<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Perceive your work-related stress as positive and useful way.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Reduce stress and promote greater well-being (mindfulness meditation).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Be aware of your breathing and calming down.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">“Befriend” your own awareness.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Begin to see yourself as larger than your problems and emotions. You can also alter your relationship to time.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Being truly present is a timeless moment. Notice how much you distract yourself and allow yourself to be distracted. Instead, ask, “What is most important now?”</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Then you can redirect your attention to that. It may be the people in your life.</li></ul>

Full Catastrophe Living

Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness

A guide to awareness meditation methods offers a program for coping with illnesses as well as everyday stress.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

mindfulness

Mindfulness

health

Health

mentalhealth

Mental Health

books

Books

The landmark work on mindfulness, meditation, and healing, now revised and updated after twenty-five years   Stress. It can sap our energy, undermine  our health if we let it, even shorten our lives. It makes us more vulnerable to anxiety and depression, disconnection and disease. Based on Jon Kabat-Zinn’s renowned mindfulness-based stress reduction program, this classic, groundbreaking work—which gave rise to a whole new field in medicine and psychology—shows you how to use medically proven mind-body approaches derived from meditation and yoga to counteract stress, establish greater balance of body and mind, and stimulate well-being and healing. By engaging in these mindfulness practices and integrating them into your life from moment to moment and from day to day, you can learn to manage chronic pain, promote optimal healing, reduce anxiety and feelings of panic, and improve the overall quality of your life, relationships, and social networks. This second edition features results from recent studies on the science of mindfulness, a new Introduction, up-to-date statistics, and an extensive updated reading list. Full Catastrophe Living is a book for the young and the old, the well and the ill, and anyone trying to live a healthier and saner life in our fast-paced world.   Praise for Full Catastrophe Living   “To say that this wise, deep book is helpful to those who face the challenges of human crisis would be a vast understatement. It is essential, unique, and, above all, fundamentally healing.”—Donald M. Berwick, M.D., president emeritus and senior fellow, Institute for Healthcare Improvement   “One of the great classics of mind/body medicine.”—Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., author of Kitchen Table Wisdom   “A book for everyone . . . Jon Kabat-Zinn has done more than any other person on the planet to spread the power of mindfulness to the lives of ordinary people and major societal institutions.”—Richard J. Davidson, founder and chair, Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin–Madison   “This is the ultimate owner’s manual for our lives. What a gift!”—Amy Gross, former editor in chief, O: The Oprah Magazine   “I first read Full Catastrophe Living in my early twenties and it changed my life.”—Chade-Meng Tan, Jolly Good Fellow of Google and author of Search Inside Yourself   “Jon Kabat-Zinn’s classic work on the practice of mindfulness to alleviate stress and human suffering stands the test of time, a most useful resource and practical guide. I recommend this new edition enthusiastically to doctors, patients, and anyone interested in learning to use the power of focused awareness to meet life’s challenges, whether great or small.”—Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Spontaneous Happiness and 8 Weeks to Optimum Health   “How wonderful to have a new and updated version of this classic book that invited so many of us down a path that transformed our minds and awakened us to the beauty of each moment, day-by-day, through our lives. This second edition, building on the first, is sure to become a treasured sourcebook and traveling companion for new generations who seek the wisdom to live full and fulfilling lives.”—Diana Chapman Walsh, Ph.D., president emerita of Wellesley College

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition)

Brain Maker argues that the relationship between your gut and your mind is stronger than you know, and proves how the microbiome is responsible for your overall health in the long runBrain Maker teaches us that if we want to become healthier or combat diseases, we’ll have to take a closer look at our microbiome. While it’s true you’re what you eat, scientists have discovered that the microbiome also plays an important part in how your body functions.

Brain Maker – Book Summary

In his book, Dr. David Perlmutter focuses on eating more prebiotic foods like artichokes and chicory coffee, among other things, to keep your microbiome healthy and happy. But that’s not even close to the bigger picture he presents in the book. In a nutshell, his studies reveal groundbreaking truths about our body and how to nourish it.

To understand his findings better, we’ll take a closer look at three of the most practical lessons from the book:<ul><li>Our gut holds the most diversified microbiome and is responsible for our weight, mood, health level, and much more.</li><li>Western diets are at times awful because they contain high levels of fructose and sugar.</li><li>Try to avoid antibiotics as much as possible, while getting your intake of probiotics.</li></ul>Lifestyle and diet choices are a real struggle – I know. However, after examining these lessons in detail, I hope that everything will make a little more sense to you.

Book Overview

The largest collection of microbes to ever inhabit a human body isn’t located in your colon, as one might expect. It isn’t located anywhere within the boundaries of your skin, either. This complex ecosystem is present in greater numbers within the gut. Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, organically functioning together with one common goal: to keep you alive. One main attribute of these microbes is to determine your weight.

Lesson 1: People often underestimate the power of a healthy gut because they don’t know how many functions it’s responsible for.

Firmicutes – they extract energy from the food and consume caloriesBacteroidetes – they help you break down fiber and starch Scientists discovered that having more firmicutes is likely to cause weight gain, which is why it’s advised to eat plenty of fibers and starchy greens and keep bacteroidetes working. Another main responsibility of your gut is to keep your mental health in place.

Essentially, your gut is made up of two types of bacteria:

An imbalanced microbiome sends signals to your brain, and because your brain doesn’t have any pain receptors, it is inflammation and does a lot of harm (such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia, etc.) without you being able to notice it. Therefore, managing the microbiome of your gut is essential for your health.

