January 27, 2025 • 24 mins
Our newest podcast is Intelligence For Your Health. Weekly, actionable, health information to help you live your healthiest life. This is episode 1. You can find more episodes here:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4IhFtf2nZ4HxiylNlV7kV8?si=65fd8aee56724780
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/intelligence-for-your-health-with-connie-sellecca/id1792482085
Our premier episode highlights:
The mental health benefits of being in nature.
Cool your pasta and rice to convert carbs to resistant starch, improving health.
Fidgeting can add years to life and burn 350 calories daily.
Sleeping separately may lower relationship satisfaction and increase depression in relationships.
Exercise is crucial for mental health, especially in children.
Eat Blackberries to make skin look up to five years younger.
And more ways you can improve your health today.
For more information, and to sign up for our private coaching, visit tesh.com
Our Hosts:
John Tesh: Instagram: @johntesh_ifyl facebook.com/JohnTesh
Gib Gerard: Instagram: @GibGerard facebook.com/GibGerard X: @GibGerard
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Unknown (00:00):
What you see outside can change how you feel inside.
(00:03):
That's according to a study fromStanford University, and it
means that being in a beautifulsetting like a park or even
seeing a great view out yourwindow can reduce negative
thinking and self criticism. Instudies, when people walked in
green settings with trees andhills, they had reduced activity
in the part of the brainassociated with negative
(00:24):
thoughts and rumination. So thenext time you're beating
yourself up about something headfor the hills, or at least a
local park, you'll get somemental perspective and feel more
positive. What could be betterthan eating a comforting bowl of
mac and cheese? Well, it may bebetter to eat that mac and
cheese as leftovers after it'sbeen cooled in the fridge
(00:46):
overnight, because when you cookand then cool any dish
containing pasta or white rice,it turns those carbohydrates
into resistant starch, andinstead of behaving like carbs
and spiking your blood Sugar,they behave like fiber and
improve your health. That'saccording to Dr Mindy Patterson,
a professor of Food Science atTexas Women's University. She
(01:09):
says the process of cooling hotstarchy foods is proven to
change their molecularstructure, making them much
harder for your gut to breakdown and digest. The result
after pasta and rice becomeresistant starch, they hang out
in the gut much longer andattract more beneficial
microbes, which have been linkedto stabilizing our blood sugar,
(01:32):
lowering inflammation andreducing our risk for heart
disease, obesity and type twodiabetes. There's even some
evidence that consuming moreresistant starches can help
lower our risk for colorectaland pancreatic cancers. Bottom
line, if you want to make anypasta or rice dish healthier,
let it cool and eat it asleftovers Coming up, we'll talk
(01:55):
to sports psychologist and toorthopedic surgeon, Dr Daniel
O'Neill. He'll share some factsabout running and how much
damage it's really doing to yourknees, hips and back. But first,
are you a fidgeter? Good news,you may live longer. The Mayo
Clinic finds that people whodrum their fingers, tap their
feet or swing their leg whilesitting, add years to their
(02:17):
lives. It's because smallmovements counteract the effects
of sitting for too long. Andthere's a bonus, fidgeting can
help you burn up to 350 morecalories per day. So if you've
never been a fidgety type andyou start, you can lose almost
three pounds in a month withoutchanging anything else.
According to the National SleepFoundation, one in four married
(02:41):
couples now sleep in separatebeds. But there's a new wrinkle
in the debate over whetherthat's a good idea or not.
Growing data suggests sleepingseparately may not be great for
your relationship. New researchfrom the Department of
Psychiatry at the University ofArizona finds that sleeping
separately is associated withhigher depression scores lower
(03:05):
social support, and worse lifeand relationship satisfaction.
That's because sharing a bedwith your significant other is a
source of emotional and physicalsupport. It makes us feel safer
and more secure. And this newstudy found if you take your
partner support away by sleepingin a separate bed, that's
associated with lowerrelationship satisfaction and a
(03:27):
greater risk for depression, andas long as your partner isn't
interfering with your sleepbecause they don't snore like a
buzz saw, for example, sleepingin the same bed does have health
benefits. The study found itreduces the severity of insomnia
and improves overall sleepquality. It's why researchers
recommend having a serious talkwith your partner about the pros
(03:49):
and cons of sleeping separatelyto help you decide what's more
important or more at risk yourphysical health or the health of
your relationship. Okay, listento this. You may not be allergic
to all dogs, just male dogs. DrLakia Wright, an allergist at
Brigham and Women's Hospital,says one in three people who are
(04:10):
allergic to dogs are actuallysensitive to a specific protein
found in male dogs. There's evenan FDA approved blood test that
can identify that allergy, andif you're sensitive to only that
specific protein, you'llprobably be fine around females
or neutered males. That'sbecause allergic reactions
(04:30):
aren't caused by an animal'sfur. They're caused by proteins
in their urine, saliva anddander, which means a visit to
an allergist and a confirmingblood test could mean you might
be able to have a dog after all,today, our guest is Dr Daniel
O'Neill. He's a sportspsychologist and orthopedic
(04:51):
surgeon who has spent more than30 years encouraging his
patients to prioritize fitnessin their lives, but there's
scientific evidence thatexercise has.
