cribcrate22-blog

[cribcrate22-blog]

It's best to consult with a physician before following a diet - AZ Big Media

You will find several diet techniques these days, and it’s easy for you to fall for them, especially with the testimony made by those who followed the diet techniques. They will convince you that the diet plan will work for you just as it did for them. Before you follow any of those techniques, you need to research first.

Enrich yourself with enough knowledge so that when you try to follow it, you will do the right thing. Besides, not all bodies are the same. The reason why the diet plan worked for some people is that their bodies fit the program. Given your health problems and lifestyle, some diet techniques might not work for you; worse, they could even adversely impact your health.

Ask your doctor

You need to have a general check-up and tests done to determine if you’re healthy. You need to know your blood sugar level, acid level, and many others. Some diet plans won’t work for you because of the composition of your body. Therefore, it helps if you ask your doctor first to analyze the test results before you embark on any diet plan.

Seek recommendations

Most doctors advise against a diet fad. However, they will provide suggestions on how you can lose weight and stay healthy. They might even recommend you to a nutritionist who will help design your meal plan. You won’t have to think about what to eat since the nutritionist will suggest what will work for you.

Mentally prepare yourself

Another reason why your doctor might advise against certain diet fads is that they could alter your behaviour. Your mood will drastically change even if there’s no trigger. You need to start mentally preparing yourself for the process if you want to succeed in pursuing your weight loss goals.

Study the choices

If you know someone who followed a diet technique, you should talk to that person. Ask about the plan and why it’s working. You also need to understand the process. The diet might work, but it severely changed how the person acts or thinks. It helps if you try to study these options from the perspective of someone who tried them before. 

It’s time to decide

Once you have asked your doctor what works for you and you study the various options for dieting, the next step is to decide. You will receive suggestions, but you will still think about what works best for you. 

There are instances when the doctor will tell you to be selective with what you eat and have a healthy lifestyle. However, there’s no need to follow a diet plan.

Regardless of your diet plan, though, you need a cheat day. You can’t pursue the same plan all the time since it could be too much for you. On your cheat day, you can go to one of the best kosher restaurants NYC offers and have the best steaks ever. You won’t regret your cheat day since you had a great meal. Besides, kosher dishes are healthy.

Source: https://azbigmedia.com/lifestyle/health-fitness/its-best-to-consult-with-a-physician-before-following-a-diet/

[cribcrate22-blog]

How to Spend Less Than 10000 on a Wedding

Have you been searching “how to spend less than 10000 on a wedding?” Yes, it can be done! Is the most important day of your life worth starting your marriage in debt? Check out how to throw a wedding for less than $10,000.

Your wedding day is one of the days you will remember for the rest of your life. After all, it isn’t every day that you dress up in your finest clothes and pledge your love and life to one special person for the rest of your life.

But is starting your life together with a mountain of debt the best possible start? Weddings are a special day and event, but are they more important than your financial future? The beauty of your wedding lies in the promises made and the memories captured. Here at the Budget Diet, we believe you could throw a beautiful wedding for less than $10,000. While it is less than a third of the average wedding in the U.S. it is still more than enough for a wonderful wedding. Here’s how.

Limit the Guest List

Source: Canva

Many dream of the perfect wedding day surrounded by those they love and who love them. Unfortunately, guest lists oftenget bloated with people who don’t necessarily fall into that list. For every person you invite, your wedding budget increases.

Having a small wedding does not mean that the event is any less special or less important. It simply means that the experience is more intimate. Choosing to invite only those who are truly close friends and family means that you will be able to spend more time with each of your guest and more money. While many well-meaning family members may balk at the idea of not including your cousins or others you are not close to but remember who will be stuck with the bill.

Limited the guest list could also help to quell any wedding nerves. A smaller crowd of familiar faces could mean less anxiety over the long walk down the aisle or reciting of vows.

A smaller guest list could also lend itself to a nicer selection of food and drink, an open bar or a nicer wedding venue. Smaller numbers could mean that you could host your special day at a family home or favorite restaurant rather than a hall. A smaller guest list may mean that you have room in your budget to hire a wedding planner to keep things in order on your big day. A smaller list could mean more of your dream wedding realities are realized on a smaller wedding budget.

Consider your Clothing Budget

Source: Canva

Wedding dress shopping is considered a rite of passage for many women and their female family members. You are all gathered in anticipation of your special day and get to spend time trying on what is likely to be the most expensive and most beautiful garment you will ever wear.

But what if it wasn’t?

Wedding dresses are beautiful and shopping for one is fun. You get to drink champagne and are complimented on how beautiful you look. But once the wedding is over your wedding dress is often just a huge garment bag taking up valuable real estate in your closet. You likely won’t wear it again and selling an altered dress is difficult at best.

Rent Your Perfect Dress

Instead of buying your wedding dress, why not look at better options? Firstly, you could consider renting your wedding dress. Renting a dress is one of the best ways to save in your wedding budget, and you get to return it once your special day is over. However, renting a dress may be cheaper than buying a new one, it can have its own set of drawbacks.

Often you have to purchase insurance on the dress and may not be allowed any alterations. In the days after your wedding when you would rather be packing for your honeymoon, you have to make sure the dress is returned in good condition.

You also may not have as many options and the dress may not be altered for the perfect fit. If you do decide on a rental, opt for one with a corset back for the perfect fit.

Second Time Lucky

Source: Canva

You could consider buying a second-hand dress. Many stores offer secondhand options which are cheaper than a brand new dress and would still allow for alterations. You can still have your dress buying experience at a reduced price. While this may not be offered in all areas, there are also online options available as well.

Many of these stores will also allow you to sell your dress back to them after the ceremony which will further reduce your costs.

Another option to consider is to skip the gown altogether and wear something less formal you may be able to wear again and again. If you are your partner are more the jeans and t-shirt type consider frocks that are slightly less formal to fit into your laid back style.

Consider a Family Heirloom

Another option for your wedding dress is to ask friends or family members if they have bridal attire you could borrow. Perhaps your grandmother has a beautiful antique gown that would be perfect for your occasion or a friend has a beautiful dress just taking up space in their closet? You may be able to look beautiful on your wedding day for only the cost of a dress cleaning.

Food Budget

Source: Canva

One of the biggest wedding budget expenses are the food and drink costs. Again, the larger your guest list, the more you pay for catering. Whether you decide to serve a four-course meal or rent a food truck the meal will make up a large portion of your budget.

The decision of what to serve your guests is often a personal one. There may be ties to your culture or religion that you want to honor and they may come at a price. For example, many Greek weddings feature roasted lamb or pork, and many Portuguese weddings feature lots of seafood.

While it may be nice to offer such extravagant meals at your wedding, it all comes at a cost. Some couples opt for a cocktail wedding so they can avoid the sit-down meal and offer passed hors d’oeuvres instead. Others may opt for plainer meals and comfort foods such as taco bars or pizza to keep costs low.

Choose a Buffet

In general, buffets are a more cost-conscious option over sit down dinners and also offer lots of food options for those with allergies or picky palates. With this style of catering, there is always the option to make large amounts of food beforehand that can easily be heated up at the event. Many grocery stores can also put together platters of sandwiches, veggies, fruit, and cheese for a reasonable cost.

Keeping the food simple can also lend itself to a laid back affair. A simple menu can lend itself to disposable plates and cutlery, a backyard menu and a casual vibe.

Related: Potluck: The answer to a cheap and easy dinner with friends

Early Risers

Source: Canva

If you don’t want to cut the guest list but have a limited budget you can always think outside of the box. Instead of an afternoon wedding and an evening reception, why not have an early morning ceremony and a celebration bunch?

Breakfast foods are relatively cheap to cater and you can get away with champagne and orange juice rather than a full bar service. While you need to get up early (you probably won’t sleep anyway) you can get an early start on your honeymoon.

DIY

Source: Canva

A great way to personalize your day on a budget is to get creative. With sites like Pinterest, there are so many ways to get inspiration and the how-to make your own special wedding touches.

There are many low-cost options that you can make relatively simply for beautiful decor, favors, or even DIY wedding bouquets.

Many crafty brides and grooms will make their own decor, menus, wedding invitations, centerpieces, wedding favors and even their own dress. By making it yourself, you can help save some of the huge markup found on wedding items and decor.

Considering the wedding industry was worth a reported 72 billion USD in 2017, DIY could save you a huge mark up.

Making your own wedding touches is also a great way to get your wedding party involved and bond together in the weeks leading up to the wedding. There are many ecologically friendly options that are great for the budget too. Mason jars are a popular option to be repurposed as vases, candle holders and favors. They can be found at many local thrift stores for a reasonable price. Some of the most beautiful weddings are the cheap weddings that showcase the personality and lifestyle of the brides and grooms.

Rent Your Decor

Source: Canva

Many couples plan to rent items like silverware, linens, and napkins, but don’t think about renting items like centerpieces, flower girl baskets or the ring bearer pillow.

While many guests like to take the table centerpieces home, it really is just an unnecessary expense.

Another option is to buy used decor from the many buy-and-sell sites like Craigslist and VarageSale. This is a great way to get beautiful decor at a fraction of the price without the work of DIY. Keep it in good shape and you can sell or donate it to another couple after your celebration.

A Little Help From Your Friends

Source: Canva

Many modern couples choose to live together before marriage and already own many of the household items they would be registering for as wedding gifts.

In lieu of gifts, many couples hope to receive money to cover their wedding expenses but feel that asking for it would be tacky.

Instead, why not consider asking friends to share their talents to help with the wedding in lieu of a gift?

Perhaps you have a crafty friend who has basic florist skills or could provide handmade favors, or a talented photographer who would be happy to lend their services? Relying on the talents of others is a great way to lower the cost of your wedding and add personal touches to your special day.

Capture the Day your Way

Source: Canva

Another big expense of a traditional wedding is hiring a professional photographer and videographer. While every couple wants to capture the memories and special moments of their wedding, thinking outside of the box for your video and photos can save you lots of room in your budget.

In the past, many couples have opted to give their wedding guests disposable cameras to capture memories of the reception. While this was a fun option before digital photography, it also relied on amateur photographers who were likely enjoying some drinks at the bar in conjunction to snapping their photos. However, it’s important to remember that you get one shot at this. Despite how much your closest friends may tout their services, hiring a professional photographer is often well worth the fees.

Let’s go Digital

With today’s digital cameras, not to mention the photographic capabilities of cellphones, amateur photographers are able to take many photos to snap that perfect shot. The equipment lends itself capturing beautiful images easily. Asking a few close friends or family members to have their cameras ready to capture your day is less of a risk and more of a reasonable way to save money.

If you don’t feel comfortable asking friends or family to sacrifice their enjoyment at your wedding in order to capture it, you can also look to outside help. You can check with the local art college to find aspiring professional photographers who would be willing to help capture your day for a modest cost. Some may even be willing to do it to add to their portfolio.

Music Budget

Source: Canva

For many music lovers, having the right song playing while you walk down the aisle or have your first dance as a married couple can truly make your day magical.

Having a friend or family member sing or play an instrument during your wedding or during your wedding reception is an exceptional gift for any newly married couple and a great way to add a special touch to your wedding without an additional expense.

Friends can also be called on to help prepare a great music lineup that can easily be loaded up into programs like iTunes to make your wedding day playlist an easy DIY.

Flower Budget

Source: Canva

Flowers are a traditional part of most weddings but can add quite a large expense to your wedding budget. There are many ways to cut the cost of adding beautiful floral touches to your wedding.

A great way to get the flowers you want at a price you can afford is to buy flowers when they are in season. If you love peonies,  consider getting married in early summer when they are readily available.

Many grocery stores offer competitive prices for floral arrangements. You may be able to make your money go farther by staying away from traditional flower shops.

You can also ask friends and family to consider donating some flowers from their gardens to make up your bouquets and centerpieces.

If this is your plan, consult your guests well in advance and plan your wedding for when their gardens will be in full bloom. You can also look for a wedding venue in a natural setting, such as a botanical garden, to drastically cut back your need for florals. By hosting your wedding ceremony somewhere that flowers grow, you don’t need to pay a florist for organized bouquets.

You can also consider alternatives to florals, such as repurposed jewelry or candy bouquet and boutonniere.  

Don’t Marry on a Saturday

Source: Canva

Getting married on a Friday or a Sunday can save you substantially on your venue. What you gain in savings you may lose in guests who can’t take the time off of work in order to make it to a wedding on a Friday. For those who choose to host their wedding on a Sunday may regret hosting a soiree on a day when people need to turn in early to prepare for an early morning.

Elope

Source: Canva

Weddings are not only expensive, but they are also often stressful to plan. When there are only two people to consider, you know that your budget and your wishes will be respected.

While this option may be met with some hurt feelings, it could be the happiest way to start your marriage.

Consider a private sunset ceremony on the beach or a fun getaway to Vegas. It’s a private and romantic option to start your life together.

Destination Wedding

Source: Canva

Many couples choose to forego the expensive traditional wedding for a warm vacation and some nuptials by the beach.

The average traditional wedding is over $30,000 USD. Many destination resorts offer wedding packages that vary between no additional cost to a few thousand dollars.

Of course these savings are often passed on as a cost to your guests. In order to attend your nuptials they are forced to pony up the cash to travel with you, which can vary between $1,200 and $3000 plus for a weekly stay.

While it is a fun trip away with those closest to you, it does not come without its own complications. Some countries can only marry you in Spanish. Others may require you to get legally married before entering the country or before getting married on the beach.

