Midlife Contrarian

Midlife Contrarian This blog page aims at debunking the myth of midlife crisis, challenging related limiting beliefs, a

Mission accomplished 💥 Just over 1.5 yrs ago, inspired by my friend Afrodite Kartelia and the interview of Jim Lawless a...
25/06/2021

Mission accomplished 💥

Just over 1.5 yrs ago, inspired by my friend Afrodite Kartelia and the interview of Jim Lawless at the Culture Lab Podcast, I set a crazy goal for myself.

“To win a Greek or Italian national level 100m sprint race (track and field), in my masters athlete category (45-50 or 50-55) within the next three years”

This past weekend the crazy goal and dream came true, wining gold medals in the 100m and 200m races at the Greek Masters Championship in Volos, Greece.

What a journey this has been and it’s only the start.

No one can go alone on ventures like this.

Huge thanks to:
My amazing wife Agnieszka Bajer for her encouragement and patience!
My brother Georgios Papazoglou, ex sprinter, for his tips and encouragement.
My sprints coach and friend Alessandro Vigo for his expert guidance
My nutritionist and friend Fabrizio Rapuzzi
My club Forti e Liberi 1878 Monza sez. Atletica and our captain, Matteo Zanella
The club’s coaches Paolo Pozzi, Achille Fecchio and Mattia Nuara
My club's masters co-athletes
Other coaches valuable advice Dimitris Chatzopoulos, Valerio Bonsignore, Andrea Uberti, Andrea Dell'angelo
The Masters Day and Weekends events in Italy by Manzana, the formidable Emanuela Di Padova and Silvia Servadei!
The inspiration and encouragement of some amazing elite level Masters athletes as Andrea Ben Benatti, Walter Comper, Sara Colombo, Renzo Romano, Denise Neumann, Cristina Sanulli, Fabrizio Pertile, Cassandra Sprenger, Serena Caravelli, Francesca Sancin, Alberto Papa, Claudio Fausti, Luigi Cicchetti!
The amazing B&B and training facility for athletes Villa Athena Charme at Manerba del Garda!
Greek and Italian Masters Associations OEVAS and FIDAL for their assistance for my participation in the races in Greece!

You had enough! You’ve been procrastinating, but now you’re ready to start eating healthy. GREAT! But, what are your nut...
22/01/2021

You had enough! You’ve been procrastinating, but now you’re ready to start eating healthy. GREAT! But, what are your nutritional needs?
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Eating healthy in midlife is good, but knowing what to optimize is even better. To understand better the importance of nutrition in midlife, let’s have a clearer picture of what we want to achieve.
 
1. Essential Nutrition for Survival and Basic Health
Most diets of the general population fall within this category. Governments realized the need to establish some guidelines for nutrition. The primary purpose of those guidelines is to assist the people in achieving basic health and making sure they receive the minimum amount of essential nutrients via the RDAs (recommended dietary allowances) to avoid undernourishment and disease. Those guidelines are being revised every few years based on new scientific data.
 
2. Essential Nutrition for Optimal Health
While government guidelines focus on avoiding essential nutrients deficiencies, they are not enough for optimal health. Studies have shown that more nutrients, like vitamins and minerals, and in greater quantities are needed for one's optimal health. Therefore the term ODA (Optimum Daily Allowance) has been coined to express the quantitative nutrient required levels. A reason for those higher nutrient levels is the wear and tear of our bodies due to external stressors, like pollution, as well as free radicals produced in the body.
 
3. Essential Nutrition for Athletic Performance
Athletes need to work hard to reach their full potential, and therefore their bodies need all the support they can get. The nutrition needs of an athlete are at much higher levels than a regular person that only needs to be in optimal health. For an athlete to receive all necessary nutrients to support its training and competition needs, an optimal diet is usually not enough, and supplementation is required. To express the nutrient requirements for an athlete, the term PDI (Performance Daily Intakes) has been established to provide a set of guidelines based on the science.
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I hope this helps you to optimize your nutrition beyond just survival and basic health 😉
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Live better. Be bold. Be you.
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Nassos

Sprinting is an individual sport but you cannot go at it alone❗️⠀In sprinting we mostly train on our own.⠀You would thin...
16/01/2021

Sprinting is an individual sport but you cannot go at it alone❗️
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In sprinting we mostly train on our own.
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You would think that apart from a good coach! you don’t need anyone else. Well, wrong!
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Although I have only been an athlete for over a year, I’ve already realised that I would not have lasted more than just a few months if I was not a part of a great community of co-athletes at the “Forti e Liberi” club of Monza, Italy.
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Their support, guidance, and generosity has been fundamental in my athletic journey.
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They have welcomed me with an open heart staring from the start and helped understand what it means to be an athlete, training and competing.
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I'm still taking my first baby steps as a masters athlete and I have still lots to learn, but being part of this amazing group is such a privilege!
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A big thanks to our captain Matteo, the coaches Paolo, Achile, Mattia for their valuable advice, Stefano and the management of the club, Nicolo for the initial programming and tips, and my co-athletes for their wisdom and support.
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Live better. Be bold. Be you.
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Nassos
⠀mz
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Two essential ingredients for a successful midlife goal-setting recipe‼️⠀⠀What’s different in goal-setting in midlife yo...
13/01/2021