Mental health benefits too. So Iasked Dr O'Neill to tell us what
a workout does for our brain. SoConnie I wrote an article years
ago called something aboutexercise being the the fountain
(05:13):
of youth. And that really istrue. Exercise is absolutely
important for your physicalhealth, but it's also vital for
your mental health. I talk aboutthe body mind connection. We
need to have a fit body tostimulate our brain, and that's
what it does. So we know thekids that have an exercise
period early in the day. So ifyou have a gym class at second
(05:35):
or third period, fourth andfifth period with math and
science, you do much better,because pain has been woken up.
It's very clear. The data isirrefutable. The same with
Alzheimer's disease. For ourolder folks, what's the one
thing that absolutely has beenshown to not only guard against
(05:56):
Alzheimer's, but help it? It'sexercise. It's not sudokus, it's
not crossword puzzles, it'sexercise. The body stimulates
the brain. You know, these arejust all these electrical and
chemical connections, and that'swhat happens when you exercise,
you start getting all of these,these things moving, and it's
absolutely vital for your kids.
So there's, there's just thedata is there. And I would
(06:18):
encourage your parents, if theirchildren are not getting
physical education class on anyregular basis and regular basis
should be absolutely every dayin addition to recess, they're
getting they're getting a shorttrip. They're not getting what
they should be getting fromtheir educational experience.
Today, we're talking to boardcertified orthopedic surgeon, Dr
(06:40):
Daniel O'Neill, and according tothe CDC, we should all be
getting about 30 minutes ofphysical activity every day that
can be accomplished by joggingjust two miles. But there's a
lot of conflicting informationout there about whether running
is safe for our joints or a surefire way to cause damage to our
knees, hips and back. So I askedDr O'Neill to set the record
(07:04):
straight. Connie, that's a greatquestion, because there's so
much controversy about it. Butlet me end the controversy right
here. Running is not bad foryour knees, it's not bad for
your hip, it's not bad for yourback, it's not bad for your body
and and what I have changed evenin my clinical practice in the
past years, is my patients withart, you know, with truly
(07:28):
arthritic knees and arthritichips and ankles, is that we talk
about, you know, maybe gettingup to say 12 miles a week and
capping it at that. So for sure,we're not talking about ultra
marathons, or even marathons.
But if you are a person wholoves to run and you have some
arthritis, you can you can runif you do something and you have
(07:52):
pain and swelling the next day,then maybe you overdid it. And
so maybe you might have tochange your program a little bit
and work up to that or or or puta cap a little bit lower, but,
but running is is not bad foryour joints, just the opposite,
or cartilage needs a littlestimulation to keep itself
healthy. And again, even withthese arthritic knees, most
(08:16):
people can tolerate a little bitof running on them again, as
long as this is something thatyou enjoy and and you're not
getting those issues on the daysafter your run for healthier,
younger looking skin, eatblackberries. Researchers at
Tufts University say thatblackberries are the top natural
source of plant pigments calledanthocyanins, which help repair
(08:40):
sun damaged skin, they alsostimulate the growth of collagen
that keeps skin smooth and firm,and their research shows that
people who eat a cup ofblackberries a day look up to
five years younger than thosewho never touch blackberries.
Today's medical term dysthymia,it's a mild form or persistent
(09:00):
depressive disorder or PDD,which is defined as chronic
depression that lasts for atleast two years. And according
to the American PsychologicalAssociation, it's a condition
that's been on the rise inrecent years and now impacts an
estimated one in 50 adults. Whatmakes PDD or dysthymia different
(09:21):
from traditional forms ofdepression. Well, according to
psychologist Dr MarnieSchoenbach, normally people who
are clinically depressed areknocked out most days. They
don't want to work, eat or evenget out of bed, basically, they
don't function. But with PDD,you can continue to be highly
functioning as you go aboutlife, even as you experience
(09:44):
sadness, hopelessness, numbnessor a meh feeling that just won't
go away. Dr Schomburg says PDDis often the result of many
smaller stresses building upover time, like a breakup,
seeing all the bad news.
On TV and lingering worries fromthe pandemic, but the good news
is that depressive symptoms canbe treated with therapy and
(10:07):
medication. That's why mentalhealth experts recommend seeking
help if you experience sadnessor hopelessness that lasts for
more than two months, especiallyif you find your mood is
interfering with your life insome way, including disrupting
your appetite, sleep and energy,and that's today's medical term
(10:27):
dysthymia coming up. We'll hearmore from sports psychologist Dr
Daniel O'Neill, author of thebook survival of the fit. He'll
break down which fitness goalswe should be prioritizing and
which ones we should skip. Butfirst, have you ever noticed
that when you have a cold, yournostrils alternate being stuffed
(10:48):
up. It's basically because ournostrils split their workload
throughout the day, we havenasal cycles, and our nostrils
take turns processing congestionand decongestion, and at any
given moment, if you'rebreathing through your nose,
most of the air is going in andout of one nostril every few
(11:09):
hours, things switch up and yourother nostril takes over. Our
nasal cycle is going on all thetime, but when we're sick, the
extra mucus can make the nostrilthat's on a break, feel much
more stuffed up. The latestvideo trend is quiet cooking
videos. They're being calledXanax for your senses, and
(11:30):
they're just what they soundlike, people preparing food
silently, no verbal instructionsare given. Instead, quiet
cooking videos stimulate an ASMRresponse, which stands for
Autonomous Sensory MeridianResponse, that's a combination
of sounds and visuals that givepeople a pleasant, relaxing,
(11:51):
tingly sensation, because allyou hear is the chopping,
sizzling and stirring. Sometimesthey're set outdoors. So you
also hear wind, birds or othernature sounds, and you see lakes
trees and a crackling camp fire.