Another consideration is that you may have to choose between your dream destination wedding and your guests. Chances are, not everyone will be able to afford to join you on your special day. You may sacrifice having your closest friends and family members present. Paying for everyone will not fit into a modest budget.

What Matters to You?

Planning a wedding on a budget is possible without compromising on your dream day. As long as you consider what matters to you most as a couple and preserve those areas. If you want to serve beautiful food, limit your guest list. If you want to wear your dream dress perhaps you need to purchase it second hand.

No matter what you plan it is always important to keep your budget in mind. The choices you are making will help you start your married life without a mountain of debt. A wedding is just one day, a marriage is meant to last a lifetime. Do you have any tips for how to spend less than 10000 on a wedding? Share them below.

Read next: Saving and splurging for your wedding

Source: https://www.thebudgetdiet.com/how-to-spend-less-than-10000-on-a-wedding

[cribcrate22-blog]

Salad, soda and socioeconomic status: Mapping a social determinant of health in Seattle

Seattle residents who live in waterfront neighborhoods tend to have healthier diets compared to those who live along Interstate-5 and Aurora Avenue, according to new research on social disparities from the University of Washington School of Public Health. The study used local data to model food consumption patterns by city block. Weekly servings of salad and soda served as proxies for diet quality.

The dramatic geographic disparities between salad eaters and soda drinkers were driven by house prices, according to the study. The lowest property values were associated with less salad and more soda; the opposite was true of the highest property values, after adjusting for demographics.

This is the first study to model eating patterns and diet quality at the census-block level, the smallest geographic unit used by the U.S. Census Bureau. The paper, published Jan. 9 in the journal Social Science and Medicine -- Population Health, provides a new area-based tool to identify communities most in need of interventions to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.

"Our dietary choices and health are determined to a very large extent by where we live," said the study's lead author, Adam Drewnowski, professor of epidemiology and director of the Nutritional Sciences Program and Center for Public Health Nutrition at the School. "In turn, where we live can be determined by education, incomes and access to both material and social resources. We need a closer look at the socioeconomic determinants of health."

Researchers geo-localized dietary data of nearly 1,100 adult participants of the Seattle Obesity Study based on their home addresses, and linked them to residential property values obtained from the King County tax assessor. Information on age, gender and race/ethnicity as well as education and annual household income were gathered via telephone surveys. Participants were also asked how often they ate salad and/or drank soda. Healthy Eating Index scores, a measure of diet quality, were calculated for each participant. Scores range from 0 to 100 with higher scores indicating better diet quality.

People who ate more salad tended to have higher Healthy Eating Index scores associated with more healthy eating behaviors. People who drank more soda tended to have lower scores.

While the disparities of soda consumption by neighborhood were clear, there was no significant difference by age, income or education. However, researchers did find that Black and Hispanic residents reported more frequent soda consumption than White residents. Women tended to eat more salad than men, as did adults age 55 and older. Adults with some college education or more consumed salad more often every week than those with only a high school education or less. Also, people earning $50,000 or more ate more salad per week than those earning less than $50,000 annually. There was no significant difference in salad consumption by race or ethnicity.

"Salad and soda are the two hallmarks of a healthy versus an unhealthy diet," Drewnowski said. "We now show that they tend to be consumed by different people with different education and incomes, living in different neighborhoods in Seattle."

Researchers selected salad and soda because they were used as the proxy of diet quality in the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Study. They are also frequent targets for obesity prevention policy intervention. A good example of this is Seattle's so-called soda tax, which took effect in January 2018.

"Interventions towards promoting healthier diets tend to focus on taxing soda, which is perceived as too cheap, and reducing the price of fresh produce, which is perceived as too expensive," Drewnowski said. "Initiatives to replace soda with salad come across the issue of socioeconomic status and income purchasing power, and those are very complex issues."

As more states and municipalities seek to develop targeted interventions for better health, they will need place-based tools to identify high-risk or high-need communities, according to the study.

The Seattle Obesity Study was a population based study of 2,001 male and female residents of King County, Washington. The aim was to examine the role of access to foods in influencing dietary choices and, thereby, contributing to disparities in obesity. The study recently expanded to include Pierce and Yakima counties. Drewnowski and his team plan to conduct similar research in those regions.

"We look forward to seeing those results," Drewnowski said. "Yakima has a large population of Hispanics and the closest supermarket is 20 miles away; not to mention obesity looks very different in Yakima than it does in Seattle."

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Washington. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190117175219.htm

[cribcrate22-blog]

3 Most Common Reasons People Turn to Tummy Tuck Surgery

Weight loss is a tough journey, but for some people, it can be ever tougher than for others. Sometimes there are extraneous circumstances that prevent us from losing the weight that we want to, or achieving our desired appearance. In these cases, it is common to turn to cosmetic procedures, such as adbominoplasty or a “tummy tuck” procedure. Here are the three most common reasons that people turn to tummy tuck surgery.

After extreme weight loss

Sometimes, people put in the hard work to drastically change their body and are able to drop anywhere from 50 to hundreds of pounds, which is incredible. However, if a person loses an extreme amount of weight, meaning anything over 100 pounds, especially in a relatively short amount of time, they will likely have some excess skin to deal with. Unlike pounds, excess skin is tougher to shed without the help of some sort of surgical procedure.  And if the patient is in their forties and above, where skin has already lost some of its elasticity, then some sort of reshaping surgery will almost certainly be necessary if they want to get rid of the excess skin.

After pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the most common inciting events for a tummy tuck procedure, since it can leave a significant amount of excess skin behind after the baby is delivered. One of the fastest growing reasons that young women are turning to tummy tuck surgery is to regain their pre-pregnancy figure. For many women, diet and exercise are simply not enough to deal with the problems of excess skin and torn abdominal muscles that follow pregnancy, so a tummy tuck is the obvious solution.

In addition, a common occurrence in pregnancy is an instance called “diastasis recti,” in which the right and left halves of the abdominal muscles spread apart. This happens when the tissue that connects the two halves of the ab muscles begins to stretch as the baby grows and the uterus expands. Once the abs separate, especially if it’s beyond two centimeters, it’s extremely hard to rectify this development naturally and without surgery.

Age

Another common reason that people get tummy tuck procedures done is simply because of age. As we get older, our skin loses its elasticity. Even the most fit older women often opt to have this procedure done because their skin cannot keep up with the tone and slimming effects they’re looking to achieve through a fit lifestyle.

If you are considering a tummy tuck procedure, you must remember that is is not an alternative to weight loss. Rather, a tummy tuck should be a last resort after you’ve tried everything else. If you want to learn more about what all goes into a tummy tuck procedure, and if it is a good fit for you, then schedule a consultation with a local surgeon in your area, like Tummy Tuck Mississauga. They’ll be able to answer your questions and help you discern if this is the right path for you.

Source: http://www.dietoflife.com/3-most-common-reasons-people-turn-to-tummy-tuck-surgery/

[cribcrate22-blog]

Onze rondreis door Zweden: Värmland

En we trekken verder door Zweden! In dit derde deel neem ik je mee naar de  bosrijke provincie Värmlands län, boven het grootste meer van Zweden. Hier ligt het huisje waar wij als een blok voor vielen en waar we de rest van onze rondreis rond opbouwden. Het is volledig naar onze smaak ingericht met vintage en brocanteschatten en we voelden ons er meteen thuis.

Dit vakantiehuis ligt in het bos, vlak bij een sluis met een charmant sluiscafé. Iets verderop ligt ook een open vlakte aan een rivier, begrensd door een groot bos. We leerden dat dit de ideale plek is om 's avonds of 's morgens vroeg wild te spotten (want water, sappig gras maar ook het bos om weer in te vluchten). We zagen er dan ook regelmatig herten, maar helaas ook een goed gecamoufleerde jager. Domper op de feestvreugde dat, en Elliot was na een week köttbullar plots weer vegetarisch!

Om iets te gaan doen, moest je hier wel telkens behoorlijk wat kilometers rijden. We bezochten hier verschillende loppis (Zweedse brocantewinkeltjes), ontdekten een verlaten plekje vol middeleeuwse speeltuigen en reden naar Värmlands Moose Park omdat het ons maar niet lukte een wilde eland te spotten. We leerden er heel interessante weetjes over deze reus en je kon er zelfs eentje voederen! June wierp zich spontaan op als assistent van de gids en genoot met volle teugen van deze ontmoetingen in de Zweedse natuur.

We brachten ook een bezoekje aan onze buren (eerst een flink eindje wandelen), die naast paarden ook 200 kippen hebben, waarvan ze de eitjes over heel Zweden verkopen. De kippen, kuikens en 24 hanen liepen er allemaal vrij rond! Een van hun honden is een kruising met een wolf, en die liep wel eens rond in de omgeving. Dus als je hier denkt een wolf te spotten: het zou wel eens de hond van Tomas en Camilla kunnen zijn!

Veel bossen, meren en rode huisjes in deze meer noordelijke streek, en voor ons de meest 'Zweedse natuurervaring' van onze hele reis. Een paradijs voor wie zich wil verliezen in de immense pracht van de natuur hier!

Source: http://dietemiet.blogspot.com/2018/09/onze-rondreis-door-zweden-varmland.html

[cribcrate22-blog]

Advice From A Therapist: 8 Rules For Talking About Money With Your S.O.

You’re sulking at the dining room table, financial spreadsheets glaring from your computer into your already-droopy eyeballs, wishing you were watching Monday evening’s episode of Jeopardy instead of talking about money. Then your partner says you spend too much money on the dog. This isn’t the first time the dog has come up. That’s it.

Anger boils up inside of you. Don’t they understand that this dog is your baby? She’s a rescue, she deserves those fuzzy sweaters. Suddenly you find yourself nitpicking your partner’s spending habits — what about that daily cold brew they insist on buying? Or that $40 adult onesie made from banana fabric that they insisted they needed? Come on!

The fact that you had planned to discuss your household spending flies out the door. You stomp out of the room and take a pretend nap on the bed until he comes in and apologizes. Then, you apologize, and you both go watch The Crown. Zero progress is made with your finances. 

Does this scenario sound familiar? Well, there’s good news — it doesn’t have to be this way. Here are 8 rules from Lindsey Foss, a licensed marriage and family therapist, for talking about money with your significant other. Follow these tips, and you’ll (probably) never yell about a banana-covered onesie again.

1. Agree on a Time

Mutually agree upon a time to have the discussion. Add it to your calendar and set a reminder if needed. Make it a weekly date, or as often as needed. Turning it into a routine will help you actually stick to it and won’t cut into your Jeopardy time. Be careful to choose a time that will allow for ease and minimal disruptions — as in, not right before you have to pick up the kids or your friends are coming over. Limiting the stress of a time crunch will help the conversation go more smoothly.

2. Choose a Location That is Free From Distractions

Don’t talk about finances in front of a new episode of Dr. Who or right next to Grandma’s wild bridge club crowding around the coffee table. This will lead to a lack of focus on the task at hand and possible frustration at being torn between two different things. It will take more time to get less accomplished. If you have a hard time finding a quiet space, kick people out for 30 minutes. Make your kids take the dog for a walk. Tell Grandma’s crew the game is over. Whatever has to happen, make these finance chats a priority by carving out space for them.

3. Put the Phones Away

Cell phones, iPads, and Apple Watches need to be stashed away from your conversation and on silent. Basically, anything that might buzz or beep at you. The last thing you want is a call from your mother, accidentally being sucked into her droning on about how she accidentally bought skim milk instead of 2% and finds it too watery.

4. Limit the Topic

Instead of sitting down to talk about “finances,” choose to talk specifically about how to pay off the debt for the Mastercard. Or where to transfer that bonus you just got at work. Or which goals to create on your Mint account. 

It’s like tackling any large task — you need an end goal. If your goal for one 30-minute chat is to talk about “money,” then you’ll be left staring at the wall, waiting for the other person to start the conversation. Or, you’ll get derailed and hop from retirement planning to home buying to “We’re spending how much on the dog’s food?” In other words, you’ll get nowhere. If, on the other hand, you know in that 30 minutes that you would like to set up 5 goals in your Mint account, that is manageable. That has a conclusion, and you can even feel the satisfaction of checking it off a list.

5. Set a Time Limit

If you know the conversation may get intense, set a time limit before you begin. It could be as little as 10 minutes. These chats don’t need to go on forever to get something accomplished, and in fact, it can be better to do frequent short spurts. You can set an actual timer on your stove or your watch if it helps. And don’t keep working through even after it beeps. Take it seriously and quit. If you go over, you’re less likely to want to come back next time.

6. Take Turns

Ask questions about your partner’s ideas before jumping in with thoughts of your own. If you tend to throw in your two cents a lot, hold your tongue. Try asking what they mean about the price of the dog food before becoming defensive or going on the attack. Asking questions is a great way to actually understanding what the other person is saying and reduce the chances of taking things out of context.

7. Pay Attention to Your Emotional State

Monitor your internal experience, and notice if you are beginning to get agitated. If so, take a break. It’s each of your responsibilities to keep yourself accountable and to make sure you remain calm. If your partner says something that frustrates you, try not to raise your voice. Instead, call it a day on the financial chat and find a time to come back later. 

8. Schedule the Next Chat

Set a date to check back in with each other or to continue the conversation if there is more to discuss. Make sure it’s on the calendar. Setting the next date before you leave is important because it’s too easy to keep pushing it off. All of a sudden, it will be two months later and you’ll remember you were supposed to set up those automatic transfers.

Just like Rome wasn’t built in a day, a solid financial plan for your family won’t be either. It takes a lot of time, patience, and mutual respect. If you can get to a point where you end a finance talk on a positive note instead of by fake napping in the bedroom, we’ll call that a win.

