Mark Sisson's Blog, page 31
February 11, 2022
New and Noteworthy: What I Read This Week—Edition 164
Research of the Week
Three seconds of hyper intense exercise: could it be enough?
What dogs and wolves mean for human self-domestication.
Soil health begets consumer health.
Impaired mitochondrial function in the liver is a hallmark of diabetes and fatty liver.
Coffee may increase LDL clearance.
Primal Health Coach Institute: Michael Hughes
Media, SchmediaSpinal cord implant allows the paralyzed to stand and even walk again.
Couple buys Maine organic farm, raises child, discovers the water table is heavily polluted with PFAS.
Interesting Blog PostsSocial NotesSame language, supposedly.
Everything ElseLooks cool but I question the long-term viability.
Helpful ideas for mitigating postural hypotension.
Things I’m Up to and Interested InGood resource: Peter Attia on high-intensity Zone 5 activity.
Interesting concept: “Future you”
Ouch: How we’ve gotten Lyme disease wrong all these years.
What have I been saying?: Yes, meat is getting more expensive.
Put these in schools instead of soda machines: Salmon ATMs.
Question I’m AskingShould we add pictures of diseased organs to soda cans?
Recipe Corner30 recipes to try.Super Bowl chili recipes.Time CapsuleOne year ago (Feb 5 – Feb 11)
You’re Probably Doing Push-ups Wrong. How to Fix Them (with a Video) — Do them right.Navigating the Grocery Store on a Budget — This is how to do it.Comment of the Week
“Re: Sunday with Sisson: So far my digestive system and I have been adding more to my life and also subtracting things. We embrace abundance and practice scarcity. For Malibu Grok and Miami Grok, the time of the year is arbitrary. For Grok and his early civilized ancestors, months were natural approximations of the lunar cycle. They were easy enough to synch up around the equinoxes and solstices, but it was hard to keep track in winter. The ancient Romans had a ten-month calendar because nobody cared about January or February until accountants insisted. I’m on Grok time.”
-I like it, Investigator.
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February 9, 2022
Winter Survival Tips
I may have spent the last several decades of my life living in warm or temperate climates—the SF Bay Area, Malibu, and Miami are famous for their mild or non-existent winters—but I grew up in coastal Maine and spent the majority of my time outside, rain, snow or shine. I’ve endured some harsh winters and I think it’s important that everyone be equipped to handle themselves in cold weather.
Part of surviving winter is surviving it outdoors—whether you choose to be there or not.
Part of surviving winter is having the right supplies in your car.
Part of surviving winter is surviving it at home in the event of a power outage. As we saw a little while ago in Texas, simply being at home doesn’t mean much if your power goes out and you’re not prepared.
Today, I’m going to give some winter survival tips: behaviors, tools, and gear you should keep in mind (and in your car, your house, and on your person) to survive a harsh winter indoors and out.
Winter Survival TipsMost of us “survive winter” by living in warm climates or retreating to simulated warm climates in our homes and offices. Few ever truly get into “winter survival situations.” But you never know how things will go. You never know when your car will break down in the dead of winter. And sometimes, some of you will simply want to test yourself in the cold.
Here’s how to stay dry, stay warm, and stay alive.
Stay dry.Moisture is the death knell, whether it’s from excess sweat, slipping into an icy brook, or failing to cover up and getting soaked in a downpour. Moisture will wick warmth away from your body, leaving you vulnerable to the cold. Always stay dry.
Waterproof boots.If you want to maintain ground feel and zero heel drop soles, you’ll want something waterproof like the Tracker II FG Men’s or Women’s from Vivo Barefoot, the Boulder Boot Men’s or Women’s from Lem’s Shoes. However, these may not be ideal for true deep winter conditions. If you’re out dealing with heavy protracted exposure to snow, you can sacrifice ground feel and heel drop for insulation against the cold.
This is a great discussion of barefoot waterproof and snow boots broken down by both warmth and waterproofness.
Wear wool.Wool is king. I don’t care if it’s “scratchy.” This is survival, and wool is the best way to survive and stay warm. It works for sheep.
Socks, hats, mittens, base layers, sweaters, long johns. Wool, wool, wool.
Layer.You need to wear wool (ideally) against your body but layer other materials over it. You need to wear the most synthetic, plastic-y material on top to prevent any water from getting in.
Base layer should be thin wool and well-fitting. This is what’s up against your body.
Second layer should be light and airy against your body rather than overly tight, allowing more warm air to be trapped. A merino wool, goose down, or fleece second layer works great, depending on how cold the weather is (merino for warmer, down for colder).
The outer layer, or shell, should be a synthetic waterproof material. Some shells will come with warmer mid-layers, usually removable.
Cover your extremities.Keeping your head and hands warm and covered will conserve body heat and allow you to interact with the environment without losing too much.
Again, wool is a big winner here. For your hands, cover your wool “base layer” with a water/snow-proof outer shell.
Warm insoles.Stick a pair of wool insoles into your barefoot shoes for added warmth. Just having that layer between you and the ground will insulate you against the freezing earth.
Get a wood stove.When the power’s out, you can’t run the furnace. You can’t plug in space heaters. Yeah, a generator will help, but you can’t rely on it indefinitely.
Wood burns hot. Wood keeps for a long time. Wood isn’t going anywhere, and it doesn’t go bad, and it doesn’t degrade. No one—not even father time or the elements provided you cover it—can take your wood stacks away.
Get an indoor heater that doesn’t require electricity.This propane heater fits the bill. All you need is propane. No electricity required. I would install carbon monoxide alarms just to be safe.
Have a way to cook without power, preferably indoors.You can heat food using candles. You can cook on the wood stove or in the fireplace.
Unfortunately, butane or propane stoves aren’t safe for prolonged indoor cooking, especially without ventilation. But assuming you’re staying warm with layers, you can go outside to cook.
Charcoal and wood are always reliable outdoor cooking methods.
Get good blankets.Wool and down are probably the warmest materials—research even shows that wool is better at retaining body heat than cotton.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15476... Wool can be a bit itchy at times, but it will keep you warm and that’s the most important thing when trying to survive a power outage during winter. Down is more luxurious and expensive, but it will also keep you incredibly warm.
These and these are a good deal for wool blankets. They also offer blended wool blankets, which are less expensive and less scratchy (if slightly less warm).
Create small warm environments.Put up the smallest tent (or tents) you can all fit inside in the living room and pile the entire family in there with tons of blankets. Dress warmly. Sleep in sleeping bags. Keep it zipped up. Generate that body heat and maintain it. Don’t let it escape.
Get a good whole house generator.I wouldn’t rely on the generator—you won’t always have fuel, most types of fuel go bad (unless propane or diesel), and your generator has to be of sufficient capacity to run the house like “normal.” It’s far more reliable to figure out how to survive the cold without electricity. then add the generator as extra insurance.
Make sure it’s a good one. Honda makes great generators.
Snuggle.Snuggle with your loved ones. Hug your kids. Spoon your partner (or be spooned).
