July 2023
Hey friend,
A few weeks ago, the casual topic of choking, losing consciousness, and CPR came up during a family reunion. Naturally. After relaying scary stories to one another, we pooled together our knowledge of CPR and life-saving techniques to remind ourselves of a general action plan in case something were to happen. So, after learning that there’s a 10% decrease in survival for every minute you don’t get CPR, I figured this would be a good opportunity for a PSA.
Here's what I recommend:
Tape a CPR course. This is especially important if you have young children. Find a course here. (At the very lease, review these AHA infographics.)
Get a LifeVac. My wife was at the forefront of this recommendation and now we have one in our home, our car, and at each of our parent's houses (where our kids frequently are). It's basically a plunger for the mouth with a success rate better than abdominal thrusts or a "Dechoker" device with evidence to back it up.
Teach your child(ren) about calling for help. Depending on their age, teach your children how to dial emergency numbers and what to say when they call for help. Role-play different scenarios to prepare them for potential emergencies.
Debrief. Every time one of our kids has anything resembling a "close call," my wife and I talk about what to do in the "what if" situations.
I'm fortunate to work in healthcare where RQI, or Resuscitation Quality Improvement, is implemented through the American Heart Association (AHA). This means that I complete CPR training every 3 months. It's annoying to see that manikin wheeled in every new season, knowing that I have to take time to complete training, but I'm grateful for it, knowing that it could help save the life of my family or my patients.
Have a great week,
Brian
July Blog Posts
Mind
Kevin Kelly On The Future Of Technology, The Best Parenting Strategies, & His New Book
Decoding Modern Manners: Mastering Cell Phone at Dinner Etiquette and More with Mr. Manners
Body
The Hidden Health Effects Of Seed Oils: What You Need To Know
What Is The Minimum Effective Dose Of HIIT?
Dad
Best Of The Month
Here are some of my favorite things of the month.
Podcast
Book
Incognito: The Secret Lifes of the Brain by David Eagleman
Product
LifeVac Choking Rescue Device (Kids & Adults). See the intro above for why this is important.
Quote
“Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work." '
— H. L. Hunt
Things I’ve Learned
Mind
The News Is Getting More Negative
The phrase “if it bleeds, it leads” has been around for decades but it preys on a cognitive bias that’s been around for millennia: the negativity bias. The news preys on this cognitive bias to pay more attention to and be affected by negative information compared to positive or neutral information. Negative news captures our attention and evokes powerful responses. And, according to a study that created these two graphics, it’s getting worse.
Limit or avoid the news.
Life Hacks
A few of my favorite life hacks from Sahil Bloom’s list.
“Be bored for at least 15 minutes per day. “All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” - Blaise Pascal. We’ve completely forgotten how to be bored, but it’s a tremendous unlock for creativity and mindfulness.”
“Send a letter to your future self once each year on your birthday. Reflect on the present, changes you want to make, and goals for the future. Use an online tool like FutureMe to have it sent in 1-5 years. You'll benefit from the reflection in the present and the smiles when you open them in the future.”
“When faced with a difficult decision, ask yourself what your 80-year-old self and 10-year-old self would want you to do. Your 80-year-old self is most concerned with the long-term compounding of the action, while your 10-year-old self will remind you to have some fun.”
Morning Person = Greater Live Satisfaction
Researchers looked to find a link between "morningness-eveningness" (our preference for morning or evening activities) and conscientiousness (being organized and responsible), religiosity (religious beliefs and practices), and life satisfaction. They found that morning people are more likely to be religious, conscientious, and possess a higher level of life satisfaction.
11 Approaches to Be Happier
While I can relate most to number 3 (common sense), number 9 has such an appeal. Which approach to happiness do you lean most toward?
9. Hedonism:
Remember that you get just one life, so you might as well enjoy it
Live in the moment (don't worry about the future)
Dance
Party
Seek out cool experiences
Do exactly what you feel like
Ignore societal pressure
Have sex
Eat tasty food
Do fun drugs
Spend money on fun things
Don’t let others tell you what to do
The Trilogy Meter
Star Wars for the W, Jurassic Park for the L? Source: Preston and Steve
Body
“People who increased their quantity of sleep over a four-year period got the equivalent happiness increase as they would have from 8 weeks of therapy, or from winning up to $280,000 in a lottery.”
— Rob Henderson
Running Doesn’t Increase Risk Of Osteoarthritis
A survey of Chicago marathoners found that there’s one less excuse not to run. Participants had run an average of five or fewer marathons, and they had been running for an average of 14.7 years.
