Life By Design with Dr. Jamie Richards

It's a very normal emotion to want to help your child when they have a raging fever, are feel poorly and want nothing more than for you to hold them.

The chances are most will try to bring the temperature down – either with medicine or other measures, such as warm baths.

On today's episode of Life By Design we explore the question...

Is fever reduction a good thing or could it actually be bad?

What we covered:

• What is the physiology of fever? Understanding why and how a fever works is the first step to figuring out if we should let it run or fight to bring it down.
• What does the research say? We explore the body of peer reviewed research to look for some answers and what we uncover is shocking.
• What does an iguana have to do with answering the question at hand? Jamie shares a story from the literature that clearly highlights the logic of fever and it's expression in animals with no internal fever creating mechanism.
• What temperature defines an emergency case? Is there a set point at which we need to jump in the car and rush to the hospital?
• What about seizures? They can't be good right? Can fever cause seizures?
• What are the signs it's time to call in the cavalry and seek medical testing and possible treatment?
• The multi-step process to help our children (and ourselves) and support the body as it manages an immune system response.
• One hypothetical effect following a fever that can be neither confirmed or denied by research, but is reported frequently by parents.

Great news from Clinical Oncology Society of Australia in regards to recommendations for cancer patients. "Exercise should be prescribed to all cancer patients, and not to do so would be harmful." This is not a new thought, yet it is very exciting to finally hear it stated in a such a clear, concise way. Hopefully, this pro-exercise attitude will continue throughout the medical profession, and patient's health will start to increase. Of course, claiming that ALL cancer patients need exercise and then having a strategy that actually works are tow totally different things. It's hard enough for healthy human beings to make exercise a regular staple in their life - let alone a cancer patient who is actively undergoing both chemotherapy and radiation therapy...both of which are known to almost completely zap the patient of their energy and drive. It almost seems like a romantic notion to say "you should do this" but then have little practical advice on how to actually do that. The purpose of this podcast is to help people with cancer, and those caring for them, learn how to add exercise to their life. What we cover:

• The physiology of cancer and why knowing how it works is the key to planning how to deal with it properly.
• The movement requirements for every body. Cancer patients are still people first, and although ALL humans have the same requirements, it's hard to train like an average healthy person while your body is undergoing cancer treatment. What can cancer patients do?
• Why mindset is most important and what you can do to help someone who is giving up.

Coffee is still a topic of huge debate with Life By Design. Not mentioning any names, but some of us believe coffee should be included in the same category as dairy. This means if you're adapted, go for it, if not, stay away. You might wonder "what does this have to do with coffee and fasting" and the answer is everything. The argument hinges on how coffee is digested and metabolized. Understanding digestion is the cornerstone for understanding fasting and its benefits. The benefits of intermittent fasting are: 1) Your body is in a state of ketosis 2) Fat burning 3) Insulin sensitivity 4) Autophagy - your body killing off unwanted or diseased cells 5) AMPK - an enzyme that inhibits your body from storing fat. It's not that fasting causes your body to do those things, your body would do them anyway, it's just that your metabolism is a massive energy user. When your body is engaged in processing and breaking down food, other aspects of your physiology don't receive the same attention. A similar example is not having an appetite when you're not feeling well. Increased immune system activity is a huge energy cost for your body, so much that suppressing metabolism is necessary to optimize the efficiency of your body's immune system. The purpose of this podcast is to discuss coffee and how it relates to intermittent fasting. What we cover:

• What is intermittent fasting, should you do it, and what you hope it accomplishes.
• The nature of coffee - why do some people say it's good and others claim it's bad?
• What the data says about coffee and does it, in fact, end your fast?

Questions like these are always amusing. They're amusing because of the way that it's framed and answered. To be clear, we don't talk about 'exercise' for children because it sounds like an intervention. Using that language makes it sound like we are trying to treat and prevent a problem for kids, which is why this CNN article is so very interesting. All of the CDC, NHS, and other government organizations recommendations for exercise stem from research on how much is required to reduce or prevent a disease or condition from happening, not how much is required to create an extraordinary child. It's like asking "How much money should I save to not go bankrupt" vs. "What do I need to do to be wealthy?" Our goal is to help create extraordinary kids with exceptional levels of health - not just avoiding disease and illness. The purpose of this podcast is to answer 2 questions: How much exercise do kids need to be their absolute best and how you can make that happen for them.

