I've officially booked flights to spend Christmas back home in Ireland for the first time since 2019.
The GIF above is how I'll be approaching the entire trip.
I'll be having several "mental health days" sitting in a pub with a warm fire and a pint of Guinness in my hand.
This might sound completely irrelevant to health, but as you'll see in today's newsletter, that trip to the pub actually plays a key role in my overall health strategy.
Before you race to the pub to sink pints 😂 let me explain...
Let's get this bit crystal clear first.
You can have the best business strategy in the world…
But if your health collapses, everything else follows.
After 10+ years coaching high-performers, I’ve found that every client who transforms their health (and keeps it) masters five key pillars.
These aren’t optional. They’re non-negotiables.
They’re the foundation that keeps every high-performer alive, sharp, and pain-free.
And if even one of them cracks, performance starts to crumble.
Now, before you scroll down expecting “the perfect plan,” let me stop you.
I can’t give you that here. The perfect plan is personal. It’s nuanced.
And that’s what I build 1-1 with my clients inside The Paradigm Project.
(My offer of FREE coaching for the rest of the year still stands. Only 2 spots remaining. Reply with "READY" for all the details.)
But what I can give you is the framework and the 5 pillars that everybody needs to thrive.
Let’s break them down.
1) Exercise
Exercise is the original longevity drug — free, proven, & still unbeaten.
This is the cornerstone, and without doubt the most important of the 5 pillars.
I would say my personality isn't built on working out and being active, but I'm not going to lie to you 😂
I call it my anchor for a reason, and that reason is how exercise makes me feel...
Damn right amazing!
I LOVE everything about physical activity.
I don't care if it's banging weights at the gym, banging of another kind, or running on the track; any physical activity can only be seen as hugely positive to your health.
It’s not about smashing yourself with six HIIT classes per week and deadlifting until you see stars (something I've done on multiple occasions 😂).
It’s about a blend of:
- Strength training: Build the muscle that keeps your metabolism alive and powers your skeleton...which is kinda important, especially as we age.
- Cardio: For developing a strong cardiorespiratory system and building your VO₂ max as high as possible. Better cardio = more energy.
- Movement: Mobility, stability, balance. The stuff that stops you moving like a well-oiled machine regardless of age.
Neglect it?
Expect weaker muscles, a slower metabolism, more pain, a lower quality of life, and, not to mention, that all the research points to an earlier grave.
You'd be crazy not to make it part of your life, but unfortunately, over half of the adult population doesn't.
Foundations:
- As a general rule, 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise) is recommended as a weekly minimum.
- That should include 3 strength sessions per week
- A mixture of cardio that takes you through zones 2-5,
- Then 10–15 minutes of daily mobility.
2) Nutrition
Your nutrition has a key role to play in your energy levels, recovery from workouts, and your body composition.
Most people overcomplicate it with fad diets and meal timing hacks, when the truth is it comes down to quality, quantity, and consistency.
Quality food, hitting the right calories and protein, and daily consistency.
Great nutrition isn't hard; in fact, it can be quite simple, but the consistent implementation is where people's struggles lie.
On top of lower overall activity levels, an increase in the number of calories consumed through the modern diet has seen the first world's population balloon in size.
A trend that shows no sign of slowing down, as obesity rates are predicted to reach 50% of adults by 2050.
So, besides the clear issues with body weight, if your nutrition’s off, everything else suffers. Energy, recovery, mood, focus, the lot.
Not to mention the very real danger of harmful visceral fat building up due to a poor diet.
(Check out this article for the lowdown on visceral fat)
A well-balanced diet helps you maintain stable blood sugar levels, limits your cravings, helps you recover effectively between workouts, and supports better hormonal health.
Macronutrients get all the newspaper coverage, but micronutrients play a vital role in your overall health, and a lack of certain ones, such as magnesium and key electrolytes, can mess with your energy metabolism and nervous system regulation.
Neglect it?