Play games.Board games, card games, role-playing games, word games, puzzles, riddles. They’re all great to play, and they all will help keep your spirits up and your mind from fixating on “survival.” A mind obsessed with staying warm and surviving has the tendency to go mad; playing can keep everyone sane.
Keep moving.When you exercise, you increase heat production in the body. Some of that heat is stored, while some is lost to the atmosphere.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/96944... The net outcome is an increase in body temperature and, especially, perceived body temperature. We’ve all felt it. You go for a hike in the cold weather wearing a t-shirt, and within a few minutes, you’re comfortable while everyone else who “dressed for the weather” is sweating.
Keep calorie intake high.Adequate calorie intake maintains thyroid function and keeps body temperature up. If you’re “feeling cold,” you are for all intents and purposes cold.
Forget “dieting” or “cutting” when it’s freezing outside and you’re exposed to it. That’s great for targeted and consensual cold exposure, but not for involuntary or protracted cold exposure. Not when you’re trying to survive. Keep eating lots of food.
Of course, “keeping calorie intake high” requires that you have lots of calories on hand. You should be prepared before disaster strikes. Stock your pantry, maintain shelf-stable high-calorie foods.
For the car…Two mylar tarps.One tarp for making a shelter if you need to. One tarp to use as a heat-reflective blanket.
Wool blankets.Gotta have the blankets.
Fire starter.I recommend at least two sources of fire starter: a gas lighter, matches, and/or flint. Bonus of the flint is you can correct a magnesium deficiency by shaving a few flecks into your water. Kidding.
Fire starting material.Extra dryer lint is perfect. So are cotton balls soaked in Vaseline. Store in ziplock bags to keep dry. Or, you can use a Blackbeard fire starter.
Gallon of water.Water needs are much lower in cold weather, but you still need water.
Stove.Something like this that runs off fuel, or something that runs on wood. Both, preferably.
Non-perishable food.Freeze-dried meals, canned fish, dense protein bars—anything that will last for years and keep you from starving.
Leatherman multitool.Change of wool clothing in plastic bins.Wool underwear, hat, long johns, shirts, pants, sweater. Keep a change of wool clothing packed efficiently into plastic bins or large plastic bags (to prevent water getting in) for every member of the family.
First aid kit.You need a basic first aid kit.
Battery charger, air pump, and jump starter.If you can make it fit, this device is a huge help. It allows you to charge your phones, jump start your car, and inflate your tires.
Now, I’m sure I missed a few important tips and tools. Let me know down below what you consider essential for winter survival.
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References https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15476757/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9694408/
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February 8, 2022
Why Am I Not Losing Weight?
“I’m doing everything right, exercising and eating well. So why am I not losing weight?”
That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? Or rather, it’s the $72 billion question, since that’s how much the diet industry apparently rakes in.https://apnews.com/press-release/busi... I’ve spent enough years talking about food and exercise to know how common weight-loss plateaus are. It’s frustrating when something that seems like it should be simple isn’t working for you.
Let me start by challenging the assumption that weight loss is simple or easy. A 2007 report from the UK Government’s Foresight Programme identified 108 factors that affect weight loss.https://assets.publishing.service.gov... Of course food and exercise are represented on the list in various ways, but so are genetic, economic, social, and psychological influences. That’s why I roll my eyes when I hear people espousing “just eat less and exercise more” platitudes—as if it’s that simple.
Anyway, anyone who’s bothering to ask the question that prompted this post already knows about eating less and moving more. They’ve probably tried multiple versions of eating “less” or “right” or “better,” plus a variety of exercise protocols. Yet, they’re still feeling stuck and frustrated.
If this sounds familiar, don’t lose hope. First, understand that weight loss ebbs and flows. Plateaus are normal, and sometimes they resolve themselves without any significant action on your part. If not, you can try pulling different levers to see if you can un-stick the gears.
Without further ado, here are ten possible reasons you’re not losing weight even though you’re eating well and exercising:
1. “Eating well” doesn’t necessarily mean eating for maximal leanness.To me, eating well means eating nutritious foods in an amount appropriate for your body. It doesn’t mean following a diet that gets you totally shredded or maximally lean. Not necessarily anyway.
The diet industry would have us believe that anyone can have the media-manufactured “perfect” (read: very lean) body with a simple eat less, move more approach. The truth is, some people are born with genes that allow them to achieve that look with minimal work. They’re programmed to have a six-pack on display with only the barest coaxing.
However, the majority of people who look like fitness models or action heroes work hard for their physiques. They are very methodical about what they eat and how they exercise, going far beyond what I would categorize as basic “eating well and exercising.” It shouldn’t be a surprise if you don’t look like them if you’re not putting in that level of effort.
I’m not saying you should put in that level of effort. I’m saying check your goals and see if they’re realistic given your current approach. If there is a mismatch, decide which one you’re going to change.
There’s nothing wrong with implementing the Primal principles—doing your best to eat healthy foods, walk a lot, lift heavy things, sleep well, spend time in nature, and so on—and letting the cards fall where they may. Even if you don’t end up with rock-hard abs, you’ll still have a body that is strong and healthy.
2. You’re eating more than you think you are.The evidence is clear: people are notoriously terrible at estimating how much they eat, even when trying to be accurate.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17197... They forget about the handful of M&Ms they noshed after lunch. That “splash” of cream in their coffee was actually three tablespoons. These little mistakes and miscalculations can add up to many hundreds of calories a day. Now multiply that by a week, a month, then a year. You see where I’m going with this.
You may also inadvertently overeat when you try to account for the calories expended during exercise. People consistently overestimate how many calories they burn, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21178... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14540... and activity trackers have their own accuracy issues.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... This gets tricky because your food intake should be commensurate with your activity level, but you don’t want to “eat back” calories you aren’t burning in the first place.
When you follow the Primal Blueprint Fitness recommendations and work out a moderate amount, you’re unlikely to dig yourself into a serious hole if you listen to your body and eat according to hunger. Athletes with more specialized goals, especially endurance athletes who spend long hours in training, do need to be strategic about fueling. My best advice for them is to work with a coach to dial in their nutritional strategy.
3. You’re embracing healthy fats a little too much.Another common mistake is getting a little too fat-happy when you first go Primal or keto. I get it, it’s exciting to have permission to eat delicious, healthy fats like avocados, mayo, and real cream in your coffee after decades of following low-fat diet dogma. Don’t even get me started on bacon.
Still, it’s possible to have too much of a good thing, and it’s easy to add more fat than you realize during cooking and dressing your meals. This is where food tracking can come in handy. Use an app like Cronometer and weigh and measure everything you eat for three to five days. It’s time-consuming and frankly a pain, but it can be very illuminating as well.
4. Your body is already happy at your current weight.Call it set point, homeostasis, or personal ideal body composition. Whatever you call it, your body may settle on a weight that’s not what you expected or hoped. I hear from so many frustrated people trying to eke out that “last five or ten pounds” to no avail. In my experience, most of these folks aren’t concerned about health or fitness per se. They’re trying to get down to a certain number, namely the number that they decided ahead of time would make them happy—their “goal weight.”