Cumulative number of years running, number of marathons completed, weekly mileage and mean running pace proved not to be significant risk factors for arthritis.
"Our multivariate analysis showed that the factors that increase a person's risk for arthritis are the same for anyone with joint degeneration — whether or not they're a runner. Those factors include increase in age, BMI, a family history of hip or knee arthritis, and whether they've had injuries or knee surgery," said Dr. Hartwell.
Speaking Of Running…
Corey Bellemore put down a 4:30 beer mile in one shoe.
Can ACLs Heal Themselves?
A new study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine comes up against the long-thought belief that the ACL does not heal itself.
“None were fully healed, according to a standard, 4-point scale of ACL health, which scores a total tear of the tissue as a zero. But 50 percent now qualified as grade 1 injuries, showing some entwining of the torn ends, 40 percent achieved grade 2, and 10 percent were at grade 3, representing a nearly intact ACL.”
Worse Sleep + Less Physical Activity = More Risk Of Cognitive Decline
A longitudinal study in The Lancet found that worse sleep and less physical activity are linked to a faster cognitive decline in older age.
“Lower physical activity and suboptimal sleep were independently associated with worse cognitive performance; short sleep was also associated with faster cognitive decline.”
Junk Food & Brain Health
More research that ultra-processed food does the body no favors.
"Research from the past ten or so years has shown that the more ultraprocessed foods a person eats, the higher the chances that they feel depressed and anxious. A few studies have suggested a link between eating UPFs and increased risk of cognitive decline."
-"70 percent of the packaged foods sold in the United States are considered ultraprocessed"
“There was a significant increase in mentally unhealthy days for those eating 60 percent or more of their calories from UPFs,”
Ginger Lowers Triglycerides
Thanks to this systematic review and meta-analysis I now add powdered ginger to my lunches to help keep my triglycerides low. Lemon ginger tea is another good idea.
Dad
Kids Survive In The Amazon For 40 Days
How four kids, ranging from a 1-year-old to 16-years old, survived in the Amazon for 40 days:
"THANK GOODNESS FOR HAIR TIES
By all accounts, 13-year-old Lesly took charge. She was raised by her grandmother in a remote village, and learned to cook at age 8. When her parents were off working, she often took care of her siblings.
After the kids ate a sack of casava flour they salvaged from the plane, Lesly led them off to hunt and gather. They took with them some clothes, a tarp, mosquito netting, a flashlight, and a music box.
In the jungle, they collected water in a soda bottle, and ate avichure (something like passion fruit) and milpesos (which supposedly taste like avocados). They hid in tree trunks to avoid predators, or sometimes Lesley made shelters from branches held together with hair ties.
Searchers traversed over 900 miles looking for the children, at one point passing less than 200 feet from them. In the end, the kids were found about four miles from the crash."
Banana Science, According To An Optimist
Surgeon General On Social Media
The Surgeon General issued a new advisory on social media and how it impacts mental health.
When asked about the impact of social media on their body image, 46% of adolescents aged 13-17 said social media makes them feel worse, 40% said it makes them feel neither better nor worse, and only 14% said it makes them feel better. Additionally, 64% of adolescents are “often” or “sometimes” exposed to hate-based content through social media. Studies have also shown a relationship between social media use and poor sleep quality, reduced sleep duration, sleep difficulties, and depression among youth.
Missed Triggers For Explosive Kids
Missed Triggers For Explosive Kids from askjesssherman
Is your child just wired for stress? Maybe. But here are 5 things I see commonly in explosive kids that add fuel to their anger and lower their already low stress tolerance.
✔ Nutrient imbalance - getting the right nutrition into kids is key. Nutrients make the nervous system run and orchestrate the stress response.
I don't know your child but common imbalances I see in explosive kids are: too much copper, sugar, and omega-6 fatty acids, and not enough zinc, magnesium, protein, fiber, and B vitamins.
✔ Parasites - Not only are they uncomfortable and interfere with sleep, nutrient absorption, and pooping, but research has shown some parasites influence how we feel and behave
✔ Disturbed sleep - This is a tricky one, because explosive kids often struggle with sleep. But if you can construct a good sleep environment they are likely to surprise you by becoming more emotionally flexible. It really is magical what sleep can do!
✔ Clostridia - When this opportunistic microbe takes hold in the gut it can derail neurotransmitters and spike inflammation. The result can be hyperactivity, explosive behavior, sensory dysregulation, rage
✔ Blood sugar swings - Another tricky one, because explosive kids tend to like their carbs and sugar. But if you can get more fat, protein, and fiber into them they are likely to be less irritated, explosive, and easily triggered.
