Clearing Up Confusion Over Weight Loss Strategies

Three weeks ago, I explored the Seven Myths of Conventional Medicine as defined by Dr. Mark Hyman, MD and Dr. Mark Luponis, MD in their book, Ultraprevention. This week, I’ll share insights from Dr. Hyman’s book Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss.

He starts the discussion with several common myths about weight loss.

Myth #1: If you eat less and exercise more, you’ll lose weight. No! If you eat too few calories, the body will think it is starving. It will increase the drive to eat while slowing down its metabolic rate. If you manage to lose weight, only half the loss will be fat; the rest will be metabolically active muscle. When the ravenous appetite induces overeating, nearly all of the weight gain will be fat. Since fat burns 70x fewer calories than muscle, it’ll be tougher to burn calories in the future.

Myth #2: All calories are created equal. No! The food we eat metabolizes at different rates. Highly processed carbohydrates hit the bloodstream with a rush of sugar. A counterbalancing rush of insulin extracts some energy and stores the excess as fat. If blood sugar drops too low, the body craves more. By contrast, whole, unprocessed, real food slows the digestive process, releases sugars gradually, and suppresses the appetite when the body has secured enough fuel.

Myth #3: Eating fat makes you fat. No! Fats are an essential element of a healthy diet. When eating the right kinds and amounts of fats, they increase the body’s fat-burning capacity while helping put a lid on the appetite.

Myth #4: Eating a no or low carb diet will make you thin. No! Carbohydrates from whole, unprocessed plant foods are the single most important dietary elements for long-term health. They contain essential nutrients as well as a host of phytonutrients that bolster the immune system. The added fiber in whole foods soaks up excess sugar and fat and slows (or prevents) their absorption.

Myth #5: Skipping meals helps you lose weight. No! As with Myth #1, this strategy simply makes the body think it’s starving. Moreover, the inevitable dip in blood sugar can sap energy and bring on foul moods and headaches. Smallish meals should be spread throughout the day to maintain even levels of blood sugar.

Myth #6: The French are thin because they drink wine and eat butter. No! The French are thinner than Americans because they eat real food, they eat more slowly, and they get more exercise.

Myth #7: Government policies and food industry regulations protect our health. No! A host of powerful lobbies affect governmental action with respect to food. Even in the purest of all worlds, the government moves far slower than the pace at which nutrition science generates insights about the relationship between our lifestyles, long-term health, and disease.

Having busted the myths, Dr. Hyman shares several strategies for developing a healthy metabolism that supports a healthy weight.

Control your appetite. When we eat in a way that’s consistent with our design, our bodies leverage a sophisticated biochemistry that governs when we should eat, how we should prepare for digestion, when we should produce insulin, and when we should stop eating. This eating plan emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods with plenty of fiber.

Subdue stress. When we get stressed out, the body releases cortisol to prepare for a fight-or-flight response. It inhibits the body’s responsiveness to leptin (an appetite suppressant) and slows the metabolism. The body also starts to accumulate visceral adipose tissue (VAT) which sends additional cortisol into the bloodstream. This mechanism works wonders if the body needs to escape a saber-toothed tiger. It’s not so great for the overworked, under-exercised office worker.

Cool the fire of inflammation. Food sensitivities cause inflammation, fluid retention, and weight gain. Common food allergens include dairy, eggs, corn, soy, peanuts, and the gluten found in wheat, rye, barley, spelt, and oats. A poor diet and lack of exercise can also cause inflammation. Diets high in fiber with low glycemic load carbohydrates and the right kinds of oils can reduce inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity.

Prevent oxidative stress. Avoid foods that increase free radicals (e.g., sugar and processed carbs), and consume colorful plant foods with the antioxidants that eliminate them.

Increase your capacity to turn calories into energy. The best way to boost your metabolism is through vigorous exercise. Increased oxygen intake causes the cell’s energy-producing mitochondria to burn calories more quickly. By elevating mitochondrial function, the body increases its capacity to burn calories at rest.

Fortify your thyroid. The thyroid produces the main metabolism hormone. Exercise stimulates thyroid gland secretion and increases tissue sensitivity to the thyroid hormone. Since 20% of women and 10% of men have a sluggish thyroid, it’s worth getting it checked to ensure proper function.

Love your liver. Reduce intake of sugars and processed carbohydrates to minimize the risk of accumulating fat in the liver. An inflamed (fatty) liver releases free radicals that cause mitochondrial damage.

Final Recommendations: Include protein at breakfast every day. Eat something every 3-4 hours. Eat small (healthy) snacks. Avoid eating 2-3 hours before going to bed. Control the glycemic load of meals.

A Deeper Dive on Sugar

I’ve got sugar on my mind. It’s not because I have a “sweet tooth” (although I certainly do have one). It’s because I’m startled by all the things I’m learning about its effect on our bodies.

You might recall an earlier post where I reported that sugar stimulates the pleasure centers of our brains in ways that mirror addictive drugs. The drive for reward overpowers our internal control mechanisms. Chronic exposure to highly palatable foods rewires our brains and compels us to seek its rewards. I also learned that sugar is the dietary factor most closely associated with coronary heart disease, courtesy of Dr. Jonny Bowden, PhD and Dr. Stephen Sinatra, MD.