Dr David klemansky is apsychiatry professor at Yale
University, and he says becauseanxiety can present itself both
emotionally and physically,watching or listening to ASMR
(12:15):
can help lower your heart rateand reduce agitation and quiet
cooking videos can help. If youwant to check these out, Google,
quiet cooking videos, silentcooking videos, or silent chefs.
Okay, listen to this. Most of usthink that salty food makes us
thirsty. It does for a shorttime, but in the long run, it
(12:38):
makes us less thirsty and morehungry. That's according to
Vanderbilt University. In fact,within 24 hours of eating a high
salt meal, our thirst dropsdrastically, because the sodium
triggers production of urea,which increases water retention.
The result study participants ona high salt diet, drank less
(12:59):
water and complained about beinghungry more often. That's
because the body uses a lot ofenergy to produce urea, which
then makes us crave extracalories to compensate back with
more health intelligence fromsports psychologist and
orthopedic surgeon, Dr DanielO'Neill, his latest book is
called survival of the fit. AndI asked Dr O'Neill what he
(13:22):
recommends when it comes tosetting fitness goals. Connie
the biggest thing. And I knoweverybody's heard this before,
but it still applies. You haveto have realistic goals. And I
talk about actually goal settingin my first book, knee surgery,
but that that idea of them beingrealistic. But the other thing I
like to have is somebody isquantifying your goals. So how
(13:44):
can I now make exercise orfitness a part of my life? So I
like people to sit down onSunday and say, Okay, what does
my week look like? What does mywork week look like? What
obligations do I have for myfamily? What What is the weather
looking like. And then how canwe fit in exercise throughout
that week? And then that's onyour schedule that's not to be
(14:06):
tampered with, that is just asimportant as a as a business
meeting or or a school concertor anything like that. And, and,
of course, you're going to startout small and start out with
something a doable, you know,time that you can spend, you
know, don't block off two hoursa day when a you can make two
hours a day and be you know,that can be exhausting. Back
(14:28):
with more health intelligencefrom sports psychologist Dr
Daniel O'Neill. He was justsaying that if you're setting
any new fitness goals, the keyis to be realistic and set goals
that you can make a consistentpart of your life every day. And
did you notice what Dr O'Neilldid not mention in any of his
guidelines for setting goals? Hedid not say anything about
(14:51):
trying to lose weight Yeah.
Forget about weight loss. Don'tworry about weight loss. You can
think about.
Building muscle, about buildingflexibility, about, you know,
just generally getting fit. Theweight loss will come or the fat
loss will come in. The musclebuilding will come and and
(15:11):
that's your goal. But your goalis to feel good, to sleep
better, to move better. Andthat's, that's what fitness is
all about, and the weight isjust not important. But if you
do have extra weight, once yourbody starts consistently
exercising, you start to burnthose calories. The weight loss
(15:32):
is going to come, but that's notyour goal. That's not on your
list. Forget that. Get thatconsistent exercise on the
schedule. You know, at leastfive or six days a week, and
then every all the other goodstuff follows. Here's a way to
boost your willpower from thejournal Personality and Social
Psychology. When you achievesomething, tell yourself I did
(15:53):
it, or I've got this, or, wow, Iam on a roll. Psychologist Dr
krishnani says it may feelforced at first, but when we
think of willpower as energizinginstead of draining, we're
better able to keep the momentumgoing. It reinforces the idea
that one act of willpower feedsinto the next, and a study found
(16:14):
that people who felt motivatedby using their willpower had
more continuous self control,more intelligence for your
health, from sports psychologistDr Daniel O'Neill, if you'd like
to know more about him, or hisnew book, survival of the fit,
check out. Survival of thefit.net.
And over the past 30 years, DrO'Neill has been encouraging his
(16:36):
patients to prioritize fitnessas a way of being healthier and
happier. And he says that'sespecially true when we exercise
with others in a group. If youare lucky enough to have some
fun people in your town, gettingtogether with them is brilliant.
So and you can, you know, figureout why. Number one, we're
(17:00):
social animals. Human beingslike to hang out with other
human beings in on thein most cases, number two, for
sure, there's an element ofcompetition. And that's, that's
great. You know, I ride with abike club on Wednesday nights
and in the summertime, and I'mthe oldest guy there, and I get
frustrated, you know, trying tokeep up with these young kids.
(17:21):
And it's good for me, though, itreally pushes me a bit. And of
course, just that, having toshow up, you know, hey, where?
