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Energie Newsletter

1% better every day

Since the day I turned 30, I have been trying to become a better version of myself, 1% better every day, in every aspect of my life. If you improve 1% better every day for a year, you’ll end up 37 times better by the time you’re done.

To do this, I challenge myself, I test many methods and above all, I consume a lot of content. Like a fucking lot.

This newsletter is a digest of everything I have seen, read, listened to or tried during my journey.

Check your inbox or spam to confirm your subscription.

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#54 – 30 days without alcohol, sugar, porn and caffeine

The result is incredible, both for the body and the mind. A complicated week to spend, but then you become a true Formula 1!

I’ve never eaten so many vegetables in my life…

WHY ?


I could embellish the story and explain to you that it all starts from an illumination one fine morning, with the desire “to lift my body and mind”. But I’ll be honest with you. The origin of the concept is less spiritual (even if the finality is a bit)…

With the lockdown, I saw my alcohol consumption slipping, slowly but surely, to an alarming level. It should be noted, although this does not excuse anything, that I launched my new startup in parallel with the lockdown. I was working 10 hours a day behind my laptop without seeing much daylight.

I started with a small glass for dinner, then I added a small glass before dinner, then I added another small glass at the aperitif. And soon we got to a bottle of wine every other day.

“Okay, maxim. You have a drinking problem. »


At the end of April, while I was shopping as usual, I saw for the first time, without realizing it, pass 3 bottles of wine in a row on the supermarket’s conveyor belt. I thought at that moment that there was a problem.

The 3 bottles of wine to “have some supply”…

Back home, I look at these three bottles and wonder how I got here. I pour myself a glass of red wine and type “no alcohol challenge” in youtube. About ten videos later, I find myself surfing from youtube channel to youtube channel, discovering new challenges that, individually, all seem to be more beneficial for body and mind…

I wonder what happens if we decide to do them all at the same time? How about giving it a try?

My little snack bag


The Reborn Challenge is born!


The idea is simple: remove 5 “bad” addictions and add 5 “good” habits, all over a period of 30 days. So I decided to stop sugar, caffeine, porn and alcohol. I’ve been vegetarian for almost a year now so I decided to add “no meat/animal flesh” to motivate those who would be tempted to follow me.

Then add good habits, certified and recognized by all, such as meditation, writing, sports and reading. To spice things up, I added “waking up with the sun” (I lasted 4 days…) and making a video every day (to viralize the challenge a little bit).

REBORN CHALLENGE :

  • Zero Sugar
  • Zero Alcohol
  • Zero Porn
  • Zero Caffeine
  • Zero meat / animal flesh
  • 30 min of meditation per day
  • 30min of reading per day
  • 30min of exercise per day
  • Wake up with the sun
  • Publish one video on social media per day

Important clarification for “free” sugar :

Free sugars are defined by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in several reports as “all monosaccharides and disaccharides added to food by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices”.

This term is used to distinguish between sugars naturally present in unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grain rice, whole grain pasta, fruit, etc., and sugars (or carbohydrates) that have been refined to some extent (normally sometimes by humans but sometimes also by animals, such as sugars in honey).

Long live sugar-free cooking!

HOW CAN YOU DO IT TOO ?


It takes a little willpower but above all a good re-organization of your daily life like limiting going out and starting to cook almost all your meals.

FOR SUGAR


I suggest you take a look in your closet. You’ll be surprised to find that sugar is literally everywhere! I’m not a big consumer of “sweets” and yet, before starting the challenge, I consumed an average of 200gr of sugar per day…

The first step is to empty / eat / give away everything you have at home that contains sugar. The basic rule: if you don’t buy it, you won’t eat it. So avoid keeping any temptations such as chocolate bars or granola bags handy. Really keep this rule in mind the next time you go shopping at the supermarket!

The second step is to cook all your meals yourself. This is the only way not to eat sugar. Yes, you will have to learn how to cook (I did) and eat a lot (a lot) of vegetables! Indulge yourself by eating fruits that will give you the natural sugar you need.

FOR CAFFEINE


That’s the hardest part. You’re going to go through a very complicated 4 or 5-day withdrawal at first. The only possible trick is to trick your brain by bringing it decaffeinated coffee or herbal tea. For the rest, there is not much else to do. Make sure you know what you’re drinking, caffeine is present in a lot of soda!

