June 10, 2025 • 23 mins
In this episode we feature:
An interview with sports psychologist and author Dr. Daniel O’Neill
Get creative for your mental health
Send your kids outdoors
Tap your chest to increase energy.
And more ways you can improve your health today!
For more information, and to sign up for our private coaching, visit tesh.com
Our Hosts:
John Tesh: Instagram: @johntesh_ifyl facebook.com/JohnTesh
Gib Gerard: Instagram: @GibGerard facebook.com/GibGerard X: @GibGerard
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Unknown (00:00):
Gib. Hello and welcome to another episode of the
(00:10):
podcast. I'm Gib Gerard. Todayis another special intelligence
for your health edition of thepodcast featuring Connie Celica.
Our guest today is Dr DanielO'Neill. He's the author of the
book survival of the fit. He'llexplain why encouraging kids to
get outside and play could helpthem do better in school. So
here we go without further ado,intelligence for your health
(00:32):
with Connie Celica,next time you have one of those
frustrating days where nothingseems to go right, try this.
Give yourself a hug, wrap yourarms around yourself, or hug
your knees to your chest.
Research in Psychology Todayfound that volunteers who did
that experienced less physicalpain and 10 second self hugs
(00:54):
have also been proven to reducethe amount of the stress hormone
cortisol in your bloodstream andboost production of the calming
compound oxytocin, so you'llfeel better emotionally and
physically until you can get areal hug from another human. Is
your forgetfulness normal? Hereare three reasons your memory
(01:14):
could be glitchy, and what youcan do to protect it. First, you
may have memory issues becauseyour blood sugar is high,
according to mental healthamerica.net that can cause
memory loss. If you come from afamily with a history of
diabetes, get tested regularly,eat well and stay active. You
could also be mentally fuzzy ifyou snore, because it's a big
(01:37):
warning sign of sleep apnea,that's a condition where the
throat collapses, cutting offoxygen for seconds at a time, up
to 30 times an hour during thenight, and that affects brain
health. You may also beforgetful if you're short on
vitamin B 12. The older we get,the more trouble we have
absorbing B 12, and after age 65A deficiency can mimic the
(02:00):
effects of Alzheimer's, so getyour levels checked. A simple
supplement could be the solutioncoming up. We'll talk to sports
psychologist Dr Daniel O'Neill.
He'll explain why he's pushingschools and parents to encourage
physical education for everychild every day, for every year
they're in school. But first,clutter can cause headaches.
(02:20):
Researchers from GlasgowUniversity found that people who
suffer from migraines have ahard time tuning out visual
noise, which is a fancy way ofsaying clutter. That's because
seeing too many things out ofplace activates nerve cells in
the brain, and that overactivity can lead to headache. A
lot of people find it reallyhard to do nothing, according to
(02:42):
Michelle Newman, a psychologyprofessor at Penn State
University, a lot of people feellike they should always be busy
doing something. They don't feellike it's okay to just read a
book or watch TV. ProfessorNewman has also studied the
concepts of relaxation, anxietyand relaxation sensitivity,
(03:03):
which relate to the discomfort,boredom or unease some people
feel when they have nothing todo. That's because the value of
productivity and staying busy isingrained in our culture.
Celeste Headlee is the author ofdo nothing, how to break away
from overworking, overdoing andunder living. And she says,
(03:24):
We've been brainwashed tobelieve that productivity is
morally superior to rest. Soit's no wonder that relaxing
feels uncomfortable or evenwrong. But relaxation is vital
to well being. It boosts yourhealth, quality of life and
longevity. So giving yourselfpermission to rest and relax
(03:45):
isn't something to feel guiltyabout. It could actually be life
saving. Okay, listen to this. Ifyou could use an emotional lift,
just get creative research inthe journal frontiers in
psychology track the mentalhealth of nearly 75,000 people,
and they found people who spenthalf an hour every day on some
(04:06):
type of creative activity hadlower rates of depression and
anxiety and higher lifesatisfaction. They say it's
because artistic imaginationtriggers feelings of awe, which
add to a sense that life hasmeaning and purpose and you
don't even have to be good atyour chosen creative hobby.