Advancements in our societies brought forth plenty of amazing discoveries, but also a series of changes in our lifestyle that are far from being considered ‘advancements’. Many of these changes occurred in the standard diet that people followed in the past.The rise of sugar, simple carbs, processed foods, and chemicals are now responsible for a large part of modern diseases. The worst part is that it became increasingly more difficult to avoid ingesting these components, as they’re present in almost all foods.

Lesson 2: Fructose can seriously impact your overall health, which is a huge problem in the Western diet.

One main ingredient that everyone finds hard to avoid is sugar, and more specifically, fructose. It is a known fact that fructose is highly difficult for our body to metabolize, so eating this active ingredient is a big no-no. The problem is that you can find it in ice cream, soda, candies, and even fruits.While it’s not harmful to consume fructose from natural-occurring sources, eating too much of it is a problem. Therefore, it’s best to stick to fruits and other natural foods as our main source of fructose.

Avoid Sugar

Gluten is also known to increase the body’s inflammatory response, which can translate into multiple diseases.However, in order to cause an inflammatory response in your body, you’ll have to be celiac, or at least suffer from gluten sensitivity. Therefore, it’s best to carry out a medical test or even try to notice yourself if foods like pizza, pasta, dough, or flour-based dishes cause you more harm than good.

Avoid Gluten

The discovery of antibiotics was a groundbreaking invention attributed to Alexander Flemming. Grace to his experiments, we now know how to fight bacteria and cure diseases that once killed people. However, nothing too good lasts forever, so with antibiotics’ popularity growth, other problems have come to the surface.For starters, doctors all over the world are prescribing antibiotics like sugar candy. While they only treat bacteria, they’re prescribed for viruses and other conditions too. The food industry uses them to make animals resistant to poor living conditions and have them grow faster.

Lesson 3: Antibiotics are harmful to our bodies, while fermented foods are health-boosting.

All these factors contributed to an antibiotic-resistant body that cannot fight certain diseases anymore, because there’s no medicine strong enough to kill them. What’s worse is that antibiotics mess up your body and your gut without you even realizing it. Well, there’s one way to help your body out – ingest probiotics.

Antibiotic-Resistance

In other words, look for fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, black tea, wine, etc. They’re packed with vitamin B12 and beneficial bacteria, which neutralize the bad bacteria in the gut. Another way to boost your health is through fasting, which is known to slow age and increase insulin sensitivity.

Brain Maker isn’t just another diet book. It’s a compilation of investigative science that will spark the interest of anyone who wants to improve their health.You’ll learn about the negative effects of a Western diet, the correlation between the microbiome in your gut and the brain, and a handful of valuable tips and tricks that can improve your health.Most importantly, you’ll come across first-hand knowledge that can change your life right away, which makes this book a highly valuable piece to study.

Brain Maker – Book Review

The 40-year-old person who is overweight and wants to learn how to lose weight safely, the 30-year-old health-conscious person who wants to deepen their knowledge, or the 35-year-old person who constantly gets sick and wants to learn how to boost their immune system.

Who would I recommend the Brain Maker summary to?

“The simple act of moving your body will do more for your brain than any riddle, math equation, mystery book, or even thinking itself.”-David Perlmutter

Quote From the Author

Brain Maker summary proves how the microbiome is responsible for your health and the relationship between your gut and your mind is strong.

food

Food

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

Brain Maker Summary

Make sure you are sleeping well – Seven to eight hours of sleep is the optimal amount of time to avoid stroke.Fiber-rich foods decrease your stroke risk – For every 7 grams of fiber you eat, your risk of stroke is reduced by 7% Eat your greens, beans, and sweet potatoes – Potassium is effective in cutting stroke risk. Greens, beans, and sweet potatoes are all particularly high in potassium. Citrus fruits contain high levels of Hesperidin, which has been shown to reduce blood pressure and increase blood flow.

How to maintain a healthy brain

Eat lots of vegetables, berries, apples, and citrus fruits. Each of these foods has been associated with significantly reducing the risk of digestive cancersFiber binds to toxins, such as mercury and lead, that have been associated with cancerA small amount of turmeric each day can reduce your risk of digestive cancers. This is why India has a much lower of colorectal cancer than the us

How to have a healthy gut

Incorporate blueberries and cardamon into your diet as they boost your antibodiesBroccoli and other cruciferous vegetables boost your immune system’s effectiveness against pathogens and pollutantsGarlic is effective as a treatment for pneumoniaYour gut bacteria are crucial for immunity. Therefore, eat prebiotics like legumes. Prebiotics are what good bacteria like to eatRegular exercise will improve your immune system and reduce your chances of the common cold

How to boost your immune system

Depressed people have higher levels of monoamine oxidase enzymes. Antidepressants can boost these neurotransmitters, but certain foods have similar enzyme reduction effects. Plus, they have the benefit of no side effects. These foods are apples, grapes, onions, green tea, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Foods to help your mental health

From the physician behind the wildly popular NutritionFacts website, How Not to Die reveals the groundbreaking scientific evidence behind the only diet that can prevent and reverse many of the causes of disease-related death. The vast majority of premature deaths can be prevented through simple changes in diet and lifestyle. In How Not to Die, Dr. Michael Greger, the internationally-renowned nutrition expert, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, examines the fifteen top causes of premature death in America-heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson's, high blood pressure, and more-and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches, freeing us to live healthier lives. The simple truth is that most doctors are good at treating acute illnesses but bad at preventing chronic disease. The fifteen leading causes of death claim the lives of 1.6 million Americans annually. This doesn't have to be the case. By following Dr. Greger's advice, all of it backed up by strong scientific evidence, you will learn which foods to eat and which lifestyle changes to make to live longer. History of prostate cancer in your family? Put down that glass of milk and add flaxseed to your diet whenever you can. Have high blood pressure? Hibiscus tea can work better than a leading hypertensive drug-and without the side effects. Fighting off liver disease? Drinking coffee can reduce liver inflammation. Battling breast cancer? Consuming soy is associated with prolonged survival. Worried about heart disease (the number 1 killer in the United States)? Switch to a whole-food, plant-based diet, which has been repeatedly shown not just to prevent the disease but often stop it in its tracks. In addition to showing what to eat to help treat the top fifteen causes of death, How Not to Die includes Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen -a checklist of the twelve foods we should consume every day.Full of practical, actionable advice and surprising, cutting edge nutritional science, these doctor's orders are just what we need to live longer, healthier lives.

