IFYL Just the Facts: Walking Book Clubs; Scam Alert; Take a Skillcation

In this episode we discuss:

Don’t skip lunch;

Dating Doppelgängers?

Smell like a Bakery;

And many more topics.

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

Transcript

Unknown: 0:46

Hello and welcome to another episode of the podcast. We have another special just the facts with JT edition of the show. It's gonna be clips from the radio show. So if you can't listen to the radio show, you missed it on the air. You want to just, you want to get that information that we put out there every single day. You want to take it with you in your pocket. But you don't want any of the back and forth. You just want to hear John Tesh giving you that information. This is, that's what this is. That's what we're providing for you today. So excited to bring this to you. Here we go with just the facts. It's John Tesh. All right, listen to this. There's a new kind of high tech scam that's draining people's bank accounts in seconds, and it's so convincing, even tech savvy and skeptical people are falling for it. So this is important. Here's how it works. Scammers are using spoofing software to make their phone number look like it's coming from your bank, then they call or text claiming there has been, quote, fraudulent activity on your account. They sound professional, sometimes even using AI generated voices that mimic real customer service reps, the scammer will create a sense of panic, saying your money is at risk, move it now to a safe account. That's the trick. They pressure you to transfer your money, and once you do, it is gone. The Federal Trade Commission says this imposter scam is now the number one consumer complaint, with more than half a million victims losing billions of dollars in just the last two years, and those are only the ones who have reported it. Experts say the best protection is to never trust a call or text from your bank, even if the number looks real and if something seems off, hang up immediately and call your bank using the number on the back of your card. Hey, so check this out. There's a new type of book club, and I'm loving this. It's called a walking audio book club. So instead of meeting up in somebody's living room or a coffee shop to chat about a book. People meet outdoors, pop in their ear buds and take a walk while listening to audio books. The idea is catching on from coast to coast, like bookets around DC, where members walk through parks or trails listening to whatever book they're into. Afterward, they share thoughts about what they're reading or listening to. But some people just enjoy the company while they're going for a walk. Experts say this trend reflects two powerful needs in modern life, staying active and finding low pressure connection. It's part exercise, part mindfulness and part social time. Of course, audio book walking clubs are also helping revive interest in reading, which studies show has dropped in recent years, publishers have even started donating audio books to these book clubs, and members say walking together makes reading feel like an experience again, not a solitary, passive activity. So if you have a favorite audio book and some good walking shoes, find a walking audio book club near you, or start one yourself. Some Public Libraries also host them. Just Google walking book club from our health and wellness files, which is better? Can we get an answer to this one long walk or several short ones? Which is better? It turns out, if you're wearing an activity tracker and counting steps, there's something new to think about. It might not just be how many steps you take, but how you take them? A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that people who took longer more continuous walks had better health outcomes than those who spread their steps out throughout the day. Researchers followed 34,000 adults, big study, they found that those who regularly walked for at least 15 minutes at a time were about 80% less likely to die from any cause. They were also nearly 70% less likely to develop heart disease compared to people who mostly walked in short five minute bursts. The experts say this doesn't mean short walks don't help but giving your body a little more time in motion allows your heart rate, circulation and muscles to benefit more fully. So keep moving however you can. But if you have time, do go for a longer walk, even a few more minutes, can make a big difference. Now, the data supports this. I have a question for you. Have you noticed how everything from soap to perfume smells like dessert? Lately, we're talking caramel, vanilla, pistachio, even donut scents showing up everywhere, from luxury perfumes to body wash. Now this is what the fragrance world is calling, gourmand scents, basically products that smell good enough to eat. According to research from Bloomberg and Mintel, nearly 1/4 of all new perfumes now fall into this food category, the highest it's ever been. What's driving it? The experts say we're in a comfort seeking era. Psychologists say these cozy food like scents, help lower stress, boost mood and even spark feelings of comfort and safety and familiar scents can calm the nervous system, slow down heart rate, and improve focus. So sniffing a vanilla candle or you. Producing pistachio scented lotion might actually help you feel more relaxed and even sleep better. Add to that, more people are taking weight loss medications, and experts believe scent may be replacing taste for people. The psychologists say these, quote, food like scents, hit the same brain centers as comfort food and can satisfy a craving without eating a bite. So whether it's a pistachio candle or vanilla shampoo, it's all about indulging our senses. I've seen a lot of posts about this, and now we know we have data to support the fact that the hottest new workout today is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, from Mark Zuckerberg to Elon Musk to the average person, jiu jitsu classes are taking off big time. It's a martial art. There's grappling and strategy and plenty of sweat, but jiu jitsu is really a workout for your mind. Experts say it strengthens your focus, builds emotional control and teaches you to stay calm under pressure. You learn how to think your way out of tight spots, both on and off the mat. Physically, it's a full body challenge that builds strength, flexibility and endurance, but without the heavy pounding of high impact sports, you're also learning patience, strategy and resilience. And mentally, it's almost meditative. You can't Doom scroll multi task or zone out, because if you do, you'll end up flat on your back. That total focus gives your brain a break from daily stress, and it rewires how you handle challenges. As one instructor puts it jujitsu teaches