What ways do you manage tension in financial talks with your partner?

Tiffany Verbeck is a freelance writer and storyteller who helps small businesses and entrepreneurs tell their brand story. She runs a professional blog on personal finance at www.tiffanyverbeck.com and a personal blog on growing up in Indiana called Midwestern Transplant. She can be found on Twitter at @tiffanyverbeck.

Image via Unsplash

Like this story? Follow The Financial Diet on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily tips and inspiration, and sign up for our email newsletter here.

Source: https://thefinancialdiet.com/advice-from-a-therapist-8-rules-for-talking-about-money-with-your-s-o/

[cribcrate22-blog]

Synthetic version of CBD treats seizures in rats

A synthetic, non-intoxicating analogue of cannabidiol (CBD) is effective in treating seizures in rats, according to research by chemists at the University of California, Davis.

The synthetic CBD alternative is easier to purify than a plant extract, eliminates the need to use agricultural land for hemp cultivation, and could avoid legal complications with cannabis-related products. The work was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

"It's a much safer drug than CBD, with no abuse potential and doesn't require the cultivation of hemp," said Mark Mascal, professor in the UC Davis Department of Chemistry. Mascal's laboratory at UC Davis carried out the work in collaboration with researchers at the University of Reading, U.K.

Products containing CBD have recently become popular for their supposed health effects and because the compound does not cause a high. CBD is also being investigated as a pharmaceutical compound for conditions including anxiety, epilepsy, glaucoma and arthritis. But because it comes from extracts of cannabis or hemp plants, CBD poses legal problems in some states and under federal law. It is also possible to chemically convert CBD to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the intoxicating compound in marijuana.

8,9-Dihydrocannabidiol (H2CBD) is a synthetic molecule with a similar structure to CBD. Mascal's laboratory developed a simple method to inexpensively synthesize H2CBD from commercially available chemicals. "Unlike CBD, there is no way to convert H2CBD to intoxicating THC," he said.

One important medical use of cannabis and CBD is in treatment of epilepsy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an extract of herbal CBD for treating some seizure conditions and there is also strong evidence from animal studies.

The researchers tested synthetic H2CBD against herbal CBD in rats with induced seizures. H2CBD and CBD were found to be equally effective for the reduction of both the frequency and severity of seizures.

Mascal is working with colleagues at the UC Davis School of Medicine to carry out more studies in animals with a goal of moving into clinical trials soon. UC Davis has applied for a provisional patent on antiseizure use of H2CBD and its analogues, and Mascal has founded a company, Syncanica, to continue development.

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of California - Davis. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190528140107.htm

[cribcrate22-blog]

[Transcript] – 10 Ways To Grow Tiny Superhumans – Ben Greenfield’s Top Tips For Raising Strong, Resilient, Happy Kids

https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/podcast/lifestyle-podcasts/raise-tiny-superhumans/

[0:00:00] Podcast Intro

[0:00:59] About the Podcast

[0:05:07] Podcast Sponsors

[0:06:32] Start of Audio Recording of eBook: Children as Superhumans

[0:09:12] Let Them Get Dirty

[00:13:10] Let Your Kids Eat Lots of Fat

Get The Low Carb Athlete - 100% Free!Eliminate fatigue and unlock the secrets of low-carb success. Sign up now for instant access to the book!<![CDATA[ #_form_64_ font-size:14px; line-height:1.6; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin:0; #_form_64_ * outline:0; ._form_hide display:none; visibility:hidden; ._form_show display:block; visibility:visible; #_form_64_._form-top top:0; #_form_64_._form-bottom bottom:0; #_form_64_._form-left left:0; #_form_64_._form-right right:0; #_form_64_ input[type="text"],#_form_64_ input[type="date"],#_form_64_ textarea padding:6px; height:auto; border:#979797 1px solid; border-radius:4px; color:#000 !important; font-size:13px; -webkit-box-sizing:border-box; -moz-box-sizing:border-box; box-sizing:border-box; #_form_64_ textarea resize:none; #_form_64_ ._submit -webkit-appearance:none; cursor:pointer; font-family:arial, sans-serif; font-size:14px; text-align:center; background:#eb7000 !important; border:0 !important; color:#fff !important; padding:10px !important; #_form_64_ ._close-icon cursor:pointer; background-image:url('https://d226aj4ao1t61q.cloudfront.net/esfkyjh1u_forms-close-dark.png'); background-repeat:no-repeat; background-size:14.2px 14.2px; position:absolute; display:block; top:11px; right:9px; overflow:hidden; width:16.2px; height:16.2px; #_form_64_ ._close-icon:before position:relative; #_form_64_ ._form-body margin-bottom:30px; #_form_64_ ._form-image-left width:150px; float:left; #_form_64_ ._form-content-right margin-left:164px; #_form_64_ ._form-branding color:#fff; font-size:10px; clear:both; text-align:left; margin-top:30px; font-weight:100; #_form_64_ ._form-branding ._logo display:block; width:130px; height:14px; margin-top:6px; background-image:url('https://d226aj4ao1t61q.cloudfront.net/hh9ujqgv5_aclogo_li.png'); background-size:130px auto; background-repeat:no-repeat; #_form_64_ ._form-label,#_form_64_ ._form_element ._form-label font-weight:bold; margin-bottom:5px; display:block; #_form_64_._dark ._form-branding color:#333; #_form_64_._dark ._form-branding ._logo background-image:url('https://d226aj4ao1t61q.cloudfront.net/jftq2c8s_aclogo_dk.png'); #_form_64_ ._form_element position:relative; margin-bottom:10px; font-size:0; max-width:100%; #_form_64_ ._form_element * font-size:14px; #_form_64_ ._form_element._clear clear:both; width:100%; float:none; #_form_64_ ._form_element._clear:after clear:left; #_form_64_ ._form_element input[type="text"],#_form_64_ ._form_element input[type="date"],#_form_64_ ._form_element select,#_form_64_ ._form_element textarea:not(.g-recaptcha-response) display:block; width:100%; -webkit-box-sizing:border-box; -moz-box-sizing:border-box; box-sizing:border-box; #_form_64_ ._field-wrapper position:relative; #_form_64_ ._inline-style float:left; #_form_64_ ._inline-style input[type="text"] width:150px; #_form_64_ ._inline-style:not(._clear) + ._inline-style:not(._clear) margin-left:20px; #_form_64_ ._form_element img._form-image max-width:100%; #_form_64_ ._clear-element clear:left; #_form_64_ ._full_width width:100%; #_form_64_ ._form_full_field display:block; width:100%; margin-bottom:10px; #_form_64_ input[type="text"]._has_error,#_form_64_ textarea._has_error border:#f37c7b 1px solid; #_form_64_ input[type="checkbox"]._has_error outline:#f37c7b 1px solid; #_form_64_ ._error display:block; position:absolute; font-size:13px; z-index:10000001; #_form_64_ ._error._above padding-bottom:4px; top:-41px; right:0; #_form_64_ ._error._below padding-top:4px; top:100%; right:0; #_form_64_ ._error._above ._error-arrow bottom:0; right:15px; border-left:5px solid transparent; border-right:5px solid transparent; border-top:5px solid #f37c7b; #_form_64_ ._error._below ._error-arrow top:0; right:15px; border-left:5px solid transparent; border-right:5px solid transparent; border-bottom:5px solid #f37c7b; #_form_64_ ._error-inner padding:8px 12px; background-color:#f37c7b; font-size:13px; font-family:arial, sans-serif; color:#fff; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; -webkit-border-radius:4px; -moz-border-radius:4px; border-radius:4px; #_form_64_ ._error-inner._form_error margin-bottom:5px; text-align:left; #_form_64_ ._button-wrapper ._error-inner._form_error position:static; #_form_64_ ._error-inner._no_arrow margin-bottom:10px; #_form_64_ ._error-arrow position:absolute; width:0; height:0; #_form_64_ ._error-html margin-bottom:10px; .pika-single z-index:10000001 !important; @media all and (min-width:320px) and (max-width:667px) ::-webkit-scrollbar display:none; #_form_64_ margin:0; width:100%; min-width:100%; max-width:100%; box-sizing:border-box; #_form_64_ * -webkit-box-sizing:border-box; -moz-box-sizing:border-box; box-sizing:border-box; font-size:1em; #_form_64_ ._form-content margin:0; width:100%; #_form_64_ ._form-inner display:block; min-width:100%; #_form_64_ ._form-title,#_form_64_ ._inline-style margin-top:0; margin-right:0; margin-left:0; #_form_64_ ._form-title font-size:1.2em; #_form_64_ ._form_element margin:0 0 20px; padding:0; width:100%; #_form_64_ ._form-element,#_form_64_ ._inline-style,#_form_64_ input[type="text"],#_form_64_ label,#_form_64_ p,#_form_64_ textarea:not(.g-recaptcha-response) float:none; display:block; width:100%; #_form_64_ ._row._checkbox-radio label display:inline; #_form_64_ ._row,#_form_64_ p,#_form_64_ label margin-bottom:0.7em; width:100%; #_form_64_ ._row input[type="checkbox"],#_form_64_ ._row input[type="radio"] margin:0 !important; vertical-align:middle !important; #_form_64_ ._row input[type="checkbox"] + span label display:inline; #_form_64_ ._row span label margin:0 !important; width:initial !important; vertical-align:middle !important; #_form_64_ ._form-image max-width:100%; height:auto !important; #_form_64_ input[type="text"] padding-left:10px; padding-right:10px; font-size:16px; line-height:1.3em; -webkit-appearance:none; #_form_64_ input[type="radio"],#_form_64_ input[type="checkbox"] display:inline-block; width:1.3em; height:1.3em; font-size:1em; margin:0 0.3em 0 0; vertical-align:baseline; #_form_64_ button[type="submit"] padding:20px; font-size:1.5em; #_form_64_ ._inline-style margin:20px 0 0 !important; #_form_64_ position:relative; text-align:left; margin:0px 0px; padding:20px; -webkit-box-sizing:border-box; -moz-box-sizing:border-box; box-sizing:border-box; *zoom:1; background:transparent !important; border:0px solid #b0b0b0 !important; width:300px; -moz-border-radius:0px !important; -webkit-border-radius:0px !important; border-radius:0px !important; color:#000 !important; #_form_64_ ._form-title font-size:22px; line-height:22px; font-weight:600; margin-bottom:0; #_form_64_:before,#_form_64_:after content:" "; display:table; #_form_64_:after clear:both; #_form_64_._inline-style width:auto; display:inline-block; #_form_64_._inline-style input[type="text"],#_form_64_._inline-style input[type="date"] padding:10px 12px; #_form_64_._inline-style button._inline-style position:relative; top:27px; #_form_64_._inline-style p margin:0; #_form_64_._inline-style ._button-wrapper position:relative; margin:27px 12.5px 0 20px; #_form_64_ ._form-thank-you position:relative; left:0; right:0; text-align:center; font-size:18px; @media all and (min-width:320px) and (max-width:667px) #_form_64_._inline-form._inline-style ._inline-style._button-wrapper margin-top:20px !important; margin-left:0 !important; #_form_64_ ._form_10 text-align:center !important; #_form_64_ ._x20518276 label,#_form_64_ ._field10 label text-align:left; #_form_64_ ._form_31 width:100% !important; ]]>

[0:15:10] Let Your Kids Fight

[0:16:56] Let Your Kids Stand A Lot

[0:18:33] Let Their Feet Free

[0:21:18] Letting the Kids Be Free

[0:24:06] Podcast Sponsors

[0:26:52] Let Your Kids Join In

[0:29:11] Less Time on Electronic Devices

[0:31:18] Let Your Kids Sleep

[0:33:50] Let Your Kid Relax

[0:36:12] Quick Coherence Technique

[0:37:59] End of Podcast

Ben:  I have a master’s degree in physiology, biomechanics, and human nutrition. I’ve spent the past two decades competing in some of the most masochistic events on the planet from SEALFit Kokoro, Spartan Agoge, and the world’s toughest mudder, the 13 Ironman triathlons, brutal bow hunts, adventure races, spearfishing, plant foraging, free diving, bodybuilding and beyond. I combine this intense time in the trenches with a blend of ancestral wisdom and modern science, search the globe for the world’s top experts and performance, fat loss, recovery, gut hormones, brain, beauty, and brawn to deliver you this podcast. Everything you need to know to live an adventurous, joyful, and fulfilling life. My name is Ben Greenfield. Enjoy the ride.

Hey, what’s up? It’s Ben Greenfield. I sound a little funky on the audio. Sounds a little funky it’s because I’m snowed in in New York City. I’m in my buddy’s condo, his loft here in Tribeca in New York City with snow coming down. Got snowed in last night, thus I’m not in my recording studio. Also, it means I’m bringing you a very special episode today. I decided that I wanted to give to you, to gift to you, this holiday season the entire recording of my book, “How to Raise Tiny Superhumans.” Now, I wrote this book when my children were young, when they were about 5 years old. I, in no way, professed to be the ultimate parent. As a matter of fact, the one area that I questioned myself in most is my ability to be a good father. That’s what leaves me awake at night sometimes. That’s my pain point. That’s the area where I lack confidence. Every day, I ask myself have I been the father that I want my kids to grow up and remember fondly. Every day, I feel like I fall short. I wanted to share that with you because I don’t think I’ll ever think I’m the perfect parent. I think that’s what continues to drive me to discover everything I can about, not only how to raise healthy, young, resilient children, but how to develop amazing relationships with them. This book, being something that I wrote when the children were 5, contains a lot of tips for parents of young children. But, interestingly, a lot of these concepts from biomechanics to exercise to the hygiene hypothesis to many of the things you’re about to hear also work for adults. So, this is something that, even if you don’t have kids, I think you can get a lot out of. This is also something I’d recommend you send to someone you know who does have kids or is planning on having kids or wish they had kids because many of these concepts can even increase fertility.