New York Times Bestseller “This book may help those who are susceptible to illnesses that can be prevented.”—His Holiness the Dalai Lama “Absolutely the best book I’ve read on nutrition and diet” –Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones Solution From the physician behind the wildly popular NutritionFacts website, How Not to Die reveals the groundbreaking scientific evidence behind the only diet that can prevent and reverse many of the causes of disease-related death. The vast majority of premature deaths can be prevented through simple changes in diet and lifestyle. In How Not to Die, Dr. Michael Greger, the internationally-renowned nutrition expert, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, examines the fifteen top causes of premature death in America-heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson's, high blood pressure, and more-and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches, freeing us to live healthier lives. The simple truth is that most doctors are good at treating acute illnesses but bad at preventing chronic disease. The fifteen leading causes of death claim the lives of 1.6 million Americans annually. This doesn't have to be the case. By following Dr. Greger's advice, all of it backed up by strong scientific evidence, you will learn which foods to eat and which lifestyle changes to make to live longer. History of prostate cancer in your family? Put down that glass of milk and add flaxseed to your diet whenever you can. Have high blood pressure? Hibiscus tea can work better than a leading hypertensive drug-and without the side effects. Fighting off liver disease? Drinking coffee can reduce liver inflammation. Battling breast cancer? Consuming soy is associated with prolonged survival. Worried about heart disease (the number 1 killer in the United States)? Switch to a whole-food, plant-based diet, which has been repeatedly shown not just to prevent the disease but often stop it in its tracks. In addition to showing what to eat to help treat the top fifteen causes of death, How Not to Die includes Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen -a checklist of the twelve foods we should consume every day.Full of practical, actionable advice and surprising, cutting edge nutritional science, these doctor's orders are just what we need to live longer, healthier lives.

Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM

Gene Stone

How Not to Die

The Case Against Sugar advocates against the use of sugar in the food industry and offers a critical look at how this harmful substance took over the world under the eyes of our highest institutions, who are very well aware of its toxicity but choose to remain silent.

The Case Against Sugar Summary

Originally from New Guinea, people used to see sugar as a luxury item. Only privileged people, such as the King of Spain, had access to it. Soon enough, it became the vastly commercialized product we know today due to the switch from sugarcane to sugar beet, which made it cheaper to harvest and transport.From a social status symbol to an everyday supermarket item, sugar made its way around the world. It became the popular substance we know today due to its versatility. People use it for a large variety of dishes. You can use it in both sweet and salty plates, as well as beverages.

Sugar History

The Case Against Sugar dives deep into the controversy of this substance we love, even though it makes us addicted and more prone to developing diseases. The book also advocates against ingesting this sweetener by teaching us a series of valuable lessons about sugar.Among them, here are my three favorite ones:<ul><li>Among the different types of calories, the ones from sugar are the worst for your health.</li><li>The link between sugar consumption and diseases like diabetes is solid.</li><li>The sugar industry is constantly working to project a false image of sugar and cover its harmful effects.</li></ul>

A misconception is that calories are all the same, no matter their origin. That it is how much we consume that matters most. Once these assumptions became widely spread, the sugar industry profited from them, advertising that three tablespoons of sugar have fewer calories than an apple.Common sense and intuition tell us that this cannot be true. You’ve heard of the phrase ‘’Listen to your gut!’’ in your life, and this is exactly what you should do. Scientists have later discovered that when we eat sugar, our body produces insulin and thus stores fat cells instead of turning them into energy.

Lesson 1: Calories that originate from sugar are detrimental to your health.

Moreover, our blood glucose rises when we ingest sugar, making us feel agitated and unsettled as our insulin goes up. Eventually, things go back to normal when the insulin levels drop. Keep in mind that you can find glucose not only in the refined sugar you see on the shelves. It’s also in carbohydrates.Therefore, eating meals that are high in carbs will spike up your blood glucose levels as well. Be aware of the macronutrients that make up the foods you eat to avoid ingesting too much of a substance, such as sugar, which can harm you. Also, remember that not all calories are created equal.

Many studies point out the risks associated with eating sugar by highlighting the link between its consumption and Western diseases, including cancer. So it’s no secret that this substance is not suitable for you, but it wasn’t always like that.People only began to acknowledge its harmful effects after 1960, when an increased percentage of people developing heart diseases signaled a concerning phenomenon. Until then, they blamed saturated fats, although this was a biased assumption.Therefore, people developed a sugar culture, and fatal diseases started to shorten their lives.

Lesson 2: Sugar is linked to a series of illnesses, especially diabetes.

Let’s take the example of Tokelau, an island located off the coast of New Zealand. In 1968, they were granted permission to emigrate to their nearby state.Their normal diet consisted of 50% fat and roughly eight pounds of sugar per year. 3 percent of the men were diabetic at this point.By 1982, sugar consumption increased to 55 pounds per year. Then, 11% of the men had diabetes, and others started developing new diseases. In 2014, they had the highest rate of diabetes in the world — 38%. Once they moved to a sugary diet, the rate of severe diseases started to increase among the population.

