Get Your Kids Outside; Move Your Body for Better Grades; The Better Skin Diet

In this episode we feature:

An interview with sports psychologist and author Dr. Daniel O’Neill

Get creative for your mental health

Send your kids outdoors

Tap your chest to increase energy.

And more ways you can improve your health today!

For more information, and to sign up for our private coaching, visit tesh.com

Our Hosts:
John Tesh: Instagram: @johntesh_ifyl facebook.com/JohnTesh
Gib Gerard: Instagram: @GibGerard facebook.com/GibGerard X: @GibGerard

Transcript

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Gib. Hello and welcome to another episode of the podcast. I'm Gib Gerard. Today is another special intelligence for your health edition of the podcast featuring Connie Celica. Our guest today is Dr Daniel O'Neill. He's the author of the book survival of the fit. He'll explain why encouraging kids to get outside and play could help them do better in school. So here we go without further ado, intelligence for your health with Connie Celica, next time you have one of those frustrating days where nothing seems to go right, try this. Give yourself a hug, wrap your arms around yourself, or hug your knees to your chest. Research in Psychology Today found that volunteers who did that experienced less physical pain and 10 second self hugs have also been proven to reduce the amount of the stress hormone cortisol in your bloodstream and boost production of the calming compound oxytocin, so you'll feel better emotionally and physically until you can get a real hug from another human. Is your forgetfulness normal? Here are three reasons your memory could be glitchy, and what you can do to protect it. First, you may have memory issues because your blood sugar is high, according to mental health america.net that can cause memory loss. If you come from a family with a history of diabetes, get tested regularly, eat well and stay active. You could also be mentally fuzzy if you snore, because it's a big warning sign of sleep apnea, that's a condition where the throat collapses, cutting off oxygen for seconds at a time, up to 30 times an hour during the night, and that affects brain health. You may also be forgetful if you're short on vitamin B 12. The older we get, the more trouble we have absorbing B 12, and after age 65 A deficiency can mimic the effects of Alzheimer's, so get your levels checked. A simple supplement could be the solution coming up. We'll talk to sports psychologist Dr Daniel O'Neill. He'll explain why he's pushing schools and parents to encourage physical education for every child every day, for every year they're in school. But first, clutter can cause headaches. Researchers from Glasgow University found that people who suffer from migraines have a hard time tuning out visual noise, which is a fancy way of saying clutter. That's because seeing too many things out of place activates nerve cells in the brain, and that over activity can lead to headache. A lot of people find it really hard to do nothing, according to Michelle Newman, a psychology professor at Penn State University, a lot of people feel like they should always be busy doing something. They don't feel like it's okay to just read a book or watch TV. Professor Newman has also studied the concepts of relaxation, anxiety and relaxation sensitivity, which relate to the discomfort, boredom or unease some people feel when they have nothing to do. That's because the value of productivity and staying busy is ingrained in our culture. Celeste Headlee is the author of do nothing, how to break away from overworking, overdoing and under living. And she says, We've been brainwashed to believe that productivity is morally superior to rest. So it's no wonder that relaxing feels uncomfortable or even wrong. But relaxation is vital to well being. It boosts your health, quality of life and longevity. So giving yourself permission to rest and relax isn't something to feel guilty about. It could actually be life saving. Okay, listen to this. If you could use an emotional lift, just get creative research in the journal frontiers in psychology track the mental health of nearly 75,000 people, and they found people who spent half an hour every day on some type of creative activity had lower rates of depression and anxiety and higher life satisfaction. They say it's because artistic imagination triggers feelings of awe, which add to a sense that life has meaning and purpose and you don't even have to be good at your chosen creative hobby. Making less than perfect crafts will give you as big of an emotional lift as painting a masterpiece. Today, our special guest is Dr Daniel O'Neill. He's a sports psychologist and orthopedic surgeon who wrote a book called survival of the fit. It's Dr O'Neill's response to what he calls an inactive pandemic in North America where a whopping 90% of kids do not get the recommended amount of exercise needed to stay healthy. So I asked him why something as basic as PE class in school helps kids in. Prove academically, the connection between your fitness and your brain and your academics and your IQ, or however you want to measure things, is not in question. There's not a doubt. We have tons and tons of studies showing that if you do a little workout, if you just go out for a quick walk, before you take that test, before you give that presentation at that meeting, your brain is going to be on fire. Your brain is going to be alive. Your body drives the brain. If you want to turn your