FOR ALCOHOL


Same as caffeine, no magic bullet. The only trick is to always have a glass of water on hand, to cut your craving of needing a drink.

BASIC 101: The more you go out with people who drink, the more you put yourself at risk.

I’ve taken the opportunity of isolation to try this challenge to limit the temptations. By the way, at the time of writing these lines, my alcohol consumption has started again with 1 or 2 drinks every 2 days. “Social life obliges”…

FOR PORN


I’ve watched a lot of videos (not pornographic, eh) on the subject. I think the most important thing is to realize that it’s a bad addiction and to be aware that it “damages” your libido and sexual relations.

I let you watch these 3 TEDx on the subject:

CONCLUSION

As expected, the result is incredible, for both body and mind.There’s a difficult week to spend at the beginning, the weaning time, but then you gradually become a real Formula 1!

The benefits are many: you’ll regain calm sleep with intense dreams, lose fat and refine yourself (at least I did) and keep a constant energy level all day long. There is also an interesting learning curve, because you will realize how these 3 addictions are omnipresent in our lives.

From day one, you will see that everyone is walking around with coffee in their hand, that sugar is literally everywhere and that we really have “easy drinking”.

Review 10 days after the end of the challenge


It is June 10, 2020, it’s been 10 days since the challenge ended. What has happened since then? I decided to stop eating sugar and caffeine, or at least limit it to special occasions like “eating the best pancakes in the world”! I went out of the “automatic without thinking” consumption mode.

My diet has completely changed in the last 6 weeks and I don’t feel the need to change it again at all. The sugar in fruit or “Sunday pancakes” is more than enough to meet my needs for the whole week. The same goes for the “decaf” coffee in the morning which satisfies the needs of my brain.

Concerning alcohol, it’s more complicated. In 10 days, I’ve already had 2 evenings of drinking (5/6 glasses per evening), each time accompanied by a small “caloric slip”. I really want my consumption to remain very occasional with 1 or 2 evenings per week maximum. But I know that this will be linked to my “social life”. So business to follow…

As for porn, I don’t miss it at all! And frankly, I’m doing great. We’ll see how long it lasts. For those of you who might wonder: I’ve been single for several months, so without a sexual partner during the challenge.

Note: I already practiced meditation for 30 minutes every day when I woke up, as well as writing (morning pages + bullet journal) and reading (I read one book a week). So nothing complicated for me to maintain this every day.

If you have any questions don’t hesitate!

Morning Pages + Bullet Journal + Kindle = perfect combo

MY 30 VIDEOS


I made 30 videos (in English) during the challenge. I’m not going to publish all of them here, but feel free to check them on my instagram. Here is a selection of the 10 that I think are the most relevant !

WHY THE REBORN CHALLENGE ?

View this post on Instagram

(Video 🇫🇷) Nous connaissons nos addictions par cœur. Nous savons exactement ce qui nous fait du bien ou du mal, à notre corps et notre esprit. Et pourtant nous ne changeons rien. Après avoir consommé des milliers de vidéos et lu de dizaines de livres sur le développement personnel et physique, j'ai compris qu'on revenait toujours sur les mêmes expériences (comme arrêter le sucre pendanf 30 jours) et les mêmes habitudes (comme la morning routine). Pourquoi ne pas créer le challenge idéal, celui qui les combine tous et te fait renaître physiquement et spirituellement en 30 jours ? #REBORNCHALLENGE Zéro > caféine / alcool / sucre libre / porno / chair animale 30min par jour > méditation / écriture / lecture / réseaux sociaux / exercices Bonus : un réveil avec le lever du soleil & un résumé vidéo par jour

A post shared by Maxime Barbier (@maximebarbier) on Apr 30, 2020 at 4:34am PDT

REBORN CHALLENGE DAY 0

View this post on Instagram

(Video 🇬🇧) Quick trip to my closet to realize that sugar is everywhere. Really everywhere. I'm shocked to discover sugar in tomato sauce or salty crackers. The modern food system have a dysfunctional and unhealthy relationship with sugar. Do you know that sugar 8 times more addicting than cocaine ? It recommends that the calories from added sugar not exceed 10% of total daily calories. For a 3000 calorie diet like mine, that’s 300 calories or 75g of added sugar… Just with the 1L bottle of coconut water after sport, I'm already at +50g 😱 It's gonna be a long journey. #rebornchallenge #bucketlist #timeleft #dailymax