You’ll find that you're constantly hungry but unsatisfied, your lean muscle mass will be impeded, your body fat will be too high, inflammation will run rampant, and your overall feeling of well-being will suffer.
Think of it like putting really cheap fuel in a Porsche 911. It'll drive, but it won't be happy.
Your body's relationship with nutrition is the same.
Fuel it with sh*t? Expect to feel like sh*t!
Foundations:
- Protein with every meal. Aim for 1.5–2g per kg of lean bodyweight.
- Eat whole, unprocessed food 80% of the time. 20% "fun" calories.
- Prioritise hydration and micronutrients (fruits, veg, minerals, electrolytes)
- Aim for 30g of fibre per day - so eat your veggies 🙃
- Don't eat more than you burn! AKA, control your calorie intake.
3) Sleep
Sleep is the ultimate performance enhancer, and it costs nothing.
Besides not costing you a penny, it's just great, isn't it?
I find it funny how we spend our teenage and student years neglecting sleep, only to get to our adult years and absolutely love the stuff.
On more than a handful of occasions (I'd say at least 10), Teresa has caught me smiling in bed and asked me what I'm smirking about.
I just tell her I'm happy to be in bed and going to sleep. That's how much I love it 😂
Ironically, it's now 22:36 as I'm writing this, so I mustn't love sleep too much.
When sleep is good, everything works better.
When it’s poor, everything falls apart.
Most people think missing a few hours here and there is no big deal.
But the moment sleep drops below 6-7 hours, things start to go a little sideways.
→ Cortisol (stress hormone) rises
→ Hunger hormones get thrown off
→ Insulin sensitivity drops
→ Focus, recovery, and motivation take a hit
You wake up feeling like a wet biscuit, relying on caffeine and sugar to push through your work day and wondering why your workouts feel twice as hard.
And the longer this pattern continues, the worse your health becomes.
If you make great quality sleep a non-negotiable, you can expect steady energy throughout your day, better blood sugar control, an improved mood, better focus and productivity, not to mention you'll recover faster between workouts, burn more body fat, and build muscle easier.
When it's put like that in black and white, it's kinda a no-brainer, wouldn't you say?
Neglect it?
For starters, your appetite is going to be all over the place as your body is battling sporadic blood sugar levels and hormone fluctuations. This will skew your appetite, increasing the likelihood of cravings and poor nutritional choices...making a healthy body composition a very difficult task.
Poor quality sleep and a lack of total sleep are terrible for your hormones, particularly testosterone in men. A lower libido and poor recovery should deter you from letting this happen.
As poor sleep increases the amount of cortisol circulating in our body, you're going to feel more stressed, more irritable, and you might find yourself knocking on the door of burnout sooner rather than later.
Oh, and not to mention a far greater risk of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Foundations:
- 7–8 hours every night
- Same sleep/wake time (even weekends)
- Cool, dark, quiet room
- Cut of time for caffeine
- Dim lights and avoid screens 1 hr before bed
4) Emotional health
This one doesn’t get talked about enough.
Everyone obsesses over calories, step counts, and supplements, but forgets the thing that glues it all together...
Your emotional health.
If your head’s a mess, it doesn’t matter how perfect your diet or training plan looks.
You’ll skip workouts, eat your emotions, sleep badly, and convince yourself you’re “too busy” to fix it.
I’ve seen it in countless people over the years.
The physical side of health often falls apart because the mental side isn’t being looked after.
And emotional health doesn’t mean “be positive all the time.”
If you've ever spoken to me or you've been reading my emails for a while, you'll know I'm a pretty upbeat guy.
You kinda have to be when you're self-employed, otherwise you'd go crazy at times!
But I'm not a fan of being positive for the sake of being positive, because sometimes situations are sh*t and you've got to be a realist in that situation.
Does that mean you throw in the towel and give up?
F*ck no! But it's also not the time for toxic positivity.
Strong emotional health means regulating your mind the same way you regulate your workouts. Knowing when to push, when to rest, and when to ask for help.
