia and Alzheimer’s, several types of cancer, and some complications of pregnancy

• Improved cognition, including memory, attention and processing speed

• Less weight gain, obesity and related chronic health conditions

• Fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety

• Better quality of life and sense of overall well-being(10)

 

How should I exercise? 

• Adults should perform at least 150 minutes to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75 to 150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. (10)

• Morning exercise is more likely to become a habit since you don’t have all day to talk yourself out of doing later in the day.(7)  

• Exercise performance tends to better around 3/4pm as opposed to in the morning  

• Exercise 90 minutes after waking so that your body has time to warm naturally. 

• Exercising in the morning on an empty stomach tends to burn more fat as an energy source, since It takes about 10-12 hours before you deplete the glycogen stores in your liver.(11)  

• Give yourself ample time to digest your food from dinner before starting a exercise at night 

• Finish your exercise 2-3 hours before bed, in order to to give our bodies time to cool down before bed

 

SLEEP

Why should I sleep 7-9 hours?  

• Sleep allows for the body and brain to replenish energy and repair themselves in critical ways. 

• Memory consolidation, information processing, physical growth, muscle repair, and countless other processes are theorized to occur during sleep 

• Sleep is also critical for strengthening the immune system and allowing the body to fight off disease. (12) 

• 10pm-2am is the most optimal time for your body to recover mentally and physically while sleeping.(3)  

• Deep sleep improves your immune function and cardiac health.(7) 

• A research study conducted by Appalachian State discovered a 75% increase in deep delta wave sleep among subjects who exercised in the morning as opposed to subjects who exercised in the afternoon or at night time.(7) 

• The National Sleep Foundation recommends an average of eight hours of sleep per night for adults.(14)

 

How do I get the best sleep?

• Engaging in healthy sleep behaviors—known collectively as “sleep hygiene”—is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve standard sleep problems. behaviors, rituals, and environmental factors that can ultimately help an individual sleep better.(12) 

• During the evening, pick a time where you stop watching screens that emit blue light.

• The blue light from the screens produces the wake hormone melanopsin, which prevents the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.  

• If you are unable to stop using a screen, because you must finish an assignment or work, turn the background lighting of the screen you are looking at to orange light to prevent the production of melanopsin.(3)   

• The ideal bedroom temperature will be on the cooler side, and generally falls between 60 and 68 degrees. 

• Set the temperature in your room between 60-68 degrees 30 min before you are ready to get in bed

• Keeping one's bedroom cool has been linked to improved sleep quality.(12)  

• As said earlier, try to finish your exercise 2-3 hours before bed in order to cool to cool the core temperature of your body back to normal. 

 

Documentation and References

 

2.1 billion people lack safe drinking water at home, more than twice as many lack safe sanitation(1)

https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/12-07-2017-2-1-billion-people-lack-safe-drinking-water-at-home-more-than-twice-as-many-lack-safe-sanitation 

 

What Is the Average (and Ideal) Percentage of Water in Your Body?(2)

https://www.healthline.com/health/body-water-percentage#dehydration 

 

Circadian Code to Extend Longevity | Satchin Panda | TEDxVeniceBeach(Circadian Rhythm)(3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrP78K1objc

 

Exactly How Much Sun Do We Need to Be Healthy?(4)

https://www.thehealthy.com/nutrition/vitamins/how-much-sun-we-need/ 

 

Vitamin D - Fact Sheet for Health Professionals(5)

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

 

***How to Safely Get Vitamin D From Sunlight(6)

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-from-sun#time-of-day

 

The Power of When by Michael Breus, PhD(7)

 

Here’s How Many Days a Person Can Survive Without Water(8)

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-days-can-you-survive-without-water-2014-5#:~:text=A%20human%20can%20go%20without,to%20four%20days%20without%20water

 

Why Exercise is Good for Your Brain(9)

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-fifth-vital-sign/201901/why-exercise-is-good-your-brain 

 

American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids(10)

https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults 

 

Why fasting bolsters brain power: Mark Mattson at TEDxJohnsHopkinsUniversity(11)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UkZAwKoCP8 

 

Sleep Center(12)

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/sleep   

 

The Relationship Between Water And Sleep Is a Two Way Street - How to Avoid Dehydration(13)

https://thesleepdoctor.com/2019/02/17/the-relationship-between-water-and-sleep-is-a-two-way-street-how-to-avoid-dehydration/?cn-reloaded=1 

 

Sleep Scientist Warns Against Walking THrough Life ‘IN An Underslept State’(14)

https://psychology.berkeley.edu/news/sleep-scientist-warns-against-walking-through-life-underslept-state#:~:text=The%20National%20Sleep%20Foundation%20recommends,apparent%20gain%2C%22%20Walker%20says.

 

How to Safely Get Vitamin D From Sunlight (15)

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-from-sun#:~:text=Regular%20sun%20exposure%20is%20the,a%20little%20more%20than%20this. 

 

Setting your biological clock, reducing stress while sheltering in place (16)

https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2020/06/03/setting-your-biological-clock-reducing-stress-while-sheltering-in-place/ 

 

Vitamin D: The “sunshine” vitamin (17)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3356951/ 

 

Urine Colour Change as an indicator of change in daily water intake: a quantitative analysis (18) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4949298/

 

Is Late-Night Snacking Really So Wrong (19)

https://www.self.com/story/eating-before-bed-sleep-digestion-weight 

 

Dr. Lilja Kjalarsdottir - How to Make Your Cells Act Young on the Molecular Level (20) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px-FUlruAUQ&t=861s 

 

Exercise for Your Bone Health (21)

https://www.bones.nih.gov/health-info/bone/bone-health/exercise/exercise-your-bone-health 

 

Osteoporosis and exercise (22)

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/osteoporosis-and-exercise#:~:text=Exercising%20regularly%20can%20reduce%20the,risk%20of%20fractures%20from%20osteoporosis. 

 

The impact of sleep deprivation on food desire in the human brain (23)  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3763921/ 

 

Short Sleep Duration Is Associated with Reduced Leptin, Elevated Ghrelin, and Increased Body Mass Index (24)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC535701/

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Remember, it will take time to see substantial benefits and improvement in your overall quality of life just from completing these 5 actions each day.  It is a PROCESS.  You will not be able to complete all 5 actions every day and THAT IS OKAY.  It will take time to understand and IMPLEMENT these 5 actions into your life in a way that works best for you.  Every decision you make will not be perfect, because we are all human and no one is perfect.  The main objective of the FB5 is to make micro changes over time that result in a healthier and happier life.  We are excited to kick this journey off and can't wait to see the positive change that takes place over the next few months!!!!

 

Check all/most of these off every day and you will make substantial progress over time!!

 

FLY5 Check-in

1. Ate within my window

2. Water Intake - At least half my body weight in ounces

3. 20 min of sunlight

4. At least a 15 min Workout 

5. 7-9 hours of sleep

 

Download the MyJournies Mobile Application on your cell phone and track these 5 actions, so you can see how your health and wellness journey over a long period of time and understand how you were able to achieve your goals!!

 

Aim High! Let's Fly!!