January 2024
Great Questions
Hi all,
Morgan Housel dropped a great new book, Same as Ever. He concludes with very thought-provoking questions to ask yourself. Here they are.
Whose life do I admire that is secretly miserable?
What do I believe is true only because believing it puts me in good standing with my tribe?
Which of my current values would be different if I were raised by different parents?
What do I believe the most with the least amount of evidence of it being true?
Who has the right answer but I ignore because they’re a bad communicator?
Who is full of it but I pay attention to because they’re a good communicator?
What do I think is ambition (a good trait) but is actually envy (a terrible one)?
What annoys me about other people that I sometimes do myself?
How much of my nostalgia is a false or incomplete memory of the past?
What in your profession is impossible to know no matter how smart you become? David Deutsch said, “Beware of the difference between prediction and prophecy. Prophecy purports to know things which cannot be known.”
Is this thing I’m worried about actually a problem, or am I looking for problems to worry about because they make me feel in control?
What in my field do I think is a law (works all the time) but is actually just a rule (works some of the time)?
What do I think is a universal truth but is actually just a norm unique to my own culture?
What was true a generation ago that no longer is, and who is clinging to that old truth?
What is partially true but I believe in it so absolutely, and take it so seriously, that I’ve turned it into a dangerous belief?
Are there things going well in my life today that I will look back on and wish I had quit while I was ahead?
Is there something in my life I think I’m “passionate” about or “focused” on but I’m actually just addicted to it?
Do I spend more time defending what I already know instead of trying to learn something new?
Are there people in my life who I consider kind and compassionate but they’re actually just too shy to tell me hard truths?
What would Instagram look like if it were an honest reflection of people’s life, instead of a curated highlight reel?
Am I being as nice as I could be, rather than just as nice as I need to be?
Brian
December Stuff
Mind
Body
Dad
The Growth Kit (Podcast)
Follow The Growth Kit on Instagram.
Best Of The Month
Here are some of my favorite things of the month.
Quote
"Life is not just about peaks and valleys, about wins and losses. Life is about the journey. You hear that all the time. You’ve got to absorb that. You’ve got to know that. The journey has to become the destination because there is no true destination. There is no endpoint. There is no goal. All rivers run to the sea and yet the sea is not full. Life goes on; accept what life gives you. The sun rises the morning after you win the championship or lose in the first round."
— Paul Assaiante, Run to the Roar
Podcast
How To Raise A Resilient Child by the Daily Dad (Ryan Holiday)
Book
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. Hands down one of the best books I’ve ever read. You’ll think about life differently. I highly recommend it for any adult.
Product
Clean air and water aren't just luxuries; they're the bedrock of good health, yet the water we consume, even from bottled sources or non-RO filters like Brita, contains numerous chemicals and microplastics. The optimal choice is a reverse osmosis (RO) water filter, such as the Water Drop filter we've relied on since moving into our house—it's effortlessly installed (under the sink), features user-friendly filter changes, and has a remineralizer to add in the good stuff.
To learn more about why I chose the Wtaer Drop reverse osmosis (RO) filter, read this article or click the link below to go right to their homepage.
Things I’ve Learned
Mind
Lion’s Mane Reduces Stress & Improves Cognition
This pilot study investigated the acute and chronic cognitive and mood-enhancing effects of Lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) in healthy young adults. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, a single dose of 1.8 g of Lion’s Mane resulted in faster performance on the Stroop task, a cognitive test measuring selective attention and cognitive flexibility, at 60 minutes post-dose. Furthermore, there was a noticeable trend towards decreased subjective stress following 28-day supplementation.
My favorite sources are Mind Lab Pro by Performance Lab and IQBars.
Only 54% of Americans Read A Book Last Year
Constipation Linked to Cognitive Decline
Constipation affects 16% of the population which is concerning in itself but new research has found a connection between infrequent bowel movements and faster Alzheimer's progression.
"They found that having a bowel movement every 3 days or less frequently was linked to a 73% higher chance of subjective cognitive decline."