Where's O'Neill? Is he comingtonight? And so having a group
that, you know, is waiting foryou, or something that also
gives you that stimulation? I'mlike, Well, you know, Wednesday
night is my bike night in thesummer, and that's where I'm
(17:44):
going to be. And so it holds youaccountable, but in a really
good way. And so, yeah, sohaving other people around is,
is brilliant. And andthen you can, you know, complain
to your buddies at the exerciseclass of that about your aches
and pains, but as you know, itjust makes it really fun. One in
(18:05):
every three adults has highblood pressure, and nearly 20%
don't know they have it. That'saccording to the American Heart
Association, and that's a lot ofpeople. So here's an easy way to
lower your blood pressure.
Stretch. Do it every day for 30minutes. The Journal of Physical
(18:26):
Activity and Health says a daily30 minute stretching routine
works better at lowering bloodpressure than a daily 30 minute
walking routine. That's becausestretching actually changes the
structure of blood vessels,which allows for better blood
flow. If you don't know where tostart with a stretching routine,
try one of these free apps,stretch and flexibility at home
(18:48):
for iPhone, or stretch exerciseflexibility for Android. If you
don't remember those, just emailme and I'll send you some links,
Connie at intelligence for yourhealth.com.
Here's an email I received atConnie at intelligence for your
health.com. It comes from LisaRhodes, who writes, I've been
trying to eat more salads, butby the time I get to the end of
(19:09):
the week, my lettuce is slimyand turning colors. Is it still
safe to eat? Lisa? If the onlychange you notice in your
lettuce after a few days is somediscoloration and a little
sliminess in spots is likelystill safe. According to food
safety expert Katie Sabatini,that reddish pink discoloration
(19:30):
is known as rusting, and it'sactually part of a defense
mechanism some plants use toprevent the growth of mold and
fungi and more rusting is oftena sign of more polyphenols in
your salad, which could providesome extra health benefits, but
Sabatini says you should stilltrim away any parts of the
lettuce that are not crisp andfirm and toss anything that's
(19:53):
excessively soggy or has anodor, because those are signs
the leaves have spoiled andexcess moist.
Gerard raises the risk forattracting harmful bacteria,
including E coli, salmonella andlisteria, which can cause
everything from stomach crampsand nausea to vomiting and
diarrhea to fever and worse.
Bottom line, if most of yoursalad is still crisp, it should
(20:15):
be safe to eat, but if somethingsmells off or it's all gone
slimy. Definitely toss it thankyou for your email. Lisa, I hope
this helps. Okay, listen tothis. If you love going to
concerts and seeing live music,you are in luck, because
Australia's Deacon Universityhas found that people who
regularly attend concerts feelhappier about their lives
(20:38):
overall. In the study, those whoattended any sort of communal
musical experience, whether thatwas a big festival or a John
Tesh concert, reported higherlevels of satisfaction with
their lives. And it wasn't themusic on its own that made the
difference. The communal aspectplayed a big part, because it
makes you feel like you're partof a like minded group, and that
(20:59):
increases feelings of belongingand well being. Do you ever have
so many negative thoughts andemotions running through your
head that you can't get anythingdone? That's because trying to
suppress negative thoughts canmake you dwell on them even
more. It's what psychologistscall the white bear problem.
It's a concept from the Russiannovelist Dostoyevsky. He
(21:22):
famously suggested that if youtry not to think of a white
polar bear, all you can thinkabout is that white polar bear,
meaning when you try not tothink negative thoughts, that's
all you can do. So when negativethoughts are running rampant,
Justin Baris, an expert onemotional intelligence, has this
suggestion, instantly replacewhatever white bear thoughts
(21:46):
you're having with a positiveone, or what he calls a Blue
Dolphin. Think of a dolphinpopping up above the water over
and over. For example, if you'rethinking, I'm swamped, there's
no way I can do all of this,replace that with let me
prioritize and work through thisthing one at a time. Also swap
thoughts like I'm so nervouswith I'm so excited, and switch
(22:09):
the I'm a failure to, what can Ilearn from this emotional
intelligence expert barrissosays that by replacing your
negative white bear thoughtswith positive, Blue Dolphins.
You'll break the cycle ofnegative thinking, by the way,
this is right there in theBible, Romans, 12 to be
transformed by the renewing ofyour mind, more intelligence for
(22:31):
your health. From sportspsychologist, Dr Daniel O'Neill,
his latest book is calledsurvival of the fit, and it's a
response to what he calls aninactivity pandemic in North
America, where a whopping 90% ofkids do not get the recommended
amount of exercise needed tostay healthy. Dr O'Neill says
that's mainly because today'skids are addicted to
(22:53):
smartphones, video games and TV.
So I asked him what herecommends to encourage kids to
be more active. No two year oldis inactive. No two year old is
hanging around and playing videogames. They want to engage with
the world. It's what I callphysical identity. We are all
born with this physicalidentity. So the cute answer,
(23:17):
perhaps, is say, Don't let yourkids become addicted. If your
kids do become addicted, and wesee the big change around the
age of seven. So by seven yearsold, the big cohort of children
are heading for the couch, andthen the smaller cohort, you
know, the 8020 if you will, the20% are then staying active. So
(23:39):
if you are sitting here rightnow with your kids that are not
active, and they're 14 or 15years old, this is a real, real
problem, and it's going to takea lot of negotiation, but I
think that it's, it's a, it's anegotiation worth having, and B,
use you as part of it. Say,Okay, you know, what can we do
(24:02):
as a family? Well, what can weexplore? Can we go to these
local historic sites or localparks, or bringing the dogs
places? And, you know, saying,Okay, I know I'm part of the
problem too. I'm not gettingenough exercise. I may be
working too hard. You're notgetting enough exercise. Let's
do something together and see ifyou can build that kind of
(24:25):
teamwork as a family. But it isreally, really tough to get your
teenagers because they are trulyaddicted to these devices, and
that negotiation is reallysubstantial. Yeah.
