How to Get Back on Track for the New Year - Inside Europe Radio Interview

Keith Walker (0:00)

I'm Keith Walker, you're listening to Inside Europe. To Northern Europe next, and Estonia, where Siim Land is a best-selling author and high-performance coach. At the end of last year, you may remember, he spoke in Helsinki, Finland, at the European Biohackers Summit.

That's a gathering of people interested in optimal human performance, health and well-being. Great to have you back on Inside Europe, Siim.

Siim Land (0:26)

Yeah, I'm glad to be back and glad to talk with you.

Keith Walker (0:29)

Now, a lot of people have gained weight over Christmas and want to lose it. Christmas cake and plum pudding and mince pies.

I don't know, maybe you indulged. I did a little bit, particularly chocolate. So what's the first step?

Siim Land (0:45)

Yeah, that's a common issue, I would imagine. There's nothing inherently harmful about this thing, as long as you're able to get back on track, so to say. So the bigger problem is that if these bad habits tend to stick around, then the weight will never come off. So as long as you're getting back on track, then there's not a lot of apathy you should feel about it.

So that's what I will first and foremost start off with, that you shouldn't feel guilty about it or try to punish yourself, because that can also create this bad relationship with food. And instead, you just have to start to live the healthy lifestyle again, of eating whole foods, not overeating, moving on a regular basis, doing some exercise, and just making sure that you're not stressed out about it, or so to say, because if you get into a vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting, then that will never actually get you anywhere. So I think the most important thing is to just get back on track, and take your fitness goals more seriously, of trying to be more consistent with workouts, and making sure that you don't overeat calories.

Keith Walker (1:48)

Okay, talking about improving fitness, how does one go from a fairly sedentary lifestyle, like we have during the lockdown, there's a lot of people not going through their daily routine. So how do we move from that lifestyle to a more healthy one?

Siim Land (2:03)

Yeah, I think it's slightly harder, because a lot of gyms or parks and these open spaces tend to be closed or something. So at the same time, there's not the big obstacles to being fit. So you can just even use your own body weight to stay healthy and improve your fitness. So like bodyweight exercises are something that I love. I use those things on a regular basis.

And even simple yoga movements, some planks and some other holds.

Those things are also something that you can do even like in a very small apartment without access to like weights or something. So there's never really an excuse not to be able to work out, because you have your body like the first, that's the only prerequisite you have to have. You have your own body and you can use it. And like, yeah, walking around is definitely good. So to say like walking around in nature is something I do myself every day. And even if you are like in the city, then you can find some way to walk and do this lower intensity movement.

Keith Walker (3:08)

I want to talk to you about getting a better night's sleep, because I know that's one of your specialities. And since the last time you came on to the show, I understand you've started writing a new book.

Siim Land (3:18)

Yeah, the book that I already wrote is out already at the moment. Like that was the one I co-authored with Dr. James DeNickel-Antonio, the immunity fix that talks about the immune system and optimizing it. And currently we are also like, you know, working on the next one. And it's going to be the mineral fix that talks about the importance and the role of different minerals in our body, starting with like energy production, cognition, incidence, sensitivity, and thyroid functioning, fertility, and all those things, because the minerals kind of run these core mechanisms and the processes inside the body.

And if you're deficient in certain minerals, then yeah, you're going to experience lackluster performance and also like poor health because of that.

Keith Walker (4:06)

We're talking to Siim Land on Inside Europe. And Siim, one of your specialties is sleep hacking. And I know that you've got a spike mat on your bed and it's basically a bed of nails. And I got to say, I invested in a spike mat. They're very cheap and remarkably relaxing. But can you give us some tips for a better night's sleep?