A post shared by Maxime Barbier (@maximebarbier) on Apr 30, 2020 at 4:51pm PDT

REBORN CHALLENGE DAY 2

View this post on Instagram

(Video 🇬🇧) Caffeine blocks information to your brain that you're tired. So without caffeine, you're fully aware that you need rest. I thought I'd sleep 30 minutes this morning, I slept three hours! After an 8-hour night! What the… Right now, I don't find the challenge difficult. Just little headaches at the end of the day, but nothing unbearable. The discovery of the number of calories I eat every day, is the game-changing of the day! Of course I eat a balanced diet, but I swallow an extra 1000 calories a day. Bonus: I sleep so well at night, it's very pleasant! . . As a reminder, the #REBORNCHALLENGE is: . Zero caffeine Zero alcohol/smoking Zero free sugar Zero porn Zero animal flesh . 30min meditation 30min of writing 30min reading 30min of social networks 30min of exercises . Wake up before sunrise & make a video each day for 30 days 🙂 . . #bucketlist #dailymax #bondibeach #nocaffeine #noalcohol #nosugar #meditation #morningroutine #morningpages #sunrise #bondibeach

A post shared by Maxime Barbier (@maximebarbier) on May 2, 2020 at 2:43pm PDT

REBORN CHALLENGE DAY 5

View this post on Instagram

(Video 🇬🇧) I can feel my energy skyrocketing! Morale is also super positive. So I think the withdrawal is over, which makes me even more in a good mood! For the moment, I don't feel like sugar or snacking on a packet of candy at all. I eat a big meal at 2pm after my sport and a smoothie at 4pm (loaded with protein) to last until dinner (very light). . . My daily objective is 2300 calories per day, i.e. a caloric deficit of 22% compared to the normal level (3000 calories / day). . . As a reminder, the #REBORNCHALLENGE is: . . Zero caffeine Zero alcohol/smoking Zero free sugar Zero porn Zero animal flesh . . 30min meditation 30min of writing 30min reading 30min of social networks 30min of exercises . . Wake up before sunrise & make a video each day for 30 days 🙂 . . . #bucketlist #dailymax #bondibeach #nocaffeine #noalcohol #nosugar #meditation #morningroutine #morningpages #sunrise #bondibeach

A post shared by Maxime Barbier (@maximebarbier) on May 6, 2020 at 12:34am PDT

REBORN CHALLENGE DAY 8

View this post on Instagram

(Video 🇬🇧) When you are asked to pay attention to a colour, you start to see that colour everywhere. It's the same with coffee. When you don't drink it, you realize how much it is in all your hands. . . A good tip to start reducing your caffeine addiction is to replace your morning coffee with a decaf. . . It's the same with sugar. You don't have to be as extreme as me. Start by removing the "obvious" sugars like candy. Then remove the sweets. Then remove the sugar completely. . . As a reminder: without eating "sugary" things, I used to find almost 200 grams of sugar in my diet… . . The first 4 days are complicated, but after that, you turn day after day into a formula 1! . . As a reminder, the #REBORNCHALLENGE is: . . Zero > caffeine / alcohol / free sugar / porn / animal flesh / drugs . . 30min (minimum) > meditation / writing / reading / social media (on the phone) / exercices . . Wake up before sunrise & make a video each day for 30 days 🙂 . . #bucketlist #dailymax #bondibeach #nocaffeine #noalcohol #nosugar #meditation #morningroutine #morningpages #sunrise #bondibeach

A post shared by Maxime Barbier (@maximebarbier) on May 8, 2020 at 8:28pm PDT

REBORN CHALLENGE DAY 9

View this post on Instagram

(Video 🇬🇧) I just made it through the weekend successfully! I'm proud of myself. Two nights and not a drop of alcohol. I even managed to stay under the 2500 calories a day. . . Nevertheless, I am starting to feel the urge to have a "big meal", the one where you feel like taking a nap afterwards. I have two options at my disposal: do an 8pm fasting to keep all my calories concentrated in one meal or do a simple "cheat meal" 🙂 . . Otherwise I can confirm that the results on the body are impressive in such a short time! . . As a reminder, the #REBORNCHALLENGE is: . . Zero > caffeine / alcohol / free sugar / porn / animal flesh / drugs . . 30min (minimum) > meditation / writing / reading / social media (on the phone) / exercices . . Wake up before sunrise & make a video each day for 30 days 🙂 . . #bucketlist #dailymax #bondibeach #nocaffeine #noalcohol #nosugar #meditation #morningroutine #morningpages #sunrise #bondibeach

