August 2023
The fishin’ spot in North Wildwood, NJ.
Inspired Parenting: A Thank You to Connor and Cole
Hey friend,
A few weeks back we took a weeklong vacation down the Jersey shore. Among the water park, boardwalk, sandcastles, and great food, one of the highlights of the trip was at the bay.
Early in the week, we threw a crab trap in the water and would check it a couple of times a day (4 spider crabs, 2 blue crabs, and a baby flounder but no keepers). During these trips, we met two young brothers, Connor and Cole, who were fishing and took an immediate interest in my son. They eagerly involved him in their fishing escapades, asking him to help reel in their catches, a task he carried out with pride, again and again.
Eventually, we brought a couple of child-friendly fishing rods and Connor and Cole eagerly attached hooks and bait and showed my 4-year-old how to tug and reel. While there were no keepers here either, these two kids were incredible and natural fishermen who handed their rods to my son as soon as they got a bite, letting him reel in 12 sea bass in less than a half hour at one point.
After meeting them that first day I told my wife, “Those are the types of kids that I want our kids to become.” I’m not sure if I’ve ever said that before but, as a parent, it was inspiring to see their mature, kind, and confident personalities. At one point they stood fishing in contrast to a group of boys of a similar age (pre-high school) who were reeling in a small flounder while being loud and obnoxious.
Amidst the chaos, Cole calmly stated, "That's not a keeper," as he baited a hook, while Connor said, "I wish they'd stop cursing with the little kids around." They then cast their rods and carried on fishing, not letting the situation affect them further.
So, Cole and Connor, if you ever come across this, thank you. Your influence has left a lasting impression on me, and it's something that Courtney and I often think about as parents – how our children will grow up to be. Your behavior has given us hope and reaffirmed the importance of instilling virtues like resilience, confidence, and kindness in our own kids.
Have a great week,
Brian
P.S. They recommended Outdoor Boys as a YouTube channel to learn more about fishing and general outdoorsy stuff.
August Stuff
Mind
Body
10 Takeaways from Outlive by Peter Attia: How To Improve Healthspan & Lifespan
Got Bad Breath? Look To Those Little White Stones In Your Mouth
The Minimum Effective Dose Of Walking: Do You Really Need 10,000 Steps?
Dad
An Interview With Daddy Simply: Martial Arts, Sleep For Kids, & Seaweed
Kids Nutrition: The Importance Of Establishing Healthy Eating Habits Early
Guest Posts
Good Men Project published my article: Annoying Things Kids Do (That Are Signs Of Healthy Growth)
I was one of the dads who gave advice for this Daddy Simply article: 50+ Best Parenting Tips And Advice For New Dads
New Stuff
MindBodyDad will officially be launching a podcast this fall, called The Growth Kit! (Thanks to everyone who voted.) Soon you’ll be able to listen to the articles on MindBodyDad instead of having to read them. And the even better news is that you won’t have to hear my voice thanks to some fancy AI-generated voicing tech. It’s been a bit more time-consuming than I anticipated but stay tuned for an official launch date.
MBD Recommends. You’ll notice some small changes on the site (banner, font size, etc.) as well as a new “MBD Recommends” page. I’ve gotten a lot of questions on my thoughts on this product vs. that one in the last year so I figured I’d just make a page of my favorite things. It’s up now but scant. Much more to come in the next few weeks. The site is for you so I’m open to any and all feedback either in the comment section or shoot me an email.
Best Of The Month
Here are some of my favorite things of the month.
Podcast
Naval Ravikant: The Angel Philosopher by The Knowledge Project (Replay from 2017 but it stands up.)
Book
Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick—and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health. One of the most practical books I’ve ever read related to health. Basically: “These chemicals in your everyday product are harmful to you and killing the environment so do this instead.”
Product
Nested Naturals Super Greens. I throw this in my smoothies most mornings to help with absorption (it has digestive enzymes and probiotics) and to round out my micronutrients and antioxidants (as well as spirulina and chlorella). It’s the most affordable green powder that’s organic, third-party tested, and actually tastes good.
Quote
Things I’ve Learned
Mind
Not Looking Good For The Younger Folk…
"Overall, the population is reasonably happy even after a mild recent decline. .... Being married is the most important differentiator with a 30-percentage point happy-unhappy gap over the unmarried. Income is also important, but Easterlin’s (1974) paradox applies: the rich are much happier than the poor at any moment, but income growth doesn’t matter. ....though old-age unhappiness may be emerging."