Maybe it doesn’t matter that the scale is higher than you thought it would be. If you’re living the lifestyle you want, eating delicious food that makes you feel fantastic, moving your body, and getting stronger, do you really need to hit a certain number? Can you be happy where you are now? (Yes, even if you’re more than ten pounds from your goal weight.)
Go back and read #1, then decide if you’re ok with this possibility.
5. You aren’t sleeping.I doubt any of my readers are surprised to see this one on the list, given how often I beat the sleep drum on the blog and during our Primal challenges. Insufficient sleep interferes with weight loss in a number of ways, including
Increasing appetitehttps://journals.plos.org/plosmedicin... energy expenditure (the “energy out” side of the energy balance equation)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21471... the reward value of high-calorie foods so they seem more appealinghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...You probably know from personal experience how much harder it is to eat well and find the motivation to exercise when you are tired. If you’re not sleeping well, that should be your priority. Getting more high-quality sleep will probably move the needle more than any tweaks you make to your diet or exercise routine.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31217... Even if it doesn’t jumpstart weight loss, it will pay dividends for your health and well-being. It’s a can’t-lose proposition.
6. You’re eating foods that don’t work for you.Maybe the title of my next book should be Try Taking a Break from Dairy. I probably won’t sell any copies (the cover will tell you everything you need to know), but I’ll help a lot of people.
Seriously, I’ve heard from countless readers who busted through a weight-loss plateau by cutting dairy. I suspect that many of these folks are mildly to moderately intolerant of lactose and/or casein, and dairy is causing underlying gut issues or inflammation. The easy-to-consume calories in dairy probably don’t help either.
Wait, you’re saying, isn’t dairy allowed according to the Primal Blueprint Food Pyramid? It is, but that doesn’t mean it works for everyone. Dairy isn’t the only potential culprit here, either, but it’s the one I see most frequently. Nuts are number two on the list, probably for the same reasons (allergies and calories).
7. You’re trying too hard.Weight-loss plateaus can happen when the physical and mental stress of dieting adds up. Sometimes the answer is to do less instead of more, at least for a while.
We know that sustained caloric restriction leads to metabolic adaptions that slow weight loss. Your body can’t tell the difference between your intentional diet before your high school reunion and your ancestors’ dwindling food supply in the middle of harsh winter. So, it tries to ration energy (i.e., body fat) stores by decreasing metabolic rate and dialing up appetite, for example. These adaptations would have saved our ancestors’ lives during times of severe food scarcity.
Strategies like carb refeeds, diet breaks, and reverse dieting are designed to reverse those metabolic adaptations. Evidence shows that intermittent dieting, where you rotate between periods of a calorie deficit and calorie balance, is more effective for weight loss than continuous calorie restriction.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... Most people don’t want to take a break from dieting, though, for fear that they will undo all their progress if they eat more. You won’t. The idea is to eat maintenance calories or a slight surplus, not thousands of extra calories a day.
And don’t underestimate the potential benefits of taking a mental break from dieting. Stress interferes with weight loss, but your diet itself can stress you out. “How much am I supposed to eat? What about my macros? Is corn allowed? Why haven’t I lost more weight yet? I must be doing something wrong.” It becomes a neverending loop of self-doubt and limiting beliefs that have no chance of actually helping and every chance of undermining your goals. Let it go for a while.
8. You’re doing too much cardio and not enough resistance training.Despite all the evidence to the contrary, the idea that cardio is an effective way to burn more calories and lose weight pervades diet culture. Besides the fact that it doesn’t burn as many calories as you probably hope, chronic cardio ramps up hunger, causing you to eat more in the long run.
A combination of resistance training (lifting heavy things) and high-intensity exercise (but not too much) is the way to go if you want to build metabolic health, upregulate your fat burning, and build metabolically active muscle. Sprinting can seriously move the needle on fat burning and help bust you out of a weight-loss plateau.
9. You have underlying past trauma.Never discount the power of the mind-body connection.
Stress caused by traumatic experiences can fester under the surface and manifest in surprising ways, including weight gain or difficulty losing weight, even years later.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18976... Some experts believe that trauma causes epigenetic changes that put people at greater risk for developing a variety of different health problems.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30986... Individuals who experience trauma may also be prone to (often unconscious) self-sabotaging behaviors.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... If you think there might be something deeper going on, I encourage you to ask for help.
10. Because weight loss is complicated and multifactorial.I’m not telling you not to try if this goal is important to you, nor am I providing you with a handy excuse if your half-hearted efforts haven’t been successful. Nevertheless, sometimes weight loss isn’t forthcoming despite your best efforts because of factors you aren’t yet aware of or can’t control. Finding the secret sauce is easy for some people and challenging for others.
Let me leave you with this reminder: The Primal Blueprint is about optimal health first and foremost, and health won’t look the same on everyone. When you eat, move, and live in ways that are in accordance with your genetic expectations of health, shaped through millions of years of evolution, you will naturally trend toward your ideal body composition. That doesn’t mean you’ll end up looking like me or the person on the cover of your running magazine or your coworker, neighbor, sibling, or partner.
Make sure that you are pausing to appreciate how much better you feel when you eat good food and move your body. Pay attention to physical and emotional health symptoms and track whether they are improving. Are you sleeping better? Enjoying more energy and greater motivation to get out and live life? Those things will bring you far greater fulfillment in the long run than hitting some number on the bathroom scale.
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References https://apnews.com/press-release/business-wire/business-lifestyle-health-united-states-ec35f3315f9a4816985615391f41815ahttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/287937/07-1184x-tackling-obesities-future-choices-report.pdfhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17197279/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21178922/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1454084/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5491979/https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0010061https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1991337/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21471283/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3763921/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31217539/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5803575/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6359485/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18976880/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30986608/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4091890
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February 4, 2022
New and Noteworthy: What I Read This Week—Edition 163
Research of the Week
Healthy forests need elder trees.
Feelings of general fatigue predict death in older adults.
Magnesium is important for immune function.
Living filtration membranes are better at improving water quality than artificial, dead membranes.
Bacteriophages are going to be important going forward.
Vitamin D is still important against COVID.
Primal Kitchen Podcast, Episode 15: Heal and Hack Your Hormones with Health Coach Katie Bressack
Primal Kitchen Podcast, Episode 16: Kanchan Koya’s Spicy Secret to Inspired Health
Primal Health Coach Institute: Laura Krippner
Primal Health Coach Institute: Ean Price Murphy
Media, SchmediaLet’s hope Denmark succeeds and more follow.
Beautiful photos of polar bears taking over an abandoned weather station.
Interesting Blog PostsSocial NotesWhy Belgium has such great fries.
I have a dream.
Everything ElsePeople have always played and always will.
Regenerative animal agriculture beats conventional cattle feeding operations.
Things I’m Up to and Interested InStupid move: Vegan Fridays at NY public schools.
