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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New Coffee Study:
I know the coffee addicts out there delight to hear about the latest research on caffeine consumption and health outcomes.
As you’re trying to validate your addiction… like myself.
Well today I have both good news and bad news.
But primarily good I’d say.
A study just published in the European Heart Journal by Xuan Wang and colleagues analyzed nearly 20 years of coffee consumption data to establish several important associations.
Their research separated subjects into three groups:
Non-coffee drinkers
Morning-type coffee drinkers (between ~4am-12pm)
All-day-type coffee drinkers
Let’s start with the good news.
Morning-type coffee drinkers had a substantial decrease in all-cause mortality (death) than non-coffee drinkers. Specifically, cardiovascular-related mortality was implicated.
Even better news, this association was even stronger for those who consumed a moderate amount of coffee — 2-3 cups per day.
Now the bad news.
The trends didn’t hold true for group 3 — the ones who regularly consumed caffeine beyond the hours of 12pm.
Important note — there was NOT an increased risk of mortality in this group, but the positive effects of coffee consumption were no longer present.
Why?
One major factor is the effect that caffeine has on our circadian rhythm. That morning jolt aligns nicely with how our bodies and brains are wired — to be active in the early parts of the day.
However, the all-day group that continually stimulates this system goes against our natural biology and research has shown its negative effect on melatonin production — the hormone heavily responsible for our ability to get a great night’s rest.
TLDR: Guzzle caffeine in the morning, stop at noon.
(Within reason, of course.)
What I’m Forcing Myself to Do:
Meditate.
If you’re anything like me, sitting motionless for even five minutes doing absolutely nothing is excruciating.
Maybe it’s the current landscape of endless stimulation or just my internal restlessness, who knows.
Nonetheless, I wholeheartedly recognize this makes me a perfect candidate for reaping the positive benefits of a regular meditation practice.
Which I stepped away from about 4 years ago to be frank.
But this week, I made it a priority to sit at the edge of my bed with eyes closed and listen to a 10-minute guided mediation each day.
And unsurprisingly, I didn’t experience enlightenment or open my third eye and denounce all my material possessions.
Yet I did feel a sense of inner calmness and ease that I would attest made my day better.
I first started meditating years ago after finishing a book titled 10% Happier by Dan Harris — a former ABC anchor who experienced a panic attack on live television. (See Video Here)
After months of dedicated mindfulness, he concluded that meditation leads to about a 10% boost in happiness and for him, it was entirely worth putting aside a little time each day for it.
Just give that screen time calculator another glance and you’ll realize there’s plenty of opportunity for a trade-off.
The free guided practice I’ve been using is a podcast on Spotify called “Boho Beautiful Meditation” if you want to give it a shot!
Mindset I’m Embracing:
Consider this question for a few moments...
If you talked to your closest friends like you do yourself, would you be able to maintain that friendship?
This is a seamless transition from the discussion on taking some time for daily mindfulness.
Depending on your occupation and social environment, conversations are a part of daily life.
We talk A LOT… some more than others, of course.
But there’s nobody we talk to more than ourselves.
That inner voice is constantly present and is even reading along right now.
Sure, I’m a believer that some* self-criticism is constructive — it can push you to refine yourself and do better.
There’s a fine line, however.
And when that line is continually crossed, a poor relationship begins to exist between, oddly enough, you and you.
Which is one of, if not the most important relationship for you to get right.
There are many ways to work on this – yet none of them as easy as you might guessed.
One of the most useful you might ask…
Do hard things to prove to yourself that you deserve self-respect.
What else?
Tomorrow = 26.2 miles in Duluth, Minnesota. Send a couple (maybe more) good thoughts if you could. Follow along with how I’m doing by typing in bib #888 in the Grandma’s Marathon app. Race starts at 7:45am CT!
Fair trade: 10 minutes of daily silence for a 10% boost in happiness.
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DISCLAIMER
This is NOT Medical advice. Consult your medical professional before starting any supplement, diet regimen, or workout program.