So I’ve done a little deeper dive on sugar via the Internet and a quick read of nutrition and fitness expert JJ Virgin’s book, Sugar Impact Diet. Here’s what I’ve learned:

The average American eats 22 teaspoons of sugar a day. It comes straight out the sugar bowl and is hidden in a lot of the foods we eat. It shows up in sweet drinks (sodas, teas), sauces, dressings, condiments, packaged fruit, and even diet foods. Reduced fat foods often use sweeteners to create a compelling offering. “No Added Sugar” may simply mean that the product was sweetened with fruit juice concentrate. And, of course, highly processed carbohydrates turn to sugar rapidly in the bloodstream.

Our bodies weren’t engineered to process an onslaught of sugar, whether delivered in sugary desserts or copious amounts of refined starches (breads, pastas). If we flood our bloodstream with sugar, we wind up having to dose ourselves with large amounts of insulin to process it all. Excess insulin can cause a precipitous drop in blood sugar that will make us feel irritable, foggy, and listless… until we get our next sugar fix and the cycle repeats.

Sugar can mess with other hormones, too. Ghrelin (the “hunger hormone”) sends our brain the signal to eat when the stomach is empty or the blood sugar is low. Leptin (the “satiety hormone”) suppresses ghrelin after a meal, thereby letting the brain know that the body has eaten enough. High levels of insulin drown out leptin’s signals. As such, the brain won’t get the message that the body is full.

Here’s a “fun fact” about fructose, the sugar found in fruit, honey, some vegetables, and soft drinks. It activates a series of enzymes (fructokinase and aldonase) that cause our cells to accumulate fat. It’s a wonderful survival mechanism if you’re a bear and planning to hibernate for the winter. It’s not so good if you have your heart set on fitting into your “skinny jeans” when the weather turns cold.

And let’s not forget the risk of diabetes. According to Dr. Robert Lansing, MD: “Added sugar is 11 times more potent at causing diabetes than general calories.”

So, in summary: Excess sugar messes with our natural hunger/satiety mechanisms. It can send us into a nasty cycle of sugar highs and sugar lows. It increases our tendency to accumulate fat. It activates cravings that mirror drug addiction. And it’s a serious risk factor for coronary heart disease and diabetes. Yikes!

JJ Virgin offers a host of tips to break the sugar seduction and lead healthier lives:

Withdraw from sugar gradually by transitioning to lower sugar impact foods. The target consumption is 50 grams or less of sugar per day of which 25 grams should come from fruits and vegetables. Make sure processed foods have no more than 5 grams of added sugar per 100 calories.
Eat 75-80 grams of protein per day (based on a 160 lb body weight). Protein curbs sugar cravings due to its ability to deliver sustained energy. Include vegan protein powder, legumes, quinoa, nuts, or seeds at each meal. (Note: The T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies recommends a slightly lower level of protein consumption.)
Eat plenty of whole plant foods. The body burns energy extracting sugar from the accompanying fiber and delivers it in a steady stream instead of a torrent. Moreover, phytonutrients contain bioactive chemicals that support immune systems by warding off threats to survival. Think of broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts as disease fighting warriors!
Eat healthy fats (e.g., avocados, walnuts, olive oil, chia seeds, flaxseed meal) to curb appetite and slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream. Healthy fats trigger satiety signals and lower triglycerides, raise fluffy HDL cholesterol, and reduce inflammation.
Eat 50 grams of fiber daily. It’s roughage that helps fat move through the digestive system, keeps blood sugar on an even keel, and feeds healthy gut bacteria. Good sources of fiber include whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.
Drink plenty of water. Water helps flush waste from our cells!

A Brief Introduction to Integrative Medicine

“What drew me to the practice of medicine was the desire to touch hearts, to hold hands, to offer comfort amid suffering, to enable recovery when possible, and to alleviate loneliness and despair when cure wasn’t possible.”
– Dr. Lissa Rankin, MD

I heard Dr. Lissa Rankin, MD speak in July 2015 at the World Domination Summit here in Portland. She told an inspiring story about finding her calling as a healer. Twelve years of medical education landed her in a conventional OB/GYN medical practice for eight years. When she realized that she couldn’t practice the kind of medicine that she’d envisioned as a child, she said good-bye to 40 patients per day and 72-hour call shifts and entered the world of integrative medicine.

I’d never heard of that term, so I did a bit of research to learn more about it. Integrative medicine establishes a close working relationship between the patient and practitioner for purposes of treating the whole person – mind, body, spirit, and lifestyle. It pairs conventional medicine with complementary treatments to the extent that the latter is backed by science. It includes programs to help patients establish healthy behaviors, such as smart eating habits, regular exercise, restful sleep, and stress-relieving activities. It aims to address conditions with the least invasive treatment while setting strategies in motion to prevent illness and support optimal health.