What you see outside can change how you feel inside.
(00:03):
That's according to a study fromStanford University, and it
means that being in a beautifulsetting like a park or even
seeing a great view out yourwindow can reduce negative
thinking and self criticism. Instudies, when people walked in
green settings with trees andhills, they had reduced activity
in the part of the brainassociated with negative
(00:24):
thoughts and rumination. So thenext time you're beating
yourself up about something headfor the hills, or at least a
local park, you'll get somemental perspective and feel more
positive. What could be betterthan eating a comforting bowl of
mac and cheese? Well, it may bebetter to eat that mac and
cheese as leftovers after it'sbeen cooled in the fridge
(00:46):
overnight, because when you cookand then cool any dish
containing pasta or white rice,it turns those carbohydrates
into resistant starch, andinstead of behaving like carbs
and spiking your blood Sugar,they behave like fiber and
improve your health. That'saccording to Dr Mindy Patterson,
a professor of Food Science atTexas Women's University. She
(01:09):
says the process of cooling hotstarchy foods is proven to
change their molecularstructure, making them much
harder for your gut to breakdown and digest. The result
after pasta and rice becomeresistant starch, they hang out
in the gut much longer andattract more beneficial
microbes, which have been linkedto stabilizing our blood sugar,
(01:32):
lowering inflammation andreducing our risk for heart
disease, obesity and type twodiabetes. There's even some
evidence that consuming moreresistant starches can help
lower our risk for colorectaland pancreatic cancers. Bottom
line, if you want to make anypasta or rice dish healthier,
let it cool and eat it asleftovers Coming up, we'll talk
(01:55):
to sports psychologist and toorthopedic surgeon, Dr Daniel
O'Neill. He'll share some factsabout running and how much
damage it's really doing to yourknees, hips and back. But first,
are you a fidgeter? Good news,you may live longer. The Mayo
Clinic finds that people whodrum their fingers, tap their
feet or swing their leg whilesitting, add years to their
(02:17):
lives. It's because smallmovements counteract the effects
of sitting for too long. Andthere's a bonus, fidgeting can
help you burn up to 350 morecalories per day. So if you've
never been a fidgety type andyou start, you can lose almost
three pounds in a month withoutchanging anything else.
According to the National SleepFoundation, one in four married
(02:41):
couples now sleep in separatebeds. But there's a new wrinkle
in the debate over whetherthat's a good idea or not.
Growing data suggests sleepingseparately may not be great for
your relationship. New researchfrom the Department of
Psychiatry at the University ofArizona finds that sleeping
separately is associated withhigher depression scores lower
(03:05):
social support, and worse lifeand relationship satisfaction.
That's because sharing a bedwith your significant other is a
source of emotional and physicalsupport. It makes us feel safer
and more secure. And this newstudy found if you take your
partner support away by sleepingin a separate bed, that's
associated with lowerrelationship satisfaction and a
(03:27):
greater risk for depression, andas long as your partner isn't
interfering with your sleepbecause they don't snore like a
buzz saw, for example, sleepingin the same bed does have health
benefits. The study found itreduces the severity of insomnia
and improves overall sleepquality. It's why researchers
recommend having a serious talkwith your partner about the pros
(03:49):
and cons of sleeping separatelyto help you decide what's more
important or more at risk yourphysical health or the health of
your relationship. Okay, listento this. You may not be allergic
to all dogs, just male dogs. DrLakia Wright, an allergist at
Brigham and Women's Hospital,says one in three people who are
(04:10):
allergic to dogs are actuallysensitive to a specific protein
found in male dogs. There's evenan FDA approved blood test that
can identify that allergy, andif you're sensitive to only that
specific protein, you'llprobably be fine around females
or neutered males. That'sbecause allergic reactions
(04:30):
aren't caused by an animal'sfur. They're caused by proteins
in their urine, saliva anddander, which means a visit to
an allergist and a confirmingblood test could mean you might
be able to have a dog after all,today, our guest is Dr Daniel
O'Neill. He's a sportspsychologist and orthopedic
(04:51):
surgeon who has spent more than30 years encouraging his
patients to prioritize fitnessin their lives, but there's
scientific evidence thatexercise has.
Mental health benefits too. So Iasked Dr O'Neill to tell us what
a workout does for our brain. SoConnie I wrote an article years
ago called something aboutexercise being the the fountain
(05:13):
of youth. And that really istrue. Exercise is absolutely
important for your physicalhealth, but it's also vital for
your mental health. I talk aboutthe body mind connection. We
need to have a fit body tostimulate our brain, and that's
what it does. So we know thekids that have an exercise
period early in the day. So ifyou have a gym class at second
(05:35):
or third period, fourth andfifth period with math and
science, you do much better,because pain has been woken up.