Making less than perfect craftswill give you as big of an
(04:29):
emotional lift as painting amasterpiece. Today, our special
guest is Dr Daniel O'Neill. He'sa sports psychologist and
orthopedic surgeon who wrote abook called survival of the fit.
It's Dr O'Neill's response towhat he calls an inactive
pandemic in North America wherea whopping 90% of kids do not
get the recommended amount ofexercise needed to stay healthy.
(04:52):
So I asked him why something asbasic as PE class in school
helps kids in. Proveacademically, the
connection between your fitnessand your brain and your
academics and your IQ, orhowever you want to measure
things, is not in question.
There's not a doubt. We havetons and tons of studies showing
(05:15):
that if you do a little workout,if you just go out for a quick
walk, before you take that test,before you give that
presentation at that meeting,your brain is going to be on
fire. Your brain is going to bealive. Your body drives the
brain. If you want to turn yourbrain on, you have to get your
body moving. And we know thisfrom children, the children that
(05:40):
have the gym class at 10 o'clockin the morning, suddenly their
11 o'clock class, they'rekilling it. And so ideally, we
would have every child havingphysical education in the
morning and then having theirtough classes, whether that's
science or math or whatever itmay be, because that's going to
stimulate that brain again. Andultimately, that's what we
(06:02):
really want from our educationsystem, right? We really we send
these kids to school to learn,and the easiest way to improve
our academics is to havephysical education for every
child, every day, every year ofschool. How amazing is that it's
not more computers, it's notmore money, it's not more
physical plant, it's just moreexercise.
(06:27):
Today we're talking to sportspsychologist, Dr Daniel O'Neill,
and he was just explaining whyhe strongly believes kids need
to spend more time exercisingwhile they're at school, like in
PE class. But Dr O'Neill alsothinks parents could help their
kids get fitter at home by beingbetter exercise role models. One
(06:48):
of the reasons why I am makingsuch a big
deal about physical educationfor every child, every day,
every year of school is becausethey are not getting their
physical identity reinforcedfrom their parents, because
their parents have lost theirphysical identity, and that's
horrible, but that's the realitythat we're dealing with right
now around the world. Butparents, right? You have to get
(07:13):
those children outside, becauseMother Nature is more addictive
than any computer game than anytelephone, trust me on this one,
once they get outside, once theyget that the beauty of Mother
Nature. And this is not just inrural environments or in the
mountains or in the ocean. Thisis in cities. This is
(07:34):
everywhere. There are beautifulplaces and parks in almost every
city I've been to anywherearound the world. And they have
communities, they have birdwatching, and they have all this
fun stuff, but getting outsideand getting that addiction, boy,
if you could give your childrenanything, as far as a
inheritance, that would be thegreatest thing you can share.