Hopefully, you get something out of today’s show. I really thought this would be a special one to give to you, take a sip of my coffee here, this is not Kion coffee. This is the coffee from the Laughing Man Coffee Shop down the street. But, you can get yourself some of the fantastic pure antioxidant rich Kion coffee that I have available for you over at getkion.com. But here’s the deal, this Black Friday. You knew it. You knew I’d do a Black Friday. Right now, when you’re listening to this, Black Friday is just a few days off. But what I’ve got for you is I have a coffee package, a special coffee package you can go check out at getkion.com. We give over 20% off of your order. I’ve got a recovery bundle that I put together which are very pure amino acids, Kion Flex, which is the most potent super fuel for your joints that you can put into your body. Everything I’ve been able to discover to assist with joint inflammation and recovery is in Kion Flex. Then, we combine that with some very fine pure triglyceride-based fish oil, exactly the same as you’d find in fish in nature packaged with acids and then Vitamin E. That’s our recovery bundle. And that one’s running over 10% off. Then, we also have our daily Kion Life Bundle where you get the aminos, the coffee, the bar, and then my favorite weight management supplement that we have over there, Kion Lean. You get all that.

So, Kion Black Friday. Also, orders over $100, you get a $25 gift card you give to somebody for Christmas. If you’re over $250, you get $100 gift card. Boom. Give that to somebody for the new year. Give it to somebody different than the one that you gave for Christmas. I digress. Getkion.com, more Black Friday specials than the ones I just mentioned, but that’s where you can get started.

One other Black Friday that I wanted to tell you about was my friends over at Onnit, starting on Thanksgiving, they’re going to do their biggest sale, their deepest discounts. Their nootropic Alpha BRAIN, their all Marvel and Star Wars fitness equipment. They’re also giving free shipping for Thanksgiving. They give 25% off of many of their supplements, 18% off the fitness gear, 20% off some of their functional foods, 50% off DVDs and books, 30% off their cool clothing. In addition to the massive price cuts, the more you buy the more awesomeness you unlock. They’re giving a $10 coupon free shipping and premium free gifts available all year. Here’s the deal, visit Onnit. You can go to onnit.com. That’s O-N-N-I-T dot com slash Black dash Friday. That’s O-N-N-I-T dot com slash Black dash Friday. The free gifts and the doorbuster deals or unlimited supplies you just might miss out if you don’t get over there. Check that out, a few Black Friday deals for you.

The shownotes for today’s podcast, by the way, the shownotes for today’s podcast, you can find at bengreenfieldfitness.com/superhumans. If you want the eBook version of what you’re about to hear, you can get that there, along with any resources that I mentioned. So, that’s bengreenfieldfitness.com/superhumans.

Welcome to the audio recording of Tiny Superhumans, written by Ben Greenfield and narrated by Ben Greenfield.

I have twin boys. Their names are River and Terran. They’re 6 years old. They love to do things like triathlons. They also do Spartan races. They swim 500 meters at a time, run 5ks quite slowly with stops to play in water fountains and balance on curbs, play the piano, act in theatre musicals, cook pad Thai, program LEGO robots, breakdance, and dance overall much better than their father.

Now, whether you have children, you plan on having children, or you know children, the wonderful fact is that you live in this privileged era in which you have the ability to enable the kids in your life to be tiny superhumans who look, feel and perform like optimized human machines. Do you have kids, grandkids, nieces, or nephews? Are you expecting a little one? The fact is if you answered yes to any of those questions, you’re in a unique position to give the child or children in your life every physical and mental advantage possible. I don’t know about you, but I really, really want that for my children. If you don’t want children, you don’t like children, and don’t know any children, then the cool thing is that the same things that make your kids superhuman make you superhuman, too. So, you don’t have to tune out or quit listening if kids are just not your thing.

Now, think about this. Mozart learned to play the piano at the age of four, composed his first piece at age five, and wrote his first symphony at age eight. Picasso, when he was 12, had a complete grasp of the fundamentals of art and was producing photorealistic anatomical sketches. A couple of weeks ago, when my wife and I took our children to an art gallery, there were amazing and intricate sculptures of fish and bears and bighorn sheep created by some man who had spent his entire life studying sculpture. Then, my wife who studied art in college, explained to me that some guy named Bernini was turning out sculptures just like this when he was eight years old. I looked it up and it turns out she was right. It’s amazing. But these folks aren’t special childhood prodigies, idiot savants or some kind of weirdo autistic geniuses. They’re just normal human beings.

In our modern era though, we’ve forgotten how to nurture and grow an amazing human body and mind. We’ve instead settled for a generation that winds up on people of Walmart.com, attached to leashes, chewing on Ritalin. Yikes. Well, let’s begin. Shall we?

So, we’ll start with number one. Let them get dirty. Now, let me ask you a question. Did you eat your own boogers when you were a kid? Well, it turns out we may actually be hardwired to eat our own boogers. An Austrian study, from last year, showed that kid not actually harbors bacteria that when eaten helps to strengthen the body’s own natural immune system. My kids kiss our dogs on the lips, they lick the floor. I’ve seen them to do this at public coffee shops. Of course, that was when they were a baby. They take an actual real bath about once every three days. I have observed them to rip diapers off and eat their own poop and crawl through entire airports. You know what? I don’t really care. See, it’s no coincidence that in our modern era of antibiotics, antibacterial hand soap, bottle boiling and daily bathing, we’re experiencing new and unparalleled occurrences of problems like autoimmunity, autism, ADD, food allergies, leaky gut and obesity in our kids. The reason for this is that a child’s immune system gets stronger when it’s exposed to dirt, germs, bacteria, viruses, and even parasites. So, if you protect your kid from things like animal poop, dirt, farm animals, lots of other kids, and of course, boogers, they don’t develop their immune systems the right way. They grow up more likely to have issues like skin disorders and gut issues and allergies.

Now, on a very related note, I was actually pretty bummed that when we had our twins, my wife got a C-section. And it wasn’t because it ruined her abs, because it didn’t. I have to say that because she might listen to this someday. It’s because babies born via C-section have been proven to have weaker guts, worse immune systems, and lower amounts of good bacteria. This is also why babies who are breastfed develop healthier immune system, since breast milk contained good bacteria that colonize the gut. Incidentally, this is also why if you weren’t breastfed or never shot down your mom’s vagina, you can actually benefit quite a bit from using probiotics, eating fermented foods, and even using a type of supplement called colostrum which comes from animal breast milk. So quick, take a break, go call your mom and ask her if you were breastfed or born vaginally, and then act accordingly.

Now, when I pick up my kids from kid care at the YMCA, I sometimes get strange looks from the other parents because I go out of my way to remind my kids not to use the antibacterial hand soap. That stuff can create nasty superbugs that can actually hurt your kids, so can antibiotics. I, also, only use soap in the shower once every two or three days. The rest of the time, I just rinse with water. Same thing for my kids. Let those dirt and soil-based organisms thrive on your child’s skin. If no-soap showers are just not your thing, then you may be interested in this New York Times report on AOBiome. This is a biotech startup that created a refreshing cosmetic mist which contains billions of cultivated bacteria commonly found in dirt and untreated water. So, now, you can basically pay for an expensive skin cosmetic to get the same thing you’d basically get from rolling around in your lawn.

So, how else can you get your kids dirty? Well, consider that kids who grew up on farms and large families have been shown to have stronger immune systems. So, go get a horse. I’m just kidding, you don’t have to get a horse or chickens, but you should let your kids have pets that they can get down and dirty with, even a dog or a cat or guinea pig or hermit crab or goldfish or snake or tarantula isn’t an option for you, I did have a tarantula when I was a kid, by the way, then, at least let your kids play with as many other kids as possible.

By the way, have you ever eaten natto? It’s this slimy, snotty, gooey fermented soybean mix. Most of them come in this little white cup with an orange Japanese cartoon character on the side. Just the other morning, I walked in on my son, Terran, eating a giant spoonful this natto stuff he had found in a container in the fridge. It appeared he had dumped a little organic ketchup on there. Now, I personally prefer natto with a little white rice and mustard, but to each their own. Natto is a fantastic dirty food. My kids eat lots of other fermented bacteria rich foods too like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, and kombucha. Your kid should do the same, and you should, too. That’s all bacteria. It’s dirty and it’s awesome for you.

So, speaking of eating weird foods, let’s take this one step further. Let your kids eat lots of fat, too. Now, my kids eat bone marrow. Bone marrow is chockfull of healthy fats, DHA, and fat-soluble vitamins, which are all incredibly important for your kids’ brain, hormones, and nervous system. In her book, “Deep Nutrition,” Cate Shanahan, who works with the LA Lakers professional basketball team, outlines four important factors that have been proven to determine beauty and symmetry in facial development of babies and kids. Those four factors are vitamin A, D, E, and K. You know what makes all those vitamins similar? That’s right, they’re all fat-soluble vitamins.

Let’s take Vitamin K2 for example. It keeps kids from getting calcified growth plates. Calcified growth plates will stunt the kids’ growth, but K2 is only found in animal-based fats that kids are rarely eating these days. So, my kids drink bone broth. They eat sardines out of the can and drink the oil. They consume plenty of egg yolks and the grass-fed butter. You know how walnuts are shaped like little brains? Those are also really good for your child’s brain. My kids have a big handful of raw walnuts every morning right before they eat egg, scrambled and bacon fat. So, what should your children not eat and what do I keep my kids away from? Well, they shouldn’t eat egg whites. They shouldn’t eat fat free cereals, and they shouldn’t eat low-fat yogurt. They should eat brain food instead. Incidentally, this is also why I personally test my blood four times a year to make sure my total cholesterol stays above 200, because I know, as author Nora Gedgaudas points out in her book, “Primal Body, Primal Mind,” that cholesterol below 200 is actually associated with low IQ. By the way, kids who have low intake of essential fats also have higher levels of ADD, autism and aggression, but some aggression is actually okay, which leads me to point number three, let your kids fight.

Now, at home, we have this game we play with my kids. It’s called, “takedown.” I get down into a low squat position and then my boys run at me and try to take me down. Another game we play is I lie down on the ground on my stomach and both my boys get on top of me, and my task is I simply have to try to throw them and their friends off and stand up. Then, of course, we play the one where I put the “Rocky III” soundtrack on Pandora Streaming Radio. We just fight for rounds until we’re all exhausted. Anything goes. Although the boys know that if they bite, scratch, claw, or go for any cheap shots, that it hurts Daddy.

Roughhousing and fighting are so, so important for your kids. It teaches them how to adapt quickly to unpredictable situations. It teaches them how to deal with pain and discomfort. Even losing sometimes, especially, if you don’t always let them win, which you shouldn’t do. How about this? Did you know that the amount of roughhousing that kids do actually predicts their achievement in first grade better than their kindergarten score tests do? This is because roughhousing increases levels of something called brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF. That increases neuron growth. Now, you might think that roughhousing would make your kids more violent, but that’s simply not so. It’s actually the opposite. Kids who roughhouse are more socially and emotionally mature than kids who don’t, because they understand the difference between play and aggression, between kindness and hostility, and they learn to stick to the rules of morality better. Roughhousing also makes you bond stronger with your kids because it causes both of you to make more oxytocin which is the same bonding hormone that gets released during things like sex and breastfeeding. Of course, roughhouse can get your kids physically active, which I don’t have to tell you is a huge missing component of kids’ lives these days. That leads me to point number four, which is to let your kids stand a lot.

Now, I have a poster that hangs on the wall of my office called, “Think Outside the Chair.” It comes from this book called, “World Distribution of Postural Habits.” I first learned about this book and this poster when I interviewed a bio-mechanist named Katy Bowman on my bengreenfieldfitness.com podcast. The poster shows you over 50 different positions that you could be in during your work day. It’s like the Kama Sutra of standing workstations. I’m going to try a new position right now while I’m talking. I just switched into a lunging position.

Now, you’ve probably seen the news that sitting is the new smoking and that having your butt planted in a chair for eight plus hours a day, or even for two hours at any given time, is one of the worst things you can do for fat loss and heart health. It actually doesn’t even matter how much you exercise at the end of the day. It just matters how much you got up and around during the day. That happens to be one of the reasons that I’m both standing and lunging as I record this for you.

Well, they’ve done the same research in kids. One study last year gave kids the option of using standing desks for an entire school year. Over 90% of the kids chose to stand and those that did burn nearly 100 extra calories a day. Another study found that totally irrespective of the total time kids spent sitting or standing, the more frequent the breaks in sedentary time, a.k.a. recess, the lower the health risk for everything, weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, bad cholesterol. Everything. So, recess is good so are standing workstations. They make them for kids. Check out websites like Updesk or Focal Upright or Varidesk.

Now, next, let their feet free. When your kids are standing, you might as well let them not be wearing these big overprotective shoes. Now, I’m very uncomfortable when I’m standing around at a party or a social gathering wearing shoes. I don’t like them. As a matter of fact, I avoid shoes, and actually sometimes pants too, when I’m working at home. I’m that guy who sits around writing and recording in my boxers. Now, my kids also rarely wear shoes like ancient tribes’ been or their own dad. They have these ugly calloused tough bulletproof feet, but they play outside, hike, runs, stand, move, and of course, do their hotel gym treadmill prowler workout. That’s running on a treadmill with the motor turned off, all primarily barefoot.

