Eating, Sleeping and Breathing
How addressing the three fundamentals of life changed the way I feel
Over the last few months most of my posts have been concentrating on three topics: eat, sleep, and breathe. These, I believe, are absolutely fundamental to everything else that happens in our brains and body. In order to unhack our brains, we need to focus on a healthy diet, breath work, and getting plenty of quality sleep.
Most of us are pretty bad at all three of those - myself included. We don't get enough sleep, we eat whatever is cheap, convenience, and tasty, and we don't pay nearly enough attention to our breathing. As a result, our brains don't function properly and we become a lot more susceptible to physical diseases, and in particular, stress-related conditions.
Eat, sleep, and breathe
My main focus in Unhack Your Brain over the next few months, and probably for most of this year, will be on three things: eating, sleeping, and breathing. They’re probably the three most important things in our lives. I mean, just try not doing them, and see how long you can stay alive.
Here are some of the things I’ve covered in the last six months:
What we eat: the dangers of ultra-processed foods, excessive consumption of red meat, and diets high in sugar and salt or low in fiber.
When we eat: late-night snacks, fasting, and binge-eating.
Getting good rest: The importance of naps, morning routines, avoiding late-night screen time, the risks of sleep meds, and the pros and cons of evening exercise.
Breathwork: basic techniques, 4-7-8, single breaths, using a mala, and the dangers of screen apnea.
Until we address these fundamental issues, it’s almost impossible to address many of the other things we have to deal with. There’s a growing body of medical evidence that proves that good quality diet, sleep and breathing are prerequisites to other aspects of both mental and physical health.123
Putting it into practice
Over the last few months I've been doing my best to change my lifestyle in accordance with the things I've learned. I admit, I haven't been perfect, but I’m making big steps forward.
My sleep routine is a lot healthier, and I’ve even tried to squeeze in naps when my work schedule allows. I find that I’m much more alert and productive in the afternoons when I get a midday nap. Unfortunately, several of my clients seem to love 12pm and 1pm meetings, so it’s not always convenient. Gonna have to work on that. But when I get good sleep, I don’t find myself craving so much junk food. (That’s not just me - that’s a well-documented effect.)4
I try to make time most days for some simple breathing exercises. I’ve really noticed how quickly I can relax just by breathing. Or, if I take a slightly different approach, I can focus and get things done quickly. I’ve been somewhat lax with my morning Tai Chi and yoga - again, trying to fit this around a work schedule that often starts at 7am is tricky. Again, that’s going to take some adjustment.
I've been getting better at eating breakfast. I’ve always been a “slice of toast and a coffee” guy, but I’m finding that I’m more alert and productive when I eat something substantial at the start of the day. I’ve also found myself eating lunch more often, and eating less in the evenings. It’s not always convenient, but by 3pm, I certainly notice if I’ve skipped breakfast. I’m starting to see a pattern here - it’s all about starting the day right, and then taking a break at midday to re-energize.
I have succeeded in massively cutting down my intake of salt, sugar, fat, caffeine and red meat and I've all but eliminated ultra-processed food from my diet. My tastes have begin to change as a result: I find most food far too sweet and salty these days. On the other hand, I still have a tendency to snack late at night. Some nights, I can’t resist a bowl of cereal before bed. And there are days where a cheeseburger and fries are just what I’m craving. Like I said, not perfect. And hey, the occasional treat is fine.
So how's it working out?
Well, I’m still not a picture of health. I still have mild hypertension, my cholesterol is still a little high, and I'm still overweight - I won't be giving up my daily medication anytime soon. However, mild hypertension and slightly high cholesterol is a big improvement on where I was last summer, so that’s a big win. Next step, lose about twenty pounds.
But the main benefit I've noticed has been the way I feel. I don't wake up tired. I don't feel listless and demotivated. I feel more confident and self-reliant.5 I feel more alert and mentally sharper.6 And despite everything that's going on in the world, I've managed to shake that sense of existential dread that we’re all familiar with.
Being an immigrant in America - even a naturalized citizen - isn't exactly a comforting feeling these days. Add to that the growing political and economic chaos, the increasing likelihood of environmental disaster, and my finances being in worse shape than they've been since I was in my twenties, and it's fair to say that things aren't exactly great for me - or a lot of people - right now. I’m not happy with the state of the world, but astonishingly, I'm not particularly stressed out about it.
To put it another way, I’m still in a stressful situation, but I’m better able to cope with the stress than before. That’s a huge difference.
I can’t prove that that’s due to my lifestyle changes, but I can’t help but think that they have played an important part. I believe that by focusing on eating, sleeping, and breathing, I am laying the foundations for further changes, and allowing my mind and body to function as they should.7 It’s a great start.
I'm not a doctor, dietitian, nutritionist, therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, meditation trainer, yoga teacher, or anything else. My academic background is in anthropology, and I've taken some neuroscience courses, but otherwise I'm self-educated. Nothing in this blog constitutes professional advice.
Your Brain Loves Deep Breathing, Science Explains Why, Neuroscience News, 2025
Does Poor Sleep in Middle Age Speed Up Brain Aging?, Brain and Life, 2025
Just One Night of Poor Sleep Can Change How Your Brain Sees Food, Science Alert, 2025
Sleep Strengthens Memory for Life Events Over a Year Later, Neuroscience News, 2025
It’s not too late to start eating better for your brain, American Society for Nutrition, 2025
Someone once told me that the night time cereal thing can come from childhood where you were maybe snuggled up for a story or a bit of downtime with a parent and so it is your "heart" that is craving it after then end of a long stressful day.