brain on, you have to get your body moving. And we know this from children, the children that have the gym class at 10 o'clock in the morning, suddenly their 11 o'clock class, they're killing it. And so ideally, we would have every child having physical education in the morning and then having their tough classes, whether that's science or math or whatever it may be, because that's going to stimulate that brain again. And ultimately, that's what we really want from our education system, right? We really we send these kids to school to learn, and the easiest way to improve our academics is to have physical education for every child, every day, every year of school. How amazing is that it's not more computers, it's not more money, it's not more physical plant, it's just more exercise. Today we're talking to sports psychologist, Dr Daniel O'Neill, and he was just explaining why he strongly believes kids need to spend more time exercising while they're at school, like in PE class. But Dr O'Neill also thinks parents could help their kids get fitter at home by being better exercise role models. One of the reasons why I am making such a big deal about physical education for every child, every day, every year of school is because they are not getting their physical identity reinforced from their parents, because their parents have lost their physical identity, and that's horrible, but that's the reality that we're dealing with right now around the world. But parents, right? You have to get those children outside, because Mother Nature is more addictive than any computer game than any telephone, trust me on this one, once they get outside, once they get that the beauty of Mother Nature. And this is not just in rural environments or in the mountains or in the ocean. This is in cities. This is everywhere. There are beautiful places and parks in almost every city I've been to anywhere around the world. And they have communities, they have bird watching, and they have all this fun stuff, but getting outside and getting that addiction, boy, if you could give your children anything, as far as a inheritance, that would be the greatest thing you can share. If you eat in the car, what happens to the crumbs and spills? Well, according to pathology professor, Dr Romney Humphreys from UCLA, those food spills grow 1000s more bacteria than anything else that gets in your car. And although they're unlikely to make you seriously ill from a stomach bug, the bacteria could create an explosion of allergy, triggering mold. So vacuum your car at least once a month and clean up spills and sticky fingerprints with antibacterial wipes. The top three places where germs live are the steering wheel, the door handles and the gear shift, all high touch areas. Today's medical term astrophobia, that's a fear of loud natural noises, particularly thunder and lightning. And while it's something most pet owners associate with their dogs, who may scurry and hide during intense storms, it's also one of the most common human phobias, following the fears of heights, spiders and flying. In fact, an estimated one in 50 people experience persistent sweating and shaking at just the thought of an approaching storm or the booming sound of thunder. And psychologists say the condition is often linked to a traumatic experience someone had during a storm, like witnessing a neighbor getting hurt by a lightning strike or falling debris. So is there anything you can do about astrophobia? The good news is that most people overcome their fears after repeated exposure to loud noises associated with bad weather and seeing that traumatic outcomes are extremely rare. But if that doesn't help, talk to a therapist, because treatments, ranging from simple Stress management techniques to taking anti anxiety medications have proven to be very effective at helping people overcome their fears, and that's today's medical term astrophobia coming up. We'll hear more from Dr Daniel O'Neill, a sports psychologist and author of the book survival of the fit. He'll explain what the birds in your backyard or. Dog can do to help change your life and potentially get your kids off their smartphones. But first, did you know you're more likely to die if you're underweight rather than overweight? That's according to research from the UC Davis School of Medicine. They tracked more than 50,000 adults over a six year period. The result, compared to people at a healthy weight, those who were severely obese were 26% more likely to die during the study, but those who were severely underweight were nearly 60% more likely to die. That's because being underweight can lead to malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, anemia and heart problems being severely underway can also decrease immune function. So if you've been trying to get stick thin, you're better off being at a comfortably healthy weight. If your teen is struggling with stress, anxiety or insecurity, get them a pet. A review of 22 studies by clinical psychologist Dr Lisa Damour found kids who grow up with animals tend to have higher self esteem, better cognitive development and more social skills. Here's why. First, animals don't judge. Teens feel they're constantly being judged on everything from their grades to their looks to their social standing. But a dog makes it clear that she doesn't care if you're cool, failed an exam or have pimples. Pets also offer comfort no questions asked. Animals sense our feelings, and they tend to gravitate toward anyone who's