The reason for the importance of letting your child’s feet free is that the shape and density of your kids’ bones are a direct result of the loads and geometry placed on your kid’s body. This means that the way your child’s foot is loaded will affect the lifelong shape of their pelvis, their hips, their knees, their ankles, their back, and even the space in their chest that their lungs are in. This is why kids with poor posture grow up to be adults with poor posture. Kids who haven’t had their bones exposed to a variety of loads like running or lifting or moving object have been shown to have lower bone density later in life. They suffer from flat feet. Pediatric research is now showing that overprotective built up stabilizing modern footwear can interfere with the development of your kid’s foot strength, ankle stability, and movement patterns for the rest of their life. Your child’s foot muscles atrophy and their foot bones degrade.

Now, this is all reversible. Of course, you can’t reverse it in just two weeks by buying Vibram FiveFingers, getting a stress fracture, and then filing a lawsuit which has been done. It takes patience. Most of my clients need one to two years to make a full transition back to developing strong and natural feet if they’ve been wearing cushioned overprotected shoes much of their life. But with kids, things happen faster. Kids can reshape and redevelop foot structure and bones within just three months.

Besides avoiding modern built-up shoes, what else can you do to give your kids superhuman feet? Well, choose shoes that are super flexible or minimalist. Good brands are Vibram, Vivobarefoot, Happy Little Soles, Bobux, Merrell, and Nike Free. Play foot games with your kids to encourage motor skills and healthy foot development, like they can pick up marbles with their feet and put them into a cup. Massage your child’s feet for a few minutes before bedtime. Use Happy Feet socks which are a special kind of sock that spread the toes and strengthens the feet. You can wear these too yourself. If you live near sand, let your kids run and walk in sand which is one of the best ways to both strengthen and stretch the feet.

So, now that your kids are eating boogers, breastfeeding and barefoot, it’s time to kick them outside and walk away. There’s this article that appeared in the Atlantic Magazine called “The Overprotected Kid.” The article goes into and describes this little adventure playground in a housing development in North Wales. There’s no fancy playground structure with a shiny metal slide and a bright red steering wheel and a tic-tac-toe board. There’s no yellow seesaw with a central balance to make sure nobody falls off. There’s no little rubber bucket swing for the babies. There’s basically just some old tires and pieces of wood. There’s a frayed rope swing that carries you over a creek if you can make it that far.

The article talks about how the day the journalist was there researching the article, the kids were mostly playing with an elderly person’s walker that was, at any given time, used as a scooter, a jail cell, and a gymnastics bar. Well, a preoccupation with safety has stripped our kids of independence, risk-taking and discovery. Kids who don’t have a chance to solve their own problems, control their own decisions, and follow this internal moral compass, grow up feeling less in control of their own lives and fate. They don’t learn to, as this author, James Altucher says, “To choose yourself.”

Now, there’s an essay called, “The Play Deficit.” There are movements like free schooling and unschooling. There are books like “Free Range Kids,” “Baby Knows Best,” “Duct Tape Parenting,” “The Kids Will Be Fine,” and other books. They all show how the loss of unstructured free play and a set of strict rigid play and schooling rules has resulted in depression, narcissism, and a loss of creative thinking and empathy in our kids.

Now, I grew up on six acres of land. I was home-schooled. I’ll finish school by 11:00 and then play outside until it literally got dark. My parents never called me in for dinner or came out to find me. I just showed up somehow alive and having learned a heck of a lot about the world around me, about making decisions, solving problems, exerting self-control and following rules set by me and my tribe of friends. Look at me. I’m pretty messed up, but I’m at least still alive and doing what I passionately love, which is mostly still just playing outside.

Now, my kids are now growing up on 10 acres of land. We do the same thing. We just kick them out the door and they go. Their exercise and physical activity aren’t always supervised by a soccer coach and sidelined, and their playground isn’t always lined with fences and that special soft rubber gravel substitute stuff. Of course, we try to make sure there’s no major hazards like mountain lions and bear traps in the general vicinity our kids are playing in, but we also understand that there’s a big difference between avoiding major hazards and having our kids grow up in a protected bubble. See, growing tiny superhumans isn’t about creating perfect kids. It’s about creating resilient, free-thinking, free-spirited kids who can survive in unpredictable situations and who, perhaps, even think beyond the realm of growing up to be a factory worker or drone, completely devoid of creativity.

Hey, I want to interrupt today’s show to tell you about this stuff called Omax 3 Ultra Pure. This is a fish oil supplement, but it’s very pure. A lot of fish oil is you look at them and they don’t pass what’s called the freezer test challenge. That means if you freeze them, they’ll get cloudy and that’s all the filler. But the Omax 3 soft gel remains totally clear. You get no fish burps at all from it and they go through this really intense distillation process over in Europe and remove saturated fats, toxins, PCB’s. So, all you’re left with are ultra-pure, omega-3 fatty acids. They have actually sold over 500,000 boxes of this Ultra Pure Omax because it’s building up this cult following. So, all the cool kids are taking this one. Anyways though, what they’re offering all my listeners is 60% off a one-month supply. 60%, you heard me right, plus free shipping and a 60-day money back guarantee. To get that, you just go to tryomax.com. That’s T-R-Y-O-M-A-X dot com slash Ben. tryomax.com/Ben. When you go to tryomax.com, it gives you 6% for one-month supply and you can try the most trusted omega-3 on the market today. So, tryomax.com/ben.

This podcast is also brought to you by what I use nearly every day at my house, the detox from heavy metals, chemicals, and toxins to relieve pain and stiffness, to sleep better when I go in there at night. You guessed it. It’s infrared sauna. There’s even the finished study that found that regular sauna use getting there about four to five times a week not only decreases CRP, which is your main biomarker for inflammation, but just four of the 20-minute sessions a week reduces the risk for cardiovascular disease, and all cause of mortality, and Alzheimer’s. That was a dry sauna. I would say that the benefits of a near-infrared, mid-infrared, and far-infrared sauna you get all three in a Clearlight. Go far, above, and beyond when you get out of a dry sauna. It’s also low-EMF. Most saunas, infrared sauna, specifically freaking microwave you. This one does not. The one that I use is called the Sanctuary. I like it because I can create an open space in there for yoga or swinging kettlebells, spazzing out. It’s a great little sauna, big sauna actually. You can see all the Clearlight. They call them the Jacuzzi Series. The Clearlight Jacuzzi Saunas at healwithheat.com. healwithheat.com. If use code BEN, you get $500 off and a gift, a free gift. So, you go to healwithheat.com. You can also check them on Instagram. They’ve got Instagram. It’s @clearlightsaunas or healwithheat.com and use code BEN.

Next is let your kids join in. Now, there is this very interesting study done at the University of Essex. In the study, they asked kids to rate how active they thought their parents were. Then, they have those kids complete a test of their own cardio fitness, in this case, a bleep test where a loud bleep sounds, you run about 20 meters, and the bleep sounds again, and you run again. Basically, running back and forth with increasingly shorter recovery times until you’re completely exhausted. What researchers found was that how well a kid did on a bleep test was directly influenced by how active and fit that child perceived their parents to be. In other words, the fitter and more physically active your kid thinks you are, the fitter and more physically active your kid will be.

So, how can you include your kids in your workouts? Well, we do push-ups, bodyweight squats crawls, crab walks, overhead presses and hill sprints with our kids wrapped around our backs, torso, and chests. Obviously, if your child is 15 years old, this may be a fast track to a hernia, but if you’ve got young children, you can simply use them as your weights. They love it, and you get more of that oxytocin released I mentioned earlier too. We play follow-the-leader with our kids, where we’ll go on a hike in the forest or walk in the neighborhood. We use the world as our playground. Balancing on fences, picking up heavy rocks, climbing on obstacles like walls and park benches, carrying each other, crawling, jumping, rolling, walking backwards, walking sideways, and moving in as many fun ways as possible. I even swim with my kids on my back, especially when we’re traveling as a family at these short little hotel pools. Since our kids were born, we’ve also used jogging strollers for uphill sprint repeats and runs and pool kick boards for the kids to kick beside us when we swim laps. We have a local neighborhood family yoga class that we sometimes take our kids to. We drop in for family Zumba at our YMCA. We have mini kettlebells and mini medicine balls at home for the kids to join in our living room workouts. We play tennis at the park and basketball in the backyard. I’m even learning how to breakdance right now with my kids using a breakdance DVD. When it comes to making your kids a part of your workout, the sky’s the limit. If you want to grow tiny superhumans, you must think beyond confining yourself to a treadmill and your mp3 player and doing your workout at 4 a.m. when nobody is watching.

Now, as your kids begin to get dirty, do more unstructured free play, do workouts with you, and sit less, you’re going to find that they, and hopefully you, naturally spend less time on devices, especially electronic devices. This is a good thing. See, every phone has a warning label on it that tells you to keep the distance between the phone and your body at a few inches, in most cases. It’s why my phone is either always an airplane mode or, if I’m using it, hooked up to a special kind of headset called an AirTube headset. It’s also, why based on the absorption of a cell phone signal through a child’s skull being twice that of an adult skull, that I take special steps to ensure I’m not frying my kids from neural degradation, to insomnia cancer and ADD. There are thousands of studies on electromagnetic fields or EMF’s, particularly with regard to children’s health, from smartphones, to Wi-Fi routers, to computers, to game consoles, to smart meters, to microwaves, television and cell towers. EMF’s can be prevalent in just about every aspect of your child’s life. You know what’s scary? Kids absorb far more EMF than adults because their body has a higher water content, which makes them more conductive to radiation. They’ve also got thinner skulls, a growing brain and rapidly dividing cells, making them all the more susceptible to damage.

At our house, we have dirty electricity filters plugged into each room of the house. We have electrical kill switches installed in every bedroom of the house. We don’t use our microwave ever. We play outside instead of using gaming consoles like Wii and PlayStation. Our kids don’t use smart phones, iPads or laptops. We won’t be introducing these until they understand the importance of keeping devices clear of their ears, heads, and the little growing gonads in their laps. It’s funny because I tell people we have a completely stupid home, the opposite of a smart home. There are almost zero wireless signals or Bluetooth signals. As a matter of fact, right now, while I’m talking to you, my wireless router is unplugged and I’m instead hard-wired into the router. This quiet stupid little home is also very important for another thing that’s crucial for creating a tiny superhuman, sleep.

Let your kids sleep. Every night, week after week, month after month, year after year, we have the same bedtime routine in our house. Our kids put on pajamas. They brush their teeth using fluoride-free toothpaste, of course, and then we snuggle up in their bed and I read them a story. We each list one thing we’re grateful for and, finally, I sing and play them a song on my guitar. For that bedtime routine, there’s no blaring television, no phones, no iPads, no bright lights, and no other such melatonin disruptors.

Occasionally, the kids will even come curl up in my bed where I have a full body warming red light bulb. That’s actually one of the best little $10 sleep-packing investments you’ll ever make for your own sleep quality.

Sleep is when your cells and your nervous systems repair. That’s why I geek out on sleep so much. It’s when memories form and the day’s important lessons are cemented. So, by cutting down on sleep, you’ll learn less, you develop less, you’re less bright, you make worse decisions, you accomplish less, you’re less productive, you’re more prone to errors, and you undermine you and your children’s true intellectual potential. Sadly, a kid sleeps an average of an hour less a night than they did 30 years ago. A big part of this is our post-industrial infatuation with productivity. We think it’s okay to use an alarm clock to cut sleep short, okay to work in shifts, okay to travel people, including kids, around the world through multiple time zones and assume their body just bounces right back, okay to save time by sleeping less and working more, okay to pull kids out of bed in time for school. It’s even been shown that daylight savings time, designed by our government to save energy and fuel, actually alters your child’s fragile internal body clock twice a year. That results in lower S.A.T. scores compared to states like Arizona, which observes standard time all year long.

Probably, the worst part of all these is that little kids around the world are woken up early in the morning to go to school to learn. Not only do these kids get stressed and cranky, but their immune systems get undermined and their growth is blunted. Some sleep researchers who understand this problem are now trying to battle the establishment for more school schedules that allow kids to go to school one or two hours later. I realize that a giant groan is growing in the throats of those of you who would rather not have your kids still be hanging around your house at 8 a.m. in the morning. But, my optimistic prediction is that sooner or later, government school authorities and parents will realize that late bedtimes due to overloading with homework and the use of an alarm clock to rip kids from their beds, contradicts the very goals of education. So, if you want your kids to become superhuman, then let them sleep.

Finally, let your kid relax. Have you ever been laying next to your spouse or significant other at night and just felt like something wasn’t quite right? You felt the energy in the room was just off, or maybe you had hot crazy wild sex and everything seemed so right. It’s like you’re one. It’s like your hearts are beating in rhythm. Well, the amazing thing is that your hearts, literally, are synched.

See, your heart is the most powerful generator of electromagnetic energy in your entire body. Your heart’s electrical field is 60 times bigger than your brain’s. Your heart is also connected to your brain via something called the vagus nerve. This means that your heart signal can directly affect other people’s hearts, their brains, their mood, and their entire body. This also means that an intimate connection of heart-brain synchronization can occur between two people or even between a person and an animal. Your heart’s electrical field extends out in all directions in space around you and it touches anyone or anything with an 8 to 10 feet of where you’re sitting right now.

