February 2024
Successful vs. Unsuccessful People
Hello,
It’s often easy to distinguish those who are successful vs. those who aren’t—regardless of how you define it—but it’s not always easy to articulate exactly why. Here are some of those reasons.
Successful People:
Want others to succeed too
Adapt to and welcome change
Share and discuss ideas
Take responsibility for failures
Never stop learning
Compliment others
Forgive people
Unsuccessful People:
Want others to fail
Are scared of change
Gossip and share rumors
Blame others for mistakes
Think they know everything
Criticize others
Hold grudges
Embracing these “success traits” can pave the way for personal and professional growth. Foster a mindset that encourages adaptability, continuous learning, and positivity for others, you can navigate challenges more effectively and create a path towards long-term success.
Brian
Stuff of the Month
Mind
Body
Elevate Your Coffee Game: The Best Organic Coffee Brands of 2023
The Science Behind Minimalist Shoes: A Deep Dive into Rehabilitation Benefits
Dad
The Growth Kit (Podcast)
Find the full list of episodes here.
Follow The Growth Kit on Instagram.
Subscribe to your favorite podcast player (Spotify, Apple). Please leave a review!
From One Year Ago
Hunt, Gather, Parent: 3 Takeaways
Find more from a year ago here.
Best Of The Month
Here are some of my favorite things of the month.
Quote
"All of Western medicine is built on getting rid of pain, which is not the same as healing. Healing is actually the capacity to hold pain."
-Gabor Mate
Podcast
Do Kids Need More Independence? from No Stupid Questions
Book
Excellent Advice For Living by Kevin Kelly
Product
The Apollo Neuro uses gentle vibrations, called Apollo Vibes™, to send signals to your nervous system, mimicking the calming touch of a loved one. Backed by science, it boasts impressive results: 73% of users report feeling calmer, 70% experience improved sleep quality, and 63% find it helps them focus better.
Worn on your wrist, ankle, or clipped to your clothing, the Apollo Neuro provides specific vibrations for you to choose from, like "Unwind" after a long day or "Focus" before tackling a task.
I was skeptical at first but I’ve been using it on my way to and from work and syncing it with my meditations and breathwork practice and I am now a believer.
Things I’ve Learned
Mind
Highest Risk Factors for Young Onset Dementia
In this cohort study of over 356,000 participants from the UK Biobank, researchers looked at modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors for diagnosing dementia in middle adulthood (before 65 years old).
Here are the 15 risks most heavily correlated with Young Onset Dementia:
Lower formal education
Lower socioeconomic status
Carrying 2 APOE4 genes
No alcohol use*
Alcohol use disorder
Social isolation
Vitamin D deficiency
High C-reactive protein levels
Lower handgrip strength
Hearing impairment*
Orthostatic hypotension*
Stroke
Diabetes
Heart disease
Depression
Many of these seem obvious even though many people still chalk up their risk of dementia to it "running in the family." The ones with the * were most interesting and surprising to me.
We Are Mirrors
52 Things I Learned in 2023
A great list from Kent Hendricks called 52 Things I Learned in 2023. Here are some of my favorites:
One reason the United States didn’t adopt the metric system was because the ship crossing the Atlantic from France carrying a standard kilogram—yes, a real physical object—requested by Thomas Jefferson in 1793 was blown off course into the Caribbean and captured by pirates
Santa’s reindeer are all female. Male reindeer don’t start growing antlers until February, so any reindeer with antlers hauling goods on Christmas Eve wouldn’t be male.
Children who were injured from a fall before the age of nine are less likely to be scared of heights when they get older.
Tic Tacs are labeled as sugar-free even though they are 94% sugar. As long as there’s less than half a gram of sugar, the FDA permits products to be labeled sugar-free. Each Tic Tac has 0.49 grams of sugar.
When women talk to each other, they face each other. But when men talk to each other, they stand at an average angle of 120 degrees. When men face each other while talking, it’s because they’re about to fight.
Life Stats
Plug your birthday into Life Stats to find out some wild info that has happened since you were born. Here are some stats since my birthday in 1986:
You've spent 4,601 days of your life asleep.
