Below are many of the things that stood out to me in 2015.

All deal with health in some way and each played a critical role in my year ending up and going as well as it did. I want to share them with you to hopefully give you something great for your life and to help you have a fantastic 2016.

Books

It is not an exaggeration to say that I have gone through more than 50 books this year. Each one gives a little something different and I would like to highlight a few that really stood out as special.

Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance

This book did more for me than I ever imagined. Going into it I knew who Elon was and some of the things that he has done. However, it is only one of two books that I listened to twice. The drive and passion of this man is almost frightening and it seems that nothing will stop him of achieving his dreams. That is what it takes if you are going to disrupt the space industry and put the first man on mars, completely revamp thoughts on electric cars, make solar energy a truly viable and widespread phenomenon as well as change global banking.

Now Musk may not be the healthiest person on the planet, but I feel that he realizes something. His health is only important if he is pursuing his passions and his passions fuel him. This is important to note. You can try to eat the best food possible, sleep perfectly and practice mindfulness everyday, but if you are still stuck spending most of your days doing something you hate then your body will still fight back.

For those looking to see what it looks like to have a never ending drive to accomplish your dreams, then this is a book for you. It will inspire a deep passion in you to go run through a brick wall if that is what it takes. I just simply find people that are changing the work in HUGE ways to be so fascinating. Elon Musk seems to be that person currently and we all will have him to thank for electric cars replacing gasoline as well as future generations travelling to Mars and back for a vacation.

The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

Funny that it says one and I listened to it twice. It must be five times that I have gone through it however in reading and listening and there is something that I have noticed. More than one thing at a time in any part of one’s life is just too much at a time. Stick with learning one thing, stick to implementing one thing, try only one new thing, focus on only one thing. This is not to say that you should only do one thing, but make one thing the main area of focus and get that right before moving on.

This one thing concept just continues to grow and was a theme at a business conference that I attended. It really is something that the most successful people in business on the planet subscribe to. It certainly works with business, but can also be applied to health, relationships or whatever you happen to be focussed on at the time, but spread yourself too thin on too many things and your one thing will crumble and you will often end up back at square one.

This really is a must read for anybody who has ever struggled to stay on task or just not achieved what they set out to. If you can say no problems with either of those then please call me and tell me your secret. I’d love to know. For the rest of you this is a very well written book that certainly helps you focus on one thing in any aspect of life and get you where you want to go.

Spot on Nutrition by Andrew Johnston

I cannot tell you how many nutrition books I have read and truthfully I have not read nearly as many this year as I used do, but that being said, I am happy I read this one. As more and more nutrition books come out the good ones are really just centered around common themes. A lot of the others need to bring you in as a hook before telling you to stop eating the Standard American Diet.

What I really enjoy about this book is you could read the first chapter that is only a page and by just implementing that you would be in the top 95% of people eating great nutrition. Since most people won’t pay money for a single page Andrew was kind enough to go deeper into each of the topics that he discusses on this page. Sometimes he goes VERY in depth, but always brings it back to a very simple understanding. What also set the book apart was the humor. If you are going to write something it mine as well be funny and this one sure hits. However, my takeaways from the book are some of the myths that get dispelled and things that I have even tried changing for myself and realized how much better they made me feel. It is always a good thing when your digestion improves with a simple modification.

My review of the book would not be complete without discussing balance. Yes, balance of the macronutrients (carbs, fats and proteins). This is interesting since you see so much out there about the low fat diet, the low carb diet or the high protein diet and on and on and on. Here Andrew discusses finding the right balance and doesn’t that just seem so obvious. Yes, your balance may be one of those listed above, but recognizing that they will not work for the entire population is a nice refresher. Simply Spot On Nutrition is a must read for anybody with questions about nutrition.

Adaptogens by David Winston

In reading this book while on vacation in Hawaii, David Winston really did change my outlook on the healing power that the foods we consume can have on the body. By no means did I not realize that foods were healing, but seeing the power they have is incredible. Adaptogens are just a certain class of food that help to maintain homeostasis by helping to regulate stress. Food and stress are both topics that fascinate me and thus bringing them together spoke volumes.

After reading the book I have continued to try out new adaptogens and see how they affect my body, mind and spirit. Some have had tremendous effects, while others are no big deal. It is amazing the different preparations that can be used for each and find that certain work better than others for me. This is something that is becoming an area of focus for me and I certainly look forward to learning about in the future. Be sure to keep an eye out on the podcast, blog and in videos to see what I have going on with adaptogenic herbs.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

This was a book that I downloaded and listened to on the recommendation of Tim Ferriss. I very rarely listen to any fiction work, but am happy that I made an exception. Certainly there are countless books that are great out there, but I am still happy to have stumbled across this one written by Neil Gaiman. He has written many other books as well and seems to be very accomplished. This was a nice change of pace for me as it allowed my imagination to run wild when listening to it. There were all different character voices and I often sat back, closed my eyes and imagined it all in my head. This was a very fun tactic to use and something that I see myself continuing to do in the future. Check it out to let your imagination run wild.