Sugar is commonly linked to diabetes, weight gain, and a series of Western diseases. But it wasn’t always like that. At first, sugar was advertised as being healthy, refreshing, and full of benefits. In fact, the Sugar Institute, created in 1928, was even part of a campaign that promoted it as healthy food!By 1950, the obesity rate in the United States began to increase drastically. At the same time, the theory that “a calorie is a calorie’’ emerged. False! Although two foods can have the same value in calories, they don’t have the same nutritional value.

Lesson 3: Don’t believe everything you hear about sugar — the industry worked hard to keep a clean image of it.

You can eat 100kcal of sugar and have your blood glucose levels spike, or the same amount in spinach, for example, and nourish your body through this gut-supporting food. Therefore, this theory is part of a marketing effort to make sugar look like something it’s not. Keep this aspect in mind next time you go shopping for groceries!

As time passed by, the detrimental effects of sugar started to become popularized, and artificial sweeteners took off. The sugar industry reported them to the FDA to ban them. At last, they managed to get cyclamate, a component from artificial sweeteners, removed from the approved list, although the substance was dangerous only in substantial doses.

The Case Against Sugar is a valuable read for all of us who care about our health, as it emphasizes some of the most critical aspects regarding sugar consumption. The author educates the readers on the diseases related to sugar ingestion and how to avoid the marketing traps that the industry sets for the consumers. This popular substance is a common ingredient in our foods, so knowing its effects on our body and how to avoid it should be a universal concern.

The Case Against Sugar Review

The food-conscious person who wants to adopt a healthier diet, the nutritionist that wants to learn more about the implications of sugar and its history to educate audiences, or someone who wants to lose a few pounds by cutting off unhealthy foods.

Who would I recommend The Case Against Sugar to?

“Sugar does induce the same responses in the region of the brain known as the “reward center”—technically, the nucleus accumbens—as do nicotine, cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. Addiction”-Gary Taubes, The Case Against Sugar “Rats given sweetened water in experiments find it significantly more pleasurable than cocaine, even when they’re addicted to the latter, and more than heroin as well (although the rats find this choice more difficult to make). Addict”-Gary Taubes, The Case Against Sugar

Book Quotes

The Case Against Sugar summary advocates against the use of sugar and offers a critical look at how it took over the world.

<ul><li>Essentialism is a systematic, disciplined method for identifying our greatest areas of contribution and for making those activities nearly effortless.</li></ul>

ESSENTIALISM

"Entrepreneurs succeed when they say 'Yes' to the right project, at the right time, in the right way. To accomplish this, they have to be good at saying 'No' to all their other ideas. Essentialism offers concise and eloquent advice on how to determine what you care about most, and how to apply your energies in ways that ultimately bring you the greatest rewards"

<ul><li>First and foremost, you need a place to escape, Whatever place we choose will be our safe space.</li><li>As you're choosing your space, you should be picky. Your area needs to be good enough to help you focus while completing your daily tasks. Not just any space will do.</li><li>Having the right room for you will improve creativity while boosting productivity. With that in mind, it may take a while to build the space you want to use for your personal and professional projects.</li><li>Finding your get-away room is the first step to achieving what you want in life without cluttering reality.</li></ul>

DESIGN A PLAN TO ESCAPE

<ul><li>Non-essentialists get excited by many things, leading them to react to everything in life. These individuals become distracted by their pursuit of anything and everything.</li><li>Essentialists go all out for the things that light a fire within them. They don't focus on things that they care little about.</li><li>To make time for exploration, you must use the private room you've created like Newton who quarantined inside his home for a year during the Great Plague. During this time, he formulated gravitational theory and became a famous mathematician.</li></ul>

ESSENTIALISTS HAVE MORE OPTIONS THAN NON-ESSENTIALISTS

<ul><li>Often, we fall somewhere between 'Yes' and 'No' on decisions we need to make. We want to avoid saying 'Yes' but we don't to rule it out either for fear of missing out altogether.</li><li>We should stop this back and forth. We should decide whether to say "Yes" or "No" unequivocally.</li><li>We can't keep deciding on things half-heartedly. We're either in or out. There's no in-between with essentialism.</li></ul>

IF IT ISN'T A CLEAR YES, THEN IT'S A CLEAR NO

<ol><li>What am I deeply passionate about?</li><li>What taps into my talent?</li><li>What meets a significant need in the world?</li></ol><ul><li>Applying more rigid criteria to decision-making process will make it more likely for us to pick higher level choices. If we challenge how we think about a question, we're more likely to get a straight answer.</li><li>If someone asks you to do something you're not interested in, your answer should be "NO" If someone asks you to do something that doesn't fit your talents, the answer should be "NO"</li><li>Looking at things through a binary lens can help  decide faster. It frees up time for things that matter.</li></ul>

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

<ul><li>Find your life purpose, so you can work on that one thing, If you know that there's one thing for you to do, why would you work on anything but that one thing for the rest of your life?</li><li>For example, your mission statement may be to help people live their lives to the max. With this mission in mind, you can decide what is and isn't worth your time.</li><li>As you're practicing decision making, you may find that you're saying 'no' more often than 'yes.'</li><li>Putting  ten items on your plate instead of forty can make a big difference. You'll be able to give more of yourself to the things that matter.</li></ul>

DEFINE YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE

Essentialists see trade-offs as an inherent part of life, not as an inherently negative part of life. Instead of asking, "What do I have to give up?" they ask, "What do I want to go big on?" The cumulative impact of this small change in thinking can be profound."