Predictors of Conspiratorial Thinking
Social threat, belief in a dangerous world, and “bullshit receptivity” are highly correlated whereas trust, self-esteem, and intelligence are less so.
Body
Sleep Regularity > Sleep Duration for Mortality
Stop Putting Bananas In Smoothies?!
According to a study conducted at the University of California, Davis, the addition of bananas to smoothies might compromise their health benefits.
”The researchers found that those who drank the banana smoothie had 84% lower levels of flavanols in their bodies compared to the control."
\Bananas contain polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, which hinders flavanol absorption. To enhance the intake of beneficial compounds and meet the daily recommended 400 to 600 milligrams of flavanols for cardiometabolic health, consider incorporating flavanol-rich fruits like berries, paired with ingredients low in PPO activity such as pineapple or yogurt.
Myth Debunked: Muscle Protein Synthesis Maxes Out at 30g of Protein
In a study employing a quadruple isotope tracer feeding-infusion approach, it was found that the anabolic response to feeding during post-exercise recovery is more prolonged and greater when ingesting 100g of protein compared to 25g. The research challenges the belief that the anabolic response is transient and has an upper limit, showing a dose-response increase in dietary-protein-derived plasma amino acid availability and its incorporation into various muscle proteins. The study concludes that,
"These findings demonstrate that the magnitude and duration of the anabolic response to protein ingestion is not restricted and has previously been underestimated in vivo in humans."
It’s worth noting that the protein used in this study was around 80% casein which absorbs and digests slowly compared to other forms of protein.
Read my article on the Minimum Effective Dose of Protein for more.
Please, Stop Drinking From Plastic Water Bottles
A recent study from Columbia and Rutgers universities discovered that the average liter of bottled water contains nearly a quarter million nanoplastics, detected for the first time using a microscope with dual lasers. The study, which examined three common bottled water brands, found particle levels ranging from 110,000 to 400,000 per liter, with an average of around 240,000.
Use reusable water bottles made of stainless steel. I use this Yeti (just make sure to remove the plastic “chug cap” so your lips aren’t touching plastic).
Dad
Baby Names & Future Earnings
A study on baby names and salaries revealed that shorter names tend to earn higher incomes, with the most common 100 names earning an average of $60,104. The analysis also highlighted gender pay gaps, with the top 10 men's names averaging $72,883, while the top 10 women's names averaged $59,427.
Check out the article for highest-earning names, lowest-earning names, and “most likely to appear in each of the summary level occupation groupings.”
Heavy Metal in Baby Food: Avoid These 11
An article from Dr. Axe writes that a national investigation in 2019 found that toxic metals were present in 95 percent of tested baby foods, with 94 percent containing lead, 75 percent containing cadmium, 73 percent containing arsenic, and 32 percent containing mercury. An updated study in 2023 revealed that while the amounts of these heavy metals in baby foods seem to be decreasing, the overall risk has not changed significantly in the past five years, according to Consumer Reports.
These are the most dangerous with 15 baby foods accounting for more than 50% of the heavy metal.
Rice-based foods, including infant rice cereal, rice dishes and rice-based snacks
Apple juice
Grape juice
Fruit juice blend (100 percent juice)
Cheerios and oat ring cereal
Macaroni and cheese
Puff snacks and teething biscuits
Soft cereal bars
Oatmeal cookies
Fruit yogurt
Sweet potato baby food
Common Sense Media
I learned about Common Sense Media not too long ago and after a recent conversation with my sister I figured I’d spread the word here.
Commonsensemedia.org, is a one-stop shop for all things related to media and children. They are an American non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of families by providing independent reviews and information about media and technology, with a focus on children and their well-being.
My favorite feature of theirs is using it as a guide to help me choose appropriate movies and shows for my kids to watch. You can put in your kid’s age, and your streaming services and then click the amount of exposure you allow for different categories (e.g. language, violence), and voila. Or you can just type in a movie or show. Here is part of a breakdown from their recent favorite movie, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch:
