An honest, reflective account of running the 2025 Comrades Marathon—from pressure and pain to presence and peace. Discover how letting go of expectations turned a grueling ultra into a life-changing experience.

Most people assume endurance is primarily physical. But scientific evidence consistently shows that mental fatigue plays an equally important, if not larger, role in performance.

In a context where individual performance plays a central role in the contemporary wellbeing narrative, it is crucial to make a critical distinction: optimizing is not the same as following trends.

The former requires clarity, consistency and commitment. The latter is often distraction disguised as enthusiasm.

In the high-performance health world, fasting and sleep are usually hot topics. But rarely do we explore how these two foundational practices interact. We are not about one-size-fits-all protocols but about stacking synergistic habits, and so, we ask a better question: are fasting and sleep working for, or against each other in our routine?

We live in the age of mental exhaustion disguised as productivity. Back-to-back meetings; constant notifications; rapid decision-making, etc. By the end of an intense day, our brain feels like it wants to shut down. And yet, the next day, we’re expected to perform at the same level (or even better).

In cognitive performance, just like in sports, it’s not just about constant training. Progress also depends on how well we recover.

The sun was setting, and we were calling it a day. It should always be like this, we thought. And why isn’t it?

I go back to the day of the widespread blackout that affected Portugal and Spain earlier this week, lasting around 12 hours. I recall the end of that day lived in peace: dinner was early, lit by the sunset; and afterwards, there was still time to play with our daughter while my wife and I chatted.

Interest in the field of individual performance has grown exponentially in recent years.
The explosion of easily accessible online content has fueled this phenomenon and nowadays it’s common to hear spontaneous conversations about it among groups of friends with no professional connection to healthcare.

A systematic review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022) took a deep dive into the connection between long-term exposure to greenspaces and cognitive function. The results were encouraging, but like most things in science, they come with caveats

Evolution built us to endure (to move, solve problems, and handle adversity). But in a world where everything is effortless, we’ve lost the ability to do hard things. And that loss has consequences: weaker bodies, declining mental endurance and a culture increasingly incapable of handling stress.

Most people think of success as a product of intelligence, hard work, and maybe a little luck. But what if something as basic as our posture played a role? It sounds trivial (almost silly), but the way we carry ourselves physically can influence both our internal state and the way others perceive us. And in a world where perception often shapes opportunity, this isn’t something to ignore.

Burnout is a modern epidemic, affecting professionals, parents, students, and nearly everyone in between. While we often attribute it to excessive workloads, lack of sleep, or chronic stress, one major but overlooked contributor is our diet, specifically, the processed foods that dominate modern eating habits.

Stress resilience varies dramatically from person to person. Some individuals remain unshaken in high-pressure situations, while others struggle with even moderate stressors. Why? The answer largely comes down to cortisol regulation, and at the core of that regulation lies genetics

In today’s fast-paced and always-online culture,stress and burnout have become an almost inevitable part of modern life. We are constantly bombarded with notifications, emails, social media updates, news cycles, and endless streams of entertainment. While technology has brought incredible convenience and connectivity, it has also created a society where true rest and introspection are rare. This is why intentionally disconnecting from the digital world (stepping away from social media, news, streaming, and work) can be one of the most profound ways to combat stress and reconnect with ourselves.

In today's fast-paced world, burnout has become a common issue affecting professionals, students, and even stay-at-home parents. Chronic stress, long work hours, and emotional exhaustion can take a toll on both the body and mind. While lifestyle changes like sleep, exercise, and mindfulness are essential for burnout recovery, many people are turning to natural supplements for extra support. One of the most popular and well-researched herbs for stress management is ashwagandha.

Burnout is becoming an increasingly prevalent issue, especially in high-pressure work environments. It is often characterized by three key symptoms: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization (feeling detached from work and colleagues), and reduced personal accomplishment. As people seek solutions to mitigate the effects of burnout, one promising intervention stands out: physical activity.

Research has consistently shown that sleep directly impacts cognitive function, decision-making, creativity, and physical performance. Those who sacrifice sleep for extra hours of work may see short-term gains, but over time, their productivity, focus, and even health suffer.

The WHO’s definition of burnout as a workplace issue limits the conversation. It reduces a complex, multifaceted condition to something that can be solved with better work-life balance or time off. While these factors are important, they are only a piece of the puzzle.

Burnout in high achievers often results from the convergence of several interrelated mechanisms

The main consequence of the dysregulation of this part of human metabolism is undoubtedly the development of atherosclerosis.

Unfortunately, the usual medical approach to these issues, except for particular exceptions, typically begins subtly around the age of 40 and more effectively around the age of 50.

The first two parts of this series on cholesterol discussed the need to clarify some notions about this topic that can help us better understand the impact of this molecule on the body, as well as to know the best dietary interventions to optimize our health in this area. With this final part, the aim is to integrate this information so that I can explain my perspective on the most appropriate way to approach this issue, in light of my interpretation of current knowledge.

However, cholesterol and triglycerides are the main "cargo" transported by lipoproteins, and among these, LDLs are the lipoproteins with the highest atherogenic potential. As we saw in the previous text, the higher the number of LDL particles, the greater the possibility of atherosclerosis development.

Thus, how can we shape our diet to decrease the number of LDL particles and not promote the emergence of atherosclerotic plaques in our vessels?