(07:58):
If you eat in the car, whathappens to the crumbs and
spills? Well, according topathology professor, Dr Romney
Humphreys from UCLA, those foodspills grow 1000s more bacteria
than anything else that gets inyour car. And although they're
unlikely to make you seriouslyill from a stomach bug, the
bacteria could create anexplosion of allergy, triggering
(08:20):
mold. So vacuum your car atleast once a month and clean up
spills and sticky fingerprintswith antibacterial wipes. The
top three places where germslive are the steering wheel, the
door handles and the gear shift,all high touch areas. Today's
medical term astrophobia, that'sa fear of loud natural noises,
(08:43):
particularly thunder andlightning. And while it's
something most pet ownersassociate with their dogs, who
may scurry and hide duringintense storms, it's also one of
the most common human phobias,following the fears of heights,
spiders and flying. In fact, anestimated one in 50 people
experience persistent sweatingand shaking at just the thought
(09:04):
of an approaching storm or thebooming sound of thunder. And
psychologists say the conditionis often linked to a traumatic
experience someone had during astorm, like witnessing a
neighbor getting hurt by alightning strike or falling
debris. So is there anything youcan do about astrophobia? The
good news is that most peopleovercome their fears after
(09:25):
repeated exposure to loud noisesassociated with bad weather and
seeing that traumatic outcomesare extremely rare. But if that
doesn't help, talk to atherapist, because treatments,
ranging from simple Stressmanagement techniques to taking
anti anxiety medications haveproven to be very effective at
helping people overcome theirfears, and that's today's
(09:47):
medical term astrophobia comingup. We'll hear more from Dr
Daniel O'Neill, a sportspsychologist and author of the
book survival of the fit. He'llexplain what the birds in your
backyard or. Dog can do to helpchange your life and potentially
get your kids off theirsmartphones. But first, did you
know you're more likely to dieif you're underweight rather
(10:11):
than overweight? That'saccording to research from the
UC Davis School of Medicine.
They tracked more than 50,000adults over a six year period.
The result, compared to peopleat a healthy weight, those who
were severely obese were 26%more likely to die during the
study, but those who wereseverely underweight were nearly
60% more likely to die. That'sbecause being underweight can
(10:35):
lead to malnutrition, vitamindeficiencies, anemia and heart
problems being severely underwaycan also decrease immune
function. So if you've beentrying to get stick thin, you're
better off being at acomfortably healthy weight. If
your teen is struggling withstress, anxiety or insecurity,
get them a pet. A review of 22studies by clinical psychologist
(10:59):
Dr Lisa Damour found kids whogrow up with animals tend to
have higher self esteem, bettercognitive development and more
social skills. Here's why.
First, animals don't judge.
Teens feel they're constantlybeing judged on everything from
their grades to their looks totheir social standing. But a dog
makes it clear that she doesn'tcare if you're cool, failed an
(11:23):
exam or have pimples. Pets alsooffer comfort no questions
asked. Animals sense ourfeelings, and they tend to
gravitate toward anyone who'slonely, upset or sad. Plus, pets
give teens an outlet to beloving without the fear of
rejection. Finally, pets helpkeep us in the moment. After
(11:43):
all, they need to be fed andwalked on a schedule, and when
they try getting your attention,say by sticking their nose in
your face or climbing into yourlap, they're almost impossible
to ignore. And Dr demore saysanything that gets teens focused
on the here and now instead ofworrying about the future, is a
really good thing. Okay, listento this. There is nothing better
(12:06):
than a sweet potato. The Centerfor Science in the Public
Interest ranked it as thehealthiest vegetable in the
world. That's because sweetpotatoes contain two types of
fiber, soluble and insoluble,improving gut health. Sweet
potatoes also have complexcarbohydrates, protein, vitamin
A, vitamin C, iron, calcium and10 other vitamins. And among all
(12:29):
root vegetables, sweet potatoeshave the lowest glycemic index
rating, meaning they cause aslow rise in blood sugar. So
even diabetics and peoplesensitive to carbohydrates can
include sweet potatoes in theirmeals. Back with more health
intelligence from sportspsychologist Dr Daniel O'Neill,
and when it comes to exercise,he says we should aim to do as
(12:51):
much of it as possible outside,because, as he sees it, being
outside in nature is part of ouridentity as humans. And Dr
O'Neill says, even if you'rejust bird watching with the kids
in the backyard, that's a goodplace to start.