When you keep that in check, life just feels smoother.
You think clearly, react more slowly, and stay grounded when things inevitably go wrong.
And they will go wrong!
When you don’t… well, that’s when you spiral.
Sleep gets worse, caffeine consumption (and alcohol, maybe drugs) goes up, food choices get sloppy, patience disappears, and you start feeling like you’re permanently in survival mode.
A regulated nervous system is a superpower, and it’s completely trainable.
→ It improves focus and decision-making
→ Keeps cravings under control
→ Makes sleep deeper
→ And gives you an actual feeling of balance
It’s the foundation of everything else.
Neglect it?
Expect stress to eat your energy, burnout to sneak up on you, and motivation to vanish faster than your morning coffee.
You’ll lose consistency, clarity, and that sense of control that makes healthy living feel simple and sustainable.
Foundations:
- Move your body every day
- Get sunlight and fresh air daily
- Talk to a coach, friend, partner, therapist — bottling things up is a time bomb
- Practise slowing your breathing (four seconds in, six out)
- Limit your mental “noise” — news, negativity, endless scrolling (this one is huge!)
- Schedule in fun sh*t that makes you feel good about yourself.
5) Supplements
Supplements are one of those topics that everyone overcomplicates.
People love to debate which “stack” you need, when in reality, 95% of them are buying expensive placebos that get pooped out 👋
Not to mention that countless people use them to paper over the cracks. The only issue is that they don't actually paper over the cracks, but taking them makes some people feel better about their health.
If your training, nutrition, and sleep are terrible, supplements won’t save you.
But if you’ve got those dialled in, the right ones can make a noticeable difference.
And no, that doesn’t mean twenty tubs of powders taking up half your kitchen cupboard.
Although if you saw a certain cupboard in my kitchen, you may or may not find that 👀
I’m talking about a few non-negotiables, the ones that actually move the needle.
Let’s break them down.
→ Creatine
One of the most researched supplements on the planet.
Improves strength, power, recovery, and even brain performance.
It helps you train harder, recover faster, and build more lean muscle over time.
It’s safe, effective, and if you’re not taking it… You’re leaving results on the table.
→ Magnesium (preferably glycinate)
Supports deep sleep, muscle relaxation, and stress regulation.
Most people are deficient and don’t realise it.
Think of it as your “off switch” after a busy day. It helps the nervous system downshift when everything else is still in fifth gear.
→ Omega-3
You can’t talk health or longevity without mentioning omega-3s.
They support brain function, reduce inflammation, and improve heart health.
If you don’t eat oily fish a few times a week (I don't), you'll need to supplement.
Those are my three essentials.
After that, everything else depends on the individual.
Vitamin D in the winter, collagen is also great, and maybe ashwagandha or vitamin B12, depending on your lifestyle.
Electrolytes are also a non-negotiable for me every morning.
Oh, and caffeine, but that's more of an addiction than it is a supplement 🫠
You don’t need a cabinet full of pills. You need consistency with the few that actually work.
Neglect it?
People often ask me how long it will take before they start to feel different when they start taking a new supplement.
And while you might feel a bit of a change, I tell them that you notice the difference when you STOP taking them.
Your body gets accustomed to feeling a certain way, and when those supplements stop working their magic, that's when you'll notice their benefits.
That could look like weaker lifts in the gym, poorer sleep, and less energy.
Foundations:
- Creatine monohydrate — 10-20g daily
- Magnesium glycinate — 200–400mg before bed
- Omega-3 — high-quality fish oil, 2–3g combined EPA/DHA per day
- Vitamin D3 — during low sunlight months
- Electrolytes — when training hard or sweating a lot
There you have it, my 5 pillars of health.
No frills, no fads, just the stuff that works.
If you make these the backbone of your daily life, trust me, great things will happen for you.
Your health is the engine behind everything you do.
So oil that bad boy up, fuel it with the good stuff, and let it rip!
Catch you next time.