lonely, upset or sad. Plus, pets give teens an outlet to be loving without the fear of rejection. Finally, pets help keep us in the moment. After all, they need to be fed and walked on a schedule, and when they try getting your attention, say by sticking their nose in your face or climbing into your lap, they're almost impossible to ignore. And Dr demore says anything that gets teens focused on the here and now instead of worrying about the future, is a really good thing. Okay, listen to this. There is nothing better than a sweet potato. The Center for Science in the Public Interest ranked it as the healthiest vegetable in the world. That's because sweet potatoes contain two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble, improving gut health. Sweet potatoes also have complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium and 10 other vitamins. And among all root vegetables, sweet potatoes have the lowest glycemic index rating, meaning they cause a slow rise in blood sugar. So even diabetics and people sensitive to carbohydrates can include sweet potatoes in their meals. Back with more health intelligence from sports psychologist Dr Daniel O'Neill, and when it comes to exercise, he says we should aim to do as much of it as possible outside, because, as he sees it, being outside in nature is part of our identity as humans. And Dr O'Neill says, even if you're just bird watching with the kids in the backyard, that's a good place to start. The emphasis that we're making is that you know, bird watching is not getting your heart rate up necessarily or or burning calories, but it's getting you outside and getting you to appreciate Mother Nature, and if it's getting you outside with your friends or your family, even better, I ask all my patients if they have a dog, and if they say yes, I'm like, perfect. It's, you know, coming into spring, now your dog is going to love it. We're going to get you on a new exercise program or a new walking program, and everybody's going to be happy. You're going to be happy, the dog's going to be happy, and it's going to change your life. And it really is that simple, almost. The other great benefit of doing that is the children are not looking at a phone. They're not looking at a computer. And again, we can't put a price on that. It's so important back with more health intelligence from sports psychologist Dr Daniel O'Neill, his latest book, survival of the fit encourages all of us to exercise more often. So I asked Dr O'Neill, what can help people get motivated to exercise and get more fit? His answer, get a personal trainer. The best thing if you really feel completely unmotivated and you're just really doubting yourself, to get a coach, to get a personal trainer to get you going, and what they're going to do is they're going to give you specific goals to hit, specific workouts to do, and you've really got to start small and be consistent, but don't ask yourself to lose those 30 pounds in the next two months. It really, you know, it's that same old stuff we keep talking about, that, that element of just consistency and just small moves. One of the things my wife and I do every New Year's Eve was we sit down, we say, okay, how can we improve our health? And. Coming year, and we can always almost all of us can eat a little bit less junk food. And for sure, cut down on the sugar, cut down on the salt, you know, increase our activity as you get older, increase your flexibility for the women, increase some of your strength work. And all these things are available, and there's great resources for it almost anywhere where you live, but getting somebody involved to kind of get you on that path is the easiest way to get motivated. Here's a quick way to increase your energy when you're having a mid day slump. You know how Tarzan would beat on his chest. He was on to something, according to Seattle Children's Hospital, tapping on the Tarzan spot on your chest can help increase energy. Just tap on the center of your breastbone with your fingers for 30 seconds. That stimulates the thymus gland, which is located in the middle of the chest. It produces immunity, boosting cells that can counteract stress and increase energy, more intelligence for your health. From Sports Psychologist Dr Daniel O'Neill. If you'd like to know more about him or his book, survival of the fit, check out survival of the fit.net. And one of the most important messages in that book is that exercise should never feel like work. In fact, Dr O'Neill encourages us all to think of exercise as a way to play, and the more fun we have, the better. I love the word play, and I love thinking about it and and, you know, every animal plays, and one of the animals I talk about, and in my book, and I have on the front cover is an octopus. And these creatures that are, you know, millions of years of removed from us in evolution, they play. And so when we talk about getting fit, when we talk about adults exercising, it shouldn't be a job. And if you're thinking, Oh God, I have to go there, and I have to do this exercise class with this spin class, or that's that's terrible. You shouldn't be thinking like that. It can't be a job no matter what you're doing. You know, Pickleball is the big rage, and that's great because it's social and it's fun, but boy, oh boy, if you're going to start getting super competitive in pickleball, God, just look in the mirror and ask yourself, Am I still having fun? I do some bike racing, and some of these guys can really take themselves