Two essential ingredients for a successful midlife goal-setting recipe‼️⠀
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What’s different in goal-setting in midlife you may ask.⠀
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Although the process, recipe, using a culinary term, is largely the same, there are a couple of differences. ⠀
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More often than not, there's lack of time, and lack of motivation.⠀
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So, here's two ingredients you can introduce to your midlife goal-setting recipe:⠀
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💪 Be bold.⠀
Think big and make your goal really challenging. Then brake it down to realistic manageable pieces. Small, easy objectives do not move us much in midlife, we need to dream big.⠀
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❤️ Love the process.⠀
Time and willpower are limited resources. Ensuring that we enjoy the activities involved into achieving our big goal is essential, otherwise the risk of quitting is very high if not a certainty.⠀
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Let's choose our goals wisely.⠀
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Live better. Be bold. Be you.⠀
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Nassos⠀
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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
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When was the last time you gave your digestive system a break❓⠀⠀We spend so much energy, effort, and money on every mira...
09/01/2021

When was the last time you gave your digestive system a break❓⠀
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We spend so much energy, effort, and money on every miracle diet to lose weight and get healthier.⠀
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Shall we take a step back for a moment and maybe consider the simplest solutions first?⠀
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I am talking about fasting. For some, it is a terrifying thought, but it should not be.⠀
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There are countless ways to go about it, and many names—intermittent fasting, time-restricted feeding, extended fasting, etc.⠀
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Many of us eat almost all the time. Giving yourself and your digestive system a break is not a bad idea.⠀
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You do not have to make it complicated; neither do you need to follow a strict schedule.⠀
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Here and there, go without eating for a good part of the day. Twelve hours, 16 hours, maybe have one meal in a day sometimes. ⠀
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Our ancestors did not have a schedule. There were opportunistic, eating whenever there were successful hunting of finding food, which was not always the case.⠀
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So, try it at random when possible, and do not worry much about frequency, timing, etc.⠀
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And yes, you can survive with some days having just one meal.⠀
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Give it a try. In most cases, you will feel lighter and more energetic than usual.⠀
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Live better. Be bold. Be you.⠀
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Nassos⠀
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Sprint 👟 like your (mid)life depends on it 😜⠀⠀What about all other forms of exercise, are they no good for me? Of course...
06/01/2021

Sprint 👟 like your (mid)life depends on it 😜⠀
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What about all other forms of exercise, are they no good for me? Of course, they are, any activity is good for you. But, especially in midlife, I believe sprinting is optimal.⠀
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Here is why:⠀
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We have developed for millions of years, and except for the last 10,000 years of agriculture, we have been hunter-gatherers.⠀
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Being fast and strong was essential to escape a wild animal attack, to hunt, and carry heavy things as our prey. It seems we had a strong preference for hunting big animals, going mainly after their fat and then their meat. After all, we are the ones to blame for the extinction of most big animals.⠀
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I cannot imagine doing any aimless continuous activity as long duration runs. It would waste energy and hard-gained muscle. Our body can consume its own lean tissue after prolonged strenuous exercise.⠀
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So, if you want to build and conserve your muscles, sprinting is excellent.⠀
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Of course, sprinting is a HIIT exercise, and there are many. Still, it stands out because it is the most natural, and we have been doing it for hundreds of thousands of years, unlike biking, rowing, etc.⠀
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Among the health benefits, sprinting is great for longevity, body composition (+muscle -fat), metabolism, strength, bones’ strength, and range of motion.⠀
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Sprinting is also great as it saves you time, gets you outdoors, there’s no equipment needed, and if you do enough of it, you will also look good- the cherry on the cake.⠀
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And finally, the most important one. The way it makes you feel and the boost of confidence you get after a good sprint training session. Unbeatable 🔥⠀
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So yes, sprinting can save your (mid)life, not from a saber-toothed tiger, but from the worst beast of all, modern life.⠀
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Live better. Be bold. Be you.⠀
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Nassos⠀
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Photo by Braden Collum on Unsplash

What❓ This is June in Italy❓ And what this has to do with yoga❓ ⠀⠀Great memories form a weekend at Rifugio Arbolle, Cha...
05/01/2021

