A Revelation About Who I Am That 'Blew My Mind'
Wise & Well Weekly 06.18.23: Our Stories, Your Feedback
Welcome back to your weekly dose of wellness, helping you make tomorrow a little better than today — thanks to Wise & Well writers and readers.
YOUR INSIGHTS
Reader comments on recent Wise & Well stories:
“Wow, this article blew my mind! It’s amazing how our genetic inheritance is far more complex than the simplistic 50% Mom and 50% Dad notion. @WiseWell, thank you for shedding light on this fascinating topic. It’s intriguing to learn about the intricate interplay of genes and how they shape our unique identities. Truly eye-opening!”
— Helena Nashton re: You’re Not 50% Mom, 50% Dad Like They Told You, by Annie Foley
That was just one of dozens of comments from readers surprised and enamored by Foley’s deep dive into what makes us who we are. Long taught in high-school biology, the foundational theory of heredity holds that each offspring receives 23 chromosomes from Mom and 23 matching chromosomes from Dad. Until just a few decades ago, that was thought to be genetic’s whole 50–50 equation. But now we know it’s a lot more complicated. Foley unravels the puzzle of DNA to reveal who you really are — or at least what you could be. Read the story >
“My inner critic is pretty annoying and toxic, so I’m trying to learn how to deal with it. Your tips were very helpful.”
— Olivia, re: Channel Your Inner Arnold Schwarzenegger by Christine Fuchs
“I have so many people I know who are part of an MLM company try to push their products on me to try. None of them that I know have any degree in diet and fitness. What I have found is to eat healthy, listen to what my body needs and not give advice on what would work for someone else. Move each day and eat sensibly but treat yourself too.”
— Margie Gaunt re: Fitfluencers Peddle False Promises and Faulty Potions and Programs by Robert Roy Britt
THIS WEEK’S PRESCRIPTION
“Just because you have enough food on your plate, doesn’t mean you get enough nutrients. And magnesium is one of the major things missing from our meals. Estimates say up to 2/3 of the population isn’t getting enough magnesium in their diet — and suboptimal intake can have far-reaching consequences,” explains Wise & Well writer Denny Pencheva, MD.
So what should you do?
“Getting your vitamins and minerals from diet, not supplements, is associated with a lower all-cause and heart disease death. For magnesium specifically, research linking it to less heart disease and diabetes is largely from diet or from drinking water.”
Get all the research details, plus a long list of foods you can incorporate in your diet, in this detailed but highly palatable article: Your Diet Probably Lacks Magnesium. Let’s Fix That.
HEALTHY READING
A selection of this week’s other informative and insightful articles:
Do Brain Games work?
Maybe not as much as the companies who make them would like you to think. But this writer has become hooked on Luminosity. Learn why she loves it, but also what you can realistically expect, based on the science. By Annie Foley
Don’t Stress About Stress Eating: It’s Natural
So much health advice is about what you should not do. Sometimes we need to cut ourselves a break, though. Downing junk food when stressed doesn’t mean we are fatally flawed or lack all willpower. Our brains are wired to do this, as our brains make us crave unhealthy foods full of sugar and fat. Learn how to resist, for a healthier body and mind. By Christine Fuchs
How Can You Avoid Long Wait Times for a Doctor?
Wait times are terrible, you say. Stats say otherwise, but they are misleading. Meanwhile, US healthcare is subpar in part due to limited amount of time a patient is face-to-face with a physician. There’s an increasingly popular solution: Concierge medicine, in which a monthly or annual fee guarantees you quicker and better access to doctors — if you can afford it. By Julian Barkan
Splenda Might Be Damaging Your DNA, Study Suggests
New lab experiments on sucralose, the key ingredient in Splenda and an artificial sweetener found in protein powders, energy bars and many other sugar-free products, indicate the potential for serious health concerns. The findings generated some scary stories in popular media and some pushback from the manufacturer. Our expert sorts out the facts from fiction and offers straightforward advice on consumption. By Denny Pencheva
Surviving Empty Nesting’s Second Launch
Parents may be sad and when their children leave for college, but that second blow, when they graduate and truly move on to their own new lives, can generate anxiety, grief, even fear. A Wise & Well licensed psychologist and parenting coach is here to help. By Gail Post
5 Health Signs of Excessive Alcohol Use
Beyond what you normally hear about or suspect, this nurse who went sober seven years ago has some surprising and enlightening science to share. By Gillian May
When Friends Sabotage Your Self-Improvement Project
When you set a new goal for an important self-improvement project — maybe a new diet, job or passion pursuit — you’d hope for support from friends & family. Unfortunately, they will often try to undermine your efforts, intentionally or unwittingly, a growing body of research finds. I reached out to some experts to understand why loved ones and friends can be so unsupportive, what we can look for, and how to filter out the negativity when trying to make big changes in life. By Robert Roy Britt
RANDOM BIT OF WISDOM
“Tying a new behavior to existing cues is a useful life hack for forming a new habit. The new behavior quickly becomes automated. After all, the automaticity is already in place. You just have to add a new step.”
— Wendy Wood, in the book Good Habits, Bad Habits
If you like what you see, please follow Wise & Well on Medium. Meanwhile, I hope we’ve helped you make tomorrow a little better than today. — Rob