you to move on from a plan that didn't work. And it's not just for men. Classes are booming for women, kids and even seniors. Seems like every day on this program, we're talking about how our happiness is cratering in North America, but now we're finding out the solution may be to stop trying to be happy and start figuring out how to make other people happy. This is also biblical, right? This conclusion, there is a conclusion of a six year study I'm going to tell you about from Cornell. So researchers wanted to see whether feeling a sense of purpose would actually make people feel happier. So psychologist Anthony burrow randomly selected more than 1000 college kids to receive $400 and they had eight weeks to use the money on something that benefited their communities. It was called the contribution project. One person built bird houses and put them around campus. Another student funded a trip to a national competition for his taekwondo team, and afterward, researchers analyzed the well being, sense of purpose and belonging of those who received the money, and they all showed significant improvement. The great thing is, we can all replicate the study ourselves by thinking of ways to give our time and resources. You just spend some time on an activity that does some good, whether that's donating to a local food pantry or volunteering at an animal shelter. Yes, living beyond yourself, outside yourself, think about this. Have you ever come back from vacation and felt like you needed another vacation. Psychologists say it might be because you took the wrong kind of break. So instead of sitting on a beach doing nothing, experts are now saying we should be trying a skillcation. It's a vacation where you learn something new or hone a skill, like cheese making classes in Switzerland, knitting your way around Iceland or even a hiking trip to your local mountains. Why is this more refreshing than a lounge chair in a pina colada? Psychologist Sabine sonatag says rest is good and we need it, but it's not the only way to recharge. What really wakes up our brain is something called a quote mastery experience, basically doing something challenging and stepping out of your comfort zone. And here's what that does for you. It tires you out in a good way. So you actually sleep better. It forces your brain to focus on right now and not on your inbox. And most importantly, it reminds you that you're capable, strong and you're still growing, you'll also have more energy, confidence and a clear head. It's a form of self development, right? You can still take a couple of days to sit in the beach chair, but a skillcation might be what your brain truly needs once and for all. What's the difference between breakfast and lunch? Well, you've heard that breakfast is important, but don't forget lunch, especially at work, say the experts new data showing skipping the midday meal can seriously hurt our productivity, our focus and even office morale. A survey found that 88% of full time workers say their performance does dip when they don't eat lunch. They take longer to finish tasks, they make more mistakes, and nearly 85% report getting hangry at mix of hunger and irritability. I know exactly what that is. So why are so many workers skipping meals? Inflation is making lunches more expensive, up more than 20% in just a year, combined with heavy workloads or guilt about taking a break. Gen Zers in particular, think. Taking a lunch break will make them look lazy. Many of them feel this way, but researchers from Cornell say regularly eating at your desk can force you to develop a habit. Essentially, your brain begins to associate working with eating, so after a while, you'll find yourself craving snacks as you sit down to work and consuming extra calories throughout the day. On top of that, eating only at your desk means you aren't absorbing as many nutrients from your food, because when you're under pressure, your digestive process slows down from our dating and relationship files question for you, have you noticed a pattern in your dating life, either currently or in your past? Some people end up being drawn to partners who look alike, so maybe all your boyfriends have curly hair and glasses. It's called doppelganger dating, and it's more common than we thought. A study from the University of Toronto finding that not only do people prefer romantic partners who are similar to themselves, but they also choose partners who are similar to each other, meaning similar to their previous partners. Of course, we also tend to choose people with similar personalities. For example, if somebody had dated an introvert in the past, their next partner was also highly likely to be introverted as well. So why do we keep going for the same type? Because it feels comfortable. Having a type gives us a sense of security. We feel safer partnering with somebody who's a known quantity, say these experts, so is it bad to date people who fit your type? The researchers do say no. In fact, finding someone who's similar to your ex gives you the best shot at lasting love. Time for a conversation starter for you remember that old commercial, I've fallen and I can't get up. Well, at some senior living communities, artificial intelligence is helping predict and even prevent falls before they happen. At one assisted living home in New York, for example, residents can choose to have motion sensors in their rooms that track things like their gait, their posture and changes in movement. If somebody stumbles, the system alerts staff instantly, and it has been life changing, by the way, 181 year old woman used to fall every few weeks. Since the home started using the system, she's only fallen once all year. Dr Jing Wang is the dean of the Florida State University College of Nursing. She says that's a huge deal, because falls are the number one cause of accidental death in adults over the age of 65 we've reported this many times. Elderly patients are three times as likely to die following a ground level fall than people under age 65 and AI systems like these could even sense subtle changes, like slower walking, poor sleep, changes in heart rate, all of which do increase the risk of falls. And at one facility using this system, falls are down a full 40% Hello. If you want to look into it, one sensor system is called safely. You You can find out more at safely, Dash you.com That's it for the show today. Thank you guys so much for listening. If you like the show, please rate comment and subscribe on Apple podcast. Spotify wherever you get your podcast. It helps us out a lot. When you do that, we also try to respond to every mention the show, every DM about the show. You can tell us what you think about it, because ultimately, we do the show for you guys. So thank you so much for listening. You.