It's very clear. The data isirrefutable. The same with
Alzheimer's disease. For ourolder folks, what's the one
thing that absolutely has beenshown to not only guard against
(05:56):
Alzheimer's, but help it? It'sexercise. It's not sudokus, it's
not crossword puzzles, it'sexercise. The body stimulates
the brain. You know, these arejust all these electrical and
chemical connections, and that'swhat happens when you exercise,
you start getting all of these,these things moving, and it's
absolutely vital for your kids.
So there's, there's just thedata is there. And I would
(06:18):
encourage your parents, if theirchildren are not getting
physical education class on anyregular basis and regular basis
should be absolutely every dayin addition to recess, they're
getting they're getting a shorttrip. They're not getting what
they should be getting fromtheir educational experience.
Today, we're talking to boardcertified orthopedic surgeon, Dr
(06:40):
Daniel O'Neill, and according tothe CDC, we should all be
getting about 30 minutes ofphysical activity every day that
can be accomplished by joggingjust two miles. But there's a
lot of conflicting informationout there about whether running
is safe for our joints or a surefire way to cause damage to our
knees, hips and back. So I askedDr O'Neill to set the record
(07:04):
straight. Connie, that's a greatquestion, because there's so
much controversy about it. Butlet me end the controversy right
here. Running is not bad foryour knees, it's not bad for
your hip, it's not bad for yourback, it's not bad for your body
and and what I have changed evenin my clinical practice in the
past years, is my patients withart, you know, with truly
(07:28):
arthritic knees and arthritichips and ankles, is that we talk
about, you know, maybe gettingup to say 12 miles a week and
capping it at that. So for sure,we're not talking about ultra
marathons, or even marathons.
But if you are a person wholoves to run and you have some
arthritis, you can you can runif you do something and you have
(07:52):
pain and swelling the next day,then maybe you overdid it. And
so maybe you might have tochange your program a little bit
and work up to that or or or puta cap a little bit lower, but,
but running is is not bad foryour joints, just the opposite,
or cartilage needs a littlestimulation to keep itself
healthy. And again, even withthese arthritic knees, most
(08:16):
people can tolerate a little bitof running on them again, as
long as this is something thatyou enjoy and and you're not
getting those issues on the daysafter your run for healthier,
younger looking skin, eatblackberries. Researchers at
Tufts University say thatblackberries are the top natural
source of plant pigments calledanthocyanins, which help repair
(08:40):
sun damaged skin, they alsostimulate the growth of collagen
that keeps skin smooth and firm,and their research shows that
people who eat a cup ofblackberries a day look up to
five years younger than thosewho never touch blackberries.
Today's medical term dysthymia,it's a mild form or persistent
(09:00):
depressive disorder or PDD,which is defined as chronic
depression that lasts for atleast two years. And according
to the American PsychologicalAssociation, it's a condition
that's been on the rise inrecent years and now impacts an
estimated one in 50 adults. Whatmakes PDD or dysthymia different
(09:21):
from traditional forms ofdepression. Well, according to
psychologist Dr MarnieSchoenbach, normally people who
are clinically depressed areknocked out most days. They
don't want to work, eat or evenget out of bed, basically, they
don't function. But with PDD,you can continue to be highly
functioning as you go aboutlife, even as you experience
(09:44):
sadness, hopelessness, numbnessor a meh feeling that just won't
go away. Dr Schomburg says PDDis often the result of many
smaller stresses building upover time, like a breakup,
seeing all the bad news.
On TV and lingering worries fromthe pandemic, but the good news
is that depressive symptoms canbe treated with therapy and
(10:07):
medication. That's why mentalhealth experts recommend seeking
help if you experience sadnessor hopelessness that lasts for
more than two months, especiallyif you find your mood is
interfering with your life insome way, including disrupting
your appetite, sleep and energy,and that's today's medical term
(10:27):
dysthymia coming up. We'll hearmore from sports psychologist Dr
Daniel O'Neill, author of thebook survival of the fit. He'll
break down which fitness goalswe should be prioritizing and
which ones we should skip. Butfirst, have you ever noticed
that when you have a cold, yournostrils alternate being stuffed
(10:48):
up. It's basically because ournostrils split their workload
throughout the day, we havenasal cycles, and our nostrils
take turns processing congestionand decongestion, and at any
given moment, if you'rebreathing through your nose,
most of the air is going in andout of one nostril every few
(11:09):
hours, things switch up and yourother nostril takes over. Our
nasal cycle is going on all thetime, but when we're sick, the
extra mucus can make the nostrilthat's on a break, feel much
more stuffed up. The latestvideo trend is quiet cooking
videos. They're being calledXanax for your senses, and
(11:30):
they're just what they soundlike, people preparing food
silently, no verbal instructionsare given. Instead, quiet
cooking videos stimulate an ASMRresponse, which stands for
Autonomous Sensory MeridianResponse, that's a combination
of sounds and visuals that givepeople a pleasant, relaxing,
(11:51):
tingly sensation, because allyou hear is the chopping,
sizzling and stirring. Sometimesthey're set outdoors. So you
also hear wind, birds or othernature sounds, and you see lakes
trees and a crackling camp fire.
