Today at a Glance
- Living in the Body you Want to Call Home
- The LUC Framework for Foundational Strength
- Combine Simplicity with Presence to Get (and stay) Lean
- When Chronic Stress Hijacks your System try This
Ten years ago, Ketty and I were living what most people call “the dream.” Global consulting. Management. Flying from Munich to Leipzig, Paris, or Rome to meet BMW, Porsche, Ford etc. Suits tailored. Calendars packed. Bonuses paid.
We also wore invisible weights.
I remember sitting in a client’s glossy boardroom, sipping my third espresso of the morning, smiling while my sweat wetted my shirt under the arm pits.
Ketty was working with teams across three time zones. I was managing 18 people on a high-stakes department closedown. We were productive machines on the outside. Inside? Exhausted. Depleted. Disconnected.
That was before we met.
Our weekends were more recovery missions. Sleep, snack, stare. Or numbing: dinner nights with friends, too much alcohol, not enough sleep. Repeat.
And this isn’t a sob story. It’s what many call “success.” Until our bodies started whispering – then screaming. Weight fluctuations. Brain fog. Mood swings. Digestive issues. Short fuses.
One client, let’s call her Jen, said it best: “I didn’t realize how much I was tolerating, until I stopped tolerating it.”
We were functioning, but not thriving.
Looking back, we didn’t need more productivity hacks or better sleep trackers.
We needed to reclaim our bodies. Our breath. Our peace.
We needed to stop outsourcing our wellbeing to weekends and start designing a life we could actually live in.
What about you?
Are you living in a body that feels like home? Or one you’re constantly negotiating with? Hit reply. I really want to hear your answer.
Ready for today’s issue? Let’s go.
"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear."
The LUC Framework for Foundational Strength
Something I discovered: Movement doesn’t need a gym. It needs intention.
Over the years, I built what we now call the LUC Framework to rebuild strength and mobility without fancy machines or two-hour routines.
It starts with three primal pillars:
L – Lower Body: This is your engine. Glutes, hamstrings, ankles. Strength here = power, balance, and long-term joint health. Think: squats, lunges, step-ups. If you can carry your groceries up stairs with ease, this pillar is working.
U – Upper Body: Not for the mirror. For posture. For push/pull resilience. For carrying your toddler, swinging your luggage overhead, or holding your ground when life presses in. Dips, pull-aparts, push-ups, pull-ups, band rows.
C – Core/Deep Core: This is your stabilizer, your inner corset. It’s what helps you breathe better, stand taller, and lift without injury. Think less crunches, more hollow holds, dead bugs, planks, and breath-coordination drills.
You don’t need 100 exercises. You need the right ones + the ability to perform them with awareness and adaptability.
Movement is non-negotiable. But it can be non-complicated. Watch here…
Start with your bodyweight. Then add resistance bands, gym rings, or a yoga mat when you’re ready to level up.
Here’s your experiment:
→ Pick one move from each pillar. Do 2 rounds of 10–12 reps.
→ How did your body respond? Where did you feel strong? Where did you feel shaky?
Reply and tell me: Which pillar is your weakest? Why do you think that is?
Eat Well
Combine Simplicity with Presence to Get (and stay) Lean
Let’s dismantle a myth: You don’t need to eat less. You need to eat better.
Our nutrition philosophy is rooted in Mediterranean simplicity and mindful presence.
We teach a macro-balanced plate for consistent energy (not restriction.)
Here’s the basic split:
→ ½ plate colorful vegetables (fibre, micronutrients, fullness)
→ ¼ plate high-quality protein (fish, legumes, eggs, or chicken)
→ ¼ plate complex carbs (lentils, sweet potato, ancient grains)
+ 1–2 tbsp healthy fat (extra virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds)
But here’s the secret sauce: How you eat matters as much as what you eat.
→ Eat without screens.
→ Chew more than you think necessary.
→ Notice fullness before you’re “stuffed.”
This gives your nervous system time to downshift and your gut time to catch up.
Want a simple, energy-sustaining breakfast?
The Energy Lab Power Bowl (2 pax)
- 2 bananas
- 2 carrots
- 1 cup of steel cut oats (organic)
- 60g pea protein powder
- 3 tbsp organic raw cacao
- 300 ml veggie “milk”
→ Blend all the above.
→ Then top with:
- 1 tbsp chopped almonds, walnuts, peanuts, etc.
- Pinch of sea salt
- ½ cup seasonal fruit
- Optional: cinnamon
It’s like rocket fuel without the crash.
Now your turn.
What’s one food you know doesn’t serve you – but you reach for when you’re tired or stressed?
Want more meals inspiration or got a question, hit reply and let us know.
When Chronic Stress Hijacks your System Try This
When was the last time you felt safe in your body?
I don’t mean okay. I mean anchored. Present. Whole. Aware of your own aliveness.
That’s the gift of somatic work.
Each week with clients, we weave in simple but profound practices that help them get out of their heads and back into their bodies.
Here’s one you can try today:
The 3-Minute Breath Reset
- Sit or stand with both feet flat.
- Place one hand on your lower belly. One on your chest.
- Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds. Let the belly rise.
- Exhale through the mouth for 8 seconds. Let your shoulders soften.
- Do this for 3 minutes.
- Then ask: “What’s alive in me right now?”
This activates your parasympathetic nervous system. Your body shifts from fight-or-flight to rest-and-restore.
The double benefit?
→ You increase interoception (awareness of internal signals).
→ You improve decision-making, reduce stress, and regain felt safety – from the inside out.
And if you want to try it out, you can do that too. 3 fresh videos uploaded every week for less than 1 €/day. Self-paced. 20 minutes. Value packed.
→ Join here
What’s one sensation you notice in your body right now?
This Week’s Tiny Experiments
A.C.T.I.V.E.™ = Awareness. Curiosity. Tiny Test. Integration. Variation. Evolution.
Your weekly tiny experiments:
Awareness
→ Notice: Where in your day does your energy crash? After lunch? After a Zoom call?
Curiosity
→ Ask: “What would happen if I moved before I numbed out with food or phone?”
Tiny Test (pick one):
→ 3-Minute Somatic Reset (see “EMBODY CALM” section)
→ LUC Micro-Circuit (1 move from each pillar, 2x rounds)
→ Mediterranean Mindful Meal (1 screen-free lunch this week)
Integration
→ What changed? Did you feel more grounded? More aware?
Variation
→ Try these at a different time of day. Stack with something you already do.
Evolution
→ Which one felt like a new way of being, not just doing?
Weekly Challenge:
Run one of these tiny experiments every day for the next 5 days.
Reply and tell us:
→ What did you learn?
→ Where did resistance show up?
→ What made you feel most like you?
Let’s keep exploring energy, not just as a resource, but as a relationship.
One that you get to deepen, refine, and reclaim, moment by moment.
That’s it for today.
Hope you enjoyed it (and learned something new).
As always, stay fit, stay active, and enjoy your life.
Ketty & Markus