At first blush, this field appears to address all of the issues raised in my prior post regarding conventional medicine. It suggests a proactive approach to wellness with openness to alternative medicine as well as plain old self-care. But I wondered about the scientific basis for this form of treatment. For that, I turned to Dr. Rankin’s New York Times bestselling book, Mind Over Medicine.

Dr. Rankin reminds readers that the prevailing standard for medical research has been double-blind studies in which one set of test subjects receives the designated treatment and another set receives a placebo. If those who receive the treatment outperform those who don’t, the treatment is deemed effective. Yet when a patient receives a placebo and believes it will work, that person’s brain scan will reveal increased activity in the pain-controlling regions and reduced activity in areas that receive pain signals. So who’s to say that the treatment wasn’t effective? The truth of the matter is: The body has an amazing capacity for self-care!

So what’s going on here scientifically?

First, a relatively new field called epigenetics has revealed that our genetic code is not as determinative as was once thought. Most of our genomes are far more responsive to the cell’s environment than they are to their underlying genetic code. If set in a stress-free context with healthy nutrients, predispositions for disease may never manifest in adverse health conditions. By contrast, if subjected to steady supply of unhealthy substances and/or chronic stress, bad things start to happen.

Second, our belief systems shape the cell’s environment. Positive belief and nurturing can stimulate the brain to release oxytocin, dopamine, endorphins, and other positive chemicals into the bloodstream. These substances create the good cellular environment that wards off disease and/or encourages healing. By contrast, a stress response inhibits self-repair. As such, Dr. Rankin notes that “there’s something powerful that gets set in motion when we believe we will get better and our physicians share our optimism.” In fact, when “sick cells” are removed from a bad environment and placed in a good one, they recover.

Third, complementary and alternate medicine has been shown to trigger relaxation and reduce stress in the body. The relaxation response induces positive hormonal changes and returns the body to its natural state of homeostasis, which can induce self-repair.

Finally, studies show that positive psychological energy (joy, happiness, optimism, hopefulness) combined with life satisfaction, companionship, and a sense of humor result in lower mortality rates and extended longevity. Happiness and health are inextricably linked.

So if you’re inclined to see a practitioner of integrative medicine, be prepared for an extensive intake interview that covers all aspects of your life. Such practitioners consider optimal health to encompass: healthy relationships, meaningful use of time, a fully expressed creative life, a healthy spiritual life, a healthy financial life, a healthy mental and emotional life, a healthy sex life, a healthy environment, and a healthy lifestyle that supports the body.

What’s Dr. Rankin’s prescription for good health?

Believe you can heal yourself.
Find healthcare providers who believe in you.
Listen to your body and pay attention to your intuition.
Diagnose the root cause of your illness. If repetitive stress is the trigger, ask what lies behind it.
Write a prescription (a.k.a. lifestyle plan) for yourself.
Surrender attachment to outcomes.

Seven Myths of Conventional Medicine

I am in awe of medical science and the dedicated individuals who work toward its advancement. My father narrowly escaped a fatal coronary incident with six-way bypass surgery just shy of his eightieth birthday. A highly skilled surgeon removed a peach-sized meningioma from a dear friend’s brain, saving his life and all of his mental faculties. I wouldn’t be alive but for the vaccinations and antibiotics that have protected me from serious illness and death. I am truly grateful.

Yet I also acknowledge a flip-side to our extraordinary medical achievements. We often fail to honor our miraculous bodies by making lifestyle choices that enable them to do their best work. We rely too heavily on technology to affect repair on our self-inflicted damage. We may even have an excess of faith in what our healthcare system will do for us. In their book Ultraprevention: The Six-Week Plan That Will Make You Healthy For Life, Dr. Mark Hyman, MD and Dr. Mark Luponis, MD rattle that faith by identifying seven common misconceptions about healthcare:

Myth #1: Your doctor knows best. Insurance carriers encourage physicians to identify symptoms, render diagnoses, and prescribe treatment very quickly. They don’t compensate physicians for time invested in exploring root causes. There are a range of preventative treatments that aren’t covered. And with specialization, many physicians simply focus on their areas of expertise rather than the whole person.

Myth #2: If you have a diagnosis, you know what’s wrong with you. Drs. Hyman and Liponis note that the same condition may have multiple causes; the same precipitating factor may create multiple conditions. It’s crucial to get to the root cause of the problem!

Myth #3: Drugs cure disease. Drugs often block natural biochemical and physiological processes. They have different effects on different people and may cause adverse reactions in combination with other drugs. Just because they’ve been tested and approved by the FDA doesn’t mean they’re safe.