The emphasis that we're makingis that you know, bird watching
(13:11):
is not getting your heart rateup necessarily or or burning
calories, but it's getting yououtside and getting you to
appreciate Mother Nature, and ifit's getting you outside with
your friends or your family,even better, I ask all my
patients if they have a dog, andif they say yes, I'm like,
perfect. It's, you know, cominginto spring, now your dog is
(13:33):
going to love it. We're going toget you on a new exercise
program or a new walkingprogram, and everybody's going
to be happy. You're going to behappy, the dog's going to be
happy, and it's going to changeyour life. And it really is that
simple, almost. The other greatbenefit of doing that is the
children are not looking at aphone. They're not looking at a
(13:55):
computer. And again, we can'tput a price on that. It's so
important back withmore health intelligence from
sports psychologist Dr DanielO'Neill, his latest book,
survival of the fit encouragesall of us to exercise more
often. So I asked Dr O'Neill,what can help people get
motivated to exercise and getmore fit? His answer, get a
personal trainer. The bestthing if you really feel
(14:19):
completely unmotivated andyou're just really doubting
yourself, to get a coach, to geta personal trainer to get you
going, and what they're going todo is they're going to give you
specific goals to hit, specificworkouts to do, and you've
really got to start small and beconsistent, but don't ask
yourself to lose those 30 poundsin the next two months. It
(14:43):
really, you know, it's that sameold stuff we keep talking about,
that, that element of justconsistency and just small
moves. One of the things my wifeand I do every New Year's Eve
was we sit down, we say, okay,how can we improve our health?
And. Coming year, and we canalways almost all of us can eat
a little bit less junk food. Andfor sure, cut down on the sugar,
(15:05):
cut down on the salt, you know,increase our activity as you get
older, increase your flexibilityfor the women, increase some of
your strength work. And allthese things are available, and
there's great resources for italmost anywhere where you live,
but getting somebody involved tokind of get you on that path is
the easiest way to getmotivated. Here's
(15:29):
a quick way to increase yourenergy when you're having a mid
day slump. You know how Tarzanwould beat on his chest. He was
on to something, according toSeattle Children's Hospital,
tapping on the Tarzan spot onyour chest can help increase
energy. Just tap on the centerof your breastbone with your
fingers for 30 seconds. Thatstimulates the thymus gland,
(15:53):
which is located in the middleof the chest. It produces
immunity, boosting cells thatcan counteract stress and
increase energy, moreintelligence for your health.
From Sports Psychologist DrDaniel O'Neill. If you'd like to
know more about him or his book,survival of the fit, check out
survival of the fit.net. And oneof the most important messages
(16:15):
in that book is that exerciseshould never feel like work. In
fact, Dr O'Neill encourages usall to think of exercise as a
way to play, and the more fun wehave, the better.
I love the word play, and I lovethinking about it and and, you
know, every animal plays, andone of the animals I talk about,
(16:37):
and in my book, and I have onthe front cover is an octopus.
And these creatures that are,you know, millions of years of
removed from us in evolution,they play. And so when we talk
about getting fit, when we talkabout adults exercising, it
shouldn't be a job. And ifyou're thinking, Oh God, I have
(16:59):
to go there, and I have to dothis exercise class with this
spin class, or that's that'sterrible. You shouldn't be
thinking like that. It can't bea job no matter what you're
doing. You know, Pickleball isthe big rage, and that's great
because it's social and it'sfun, but boy, oh boy, if you're
going to start getting supercompetitive in pickleball, God,
(17:20):
just look in the mirror and askyourself, Am I still having fun?
I do some bike racing, and someof these guys can really take
themselves seriously and make ita job and race every weekend
that doesn't say fun to me, thatdoesn't say play to me. So we
really want to always have thatelement of fun, of play and
(17:41):
social, hopefully, but reallyenjoying yourselves. And it's
out there, and there's so manyfun things you can do. You know,
if you're not liking what you'redoing, do something else
to avoid a painfully inflamedcornea. Don't wear your contact
lenses when you shower or swim,because if any bacteria filled
water gets trapped under yourlenses, it can cause a type of
(18:01):
microbial keratitis. That's afancy name for an inflamed
cornea. It's painful. Could evencause blindness, and nearly a
million people get it everyyear. If you need to wear
contacts so you can see whileyou're swimming, get some
goggles to cover your eyes.