Foods and Supplements

Before I get into this, it first should be said that the real best of in this category is anything that came from our backyard garden, CSA and Easton Farmer’s Market. Everything in each of these was grown with absolute love and provided so much more to me and my family than just food. That being said at the time I am writing this it is winter and not much is growing around here so I will give you a few new things that I discovered for you to help you out at anytime.

D3/K2 Drops by Thorne

In my perception I have seen that a lot of people are on the Vitamin D3 bandwagon. This is a great thing as it is awesome for immune function, helping battle the effects of lack of sun exposure and is just great for overall health. However, if it is not taken with Vitamin K2 you may be missing out, a lot! In fact, as with anything else, if it brings you out of balance it can even be dangerous and affect the body negatively instead of positively.

These drops will help you fight osteoporosis, heart disease and diabetes as well as keep you out of the winter blues by decreasing your chance of seasonal affective disorder, not to mention just keeping you healthy to do your best to avoid the flu and common cold. There are many ways to get D3 and K2 through food, but since this is not always done or not enough is eaten it can be a nice supplement to your stellar diet.

Collagen and Gelatin Instead of Whey Powder
  

This is a two parter. The first part deals with the adding of either collagen or gelatin. Now, I will say that I am a fan of bone broth first, but these are still both excellent products that can be very nourishing and healing to the body. Each has some unique points, but both are great for hair, skin, nails, organs (especially gut lining!), joints, etc. They are non-inflammatory proteins as well due to a low tryptophan content and are high in glycine which helps all of the body parts previously listed.

The collagen powder is great to just mix in anything hot or cold and it will blend right up. This makes it very easy to use and since it is so quick gives you no excuse. The gelatin can be thrown in soups and stews, but also to make some little treats such as gummies, custards or mousses that can still be very beneficial to the body. I often will use one or another in my coffee or tea in the morning.

The second part deals with replacing of the whey protein. First off, it is difficult to get a whey protein that has been both from grass fed sources as well, mixes easily and tastes good without a bunch of garbage added into it, as well as is cold processed and not damaged by heat. Yes, that is a lot that goes into that. Whey protein has also been shown to stimulate the anabolic hormone insulin. If you are trying to put on significant muscle mass this may be important to you, but when simply trying to stay healthy, it may not be at the top of your list. I still prefer a nice grass-fed raw milk if you can tolerate dairy well.

For me the answer was simple. Just switch them up and even use more collagen and gelatin to replace some of the muscle meat I have been eating.

Powdered Vanilla

Taste, anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidant as well as a boost in cognitive performance. How can you go wrong? Really, this for me changed my coffee experience. I love the addition of a hint of vanilla and with all of the other great benefits of any great spice, you’d be hard pressed for me to turn it down. That is of course unless it is not organic, but that is for another article. Vanilla was simply something that stood out for me that I have continued to enjoy and see myself doing for a very long time.

Places

Kauai
This is the most amazing place I have ever been and certainly plan on getting back to regularly. There is something about the island’s beauty, remote location, gardens, people and overall feel that draws me to it. You may be wondering how this relates to health. Well this is a place where you can soak up some sun, maintain an amazing garden, hike in any environment, swim and surf as well as just plain relax. Those are all incredible if you are trying to be as healthy as possible. I could go on and on about it, but that will just not do it justice. Go and find out for yourself.

Bodyweight Squats

This has been a game changer for me. I have started doing sets of 10 squats at periods throughout the day. This helps me feel much more energized as well as takes my joints through motion to help pump them as well as keep my muscles from being stagnant. It also gets the blood flowing and helps with focus. You can do them anywhere and are a must if you have a desk job. Just stand up and sit down a few times every hour. If you are uncomfortable out in the open go to a bathroom stall and bust out 20 every 2 hours when you go to the bathroom from staying hydrated. Your body really will thank you for it. It is a great way to get in some deep breathing too!

My Son Cooper and Wife Julie

Naturally I saved the best for last. I cannot thank my wife Julie enough for being the person she is. We are so excited and lucky to have our little Cooper as an addition to the family. It certainly would not have been the same without them. I just want to thank them so much for being part of my life and letting them know that I love them so very much. They really are the best of in 2015.

If you are wondering how the health of your brain is, I have the answer. Check out this FREE Brain Health Quiz to find out where you are at and I will send you my new free book “The 4 Morning Secrets to Perfect Brain Health.” This is important because a healthy, strong brain will mimic itself in a healthy strong body!

Have a Great Day!
Nick Horowski