Myth #4: Your genes determine your fate. As noted in last week’s post, our genotype provides the genetic blueprint for making proteins. The body’s needs combined with the cellular environment determine which of those blueprints gets used. We impact our cellular environment through our nutrition, habits, lifestyle, energy, and exposure to the five forces of illness. These forces include:

Malnutrition. Drs. Hyman and Luponis claim that 80% of Americans have “overconsumptive malnutrition” – i.e., they eat too many calories with too few nutrients. The digestive tract can’t absorb, process, and deliver the nutrients it gets effectively. Nutrient-starved cells don’t function well.
Impaired Metabolism. Metabolic dysfunction can result from insulin resistance (caused by excess sugar and processed foods in the diet), lack of nutrients, oxidative damage, poisoning (e.g., high mercury levels in certain kinds of fish), and gluten sensitivity.
Inflammation. Infection, allergies, oxidative stress, exposure to toxins, injury, trauma, and other factors activate the immune system and weaken the body’s natural defenses. These irritants need to be identified and addressed.
Impaired Detoxification. The body gets rid of materials that it does not use via sweat, urine, and feces, or through action of the bile duct. When these systems cease to function properly, undesirable elements accumulate in the bloodstream.
Oxidative Stress. Poor food choices can result in free radicals that cause damage to our cellular structures and tissues.

Myth #5: Getting older means aging. Drs. Hyman and Liponis concede that we have to work harder on self-care as we age, but note that the body has amazing restorative powers. We have the ability to grow new neurons and establish new neural connections as we age. We can use natural remedies (glucosamine, chondroitin) to mitigate wear-and-tear on our joints.

Myth #6: Fat is a four-letter word. Actually, we need a balance of mono- and polyunsaturated fats to maintain optimal cellular and general health. Fats aren’t bad; we simply need to consume good fats in moderation.

Myth #7: You can get all the vitamins you need from food. Actually, the more you eat, the more vitamins are required to process the food. Some vitamins may be in especially short supply. Diets rich in animal proteins have a calcium-depleting effect, requiring supplements to maintain healthy bones. Individuals who don’t get enough exposure to natural light need Vitamin D. Vegans must take Vitamin B12 supplements given the absence of meat in their diets. (Note: Check out https://www.consumerlab.com for information on the content and purity of supplements. Look for the USP mark on purchased products.)

Having dispelled the myths, Drs. Hyman and Liponis provide assurance that we’ve got far more control over their health than we may have imagined. When given proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep while avoiding toxic influences (e.g, , smoking, substance abuse, stress), our bodies have the ability to keep us healthy and ward off disease. To that end, the authors lay out a six-week program that consists of two weeks for removing unhealthy foods/habits, two weeks for repairing the digestive system, and two weeks for recharging the body. Their program sets the pattern for the rest of your life.

For a deeper dive on all the foregoing points and a detailed description of the six-week program, check out the book and start your journey to a healthier you!

Things I Never Knew About Genetics

Years ago in high school biology, I learned about Gregor Mendel, the Augustinian monk who discovered genetics through his work with pea plants. Dr. Mendel bred pea plants and took careful note of shared characteristics between “parents” and “offspring.” After a great deal of experimentation, he determined that there were two genes for every trait. Dominant genes found expression whenever one gene was present in the pair; recessive genes needed to be a matched pair to manifest. Armed with this understanding, he was able to breed selectively for certain traits.

Dr. Mendel’s work set the foundation for the modern science of genetics. It teaches us that our human characteristics are the product of genetic contributions from our fathers and mothers. It explains why certain traits are more common than others – e.g., brown versus blond hair. It also informs the practice of modern medicine given the weight accorded family history when assessing potential health threats.

In their book Ultra-Prevention: The 6-Week Plan That Will Make You Healthy for Life, Dr. Mark Hyman, MD and Dr. Mark Liponis, MD argue that genetic inheritance is far less important than lifestyle choices in determining our well-being and risk of life-threatening disease. They note that while some traits (e.g., gender, race, eye color) are controlled by a fixed pair of genes, most are determined by interactions among many genes within a context that is vastly more complex than a pea plant. As such, genetic code does not always translate into genetic expression. As a proof source, Drs. Hyman and Liponis cited a Scandinavian study that assessed 44,000 pairs of identical twins to determine the genetic underpinnings of cancer. Researchers concluded that only 10% of cases could be linked to genetic inheritance. The rest were associated with lifestyle choices.

I was intrigued, so I picked up a booked entitled Epigenetics: The Ultimate Mystery of Inheritance, by Richard C. Francis. Epigenetics is the study of changes in organisms caused by variations in gene expression rather than alterations of the genetic code. By combining the two readings, I have a new (rudimentary) understanding of human genetics. Here goes…

Virtually every cell in our bodies contains an identical set of the 30,000+ genes from which the body can make over 300,000 proteins. These proteins include enzymes, antibodies, structural proteins, messenger molecules, receptors, hormones, cytokines, and others. They provide structure to maintain our bodies. They control the process of energy production, and they support cellular and organ function. While this vast information warehouse remains unchanged throughout our lifetimes, cells make the determination regarding which genes to engage (and not engage) when making proteins. These decisions are influenced by:

The functions that cell typically performs
The needs of the body at that moment in time
The cellular processes in effect at that time – e.g., growth, repair, regeneration, reproduction
The cellular environment

In simple terms, each gene has two core components: a protein-coding sequence (“manufacturing blueprints”) and a control panel. Genes activate when certain chemicals bind to their control panels. The cellular environment establishes conditions through which this engagement is more or less likely. For example, the presence of another organic molecule may inhibit access to a gene’s control panel, thereby rending its template inactive. The cellular environment is also affected by the surrounding cells with which it interacts and distant cells with which it communicates via the bloodstream. It’s also affected by the external environment. For example, if a pregnant woman experiences chronic stress, she’ll produce excess cortisol that will pass to the fetus via the placenta. Excess cortisol insinuates itself into the fetus’ cellular environment and will make the baby more sensitive to stress.

