Optimizing Productivity, Brain and Body Health (Summary) - wrote this for myself, hope that some of you find it useful.
Morning
Record wake time for the purpose of Temperature Minimum [wake-2h]. Most Effective Work = [TM+4-6hours] i.e. W=7am, TM=5am, MEW=9am-11am (90m altradian cycle/work bout starts ideally at 9am)
Walk (forward ambulation) optic flow quiets/reduces amount of neural activity in amygdala (anxiety/fear/threat detection), this helps alertness without anxiety.
View sun for 10-30 minutes will ensure adequate stimulation of ocular neurons that covey to brain that its daytime/time to be alert. Additionally, pulse of cortisol will happen once every 24h no matter what, and its important that it happens early in the day - viewing sun will allow you to trigger this pulse most efficiently.
Hydrate early in the day before beginning any work. We tend to get dehydrated when we sleep, and neurons require ionic flow (they need sodium/magnesium/potassium to function). Include 1/2tsp salt in morning water. (what about mag/potas??)
Altradian cycles (90 minute work bouts) - at the start of a work bout, set a 90 minute timer, understanding that the entire 90 minutes is not going to be uniform in ability to focus. Goal is to get into a tunnel of quality work - the brain loves that state, but challenging to access. Turn phone off/silent, play low volume white noise. Workout for your brain, feels really good. TM dictates when this should start/end.
Afternoon
Afternoon sun for 10-30 minutes around 3pm-4pm for purpose of buffering against negative effects of late evening bright light (reduces the retinas sensativity). Bright lights between 10am and 4am are strongly disruptive for dopamine production and sleep.
Evening
Dinner to optimise transition to sleep. Should be comprised of things that support rest and deep sleep (starchy carbohydrates) by increasing serotinin, can/should also add protein (chicken/fish/eggs/meat). Generates a sense of calm and replenishes glycogen stores (muscle+brain fuel).
Workspace
When eyes directed upward, creates state of heightened alertness. As such, position device at eyelevel or ideally slightly higher.
Exercise
Working out for longer than an hour at high intensity can have detrimental effect due to cortisol response. Keep workouts relatively short.
Endurance training and hypertrophy training should both be done across the week, ideally on seperate or alternating days.
Approximately 80% of resistance training should not be to failure. Other 20% can be high intensity/to failure training.
The burn/lactate system is a good indicator of intensity. Lactate system is its own form of fuel for the brain. Pushing through lactate threshold for 20% of training can support brain health and function.
Ideally should train after first work block.
Nutrition
Fasting until 11am-12pm, fasting increases adrenaline/epinephrine in brain/body. When increased (to within optimal range), we can learn and focus better.
Volume of food is important - large volume of anything diverts blood to gut, making you feel lethargic (less blood to your brain).
Lunch should be low carbohydrate intake for the reason that adrenaline/dopamine and associated neuromodulators support alertness. So meat/chicken/fish + vegetables/salad.
If exercised on the day, ok to ingest some starches (bread/rice/oatmeal/nuts etc.) - starches cause the release of seratonin in the brain and lend themselves to a state of sleepiness.
Ingest 1000mg/day of EPA omega-3 - relieves depression and is as effective as SSRIs.
After having midday meal, take a brief walk afterward (5-30 minutes) to accelerate metabolism and improve nutrient utilisation.
Sleep
Keep room dark.
Keep room cool.
Leverage drop of temperature that's required to fall asleep. Sometime in late afternoon, temperature peaks and then starts to drop (1-3 degrees). Accelerate this drop in temperature is to use hot shower/bath - gets body to engage mechanisms to cool itself off, allowing your temperature to drop faster and to fall asleep more easily.
300-400mg Magnesium Threonate/Magnesium Biglycinate, 50mg Apagenin & 250-400mg Theanine, taken 30m before sleep, - in combination aids transition to sleep by reducing anxiety and executive function (ruminating/planning), increases/promotes GABA, along with increasing activation of chloride channels, lowering neuron activity.
If getting up to go to the bathroom etc, keep lights dim if possible, and also try to turn off asap and get back into bed.