I recently listened to a podcast on the topic of omega-3 fatty acids. I have a good understanding of the importance of omega-3 fatty acids and I make the effort to eat sardines and non-farmed salmon for protein and sources of omega-3 fats. I decided to pull the trigger and get a test that would provide an indication what fats make up my cells. I chose the Omega-3 Index Complete test from OmegaQuant which includes:
I have grown keenly aware of the importance of quality sleep. I have a mild addiction to my Oura ring and the information it provides regarding sleep quality. One trend that Oura revealed is that eating too close to going to bed does negatively impact my REM and deep sleep. I try to guess what my sleep score will be based on how I feel upon waking before checking out Oura’s assessment.
In April 2019 making quality sleep a priority was reinforced after enjoying the 3-part series from The Drive podcast by Peter Attia, MD with researcher Matthew Walker.
The main tools in my “sleep toolkit” are:
A sleep mask.
Unimi makes a nice, lightweight and inexpensive sleep mask that is contoured and does not touch your eyelids or eye lashes. You would be amazed at how much light is in your environment once you experience using a sleep mask. I can attest that it completely blocks out light. This mask is comfortable and does not move even though I move around during the night. In addition to wearing the mask at bedtime, I often use it when flying if I want to take a nap. I purchased mine from Amazon and it came with a small mesh carrying bag. I tried a few sleep masks and this one is my favorite.
Reishi at bedtime.
I use Four Sigmatic Reishi elixir tea or Ancient Apothecary Fermented Reishi capsules 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. Both of these products work for me however I think the tea works best. Read more about The Benefits of Reishi
Full spectrum CBD.
My first foray into CDB was using it to calm my dog during thunder storms. It works great for Ginger as long as I can give it to her before the anxiety sets in! This lead to curiosity regarding the possibility of it being useful for this human. Seeing nothing in the ingredients of Charlotte’s Web Hemp Extract Oil for Adult Dogs (PAWS) that would prohibit me from ingesting it, I gave it a try when I wanted to make sure I got a good night sleep. It did help and I eventually bought my own (smile). I subsequently learned a lot about choosing a CBD supplement on BioHackers Lab podcast episode 97: What to Look for When Buying CBD Oil.
May you sleep well.
More To Come…..
Back in April, I pre-ordered a 2nd generation Oura Ring. My deviced finally arrived in the middle of November and I have been wearing it daily ever since. It is helping me gauge factors related to sleep quality and the information being provided is incredibly fascinating.
The Quote Of The Day Show podcast offers daily excerpts from motivational speakers. I recently listened to episode 453 which features a 12 minute listen from Pamela Jett. She describes her Like Best, Next Time approach to assessing situations in the workplace. I believe that this approach would be very useful as a guide to reflect upon my day. What did I like best? What will I do differently tomorrow? The practice of speaking positively to myself when I miss the mark helps me stay optimistic and engaged. Speaking to myself positively when I get thing right helps me get things “mo’ righter” tomorrow; keeps me moving forward. Level up!
“Accept All Compliments with a Thank You”
More to come…..
Am I moving forward, in the right direction? Yes. However, my velocity when measured in terms of fat loss has slowed. So what. I am training my mind to look for the opportunities. And I am training myself to get real…..and keep it real.
I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to and reading information from Ben Bikman, PhD, a scientist and professor at Brigham Young University with a primary focus on better understanding chronic modern-day diseases, with special emphasis on the origins and consequences of obesity and diabetes. His research covers a lot of information on brown and white fat, as well as my favorite hormone insulin. Continue reading
The Ketogeek Fahad Ahmad recently interviewed chemical engineer turned health expert Ivor Cummins. Ivor has a way of making complex topics very accessible and this interview is worth the time investment.
The Break Nutrition website reads “Break Nutrition is about replacing diet and more broadly lifestyle myths with up to date information suitable for taking you from theory to practice.” This website is another information bonanza!
They also host the Break Nutrition podcast on the website or in the iTunes app where mind blowing discussions (my mind at least) on the science of nutrition.
Truly fascinating.
More to come…..
Another great listen from STEM-Talk . Dr. Diamond’s interview is very accessible (not too “sciencey”) and informative. Check out the links in the podcast show notes to hear more from Dr. Diamond.
Dr. Aseem Malhorta (biography) is a London-based cardiologist, writer, researcher and advocate for exposing the damaging role of excess sugar in our diets. Invest some time exploring his compelling and informative point of view.