Then, after you get out of thewater, disinfect your contacts
as soon as possible. Or if yourcontacts are the one day
(18:22):
disposable kind, throw them awayafter a shower or swim and put
in a fresh pair. Here's an emailI received at Connie at
intelligence for your health.comIt comes from Roma Caputo, who
writes, What are some foods thatcan help make my skin look
better? I've started eatinghealthier, but my skin has not
improved. Roma, try adding thesefoods into your daily diet. We
(18:45):
get these from Dermatologist, DrNicholas pericone, author of the
wrinkle cure. First wild salmon.
It's loaded with protein, whichmaintains the body, including
the skin on a cellular level.
Another benefit, it's rich inomega three fatty acids. Those
acids boost production ofcollagen, which keeps our skin
(19:06):
supple, plus salmon's pink colorcomes from an antioxidant with
anti inflammatory properties,and inflammation is at the root
of wrinkles. Then to protectyour skin from sun damage, but
still get a healthy glow. Eatcantaloupe. One cup contains
100% of your recommended dailyintake of vitamins A and C, and
(19:27):
both protect the skin from thefree radicals that come from sun
damage. Also the beta carotenethat gives cantaloupe its orange
color gives your skin a healthyglow. The final skin superfood
is watercress. It has a highpotassium content and cleanses
the blood, which can help clearup skin problems like eczema,
(19:49):
acne and rashes. Thank you foryour email. Roma, I hope this
helps. Okay, listen to this ifyour regular workout feels
effortless. Stress, it probablymeans you're well rested. Many
studies have shown that athletestend to exercise more intensely
and even perform better after agood night's sleep, compared to
those who are sleep deprived.
(20:12):
The reason because when wesleep, our body converts
carbohydrates from food intosugars called glycogen, which
are then stored in the musclesfor energy, but when we skip
sleep, less glycogen getsstored, which means we hit the
wall sooner while running,climbing or lifting weights
after a rough night of sleep,the answer may not be coffee. It
(20:33):
may actually be aspirin,according to the journal sleep,
a simple, low dose aspirin, thekind many people take for heart
health could be a game changerin combating harmful
inflammation due to sleepdeprivation. The researchers
found that taking a baby aspirincan significantly reduce the
body's inflammatory responsewhen you're short on sleep. This
(20:55):
isn't just about feeling better,it's about potentially reducing
your risk for serious healthissues that are linked to a lack
of sleep and the chronicinflammation it causes, like
heart disease and diabetes. Thestudy's results suggest that for
people going through periods ofinsomnia, baby aspirin could be
a simple, affordable way toprotect their long term health
(21:17):
that includes shift workers newparents or students or students
pulling all nighters moreintelligence for your health
from Dr Daniel O'Neill, a sportspsychologist and orthopedic
surgeon at the Alpine clinic inPlymouth, New Hampshire. And
it's in his role as a surgeonthat Dr O'Neill has witnessed
the amazing healing andstrengthening powers of
(21:38):
exercising while immersed inwater. So I asked him to share
some of the benefits he's seen.
Aquatic exerciseis absolutely fantastic,
because, as you can imagine,you're not loading your joints
and and ligaments the same wayyou do with land exercise. So
if, particularly when you'recoming back from an injury, the
(21:59):
water is the place to start. Wedon't worry about balance. We
don't worry about falling. Andlook, we start our lives in
water. We are water, you know,creatures on a lot of levels. So
it's so consoling to be in thewater, and nobody comes out of
the water not feeling better,but again, it's just a brilliant
(22:22):
way of doing movement patternsthat you can do completely
safely and getting in the water.
And by the way, when I'm talkingabout getting in the water, I'm
not talking about swimmingnecessarily, talking about being
upright in the water, becausethen the things that you've
learned and the balance andcoordination that you learned in
the water then translates ontoland things, which is obviously
(22:45):
where we're spending most of ourtime.
