How to survive and thrive in a big city
From years of cultivated experiences of living and thriving in London - one of the world’s chief cities - I have created this article to help support you with activities, hacks/tips to mitigate the population density, the concrete jungle, and to enjoy yourself.
Living in a big city provides excellent opportunities from networking to business. Anyone who finds themselves here can make money, socialize with friends, and enjoy themselves. These are not impossible to achieve in the countryside, but there is something unique about coming together as a species, aka the melting pot.
Hence, immigration usually unfolds from country to city. Potentially due to the ancestral benefits of merging as a tribe together with greater survival odds in times of need or for reproduction capacity with more chances of having a baby. However, as recent as 2019, the tables have been turning, likely due to COVID-19, but more people are returning to the countryside and rural areas.
From my experience, living in a city is a great opportunity that comes with a lofty biological cost. If those costs are not accepted they will likely catch up with you - maybe not in the short term, but in the mid/long term.
That is why placing factors like activities, healthy boundaries, and mitigating strategies are vital for your health. These allow you to find enjoyment in the big city while protecting your body.
Thankfully, there are usually various opportunities that come with living in town - filled with activities that the countryside could only dream of.
There are various opportunities for activities. For example, a Sauna Ice bath spa in central London is only 5 minutes away from a grass-fed steak restaurant with exceptional sides like beef dripping chips or bone marrow gravy. There is also a community where people can meet up and geek out on their biohacks or health - The London Meetup is one spot, and another is Food Lies, Sapien center in Texas, by my US friend.
On another note, there can be some disconnects in the countryside - we can’t have it all - but there are also positives, such as peace and tranquility.
The remainder of the article will detail my recent experiences of traveling through big cities and embracing city life while mitigating, protecting, and improving my health. Most of this is centered around my glorious home city, London. However, other cities and experiences can easily translate to other major world cities like Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Dubai, Sydney and New York. Hopefully, my experiences will show you just how attainable these activities are and encourage you to kickstart such opportunities for yourself!
Let’s start by remembering that fear differs from being informed and empowered, knowing more, and taking action. The difference is that one takes effort and doesn't sugarcoat things, while the other goes around in circles and worsens the matter.
Downloading - sun spots
SUNRISE - Primrose Hill - is also ideal for morning sprints, ground on the grass. Again, Primrose elevation gives you the WOW factor, but just making sure you step outside is a win.
SUNSET - Richmond Hill + Richmond Park - Petersham gate on top of the hill is another good place for sprints to watch the sunset over the river Thames along the flight path. (Image below of Richmond Hill)
Cold therapy:
This can be done in several ways (starting with the best). In nature, Hamstead Heath has a mixed and also separate male and female pond to jump into for the brave. There is also The Serpentine, which requires one to be a member - my friend Laura Fullerton - CEO of Monk, has meet-ups here, so ask her. There are also Lidos in London with Clapham and Parliament Hill. Then, on top of this, there are ice baths in Banya London. There’s cryotherapy, with London Cryo being the most popular and best located around London in several branches, or using LMS Health, which has a cryo combination with other therapies like hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Most major cities have Cryotherapy. I think some gyms nowadays have ice baths, which is really cool to see.
Acupuncture:
A subtle approach to kickstart your meridians or channels in the body. I think this is best done when your body is out of the healing zone and used as the icing on the cake therapy. Some would argue otherwise, but that’s just my take and experience. It also matters to the person who does the treatment as their energy is transferred and injected into you. I have recently been a leader in the field outside London, Dr Daniel Keown in Sussex. He’s written a great book to teach more about how acupuncture and channels work.
Massage:
I have spent a fortune on massages, which have helped me to build my physique and muscle mass tremendously. I typically get one every 2-3 weeks, but only with someone who is recommended. In London, I highly recommend my friend Bogdan. They are highly qualified masseurs and can come to you. If searching for one in a central town, I would ask them about sports massage and then check Google reviews or try to ask friends or people in the gym for any recommendations, which is a safe bet. The massage will help your connective tissue unwind and help your body relax and enter a zen state.
Holistic hygienist:
Seeking a yearly checkup with a holistic hygienist is paramount to a proactive approach even if you don’t have anything wrong with your gnashers. This includes observing any changes and cleaning plaque built up physically that you can’t do with coconut oil pulling. The mouth is one of the hidden spots for diseases and infections to start and can also be a silent drainer of your energy and immune reserve. You can google and do some investigating to find a reputable hygienist. Ask the Dentist if they have created a helpful directory listing on their website; I don’t have any personal recommendations, but I would also share some biological dentistry services. Consider this: a high-end address like Harley Street would have a higher rent, and that’s why it's built into your bill and paid for by you with the services.
Chiropractic work:
This is another performance and health tool you can use. When kinks are in our system, the signal and the transduction of energy/information are altered, leading to a modified call. This could be the difference in bloating or recurrent small intestine bacterial overgrowth or from having minor peripheral neuropathy or brain fog. When your body is biomechanically aligned, the body flows better from the nerves to the blood down, centered around your spine. I have used Bianca, Posture and Wellness and trusted her with my clients in London over the years to correct and prevent such issues. This chiro is unique in influencing our meningitis and unwinding the body to heal and restore itself.
Blood donations:
The key to blood donation is the time of the year to do it, which most people don't think about. Blood donations would be best to be done in the summer when the power of the light is in full swing. If done in the winter, you reduce your excited and charged red blood cells.