-The Socio Political Demography of Happiness
Things That Require No Talent
From The Financial Samurai:
“As someone who doesn't have much talent, I saw an inspiring picture that said:
10 Things That Require Zero Talent
1) Being on time
2) Work ethic
3) Effort
4) Body language
5) Energy
6) Attitude
7) Passion
8) Being coachable
9) Doing extra
10) Being prepared
The points remind me of my own personal mantra I've had since 1999, which is: "The great thing about hard work is that it requires no skill."
An Average Retiree’s Day
The WSJ had an interesting article on time spend in retirement. Turns out that most of a retiree's time is spent on sleeping (9 hours), relaxing and leisure (6 hours), and watching TV (4.5 hours). This is probably not what most retirees picture life to be after working (or is it?).
Body
Your Toilet Height Matters
Here’s an excerpt from an interesting article from Slate, Don’t Just Sit There! How bathroom posture affects your health. As an OT, I appreciate the thought that goes into this.
An Israeli doctor named Dov Sikirov tested this idea for a 2003 study published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences. He had several dozen patients defecate in each of three positions: sitting on a 16-inch-high toilet, sitting on a 12-inch-high toilet, and squatting over a plastic container. He asked his subjects to record how long each bowel movement took and rate the effort required on a four-point scale ranging from effortless to difficult. Sikirov found that, when squatting, subjects averaged a mere 51 seconds to move their bowels, versus 130 seconds when sitting on a high toilet. And as they moved from a sit to a squat, subjects were more likely to rate the experience as easier.
We’re Drinking More Water, But….
Great news: soft drink and juice consumption is decreasing. Not great news: bottled water consumption is increasing according to usafacts.org. Why are so few people concerned about the dangers of water bottles? Read this article here, if you’re one of them.
Gluten = Neuroinflammation
Many of us in the US experience gluten-related allergies or sensitivities, resulting in various brain-related symptoms such as depression, headaches, fatigue, and cognitive haze. New research indicates a potential connection with neuroinflammation. Male mice were split into low-fat and high-fat diet groups, both containing 4.5% gluten (matching human intake) for 14.5 weeks. High-fat + gluten diet led to notable body fat increase, along with significant microglia and astrocyte growth in the hypothalamus, responsible for body weight and blood sugar regulation. The study suggests gluten induces brain inflammation, with a heightened effect on high-fat diet groups. While the findings are based on mice, the evidence hints at the potential benefits of reducing conventional wheat intake, particularly in the U.S. where it's bred for processed foods with higher gluten content, for those experiencing unexplained symptoms.
Short Spurts Of Vigorous Activity Linked To Lower Mortality
A new study found that short bursts of activity can slash your risk of death. It found that even a few 1-2 minute bouts of climbing the steps or briskly walking were enough.
“The general principle is that if we [can] sing while doing the activity, it’s light intensity; if we can speak but not sing, it’s moderate intensity; if we can hardly speak more than a few words, we are hitting the vigorous intensity zone—this is high-quality movement that likely has great health-enhancing potential if repeated regularly.”
The Effects Of Red Wine On Fertility & ED
Researchers looked at the effects of red wine on erectile dysfunciton and fertility. The verdict is a thumbs up for red wine drinking although the type and amount matter.
“The evidence so far collected has shown that red wine, if consumed in moderation, can be potentially beneficial for patients with erectile dysfunction as well as can positively influence reproductive function through mechanisms that depend on the vasorelaxant properties of red wine and its antioxidant properties.”
Dad
When Americans Eat Dinner
Our family dinner time tends to be on the earlier side, which aligns with this data. In fact, my state of PA has the earliest dinner time in the country at 5:37 which is light years ahead of D.C. who sits in last place at 7:10. Find out where your state ranks here.
Stop Pushing Your Kids So Hard
An article from The Growth Equation called “Quit Trying To Get Your Kid To Work So Hard.”
“Stop. Resist this temptation. If YOU are the reason your kid is striving for good grades, great athletic achievements, or any sort of excellence they will struggle in college. It needs to come from within THEM.”
The Best Potty Training Advice
ParentData reveals interesting stats on potty training.
