February 2025
One More Pill
As a young OT, I was working with a woman with congestive heart failure who was taking a long list of meds a few times a day. Over the course of a few days her blood pressure was gradually increasing to 200’s/100’s. Her doctor prescribed her an additional medication to take with her lunchtime meds. But she wouldn't take it.
"I don’t want to take any more meds."
I was stunned. She was already taking 15 pills a day, yet she refused one more—even though this pil could literally save her life. The nurse, doctor, and I all tried to reason with her, explaining the urgency, but she stood firm. “I already take too many pills. I’m not taking any more.”
I never found out what happened to her, but I’ve seen this scenario play out countless times throughout my career. Patients who rely on medications to stay alive refuse just one more—simply because it’s “another pill.”
I didn’t have the words for it at the time, but now I know this was status quo bias—the resistance to change, even when that change could be lifesaving. It wasn’t about the medication itself. It was about what it represented: another step into being “sick,” another reminder that things weren’t improving. It was easier to stick with what she knew, even if what she knew wasn’t working.
This phenomenon goes beyond healthcare though. People stay in jobs they hate, avoid making small changes to their health, or put off hard conversations—not because they don’t believe it would help, but because it feels like one more thing. But the irony is, the real effort is in staying the same. That patient wasn’t rejecting logic; she was rejecting an identity shift. And isn’t that what stops most of us? Not that the action itself is difficult, but that it forces us to see ourselves differently?
What I wish I could have told her then, and what I remind myself now, is that refusing to act doesn’t stop the inevitable—it just delays it. The blood pressure will still be high. The job will still be unfulfilling. The body will still need movement. The sooner we accept that change is necessary, the better chance we have of actually moving forward.
So now, whenever I feel resistance creeping in, I ask myself: What’s my one more pill? The thing I know will help me, but I keep avoiding because it feels like too much? Because if I’ve learned anything from working in healthcare, it’s that small actions—especially the ones we resist—are often the ones that make all the difference.
Live well,
Brian
Announcement
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Six Pillars: A weekly and short (<500 words) newsletter focusing on practical ways to improve the six pillars of your health: nutrition, movement, sleep, stress management, social connection, and mindset.
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📂 From the Archives
🥇 Best of the Month
"Show me the ways you avoid stillness, and I'll show you the patterns that run your life."
--Cory Muscara
🎧 Podcast: Optimizing Metabolic Health to Live Longer by All the Hacks
📖 Book: The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom
🎁 Product: Birchbury Minimalist Dress Shoes. My favorite dress shoes: comfortable, durable, and they look great.
❓ Question of the Month
Q: Are all processed foods bad?
A: Not all processed foods are created equal. The term "processed food" often gets a bad rap, but there’s a distinction that’s important to understand: Ultra-processed foods vs. minimally processed foods.
🌱 Minimally Processed: Things like extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), canned tuna, or pre-cooked chicken. These are processed just enough to make them more convenient but still retain most of their original nutritional value. For example, EVOO is processed to extract the oil, but it’s still a healthy fat that retains its antioxidants and heart-healthy benefits. Other examples are nut butters (without added sugar or oils), beef jerky, frozen fish, unsweetened yogurt, and canned beans—still close to their natural form, with nutrients mostly intact.
🍔 Ultra-Processed: Typically packed with added sugars, seed oils, preservatives, and artificial ingredients. Think boxed meals, sugary snacks, and processed meats. These types of foods are often low in nutrients and high in calories, leading to weight gain, inflammation, and increased risk of chronic diseases. Examples re pre-packaged snacks, soda, ready-to-eat meals, and most fast food—loaded with additives, preservatives, and sugar.
In short, not all processed foods are bad. The real problem arises when ultra-processed foods make up a large portion of your diet. Aim for mostly whole, nutrient-dense foods, and keep ultra-processed options to a minimum.
Got a question? Email me: contact@mindbodydad.com.
💡 Things I’ve Learned
🧠 Mind
Leafy Greens May Keep Your Brain 11 Years Younger
A prospective study of 960 older adults (ages 58-99) found that eating green leafy vegetables daily slowed cognitive decline, equating to an 11-year younger brain. Researchers analyzed the impact of key nutrients and bioactives—including vitamin K, lutein, folate, nitrate, kaempferol, and α-tocopherol—on brain health. Participants in the highest intake group (1.3 servings/day) had a significantly reduced rate of cognitive decline. Among individual nutrients, folate showed the strongest protective effect, while β-carotene had the weakest association.
Do this: Eat at least one serving of green leafy vegetables a day. Focus on foods rich in vitamin K (spinach, kale), lutein (romaine, Swiss chard), folate (arugula, collards), and nitrates (beet greens, lettuce) for the most benefit.
Effects of Chronic Brain Injury on Quality of Life
An excerpt from a study on brain injury and quality of life (QOL):
"We found that perception of physical disability had the greatest effect on patients’ QOL. Education, lesion size, and age predicted perceived physical functioning. Older patients were more satisfied with their emotional health than younger patients. Patients with left hemisphere lesions were less satisfied with their cognitive functioning and had lesions in the areas of the brain typically implicated in language and memory functions." They also found that patients with right hemisphere injuries reported greater dissatisfaction with their physical function.
