Don’t settle for feeling less than great.
Here’s a quick health check:
E.M.L. — Energy, Mood, Libido
Rate yourself from 1 to 10:
ENERGY (1-10)
Do you wake up feeling fresh? Do you have good workouts and gas left in the tank after work? Or do you feel sluggish all day and crash in the afternoon? Steady all-day energy is a sign of good metabolic health.
MOOD (1-10)
Depression, anxiety, and irritability are not normal. They’re also not health conditions in themselves; they’re symptoms of an underlying problem—usually hormone imbalance or gut issues.
LIBIDO (1-10)
This is the canary in the coal mine for health, and a great indicator of hormonal and cardiovascular function. For men, a healthy libido looks like:
—morning wood most days
—frequent sexual thoughts
—good erection quality during sex
Studies show that low libido is one of the most accurate predictors of low testosterone. It’s similar for women.
If all three are an 8 or higher, you’re probably in pretty good health.
If your numbers aren’t great, it’s a good idea to get a comprehensive blood panel and have an expert doctor review it. (My company,
Bolt.Health, offers comprehensive blood testing plus a doctor consult for $149.)
Also, make sure you’re covering these four bases:
MOVEMENT
You need way more movement than you think. Walk 20 miles a week, do mobility and resistance training 3x/week, and play a sport. Fitness isn’t hitting the gym a few times a week—it's a lifestyle.
DIET
We massively overcomplicate diet, but the basics are very simple:
—Eat high quality, single-ingredient foods
—Stay a little hungry
—Little or no alcohol or refined sugar
—Bonus: Fast quarterly
SUN
Humans evolved to live in harmony with the sun. If you’re not spending time outside, getting direct sunlight and touching earth, you’re fighting biology. (Hint: You won’t win.)
JOY
Toxic relationships and emotions (especially loneliness) manifest physically, but the good news is it works both ways. Renowned longevity doctor Vass Eliopoulos says, “joy is anti-inflammatory.”
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