seriously and make it a job and race every weekend that doesn't say fun to me, that doesn't say play to me. So we really want to always have that element of fun, of play and social, hopefully, but really enjoying yourselves. And it's out there, and there's so many fun things you can do. You know, if you're not liking what you're doing, do something else to avoid a painfully inflamed cornea. Don't wear your contact lenses when you shower or swim, because if any bacteria filled water gets trapped under your lenses, it can cause a type of microbial keratitis. That's a fancy name for an inflamed cornea. It's painful. Could even cause blindness, and nearly a million people get it every year. If you need to wear contacts so you can see while you're swimming, get some goggles to cover your eyes. Then, after you get out of the water, disinfect your contacts as soon as possible. Or if your contacts are the one day disposable kind, throw them away after a shower or swim and put in a fresh pair. Here's an email I received at Connie at intelligence for your health.com It comes from Roma Caputo, who writes, What are some foods that can help make my skin look better? I've started eating healthier, but my skin has not improved. Roma, try adding these foods into your daily diet. We get these from Dermatologist, Dr Nicholas pericone, author of the wrinkle cure. First wild salmon. It's loaded with protein, which maintains the body, including the skin on a cellular level. Another benefit, it's rich in omega three fatty acids. Those acids boost production of collagen, which keeps our skin supple, plus salmon's pink color comes from an antioxidant with anti inflammatory properties, and inflammation is at the root of wrinkles. Then to protect your skin from sun damage, but still get a healthy glow. Eat cantaloupe. One cup contains 100% of your recommended daily intake of vitamins A and C, and both protect the skin from the free radicals that come from sun damage. Also the beta carotene that gives cantaloupe its orange color gives your skin a healthy glow. The final skin superfood is watercress. It has a high potassium content and cleanses the blood, which can help clear up skin problems like eczema, acne and rashes. Thank you for your email. Roma, I hope this helps. Okay, listen to this if your regular workout feels effortless. Stress, it probably means you're well rested. Many studies have shown that athletes tend to exercise more intensely and even perform better after a good night's sleep, compared to those who are sleep deprived. The reason because when we sleep, our body converts carbohydrates from food into sugars called glycogen, which are then stored in the muscles for energy, but when we skip sleep, less glycogen gets stored, which means we hit the wall sooner while running, climbing or lifting weights after a rough night of sleep, the answer may not be coffee. It may actually be aspirin, according to the journal sleep, a simple, low dose aspirin, the kind many people take for heart health could be a game changer in combating harmful inflammation due to sleep deprivation. The researchers found that taking a baby aspirin can significantly reduce the body's inflammatory response when you're short on sleep. This isn't just about feeling better, it's about potentially reducing your risk for serious health issues that are linked to a lack of sleep and the chronic inflammation it causes, like heart disease and diabetes. The study's results suggest that for people going through periods of insomnia, baby aspirin could be a simple, affordable way to protect their long term health that includes shift workers new parents or students or students pulling all nighters more intelligence for your health from Dr Daniel O'Neill, a sports psychologist and orthopedic surgeon at the Alpine clinic in Plymouth, New Hampshire. And it's in his role as a surgeon that Dr O'Neill has witnessed the amazing healing and strengthening powers of exercising while immersed in water. So I asked him to share some of the benefits he's seen. Aquatic exercise is absolutely fantastic, because, as you can imagine, you're not loading your joints and and ligaments the same way you do with land exercise. So if, particularly when you're coming back from an injury, the water is the place to start. We don't worry about balance. We don't worry about falling. And look, we start our lives in water. We are water, you know, creatures on a lot of levels. So it's so consoling to be in the water, and nobody comes out of the water not feeling better, but again, it's just a brilliant way of doing movement patterns that you can do completely safely and getting in the water. And by the way, when I'm talking about getting in the water, I'm not talking about swimming necessarily, talking about being upright in the water, because then the things that you've learned and the balance and coordination that you learned in the water then translates onto land things, which is obviously where we're spending most of our time. That's it for our show today, our special intelligence for your health with Connie Selig, edition of the podcast, I'm Gib Gerard. Don't forget to rate comment and subscribe on Apple podcast. Spotify, wherever you get your podcast. It helps us out a lot. And also you can reach out to us on social media. All of our links are listed. Are listed down in the show notes. We try to respond to every DM, every mention of the show, because ultimately, we do the show for you guys. So thank you so much for listening. You.