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, save money, and make day-to-day life easier and more enjoyable.
All comments and follow-up questions can be posted directly below, on my Facebook page or emailed to me at zach.griffith1@gmail.com!
What I’m Doubling Down On:
Cold Immersion.
I know many of you hate to see this, but I would be remiss not to double tap.
If there’s only one action I can take to immediately change my mood, it’s unquestionably cold immersion – whether that be through a cold plunge (if I have access) or a couple of minutes in a cold shower.
As I discussed in more detail in a previous blog post, exposing your body to cold water leads to an immediate boost in many hormonal cascades. These include the ones that make you feel energetic (alive, if you will) such as beta-endorphins and dopamine.
Although it does indeed suck for the 1-2 minutes while you’re in the cold, I think it’s fitting to earn your right to feel terrific for hours afterward.
For me, the tradeoff is more than justified in this circumstance.
My brother and I were in Las Vegas last week lounging by a pool which was unknowingly about 50 degrees – making sense to why no one was in it.
While we weren’t in a bad mood by any means, both of us were feeling pretty lethargic and laying low. However, after getting in the frigid pool for just 5 minutes, we both instantly felt charged up and ready to take on the day.
If you’ve ever taken the plunge, you know exactly what I mean.
There aren’t many things you can do to instantly change your internal state.
Cold immersion is one of them and I recommend subscribing.
Diet Trick I’m Using:
As summer looms on the horizon, many are in the process of getting their beach bodies sculpted and ready to take on the warm weather.
Unfortunately, this often requires a slight decrease in caloric intake.
And, coming after the winter hibernation process where nothing seems to matter under that baggy sweatshirt, this can be very difficult.
Once we are in a groove of eating a certain way, it’s challenging to pull the reigns back and consume less. Eating is enjoyable, it’s fine to admit that.
But there a couple of strategies I’ve discovered that make this process a little less painful.
Rather than white knuckling it and just consuming water, having a zero-calorie flavored beverage can promote adherence to your plan.
For me, this has come in the form of consuming a warm cup of decaffeinated tea rather than mindlessly snacking.
Others I work with enjoy a diet soda on ice… which research has shown to be absolutely fine (in moderation), by the way.
Even chewing gum when those cravings hit can go a long way.
Calories matter.
Decreasing them is difficult.
Find whatever it is for you that makes it easier to delay or skip a meal if your goal is weight loss.
Blog I’m Enjoying:
I recently stumbled upon the blog of Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks, and instantly fell in love.
If you’re someone who struggles with an “over-productive” mindset and needs to be constantly doing something to stay afloat, oh is this ever for you.
His most recent publication is titled “What if you’re already on top of things?”.
In it, he poses an alternative to the over-productive mindset.
Here’s a snippet:
“What if you worked on the basis that you began each day at zero balance, so that everything you accomplished – every task you got done, every tiny thing you did to address the world's troubles, or the needs of your household – put you ever further into the black? What if – and personally I find this thought almost unthinkable in is radicalism, but still, here goes – what if there's nothing you ever have to do to earn your spot on the planet?”
Rather than assuming you wake up each day in a productivity debt and have to spin your wheels to get even, what if you arose at a net neutral?
From here, everything you do puts you into a surplus and you don’t have to fret to get more done than what is needed.
You can relax knowing you aren’t constantly falling behind.
You can sit down and indulge in that book you’ve been wanting to start.
You can close your email and take a walk to catch the sun setting on the horizon.
Zooming out, it’s eye-opening to think about how little we actually need to do each day to keep this physical body of ours alive and moving forward.
Of course, we want to prioritize good health and keeping our outside environment in good terms, yet, I believe many (including myself) could benefit from loosening their grip and not getting lost in the process of always needing to do more.
If this seems like something you’d enjoy, check Burkeman’s page out here.
What else?
I’m currently settled in St. Louis for my second clinical rotation. I’ll be writing from here for the next six weeks – if you have any suggestions for things to check out while I’m here, send them my way!
I’ll be releasing a post next week on my review of a landmark research article regarding protein consumption – you won’t want to miss this one!
You’re not falling behind; you are where you are… go from there.
Buy some Barbell Apparel fitness clothing through my link here!
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DISCLAIMER
- This is NOT Medical advice. Consult your medical professional before starting any supplement, diet regimen, or workout program.