A lot has changed since we launched the Whole9 in 2009 — a lot.

For one, I’ve moved on from Whole30 to my own exploration of living well, started the More Social Less Media Program, and am writing a new book that releases in early 2020.

I’ve also simplified the 9 Factors into 4 Keys.

The 9 Factors were really good, and if you addressed them all, you’re likely in a good spot as far as your health was concerned. But there were always questions like why 9 and not 10? Why not remove the one nobody understands and add 4 more in its place?

“What the hell is temperance anyway?”

So here are the 4 Keys to Living Better.

4 Keys to Living Better

1. Sleep
2. Eat
3. Move
4. Connect

You’ll notice it doesn’t start with food anymore.

It starts with Sleep.

If you need “Stress Management” (Whole 9 factor #5), then you will likely need to be eating more nourishing food, be moving in ways which reduce rather than add to your total stress, you will need to prioritize your sleep, and perhaps most importantly, you will need to make changes with how you connect with the people and places which give the highest feelings of calmness, fulfillment, and emotional support (and maybe face up to those connections which add to your stress).

That doesn’t mean the way you Eat is not important. It’s just a prioritization of ideas for a new point of focus on the overall circadian rhythm of our bodies and how we connect to the rhythms of the world around us.

The way you Eat, Move and Connect will determine how you Sleep — the part of our lives that literally sets the rhythm for everything else.

If you’re not getting a good night’s sleep, you’ll start your day tired and stressed. That sends you looking for cheap rewards like too much sugar and caffeine in your diet. Your movement sessions will be strained and less productive. And by the time you take care of all of that you won’t have any energy left to connect with the people you love. So you’ll just check social media and expose yourself to blue light — inhibiting melatonin release and leading to a late night.

More poor sleep. More stress. More difficulty eating, moving and connecting.

And the cycle continues.

I want to help you find a healthy cycle through understanding the depth of each of the 4 Keys to living better and how they work together.

 

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-Dallas