I wanted to report my current status living alone in the desert. Just to recap, I'm about 140 miles from the nearest real town in any direction, and 30 miles from any civilized wayside stop for gas and bare essentials. One of the largest most devestating wildfires in the continential US is still burning only 80 miles from my current location. I have to drive 3 miles to get drinkable water as the area is experiencing a drought. There is a hotsprings here, which makes this place ideal. I can't drink that water however, since, even with my water filter pump, the hot springs are full of minerals and heavy metals ( arsenic and sulfer too ) which my hand pump won't remove. My research says, this water comes from nesrly a half mile down into the earths crust so it's simply not suitable for consumption.
Having said all of that. I have only what food I've brought with me, and water takes a great deal of pumping ( excersise ) to get my 1 gallon a day that hits the sweet spot. I've been in this location now for coming up on a month and a half so my body has fully adjusted to this new envirnment.
I now have a theory that I'm paying note to as time goes on. I fully believe, I'm experiencing a mitichronia shift ( on a cellular level ) in a postive direction, which makes me feel stronger ( younger ) with more vitality...despite, being conpletely off meds, and have been for quite a while since there are none available to me at the present time. More importantly, I feel as if I don't have ADHD. My executive functioning has increased notably ....I even fold my clothes which is unheard of for me! Lol
So as an experiment, I thought I'd jot down a day in my life in the desert, and why I feel this is happening. It's based solely on the conditions I deal with, and all my envirnoment throws at me. I thought it'd be worth sharing.
To start, my circadian rythem has matched the environmental conditions. I fully in synch and I feel balanced. I wake up, with the animals just before dawn. At 5,000ft elevation, the air is slightky thinner here so my blood oxygen levels have adjusted accordingly. As soon as the sun goes down, the temperatures drop immediately so in the morning...it can be rather cool. I've exlerienced shivering on my short walk to the hot springs..to then, dip into 104°F water. That morning "jolt" turns on my nervous system to start the day.
However, outside temps quickly change, in excess of 100° ( 103° being the highest ) since I've been here. These radical shifts in temperatures require my body to adjust accordingly. I was a little concerned at first, but my body is self regulating better than I thought. I believe, this is, in part, due to the very thing I'm speculating. Of course, common sense says to stay in the shade during thr hottest part of the day. I have 12vokt fans that work incredibly well, and a secondary pool at the springs @ 95° helps to cool off as needed.....95° feels pretty cool when its over 100° outside!
And because my food is finite...I have to manage intake quantity and parcel it out accordingly. I've just naturally started intermittent fasting...and eat mostly, once a day. Technically, I do snack on preanut butter and honey ...so it's not exactly fasting.
My diet consusts almost entirely on animal fat. Bacon, butger, salami, sausage, ham, turkey and eggs. Rice and beans are staple items, and as mentioned, peanut butter, honey, oatmeal and sugar. It's a high fat/protein diet with limited carbs. Bread, pancakes and buscuits are the only carbs I have/had. Currently, I'm down to bacon, rice, and penne pasta along with penna pasta I eat with butter and salt. Lots of salt!
After my morning hot springs and breakfast ( sometimes optional ). I hike the steep trail to tge top of a rock formation as a way to kick start the day before it gets too hot. Then, I normally take my first nap about a half hour to an hour. After my nap, I get up and do sonething like dishes and wash and fold clothes. I tend to things like cutting hair, shaving, trimming nails etc.
Next, I go for an Ebike ride around the area. This is a new skill...so I practice it evetyday. I can also to it when it get really hot since I'm moving along at 20nph or so which helps cool me off.
Once the temps get too hot...it's time for a Siesta in the shade. Another quick dip in the pool, and it's time for nap #2. The last few hours are pretty hot, so I limit what I do to...before and after.
After the sun hits 5pm ( it's peak heat ) I get up and do some hiking, exploring, or just walking around the area. I start preparing dinner which coinsides with the sun going down. And with all of the smoke haze in the air, I'm getting huge doses of infrared light both morning and evening. Once the sun sets and its dark, I naturally just fall asleep to get up just before sunrise ...to repeat this process.
So to recap. I :
-intermittent fast
-absorb tons of infrared and sunlight
-a mild or modified ITT ( interval train )
-get 9 to 10 hours of sleep with the naps
-absorb magnesium from the hot springs, and the sulfer makes my skin super smooth snd helps heal all the biting fly and mostiqito bites!
* and I'm cleaner and more hygenically clean that any other time in my life. I'm in those springs now 4 or 5 times a day.
In theory...I believe this lifestyle regime has caused my body to respond, by booting mitochondria growth as well as ATP's. That's my current thoughts as to why I'm feelling so good. My body keeps returing to my "swimming trained" state, plus, I do water aerobics in place in the pools.
On a personal note. I've befriended a mating pair of Grebes who now live in the springs. There's also a muskrat who lives there, so at times...all four of us are using the slrings together at the same time.
But these Greves are hyterical. I've sort if adopted them as my company while in tge pools. They're no longer afraid of me, and swim right up to me and do all kinds of silly things that make me laugh out loud. The other day, the female Grebe, walk herself all the way up to my camp when I was changing the oil in my SUV. She walked right up to me, tilting her head like "what are you doing??". Lol
I said "C'mon, let go take a swim.." and she proceeded to walk ( or waddle ) back to the pools and jumped right in when we got there. I can't tell you how adorable that was. I'm beginning to feel a bit like Chrisopher Robin in the 100 Acre Woods! Lol
Just that experience alone boosted my spirits immensely.
J
