Life By Design with Dr. Jamie Richards

Recently the Toy company Hasbro has launched "Ms. Monopoly," and as the box says, it's 'the first game where women make more than men.' If you're not familiar with the game of monopoly, it's a board game in which players move around the board, are able to buy property, make investments, get sent to jail, and are subject to both the randomness of good and bad luck. So what's wrong with Ms. Monopoly? Nothing. We are going to do our best to stay out of the realm of politics on this podcast. It's hard not to touch on politics a little bit, since morality and politics can be closely related. But, if you want to read more about gender equality issues, etc., there are many articles online that can provide material for you to learn more. Our job on today's podcast is to speak about the personal, self-esteem, effects of creating games and situations like this. Solely for the fact that creating high self-esteem is a precursor to health and happiness which we do care about tremendously. What we covered

• Definitions and classifications. There's not a word strong enough to describe the horror of today's misuse of language and concepts. If you don't believe that statement, stop 10 random people on the street and ask for a definition of popular, politically charged terms today (sexist, racist, etc.) and see how many different responses you get. Step number one is to define all of our terms so we can be on the same page.
• The nature of self-esteem, why it's important, why you need it and why you should be working on creating it.
• How being singled out does not increase self-esteem but lowers it.
• What lessons we need to apply to our lives.

Ok, you really don't have to register for the open, but we think it would be a great idea for you to do "sign up" for something and do the work. And before you say 'but I'm not fit enough to do that' it's important that you understand a few things. One, all of the open workouts are scalable; that's one of the cool things about CrossFit, it can be tailored to everyone at all skill levels. Two, the way that you're going to get fit is to do things that make you fit. So, doing workouts and fitness that is challenging will make you better. Three, none of us are going to the CrossFit games and we're still doing it. Ok, that last reason was weak, at best, and playing the peer pressure card was uncool, sorry. So, let's get to the real reason why you should register and the purpose of this podcast... The CrossFit Open is an excellent standard for you to compare yourself against yourself and see if you're improving. Getting better, actually better, at something is an incredible feeling, and it will help with your self-esteem, among other things. What We Covered

• The importance of having a standard. In 2019 we're told not to compare; we are told to tell our children that everything they do is great, and we all know that this is not helping them, and it won't help us. Having a stand is vital to your success.
• What are the two types of standards you need.
• Why and how the CrossFit games or similar events can serve as your fitness standard and why that is important.

It's wonderful that the idea and practice self-care is gaining popularity and widely practiced. Self-care, as the title implies, concerns itself with doing something personal, for your own ego. Of course, this has rubbed many the wrong way, which is why justifications like "Self-care is not selfish" have become popular trope. But there is no need to apologize, and to pander to people who don't agree or don't accept. The purpose of this episode is to discuss why it's a good thing that self-care is selfish and what good self-care habits should look like. What we covered

• Definitions, definitions, and more definitions. If you don't define your terms, how do you even know what's being talked about? When we define our terms, you'll see very quickly, that by it's very definition self-care is selfish. You'll also notice that selfish is not bad, like the story that we've been force-fed since birth.
• Why it matters that you understand that self-care is selfish. Ideas are very powerful and the more accurate an idea in your mind, the more solid the mental foundation it creates. It would be no different than coming into your home and chipping away at the concrete of your foundation. Sure, nothing would happen right away, but over time the structure would erode and collapse.
• What good self-care should like vs. what the majority does.
• How to create good self-care habits.
• Why your good self-care habits are essential for everyone in your inner circle.

Proper and adequate blood flow is vital to your body's health and well being. Adequate blood flow is even more important to your brain since your brain is the organ which controls your entire body. Decreased blood flow to the brain has been hypothesized to be a cause/contributing factor of many chronic and acute diseases (Alzheimer's, dementia, stroke, cancer, etc.) The etiology of these diseases is hard to assess, making general health principles like adequate blood flow to your brain, even more important. In a recent study, published in the journal Brain Circulation, a positive correlation was found between cervical lordosis and blood flow to your brain. In English: When test subjects had an orthotic device placed under their neck which changed the curve in their cervical spine, an MRI measured more blood flow to their brain. Why you care about this: Proper cervical curvature has alot to do with how well your neck and spine is functioning. Most of the time a correction towards better is performed to your neck, your neck moves better. A neck that is capable of better motion has a greater capacity for healthy mobility and restoration of the cervical curve can be a result. In this podcast we discuss this study and why you should care about those implications. What We Covered

• The basics of the study, what it tells you, why you should care, and why it's important.
• The potential application of this study and how it would apply to your health.
• Any problems or shortcomings with a study like this, and how those would apply.
• The importance of structure and function to your health.

This past Tuesday was Suicide Prevention Day. It's sad to reflect on your life and think of all the people you who know that have committed suicide. It's even sadder to think that everyone else also knows people who have committed suicide. Keeping in the spirit of being positive and productive, we wanted to use this podcast to talk about an article that was written on the 10 Traits of Emotionally Resilient People. Emotional resilience is being able to handle whatever life throws at you - and we know life can throw a lot - and keep moving forward towards your values and dreams. It doesn't mean being perfect, having it all together, or not having moments of weakness. It means doing your best, and not staying in a down place for very long. What We Covered

• The 10 traits listed in the article with a discussion on each one. What we liked, what we didn't and most importantly how that applies to real life and how we (and hopefully you) can benefit from using this information.
• How to create Emotional Resilience. It's all well and good to know what it is and to have it, but how do we cultivate it and grow it if we don't have it? Where does it come from?
• How to begin creating this in your children. The more kids can learn what emotional resilience looks like, the more stress and pain you'll be saving them.