<ul><li>Getting enough sleep may seem out of the blue, Sleep is essential to essentialism. Sleep is the dividing factor between talented people who do and don't get the work done.</li><li>Whether we get all of our sleep at night or break up our rest into two long naps, we need to get enough deep sleep to help us drive ourselves through the day.</li><li>Getting enough sleep isn't just about getting 7 - 9 hours a night. We need to get quality sleep for those hours to count. </li><li>Sleeping 10 hours in one night will do nothing if only one of them is a quality hour to sleep.</li></ul>

GET ENOUGH SLEEP

<ul><li>Essentialism is about everyday progress. Its the small steps that lead toward significant differences. We have to be patient enough to wait for the improvement to happen.</li><li>The only thing that matters is that you're making forward progress towards the things you want to do. No one said that we have to finish our entire to-do list today.</li><li>Essentialists design daily routines that yield more significant results in a shorter time. They still work as hard as others, but deliver better results. Between their motivation and time management, essentialists can do more than  non-essentialists.</li></ul>

MAKE A DAILY ROUTINE

<ul><li>To practice essentialism, we need clear boundaries. How are we going to remove things from our lives if we aren't willing to set boundaries around our wants?</li><li>Unfortunately, saying 'no' is a weak spot for many of us. Prior generations have taught us to do what's expected and to let no one down. While it's great to help people out, it's not so great if that detracts from our lives.</li><li>Setting boundaries is a fairly new thing for our generation. If there's someone who always expects you to be available for them, it's time put an end to it. You deserve more than being bossed around by someone else.</li></ul>

SET CLEAR BOUNDARIES

<ul><li>The number one lesson that we should learn after reading essentialism is that we need to do fewer things better. We should focus on a select number of things rather than trying to do everything at once.</li><li>Rather than becoming overwhelmed by the 20 things that we're trying to get done, we can live to the fullest by working on our five favourite things. These are the things that give us life and purpose.</li></ul>

DO FEWER THINGS BETTER 

"If you don't prioritize your life, someone else will."

<ul><li>DESIGGN A PLACE TO ESCAPE</li><li>ESSENTIALISTS HAVE MORE OPTIONS THAN NON-ESSENTIALISTS.</li><li>IF IT ISN'T A CLEAR YES, THEN IT'S A CLEAR NO</li><li>DEFINE YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE </li><li>GET ENOUGH SLEEP</li><li>MAKE A DAILY ROUTINE.</li><li>SET CLEAR BOUNDARIES</li><li>DO FEWER THINGS BETTER.</li></ul>

KEY INSIGHTS OF ESSENTIALISM

"Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin? Do you simultaneously feel overworked and underutilized? Are you often busy but not productive? Do you feel your time is constantly being hijacked by other people's agendas? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the way out is the way of the Essentialist. Essentialism isn't about getting more done in less time. It's about getting only the right things done. Only once we discern what is absolutely essential and eliminate everything else can we make our highest possible contribution toward things that truly matter. By forcing us to apply more selective criteria for where to spend our precious time and energy, the disciplined pursuit of less empowers us to reclaim control of our own choices, instead of giving others the implicit permission to choose for us. Essentialism is not one more thing to do. It's a whole new way of doing less, but better, in every area of our lives"--Back cover.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • More than one million copies sold! Essentialism isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only the right things done.   Featuring the new Essentialism 21-Day Challenge • “A timely, essential read for anyone who feels overcommitted, overloaded, or overworked.”—Adam Grant   Have you ever: • found yourself stretched too thin? • simultaneously felt overworked and underutilized? • felt busy but not productive? • felt like your time is constantly being hijacked by other people’s agendas?   If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist.    Essentialism is more than a time-management strategy or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution toward the things that really matter.   By forcing us to apply more selective criteria for what is Essential, the disciplined pursuit of less empowers us to reclaim control of our own choices about where to spend our precious time and energy—instead of giving others the implicit permission to choose for us.   Essentialism is not one more thing—it’s a whole new way of doing everything. It’s about doing less, but better, in every area of our lives. Essentialism is a movement whose time has come.

Greg McKeown is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Greg McKeown has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Greg McKeown's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

Greg McKeown

Essentialism

Fish is an excellent source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and many vitamins and minerals. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Eating at least two servings of fish a week could reduce the risk of heart disease.” They recommend consuming fatty fish, like wild-caught salmon, twice per week. However, it’s important to avoid fish high in mercury: swordfish; shark; king mackerel; tilefish (golden bass); bigeye tuna; marlin; orange roughy; and bluefish.

Eat fish twice a week

Saturated fats are found in animal products, including red meat and dairy, while trans fats are man-made fats created when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil. Both saturated fats and trans fats raise the risk of heart disease and stroke by altering blood lipid levels.

Limit saturated fats and trans fats

To limit your intake of saturated fat: <ul><li>Reduce the amount of meat you eat. Choose lean cuts (such as trimmed chicken breasts) or remove visible fat from meats before cooking them. Opt for fish instead of red meat at least twice a week. </li><li>Replace some of the meat in your diet with plant-based alternatives. </li><li>Avoid processed meat like sausage, bacon, and lunchmeat </li> </ul>Trans fats are found naturally in some foods, such as meat and dairy products, but also in some processed foods. Trans fats, also known as partially hydrogenated oils, raise the amount of “bad” LDL cholesterol in your blood while lowering amounts of “good” HDL cholesterol. Trans fat also increases inflammation in blood vessels, thereby contributing to the hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).

Monounsaturated fats are abundant in olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and avocados. These fats reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and increase “good” HDL cholesterol levels. They’re considered “good” fats because they help lower the risk of heart disease.

Choose healthy monounsaturated fats

Whole grains are an excellent source of fiber and can help you feel full for longer. They’re also good sources of B vitamins, important for energy metabolism and heart health. Avoid refined grains, like white bread and white flour. To make refined grains, manufacturers strip whole grains of their fiber and nutrients. The lack of fiber leads to blood sugar spikes that aren’t healthy for your heart. The soluble fiber in whole grain foods also lowers cholesterol by binding to bile acids and carrying them out of the body before they are absorbed into the bloodstream. Avoid packaged foods that are processed and contain added sugar and salt. The American Heart Association recommends that most adults get no more than 2,300 milligrams per day (that’s about 1 teaspoon).