Interesting concept: Posture springs.
Thanks a lot: Nice move, Balkan hunter gatherers.
Not surprising: Vitamin D and omega-3s important against autoimmune disease.
Interesting: Are mutations really random?
Question I’m AskingHow’s the new year been so far?
Recipe CornerJapchae: sweet potato (gluten free) glass noodles.Skirt steak is one of the best steaks around. Even better with mango salsa.Time CapsuleOne year ago (Jan 29 – Feb 4)
The Art of Boredom: How to Do It Right — It’s an art.How to Quit Sweets, For Real This Time — This is how to do it.Comment of the Week
“I don’t catch colds. I haven’t had a cold in at least 15 years, whereas I used to get them 3 or 4 times every winter. Bad ones. Then years ago, an alternative healthcare provider told me, ‘Don’t medicate a cold. Let your immune system do its job without interfering.’
I took his advice. It was miserable at first because I took absolutely nothing, just drank a lot of hot tea with lemon. But I stopped getting sick so frequently. Eventually I stopped catching colds altogether.
There might be more to it than that, but I’m not aware of anything else I do or don’t do. Does anyone else “beat” colds by simply not getting them?”
-Important concept: do nothing.
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February 2, 2022
Have a Cold? How to Feel Better Quickly
No one likes a cold, and various colds of one origin or another are going around this winter season. One of the worst parts of the common cold is that it’s unpleasant enough to make daily life annoying but mild enough to force you to still go out into the world and maintain a normal schedule.
But you don’t want to have to do that. You don’t want to get anyone else sick, and you want to feel better—fast. How do you do it? How can you speed up your clearance of a cold, whether through actually expelling the virus from your body, getting rid of the symptoms, or both?
Let’s talk about that.
How to Feel Better Quickly When You Have a ColdThese are the basic, research-backed things to do when you have a cold and want to get over it fast.
Get enough seleniumGet enough zincEat a bunch of garlicDrink raw golden milkTry nasal irrigationTry povidone-iodine gargling and nasal rinsingDrink bone brothEat spicy foodGet Enough SeleniumAlmost every upper respiratory tract infection I’ve ever studied has selenium deficiency as an enhancing variable. Most viruses, for example, sequester selenium and utilize it to replicate and to weaken the host, leaving them wide open for further, deeper infection. The common cold is likely no different.
Eat Brazil nuts (one to three per day) and oysters and wild salmon. It is possible to overdo selenium, so don’t go overboard with supplementation. Just eat selenium-rich foods while you’re experiencing symptoms.
Get Enough ZincZinc is the most important mineral for immune function, especially regarding upper respiratory tract infections. Depending on the virus, zinc has been shown to inhibit replication, lower binding, and block various physiological processes many viruses use to attack and ingratiate themselves with the host (you). And this isn’t just theoretical or based on cell culture studies. The best evidence we have shows that zinc supplementation reduces the duration of common colds in adults.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32342...
Eat Lots of GarlicGarlic is a potent super food lurking in plain sight. Garlic and its components can improve immune function, reduce the occurrence of common colds, and block viral entry into host cells.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32836... If I feel a cold coming on, I’ll crush and dice up an entire head of garlic and lightly simmer it in a big mug of bone broth. I find I am usually able to ward off whatever’s headed my way. Of course, that’s just an anecdote and the available evidence is more equivocal.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...
Drink Raw Golden MilkAyurveda is the traditional Indian system of medicine. Although talk of chakras and levitating gurus lets rational skeptics dismiss it entirely, modern science has vindicated many Ayurvedic therapies, herbs, and concepts. Golden milk is one, and it’s really simple. Add turmeric and black pepper (plus other spices) to milk and it turns gold. In Ayurveda, golden milk is used to fight sore throats, colds, and flus. Does it work?
Well, turmeric is absolutely rife with potent pharmacological effects. It may be able to relieve cough and clear up excess mucus, at least according to animal studies.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...
Milk might actually be a bigger aid. Research has shown that a combo of two milk components—whey protein and lactoferrin—is able to reduce the incidence of the common cold in people.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2... That was a concentrated supplement, however. Your standard glass of milk doesn’t have nearly as much whey or lactoferrin. Raw milk may be a better option, as it contains more lactoferrin than pasteurized milk, and raw whey provides more glutathione-boosting effects than heat-treated whey. To preserve these benefits, you’ll have to drink your golden milk unheated, of course. Here’s how I’d make it:
Fill a blender bottle with turmeric, black pepper, raw milk, and extra whey protein. Add a sweetener if you prefer. Shake vigorously. Drink. Maybe chase it with a lactoferrin or colostrum (the “first milk” that’s highest in lactoferrin) supplement.
Try Nasal IrrigationIn Sanskrit, “neti” means “nasal cleansing.” The neti pot is a exactly what it sounds like. You fill a tiny kettle with warm saline water, tilt your head over a sink, and pour the water into one nostril. It flows out the other one, clearing your nasal cavity and letting you breathe again. The scientific term is “nasal irrigation,” and it really does work against the worst part of a bad cold: the stuffy nose that keeps you up at night, gives you dry mouth, and makes food taste bland.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...
Also, it’s better than antibiotics in kids with rhinosinusitis.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2... It even improves symptoms in infants with bronchiolitis, another kind of viral infection.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...
Gargling and Nasal Irrigation with 1% Povidone-IodineMake a 1% solution of povidone-iodine (1.5 tablespoons 10% povidone-iodine/betadine into 250 mL nasal irrigation bottle and fill the rest up with sterile/distilled water) and gargle with that at the first hint of a sore throat and spray it into your nasal passages. Betadine is intensely virucidal when applied topically. One study even found that COVID patients who gargled with 1% betadine had quicker clearance of the virus and its associated symptoms.https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.11... Since the common cold is often a coronavirus, it’s also probably susceptible to betadine.
Worth a try.
Bone broth/chicken soupPeople call it “Jewish penicillin,” and they’re not lying: evidence has confirmed that chicken soup eases nasal congestion, improves the function of the nasal cilia protecting us from pathogen incursions, and reduces cold symptoms.
Does it have to be chicken? As most cultures include soup in their list of effective cold remedies, I suspect it’s the goodness of the broth that’s important and any true bone broth-based soup will work. Hell, in a pinch pure collagen peptides might even do the trick, though I’d opt for the real bone broth if you can.
Spicy FoodSome people, when ill, swear that spicy food helps them “sweat it out.” Maybe, but a better bet lies in its effect on our nasal cavities. Capsaicin, the chili pepper component that produces a burning sensation in mammalian tissue, reduces nasal inflammation. When your nasal blood vessels are inflamed, the walls constrict; the space gets tighter and you have trouble breathing. Studies indicate that capsaicin is effective against most symptoms of nasal congestion.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...
My Cold RemediesThe foundation for my resistance and response to upper respiratory tract infections isn’t any specific food or supplement, of course. It’s everything. It’s my sleep, my stress, my training, my play. And yes, my food. As I said about my experience with COVID, I’d been training for it my entire life. But it does happen to the best of us, and it’s the worst. We shouldn’t accept being sick. I never do.