Markets:
This is one of the best things about significant city living. The experience of daily markers like Borough Market or weekly farmers markets are my favorites in London. In London, you are truly spoilt for choice; with locations everywhere. You can find more about them here. For your city, you can google this and locate one. This is also an excellent opportunity to meet like-minded people who care about what and where their food comes from. I used to go to Notting Hill Farmers Market on Saturdays to get fruit and vegetables, raw butter and milk, and eggs. I also went to Maryleborne on Sunday. Each market has different sellers.
Restaurants:
Breakfast spots: Being based in West London, my breakfast spot is to sit outside, download light, and enjoy the view or the background banter. The Electric Diner on Portobello Road and Granger on Westbourne Grove are both great options for coffee and breakfast experiences.
For steak lovers:
Half-price Mondays and a Sunday roast: Look no further than Blacklock, London. I first went to Blacklock six years ago when it opened its first branch in Soho. It has never disappointed me, apart from sometimes being unable to get a table at the last minute. You won’t be disappointed by their quality meat sourced from Devon or their range of sides that complement your steak exceptionally.
Local and seasonal British produce:
Elliot’s: Borough Market is one of the best restaurants that showcase the best of British with quirkiness. Prices are decent, and the atmosphere is upbeat, with a few tables parking onto the market.
Moro: Located in East Central London is a fusion of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. I enjoyed working in the kitchen there for a few weeks before deciding being a chef was not for me.
Flat Iron: You can’t go wrong with this steak house. Simple, straightforward, and quality with ingredients - steak glazed with butter and beef dripping fries.
St. John's Kitchen (find the branch that is more nose-to-tail) and Hereford Road Restaurant are two places that showcase a nose-to-tail culture in their kitchen with some quirkiness
Other ideas:
Gelupo: This is a fantastic Italian ice cream experience in Soho. My favorite flavors include ricotta, sour cherry, and pistachio.
For a decent sourdough pizza experience, Franco Manco is a good shout and cost-effective. For a liver fix, Nandos can work, but their chicken source requires further scope. Coffee fans - I am not a coffee expert, but Exmouth in the Borough Market has a steady queue of around 50 people in line.
Hot chocolate experience: Knoops, allows you to customize your chocolate with additional spices and herbs.
Grocery Stores/Shops:
For food, the usual big giants include Whole Foods, Planet Organic, Daylesford, and Supermarket of Dreams - these all stock unbelievably fresh produce. These places are not typically the cheapest and do not entirely serve “healthy” food. When living in London - I would not do my weekly shopping in any of them, but getting a fee is more ideal.
Supermarket of Dreams is where you can get fantastic fish and shellfish and is the place I get my oysters from. They can even shuck them for you. Tell them Ryan sent you.
For meat - head to Lidgates for the best meat in the game and where Oath Foods is being created by hand with the skills of London’s finest butchers.
Gyms:
This depends on a budget in a city, but a gym can provide a haven and an opportunity to meet people or train with friends. A gym, to me, has to be a chilled environment, an excellent open plan, no terrible lighting, decent equipment, and cleanliness with toilets or showers. In London, you’re spoilt for choices with gyms. The premium ones are Equinox and Third Space. Then you have Gymbox, which has more of a regular but relaxed look (Trained here with amigo Sol Brah clip below). The day passes are not precisely cheap, around £20. It’s best to get a month, even if you use the gym for a week. Finally, Pure Gym is very basic but has everything you need. That said - you don’t need a gym.
Outdoor spaces for movement:
This can be as easy as just finding a park with a bench to do step-ups and push-ups and a tree with reachable hanging branches to do chin-ups. But, if you want a more functional space in London, then these are the top picks by my friend Erdi from Learn to Human below.
London fields - there's a good community there at the calisthenics bars, especially in the warmer months. Google map LINK. Primrose Hill is a decent mixture of space with obstacles and bars/frames. Google map LINK.
Saunas:
Sauna therapy has been associated with improved longevity and effective therapy to reduce the burden of modern environmental toxins, increase endorphins, and prevent mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Sauna therapy is the remedy for the absence of sunlight in the winter. You can typically find saunas in high-end gyms or around town; there could be sauna clinics. London Cryo has this in some locations, and ice baths and sauna clubs also exist. My favorite is the more traditional way of saunas, which is more Russian-based with the Banya - there are several dotted around London. It is a fantastic experience to spend a few hours and unwind from the noise and pollution of the big city. Banya would be my favorite in Hoxton, and I hold the record for 23 minutes in the ice-cold water.
Transport:
I would avoid the underground. It is now a 5G hotspot with Wi-Fi on platforms and trains. This turns it into a microwave, with most people using it and being stuck in a confined space. Additionally, the particle counts measure pollution is astonishingly high, and recirculated air and damp, moldy conditions put pressure on your health. It’s best to stay above land. Ubers, or other taxi platforms, are the best way to go around town or get on the bus - especially those that use bus lanes to avoid the traffic.
Wrapping things up:
The above offered a few activities and factors to consider when living or visiting a major city such as London. In major cities, there is no doubt a health risk that comes with the spoils of more conveniences, more people around you, and the hustle and bustle of a major city, which can lead to health improvements such as feeling connected, permitting you the opportunity to make money, which of course is essential to all.
I have lived in a significant city for most of my life, which has made me who I am today, though I have also experienced life in the countryside, other cities in the world, and the wilderness in the jungle.
You can easily live a poor life in the countryside by not turning your Wi-Fi off at night, opposing your mobile phone, or living in a moldy home. It’s not all roses in the country - you still need to be on your guard. Health is cultivated with daily habits, not purely by where you live and the environment.
I hope this article leaves you with inspiration and tools while living or traveling to a big city—especially my London friends.
Please add any further recommendations in the comments so others can enjoy your offer, too.