What we cover:

• It starts with you mom and dad. Remember the first time you said something exactly the same way your parents did? Your children have the greatest chance at becoming you and they will mimic your habits and beliefs. If you want your children to grow up loving to exercise then you need to create an environment where that is a part of their life.
• Scheduling and knowing your child. Everything for a child is a little bit different. It's easy to say "I'm taking John to try gymnastics" but what if he doesn't like it? How can you introduce them to things that they will actually want to do?
• In a perfect world, what are the best recommendations for exercise for kids to maximize their potential?

This week we're proud and excited to have back Jadzia Truszkowski. Last year, at almost this exact time, Jadzia and I spent some time talking about her latest achievement - qualifying for her first CrossFit regionals. This year she's back, and it's been quite an improvement. Jadzia is ranked 25th in the entire world after the open and 3rd in the Canada East Region. Most importantly, and she mentions this during the interview, she feels like she belongs with the top dogs now. She no longer feels like she's on "their" floor, but that she has a shot to compete at the highest level. The purpose of this podcast is to get an update on what Jadzia is up to but also to learn and understand what it takes to be the best at what you do. The principles of mastery are universal and it will be powerful for you to hear Jadiza's perspective on it. What we cover:

• Jadzia's numbers (strength, speed, endurance, her whole game) exploded over the last year. She has also become a coach. It's interesting to hear her talk about the major difference between the people who consistently improve vs. those that stay the same. Making this mindset change could be the difference between you staying stuck and completely changing the game at what you're trying to improve.
• Why you must be in love with what you're trying to change.
• Why having a solid support system is vital if you're ever going to reach high levels of success.
• Why the secret to success is finding a way to push yourself the most when no one is watching or looking at you.

What the heck is emotional intelligence?

It's funny, although you might not know the exact definition, you already have an idea of what we're talking about.

The term originated from Yale University in the early 90's and is defined as being smart about your feelings. It's how to use your emotions to inform your thinking and use your thinking to inform your emotions.

We don't necessarily like the definition, but love the concept of having emotional intelligence.

Intelligence is defined as the ability to deal with a broad range of abstractions. Emotional intelligence therefore would mean the ability to emotionally handle a broad range of situations in a way that is beneficial to your life.

Unfortunately, this is not the cultural atmosphere of today. We have slogans like "I don't want to adult" and we thrive on the nostalgia of when we were little and had no 'worries or responsibilities.'

It's these types of ideas that have slowed the development of our emotional intelligence and have contributed to the age of anxiety, depression, and poor mental health.

The purpose of this podcast is to discuss the concept of emotional intelligence and how you can develop it.

What we cover:

• The root of emotions - what they mean, why you should care and what NOT to do because of your emotions.
• How to increase your emotional intelligence - this is not going to be easy to do, but you know we're not interested in the easy stuff, only the stuff that works.
• Why we think emotional intelligence is among the most important factors to success and happiness in your life...meaning this is a skill you should master.

Stick around for one second because this is going somewhere... Take a quick moment and open up YouTube...type in "rocks and sand Stephan Covey" and watch the first video that pops up. What you hopefully take away from this video is that trying to fit in the little things around your current busy life will not work; you must first schedule and complete the large projects if you ever hope to get the little things done. How does this apply to your fitness? Your body works on the exact same principles that Stephan Covey has outlined. To be fit, healthy, have a great physique and get everything you want out of the gym, there is a certain order that must be performed. The article, which you can find in the show notes, is a great example of a high school strength and conditioning coach that was losing his mind. ALL of his athletes that spend more time on skill work (small thing) over developing strength (big thing) spend more time injured, hurt and as time goes on get surpassed by athletes who are doing things the right way. To you, this means that you can't fake the correct order and fundamental building blocks of exercise, especially if you're going to be doing for a while. The purpose of this podcast is to help you understand the order in which you should be progressing at the gym and what your next step should be. What we cover:

• The physiology of exercise, why you need to know it and why you should care.
• The correct order to progress in at the gym. At least the very basics so you can take a quick look at what you're doing now and adjust accordingly.