I’ve mentioned my common cold medicine: an entire head (yes, a head) of crushed garlic lightly simmered in a mug of bone broth spiked with cayenne, hot sauce, or fresh chilies. If I feel a cold coming on, I’ll drop whatever I’m doing and prepare it. This is a potent combination of three of the cold-busting ingredients with the most support in the literature (broth, garlic, and spicy food). Lately, I’ve been including black garlic, a delicious fermented variety that tastes like molasses and has increased pharmacological activity.
If I have a sore throat, heating up and drinking a blend of lemon juice (lime works too), water, and raw honey in a 4:4:1 ratio always makes me feel better. I tend to use a wild neem honey harvested in India. I’m not sure if the bees feeding on neem makes a difference, though the plant does possess antiviral and immunomodulatory effects. I’ve also heard great things about black seed honey, made from bees who feed on the black cumin seed flowers.
I also use these zinc acetate lozenges recommended by Chris Masterjohn. If you ever feel a sore throat coming on, suck on these and let them dissolve in your mouth. Each one takes about 30 minutes to dissolve, but it really does help.
How do you folks beat colds? What do you do?
Thanks for reading, everyone.
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References https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32342851/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22280901https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11697022https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32836826/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25386977https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22557276https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11599365https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23642947https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25336097https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26514931https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26607495https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.07.20180448v1https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25336097The post Have a Cold? How to Feel Better Quickly appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.
January 29, 2022
London Fog Drink – Earl Grey Tea Latte Recipe
Next time you want to sip on something warm and comforting, try a London Fog Latte. I’ve been hooked ever since a friend encouraged me to order one at a local coffee shop. As soon as I took my first sip, I was determined to figure out how to make them myself.
A London Fog Latte is now my go-to drink whenever I need a hug in a mug. Start-to-finish, it takes about as long as brewing a cup of coffee, and you probably have all of the ingredients on hand right now.
What Is In a London Fog Latte?In its most basic form, a London Fog Latte is Earl Grey tea flavored with vanilla and lavender, topped with frothy milk, and softly sweetened. Recipes vary, but the predominant ingredients in a London Fog Latte include:
Earl Grey tea (black tea flavored with bergamot)VanillaLavender (optional)Steamed and frothed milkSweetener
Makes: 2 tea lattes
Time in the kitchen: 5 minutes
Ingredients12 oz. hot water2 Earl Grey tea bags1/2 tsp. vanilla extractA few drops of liquid monk fruit sweetener or stevia, to taste6-8 oz. milk of choice (I used a full-fat almond milk)1 scoop collagen peptides (optional)Pinch of fresh lavender buds (optional)DirectionsGrab two mugs and place one tea bag in each. Top with hot water and allow to steep for three to five minutes – longer for a stronger tea, shorter for a weaker tea. For a more floral drink, you can throw a pinch of lavender into the water while the tea is steeping.
While the tea steeps, warm your milk in a saucepan. Add the vanilla extract. To froth your milk, you can use an immersion blender, froth wand, or a french press. To froth using a french press, pour warmed milk into the french press. Aggressively agitate the milk by moving the plunger halfway up the french press and then back down about 10 times or so. You will see the milk expand as it becomes foamy.
Remove the tea bags and strain out any lavender buds if you used them. If you are using collagen peptides and sweetener, mix them in now. Pour your frothed milk on top.
Just add a fluffy blanket of foam, plus an optional sprinkle of lavender buds if you’re feeling fancy. Enjoy!
How to Customize Your London Fog LatteMake it decaf: A typical London Fog Latte contains caffeine. Earl Grey tea has a moderate amount of caffeine, around 30 to 60 mg per cup depending on how you brew it. For comparison, an 8-ounce cup of coffee contains around 100 mg. If decaf is more your speed, look for decaffeinated Earl Grey tea bags.Make it dairy-free: London Fog Lattes are equally delicious whether you use full-fat milk or cream, nut milk, coconut milk, or other dairy-free options.Keep it keto-friendly by using monk fruit or stevia, or opt for honey or the sweetener of your choice.Serve it over ice: To make an iced London Fog Latte, brew the tea with 4 ounces of water per mug instead of 6 ounces. After it steeps, add the sweetener and collagen, then let it cool for a few minutes. Pour the tea into a cup of ice. Top with foam.You may also like:Creamy Turmeric TeaMatcha Collagen LatteSavory Bone Broth Lattes, Two WaysDairy-free Dirty Chai Latte (function($) { $("#dfqBhs9").load("https://www.marksdailyapple.com/wp-ad..." ); })( jQuery ); 
London Fog Drink – Earl Grey Tea Latte Recipe Author: Mark's Daily Apple 
Total Time: 5 minutes 
Yield: 2 servings Diet: Vegetarian [image error] Print Recipe [image error] Pin Recipe Description A London Fog Latte is made with Earl Grey tea, gently flavored with vanilla and lavender, and topped with warm frothed milk. It’s a delightful change from your usual coffee or tea that you can prepare in the same time it takes to brew a cuppa.
Ingredients12 oz. hot water
2 Earl Grey tea bags
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
A few drops of liquid monk fruit sweetener or stevia, to taste
6–8 oz. dairy or non-dairy milk of choice
1 scoop collagen peptides (optional)
Pinch of fresh lavender buds (optional)
InstructionsGrab two mugs and place one tea bag in each. Top with hot water and allow to steep for three to five minutes – longer for a stronger tea, shorter for a weaker tea. For a more floral drink, you can throw a pinch of lavender into the water while the tea is steeping.
While the tea steeps, warm your milk in a saucepan. Add the vanilla extract. To froth your milk, you can use an immersion blender, froth wand, or a french press. To froth using a french press, pour warmed milk into the french press. Aggressively agitate the milk by moving the plunger halfway up the french press and then back down about 10 times or so. You will see the milk expand as it becomes foamy.
Remove the tea bags and strain out any lavender buds if you used them. If you are using collagen peptides and sweetener, mix them in now.
Pour your frothed milk on top. Optionally top with a sprinkle of lavender buds. Enjoy!
NotesNutrition info calculated using Cronometer with 8 ounces almond milk and 1 scoop Primal Kitchen Unflavored Collagen Peptides.
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Category: Beverage Nutrition Serving Size: 1 mug Calories: 40 Fat: 1 gram Carbohydrates: 2 grams Protein: 6 grams Keywords: London Fog Tea Latte Recipe, London Fog Drink, Earl Grey Tea Latte, Homemade London Fog
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January 27, 2022
Ask a Health Coach: More of Your Cravings Questions Answered
Hi folks, we’re excited to have Board-Certified health and wellness coach Erin Power back to break down the emotional and psychological reasons we crave comfort foods. If you’ve vowed to stick to a Primal diet this year, you’ll definitely want to check out this week’s post. Got a question for our health coaches? Head over to our Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group or ask it in the comments below.
