Issue #456: Don’t get Bit or Burned
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, June 10th.
In today’s email:
Focus: ☀️ Get Outside This Summer
Inspire: It’s Not Over, Until…
Cook: Easy Chicken Shawarma
In the News: Surgery-Free Cancer?
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Stat of the Day
The odds of Carlos Alcaraz winning the French Open title when facing 3 match points in the fourth set. (Polymarket)
Focus
☀️ Get Outside This Summer
Summer’s here - which means more time outside for some sunshine and late evenings for walks, BBQs, and sunsets.
But that also means sunburn and bugs (in FL - our mosquitos are literally the size of horseflies).
Let’s start with a quick refresher from last year’s deep dive on sunscreen:
👉 You need the sun: First - don’t be totally scared of the sun! 10 minutes of direct sun (wearing shorts + t-shirt) provides essential Vitamin D that we absolutely need to optimize our health. Don’t skip this - your body and brain need it.
👉 But too much sun = DNA damage: UV rays cause lesions in your skin cells. This is why we look older (wrinkles and sagging skin), but also how we end up with skin cancer.
👉 Yes, wear sunscreen: There really isn’t a discussion here, regardless of your skin tone, everyone in the northern hemisphere should be wearing sunscreen after long-term exposure to the summer sun. But the type of sunscreen matters!
Chemical sunscreens absorb through your skin - and the chemicals (like oxybenzone) end up in your bloodstream. Not ideal. **And definitely do NOT use spray sunscreens. Benzene is a known cancer-causing agent that can get into our lungs when sprayed.
Mineral sunscreens (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) sit on top of the skin and act as a physical barrier. Yes, they can be thicker and make our skin look an odd shade of white and almost blue, but they don’t sink in and protect us without the health risks.
Bottom line:
☀️ Get your 10 min of Vitamin D → then switch to mineral sunscreen if you’ll be out longer.
A few great options: ThinkBody, Badger, Sunly. (Full List from EWG)
Get some sun AND protect your skin!
🦟 Keep Away the Bugs
Now about those damn mosquitos (sorry it’s a sore subject on how much we’re trying to get rid of them from our backyard)…
It’s not just annoying bites, you can also contract serious diseases:
Mosquitoes → Zika, West Nile, more
Ticks → Lyme, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Babesia, Bartonella
And unlike mosquitos, you might not even notice tick bites because their saliva numbs the skin.
👉 Prevention is key:
1️⃣ Clothing barriers: Long sleeves, long pants, light colors. Note: mosquitos detect heat and dark colors, especially black which absorbs sunlight, which is why you get more bites in dark clothes.
2️⃣ Check and clean: After being outside make sure you check for ticks (if in the area) - that means everything (you, kids, pets, gear).
Note: tick bites look like Saturn with a small circle and a red ring around it.
👉 Bug spray:
As much as we hate these bugs, we don’t recommend DEET unless absolutely necessary. Most of the research will say it’s 100% safe, but it has neurological effects on bugs and might do the same to humans and other large mammals. Plus, it can melt plastic - seems like something I don’t want on my skin.
Instead, Picaridin appears to be a much better choice. It’s apparently as effective as DEET, but odorless, non-greasy, and safer (approved for kids >6 months). Here’s a brand that is Top Rated - Sawyer.
👉 Yard defense:
Remove standing water from everywhere in your yard (mosquito breeding grounds).
Keep grass trimmed, remove brush, and consider using tick tubes or creating a 3-ft barrier of gravel or wood chips near wooded edges of your property.
Bottom line: Bugs aren’t just annoying - keep them at bay to prevent disease so you can enjoy the late summer nights.
Inspire
It’s Not Over, Until…
Life is a game of inches.
In the French Open Men’s Final the two best players in the world - Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner - were blasting forehands at 100mph for over 5 hours on the red clay in Paris.
At one point, 22-year-old Carlos Alcaraz had less than a 1% chance of winning.
He lost the first two sets (it’s best of 5).
After managing to win the third set - he was again facing an uphill battle.
He was down 3 match points (0-40) on his own serve in the 4th set. Just one missed shot - just one - and he was done.
Even if he came back to win that game, Sinner would be serving the next game and still win the match.
Somehow, he fought back - won that game, that set, and then two hours later, the match. His 5th grand slam.*
“I just believed all the time. I never doubted myself, even in those match points down. I thought, just one point at a time. Just one point and then after one point, try to save that game and keep believing. That’s what I thought.”
* In a crazy twist of fate - he is the exact same age to the day (22 years, 1 month, 3 days) as Rafael Nadal on the day he won his 5th grand slam title.
Process Over Outcomes
Jannik Sinner is no less of a player or person today than if he had won.
The difference between being a winner and a runner-up?
Millimeters on the line over dozens or even hundreds of shots.
Did Sinner fail? Is his effort or preparation or greatness any less because of the final outcome?
Of course not.
When we focus only on outcomes, we set ourselves up for failure.
Outcomes depend on so many factors we can’t control.
Identity, effort, and how we live - that’s what we own.
Longevity is the same way.
It's not running a half-marathon in under 1.5 hours - it's lacing up your shoes and going for a run today.
There is no “finish line.” No perfect result.
The question is simple:
Are we better today than we were yesterday?
That’s all that matters.
That - and having some fun 😂
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Cook
Easy Chicken Shawarma
This bold, flavor-packed Chicken Shawarma is your new meal prep hero! Marinated overnight in anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric, cumin, and ginger, it’s rich in antioxidants and perfect for grain bowls, wraps, salads or just with some tzatziki. High in protein, freezer-friendly, and endlessly versatile - this is feel-good food the whole family will love. 🌯🍗🌿
H&L in the News
Will Surgery-Free Cancer Be Next?: A breakthrough trial shows immunotherapy alone erased tumors in many patients - potentially sparing them from life-altering surgeries and harsh treatments. See what’s changing cancer care. (NYTimes)
Guard the Brain. Defy Decline: A breakthrough Alzheimer’s drug protects the blood-brain barrier - not just neurons - offering new hope to fight cognitive decline. A bold new path in neuroprotection and longevity science. (SciTechDaily)
Resurrecting Life to Save It: Astrobiologist Betül Kaçar is reviving ancient enzymes to unlock life’s origins - and engineer climate-resilient crops. Her work could redefine evolution, sustainability, and our future on Earth and beyond. (Big Think)
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