Fasting has been around for centuries and continues to fall in and out of fashion. It was not uncommon in university for peers to attempt to drink nothing but water, lemon juice and cayenne pepper for days at a time to either lose weight or "flush toxins". Of course why people choose to fast could be its own unique topic, but the reasons vary from losing weight to helping recover from a disease. Of course, like all things, there are fasts, and then there are fasts. But is there any truth or relevancy to fasting or it is just something that crazy 'hippie' health-o-chondriacs do? The purpose of this podcast is to help give you a clear understanding of not only the different kinds and types of fasts but their purpose and benefits (if any). What we cover:

• What is intermittent fasting and how is it different from other types of fasts?
• How your digestive physiology works, what your genes expect and how knowing this information will give you the clues to whether or not fasting is a good idea for you to try.
• Don't use intermittent fasting as a tactic. Don't try to shortcut your way to success. Spend the appropriate amount of time to figure out what is really holding you back from getting your nutrition on point.
• How we have been able to integrate intermittent fasting into our own lives and how we've fared with it?
• Is intermittent fasting for everyone? Who should do it and who shouldn't do it?
• Is fasting similar to detoxing in any respect?
• The preliminary steps to making this happen in your life.

Slowly and surely (although it always feels like it's taking far too much time) spring is coming and right behind it will be summer! Summer means, heat, swimming and spending a lot our time outside. It also means things like showing more skin, more time at the beach, lounging by the pool and exposing more of your body to other people...which can be stressful. The fact that terms like 'summer body' exist shows a certain level of concern or importance to having others look at, or at least notice, you. The fear, pressure or motivation (depending) on how you look at it, can cause people to do crazy things (eat certain ways, train certain ways, starve themselves, etc.) to meet the visual requirements they're trying hard to achieve. Let us help you. It is possible to lose a significant amount of weight without having to sacrifice your health, life or sanity? It's not easy, but it can be done and it can be simplified. The purpose of this podcast is not just creating a successful plan for this year, but getting it right the first time so you don't have to worry about the 'summer bod' conversation ever again. What we cover:

• How to understand the physiology of weight loss. If you have a clear understanding of how your body gains and loses weight you will know what to do and won't be tricked by the next upcoming fad.
• Why fat loss and good health are not opposites. Although weight loss often happens in spite of good health, it's important to realize you can't be healthy and obese or overweight.
• Weight loss depends on more factors than just calories in vs. calories out. Your hormones, stress levels, macro and micronutrient levels play an important role in helping you shed those pounds.
• The appropriate time frame to set for yourself and the dangerous effect of undershooting.

On today's show, I'm excited to have with us Lanie Smith. Lanie is a Registered Art Therapist, owner/founder of Integrative Art Therapy, and a Transformational Wellness Coach. She's watched so many clients learn how to "bring the inside out and the outside in" to allow greater ease and flow in their life. Her passion is to help you recognize your innate wisdom and beauty as it's reflected in the trees, mountains, wildlife, and in your creativity. Creative expression and nature are powerful tools to guide us. Lanie strives in helping clients discover that inner connection that she believes we all have. Lanie thinks that "Dis-ease and chronic stress are the direct results of misalignment and imbalance" and find that connection within yourself is the way for you to feel more connected and grateful. The purpose of this podcast is to learn more about what art therapy is and why it may be helpful for you. What we cover:

• What is art therapy and how you can leverage art into helping with your happiness.
• Ways in which you can catch yourself heading down the path to overwhelm and how you can prevent that problem.
• Why the art you create (not just painting but everything) can be a sign of your current mental state.
• How everyone is creative and why that doesn't necessarily mean being a painter.
• Why spending time in nature is a very good idea.
• Ways that you can become better at listening to yourself and better at being more present with your thoughts and emotions. Being present and learning to understand what is happening in your body, is one of the best ways to find your inner peace.