Hello and welcome to 4-Minute Friday where I share, in four minutes or less, the latest things I’m doing to enhance my health, develop a better mindset, make day-to-day life easier, and other shenanigans.
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Statistic I’m Loving (& contributing to)
The Wallstreet Journal (WSJ) recently released a consumer statistic that made me smile from ear to ear. And if you’ve seen my noggin’, you know this is a wide surface area.
The title says a lot… but I’ll be nitpicky and say that Americans aren’t necessarily snacking less — they’re just snacking healthier.
One of the biggest influences on weight gain and metabolic disease is excessive food consumption. Particularly, snacking on calorically dense, irresistible, nutrient-void, and easy-to-overconsume foods.
But as you can see from the chart above, this trend is getting flipped on its’ head, thanks to the wellness revolution I’d argue we’re currently amid.
Rather than mindlessly inhaling a back a bag of Fritos, people are reaching for healthier options like yogurt parfaits or protein smoothies to curb their sweet tooth.
And as we’ve talked about ad nauseum, leveraging high protein snack options is a highly effective way to both support our health and reduce overeating.
If you’re in the process of making that weekend grocery list, join the coalition and scratch out those donut holes and cookies and replace them with cottage cheese and beef jerky.
Sounds boring, but boring is often the key to high-quality health.
Mindset I’m Embracing:
I recently stumbled upon a quote by Larry Winget, an author more notoriously known as “The Pitbull of Personal Development”.
He stated:
“Every time you’re tempted to slack off or do a little less than you could, remember that you are a person of integrity who lives by a simple creed: do what you said you would do, when you said you would do it, the way you said you would do it.”
To build confidence in ourselves, we must learn to trust ourselves.
Which means when we say we’re going to take action, we take action. When we say we’re going to terminate a poor habit, we confront the urge and stop.
We must prove to ourselves that we are the person we say we are. Without evidence, our subconscious has no reason to believe this is true and we often become stagnant due to our self-limiting tendencies.
In parallel to this, I love the strategy of acting as if a film crew is following you while constructing a documentary that you and your children will watch at the end of your life.
Whenever those hard moments come, let this fictional scenario take place and it’ll light a fire under you.
Will you look back and be happy you hit the snooze button five times or hopped out of bed and went to the gym?
Only you can answer that question.
Avoiding the Afternoon Caffeine Overload:
A little hack for you.
Especially for those that love the taste of coffee, particularly a post-lunch coffee when you find yourself hitting a dip in energy.
I was (and still am) a person who takes down an afternoon brew just to regret it come 10pm when I’m wide awake.
Which leads to feelings of tiredness the next day and another inkling for an afternoon cup a’ Joe — wash, rinse, repeat.
But recently I’ve benefited from something that caffeine enthusiasts might try to get me canceled for — decaffeinated coffee.
Surprising to many, decaffeinated coffee does have a touch of caffeine in it but nowhere near the amount that regular coffee does. And you still get that unbeatable coffee flavor.
I’d even argue the taste itself can induce a placebo-like effect and knock the edge off those 2pm yawns.
Another benefit of jumping on the bandwagon is because coffee is an appetite suppressant. Therefore, when you get the hunger pangs or are just bored in the afternoon and start down the slippery slope of snacking, a decaf coffee can be a useful strategy to hold off until dinner.
Even a post-dinner espresso shot hits the spot occasionally… decaf of course.
And now that Oura Ring can’t hold it against you.
What else?
Happy Easter weekend… enjoy the time spent with friends and family! Fuel up with a couple Peeps and go crush a long run/walk around the neighborhood!
Invest in tomorrow you while appreciating today you.
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DISCLAIMER
This is NOT Medical advice. Consult your medical professional before starting any supplement, diet regimen, or workout program.