That's it for our show today,our special intelligence for
your health with Connie Selig,edition of the podcast, I'm Gib
Gerard. Don't forget to ratecomment and subscribe on Apple
podcast. Spotify, wherever youget your podcast. It helps us
out a lot. And also you canreach out to us on social media.
All of our links are listed. Arelisted down in the show notes.
We try to respond to every DM,every mention of the show,
(23:08):
because ultimately, we do theshow for you guys. So thank you
so much for listening. You.
Gib. Hello and welcome to another episode of the
(00:10):
podcast. I'm Gib Gerard. Todayis another special intelligence
for your health edition of thepodcast featuring Connie Celica.
Our guest today is Dr DanielO'Neill. He's the author of the
book survival of the fit. He'llexplain why encouraging kids to
get outside and play could helpthem do better in school. So
here we go without further ado,intelligence for your health
(00:32):
with Connie Celica,next time you have one of those
frustrating days where nothingseems to go right, try this.
Give yourself a hug, wrap yourarms around yourself, or hug
your knees to your chest.
Research in Psychology Todayfound that volunteers who did
that experienced less physicalpain and 10 second self hugs
(00:54):
have also been proven to reducethe amount of the stress hormone
cortisol in your bloodstream andboost production of the calming
compound oxytocin, so you'llfeel better emotionally and
physically until you can get areal hug from another human. Is
your forgetfulness normal? Hereare three reasons your memory
(01:14):
could be glitchy, and what youcan do to protect it. First, you
may have memory issues becauseyour blood sugar is high,
according to mental healthamerica.net that can cause
memory loss. If you come from afamily with a history of
diabetes, get tested regularly,eat well and stay active. You
could also be mentally fuzzy ifyou snore, because it's a big
(01:37):
warning sign of sleep apnea,that's a condition where the
throat collapses, cutting offoxygen for seconds at a time, up
to 30 times an hour during thenight, and that affects brain
health. You may also beforgetful if you're short on
vitamin B 12. The older we get,the more trouble we have
absorbing B 12, and after age 65A deficiency can mimic the
(02:00):
effects of Alzheimer's, so getyour levels checked. A simple
supplement could be the solutioncoming up. We'll talk to sports
psychologist Dr Daniel O'Neill.
He'll explain why he's pushingschools and parents to encourage
physical education for everychild every day, for every year
they're in school. But first,clutter can cause headaches.
(02:20):
Researchers from GlasgowUniversity found that people who
suffer from migraines have ahard time tuning out visual
noise, which is a fancy way ofsaying clutter. That's because
seeing too many things out ofplace activates nerve cells in
the brain, and that overactivity can lead to headache. A
lot of people find it reallyhard to do nothing, according to
(02:42):
Michelle Newman, a psychologyprofessor at Penn State
University, a lot of people feellike they should always be busy
doing something. They don't feellike it's okay to just read a
book or watch TV. ProfessorNewman has also studied the
concepts of relaxation, anxietyand relaxation sensitivity,
(03:03):
which relate to the discomfort,boredom or unease some people
feel when they have nothing todo. That's because the value of
productivity and staying busy isingrained in our culture.
Celeste Headlee is the author ofdo nothing, how to break away
from overworking, overdoing andunder living. And she says,
(03:24):
We've been brainwashed tobelieve that productivity is
morally superior to rest. Soit's no wonder that relaxing
feels uncomfortable or evenwrong. But relaxation is vital
to well being. It boosts yourhealth, quality of life and
longevity. So giving yourselfpermission to rest and relax
(03:45):
isn't something to feel guiltyabout. It could actually be life
saving. Okay, listen to this. Ifyou could use an emotional lift,
just get creative research inthe journal frontiers in
psychology track the mentalhealth of nearly 75,000 people,
and they found people who spenthalf an hour every day on some
(04:06):
type of creative activity hadlower rates of depression and
anxiety and higher lifesatisfaction. They say it's
because artistic imaginationtriggers feelings of awe, which
add to a sense that life hasmeaning and purpose and you
don't even have to be good atyour chosen creative hobby.