Choose whole grains over refined grains

Potassium and magnesium are essential minerals for heart health. Potassium is abundant in fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, nuts, and seeds are rich sources of magnesium. Potassium can lower blood pressure by reducing the stress on your arteries caused by sodium (salt). Magnesium has many benefits for heart health. It helps maintain healthy blood pressure and reduces insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Plus, magnesium is important for maintaining a healthy heart rhythm.

Eat foods rich in potassium and magnesium

Staying a healthy weight is important to your health, but also maintaining a healthy waist size. The body mass index (BMI) is used to estimate whether someone has an ideal weight and height ratio. However, it doesn’t account for muscle mass or fat in the abdominal area, which has a stronger effect on heart disease than BMI. Don’t just weigh yourself, also measure your waist size and keep tabs on it. Research shows that having a waist size of 40 inches or greater for men and 35 inches and over for women is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Maintain a healthy weight and waist size

One of the best ways to improve your heart health is to exercise regularly. The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking or cycling) on most days of the week. If you are new to exercising, start slowly and gradually increase the length and duration of your workouts. You can start with as little as 10 minutes of aerobic exercise daily and gradually build up to a higher intensity and duration. Aerobic exercise helps develop stamina, too. Do more “incidental” movements. Get up and walk around and stretch, so you aren’t sitting for longer than 30 minutes at a time. Prolonged sitting reduces insulin sensitivity and affects blood lipids in a way that’s harmful to cardiovascular health.

Exercise most days of the week

Life better (probably longer) with healthier heart

exerciseandfitness

Exercise & Fitness

7 Daily Habits for a Healthier Heart

Studies of human gene expression show that if we choose to make certain lifestyle changes, we can influence whether our genes are “on” or “off.” In fact, our choices can influence an estimated 1,200 of the 1,500 genes that are “on” and probably can influence the other estimated 21,000 that are “off”.

We (Can) Turn Our Genes “On” And “Off”

For example, after implementing changes to their physical activity, stress management, and diet regimens, men were able to turn off genes associated with prostate cancer growth and turn on a gene that produced a protein that causes cancer cells to self-destruct. The same principle applies for colon and breast cancer: Lifestyle changes switched on genes that fought cancer and turned off genes that promoted it.

And Then Our Genes Turn Other Genes “On” And “Off”

Science tells us that by the time we are about 60 years old, 75% of our health outcomes are determined by our choices. That’s genetic self-engineering: Each healthy act switches on youth-promoting genes and switches off genes that cause us to age. This process is the result of millions of years of evolution. Good choices (and the proteins that are developed because of them) beget more good proteins, and the activation of bad genes begets more bad and destructive genes being turned on.

After An Age, 75% Of Our Health Is Choice

By making healthy lifestyle choices, we can self-engineer genetic alterations to both prevent disease and boost longevity. Numbers speak volumes: we are our own gene-whisperers. 

By making healthy lifestyle choices, you can self-engineer genetic alterations to prevent disease and boost longevity.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

habits

Habits

longevity

Longevity

Want To Live Longer? Influence Your Genes

Vegetables of all colors are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients. You can’t go wrong by adding more colorful produce to your plate. There are, however, vegetables with a higher nutrient content relative to their calories, making them exceptionally helpful for weight control and health.

Some Veggies Are Better Than Others

Watercress tops the list of nutrient-dense vegetables per calorie based on ANDI criteria. Watercress is a dark green, leafy vegetable that grows in cold, clear streams and rivers, and you can enjoy its peppery flavor raw or cooked. However, you’ll retain more of its vitamin C if you consume this leafy green raw. Watercress adds a kick to salads, wraps, and sandwiches. Along with vitamin C, watercress is rich in vitamin K, important for blood clotting and bone density, and beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A and an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Even more intriguing are the antioxidants in watercress, including phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC). One study found that antioxidants in watercress suppress damage to DNA , a cell’s genetic material. In the study, the results were most pronounced in smokers. Although the cancer-fighting capabilities of watercress are an area that needs more research, you can’t go wrong adding watercress to your plate.

Watercress (Nutrient Density Score 100%)

Even more intriguing are the antioxidants in watercress, including phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC). One study found that antioxidants in watercress suppress damage to DNA , a cell’s genetic material. In the study, the results were most pronounced in smokers. Although the cancer-fighting capabilities of watercress are an area that needs more research, you can’t go wrong adding watercress to your plate.

Chinese cabbage is also called Napa cabbage, and it’s a member of the Brassica family. This green, leafy veggie has long, pale green leaves with white ribs and a sweet flavor. Since it’s a cruciferous vegetable, like watercress and broccoli, it contains similar phytochemicals, some of which are being explored for potential anti-cancer benefits. To get the most vitamin C from Chinese cabbage, enjoy it raw in salads and sandwiches. If you prefer it cooked, add the chopped leaves or ribs to stir-fries with other Asian ingredients. Stir-fry recipes typically have a base of garlic and ginger, which work well with Chinese cabbage’s mild flavor. Add chicken, shrimp, or tofu for protein.

Swiss chard, also known as leaf beet, is a leafy green vegetable that belongs to the same family as beets. Its leaves have a mild flavor like spinach, but it has a slightly tougher texture that softens when you cook it. Swiss chard is a rich source of vitamin K, although it contains less vitamin C than the top two most nutrient-dense veggies, watercress, and Chinese cabbage, per calorie. One downside is Swiss chard is high in oxalates. If you have a history of calcium oxalate kidney stones, it’s best to avoid Swiss chard since it can increase the amount of oxalates in your urine and boost the odds of kidney stones forming. Cooking Swiss chard reduces but doesn’t eliminate, oxalates.