What❓ This is June in Italy❓ And what this has to do with yoga❓ ⠀
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Great memories form a weekend at Rifugio Arbolle, Charvensod in Valle d'Aosta back in June 2018.⠀
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It was a magnificent hike over rocks at first and snow higher up. Very refreshing, to say the least, for a summer day. 🏔⠀
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This was a weekend organized by the magnificent .yoga team, Antonio, Maria, and Glenda.⠀
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Yoga and meditation sessions each morning and each afternoon, excellent daily hikes, and lots of oxygen and clean air.⠀
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I used to practice yoga then at Spera Yoga in Monza before moving to Calisthenics and eventually becoming a Masters Sprinter Athlete.⠀
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Suppose you are sedentary and have not done any physical activity for years. In that case, yoga is the best way to start moving and rediscover your body. 🧘‍♀️⠀
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The current pandemic, unfortunately, had an impact on being able to attend yoga lessons in person. I am optimistic that this will end soon. Until then, thanks to the Spera Team's passion for yoga, they offer sessions online that we can all follow and benefit from, especially during this period. Just follow them for more. ⠀
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Finally, and maybe most importantly, being part of a small community of great people that you share some relaxing, rejuvenating moments is invaluable.⠀
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Those memories, practicing yoga with the Spera Team, and spending quality time together will always stay with me. 💙⠀
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Live better. Be bold. Be you.⠀
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Nassos⠀
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Spera Yoga Antonio Spera

What's considered "normal" in midlife today is highly problematic! Have you ever thought about how many things we consid...
04/01/2021

What's considered "normal" in midlife today is highly problematic! Have you ever thought about how many things we consider "normal" ⁉️⠀
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- What Most People Consider "Normal" in Midlife Today⠀
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We all have the need to fit in. It's an instinct that helps us survive as individuals and species.⠀
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We need to belong to a tribe, and as Seth Godin says, "People like us do things like this!"⠀
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Today, each of us belongs to many different tribes. Each has its rules, behaviors, and habits, which we consider to be the norm.⠀
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Here are some of the things that we have come to consider normal in midlife:⠀
Gaining weight⠀
Lacking energy and drive⠀
Not being mindful of our eating habits⠀
Not moving and not exercising enough⠀
Being unhealthy, with an early or advanced stage of a disease⠀
Accepting that we enter the last chapter of our working life⠀
Inability to start a new career or endeavor⠀
Not being able to learn something new⠀
Having to get ready for retirement⠀
Lowered or nonexistent libido⠀
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How normal is this "normal" to you? 😦⠀
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- Could Today's "Normal" Be A Source of the "Midlife Crisis" Myth?⠀
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Could it be that those physiological (health issues) and social (limiting beliefs) limitations are unnatural?⠀
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Much scientific evidence point to that direction. Some instinctively feel that there is much more ahead of us and can still achieve great things and reach higher satisfaction and happiness levels.⠀
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We find ourselves with two seemingly contradictory options:⠀
Don't rock the boat, and follow the tribe's norms 😔⠀
Break free from the tribe and follow your path 💪⠀
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Neither option is easy and without cost.⠀
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But does it have to be one or the other?⠀
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Why not both?⠀
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- Be a Midlife Contrarian and Debunk the "Midlife Crisis" Myth⠀
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A Midlife Contrarian does not have to be a rebel and saying no to every popular belief or practice.⠀
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However, the Midlife Contrarian is someone who constructively challenges some popular beliefs, especially the ones that have been proven unhealthy or non-beneficial.⠀
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He is the one that discusses today's challenges in midlife openly and puts forward creative ways to move ahead.⠀
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Live better. Be bold. Be you.⠀
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Nassos

Vegetarian, Paleo, Keto, Vegan, Carnivore, Mediterranean, Pescetarian, which diet is the healthiest? Which diet is best ...
03/01/2021

Vegetarian, Paleo, Keto, Vegan, Carnivore, Mediterranean, Pescetarian, which diet is the healthiest? Which diet is best for me❓⠀
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The quick answer is... all and none! It depends.⠀
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You can be successful and relatively healthy in all of those, and you can be extremely unhealthy in all of them.⠀
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It all depends on how you follow any of them.⠀
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Sugar is vegan. Is sugar good for you?⠀
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Meat from grain-fed animals is the same for your health as meat from grass-fed, grass-finished animals?⠀
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We all hear about the Mediterranean diet, but what is it exactly?⠀
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I have studied and researched quite a bit in the past years. I have also experimented with many diets or ways of eating. Some worked well in specific periods and for certain goals; some others did not.⠀
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At this point, I do have a clear view of what works well for me and what is not. But, I will surely continue to fine-tune and still experiment to optimize my health. I will be sharing more on this soon.⠀
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We should also keep in mind that we may need to adjust periodically due to many factors, like season, activity, location, lifestyle, aging, etc.⠀
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So, regardless of your current way of eating or diet, a good way to start is by eating real food.⠀
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An excellent way to go about it is to think for whatever you are eating if a human being living 10,000 years ago would recognize it as food or not.⠀
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Cutting out any processed food can go a long way with your health.⠀
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Avoiding added sugars (sweet snacks, desserts, etc.), grains (bread, pasta, pizza, etc.), other highly processed food, grain-fed meat, and farmed fish is a good way to go. If organic fruit and vegetables are available and affordable in your area, go for it.⠀
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Following the above would not be optimal, but it is a good start.⠀
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Good nutrition is fundamental for our health in midlife. More on this subject soon.⠀
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Live better. Be bold. Be you.⠀
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Nassos⠀
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Photo by Alexey Ruban on Unsplash

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