Wellness Wednesday - Episode 1

Welcome back to the Daily Dumbbell, where we don’t adjust well to change. We’re a very routine oriented newsletter and when things around us change, we get a little discombobulated.

With that said, we’re switching to a MWF schedule for the foreseeable future. All your favorites will still be here!

We apologize for abandoning you these past 10 days. But we’re back and, if we do say so ourselves, better than ever!

A peek at today’s Issue:

Let’s dive in!

First and foremost, birds are assholes.

There’s a family of Barn Swallows that have setup shop on our balcony. Just as they did last summer. Some days I don’t feel like going for a walk and I prefer to just stand on the balcony to get sunlight directly into my eyes first thing in the morning.

My bird neighbors did not like this and they conveyed their displeasure with a few swoops. Well last week the swoops became aggressive. I felt one whizz past my ear over the weekend.

Well yesterday I’d had enough. I went outside with a broom to knock the nest off the balcony only to find 4 baby swallows staring at me. Fuck. Guess I’m walking for the next couple weeks. Sigh.

Data Point:

My sleep average has gone from 77% to a 94% over the past week.

What’s the one small change I made to make sleep doctors hate me? I started staying up a bit later and sleeping in until 7:30am. That’s it? That’s it.

I guess this is more aligned with my natural circadian* rhythm.

*Not convinced this is a real thing.

But my HRV is higher and my body isn’t as sore. So it’s hard to argue.

Another Surprising Trend

We have some interesting data now on a few things and how they impact my recovery.

So far, only one thing has positively impacted my recovery. That thing? Taking creatine. This has provided a +4% increase in recovery. Over the 49 days I have tracked this, I’ve remembered to take it 32 times. Yeesh. Gotta get better at that.

On the opposite end of things, two things have shown a negative impact.

• A 10+ Strain score -4%

• Weed gummies -9%

A 10+ strain score makes sense. I’m not surprised that my recovery is down the day after a tough workout.

The gummies however surprised me. I’ll generally have one every 1-2 weeks at night to relax. But not even a whole gummy! Like ¼th of one. 2.5mg on average. Finding out it has this much of an impact on my sleep/recovery is kind of shocking tbh.

It took 7 weeks to get 5 yes’s and get this insight so it’s not a super common occurrence. But to learn is twice as impactful as a tough workout is kinda wild.

The even more shocking thing? In those 7 weeks, I’ve had one or more drink 9 times. This has had no discernible impact on my recovery. V Strange.

The "If-Then" Chronicles:
Unraveling the Hierarchy of Choices

In an era where we’re bombarded with an avalanche of “This is good!” swiftly followed by “Actually, this is evil!” information, it’s high time we break out of this good vs. bad paradigm.

This good v bad framework is limiting and more often than not, incapable of getting you to the right answer.

When it comes to health and fitness things are almost never just good or bad. Yet the questions you hear and the headlines you read always revolve around a food or additive being good or bad. Healthy or unhealthy.

The Sunscreen Saga:

Sunscreen is a perfect example of this phenomenon. Especially because there seems to be next to zero nuance in this discussion online.

Picture this: A sunny day. Birds are singing. You are beckoned outside by the Vitamin D gods. You think: Oh shit I need sunscreen. But wait! That one guy who never wears a shirt in the grocery store says sunscreen is toxic!

To be clear, that guy is an idiot. But sun shines on a dogs ass from time to time, and there have been a few recent studies showing some brands of sunscreen contain ingredients at levels much higher than they should.

Is it always a clear-cut “slather it on” decision? Let’s apply our “if-then” hierarchy. Here’s what we know:

• Vitamin D is important and good for us.

• Some sunscreen might have worrisome additives.

• Sunburns are bad.

• Severe burns are VERY BAD.

So lets look at this through a different lens:

• IF you're outside for a short time and there’s no risk of looking like a lobster afterward, THEN letting your skin soak up some rays (sans sunscreen) is good – hello, Vitamin D!

• IF you’re venturing out for longer or the sun is throwing a high-UV fiesta, THEN sunscreen steps in like a bouncer protecting your skin from the unruly elements. Not getting burned? Golden.

Too hot for layers? Hop in the shade. Not enough shade? Sunscreen it is!

Nuance is fun! But it’s a hard message to send to the public at large. Nuanced messaging doesn’t tend to work for public policy as people get frustrated and confused.

Look no further than the hysteria surrounding COVID guidelines.

The Alcohol Adventure:

Remember our feature on Alcohol? And that strange J curve, where those who had a drink per day or less had better health outcomes than complete abstainers?

Well, scientists think they figured it out. The answer being stress related. Chronic stress is horrible for us as it puts an unnecessary strain on the heart.

Turns out, alcohol blunts that stress response! Hooray right? Well, no because too much alcohol also puts stress on the heart and other organs. You’ll have to find that sweet spot where you’re having no more than 7-10 drinks per week if you want to tap into these benefits.

Now, we've obviously established that alcohol isn’t a health food. It’s not kale or quinoa. But, in the “if-then” hierarchy, there’s more to the story:

• IF you’re sipping on a drink in moderation, and it’s helping you unwind, reducing stress, THEN this can lean into the beneficial side.

• IF you’re downing multiple drinks daily, THEN you're stepping into the danger zone. Now, it’s stressing out your liver and heart – no bueno.

Are there better strategies for stress reduction? Sure. There’s no downside to too much meditation. But there really doesn’t appear to be much of a downside to a few drinks per week either.

Now, IF you have a problem with limiting your alcohol intake… THEN it might be time to invest in an alternative strategy.

The Plot Twist:

Here’s where the hierarchy gets intricate. IF there are multiple paths (sunscreen or shade, drink or meditate), THEN choose based on context, personal preference, and long-term effects.

Closing Credits:

In the Chronicles of Choice, it’s all about navigating the intricate “if-then” hierarchy. Life is not black and white. It’s a kaleidoscope of choices where context, moderation, and personal circumstances play starring roles.

So, the next time you face the conundrum of whether to slather on sunscreen or how to handle happy hour, remember that you are the director of your own “If-Then” Chronicles. Choose wisely, and make it a blockbuster. 🎬🍿

We hope you enjoyed our return to form! Make sure to come back on Friday for Friday Finds. We found some cool shit this week so you won’t want to miss it.