Dr David klemansky is apsychiatry professor at Yale
University, and he says becauseanxiety can present itself both
emotionally and physically,watching or listening to ASMR
(12:15):
can help lower your heart rateand reduce agitation and quiet
cooking videos can help. If youwant to check these out, Google,
quiet cooking videos, silentcooking videos, or silent chefs.
Okay, listen to this. Most of usthink that salty food makes us
thirsty. It does for a shorttime, but in the long run, it
(12:38):
makes us less thirsty and morehungry. That's according to
Vanderbilt University. In fact,within 24 hours of eating a high
salt meal, our thirst dropsdrastically, because the sodium
triggers production of urea,which increases water retention.
The result study participants ona high salt diet, drank less
(12:59):
water and complained about beinghungry more often. That's
because the body uses a lot ofenergy to produce urea, which
then makes us crave extracalories to compensate back with
more health intelligence fromsports psychologist and
orthopedic surgeon, Dr DanielO'Neill, his latest book is
called survival of the fit. AndI asked Dr O'Neill what he
(13:22):
recommends when it comes tosetting fitness goals. Connie
the biggest thing. And I knoweverybody's heard this before,
but it still applies. You haveto have realistic goals. And I
talk about actually goal settingin my first book, knee surgery,
but that that idea of them beingrealistic. But the other thing I
like to have is somebody isquantifying your goals. So how
(13:44):
can I now make exercise orfitness a part of my life? So I
like people to sit down onSunday and say, Okay, what does
my week look like? What does mywork week look like? What
obligations do I have for myfamily? What What is the weather
looking like. And then how canwe fit in exercise throughout
that week? And then that's onyour schedule that's not to be
(14:06):
tampered with, that is just asimportant as a as a business
meeting or or a school concertor anything like that. And, and,
of course, you're going to startout small and start out with
something a doable, you know,time that you can spend, you
know, don't block off two hoursa day when a you can make two
hours a day and be you know,that can be exhausting. Back
(14:28):
with more health intelligencefrom sports psychologist Dr
Daniel O'Neill. He was justsaying that if you're setting
any new fitness goals, the keyis to be realistic and set goals
that you can make a consistentpart of your life every day. And
did you notice what Dr O'Neilldid not mention in any of his
guidelines for setting goals? Hedid not say anything about
(14:51):
trying to lose weight Yeah.
Forget about weight loss. Don'tworry about weight loss. You can
think about.
Building muscle, about buildingflexibility, about, you know,
just generally getting fit. Theweight loss will come or the fat
loss will come in. The musclebuilding will come and and
(15:11):
that's your goal. But your goalis to feel good, to sleep
better, to move better. Andthat's, that's what fitness is
all about, and the weight isjust not important. But if you
do have extra weight, once yourbody starts consistently
exercising, you start to burnthose calories. The weight loss
(15:32):
is going to come, but that's notyour goal. That's not on your
list. Forget that. Get thatconsistent exercise on the
schedule. You know, at leastfive or six days a week, and
then every all the other goodstuff follows. Here's a way to
boost your willpower from thejournal Personality and Social
Psychology. When you achievesomething, tell yourself I did
(15:53):
it, or I've got this, or, wow, Iam on a roll. Psychologist Dr
krishnani says it may feelforced at first, but when we
think of willpower as energizinginstead of draining, we're
better able to keep the momentumgoing. It reinforces the idea
that one act of willpower feedsinto the next, and a study found
(16:14):
that people who felt motivatedby using their willpower had
more continuous self control,more intelligence for your
health, from sports psychologistDr Daniel O'Neill, if you'd like
to know more about him, or hisnew book, survival of the fit,
check out. Survival of thefit.net.
And over the past 30 years, DrO'Neill has been encouraging his
(16:36):
patients to prioritize fitnessas a way of being healthier and
happier. And he says that'sespecially true when we exercise
with others in a group. If youare lucky enough to have some
fun people in your town, gettingtogether with them is brilliant.
So and you can, you know, figureout why. Number one, we're
(17:00):
social animals. Human beingslike to hang out with other
human beings in on thein most cases, number two, for
sure, there's an element ofcompetition. And that's, that's
great. You know, I ride with abike club on Wednesday nights
and in the summertime, and I'mthe oldest guy there, and I get
frustrated, you know, trying tokeep up with these young kids.
(17:21):
And it's good for me, though, itreally pushes me a bit. And of
course, just that, having toshow up, you know, hey, where?
Where's O'Neill? Is he comingtonight? And so having a group
that, you know, is waiting foryou, or something that also
gives you that stimulation? I'mlike, Well, you know, Wednesday
night is my bike night in thesummer, and that's where I'm
(17:44):
going to be. And so it holds youaccountable, but in a really
good way. And so, yeah, sohaving other people around is,
is brilliant. And andthen you can, you know, complain
to your buddies at the exerciseclass of that about your aches
and pains, but as you know, itjust makes it really fun. One in
(18:05):
every three adults has highblood pressure, and nearly 20%
don't know they have it. That'saccording to the American Heart
Association, and that's a lot ofpeople. So here's an easy way to
lower your blood pressure.