So, just imagine you’re playing at home with your kid and imagine that your heart is racing, you’re stressed, you’re running from a lion that’s jumping out from your email inbox, rushing around the house with your phone clutched to your neck and hurriedly trying to make dinner all at the same time. Well, your child feels that. It affects them. Your heart signal has a direct impact on your children’s stress levels. This stress affects their brain long-term.

That’s why every morning, before I get out of bed, the first thing I do is measure something called heart rate variability, which is a direct quantification of the heart’s electrical rhythms and gives you instant feedback of whether you have a healthy balance between your fight and flight nervous system and your rest and digest nervous system. If my heart is out of balance, I don’t get out of bed until I fix it, because I know it affects my family, my kids. It even affects my dog. If I find myself engaged in shallow chest breathing or irritable or moody or rushed or stressed during the work day, I stopped again and fix the imbalance. I have a home office and I know that if I’m stressed and if my children are in the vicinity, they can instantly sense that without me saying a thing. It’s just the way us, humans, are wired.

Do you want to know how to instantly fix stress and bring your heart’s electrical rhythms back into balance? Well, it’s done via something called the Quick Coherence Technique. You can easily teach it to your kids, and I’ll teach it to you right now. Do you want to learn it?

Okay, let’s do this. Close your eyes. Okay, good.

Now, with your eyes closed, breathe, deep nasal breathing, deep from your belly. First, focus your attention on the area around your heart, the area in the center of your chest. If you want, you can place your hand over the center of your chest to help keep your attention in your heart area. If you’re teaching this to that kids in your life, have them put their hands on their heart. It’s important that you teach your children to feel their heart and know right where it’s physically located.

Now, imagine that your breath is coming in and out through your heart area. Just find that natural breathing rhythm that feels good to you. Every breath is coming in and out through that heart area, every breath of oxygen feeding right into your heart.

Next, think of a positive feeling. Let’s be even more specific. Think of a child in your life, your son, your daughter, your niece, your nephew, your grandkid. Imagine their face, their laughs, their smile. Imagine their soft hair up against your cheeks as you snuggle them. Hold them tight. Feel their smooth skin. Let those positive emotions wash over you and breathe those emotions, feel those emotions going straight into your heart.

Now, when you’re ready, open your eyes. What you’ve just learned you can do anytime, anyplace. You can teach yourself to achieve that feeling within just 10 seconds. It’s the most powerful stress-reducing, relaxation technique I can give you. And better yet, if you take just one thing from this recording, go to the child in your life and teach that technique to them. Give them that gift and they will become superhuman and I hope you will, too. Thanks for listening.

Tiny Superhumans…

Whether you have kids, plan on having kids, or know kids, you live in a privileged era in which you have the ability to enable the kids in your life to be tiny superhumans who look, feel, think and perform like optimized human beings, and you’re about to hear exactly how.

Mozart learned to play the piano at the age of four, composed his first piece at age five and wrote his first symphony at age eight. Pablo Picasso, when he was just twelve, had an astonishing grasp of the fundamentals of art and was producing photo-realistic anatomical sketches. Giovanni Bernini was churning out intricate, life-like stone sculptures at only eight years old.

But these folks aren’t special childhood prodigies, idiot savants, or some kind of unique autistic geniuses.

These are normal human beings.

Sadly, in our modern era, we’ve forgotten how to nurture and grow an amazing human body and mind and instead settled for a generation of kids that wind up on peopleofwalmart.com – attached to leashes and chewing on Ritalin.

The fact is, we have the capability to enable the children in our lives to become tiny superhumans and grow up with optimized physical and mental capabilities.

But unfortunately, it’s very easy to make parenting and teaching mistakes that create a host of issues in children, including lack of proper muscle and brain growth, immune system weakness, low IQ, stunted growth, obesity, depression, attention deficit disorder, social anxiety, and other frustrating problems that parents now accept as all-too-common.

In today’s podcast, I’m giving you the entire recording of my 2014 book “10 Ways To Grow Tiny Superhumans“.

In it, you’ll learn things like:

-Cutting-edge research on how birth methods, bacteria, dirt, germs, farms, pets, and families make a life-long impression on a child’s immune system…9:00

We’re actually hard-wired to eat our own boogers; strengthens our immune systems.

Babies born via c-section have lower health quality than natural born.

Colostrum is important.

Dirt isn’t necessarily dirty.

Natto. Tastes terrible, but it’s great for you and your kids.

-Why the modern paradigm of low-fat food is one of the worst dietary practices possible for a growing child’s brain and nervous system…13:10

You want lots of fat; my kids eat lots of bone broth.

You want them to eat “brain food.” 

Total cholesterol below 200 is associated with low IQ.

-How to foster an ideal combination of play, healthy competitiveness and a desire to succeed in a child through strategies such as roughhousing and wrestling…15:05

Roughhousing teaches to deal with unpredictable situations; how to lose gracefully; how to deal with pain.

People who roughhouse are more socially mature.

Stronger bond with your kids; releases more oxytocin.

Gets them more physically active.

-Ways to enable your child to spend more time on their feet and wearing the proper footwear – two important decisions that will affect their posture for life…16:50

“Think outside the chair.”

Standing workstations for kids.

Rarely wear shoes.

Kids with poor posture have poor posture as adults.

Overprotective modern footwear inhibits foot health for life. (check out minimalist footwear from Vibram, Merrell, etc.)

Kids can reshape and restructure bones in just a few months.

Choose flexible shoes. Foot games to develop motor skills.

Massage feet; happy feet socks.

-How to immerse your child in healthy and safe forms of unstructured free play that enables kids to solve their own problems, control their own decisions, and follow an internal moral compass…21:09

Preoccupation with safety has stripped our kids of independence, risk-taking and discovery.

Feel less in control of their own fate.

Free schooling, unschooling

Recommended books: Duct Tape Parenting, Baby Knows Best, Free Range Kids

We’re not creating perfect kids; we’re creating kids who can’t think for themselves.

-Creative methods of exercise and fitness that make your children a part of the process…26:50

Use your kids as weights while you workout.

Play “follow the leader”

Jogging strollers.

-What modern electronics can do to a child’s developing brain and body, and how you can protect a child without completely unplugging or disconnecting them from technology…29:00

Air Tube Headset

EMFs hazardous to children’s health. Kids absorb more EMF than adults.

We have a “stupid” home.

-How to enhance a child’s sleep cycles, decrease stress, increase relaxation and even optimize brain waves…31:15

Have a bedtime routine.

Kids sleep an hour less than they did 30-40 years ago.

Lose sleep to go to school.

-Everything necessary to nurture and grow an amazing young human’s body and mind…33:45

Your child feels your stress levels; hearts are synced.

Measure heart rate variability (HRV) (Listen to my recent podcast with Will Ahmed, founder of WHOOP about this.)

Quick Coherence Technique

-And more!

Episode Sponsors:

–Kion Coffee 12 oz of coffee carefully selected and roasted for taste, purity, high antioxidants and health. Get 10% off your order today!

–Onnit Bookmark this link for their killer Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals!

–Omax 3 Ultra Pure fish oil supplement. Patented formula with 4X EPA to target inflammation, joint pain, & muscle recovery. Get 60% discount and free shipping using my link.

–Clearlight Sauna Jacuzzis Advanced technology for your good health. See why Clearlight Jacuzzi Saunas are unsurpassed! Use code: BEN, and get $500 off your order and a free gift.

Ask Ben a Podcast Question

Source: https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/transcripts/transcript-raise-tiny-superhumans/

[cribcrate22-blog]

Free weight loss resources from IDM

Happy New Year to everybody! I took a couple of weeks off from the blog to spend with family and friends. I ate more than I should have, and definitely ate many things better left on the table. Now, like everybody else, I’m looking to lose some of those holiday pounds. This happens every year, but luckily I plan for it, and will increase the amount of fasting I do to compensate for those dietary indiscretions. For me, fasting is not particularly difficult, but for those new to fasting or low carb diets, it can be a daunting task.

For this reason, the Intensive Dietary Management (IDM) Program, run by myself and Megan Ramos provide a number of educational programs that can help with fasting. There are paid programs but also a number of free programs that I encourage you to take advantage of. In this post, I’ll highlight some free resources that I think can be very useful. You can sign up for both the 12-week introductory fasting program and the fasting community (Facebook) right from the home page of www.IDMprogram.com.

We’ve developed these resources over the course of the last year, but released them mostly towards the end of 2018, so many of you may not be familiar with them. The most important components for weight loss, in my opinion are to have the proper knowledge, and then be part of a community that encourages you to follow through. In many cases, people don’t understand fasting and even if they do, they are surrounded by people who sabotage their progress. So the most important part of starting on the road to using fasting for weight loss is education and being part of a community that supports you. Luckily, the IDM program has free resources to help you.

12-week introduction to fasting email course

The idea of this course is to provide some basic information about fasting and how it can help with weight loss. You simply sign up on our home page, and you will receive a weekly email that provides some basic education. The topics covered include:

Fasting history

Fasting vs calorie restriction

Physiology

Fasting and weight loss 1

Fasting and weight loss 2

Autophagy

Fasting and muscle loss

Growth hormone

Exercise

Fasting and cholesterol

The #1 rule of fasting

Fasting regimens

This gives a very brief overview of topics and you are then free to explore the rest of our free blog for more related topics on fasting. You simply need an email address to sign up for our free introductory email course on the home page of the IDM program website.

Fasting community

The second important component of weight loss is to find a supportive community. For that, we’ve put together a free Facebook Fasting support group called ‘The Obesity Code Network’ Anybody and everybody is free to join. Facebook is kind of a Wild West sort of place, but our moderators hopefully make it a little more inviting and supporting.

Podcast

Finally, check out the new Low Carb MD podcast with Drs. Brian Lenzkes and Tro. This podcast, will feature both myself and Megan on a regular basis to discuss clinical aspects of fasting and practical tips to help you along the way. Megan is scheduled to be on once a week to answer questions about fasting.

IDM Physician’s Network

If you need a physician to oversee, check out our IDM Physician’s Network which lists doctors that support the therapeutic use of fasting.

Best of luck to everybody!

— Dr. Jason Fung

Also published on idmprogram.com.

Source: https://www.dietdoctor.com/free-weight-loss-resources-from-idm

[cribcrate22-blog]

Kaua‘i Restaurant and Shopping Guide (with Kid Friendly Ideas!)

Oh, Kaua‘i. It’s like a dream! The Garden Isle definitely lives up to its name — everywhere you look is lush, dense, tropical vegetation that’s so perfect you swear it can’t be real. If you love laid-back adventures and natural beauty, this is definitely your island. We’re digging extra deep into our Kaua‘i travel guides because there’s so much to do, see, eat, and experience. So up first is our Kaua‘i restaurant and shopping guide! And the good news is that almost all of this is kid friendly. (Come back later this week for our list of things to do and pack).

Where to Eat in Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i

I knew we were going to see beautiful beaches and tons of nature, but I didn’t realize that we were in for some amazing food, too! For such a laid back island, there are some incredible restaurants, ranging from hole-in-the-wall to super fancy (and everything in between). A quick note: we had our kids with us at every meal, so I’m considering all of these places kid-friendly. We were never looked at sideways for having kiddos with us, but we do take a lot of time for training when it comes to eating out so they were (mostly) behaved pretty well. See the links below for our top spots.

Ama. North side, Hanalei. Gorgeous outdoor setting with killer good ramen and fun cocktails. We had three toddlers and a baby with us and nobody batted an eye. That being said, this place is definitely upscale so if you have a rowdy kid you might not want to spend the money to have to wrangle them all night. 😉

Tahiti Nui. North side, Hanalei. A local legend and easy standby. Go for the pizza, stay for the luau if you’re into that sort of thing. They also have live music in the bar (where we were welcomed to sit with the kids) — a couple of sweet older locals playing Hawaiian music.

Kalypso. North side, Hanalei. Fun atmosphere for lunch or dinner. They have crayons for the kids and a menu with a little bit of everything. I loved the poke bowl, and the cocktails were pretty tasty too.

Hanalei Bread Company. North side, Hanalei. One of my favorite meals! This spot is awesome for breakfast. Get a few things to share around — we loved the avocado toast, breakfast sandwich, and frittata. Also, the Ginger Julius smoothie was insanely good. Eat out on the patio or at the picnic tables.

Hanalei Gourmet. North side, Hanalei. I didn’t actually eat at this joint but it was super kid-friendly and a fun atmosphere. Ryan said the fish and chips was legit.

Chicken in a Barrel. Various locations. This is a local semi-fast food joint with the most delicious chicken ever. I just had some shredded chicken on a green salad and it was to die for. Also, the fries are perfection.

Kaua‘i Juice Co. Various locations. I’m adding this here because they bottled my favorite kombucha I’ve ever tasted — Lilikoi Lychee. SO. GOOD. You can find kombucha on tap at their shop, along with lots of other grab-and-go snacks that are super healthy and super delicious.

Wishing Well Shave Ice. North side, Hanalei. A local favorite and a quirky, fun spot for shave ice. I recommend Da Bomb (root beer and cherry shave ice over vanilla soft serve OHMYGOSH).

Lappert’s Ice Cream. Various locations. Delicious, rich, creamy ice cream stop for the kiddos. Or let’s be real, the grownups.

Makana Terrace at Princeville Resort. North side, Princeville. This is the terrace restaurant located in the old St. Regis Hotel. The views from the terrace are spectacular, especially at sunset. They have a kids’ menu, but no kids’ entertainment (i.e. crayons), so we brought our own coloring books and stickers. This is another place where if you have kids that aren’t used to eating out, maybe get a babysitter or save the cash and find an easier spot.