Beet greens are the leaves of beets, colorful root vegetables that grow in the ground. Beet greens are like spinach in texture and taste but have a more intense flavor. You can enjoy these leafy greens raw in salads or cooked like spinach, Swiss chard, or other leafy greens. But like Swiss chard, they’re high in oxalates, so it’s best to cook them to reduce their oxalate content. Why are beet greens so nutrient-dense? With each bite, you get a healthy dose of vitamins A and C, but they also contain respectable quantities of minerals such as iron and zinc.

Beet Greens

Who isn’t familiar with the green, leafy vegetable known as spinach? It’s widely available and packed with nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and K, and like all leafy greens, an excellent source of fiber.Spinach also contains compounds called thylakoids that have appetite-suppressing benefits. Plus, spinach is a rich source of lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids which may help prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts, common causes of visual decline.

Spinach

You may have noticed a trend. Leafy greens top the list of nutrient-dense foods per calorie. Another benefit of leafy greens is they’re high in natural nitrates, compounds that increase nitric oxide, a gas that helps open blood vessels. This enhances endothelial function, healthy blood vessel function that lowers blood pressure, and the risk of blood clots, another reason to add greens to your plate.

Leafy Greens Dominate the List

Leafy greens are nutrient-rich and lower in calories and top the list in terms of ANDI scores. Still, it’s smart to enjoy a wide array of non-starchy vegetables and fruits for optimal health. Almost all contain substantial quantities of potassium, a mineral and electrolyte that helps lower blood pressure. So, fill your grocery cart with fruits and vegetables in all colors of the rainbow, but don’t forget to add these five veggies with the highest ANDI scores.

The 5 Most Nutrient-Dense Vegetables Based on Science

Some people seem to quickly bounce back from personal failures and setbacks, while others find it much more difficult.When life knocks you down, are you quick to pick yourself up and adapt to the circumstances? Or do you find yourself completely overwhelmed with little confidence in your ability to deal with the challenge?If you find yourself in the latter category, not to worry. Luckily there are many practical strategies for building mental resilience; it is a quality that can be learned and honed through practice, discipline and hard work.

How resilient are you?

Mental Strength is the capacity of an individual to deal effectively with stressors, pressures and challenges and perform to the best of their ability, irrespective of the circumstances in which they find themselves (Clough, 2002).Building mental strength is fundamental to living your <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/life-satisfaction/">best life </a>. Just as we go to the gym and lift weights in order to build our physical muscles, we must also develop our mental health through the use of mental tools and techniques.Optimal mental health helps us to live a life that we love, have meaningful social connections, and positive <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/self-esteem/">self-esteem </a>.

How to Be Mentally Strong

In order to be mentally healthy, we must build up our mental strength! Mental strength is something that is developed over time by individuals who choose to make personal development a priority. Much like seeing physical gains from working out and eating healthier, we must develop healthy mental habits, like practicing <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-exercises/">gratitude </a>, if we want to experience <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/positive-psychology-and-mental-health/">mental health </a>gains.Likewise, to see physical gains we must also give up unhealthy habits, such as eating junk food, and for mental gains, give up unhealthy habits such as feeling sorry for oneself.

These practical strategies can teach you or your clients to become mentally strong through practice, discipline, & hard work.

problemsolving

Problem Solving

How to Be Mentally Strong: 14 Ways to Build Mental Toughness

OCD is an unhealthy mania for doing certain things. Like washing 50 in a row, counting in their head, checking the lock 20 times etc .... If the obsessions are like itches, in OCPD they go away with scratching, and they intensify in OCD. Having such a personality can have benefits, with the itches acting as rewards for progress, but a disorder is debilitating. As high as 4% of the world population suffers from OCD. It rank the 7th the most debilitating disease, because of the shame associated with the obsession and the sheer amount of wasted time.

OCD (Obsesive Compulsive Disorder) vs OCPD (Obsesive Compulsive Personality)

<ul><li>Repetition: "when you check the lock 30 times before leaving the house" Endless loops of the same action.</li><li>Counting: "when you have do to something 5 times in a row" It could be an action or a mental counting. </li><li>Order: "spend days perfecting the perfect email" or "ordering the dolls in the exact way" It manifests as incompleteness, symmetry or disgust (thinking something is contaminated)</li></ul>

Types of OCD obsessions

Anxiety is a state of fear or alertness without the clear & present danger. It's what binds obsessions and compulsions. A person suffering from OCD is aware his belief is irrational. But it feels like the right intuition. "I know nothing bad will happen if I turn right but it feels like something bad will if don't."

Anxiety - the common thread

The only form of proven therapy for OCD. It is a cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), a talking therapy, however unlike counselling, it is much more structured and tailored around the individuals ‘here and now’ obsessive behaviour.The goal is to get the patient face his/her fears caused. Unlike other treatments where the focus is calm, safety and so on, this therapy is about creating and facing the uncomfortable states.CBT is done by professionals, takes a long time.