This discussion gives rise to a couple of new additions to my vocabulary, courtesy of Webster’s New World Dictionary. A genotype is “the fundamental constitution of an organism in terms of its hereditary factors” – i.e., its genetic material. A phenotype is “the manifest characteristics of an organism that result from both its heredity and its environment.” The phenotype reflects the expression of the genotype and includes such factors as skin thickness, speed of reflexes, metabolic rate, blood pressure, good/bad cholesterol, and other health indicators. While we can’t change our genotype, we can exercise a great deal of control over our phenotype!

Take, for example, a gentleman who has a genetic predisposition for heart disease. If he consistently makes healthy lifestyle choices, he may never develop a coronary condition. In fact, Dr. Dean Ornish, MD and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, MD demonstrated that severe heart disease can be arrested or reversed through lifestyle changes! Drs. Hyman and Liponis also note that persons who eat healthy food and avoid antibiotics tend to maintain good gut bacteria. These bacteria promote activation of a cancer suppressor gene that reduces the risk of colon cancer.

Bottom Line: We can affect our gene expression by improving our physical and cellular environments through diet, exercise, and other lifestyle choices. We don’t have to become what we inherited!

How to Form Good Habits

“Habits are the behaviors that I want to follow forever, without decisions, without debate, no stopping, no finish lines.”
– Gretchen Rubin

The books that I’ve been reading lately provide roadmaps for living a healthier, happier life. While it’s easy to get my head wrapped around all the good advice, it can be hard to get my body and spirit on board. Inertia and procrastination often rule the day. So I was understandably intrigued when I read the title for Gretchen Rubin’s book – Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits – to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life.

According to Rubin, habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life. It takes work to forge good habits. Once they’re set, it becomes second nature to integrate them into our daily routine. Moreover, a consistent practice alleviates the energy drain of exercising will power in the face of indecision. Just do it!

I can bear witness to the psychic energy drain tied to a lack of daily rituals. I’ve worked from a home office for over 20 years, so I have the freedom to tackle projects any time of the day or night. When I have a thin backlog and extended due dates, it’s easy for me to procrastinate. Unfortunately, I don’t really enjoy the “free time” because I know I should go to my office and knock the work out. It takes real effort to force myself to get rolling, yet I feel so much better when I’m fully engaged and making progress. It would be so much easier for me to simply set aside regular office hours and stick to them!

A cornerstone in habit formation lies in understanding one’s “tendency” with respect to honoring commitments. Rubin characterizes the four major personality types as follows:

UPHOLDERS honor commitments to themselves and others.
QUESTIONERS honor commitments to themselves and question commitments to others.
OBLIGERS honor commitments made to others but waiver in their commitments to themselves.
REBELS have an uneasy relationship with commitments whether made to themselves or others.

Apparently, most folks tend to be Questioners or Obligers. Questioners need to learn how to translate external commitments into something that resonates internally. Obligers (like yours truly) need to create some form of external accountability to help meet internal goals and deadlines.

Better Than Before is filled with guiding principles and recommendations to aide in habit formation. Here are ones that I found especially useful:

When we’re clear on our values, our goals, and the reasons behind the choices we make, it’s easier to institute habits to support them. Clarity calls for us to sort through and resolve conflicting goals. It requires that we get real about what we’re doing (and not doing). It asks that we take note of bad habits that we hide from others; it’s a sign that we may be out of integrity with our values and/or goals.

The best time to start a new habit is NOW. It doesn’t need to be perfectly conceived or executed. It just needs to get off the ground and put into practice one day at a time.

We manage what we monitor. If we create specific, measurable goals and create a system for tracking progress, we’re far more likely to stay the course. For the Obligers among us, the experience of following through on internal commitments increases confidence in our ability to sustain good habits.

When we schedule specific, regular times for recurring activities, it’s more likely that we’ll do them. Scheduling helps make the activities automatic, thereby eliminating the bandwidth it takes to debate whether or not to take action. For example, I’m much more consistent with exercise when I’ve given myself a “fitness appointment” on my calendar. Scheduling also helps us confront the natural limits of a 24-hour day.

Accountability increases the likelihood that we’ll meet our commitments. I’ve been experimenting with this strategy to help me achieve personal goals. For example, I’ve improved my eating habits by declaring my intention to prepare all of the recipes in health-promoting cookbooks and documenting my efforts on a website. I also engage the services of a wonderful coach with whom I have monthly check-ins. Because I’m investing time, effort, and money in this relationship, I make good use of his wise counsel and make positive changes.

Good habits are more likely to stick when they’re convenient and pleasurable. Bad habits are easier to break when taking action proves inconvenient. The harder it is to do something, the harder it is to do it impulsively.