Luke asked:
“I’m a few weeks into eating Primal and I can’t seem to shake my cravings for comfort food. You know, mac ‘n cheese, beer, ice cream. I really want to stick to healthy eating this time and can’t understand why it’s always such a struggle.”
You probably won’t be surprised to hear that sugar is highly addictive. And that includes foods that turn to sugar in the body, like mac ‘n cheese, beer, crackers, cereal…you get the picture. But what you may not realize is that when you consume those foods, you experience a temporary rise in serotonin levels and then a fairly drastic crash. That’s why sugar gives you such a high. And then leaves you craving more once you get those cranky, hangry withdrawal symptoms.
Do Fat and Carbs Cause Cravings?The macronutrients fat and carbohydrates are two of the main components of comfort foods. Fat and carbs aren’t inherently bad, but when combined they tend to pack a punch, metabolically speaking. As I mentioned, carbohydrates raise the feel-good neurotransmitter, serotonin, while fat has the phenomenal ability to soothe. In fact, this study found that when participants consumed saturated fat, they became less emotionally affected while watching a sad movie or listening to sad music.
That’s why certain foods are so addictive. And the situation gets worse when you’re under stress.
Not only that, research shows that the areas of the brain triggered by cravings (the hippocampus, caudate, and insula) are the same as those implicated with drug and alcohol addiction. These are the parts of the brain associated with our reward system and the emotional connection we develop every time we repeat a behaviour.
Eat and Repeat: Creating Neural PathwaysEvery time you repeat an action, whether it’s one you want to keep doing or not, you reinforce your neural pathways. These are pathways that send signals from one part of the brain to another. Eventually, those actions become automatic.
It’s like if you took the same route to work every day. After a handful of times, you wouldn’t have to think about it anymore. Your brain automatically knows where to go. The same thing happens with cravings. When you reach for a big ole bowl of mac ‘n cheese each time you feel low or stressed out, you engage in the process of continuous reinforcement. The emotion (feeling low or stressed) triggers the action (eating), which elicits the reward (feeling good). Basically, it’s not your fault that you have cravings. That doesn’t mean you’re stuck with them though.
Cravings can also be a sign that you aren’t supporting your body properly in other ways. Lack of protein, poor sleep quality, and chronic stress play a major role too. Listen, it’s not about willpower here. Cravings are often a purely physiological response. That means with the right changes, you won’t feel as tempted to dive headfirst into a pint of rocky road or bowl of grandma’s chocolate chip cookie recipe.
4 Tips for Conquering CravingsNotice what triggers you. Are you hungry, tired, stressed out? Become aware of what sets you off. Research even shows that seeing food on TV can make you eat more of it. And not the healthy kind.Eat more protein. Things like beef, fish, eggs, and chicken can help you feel full and have fewer cravings. That’s because protein reduces the hunger hormone, ghrelin, and improves dopamine production – one of the hormones involved in cravings.Get more sleep. Studies prove that skimping on sleep can make you crave sweets and other comfort foods.8 So make getting quality shut-eye a priority and follow Mark’s tips for manufacturing a great night’s sleep here.Decrease your stress. Our friends over at myPrimalCoach are sharing simple ways to relieve your stress in this post — everything from breathing techniques to taking a quick walk.Try these for a week and see what happens. Managing cravings is easier than you think when you have the right tools.
Mihir asked:
“How do I get rid of my food addiction (cravings for junk food and other tasty food)? I’m not looking for medical advice, but if you have any tips for beating cravings for good, can you let me know how to do it?”
The emotional reasons we crave food (and have food addictions) are often stronger than the physiological ones. Since you’re up to speed on the temporary hormone changes that occur when you eat hyper-palatable food, I’ll cut right to the chase.
I don’t think there’s a single person out there who doesn’t have some emotional connection to food. Mind you, it doesn’t need to be a negative experience to count. Were there certain foods you enjoyed growing up? Did your parents treat you to sweets when you got hurt? Or rewarded you with junk food for good grades? Maybe a certain dish reminds you of when things were simpler, without bills and jobs and adulting responsibilities. This is all normal and extremely common.
Mindfulness and Emotional EatingPracticing the act of staying present (also known as mindfulness) can help you learn to hold your ground when faced with the urge to eat. Instead of avoiding the feeling or binging on processed junk, mindfulness allows you to acknowledge the emotion without judgment. And researchers agree. Sarah Bowen from the University of Washington teaches a method called Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention. It was designed to help those struggling with substance abuse; however, her method helps all types of people with addictions learn how to become aware of the emotional sensations of their cravings and meet the experience with compassion, rather than giving in to their craving. Being mindful also helps you put a name on the emotion you’re experiencing.
When you’re stressed out or sad or feel isolated, and not legitimately hungry, be aware of what you might really be craving. It could be that you have an unmet need in one or more areas of your life.
We all have basic human needs, including:
CertaintyUncertaintySignificanceConnectionGrowthContributionYour junk food cravings might bring you a sense of security that makes you feel grounded and safe. Or, they might feel wildly exciting, proving a much-needed blast of uncertainty. You might be feeling socially isolated (and really, who isn’t right now) due to the pandemic and look to food to help you cope.9 Or you might feel stuck in your current situation use junk to self-sabotage.
Find Alternatives that Empower YouOnce you’ve honed in on what you need, take steps to find more empowering ways to get that need met. This is a fantastic exercise I use with my own health coaching clients to help them get started: Jot down 5 non-food ways to meet each of these basic human needs.
List 5 ways to meet your need for certainty.
You might read your favorite book or listen to a song that brings back good memories.
List 5 ways to meet your need for uncertainty.
Why not make a recipe you’ve never tried before or style your hair in a new way?
List 5 ways to meet your need for significance.
Being a role model for your family is a great way to meet this need.
List 5 ways to meet your need for connection.
Call a friend or play ball with the kids at the park.
List 5 ways to meet your need for growth.
Consider taking a class, learning a language, or checking out a new yoga video.
List 5 ways to meet your need for contribution.
This could be supporting a local cause or just being present with your family.
Now, here’s the important part: Have this list ready before you need it. That way it’s just as easy to go for a walk or call a friend as it is to order a large deep dish with pepperoni. And if you want more hands-on advice, feel free to check out the new myPrimalCoach program. You can even work with your own health coach one-on-one.
Now it’s your turn. Have you struggled with cravings? If so, what’s worked for you?
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January 21, 2022
New and Noteworthy: What I Read This Week—Edition 162
Research of the Week
Humans gained energy surplus by getting better at acquiring energy, not conserving it.
Another protective gene variant against COVID has been found.
New Primal Kitchen PodcastsPrimal Health Coach Institute: Erin Power.
Media, SchmediaTurns out some of the numbers were wrong.
A “greenhouse gas guru” who defends meat.
Interesting Blog PostsInteresting post on the lab leak hypothesis.
Social NotesStalin liquidated the dairy-farming kulaks to make way for soy production.
Road Warrior: great movie, great workout.
