Habits:
Dike Drummond is a physician who practiced medicine for years and now coaches burned out doctors. Today’s pearl from his book is plate spinning. Erich Brenn, the guy who spun plates and bowls on the Ed Sullivan show, would start with just one plate, and then get the rest going.
Drummond says to be careful with new enthusiasm to make positive changes in your life. Start just one plate at a time (exercise, nutrition, sleeping more, study habits) and then build upon it. The Power of Habit describes so called keystone habits (the first plate). When someone stops smoking, he saves money, then improves his diet (he can afford to shop at Whole Foods) and begins exercising (no longer coughing up blood after 5 stairs), etc. This prescription should be attempted on patients as well!
Nutrition:
Our focus should be on obtaining nutrients from Real Food. But sometimes you don’t have time to cook, or you are trying to prevent muscle loss / accelerate muscle gain, or you want to feel full. Whey protein is derived from milk, and many companies claim to produce it with minimal processing. Whey is extensively studied in the literature. Though established to be safe, it won’t turn everyone into Arnold Schwarzenegger. But a scoop in a mixing cup, as a meal replacement on a busy surgery rotation, can be a lifesaver.
Circadian:
First we had Jet Lag, then Social Jet Lag, and now Metabolic Jet Lag. This article is the first one I have seen use the term metabolic jetlag to describe the change in breakfast time and the truncated fasting window that occurs on weekends. The authors propose that the reliable association of short sleep with metabolic disease could simply be due to a shortened fasting window. And the association of social jet lag with high BMI data may be due to metabolic jet lag.
The intervention in this study, to reduce the amount of hours each day that subjects ate, led to body weight reduction and sleep improvement.
Wisdom:
Tony Robbins says it is the secret to life. Most religions incorporate it into rituals. Cicero called it the “greatest virtue … the parent of all other virtues.” Gratitude is more than just thankfulness. It is choosing what to focus on, where to direct your attention. “When you are grateful you can’t be angry … [or] fearful.”
These Myths may wrongly discourage us from bringing this positive practice to the workplace.
Quote:
When I get a little money I buy books, and if any is left, I buy food and clothes.
Erasmus, 16th century scholar