Exposure Therapy 

Most of them don't seem to have any significant impact. There is research looking into:<ul><li>Psychedelics. The idea is that serotonin would improve the obsessions. So far, the data showed little benefit.</li><li>Ketamine. Another drug used for trauma showed little benefit here.</li><li>Cannabis: it can relieve anxiety temporarily, but showed little OCD specific relief. Since it also increases focus it may do more harm than good. </li></ul>

Drug Based Therapy For OCD

A deep look into a very common mental problem

In this episode, I explain the biology and psychology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)—a prevalent and debilitating condition. I also discuss the efficacy and mechanisms behind OCD treatments—both behavioral and pharmacologic as well as holistic and combination treatments and new emerging treatments, including directed brain stimulation. I explain the neural circuitry underlying repetitive “thought-action loops” and why in OCD, the compulsive actions merely make the obsessions even stronger. I review cognitive-behavioral therapies like exposure therapy and SSRIs, holistic approaches, and nutraceuticals, detailing the efficacy of each approach and what science says about how to combine and sequence treatments. I describe an often effective approach for treating OCD where clinicians use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to deliberately bring patients into states of high anxiety while encouraging them to suppress compulsive actions in order to help them learn to overcome repetitious thought/action cycles. This episode should interest anyone with OCD, anyone who knows someone with OCD or OCPD, and more generally, those interested in how the brain works to control thoughts and actions, whether those thoughts are intrusive or not. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman Thesis: https://takethesis.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Timestamps (00:00:00) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (00:03:01) Momentous Supplements, AG1 (Athletic Greens), Thesis, Eight Sleep (00:08:28) What is OCD and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder? (00:11:18) OCD: Major Incidence & Severity (00:15:10) Categories of OCD (00:21:33) Anxiety: Linking Obsessions & Compulsions (00:27:33) OCD & Familial Heredity (00:29:10) Biological Mechanisms of OCD, Cortico-Striatal-Thalamic Loops (00:39:36) Cortico-Striatal-Thalamic Loop & OCD (00:46:39) Clinical OCD Diagnosis, Y-BOCS Index (00:51:38) OCD & Fear, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & Exposure Therapy (01:01:56) Unique Characteristics of CBT/Exposure Therapy in OCD Treatment (01:10:18) CBT/Exposure Therapy & Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) (01:22:30) Considerations with SSRIs & Prescription Drug Treatments (01:25:17) Serotonin & Cognitive Flexibility, Psilocybin Studies (01:31:50) Neuroleptics & Neuromodulators (01:36:09) OCD & Cannabis, THC & CBD (01:39:29) Ketamine Treatment (01:41:43) Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) (01:46:22) Cannabis CBD & Focus (01:47:50) Thoughts Are Not Actions (01:51:27) Hormones, Cortisol, DHEA, Testosterone & GABA (02:00:55) Holistic Treatments: Mindfulness Meditation & OCD (02:03:28) Nutraceuticals & Supplements: Myo-Inositol, Glycine (02:09:45) OCD vs. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (02:20:53) Superstitions, Compulsions & Obsessions (02:31:00) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous Supplements, Instagram, Twitter, Neural Network Newsletter Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I explain the biology and psychology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)—a prevalent and debilitating condition. I also discuss the efficacy and mechanisms behind OCD treatments—both behavioral and pharmacologic as well as holistic and combination treatments and new emerging treatments, including directed brain stimulation. I explain the neural circuitry underlying repetitive “thought-action loops” and why in OCD, the compulsive actions merely make the obsessions even stronger. I review cognitive-behavioral therapies like exposure therapy and SSRIs, holistic approaches, and nutraceuticals, detailing the efficacy of each approach and what science says about how to combine and sequence treatments. I describe an often effective approach for treating OCD where clinicians use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to deliberately bring patients into states of high anxiety while encouraging them to suppress compulsive actions in order to help them learn to overcome repetitious thought/action cycles. This episode should interest anyone with OCD, anyone who knows someone with OCD or OCPD, and more generally, those interested in how the brain works to control thoughts and actions, whether those thoughts are intrusive or not. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (00:04:06) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:08:28) What is OCD and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder? (00:11:18) OCD: Major Incidence & Severity (00:15:10) Categories of OCD (00:21:33) Anxiety: Linking Obsessions & Compulsions (00:27:33) OCD & Familial Heredity (00:29:10) Biological Mechanisms of OCD, Cortico-Striatal-Thalamic Loops (00:39:36) Cortico-Striatal-Thalamic Loop & OCD (00:46:39) Clinical OCD Diagnosis, Y-BOCS Index (00:51:38) OCD & Fear, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & Exposure Therapy (01:01:56) Unique Characteristics of CBT/Exposure Therapy in OCD Treatment (01:10:18) CBT/Exposure Therapy & Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) (01:22:30) Considerations with SSRIs & Prescription Drug Treatments (01:25:17) Serotonin & Cognitive Flexibility, Psilocybin Studies (01:31:50) Neuroleptics & Neuromodulators (01:36:09) OCD & Cannabis, THC & CBD (01:39:29) Ketamine Treatment (01:41:43) Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) (01:46:22) Cannabis CBD & Focus (01:47:50) Thoughts Are Not Actions (01:51:27) Hormones, Cortisol, DHEA, Testosterone & GABA (02:00:55) Holistic Treatments: Mindfulness Meditation & OCD (02:03:28) Nutraceuticals & Supplements: Myo-Inositol, Glycine (02:09:45) OCD vs. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (02:20:53) Superstitions, Compulsions & Obsessions (02:31:00) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous Supplements, Instagram, Twitter, Neural Network Newsletter Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

Huberman Lab discusses neuroscience: how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health. We also discuss existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. His laboratory studies neural regeneration, neuroplasticity, and brain states such as stress, focus, fear, and optimal performance. For more than 20 years, Dr. Huberman has consistently published original research findings and review articles in top-level peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, Science, Cell, Neuron, and Current Biology. He is a regular member of several National Institutes of Health review panels and a Fellow of the McKnight Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Dr. Huberman regularly consults for technology development companies, professional athletic organizations, and various units of U.S. and Canadian Special Operations.

Huberman Lab

The Science & Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

The Science of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

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