When we anticipate and minimize temptation, we’re less likely to get derailed. This approach calls for eliminating triggers and developing plans to address stumbling blocks when they arise (e.g., schedule disruption, social pressure, loneliness, boredom). For example, a few calisthenics or a short walk works for me when I’m bored and tempted to snack. It perks me up and provides a distraction while my cravings subside. (Ah – if only I craved dark, leafy greens!)

Habits work best if the rewards are intrinsic – e.g., challenge, curiosity, skill development, mastery. Rewards should encourage and support good habits. For example, a reward for healthy eating and weight loss might be a new outfit that accentuates progress. A pint of delicious ice cream derails progress.

In conclusion, Rubin notes: “We can build our habits only on the foundation of our own nature. When we understand clearly the internal and external levers that move habits, we can make change much more effectively.”

Coping with Uncertainty

As the 2011 winner of 800-CEO-READ’s best in category for personal development, Jonathan Field’s Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt into Fuel for Brilliance grabbed my attention. I’d been listening to his Good Life Project podcasts and enjoyed the content. I’d also read his 2016 book How to Live a Good Life. So even though I wasn’t looking for entrepreneurial advice, I figured he’d have something interesting to say.

Fields asserts that creativity and a tolerance for ambiguity go hand-in-hand. When attempting to bring something entirely new into being, the initial concept may or may not work. You may or may not build the team or acquire the resources to reach the finish line. The market may or may not rally around the product or service. Yet Field’s core message is: “The more you’re able to tolerate ambiguity and lean into the unknown, the more likely you’ll be able to dance with it long enough to come up with better solutions, ideas, and creations.”

While I’m not hankering to bring the “next big thing” to market, I’m standing at the crossroads of the next chapter in my life. I understand the temptation to lock in on a safe course to ease my anxiety about what comes next. Fields suggests that I build some “risk, exposure, and uncertainty scaffolding” to give me an extra boost of calm as I move forward. Here are his suggestions:

Build and practice daily rituals that accord with the ebbs and flows of energy throughout the day. He deems such practices the “psychic bedrock” that keeps you grounded and productive even when you feel anxious or simply don’t want to get down to business. It defends against the urge to procrastinate. And when supported by your natural biorhythms, you take full advantage of your peak hours of productivity.

Intersperse bursts of creativity and productivity with rest periods. As Dr. Baba Shiv of the Stanford Graduate School of Business discovered, willpower gets depleted via heavy thinking, working memory, concentration, and creativity. Our brains need to re-fuel periodically to function properly. Forty-five to ninety minutes of work followed by light exercise, a short walk, meditation, a cat nap, or the like should do the trick.

Find a mentor or a champion to provide support and encouragement on your journey. His or her advice and confidence can be an antidote to unfavorable internal or external judgment. If the right person has not surfaced, find and study a hero whose journey inspires you.

Learn to pivot. Be willing to make and own mistakes. Give yourself permission to course correct if the available evidence, constructive feedback, and/or your “gut” instincts suggest a new direction.

Engage in attention training – e.g., meditation, mindfulness, or other contemplation-driven spiritual practice. Fields notes: “Through daily repetition, they create both physiological and psychological changes that can profoundly alter the way we experience and handle nearly any challenge or endeavor… They also open channels to insight and innovation.”

Practice process visualization to gain traction around the steps and actions needed to realize a goal rather than simply the outcome to be achieved. In so doing, you end up engaging in those processes with greater regularity and increase the likelihood that you’ll get to the finish line. (Greatness is largely about work!)

Take care of your body by exercising, eating healthy foods, and getting plenty of rest. Exercise elevates mood while easing anxiety. It’s also correlated positively with brain function. The key to sustained effort is finding activities in which we genuinely find pleasure. While it may seem counterintuitive to take time away from work for self-care, the payback in improved spirits and cognitive function more than compensates for this investment.

Daring Greatly with Dr. Brené Brown

Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance from the relationship.”
– Dr. Brené Brown, PhD, LMSW

I asked a good friend recently to name authors who inspire him. Dr. Brené Brown, PhD, LMSW topped the list. She’s a research professor at the University of Houston who started her academic journey with a quest to answer two questions: “What is the anatomy of human connection, and how does it work?” Her research quickly surfaced a need to understand vulnerability and its role in forging meaningful connection. It also led her to study the nature and impact of shame given its corrosive impact on vulnerability. Two powerful Ted Talks explore these topics:

Having watched these YouTube videos, I opted to check out three of her books. I highly recommend each of them. To whet your appetite, I’ll provide a brief introduction here.

In her 2010 book The Gifts of Imperfection, Dr. Brown describes practices that enable readers to “let go of who you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are.” Based on her research, the people who consciously and courageously engage in “wholehearted living” adhere to the following 10 guideposts (as quoted from the book):

Cultivating authenticity: Letting go of what other people think
Cultivating compassion: Letting go of perfectionism
Cultivating a resilient spirit: Letting go of numbing and powerlessness
Cultivating gratitude and joy: Letting go of scarcity and fear of the dark
Cultivating intuition and trusting faith: Letting go of the need for certainty
Cultivating creativity: Letting go of comparison
Cultivating play and rest: Letting go of exhaustion as a status symbol and productivity as self-worth
Cultivating calm and stillness: Letting go of anxiety as a lifestyle
Cultivating meaningful work: Letting go of self-doubt and “supposed to”
Cultivating laughter, song, and dance: Letting go of being “cool” and always in control

Each of these guideposts represents a practice that must be nurtured on a daily basis. Based on my experience, some integrate more easily into our habits and rituals than others.