Kauai Poke Co. South said, Lawai. Food truck heaven! I had poke four times during our trip and this was my favorite bowl, hands down. I recommend the Plantation Bowl.

Kickshaws. South side, Lawai. This was Ryan’s favorite meal all week! This is another food truck, with down & dirty hot sandwiches, burgers, and more. Ryan won’t stop talking about the cheesesteak.

Sushigirl. North side, Kilauea. An awesome little sushi spot located by some fun shops. The sushi burrito is a fun twist on a poke bowl or a roll.

Where to Shop in Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i

I love to check out local shops when I’m traveling to a new place, and I totally wasn’t expecting to find so much great stuff in Kaua‘i! The local makers are top notch, and the boutiques there seem to source the most beautiful odds & ends. Here were a few favorites.

Ohana There’s a small location in Hanalei and a much larger one in Kukui’ula Shopping Village in Poipu. They have the loveliest gold jewelry, wall hangings with shells from local beaches, kids stuff, and locally woven hats & bags.

SoHa Living Also in the Kukui’ula Shopping Village, this shop was actually closed when we were there but I did some intense window shopping and was SO SAD to not be able to go in. Lots of fun home goods.

Beauty Bar A small shop in Hanalei with fun beauty products you might not find elsewhere, also a few little jewelry pieces and an awesome selection of Quay sunnies.

The Barn 808 Ryan fell in love with this pair of shops! One side is home goods and the other is clothing — they have lots of funky stuff for kids, too. They were having a huge 50% off sale when we were there so be sure to ask about any deals.

Wishing Well This little outdoor shop is part of Wishing Well Shave Ice but we found some of our favorite kids’ t-shirts here, along with a sweet little gold bracelet for Maggie. The t-shirts are locally dyed and printed.

Kokonut Kids A fun kids’ store with lots of toys and a ton of swimwear (Maggie got a couple of rashguards here because we found out on the first day that she burns really fast!). Awesome spot to pick up something for a baby or kid if you have a birthday coming up.

Warehouse 3540 One of my favorite stops of the trip! This is a warehouse with a handful of various artists shops set up inside (food trucks and coffee trucks too!). Ocean Paper is here, which is kind of a Hawaiian version of Rifle Paper Company and sells lovely hand-painted cards and art. You can also get some organic watercolor paints there in a little travel kit! So cool! Another fave shop in the Warehouse was Hawai‘i Says HI — perfect for pretty souvenirs or little housewares.

Aloha Exchange An awesome surf and skate shop with a little something for everyone! The kids loved the hats, t-shirts, and swimsuits. I loved the women’s clothing, blankets, and surf books. The dudes in our group loved the Patagonia selection and outdoor gear. This is one to add to your list for sure. There’s also a fun mural on the garage door outside the Kalaheo location.

Hunter Gatherer Another fave! This pretty shop has a mystical vibe, with tons of crystals and rocks, and lots of pretty housewares. It actually had a good section of really pretty hand-carved blocks for kids and fun kids books too. But beware here: it’s definitely a place where you need to keep an eye on kiddos who like to reach out and touch things. 😉

Hope these suggestions help you plan your trip to Kaua‘i! Come back later this week for our recommendations on the best beaches and activities, plus a big fat packing list for families! xoxo

Source: https://lovelyindeed.com/kauai-restaurant-and-shopping-guide-with-kid-friendly-ideas/

[cribcrate22-blog]

How to create a diet that lowers your cholesterol - Medical Xpress

(HealthDay)—Watching your cholesterol intake has gotten easier.

Nutrition experts now agree that certain foods high in cholesterol, like shrimp and eggs, don't have the impact on your blood cholesterol that was once thought. Even better, some foods can help lower your blood cholesterol level.

Walnuts have healthy unsaturated fats that help lower LDL—that's the unhealthy type of cholesterol. Almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios are good choices, too.

Beans and oats have a magic bullet—soluble fiber, which helps flush cholesterol out of your system before it can do harm and also helps with digestive health. Enjoy hot or cold oat cereals and experiment with beans in place of meat.

Avocados are rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids and can help lower LDL. Mash a few tablespoons to spread on sandwiches instead of mayo and dip raw veggies rather than chips in fresh guacamole.

Plant-based foods, in general, naturally contain sterols and stanols, substances that fight off cholesterol, another reason to boost your intake. Top sources include wheat germ and wheat bran, peanuts, almonds, sesame and olive oils, and Brussels sprouts. Studies have found that getting 2 to 3 grams a day can lower LDL up to 14%.

Your overall diet plan can help lower cholesterol, too. Options include the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), also designed to lower blood pressure, and the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet, which limits fat intake to no more than 35% of daily calories. It also encourages eating more fruit, vegetables and fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Remember that foods high in saturated fat—such as processed red meats, butter and cream—raise blood cholesterol levels. Limit them in your daily diet.

More information: The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more on lowering cholesterol with the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet.

Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Citation: How to create a diet that lowers your cholesterol (2019, July 5) retrieved 5 July 2019 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-07-diet-lowers-cholesterol.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-07-diet-lowers-cholesterol.html

[cribcrate22-blog]

For older adults, does eating enough protein help delay disability?

To live successfully and independently, older adults need to be able to manage two different levels of life skills: basic daily care and basic housekeeping activities.

Basic daily care includes feeding yourself, bathing, dressing, and going to the toilet on your own.

You also need to handle basic housekeeping activities, such as managing your finances and having the mobility to shop and participate in social activities.

If you or someone you care for has trouble performing these two types of life skills, this may bring on problems that can reduce quality of life and independence. People 85-years-old and older form the fastest-growing age group in our society and are at higher risk for becoming less able to perform these life skills. For this reason, researchers are seeking ways to help older adults stay independent for longer. Recently, a research team focused their attention on learning whether eating more protein could contribute to helping people maintain independence. Their study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Protein is known to slow the loss of muscle mass. Having enough muscle mass can help preserve the ability to perform daily activities and prevent disability. Older adults tend to have a lower protein intake than younger adults due to poorer health, reduced physical activity, and changes in the mouth and teeth.

To learn more about protein intake and disability in older adults, the research team used data from the Newcastle 85+ Study conducted in the United Kingdom (UK). This study's researchers approached all people turning 85 in 2006 in two cities in the UK for participation. At the beginning of the study in 2006-2007, there were 722 participants, 60 percent of whom were women. The participants provided researchers with information about what they ate every day, their body weight and height measurements, their overall health assessment (including any level of disability), and their medical records.

The researchers learned that more than one-quarter (28 percent) of very old adults in North-East England had protein intakes below the recommended dietary allowance. The researchers noted that older adults who have more chronic health conditions may also have different protein requirements. To learn more about the health benefits of adequate protein intake in older adults, the researchers examined the impact of protein intake on the increase of disability over five years.

The researchers' theory was that eating more protein would be associated with slower disability development in very old adults, depending on their muscle mass and muscle strength.

As it turned out, they were correct. Participants who ate more protein at the beginning of the study were less likely to become disabled when compared to people who ate less protein.

Dr. Nuno Mendonca, the principal author of the study, said: "Our findings support current thinking about increasing the recommended daily intake of protein to maintain active and healthy aging." Older adults should aim to eat about 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein for every 2.2 pounds of body weight. For example, for a person who weighs 160 pounds, that would be about 58 grams of protein a day (a 3.5-ounce serving of chicken contains about 31 grams of protein). Find your recommended daily protein intake -- and other important nutritional needs -- by using this calculator.

Story Source:

Materials provided by American Geriatrics Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181102105941.htm

[cribcrate22-blog]

Gegen Vermögenssteuern: Kurz kann sich vorstellen, Rendi-Wagner zu wählen

Gordon Welters / laif / picturedesk.com

Der neue Kurs von SPÖ-Chefin Pamela Rendi-Wagner gegen Vermögenssteuern begeistert auch Jungwähler: Der Wiener Sebastian Kurz (32) kann sich ebenfalls vorstellen, Rendi-Wagner bei der nächsten Wahl seine Stimme zu geben. Beginnt sich das Blatt für die Sozialdemokratie zu wenden?

„Bei der SPÖ weht wirklich ein frischer Wind“, sagt Kurz in seinem Büro im Bundeskanzleramt. „Endlich setzt sich die Partei für Arbeitslose ein. Also nicht die beim AMS, sondern die Arbeitslosen, die den ganzen Tag am Golfplatz stehen“, so Kurz zufrieden.

Ebenfalls begeistert zeigt sich Kurz von der starken Oppositionsarbeit der neuen SPÖ gegen die Machenschaften der alten SPÖ: „So kann die Regierung in Ruhe arbeiten.“

„Extrem anstrengend“

Die Betroffenen selbst freuen sich ebenfalls über Rendi-Wagners klare Positionierung. „Mehrere Millionen zu erben ist extrem anstrengend“, sagt Sigismund Eugen, 35, Immobilienverwalter vom Attersee. „Ich musste so viele Sachen unterschreiben, dass ich wegen Sehnenscheidenentzündung für eine Woche beim Polo-Training ausgefallen bin.“

Auch der bekannte Wiener Uhrenfabrikant und Kunstsammler Thomas Drozda gratuliert Rendi-Wagner zu ihrer klaren Absage gegen linke Politik: „Eine Erbschaftssteuer ab einer Million Euro würde nur ungefähr 1,5 Prozent der Österreicher betreffen. Eine hetzerische Politik gegen Minderheiten wird es mit der SPÖ bestimmt nicht geben.“

Tieferer Sinn

Peter Filzmaier glaubt nach mehrtägiger Analyse, im Kurs der SPÖ einen tieferen Sinn zu erkennen: „Ich habe alles verstanden! Rot ist Blau! Grün ist Gelb! Ich bin Winston Churchill und Napoleon Bonaparte und Spongebob Schwammkopf!“, schreit er lachend und weinend zugleich, bevor er von besorgten Sanitätern in den Krankenwagen geschoben und auf die Baumgartner Höhe gebracht wird.

Source: https://dietagespresse.com/gegen-vermoegenssteuern-kurz-kann-sich-vorstellen-rendi-wagner-zu-waehlen/

[cribcrate22-blog]

January 4th, 2019 All Those Things

January 4th, 2019 All Those Things

Yesterday: I maintained the integrity of my reduced calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

My oldest daughter turns 29 today. This doesn't seem possible, really, but it's the reality. She can't believe it either, but it's true! She has become a wonderful wife, a very attentive, nurturing mother, and a respected professional in her chosen career of special education--she's all those things, but when I see her, I still see my little Ambee girl. The day she was born remains fresh in my memory as if it were yesterday. I love her so much! My goodness, I could write a book worth of things covering the last 29 years. I can't wait to see her this evening. Kristin and I will be taking care of Raegan while her and KL enjoy an evening out.

Amber's 12th Birthday Party

I'm planning on cooking dinner at Amber's place. I hope Raegan likes salmon and veggies. Oh wait--she's too young for that stuff. I'm kidding, Amber, relax!!

I'm really enjoying my time off from work. I'm well rested and focused on a few things that have needed my focus. I've been taking advantage of this time to examine my daily practice for areas and ways it can serve me better. I'm really good at getting into habits and routines--some are great and very helpful, some do not serve me very well at all. Establishing different routines, practicing them--evaluating the effects, and hoping some "stick," or become a positive habit, is the goal of this personal examination time.

I do have one work thing to do today--couldn't be helped. I'm meeting with a client at a popular restaurant for a creative/copywriting/recording session. Technology allows us to do this on location, which is really convenient considering this restaurant is within walking distance of my apartment.

One of my goals between now and the end of tomorrow is to finish Russell Brand's recovery book--and oh, by the way--I recommended this book, of course--but just a heads up, if you're easily offended by foul language, that could become a barrier between you and the deeper messages of this extremely powerful12-step based book.

Featured Tweet:

#whatsfordinner #foodplan #dailypractice #simplyprepared #digitalfoodscale Very satisfying meal! #whatilike pic.twitter.com/1Q7YfeMNxX

— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) January 4, 2019

Thank you for reading and your continued support,

Practice, peace, and calm,

Sean

If you're interested in connecting via social media:

I accept friend requests on MyFitnessPal. My daily food logging diary is set to public.

MFP Username: SeanAAnderson

My Twitter: SeanAAnderson

Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505

Instagram: SeanAAnderson

Also--I'd love you to subscribe to my podcast Transformation Planet! You can find it in Apple Podcasts, in the Google Play store for Android, and listed wherever you find your favorite podcasts! If you haven't listened before, you'll find 19 episodes waiting for you!

Source: http://losingweighteveryday.blogspot.com/2019/01/january-4th-2018-all-those-things.html

[cribcrate22-blog]

New insight into how obesity, insulin resistance can impair cognition

Obesity can break down our protective blood brain barrier resulting in problems with learning and memory, scientists report.

They knew that chronic activation of the receptor Adora2a on the endothelial cells that line this important barrier in our brain can let factors from the blood enter the brain and affect the function of our neurons.

Now Medical College of Georgia scientists have shown that when they block Adora2a in a model of diet-induced obesity, this important barrier function is maintained.

"We know that obesity and insulin resistance break down the blood brain barrier in humans and animal models, but exactly how has remained a mystery," says Dr. Alexis M. Stranahan, neuroscientist in the MCG Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine at Augusta University. Stranahan is corresponding author of the study published in The Journal of Neuroscience that provides new insight.

In the brain, adenosine is a neurotransmitter that helps us sleep and helps regulate our blood pressure; in the body it's also a component of the cell fuel adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. Adenosine also activates receptors Adora1a and Adora2a on endothelial cells, which normally supports healthy relationships between brain activity and blood flow.