Everything ElseTurns out your skin can take care of itself if you treat it right.
A space plane would be cool.
Things I’m Up to and Interested InPowerful piece: From Dr. Malcolm Kendrick.
Incredible case study: 19 year journey of ketogenic diet in GLUT1 deficiency, from neonate to teenager.
I would buy property next to this highway: A bee highway.
Interesting link: Linoleic acid and depression.
Was that so crazy?: 16 year olds used to be able to drive buses in the Carolinas.
Question I’m AskingHow are you?
Recipe CornerSingapore noodles. Thai basil really is incredible. Highly underrated.Dutch oven chicken, ideally with real fire and coals.Time CapsuleOne year ago (Jan 15 – Jan 21)
Carniflex: The Carnivore Diet with Strategic Leniency — A better way.How to Use Collagen Powder: 12 Interesting Uses That go Beyond Smoothies — This is how to do it.Comment of the Week
“On cats direct-registering, the blog is incorrect. Camels and giraffes are not the only other animals that move in such a factor. Foxes and coyotes are a very notable examples, as are bounders like the fisher and other mustelids.
As the winter grows it gets more difficult to find motivation to get outside and enjoy the woods, but there is no better season for following various animal tracks.
*Incidentally, you’ll be hard-pressed to find fisher tracks near bodies of water – they weren’t named for their tastes.”
-Thanks for the info, hate_me.
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January 20, 2022
Ask a Health Coach: Why Starting is So Hard
This week, Board-Certified health and wellness coach Chloé Maleski is here to answer a few of your questions regarding New Year’s Resolutions, specifically why starting them is such a challenge. If you’re struggling to get going, you’ll definitely want to check out Chloé’s recommendations in today’s post. We love getting your questions, so drop them in the comments below or in our Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group.
James asked:
“I’m committed to eating healthier this year, but if I see pizza, corn chips, or cookies in the pantry or fridge, I can’t resist. I’ve tried keeping fresh veggies, bison burgers, and salmon on hand, but I always give in to the junk food first. Got any tips for staying on track?”
If you want to start eating differently, you have to set your environment up for success. Think about the foods in your pantry and fridge right now. Does keeping pizza, corn chips, and cookies on hand get you closer to your results or further away? Sure, buying fresh produce and protein-rich foods is a great place to begin. But if you really want to get off on the right foot, you’ve got to purge the junk, especially if they’re a trigger for you. People tend to believe that their healthy habits are formed by motivation and willpower. It’s actually your environment that pulls the biggest lever.
According to habit expert, James Clear, “If you want to maximize your odds of success, then you need to operate in an environment that accelerates your results rather than hinders them.” That being said, my first recommendation is to do a pantry purge.
Step 1: Purge your PantryWith a pantry purge, you clean out any foods you don’t want to be tempted by. That means tossing or donating all the processed foods, sugar, and industrialized oils from your cabinets, fridge, and freezer. When you remove the foods that tempt you, and replace them with ones that support your goal, you have the best possible chance of succeeding. So, take this opportunity to design an environment that makes it easy to make smart decisions.
To avoid getting overwhelmed, do this task when you won’t be disturbed and start with one area, like the fridge. Begin on the top shelf and work your way down, reading labels and setting aside foods that don’t fit into your healthy eating plan. Keep in mind that doing a pantry purge when you’re hungry is a recipe for disaster, so fill up on protein and healthy fats first.
Step 2: Toss, Donate, or Place Out of SightYou can donate your purged foods to a food bank or dump them in the trash or compost and recycle the containers. Dead set on keeping certain foods around? Your best bet is to place them out of your direct line of sight. That’s because foods that are placed at eye level tend to be eaten more frequently.
Ever wonder why grocery stores put candy and other processed convenience foods at the check-out line? It’s based on a concept known as decision fatigue. Psychologists found that the more decisions you’re faced with, the more fatigued your willpower becomes. And the more you open your fridge and see leftover pizza, the less likely you’ll be to cook up a pack of bison burgers.
Step 3: Replace with Healthier FoodsYou don’t have to fill your cart with 100% organic, grass-fed foods. Just buy the foods that support your health goals and make you feel energized. And here’s the kicker, don’t purchase that junk food again. Even for “just in case” reasons. If you don’t want to be tempted by it, don’t buy it in the first place. Full stop.
I’m not one for meal plans and recipes, but Mark has a fantastic Primal Blueprint shopping list you can refer to. As you might imagine, it’s filled with meat, fish, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and fruit. And, obviously, no corn chips.
Lory asked:
“I’m not off to a great start as I’ve already missed my first workout this year. How likely am I to stick with my new exercise routine if I can’t even complete Day 1?”
You’ve probably seen the stats on New Year’s resolutions. An estimated 80% of people give up by the second week of February, and most don’t even make it that long. In fact, Strava analyzed user data from more than 800 million logged activities and found that the average date people dropped their fitness-related goals was January 17.
How to Foolproof Your WorkoutsIt’s not just about the workout, it’s about creating the habit of working out. See the difference? It’s easy to get discouraged when you think, “All I had to do was exercise, and I didn’t even do it!” But you’re creating a new routine in your life and in your daily schedule — and that takes mental and physical effort. And because the brain likes to keep things simple (and keep you in your comfort zone), it takes less effort to do what you’ve always done versus trying something new.
Whenever I’m coaching clients who are new to working out, I focus on helping them take actionable steps so that exercise becomes a non-negotiable part of their day. For you, this might look like:
Deciding when you’ll exercise (what days and what time of day)Figuring out what kind of workout you’ll do (and where you’ll do it)Blocking off time on your calendarSetting out exercise clothes and shoes (and equipment if necessary)Finding an accountability buddy to help you stay on trackDiscovering your “why” (why is exercising important to you?)Getting clear on the consequences of not completing your workoutLet me elaborate on that last one a bit. It’s easy enough to miss one workout. And honestly, not a big deal in the general scheme of things. But what happens when one workout becomes two, and then you decide you’ll start again next week or next month, suddenly, it’s New Year’s Eve 2022 and you’re making the same resolution all over again?
The Psychology of Creating HabitsLook at this a different way. Let’s say you normally brush and floss your teeth at night, and then one night you’re so exhausted that you decide to skip it. Do you get frustrated with yourself and decide to skip brushing for the rest of the week, month, or year?
No, you brush them when you wake up in the morning.
And then you do it again that night. And if you forget or are too exhausted, you do it when you can, or you adjust your schedule so that it becomes a priority. American philosopher William James had the theory that habits are a result of repeating the same action over and over again until they’re automatic.
Tending to your oral hygiene is an important part of your overall health (and generally makes you feel good). The same thing goes for working out. You don’t need to beat yourself up if you miss one day. You just need to pick up where you left off and then keep going. Or in your case, you just need to start.