Stretch. Do it every day for 30minutes. The Journal of Physical
(18:26):
Activity and Health says a daily30 minute stretching routine
works better at lowering bloodpressure than a daily 30 minute
walking routine. That's becausestretching actually changes the
structure of blood vessels,which allows for better blood
flow. If you don't know where tostart with a stretching routine,
try one of these free apps,stretch and flexibility at home
(18:48):
for iPhone, or stretch exerciseflexibility for Android. If you
don't remember those, just emailme and I'll send you some links,
Connie at intelligence for yourhealth.com.
Here's an email I received atConnie at intelligence for your
health.com. It comes from LisaRhodes, who writes, I've been
trying to eat more salads, butby the time I get to the end of
(19:09):
the week, my lettuce is slimyand turning colors. Is it still
safe to eat? Lisa? If the onlychange you notice in your
lettuce after a few days is somediscoloration and a little
sliminess in spots is likelystill safe. According to food
safety expert Katie Sabatini,that reddish pink discoloration
(19:30):
is known as rusting, and it'sactually part of a defense
mechanism some plants use toprevent the growth of mold and
fungi and more rusting is oftena sign of more polyphenols in
your salad, which could providesome extra health benefits, but
Sabatini says you should stilltrim away any parts of the
lettuce that are not crisp andfirm and toss anything that's
(19:53):
excessively soggy or has anodor, because those are signs
the leaves have spoiled andexcess moist.
Gerard raises the risk forattracting harmful bacteria,
including E coli, salmonella andlisteria, which can cause
everything from stomach crampsand nausea to vomiting and
diarrhea to fever and worse.
Bottom line, if most of yoursalad is still crisp, it should
(20:15):
be safe to eat, but if somethingsmells off or it's all gone
slimy. Definitely toss it thankyou for your email. Lisa, I hope
this helps. Okay, listen tothis. If you love going to
concerts and seeing live music,you are in luck, because
Australia's Deacon Universityhas found that people who
regularly attend concerts feelhappier about their lives
(20:38):
overall. In the study, those whoattended any sort of communal
musical experience, whether thatwas a big festival or a John
Tesh concert, reported higherlevels of satisfaction with
their lives. And it wasn't themusic on its own that made the
difference. The communal aspectplayed a big part, because it
makes you feel like you're partof a like minded group, and that
(20:59):
increases feelings of belongingand well being. Do you ever have
so many negative thoughts andemotions running through your
head that you can't get anythingdone? That's because trying to
suppress negative thoughts canmake you dwell on them even
more. It's what psychologistscall the white bear problem.
It's a concept from the Russiannovelist Dostoyevsky. He
(21:22):
famously suggested that if youtry not to think of a white
polar bear, all you can thinkabout is that white polar bear,
meaning when you try not tothink negative thoughts, that's
all you can do. So when negativethoughts are running rampant,
Justin Baris, an expert onemotional intelligence, has this
suggestion, instantly replacewhatever white bear thoughts
(21:46):
you're having with a positiveone, or what he calls a Blue
Dolphin. Think of a dolphinpopping up above the water over
and over. For example, if you'rethinking, I'm swamped, there's
no way I can do all of this,replace that with let me
prioritize and work through thisthing one at a time. Also swap
thoughts like I'm so nervouswith I'm so excited, and switch
(22:09):
the I'm a failure to, what can Ilearn from this emotional
intelligence expert barrissosays that by replacing your
negative white bear thoughtswith positive, Blue Dolphins.
You'll break the cycle ofnegative thinking, by the way,
this is right there in theBible, Romans, 12 to be
transformed by the renewing ofyour mind, more intelligence for
(22:31):
your health. From sportspsychologist, Dr Daniel O'Neill,
his latest book is calledsurvival of the fit, and it's a
response to what he calls aninactivity pandemic in North
America, where a whopping 90% ofkids do not get the recommended
amount of exercise needed tostay healthy. Dr O'Neill says
that's mainly because today'skids are addicted to
(22:53):
smartphones, video games and TV.
So I asked him what herecommends to encourage kids to
be more active. No two year oldis inactive. No two year old is
hanging around and playing videogames. They want to engage with
the world. It's what I callphysical identity. We are all
born with this physicalidentity. So the cute answer,
(23:17):
perhaps, is say, Don't let yourkids become addicted. If your
kids do become addicted, and wesee the big change around the
age of seven. So by seven yearsold, the big cohort of children
are heading for the couch, andthen the smaller cohort, you
know, the 8020 if you will, the20% are then staying active. So
(23:39):
if you are sitting here rightnow with your kids that are not
active, and they're 14 or 15years old, this is a real, real
problem, and it's going to takea lot of negotiation, but I
think that it's, it's a, it's anegotiation worth having, and B,
use you as part of it. Say,Okay, you know, what can we do
(24:02):
as a family? Well, what can weexplore? Can we go to these
local historic sites or localparks, or bringing the dogs
places? And, you know, saying,Okay, I know I'm part of the
problem too. I'm not gettingenough exercise. I may be
working too hard. You're notgetting enough exercise. Let's
do something together and see ifyou can build that kind of
(24:25):
teamwork as a family. But it isreally, really tough to get your
teenagers because they are trulyaddicted to these devices, and
that negotiation is reallysubstantial. Yeah.
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