A post shared by Maxime Barbier (@maximebarbier) on May 9, 2020 at 6:42pm PDT

REBORN CHALLENGE DAY 11

View this post on Instagram

(Video 🇬🇧) Today, I am rediscovering the joys of working in an open-space. It's been seven months since I set foot in an office! . . My goal is to stop working everyday at 4pm to enjoy the day and keep my routines. . . After reading the book "The Plant Paradox", I found myself quite disturbed. I'm still going to try to reduce the amount of food containing lectins (there are many of them…). Little personal challenge: to make a "green smoothie" that tastes good when I wake up, to replace my oatmeal porridge. . . I give you a little tip in the video to give satisfaction to your stomach without exploding your calorie count 🙂 . . As a reminder, the #REBORNCHALLENGE is: . . Zero > caffeine / alcohol / free sugar / porn / animal flesh / drugs . . 30min (minimum) > meditation / writing / reading / social media (on the phone) / exercices . . Wake up before sunrise & make a video each day for 30 days 🙂 . . #bucketlist #dailymax #bondibeach #nocaffeine #noalcohol #nosugar #meditation #morningroutine #morningpages #sunrise #bondibeach

A post shared by Maxime Barbier (@maximebarbier) on May 12, 2020 at 1:35am PDT

REBORN CHALLENGE DAY 14

View this post on Instagram

(Video 🇬🇧) New day at the office. It gives me structure, I like it! Especially condensing your work into six hours. You realize you can do as much as you did in 9 hours. . . Don't forget Parkinson's law: "All work tends to expand in the time allowed for it." . . 06:30 – 08:30 : morning routine 08:30 – 09:30 : shower + lunch preparation 09:30 : go to the office (video editing on the bus) 10:00 – 16:00 : office work 16:00 : return home (reading on the bus) 16:30 : snacks 17:00 – 19:00 : body training 19:00 – 22:00 : free time . . And you, how do you organize your day? . . Ps: this is a "framework", it is an "ideal" to aim for every day to be sure to accomplish everything you have decided to do in the day/week. But it is obvious that it is flexible, that some days it is respected and others not. As Daft Punk would say, we are Human After All. 😁 . . As a reminder, the #REBORNCHALLENGE is: . . Zero > caffeine / alcohol / free sugar / porn / animal flesh / drugs . . 30min (minimum) > meditation / writing / reading / social media (on the phone) / exercices . . Wake up before sunrise & make a video each day for 30 days 🙂 . . #bucketlist #dailymax #bondibeach #nocaffeine #noalcohol #nosugar #meditation #morningroutine #morningpages #sunrise #bondibeach

A post shared by Maxime Barbier (@maximebarbier) on May 14, 2020 at 5:21pm PDT

REBORN CHALLENGE DAY 8

View this post on Instagram

(Video 🇬🇧) When I look at my videos, I feel like I'm looking at a child who hasn't grown up. I'm laughing at everything. I'm having fun at everything. 👩‍🦲 . . Social life is back to normal in Sydney. First coffee on a terrace and first lunch in a restaurant. 👌 . . Just finished the book "Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds" by David Goggins. It's the story of an extraordinary man. Among other things, he holds the world record for pull-ups: 4030 pull-ups in 24 hours. Inspiring! 💪 . . No Gym? No problem! We train in the lobby of the building with an improvised pull bar 🤓 . . I'm playing chemist, trying a lot of experiments with my armor. Honestly, it doesn't look tasty, but it's not that bad ! 🤷‍♂️ . . Life is beautiful, if you decide to see it that way.💛 . . As a reminder, the #REBORNCHALLENGE is: . . Zero > caffeine / alcohol / free sugar / porn / animal flesh / drugs . . 30min (minimum) > meditation / writing / reading / social media (on the phone) / exercices . . Wake up before sunrise & make a video each day for 30 days 🙂 . . #bucketlist #dailymax #bondibeach #nocaffeine #noalcohol #nosugar #meditation #morningroutine #morningpages #sunrise #bondibeach