In her 2012 book Daring Greatly, Dr. Brown looks at the principal impediment to wholehearted living – SHAME. She defines shame as “the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging.” Shame preys on our self-worth and thwarts our ability to be authentic, to open ourselves up to others in nurturing relationships, and to persevere in the wake of adversity, set-backs, or disappointments. It gains power over us when it is shrouded in secrecy.

Dr. Linda Hartling, PhD describes three common strategies in response to shame: (i) Moving away by withdrawing; (ii) Moving toward by seeking to appease and please; and, (iii) Moving against by attempting to gain control over others or the situation. Each of these strategies has the capacity to damage connection and corrodes self-worth. Per Dr. Brown, the antidote is a practice of shame resilience that helps us move through the experience with our values, self-esteem, and relationships intact. This practice entails:

Noticing the feeling of shame as it occurs and understanding its trigger(s)
Getting to the bottom of what’s causing the feeling while creating space for loving and compassionate self-talk
Reaching out to those who have earned the right to hear our story and have the capacity to bear the weight of it
Giving voice to what happened, what you’re feeling, and what you need to move forward

This process takes courage. But as Dr. Brown says, “Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”

In the 2015 book Rising Strong, Dr. Brown addresses the reality that “if we are brave enough often enough, we will fall.” As such, we need an approach for picking ourselves back up and getting back in the game. As with shame resilience, it demands a “reckoning” to name our feelings and get clear on their underpinning and impact. It calls for honesty about the stories we’re making up about the situation, the other players, and ourselves to determine what’s truth, what’s old patterns of thinking, and what’s good old self-protection. It results in a new ending that affects positive change in the way we engage in the world. Dr. Brown punctuates each of these concepts with evocative stories that provide illustrations of the circumstances, internal dialogs, interpersonal dynamics, ordinary acts of courage, and triumphs that go hand-and-hand with “rising strong.”

Clearly, I’ve barely skimmed the surface of the rich content contained in Dr. Brown’s books. Again – I highly recommend that you take the time to read her books and/or watch her TED Talks. Her research, findings, and recommendations consistently accord with my life experience. Her organizing principals for the practice of “wholehearted living” offer sufficient depth to be genuinely useful without burdening them with undue complexity. Her writing style appeals to the “scientist” within me while also giving me a good chuckle. And she clearly models the behaviors that she hopes to instill in others.

The Pursuit of Happiness

Perhaps the most famous line in our Declaration of Independence states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” A 2016 Harris poll suggests that we are not doing so well in the happiness department. We scored a 31 out of a possible 100, down from 34 the prior year. Our relatively low level of happiness may seem counterintuitive given the fact that we count ourselves among the wealthiest nations in the world. But perhaps the old adage is true: Money doesn’t buy happiness.

So what makes people happy?

Dr. Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi, PhD, a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University, has spent his career exploring that very question. He is a leading researcher in positive psychology and is renowned for his seminal work entitled Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. This post presents key concepts from that oft-cited book.

Happiness isn’t about the wealth we amass, the things we collect, or the accolades that accrue to our names. It’s about inner harmony. It’s defined by our capacity to take action in ways that allow us to harvest the genuine rewards of living.

People are happiest when they are in a state of “flow.” This state happens when we are fully engrossed in voluntary activities that stretch our bodies and/or minds to accomplish something worthwhile. These experiences share most (if not all) of the following characteristics:

They involve tasks that we reasonably believe we have the chance to complete.
We have the ability to concentrate on what we are doing because the task has clear goals and provides immediate feedback.
We act with such deep and effortless involvement that we temporarily let go of our everyday worries, responsibilities, and frustrations.
We feel some sense of control over our actions. We may not actually BE in control, but we know that we can control how we feel and respond to the situation at hand.
Our ego disappears in the moment.
The sense of time is altered. Hours can seem like minutes.

Some describe this sensation as being “in the zone.” They’re moments when we’re fueled by the subjective rewards of doing things, not the promise of recognition for our achievements. And while we tend to lose ourselves in the moment, we often gain a stronger sense of self after the experience ends. We’re enriched by new skills and fresh achievements that increase our self-confidence and encourage pursuit of new and interesting challenges.

Note that the flow experience must arise from voluntary action. When we feel that we are engaged in a task against our will, we deplete our psychic energy. That being said, each of us may need to take on seemingly unpleasant tasks from time to time. I find that substituting the phrase “I choose to…” rather than “I have to…” transforms the experience. I’m clear about my motivation and the consequences of inaction. As such, I don’t squander (as much) energy grumbling about it or devolving into victimhood.