The moon is slowly moving away. It's 144 cm further away than when you were born.
You're one of the lucky ones. 7% of people born in 1986 didn't make it to 2024.
The S&P 500 is up 2,204% in your lifetime.
Hat tip to Bob P. for the recommendation.
Body
Bidirectional Influences For Sleep & Diet
Supplement Caution
A great read Most Supplements Don’t Work. But That’s Not the Worst Part. Here’s an excerpt:
"Whenever I see someone touting the merits of, say, neuroscientist and podcaster Andrew Huberman’s $370 supplement stack, I’m tempted to go full PubMed on them. You really think the herbal extract Fadogia agrestis is going to boost your “healthspan and muscle performance” based on an obscure study of male albino rats published by the Asian Journal of Andrology back in 2005? A grand total of zero human trials is what Huberman means by a “robust foundation of science”?
Plastics In Products
The Food Babe wrote about a recent report highlights the presence of harmful chemicals from plastics in popular grocery store and fast-food items, emphasizing the potential health risks associated with ultra-processed and packaged foods. These chemicals, such as bisphenols (BPA) and Phthalates, can leach into products during various stages, including packaging, processing, and handling.
Here are some results from the products they tested. Click the link above for the full list.
Annie’s Organic Cheesy Ravioli – 53,579 ng of phthalates
Yoplait Original Low Fat Yogurt French Vanilla – 10,948 ng of phthalates
Cheerios Original Cereal – 10,980 ng of phthalates
Poland Spring 100% Natural Spring Water – 4,217 ng of phthalates
Beech-Nut Fruities Pouch Pear, Banana & Raspberries – 2,826 ng of phthalates
Read more about how to avoid toxins here.
Curcumin Reduces Glucose Levels
I recently got hold of a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that I’m excited to try out to find out what increases and decreases my glucose levels.
This study surprised me with the impact curcumin has on these levels. After analyzing 59 studies, it found that turmeric/curcumin can significantly reduce fasting blood sugar by 4.60 mg/dl, lower fasting insulin by 0.87 μIU/ml, decrease hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) by 0.32%, and improve insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) by 0.33.
Already incorporating curcumin into my routine, I'm intrigued to observe and share how this supplement impacts my own glucose levels through the use of a CGM. Stay tuned for updates on my anecdotal experiment.
Dad
Concerns With Petroleum Jelly
Vaseline (a.k.a. petroleum jelly), a staple in many medicine cabinets for over 150 years, has been used to address various skin concerns. However, recent scientific insights highlight four compelling reasons to reconsider its use.
Petroleum jelly is derived from fossil fuels, contributing to ecological concerns associated with oil drilling.
It may contain carcinogenic compounds, with potential health risks.
Its occlusive nature creates a near-impenetrable barrier on the skin, hindering breathability and, in some cases, exacerbating skin issues.
Petroleum jelly lacks skin-nourishing properties and can disrupt the skin's natural moisture production.
Check out the link for safer alternatives.
Corporal Punishment Bans = Less Fighting
This ecological study, involving 88 countries and 403,604 adolescents, aimed to explore the relationship between corporal punishment bans and youth violence on an international scale. The study found that countries with full bans on corporal punishment, both in schools and at home, had lower rates of youth violence.
Kids Screen Time Linked to ADHD & Autism?
Children under the age of two exposed to higher screen time were more likely to exhibit behaviors like "sensation seeking," "sensation avoiding," and "low registration" by 33 months, according to a study led by Dr. Karen Heffler at Drexel. The research, analyzing data from 1,471 children, suggests a connection between early screen time and sensory-related behaviors, prompting further investigation into the impact on conditions like autism spectrum disorder.
"The findings were quite revealing:
At 12 months, any screen exposure was linked to a 105% greater likelihood of “high” sensory behaviors related to low registration at 33 months.
At 18 months, each additional hour of daily screen time increased the odds of “high” sensory behaviors related to sensation avoiding and low registration by 23%.
By 24 months, each additional hour of screen time was associated with a 20% increased odds of “high” sensation seeking, sensory sensitivity, and sensation avoiding behaviors at 33 months."