A post shared by Maxime Barbier (@maximebarbier) on May 18, 2020 at 10:06pm PDT

REBORN CHALLENGE DAY 24

View this post on Instagram

(Video 🇬🇧) Restaurant in town Saturday night, brunch at the beach Sunday noon. Social life is back in Australia! To celebrate this, I treat myself to the most "instagramable" pancake in Sydney! . . I often repeat myself on this subject, but it is so important: set a physical goal! There are so many positive points in pursuing a sporting challenge. . . 1/ Changing your body shows your mind that anything is possible. It's visible, it's palpable. You see it, so do others. 2/ Increase your life expectancy. What's the point of living to be 90 years old, if it means spending the last 10 years in a bad state? 3/ Positive impact on your sleep, your nutrition, your mood, your stress, … 4/ Surpassing yourself physically awakens in you the desire to surpass yourself both personally and professionally! . . Find a friend, a brother, a cousin or even a stranger, and set a goal together like doing a 10km in less than 60min in 3 months or achieving 10 strict pull-ups by the end of the summer! . . Ps: I'll take the lead. No, there's no need for money, a gym, or being an expert. And yes, you have 15min per day (1% of your day) available without changing your schedule. Trust me. . . As a reminder, the #REBORNCHALLENGE is: . . Zero > caffeine / alcohol / free sugar / porn / animal flesh / drugs . . 30min (minimum) > meditation / writing / reading / social media (on the phone) / exercices . . Wake up before sunrise & make a video each day for 30 days 🙂

A post shared by Maxime Barbier (@maximebarbier) on May 24, 2020 at 10:33pm PDT

REBORN CHALLENGE DAY 26

View this post on Instagram

(Video 🇬🇧) I can see the end of the tunnel… but it's fucking hard! I'm tired, low on energy and in a bad mood, so I'm taking it out on myself… . . But it's in those moments that the challenge takes its full meaning! As T. Harv Eker says: "If you are willing to do only what's easy, life will be hard. But if you are willing to do what's hard, life will be easy." . . Bonus: I just invented a really good high-protein smoothie: spinach + chickpea + spirulina. Easy to make, easy to drink. . . As a reminder, the #REBORNCHALLENGE is: . . Zero > caffeine / alcohol / free sugar / porn / animal flesh / drugs . . 30min (minimum) > meditation / writing / reading / social media (on the phone) / exercices . . Wake up before sunrise & make a video each day for 30 days 🙂 . . #bucketlist #dailymax #bondibeach #nocaffeine #noalcohol #nosugar #meditation #morningroutine #morningpages #sunrise #bondibeach

A post shared by Maxime Barbier (@maximebarbier) on May 27, 2020 at 12:19am PDT

REBORN CHALLENGE DAY 28

View this post on Instagram

(Video 🇬🇧) Bad mood, bad day, low energy. Only 3 more days and it's over. Nothing more to say. . . As a reminder, the #REBORNCHALLENGE is: . . Zero > caffeine / alcohol / free sugar / porn / animal flesh / drugs . . 30min (minimum) > meditation / writing / reading / social media (on the phone) / exercices . . Wake up before sunrise & make a video each day for 30 days 🙂 . . #bucketlist #dailymax #bondibeach #nocaffeine #noalcohol #nosugar #meditation #morningroutine #morningpages #sunrise #bondibeach

A post shared by Maxime Barbier (@maximebarbier) on May 28, 2020 at 5:21pm PDT

REBORN CHALLENGE DAY 30

View this post on Instagram

(Video 🇬🇧) THIS IS IT MY FRIEND! Last video of my #rebornchallenge. I'll be able to get my life back to normal. I still can't believe I managed to hold on that long 😱 . . I'm going to take the time this week to summarize what I've learned. But I can already tell you that I'm not going back to caffeine, porn and maybe even alcohol. . . As for sugar, I'm going to keep it for occasions that are really worth it (like the incredible pancakes this weekend) but it won't be part of my daily diet anymore. Before the challenge, I used to consume up to 200gr of sugar a day without realizing it! . . Say hello to the new Max 😎

A post shared by Maxime Barbier (@maximebarbier) on May 31, 2020 at 6:44pm PDT


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1% better every day

Since the day I turned 30, I have been trying to become a better version of myself, 1% better every day, in every aspect of my life. If you improve 1% better every day for a year, you’ll end up 37 times better by the time you’re done.

To do this, I challenge myself, I test many methods and above all, I consume a lot of content. Like a fucking lot.

This newsletter is a digest of everything I have seen, read, listened to or tried during my journey.

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