“Someone who is in harmony no matter what he does, no matter what is happening to him, knows that his psychic energy is not being wasted on doubt, regret, guilt, and fear, but is always usefully employed. Inner congruence ultimately leads to that inner strength and serenity we admire in people who seem to have come to terms with themselves.”
– Dr. Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi, PhD

When facing adversity, Dr. Csíkszentmihályi recommends a confident yet egoless response. Find ways to function harmoniously within the present environment rather than express dominance over it. Pay attention to what’s happening in the world at large, not your perception of your own needs or your socially conditioned desires. Discover new solutions by focusing on worthy goals and moving obstacles out of the way.

Finally, Dr. Csíkszentmihályi offers this simple formula for cultivating “flow”:

Set worthwhile goals.
Find ways to measure progress.
Become immersed in the activity; pay attention to what’s happening and learn to enjoy the immediate experience.
Develop new skills.
Raise the stakes if the activity becomes boring.

Is Cholesterol Bad for You?

“Cholesterol is a relatively minor player in heart disease and a poor predictor of heart attacks.”
– Dr. Jonny Bowden, PhD and Dr. Stephen Sinatra, MD

In 1956, Dr. Ancel Keys, an American physiologist, launched a 20-year multinational study to examine the relationship between lifestyle, diet, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke. Dubbed the Seven Countries Study, it tied CHD to elevated levels of serum cholesterol. It also demonized saturated fats while praising unsaturated fats. These findings have influenced the medical profession and public perception ever since.

In their 2012 book The Great Cholesterol Myth, Dr. Jonny Bowden, PhD and Dr. Stephen Sinatra, MD take conventional wisdom to task. They remind us that “cholesterol is an essential molecule without which there would be no life.” It is an integral part of our cell membranes. It is used to make Vitamin D, our sex hormones, and the bile acids required for digestion. It helps neutralize toxins. In fact, low serum cholesterol levels could be detrimental to our physical and emotional health.

So what about Dr. Keys’ research?

It turns out that Dr. Keys cherry-picked data from the 7 countries for which the association between CHD and serum cholesterol matched his preconceived notions. When a British doctor named John Yudkin studied the raw data from the 22 countries originally covered by Keys’ study, SUGAR was the dietary factor most closely associated with CHD.

So what causes coronary heart disease?

Bowden and Sinatra tell us that CHD begins with oxidation. For example, when a piece of metal or a freshly cut apple gets exposes to air, it oxidizes. It loses electrons, which our eyes observe as “rust.” This same thing can happen to Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol molecules inside the body. When oxidized, these molecules degrade and stick to our arteries, causing inflammation. Our immune system responds by sending its “heavy artillery” to contain the damage. As these little “fighters” cast off their waste products, the lining of the arterial wall gets more inflamed, and the cycle continues. Pretty soon, you’ve got a build-up of plaque that constricts blood flow.

So what causes LDLs to become oxidized?

LDL molecules are not one-size-fits-all. Subtype A molecules are “big and fluffy” like cotton balls and behave rather nicely in the body. Subtype B molecules are small and hard like BB pellets and are highly susceptible to oxidation. (Note: There are also “good” and “bad” types of High-Density Lipoproteins which many of us have been led to believe are all “good.”) The right kinds of fat raise the kindly LDL Type A molecules and lower the nasty LDL Type B ones. Sugar has just the opposite effect – more Type B, less Type A.

Sugar’s villainy goes a step beyond the production of the wrong type of LDLs. When we chronically subject our bodies to excess sugar, we lose our ability to process sugar and store it as energy reserves. Unprocessed sugars stick to proteins in our bloodstream (e.g., LDLs) and damage them, thereby setting the stage for arterial inflammation. While all of this action is happening in the bloodstream, our fat cells “lock their doors,” making it hard to draw down their reserves and lose weight. Sugar also raises triglycerides, which is an independent risk factor for CHD.

So, are all fats OK?

No! Bowden and Sinatra think saturated fats (as found in butter, cheese, meat), monounsaturated fats (as found in extra virgin olive oil, macadamia nuts, avocados), and Omega 3 polyunsaturated fats (as found in walnuts, flaxseed, fish) are OK in moderation. After all, fat still packs a caloric punch! Omega 6 polyunsaturated fats (as found in vegetable oils) should be avoided. They’re prone to damage when heated/reheated for frying, leading to the production of noxious chemicals. By contrast, saturated fats are relatively stable, cause HDL to go up more than LDL, and favor production of the “big and fluffy” molecules. As for trans fats – avoid them like the plague!

What are their recommendations for a healthy lifestyle?

Eliminate sugar, soda, processed meats, processed carbs, trans fats, and vegetable oils from your diet.
Eat more wild salmon, berries/cherries, grass-fed meat, vegetables, nuts, beans, dark chocolate, garlic, turmeric, pomegranate, green tea, red wine, and extra virgin olive oil.
Meditate or practice deep breathing daily.
Express your emotions.
Cultivate intimacy and pleasure.
Enjoy life!

Healthy Lifestyle

Ideas to Nourish the Body, Mind, and Spirit