Problems arise with chronic activation, particularly in the brain, which is what happens with obesity, says Stranahan.

People who have obesity and diabetes have higher rates of cognitive impairment as they age and most of the related structural changes are in the hippocampus, a center of learning and memory and Stranahan's focus of study. Fat is a source of inflammation and there is evidence that reducing chronic inflammation in the brain helps prevent obesity-related memory loss.

In a model that mimics what happens to some of us, young mice fed a high-fat diet got fat within two weeks, and by 16 weeks they had increases in fasting glucose and insulin concentrations, all signs that diabetes is in their future.

In the minute vasculature of the hippocampus, the investigators saw that obesity first increased permeability of the blood brain barrier to tiny molecules like fluorophore sodium fluorescein, or NaFl. Diet-induced insulin resistance heightened that permeability so that a larger molecule, Evans Blue, which has a high affinity for serum albumin, the most abundant protein in blood, also could get through.

When they looked with electron microscopy, they saw a changed landscape. Resulting diabetes promoted shrinkage of the usually tight junctions between endothelial cells and actual holes in those cells. They also saw muscular cells called pericytes that wrap around the exterior of microscopic blood vessels in the brain to give them more strength and help move blood along, start to lose their grip, so blood vessels start to lose their tone and become dysfunctional and inflamed. Pericytes are known to express higher levels of Adora2a than endothelial cells, Stranahan notes. The high-fat diet also promoted swelling of protrusions on astrocytes called end-feet, which also are part of the blood brain barrier. Astrocytes are brain cells that normally nurture neurons, but the pathological state of obesity also altered their form and support.

Angiogenesis, the body's natural attempt to make more blood vessels -- albeit usually dysfunctional, leaky ones -- in response to impaired blood and oxygen flow was happening in the hippocampus by 12 weeks, and upon close inspection, blood vessels were inflamed.

When they gave a drug to temporarily block Adora2a, it also blocked problems with barrier permeability. Whether that could work in humans and long term as a way to avoid cognitive decline in obese humans, remains to be seen, Stranahan notes.

Next they developed a mouse in which they could selectively knock Adora2a out of endothelial cells.

In this transgenic mouse, they turned off Adora2a in the endothelial cells at 12 weeks, and at 16 weeks, when mice should have been exhibiting cognitive impairment and a leaky blood brain barrier, they instead had normal cognition and barrier function and no inflammation.

When they compared the transgenic mice that were on a high- or low-fat diet, they found evidence that the increased permeability of blood vessels in the brain initiates the cycle of inflammation and cognitive impairment.

While it's typically hard to jump from mice to men, the fact that this type of work actually started with human findings likely means that avoiding insulin resistance could potentially halt the increased permeability of the blood brain barrier and decrease in cognitive function, Stranahan says.

"If an individual has already progressed to insulin resistance, these studies underscore the importance of controlling blood sugar levels and avoiding progressing to insulin deficiency (diabetes), which opens the blood brain barrier even further."

The scientists report that the relative accessibility of blood vessels in the brain may also make them a good avenue for preventing obesity's effects on the brain.

It also points to the reality that a variety of drugs given to obese patients may impact their brains to a higher degree, which might be something for patients and their doctors to consider. Stranahan notes that for drugs intended to take action in the brain, such as those for Alzheimer's, that could be a good thing but still needs to be considered. Some commonly prescribed drugs like prednisone, on the other hand, already are really good at getting through and can potentially be bad for the brain, she says.

Next steps in her lab include figuring out where the signal arises that chronically activates Adora2 in fat mice. She suspects it's actually a cascade that includes endothelial cells getting stressed, which increases their metabolism, which means they use more ATP, which can activate Adora2a and set in motion a vicious cycle that eventually takes its toll on the blood brain barrier.

The concept that obesity could affect the blood brain barrier started with people a dozen years ago when Swedish researchers found obese individuals had higher levels of the major antibody immunoglobulin G in their cerebrospinal fluid, when it should have been in their blood. It was an important finding that suggested that obesity and diabetes could enable things to get from the blood to the brain that should not, Stranahan says. Animal studies confirmed it was happening but, again, few studies have looked at why, Stranahan says.

Blood vessels come up from the body and get exceedingly small and fragile as they dive into the brain. While blood vessels that supply areas like our arms and heart are meant to be more porous so they can share plenty of glucose, oxygen and immune cells and other things the body needs, the vasculature in the brain, is supposed to be much more restrictive, letting comparatively little through.

"It's more like a gate than a barrier," says Stranahan, and it's a dynamic barrier at that, based on what the brain is up to. "It's got transporters that can move things across and what is happening in the brain and in the blood can change the way it operates."

She notes that the brain is a huge consumer, sucking up 70 to 80 percent of our oxygen and glucose, but also more fragile than other tissues, super sensitive even to our own immune cells.

"It's like a kid who grows up playing outside in the dirt is going to have a more robust immune system than a kid who grows up staying inside and playing video games," Stranahan says.

Cognitive tests on mice in the study included object recognition and maneuvering a water maze. The scientists looked at other normal functions, like simple motor functions, to see if there were other effects and, at least at those early time points, did not identify others.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190422082253.htm

[cribcrate22-blog]

How I Learned To Love Life By Myself After Leaving My Comfortable Hometown Life & 4-Year Relationship

I had wanted to move to D.C. since the day I declared my major in undergrad and sat in my first international relations class. I knew there were rooms where these big decisions were happening, and I couldn’t help but feel myself being pulled towards them. I had something I wanted to prove: the plucky girl studying in Peoria could, in fact, make her way to the room where it all was happening and make a difference.

I tried staying in Chicago for a year post-graduation — but not even Chicago. I stayed in the burbs, in my cozy, childhood home, with my parents, dog, and boyfriend all close by. Every day I felt this pit start to grow larger and more pressing in my stomach. I loved being home. I had the rare opportunity to rebuild a relationship with my parents, continue my 4-year relationship with my college boyfriend, and of course, live rent free. But no matter how comfortable I was, it all felt off. It seemed like the longer I sat at home watching House Hunters while scrolling on social media, I felt myself starting to disappear. I knew I was losing myself. But I sat by, kept scrolling, and let it happen.

It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy my job at the time, because I did. Campaigning was this untamable beast that I felt challenged and invigorated by. However, it didn’t matter that I liked my work or loved the professionals around me. I realized there was something wrong with crying in your car once a week after work. I also realized that it wasn’t the work that was making me cry — it was myself.

My biggest red flag came from my relationship. I loved my boyfriend, and he was my absolute best friend. But even though I loved him, I found that I started to feel a hole in my heart. The hole wasn’t from him — but it also couldn’t be filled by him. I had started losing my grip on who I was, and I was watching him ride the same exact wave with himself. We knew we were starting to trudge through our own mud pits of our personalities and self-exploration. But the more we felt ourselves getting deeper in our own pits, the more we reached for the other, realizing that we couldn’t help the other. Reaching to help someone else when you’re sinking yourself only makes you sink faster.

After the March 2018 Illinois primary ended, I realized there was a huge choice I had to make. A choice that honestly, people make every damn day, so why was I making such a big deal out of it? Would I move across the country and live in D.C.? Or would I stay in Chicago and continue on the life I’d started to wear out?

My gut started to kick in and push me along this secret path only it knew. I decided to move. I packed up my dad’s truck with a twin mattress and several Rubbermaid drawer sets and headed to Washington. I was leaving the great support system I’d found in my parents, and I was leaving my best friend and love, but more than anything, I was intent on leaving this ghost I’d been carrying around.

Being here in D.C. for 7 months has been hard for me, not even because the first place I lived in closely resembled a large closet. More than anything, right now my heart regularly feels like it’s been scraped out. I miss my friends who now all live in trendy Chicago neighborhoods and have started to discover their adult selves together. I feel guilty that I finally found a great relationship with my parents and then left. I call my 90-year-old grandpa once a week and feel like I should be doing more to make our time together worth something. My little cousins are growing through the hell of high school, and I’m so far away. The list builds and builds, but maybe the hardest part has been that I feel completely empty that I left my first love and I have to now realize what it means to have an ex. And god, I miss my damn dog.

But since I’ve been here, I’ve had to sit down and really look at myself for the first time in my entire life. I’ve realized that the shadow following me around has grown larger and more daunting. It’s the shadow of an anxious girl who could barely squeeze out a hello, the body dysmorphic woman who couldn’t look at herself in the mirror, the person who wanted to love everyone but had trouble loving herself, the girl with a lot of opinions but was too afraid of confrontation to speak them. People go places in hopes that they’ll find themselves. But I’ve realized it’s not the place that makes you find yourself; it’s the time you spend alone.

Every day, I wake up alone. There are no distractions anymore — no dog, no boyfriend, no parents. In my alone time, I’m forced to look at my shadow and confront it. Every day, I ask it if it will wash over me, or if I can have one minute of my own. The shadow has started to give me what I’ve asked for — a minute turned into two, two minutes turned into hours.

At first, it seemed so easy to fill my alone time by being around other people. After all, I just started to get to know my D.C. network, and I was working hard at growing it. No matter how much energy I put into socializing, I knew this was a band-aid — one can’t come to love who they are alone by never actually being alone. Knowing this, I began reaching into the back drawers of my heart and pulling out some old dreams. I wrote down a list of what I’d love to be doing, and I started immediately checking things off.

I discovered improv comedy after I’d seen friends do Second City classes in Chicago. I marveled at them. I was determined to find the same confidence and silliness they had all found, so I signed up for an improv class right after moving to D.C. I also started to raise my hand for any projects I could at work, and I committed myself to fall in love with running again. Running used to be where I reconnected with myself, the only time that I was happily alone in my own head. I took the opportunity to explore my brand new city with my running shoes on. I was reading way more, too. Books started to fly off the bookshelf and onto my nightstand.

Now, a few months later, I find myself deep in my work, loving what I get to do. I step out of myself at improv, wondering where this funny voice inside me came from. I feel my legs carry me over new running trails, and I can’t help but let my lungs breathe out an open hallelujah. I look around at all the people around me, doing amazing work, and I feel so much pride in even knowing them.

I miss home. I miss the Midwest. I miss my loved ones. I will be back sooner rather than later. For now, though, I missed myself, and for the first time, I’m so happy I’m starting to meet her.

Jessica Lach is just trying to make the world a better place, but with a lot of anxiety and poor jokes along the way. Originally from Chicagoland and now living in Washington, DC, she can be found scanning the morning Politico Playbook, improvin’ around town, running outside, or ogling at the National Parks’ official Instagram (quality content alert). She also loves her Chicago based dog Toby and uses her voice for change whenever possible.

Image via Unsplash

Like this story? Follow The Financial Diet on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily tips and inspiration, and sign up for our email newsletter here.

Source: https://thefinancialdiet.com/how-i-learned-to-love-life-by-myself-after-leaving-my-comfortable-hometown-life-4-year-relationship/

[cribcrate22-blog]

March 3rd, 2019 Hit The Marks

March 3rd, 2019 Hit The Marks

Yesterday was a 7-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, I enjoyed a great elliptical workout, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

I hit the marks I wanted to hit yesterday. I had a good food day and a good workout last night at the RecPlex. I've done some grocery shopping this weekend, too.

Didn't do the stair master last night. Aiming for another turn at that later.

Weighing and measuring ingredients-Daily practice!!

Dinner with my refined sugar-free ketchup find!

Ketchup was a condiment I had completely given up on. I tried a refined sugar-free version a couple of years ago and it was horrible. At that point, I simply accepted ketchup as a thing of the past--until now. Hellman's makes a simple, refined sugar-free version--that has the consistency and flavor without the refined white sugar. Some other so-called "sugar-free" brands use corn syrup or other synonyms for refined sugar, but this one is simple--few ingredients and honey as the sweetener. Now, I don't keep a bottle of honey handy--it isn't a regular part of my food plan, but as a natural sweetener in this ketchup alternative, okay--it works.

I was up early today for work. We had an inch of snow, so it wasn't a major thing--but we still needed something on the air about roads and such.

I had a good breakfast earlier and I'm set for a decent Sunday. Have a great one!!

Featured Tweet:

Finally found a good refined sugar-free ketchup that fits my food plan! Thank you, @Hellmanns #dailypractice #foodplan #refinedsugarfree pic.twitter.com/4uUxvrOXyD

— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) March 3, 2019

Thank you for reading and your continued support,

Practice, peace, and calm, Sean

If you're interested in connecting via social media: I accept friend requests on MyFitnessPal. My daily food logging diary is set to public. MFP Username: SeanAAnderson My Twitter: SeanAAnderson Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505 Instagram: SeanAAnderson Also--I'd love you to subscribe to my podcast Transformation Planet! You can find it in Apple Podcasts, in the Google Play store for Android, and listed wherever you find your favorite podcasts! If you haven't listened before, you'll find 20 episodes waiting for you!

Have you listened to the unabridged audio version of my book? Get yours today!

With a donation of $20 or more to The Daily Diary of A Winning Loser, You'll receive the entire unabridged audio version of my book, Transformation Road-My Trip To Over 500 Pounds and Back-narrated by me on mp3 disc!! This includes shipping. Increased donation increments of at least $20 will include an additional mp3 disc of the unabridged audio version, perfect to give as a gift! Also, the two-hour recorded YouPlan Workshop is available for a minimum $25 donation.

To donate, send an email request to transformation.road@gmail.com, and I'll send you a secure invoice.

Source: http://losingweighteveryday.blogspot.com/2019/03/march-3rd-2019-hit-marks.html