Issue #44 ·
Thinking About Last Times: Gratitude and Why We Stay Fit
⌛️ On the philosophy of gratitude, thinking about end of life, and how to break out of some bad habits
This week in building health 👇
How many more times will you get to do X?
Long time readers know that my wife and I have been expecting our first child.
(who has arrived by the way! We are sleepless and full of joy)
Leading up to her birth, I tried to get in as many day hikes as a could. I knew it was going to be a while before I could hike again.
I found myself thinking: “I wonder when I’ll get to hike again?”
And while it’s probably sooner than I think, it makes me think about all the ‘last times’ that I could be experiencing without even knowing it.
The “Last Time” Always Happens Now
From the article I’m sharing today:
You’ve certainly heard the heart-wrenching insight that there’s always a last time a parent picks up their child. By a certain age the child is too big, which means there’s always an ordinary day when the parent picks up and puts down their child as they have a thousand times before, with no awareness that it was the last time they would do it.
This targets me cleanly right now, as I feel like every moment with my baby daughter is unique and fleeting.
The 2 weeks since she was born has flew by in the blink of an eye. As my wife likes to say: “The days feel long, but the weeks go fast”
The Goal: To be Healthy Enough for the ‘Last Times’
I have not been able do any workouts in the past few weeks, but I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I’m exercising for in the first place.
As I carry my baby, squat, bend over, pick her up, and move with her in my arms, I’m struck by how many different body positions I’m get myself into.
Isn’t this the whole point of getting fit and being healthy?
Being Grateful for Being Able to Move
So right now, I’m grateful to be strong, flexible, and mobile enough to physically take care of my baby.
And going forward, I’m sure I’ll keep that in mind as I train and exercise.
→ Read more on this idea here (9 minutes)
My favorite health things for the week
// one
How Doctors Die
14 minutes | Ken Murray
No one likes thinking about the end of life… And so it’s interesting to see how doctors approach that final moment themselves.
After taking care of hundreds and thousands of patients, they understand a lot of the physical implications of dying, and so the choices they make can fully take that into account.
I found this paragraph especially insightful:
But doctors still don’t over-treat themselves. They see the consequences of this constantly. Almost anyone can find a way to die in peace at home, and pain can be managed better than ever.
Hospice care, which focuses on providing terminally ill patients with comfort and dignity rather than on futile cures, provides most people with much better final days. Amazingly, studies have found that people placed in hospice care often live longer than people with the same disease who are seeking active cures.
I was struck to hear on the radio recently that the famous reporter Tom Wicker had “died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family.” Such stories are, thankfully, increasingly common.
// two
How Coffee Protects the Brain
7 minutes | Maria Cohut Ph.D.
It is too simple to say that something is 100% good or bad for you.
It’s always going to be about moderation.
For something like coffee, there are going to be risks and benefits involved, so it’s good to understand what’s going on there.
From the article:
“Coffee consumption does seem to have some correlation to a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease,” notes Dr. Donald Weaver, who is co-director of the Krembil Brain Institute.
// three
How to Break Out of a Rut
50 minutes | Hidden Brain Podcast
We all get stuck sometimes
You get writer’s block
You can’t stop scrolling on your phone
You binge watch YouTube
It feels like you’re in a rut
It happens to us all.
This podcast dives into some of the science behind that, and a few tips and strategies to get out of it.
Until next time
As I mentioned above, our baby is here!
It’s crazy and fun, and we’re still adjusting to the new routine. But in the meantime, I’m still looking for pockets of time to share what I’m learning about healthy with you.
Have a Healthy Weekend