I am making so many tweaks on this ride that one episode would be a twelve hour audiobook, so we’re breaking it down one weapon at a time. Today we’re kicking it off with the very first thing I do every single morning – literally within minutes of opening my eyes.

I call it my Morning Protocol, and it’s on my public database over at GaryLeland.com/data. Go steal it, copy it, tweak it, then try to beat me to 200.

STEP 1: The ACV Power Shot.

This is the first thing I do every morning and the results have been so good for me that I am sure I will continue for the rest of my life.

I start every day and end every night with 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with mother. It must be with mother, thats very important. According to Grok apple cider vinegar boosts fullness, cuts calorie intake, and may crank metabolism a bit. It also lowers heart disease risk factors, acts as a prebiotic and feeds gut bacteria, but it's brutal on tooth enamel, so never chug it raw. You need to dilute it and then rinse your mouth after. Trust me on that that.

Straight apple cider vinegar tastes like battery acid, so I fixed that and here’s my hack.

I brew half a cup of chamomile tea – which lowers inflammation, smooths out blood sugar, and knocks out bad bacteria. I drop in one packet of stevia (clean, zero-calorie, – way better than the fake stuff).

Then I add two shakes of cinnamon because it’s loaded with polyphenols and actually beats blueberries. It fights inflammation and also improves memory.

I top it off with a few shakes of fresh ground pepper which according to Grok Inhibits fat cell formation, creates sharper memory and slows aging. I drink this every morning as soon as I wake and every evening 30 minutes before I hit the sack.

Boom. That one drink hits gut health, blood sugar, inflammation, brain protection, and fat-burning all before the sun’s fully up.

STEP 2: HYDRATION

I follow my morning apple cider vinegar with a large glass of water. Your body’s dehydrated from 6 to 8 hours overnight so this reboots you fast. Water restores fluid balance lost overnight, boosts blood volume, perks up organs. Water also sharpens alertness and reaction time. Wakes your noggin better than coffee alone. It fires kidneys, liver and clears toxins via urine.

I add fresh squeezed lemon juice which adds potassium, magnesium and makes cells suck it up faster. Citric acid also stimulates saliva, gastric acid, and primes the gut before food.

Last thing is I add electrolytes. Electrolytes pull water into cells. You actually absorb and hold onto water instead of peeing it out.

Another tip is to prepare everything in the evening so I have it ready to drink as soon as I wake.

SUMMARY

Here is a rundown of my dead simple morning ritual that I knock out literally within minutes of opening my eyes.

Step 1:

I kick things off with 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother) mixed into chamomile tea that I sweeten with a packet of stevia, hit it with two shakes of cinnamon and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.

This combo loads me with prebiotics for the gut, blood-sugar control, polyphenols that crush inflammation, memory-boosting compounds, fat-cell blockers, that makes everything absorb better — all while tasting way less nasty than straight apple cider vinegar.

Step 2:

I slam a big glass of water with fresh-squeezed lemon and electrolytes. Rehydrates me fast after 6-8 hours of overnight fluid loss, fires up metabolism and brain function, flushes the liver and kidneys, primes digestion. I also add electrolytes to make sure the water actually gets into my cells instead of running straight through me. Takes 60 seconds and sets the whole day on rails.

Boom — done before I even think about coffee.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If this lights a fire under you… subscribe. Let’s build a community—share wins, hacks and data.

Together, we will hit 200.

Please remember I’m not a doctor and I’m definitely not your doctor. I am just a boomer enjoying life. You may want to check with your doctor before following any of my personal protocols.

Thanks for watching and I hope to bring you a new episode every other week.

I hope to see you on the next one.