Issue #218: What are You Capable Of?
Good morning. It’s Thursday, July 27th.
Today’s Quick Win
From the Lab: Find Your Flow
Speed Read: Poop and Your Next PB
Thursday Night In: Corn, Avocado, and Quinoa Salad
“Over our species’ hundreds of thousands of years of evolution it was essential for our survival to do hard shit all the time. To be challenged.”
The increase in energy burned per step walking or running on uneven ground or wild trails, compared to a paved sidewalk/road. Let’s go hiking! (Source)
From the Lab
Kyle Korver dove down 8 feet under the surface of the frigid Pacific Ocean. He peered through the murky water and found the massive 85-lb rock. He picked it up and with arms and legs screaming at him, carried it nearly 20 feet until his muscles and his lungs finally gave in. Then he treaded water as his teammates took turns doing the same thing.
This continued with everyone taking turns for nearly five hours until the team managed to move the rock five kilometers (3.1 miles).
That’s a far cry from being the guy responsible for standing in the corner to hit 3 pointers in the NBA (although that’s not easy with guys 6’10” guys running at you).
This was one of many challenges Korver and others did called “misogi.”
These events push us to the limit of unlocking our true potential to see what we’re made of. But it’s not about just being tough.
It stimulates our brain while pushing our body. Think about the mental effort to push that rock compared to 30 min on a treadmill or leg presses on a padded seat. It requires the use of spatial navigation and every type of motor control - all coming from the brain. You can’t do that mindlessly like you can at the gym.
All that learning while we’re stretching ourselves builds myelin - boosting our brain and potentially even preventing dementia.
Stress Reliever
Chronic stress affects 55% of Americans - and that’s probably a low estimate. We live in a constant state of anxiety and worry - yet, ironically don’t push ourselves to seek out stress. So…
We rarely undergo true “acute” stress
We don’t know how to handle modern day stress
We don’t access our “flow state”
It’s not what happens to us in life that creates stress - it’s how we respond to it.
By pushing ourselves to the brink we re-trigger our survival instinct. It helps us recalibrate the day-to-day stress so that it no longer appears like life or death. From this shift, we lower our cortisol and respond accordingly.
This is the flip side to “problem creep” from Issue #217. All memories are relative so more difficult a task - the easier the rest of the day seems.
Taking this a step further - flow state.
When we’re working so intently that the outside world disappears. We’re not wanting for anything else - be it food or a distraction. We’re engrossed.
Flow requires pushing ourselves to the limit and having a clear goal. To be clear - that limit doesn’t have to be physical. Artists get into flow state as often as athletes.
“Flow has the potential to make life more rich, intense, and meaningful; it is good because it increases the strength and complexity of the self.”
It could be why there’s countless examples of people with better health and longevity despite what appears like a tough life - like the female Ama divers in Japan that outlive their female peers despite spending their days holding their breath for minutes at a time diving down hundreds of feet in 50 degree water to collect pearls.
When we zone out in front of the TV or scroll through our phones, we aren’t just mindlessly wasting time - we’re keeping ourselves away from being truly happy and alive, from living.
That’s why it’s so critical to get out and experience the world - and see what you’re made of.
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Poop Then Run: A new study came out to prove that we get higher performance working out after defecation - and it’s not just the time it takes to hit up the porta potty during the race. It actually lowers our blood pressure going into a run or workout. (Research Study)
10 Rules of Ikigai: The first rule of ikigai? Find your ikigai. The rest center on your mind and movement - stay active, smile, live in the moment, connect with nature, give thanks, etc. Ikigai is centered on your true purpose in life. So go after it! (CNBC)
Un-Killer Combo: In Issue #214, we mentioned a urine test to help with screening for pancreatic cancer. Researchers at Harvard Medical School and the University of Copenhagen developed AI to identify a risk score based solely on medical records. AI Predictor + Urine Test = Saved Lives. (Big Think)
Thursday Night In
This salad is tasty and really good for you - the ingredients support digestive health, muscle repair, skin health, immune health, and your overall metabolism (remember last week Issues #213-216). So be like Max and double the recipe and have it for lunch the next few days. Feel free to change up the protein or remove completely. It’s also versatile, can be a full meal or you can bring it to your next party as a side.
Thanks for joining us today!
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We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
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To health!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.