Once I read Dr. John Ratey’s book, Spark, several years ago, I started recommending it to many clients and friends, to the point that I probably annoyed people. Dr. Ratey explains in Spark that vigorous aerobic exercise in the morning boosts cognitive performance, and he cites work done in the Chicago area with students who came to school early to work out before class. They showed significant increases in cognitive capacity, regardless of whether they came from privileged suburbs or impoverished inner city neighborhoods.

Given that it’s just one physician and one study, I get how people can dismiss it as not being relevant to them.

Now, though, I’ve read another of Dr. Ratey’s books, Go Wild. Most of the book provides an explanation for the final chapter, which are his recommendations for building health and well-being. Unlike many health books I’ve read lately, the build-up to his set of recommendations is interesting and straightforward. Moreover, it might just motivate you to make a change or two.

His first recommendation is to find your lever. By that, he basically means the first simple step that will serve as a domino to cause other unhelpful behaviors to fall away as easily as other dominoes in a row. His co-author, Richard Manning, suggests that for most of us, the lever to pull to start everything in motion is likely going to be food or movement.

For food, they advise eliminating sugar, grains, and any processed foods, and to do this forever, not just as a fad diet. Unlike other books on the subject, they don’t advocate for zealous adherence, just moving toward this way of eating.  For movement, they suggest doing something you like, especially if it involves being outdoors.  In fact, they emphasize the importance of being outdoors for well-being on many levels. They also stress the importance of sleep and good relationships.

I think most of us know the basic prescription:  eat right, move right, live right.  This book, though, makes it seem simpler to accomplish than other books I’ve read on the subject. It’s a good read for anyone looking to make changes without reading a dozen books on the subject of physical and emotional health.

My friend Martha Brettschneider offers amazing courses in meditation, self awareness, and well-being. Her students come from around the country, and her seminars have most recently been well-received at the World Bank. If you are looking for ways to help you feel more adaptable and resilient to our ongoing stressful times, I encourage you to check out her current offering.  You can learn more about it below.

Disclaimer:  I have no financial or business relationship with Martha, meaning that I do not profit if you register for the course. I’m sharing because spreading the word about her is potentially beneficial to you.

As we move through fall and towards the holiday season with the pandemic still woven into our daily experience, we could all use a booster shot of resilience. Am I right?

That’s why I’m so excited to share with you that I have added a new program to my offerings next month: Search Inside Yourself’s Adaptive Resilience Series.

Why This Program?

Some of the latest neuroscience and behavioral research suggests that resilience – the ability to recover from adversity, adapt and thrive – can be systematically developed as a set of skills, especially in challenging times.
 
This virtual program will enable participants to build the useful behaviors, mental habits and micro-practices that promote personal resilience and also grow a culture of resilience in our relationships and social groups, whether that’s at home, at work, or in our communities.
 
Module 1: Developing Clarity (Monday, November 8, 7-8:30 pm ET)
Managing stress and overwhelm, and staying focused in difficult and uncertain times.
 
Module 2: Shifting Mindsets (Monday, November 15, 7-8:30 pm ET)
Mindsets and skills for adaptability and creativity in the midst of uncertainty and complexity.
 
Module 3: Influencing Change / Building Trust (Monday, November 22, 7-8:30 ET)
Creating a change-capable culture by growing empathy and psychological safety.
 
In each of the modules, emphasis will be placed on concrete and practical skills and tools that participants can implement immediately to boost resilience at home, at work, and out in the wider world.

What does it cost?

One of the great benefits of being a Certified SIY Teacher is that I have flexibility to offer discounts to my clients. This invite-only program (yes, this is YOUR invitation) is priced at $115, a significant discount from SIY’s public program price.

GO HERE to register. If you have questions, contact Martha Brettschneider directly at Martha@Damselwings.com.

An article in Neuroscience News explores the brain-gut connection when it comes to mental health. They remind readers that 95% of all serotonin is produced in the gut, not the brain, and point out that researchers at Duke University are looking for ways to treat depression and anxiety by targeting serotonin molecules in the gut instead of the brain. Studies are ongoing in mice, and it is known that there is a sweet spot for the amount of serotonin—too much serotonin in the body can cause heart problems.  You may find the Neuroscience News article here.

David Bedrick is a sensitive soul, exceptionally talented therapist, wise person, and all around nice guy.  In my email inbox today, I received an invitation from him to attend a four-week seminar he is offering in September called Anger Alchemy.

If you are on any kind of a healing journey, I encourage you to take a look at what David has to offer, not only in this particular seminar, but in general.  Here is a link to the Anger Alchemy class: https://santafeinstitute.davidbedrick.com/courses/anger-alchemy

Each week has a slightly different focus:  shame and repressed anger, inner criticism, angry words, and working with anger in the world. These topics are practically universal, I think.

If you are a client or former client of mine and opt to attend the seminars, please let me know what you think. I cannot participate due to my work schedule, but if I could, I would.

(Please note that I am not financially connected to David Bedrick in any way, nor did he ask me to post this. I simply think his gifts are worth broadcasting.)

Metabolical, by Dr. Robert Lustig, is one of the most consequential books I’ve read in several years, and I strongly encourage you to put it at the top of your to-read list.

Dr. Lustig covers the waterfront when it comes to how nutrition affects health, particularly metabolic health, and how the food industry impacts our world. His argument basically boils down to the premise that it’s our food system itself that contributes to so many metabolic disorders and health problems, not our character or lack of willpower.  In turn, Dr. Lustig takes on the federal government for subsidizing sugar, corn, soy, and wheat; the food industry for taking food and transforming it into non-food; and even the pharmaceutical industry. He also connects what we eat with impacts on climate change.  If there is a sore spot or controversial topic related to what and how we eat, I’m pretty sure that Dr. Lustig has confidently trod upon it.

What he has to say about what he describes as three immoral hazards to our way of life is also powerful, full of details, and well worth all our time to consider.

His book is also a call to eat real food. I love his argument that there is no such thing as junk food; there is junk that can move through our bodies and there is food. In a podcast interview that was promoting this book, I heard Dr. Lustig say that he sometimes speaks at churches, and his nutrition advice breaks down to: eat God-man food, not man-made junk.  And, he points out that the truth about the quite confusing argument among the keto/paleo crowd and the vegetarian/vegan crowd is that as long as one is consuming real food and not processed junk (goodness knows there’s quite a bit of keto and vegan junk on the market), a person is likely to be healthier adopting either strategy than eating the Standard American Diet.  His advice reminds me of Michael Pollan’s advice to eat real food, mostly plants, and not too much.

This topic is of interest to me because the public is increasingly become aware of the link between what we consume and how we feel, both physically and mentally. In addition, I have experienced that my clients who improve their diets improve their physical health, mental health, and outlook on life.

As usual, if you are a client of mine, you are welcome to borrow my copy of this book. If you’re not, please go find a copy. You may not agree with everything Dr. Lustig has to say, but you will be better informed about a system that is broken and harmful.