Eggs and Brain Health: A 47% Lower Risk of Alzheimer’s
A new 7-year study of 1,024 older adults (average age: 81) found that eating more than one egg per week was linked to a 47% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Brain autopsies of 578 participants revealed that regular egg eaters had 49% fewer Alzheimer’s-related changes in their brain tissue. Choline—a key brain nutrient—was responsible for 39% of eggs’ protective effects. Choline helps produce acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter essential for learning and memory, which declines in Alzheimer’s. Eggs also contain omega-3s, lutein, and other brain-boosting compounds. Unfortunately, 90% of adults don’t get enough choline, even though it’s crucial for nerve function and brain cell communication.
Do this: Eat at least one egg per week (including the yolk) to support cognitive health (these are the best kinds).
💪 Body
Impact of Ketogenic Diet on GBM Survival
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor, with patients typically having a median survival of just 12 to 18 months despite aggressive treatment, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The survival rate for GBM patients is grim, with a median overall survival of 12–18 months and fewer than 10% surviving beyond five years. In a study of 18 patients aged 34 to 75, researchers examined the impact of the ketogenic diet on GBM progression. Those who adhered to a ketogenic diet had a 66.7% survival rate beyond 36 months. By contrast, the patients who did not follow the diet had a median survival of only 15.7 months, with just one surviving past 36 months. While this study was small, the results provide a compelling case for dietary interventions in cancer treatment.
Curcumin's Impact on Blood Sugar and Inflammation
A recent meta-analysis analyzed data from 18 clinical trials involving 1,382 participants to assess the effects of curcumin on hyperglycemia and inflammation in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. The findings revealed that curcumin supplementation led to a reduction of 11.48 mg/dL in fasting blood glucose and 0.54% in HbA1c. It also significantly lowered C-Reactive Protein (CRP) by 0.59 points, indicating an anti-inflammatory effect. The curcumin dosage in the trials varied from 80 mg to 2100 mg per day, and the interventions lasted between 8 weeks and 12 months.
Do this: Consider curcumin if you’re glucose or CRP levels are high. I take this kind of curcumin/turmeric at least a few times a week (and I also use it as a pain med instead of NSAID’s which has gnarly side effects). Talk to your doctor before starting this.
How Much Exercise Do You Really Need to Live Longer?
A study tracked 116,221 adults over 30 years to explore how different levels of physical activity impact life expectancy. The findings showed that hitting the recommended 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75-149 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week reduced the risk of dying from all causes by up to 25%. But here’s the twist: once you’re past that sweet spot, adding more exercise doesn’t seem to do much for longevity, and in fact, no further health benefits showed up from exceeding those guidelines.
Do this: Whether you're walking, jogging, or cycling, sticking to those weekly goals is your best bet. If you’re already in the recommended range, tossing in a bit of vigorous activity could give you a little extra edge. Just make sure you’re hitting that 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week (or 75 minutes of vigorous), and if you can, add a few short bursts of higher-intensity activity.
🎯 Dad
How Your Personality Shapes Your Child’s Mental Health
A study of 4,258 adolescents (ages 11-17) and their parents found that parental personality plays a major role in kids’ mental health—largely through parenting style. Specifically, high neuroticism in parents was linked to more mental health problems in children, while conscientiousness and warmth were associated with better outcomes. The findings suggest that warm, supportive parenting helps prevent externalizing issues (like aggression), while behavioral control reduces internalizing issues (like anxiety and depression). On the flip side, psychological control—such as guilt-tripping or love withdrawal—was tied to higher rates of mental health struggles.
Do this: Focus on warmth and balanced discipline in parenting. Avoid psychological control, like guilt-tripping, and instead emphasize consistent structure and emotional support. If you struggle with stress or reactivity, address emotional regulation skills and consider P.C.I.T.
Pregnancy & Coffee: What the Science Actually Says
A study of nearly 60,000 mother-child pairs found no strong link between coffee during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental issues like attention or social challenges. While initial data suggested mild associations, adjusting for smoking, income, and education erased most effects. Using Mendelian randomization (genetic analysis), researchers found only a weak link to social difficulties, which disappeared when accounting for confounding factors. Bottom line: There’s little evidence that coffee harms fetal brain development.
Do this: If pregnant, moderate coffee intake (≤200 mg/day) is likely safe (ideally organic coffee). Focus on overall health—nutrition, sleep, and stress management—rather than stressing over your morning cup. And, of course, talk to your doctor about these changes.
The 10 Most Toxic Cereals
Mamavation ranked the most toxic cereals based on sugar, artificial dyes, pesticides, GMOs, and harmful additives like BHT. Here are the worst offenders (sugar per serving):
Kellogg’s Fruit Loops – 10g sugar, hydrogenated oils, BHT, red #40 (Fruit Loops with Marshmallows: 13g)
Kellogg’s Corn Pops – 9g sugar, hydrogenated oils, BHT
Kellogg’s Apple Jacks – 10g sugar, hydrogenated oils, BHT, red #40
Kellogg’s Honey Smacks – 15g sugar, hydrogenated oils, BHT
General Mills Lucky Charms – 10g sugar, corn syrup, red #40, trisodium phosphate
General Mills Boo Berry/Count Chocula/Franken Berry – 9g sugar, corn syrup, BHT, red #40
General Mills Trix – 10g sugar, corn syrup, BHT, red #40
Post Fruity Pebbles – 9g sugar, hydrogenated oils, BHA, red #40
Cap’n Crunch CrunchBerries – 11g sugar, brown sugar, BHT, red #40 (OOPS! All Berries: 15g)
Post Golden Crisps – 14g sugar, corn syrup, caramel color
Do this: Swap sugary, processed cereals for whole-food options like eggs, Greek yogurt, or healthier versions of cereal like Magic Spoon and Three Wishes.
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