Issue #435: A Solution for Daylight Savings
Good morning. It’s Friday, March 7th.
Stat of the Day
The number of plastic water bottles repurposed to make a pair of shoes. (Nothing New)
Favorites
Here’s a few things I’ve been loving lately:
👟 Nothing New - I got some casual shoes from my wife for my bday. They’re a great substitute for the Roger shoe from ON. They look like a cool brand and are made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. 300 million shoes are thrown out each year - but Nothing New gives you a $20 credit to send yours back and put it back into a new pair.
🌿 Mint - recently I’ve been putting organic fresh mint into my smoothie and yogurt/fruit bowls. It’s a delicious flavor addition and it’s also awesome for digestion. Menthol relaxes muscles in the digestive tract and limonenes stimulate digestive enzymes to break down fats.
🏅Wella Bars - I’m always looking for healthy refrigerated bars (most have WAY too much sugar). Well, Wella Match & Moringa just showed up at our Whole Foods and they are now my top choice. The ingredient list is clean and I think it tastes good - just make sure you can eat it pretty quickly after taking it out of the fridge!
Learn
The Solution for Daylight Savings
The alarm went off - he rolled over and looked at the clock. It was already 6am - well that’s 8 hours of sleep (he went to bed at 10pm), so time to tackle the day!
Here’s the thing - it wasn’t 8 hours of sleep.
Researchers from Harvard ran a study that altered the speed of an alarm clock.
So participants that slept for 5 hours had the clock sped up so they thought they’d slept for 8 hours. On the flip side, other participants slept for a full 8 hours, but the clock told them it was only 5 hours. (I’m assuming it was an exceptionally dark room. Also, don’t know how they accounted for the circadian rhythm 🤷♂️).
The team then asked the participants how they felt - turns out that people felt more or less tired based on how much sleep they THOUGHT they got, not what actually happened.
But it wasn’t just subjective feedback. The participants who thought they slept 8 hours (even though they hadn’t) actually had a faster reaction time too. Apparently, it’s more important how much sleep our brain THINKS it got.
That’s not all - each participant also wore an EEG cap to measure their neural activity (brainwaves). Alpha waves are connected to when we are more alert. You can’t really trick these results - it’s really what our brain registers.
The findings were the same as what participants felt as well as their reaction times - those who thought they got 8 hours of sleep, but really it was only 5 hours, had more alpha brain waves than those that actually slept 8 hours.
So while more and more research now suggests that sleep really is the foundation of longevity - this suggests that our mind is a huge part of our brain and body’s recovery.
I thought this was pretty relevant since we’re all going to lose an hour of sleep tomorrow night (except the lucky readers from Arizona and Hawaii).
Pro Tip: Change the clock before you go to bed and do your best to completely forget about that lost hour.
Just think you got your normal night of sleep - do your 25 pushups or squats next to your bed, get some sun in your eyes, and have an awesome Sunday!
Our Mind Holds Us Back
It’s not just sleep where expectations can significantly change how we feel or what we can do.
Dr. Ellen Langer (the author from “The Mindful Body” we introduced in Issue #434) believes this means we have a lot of control over whether or not we feel tired. Basically we can adjust (or even trick) our body based on what we think.
Another example of this is a study where she asked people to do jumping jacks:
Group A - complete 100 jumping jacks and tell us when you get tired.
Group B - complete 200 jumping jacks and tell us when you get tired.
Group A - most people got tired at about two-thirds of the task, so 65-70 jumping jacks.
Group B - most people also got tired about two-thirds of the task, so 130-140 jumping jacks.
These people weren’t more fit - it was the anchor of the task (doing 100 vs. doing 200) that changed the thought of how many we can actually do before getting tired.
Our bodies can do more or less work based on what our brain believes we have to do - so set the bar higher and you’re already going to be able to do more.
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H&L in the News
Walk Your Way to Speed?: Unlock better runs with the run-walk method - a smart strategy (not just for beginners) that boosts endurance, speeds recovery, and helps you run stronger for life. (NYTimes)
Dead Trees, Bursting with Life: Rotting logs are far from lifeless - they’re biodiversity hotspots, fueling ecosystems, storing carbon, and sustaining forests. As deadwood declines, we risk losing its vital role in nature’s cycle of renewal. (Knowable)
Our Mind is Powerful, But Optimism Alone Won’t Solve Problems: Real progress demands more than blind hope - it requires bold solutions. Learn how "solutionism" balances realism with action to tackle the world’s toughest challenges. (Big Think)
Cook
No-Bake Sunflower Crunch Bars
Satisfy dessert cravings and support methylation with these No-Bake Sunbutter Crunch Bars! Sunflower seed butter delivers zinc, B6, folate and betaine for optimal health, while pecans add healthy fats and magnesium. With chocolate, coconut flour and cacao butter, these bars are a delicious, nutrient-packed snack.
Brain Games
Calcudoku
The objective is to fill in the grid with the correct digit in each cell, between 1 and 5:
Each row contains exactly one of each digit
Each column contains exactly one of each digit
Each bold-outlined group (with same color) must equate the result with the numerical operation - addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*) and division (/)
This one’s kinda tough - try to solve this in under 3 minutes. Ready…set…go!
Credit: Brainzilla
**For answer, scroll to the bottom of the post
Product Recs
Please consider the following brands - when you purchase products we’ve tried and trust, you’re not just investing in your health - you’re also supporting Thrive25’s mission to make health & longevity accessible for everyone (we do earn a commission).
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🦱 Huron - science-backed, clean ingredients, 100% vegan, and cruelty-free. Luxury performance designed for the everyday guy ready to level up his game (see the founder in Issue #91). Max is into the deodorant, face wash, and jumbo shower kit. Ready to clean up your act? Get 15% off now - click here!
Primal Kitchen - Primal Kitchen redefines flavor with a healthy twist, offering an array of irresistible options. Enjoy a 10% discount off your entire order at Primal Kitchen. Don’t miss out - click HERE to claim your discount today!
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🌎 Zero Acre Farms - seed oils can have real negative effects on our health - but they’re in almost everything we eat. Made by fermentation, not deforestation, Zero Acre Farms cultured oil uses 85% less land than canola oil, emits 86% less CO2 than soybean oil, and requires 99% less water than olive oil. Get 15% off your order with code THRIVE25 today!
Thanks for another great week!
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** Brain Games Answer **
Why Thrive25
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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