My Health & Performance Non-Negotiables

Over the last week or two, I have had multiple people approach me about the creatine blog post I wrote. That told me two things:

1. People are hungry for simple, effective levers that actually move the needle.

2. There’s still a lot of confusion around what actually matters for health and performance.

So instead of chasing novelty and forcing myself to come up with some blog topic that most of you probably won't read, I want to lay out a handful of non‑negotiables that I personally follow. 

These aren’t fancy biohacks. They’re not flashy or groundbreaking. But they have had a significant impact on my health, recovery, cognition, and training consistency.

Key disclaimer: If your nutrition, sleep, and hydration are off THESE THINGS DON'T MATTER. Most people are looking for more complexity when what they really need is better compliance with the basics.

1. Creatine - If You’re Still Not Taking It, You Should Be

If you weren’t convinced by the last post, here’s the short version: Creatine is one of the most well researched, safest, and most effective supplements ever studied.

Physiologically, creatine increases intramuscular phosphocreatine stores, allowing for faster ATP resynthesis during high‑intensity efforts. Translation: better strength output, better power, and better repeatability.

But the benefits don’t stop at the muscle.

Research consistently shows creatine also :

• Improves cognitive performance under fatigue and sleep deprivation (key for me all thanks to Wells).

• Supports neuroprotection and brain energy metabolism.

• Improves recovery by reducing markers of muscle damage

I take 15g, every day, regardless of training status. No cycling. No loading. Just consistency. This is more than you need to take. Start with 5g and build from there.

2. Sunlight Exposure - The Best Free Boost Out There

Sunlight exposure is one of the most overlooked performance tools we have.

Getting outside, especially earlier in the day, helps:

• Regulate circadian rhythm via retinal light exposure

  
  

• Improve sleep quality and sleep onset latency

  
  

• Support vitamin D synthesis

  
  

• Improve mood, alertness, and hormonal signaling

Most of my weekday schedule is indoors, so I’m intentional about making this happen on weekends. I have three dogs, which makes this easy. Long walks, outdoor time, no headphones. I often will deliberately try and make myself walk as slow as I can.

This isn’t about optimizing vitamin D levels alone. It’s about anchoring your nervous system to a natural light-dark cycle, which directly affects recovery, cognition, and readiness to train. You don’t need hours. Even 10-30 minutes of outdoor exposure has meaningful physiological effects.

3. No Screens One Hour Before Bed - Read a Physical Book Instead

An hour before bed, screens are off. No phone. No TV. No doom scrolling. The recommendation is two hours, but in all honesty that's just not realistic so I do what I can. Instead of being on my phone, I read an actual book.

Not a Kindle. Not a tablet. Paper. Pages. Something your hands can feel.

Blue light exposure late at night suppresses melatonin, delays sleep onset, and disrupts sleep architecture. But it’s not just the light, it’s the cognitive stimulation. Endless information keeps the brain in a problem‑solving, threat‑scanning state. Reading slows that down.

I check a few different boxes here and also use this as time to connect with my wife. My wife and I actually read out loud to each other. From a nervous system standpoint, this is huge:

• It down‑regulates sympathetic tone

  
  

• Improves parasympathetic activity

  
  

• Enhances emotional regulation

From a human standpoint, it’s even better. It’s connection. It’s presence. It’s a shared ritual that signals the day is done.

4. Saltwater Mouth Rinses - Simple, Evidence‑Backed Immune Support

This is one most people haven’t heard of, but the science is compelling.

I do a salt water mouth rinse before work and after work, especially during cold and flu season.

Why?

Respiratory viruses often replicate in the oral and nasal cavities before systemic symptoms appear. Saline rinses:

• Reduce viral load in the mouth and throat

  
  

• Improve mucosal immunity

  
  

• May reduce symptom severity and duration

  
  

• Have been shown to lower contraction rates in some studies

Hypertonic saline creates an unfavorable environment for viral replication and supports immune defense mechanisms. This is important because if you want to drive any kind of adaptation in the gym, you need consistency. If you get sick, that goes out the window. It takes 30 seconds. The payoff is fewer sick days and better training continuity.

Simple Things, Done Consistently

None of these are extreme. None require perfect execution. But together, they will help improve overall health.