Start Small (These Exercises Count Too)Remember, exercise doesn’t have to look like an epic run, 90-minute boot camp class, or two-hour bike ride. It could be as simple as:
Taking the stairs instead of the escalatorWalking around the blockDoing tricep dips or squats while you’re waiting for your Zoom meeting to startHolding a plank while you’re waiting for the next Netflix episode to loadParking in the furthest spot from the storeGardening, dancing, or playing with your petAny form of microworkout (these are workouts you can do in 2 minutes or less)Every form of movement counts. So, start small, be consistent, and before you know it, exercise will be as automatic as brushing your teeth.
What’s been your biggest obstacle to getting started?
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January 19, 2022
10 Productivity Hacks That Really Work
I’m not a productivity hack guy. I’m not a “hack guy,” at all, for that matter. My mind doesn’t really operate on the hack wavelength. When I want to do something, I do it. There’s no benefit to trying to “trick” myself into being more productive.
Now, maybe that would have been different if I were doing something I hated. If I were forced to work on things I didn’t care about at all, I might have to employ some of the productivity hacks I see people advocating and using. So for today, I’m going to talk about those. I’m also going to give my tips for productivity that don’t qualify as “hacks” per se.
My Productivity MethodFor me, I follow a simple process that’s never let me down.
Write down the tasks that need to be completed.Complete the tasks.This is a remarkable method. It’s simple (just two steps) and it’s foolproof (following both steps as laid out improves productivity every time).
Note: it’s crucial to follow every step to the letter. This method doesn’t work if you don’t.
In my experience, however, this first method doesn’t work for everyone. I strongly suspect they’re just not following the protocol to a tee, but just the same, I’ve come up with some more specific recommendations for unique productivity deficits.
SlacklineMy favorite productivity tool is the slackline. Yes, that long strip of flat webbing hung between two anchor points that you use to balance, walk, jump, and play. There’s something unique about what five to ten minutes on the slackline does to your brain. To me, it feels like a reset. It feels like the brain floods with blood and clears out all the competing desires and circular thoughts that keep a person from stay on task and on target. The sensation of being on a slackline is so alien to most people—you’re balancing, you’re bouncing, there’s some tension but not enough to truly be stable—that it’s a totally novel input that forces you into the immediate moment. Then, when you get off, your brain feels looser and your muscles feel energized and pumped, and you sit down and get right back to work.
Here’s a good overview of slacklining.
Alarm clockSet the alarm to go off every thirty minutes or so, and use it as motivation to get up and do a set of pushups, pullups, and/or squats, just to keep active throughout the day. If you sit a lot at work (or even if you’re a standup workstation superstar), using a basic alarm clock to keep moving every hour (at least) should keep some of the negative health effects of sitting at bay while improving your ability to focus. You know you shouldn’t be sitting for that long, and the clock is free, so you really have no excuse.
Use your mouse with your off handThis is a very niche, esoteric tip I picked up from a friend of mine. He was doing an experiment trying to develop more fluency with his off hand. Right-handed, he would brush his teeth with his left hand, cook with his left, and do all sorts of basic functional movements using his left hand instead of his dominant right hand. After using his left hand to control his mouse on the computer, he noticed something really interesting: he was far more productive that way and far less distracted by extracurricular websites. Although he was a little more clumsy with the left hand, he found he wasn’t clicking on social media sites or any of the other computer activities he’d frequently use to distract himself from the work.
If you have trouble with distracting websites, try using your non-dominant hand to use the mouse or scroll the track pad. Using the “other side” of your brain in this manner might get you out of the neuronal grooves responsible for distracting yourself.
Work outdoorsI don’t mean go get a job on a farm (although that’s great, too). I mean take your work outside. If you work on a laptop, you can definitely do this outside—weather permitting—and the benefits to productivity, not to mention happiness, are huge. When you’re outside:
You’re breathing fresh air.You have full spectrum natural light entering your eyes which increases alertness and energy.You’re reducing stress and cortisol, which burn energy and make you lose focus.You’re restoring your attentional capacity—the amount of “focus” you have in your tank. Research shows that spending time in nature is one of the best ways to restore this capacity to pay attention.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...Working outside just works. Here’s how to do it.
Take a “sprint vacation”Sometimes we simmer in non-productive work mode for too long. We sit in front of the computer doing nothing at all, really, convincing ourselves and our nervous systems that we are “working.” It’s miserable and it’s how a lot of people spend their days at work. It’s also very non-productive.
Not everyone can swing this, but I highly recommend taking a “sprint vacation”: getting away for 3-10 days to just hit a project (creative or otherwise) with everything you’ve got as hard as you can. You don’t have to do it in an expensive getaway location, although that can be nice if it’s possible. It can also be tough with young children at home. But even if it’s just renting a modest cabin somewhere in the woods for a few days to go write or code or plan, it can really pay off.
DeloadJust like you need to deload from physical training every now and again, just like refraining from lifting any weight at all for a week can make you stronger in the long run and when you return, deloading from work for a day or two or seven can make a huge difference in your productivity.
Just don’t do anything for a few days or longer. Nothing work related. Take walks, go swimming, have dates with your spouse, take your kids somewhere fun, do puzzles. Workout. Just do anything unrelated to work and take a total break from it all.
Energy breakYou’re in the midst of work. Things are slowing down. You’re slowing down. Energy lags. You’ve already had coffee, tea, all that. How can you get a little boost?
Hold your breath and jump in place as long as you can. Other movements work too, like squats or pushups or burpees. But just hold your breath and do a movement rather intensely. Breathe in when you must, and feel the energy flow through you.
These are the productivity “hacks” I, as a guy who recoils from the idea of hacks, find to be most useful and promising. What about you? How do you like to hack productivity?
Don’t Break the ChainJerry Seinfeld used this method to become one of the most prolific and successful comedians in history. It’s very simple: every day you do the required amount of desired work or activity, you cross that day off on the calendar. If you keep making progress each day, you get an unbroken chain of Xs across the calendar. Don’t break the chain and you’ll ensure you stay productive.
This is probably one productivity hack I’d actually be willing to try. It’s low-tech. It’s simple. It provides instant, tangible, visual feedback.
Kanban BoardKanban is a work-flow method developed by an engineer at Toyota to improve productivity and organize project progress in the plants. It’s very simple, especially used for general productivity. You get a large board with three columns: To Do, Doing, Done. You write all your “to-dos” on magnetic or sticker squares. As a particular task, project, or goal progresses from “to do” to “doing” and finally “done,” you move it to the correct column.
Here’s a Kanban board you can buy.
Use the Pomodoro techniqueWith Pomodoro, you do focused work for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. Download an app like this one that lets you organize your to-do list and reminds you to stop for a breather. Use those breaks wisely:
Drink some waterMake a cup of tea or coffeeGo outsideTake some deep nasal breathsRun a sprintSwing some kettlebellStretch or do a two-minute microworkoutBrowse social mediaListen to a song, either a calming one or a pumping-up one“Brain dump” in your journal for a few minutes to clear your mindGet a hugGive a hugPet an animal (function($) { $("#dfUVNuI").load("https://www.marksdailyapple.com/wp-ad..." ); })( jQuery ); 
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