Not sure if you've heard about Mindful Eating before, but it's something that's talked about enough (mostly in the background) and we thought we should bring it to your attention. An initial challenge we discovered with Mindful Eating was the lack of a clear definition. It's challenging to have a proper discussion about something when it's mostly unclear what we're talking about. To the best of our knowledge and understanding, Mindful Eating is a nutritional strategy that uses the psychological concept of 'Mindfulness' as a guide for helping you make choices about your nutrition. From the Health Line Article... Mindful eating involves: -Eating Slowly and without distraction -Distinguishing between hunger and non-hunger cues for eating -Learning to cope with anxiety and guilt about food -Appreciating your food -Noticing the effects that food has on your feelings and figure What We Covered

• A more in-depth conversation about all the tenets that incorporate the idea of 'Mindful Eating' and how those would apply to you and your nutrition
• How these ideas differ from all other, more accessible, strategies currently related to food
• The pros and cons of this strategy
• If we, ourselves would choose to use Mindful Eating

The new weight watchers app for kids is getting a lot of attention, some of it good, but according to the Healthline article that we've linked below, most of it is bad. Weight Watchers has now rebranded itself as WW and launched Kurbo, a weight loss app targeting kids between 8-17. The issue that both parents and experts have with the app is they say it's sending the wrong message. Some of the issues raised by these groups with the ads are: - Before and after pics of children who have lost weight - Concern that the point system, used by the app, is not teaching children proper nutritional guidelines and behaviour around food - Concerns about the quality of food - that app uses the red, light, yellow light system The purpose of this podcast is to discuss the HealthLine article and share our opinions about the app and whether we think it's a good idea or not. What We Covered

• What's the real issue here? As a parent, our job is to raise strong, independent humans. Health is a significant component of that. At the end of the day, does this app do that or not?
• How WW works and is this a good way for someone to learn how to eat?
• The most powerful way you can influence your kids.
• Are foods good and bad, and should our kids know this information?
• How we try (we are far from perfect) to feed our kids and teach them about the food that they should eat.

Becoming an emotionally stronger, more self-reliant person with strong self-esteem is vital to you success in life. If you want to pursue any kind of rational values in a virtuous way, you'll find out very quickly that the world will stand in your way. After all, what you're after is not easy, it's hard, and it should be hard. For you to achieve your desires, whether it be a relationship, career, status, finances, etc., you will have to become the person with those character traits and abilities. This will require a lot of effort and hard work. Becoming a different person can take a lot of work. There seems to be a trend that's emerging again lately. It's nothing new, it's been around for a long time (maybe it's just because we've been fascinated with reading more about it); it's this idea teaching you that for you to get what you want you must become no-one and nothing. We've heard it expressed many different ways and by many different people: overcoming the ego, join the unified field, becoming one with all things, etc. But is this really possible and is it beneficial? That all depends on you and your goals. In today's episode, we discuss our thoughts and experiences on the topic: What We Covered

• What is the self and should you care? When someone refers to the ego or 'you' what do they mean? What is 'youness' and is this an important characteristic?
• Is your ego helpful, or does a successful, happy life require you to overcome it?
• Why we believe these are important questions for you to answer and consider for yourself, and how we have applied to our own lives.

"Opioid use - even short term - can lead to addiction and, too often, overdose." -Mayo Clinic Staff To put it, bluntly - pain sucks. If you've ever injured yourself, you know exactly how debilitating it can be. Now imagine that you've served time in combat in Iraq, lost some of your best friends in battle, been injured from the strain of battle and suffered the psychological stress from witnessing the horrors of war, not to mention being away from your home and most of the people you love. That sounds like the potential for the pain to be taken to the next level. Pain management has always been a concern for Veterans Affairs and the Department Of Defense, especially for veterans who have seen combat. To make matters even more challenging, opioids - a very potent and effective pain medication, has been proven to be addictive and life harming long term. Can chiropractic help? There are many factors that impact whether or not a Veteran receives a prescription for an opioid. Veterans in moderate to servere pain were 87% more likely to receive an opioid prescription. Veterans suffering from depression where 40% more likely to receive and opioid prescription. And, veterans who smoked were 39% more likely to receive a prescription. This week talk about a study looking at veterans under chiropractic care. What We Covered

• The study and how it was performed.
• The limitations to the study.
• The possible correlation between chiropractic care and opioid reduction.

Two new studies remind us of what we already know but sometimes forget.

The above is a quote that opens the article titled "To Delay Death, Lift Weights."

What an appropriate way to describe strength training, something that, the research is quite clear, has outstanding health benefits to the body, yet is often brushed under the rug.

It makes sense, going to the gym, or moving your body in upwards of 80% of your one-rep maximum is uncomfortable and scary. But it's so worth it for your health.

The attached article review two studies.

The first was performed at the University of Indiana. 4,440 adults over 50 were assessed between 1999-2002 and were followed up on again in 2011 to see who passed away. The three variables they measured were strength, muscle mass and mortality.

In the results they found that those with low muscle strength were two times more likely to have died during the follow-up. In contrast, low muscle mass didn't seem to matter as much.

In the second study, 80,000 adults in England and Scotland completed surveys that were analyzed and it showed that those who completed any strength training activity were 23% less likely to die during the study period and 31% less likely to die from cancer.

What We Covered

• A review on why movement is a requirement for optimal health and normal physiology in the human body.
• The Move By Design principles and how those apply in this case.
• A general overview of the two studies mentioned in the article
• Discussion around the limitations of each study and the possible limitations of the outcomes.
• The possible hypothetical mechanisms of the results.