Making less than perfect craftswill give you as big of an
(04:29):
emotional lift as painting amasterpiece. Today, our special
guest is Dr Daniel O'Neill. He'sa sports psychologist and
orthopedic surgeon who wrote abook called survival of the fit.
It's Dr O'Neill's response towhat he calls an inactive
pandemic in North America wherea whopping 90% of kids do not
get the recommended amount ofexercise needed to stay healthy.
(04:52):
So I asked him why something asbasic as PE class in school
helps kids in. Proveacademically, the
connection between your fitnessand your brain and your
academics and your IQ, orhowever you want to measure
things, is not in question.
There's not a doubt. We havetons and tons of studies showing
(05:15):
that if you do a little workout,if you just go out for a quick
walk, before you take that test,before you give that
presentation at that meeting,your brain is going to be on
fire. Your brain is going to bealive. Your body drives the
brain. If you want to turn yourbrain on, you have to get your
body moving. And we know thisfrom children, the children that
(05:40):
have the gym class at 10 o'clockin the morning, suddenly their
11 o'clock class, they'rekilling it. And so ideally, we
would have every child havingphysical education in the
morning and then having theirtough classes, whether that's
science or math or whatever itmay be, because that's going to
stimulate that brain again. Andultimately, that's what we
(06:02):
really want from our educationsystem, right? We really we send
these kids to school to learn,and the easiest way to improve
our academics is to havephysical education for every
child, every day, every year ofschool. How amazing is that it's
not more computers, it's notmore money, it's not more
physical plant, it's just moreexercise.
(06:27):
Today we're talking to sportspsychologist, Dr Daniel O'Neill,
and he was just explaining whyhe strongly believes kids need
to spend more time exercisingwhile they're at school, like in
PE class. But Dr O'Neill alsothinks parents could help their
kids get fitter at home by beingbetter exercise role models. One
(06:48):
of the reasons why I am makingsuch a big
deal about physical educationfor every child, every day,
every year of school is becausethey are not getting their
physical identity reinforcedfrom their parents, because
their parents have lost theirphysical identity, and that's
horrible, but that's the realitythat we're dealing with right
now around the world. Butparents, right? You have to get
(07:13):
those children outside, becauseMother Nature is more addictive
than any computer game than anytelephone, trust me on this one,
once they get outside, once theyget that the beauty of Mother
Nature. And this is not just inrural environments or in the
mountains or in the ocean. Thisis in cities. This is
(07:34):
everywhere. There are beautifulplaces and parks in almost every
city I've been to anywherearound the world. And they have
communities, they have birdwatching, and they have all this
fun stuff, but getting outsideand getting that addiction, boy,
if you could give your childrenanything, as far as a
inheritance, that would be thegreatest thing you can share.
(07:58):
If you eat in the car, whathappens to the crumbs and
spills? Well, according topathology professor, Dr Romney
Humphreys from UCLA, those foodspills grow 1000s more bacteria
than anything else that gets inyour car. And although they're
unlikely to make you seriouslyill from a stomach bug, the
bacteria could create anexplosion of allergy, triggering
(08:20):
mold. So vacuum your car atleast once a month and clean up
spills and sticky fingerprintswith antibacterial wipes. The
top three places where germslive are the steering wheel, the
door handles and the gear shift,all high touch areas. Today's
medical term astrophobia, that'sa fear of loud natural noises,
(08:43):
particularly thunder andlightning. And while it's
something most pet ownersassociate with their dogs, who
may scurry and hide duringintense storms, it's also one of
the most common human phobias,following the fears of heights,
spiders and flying. In fact, anestimated one in 50 people
experience persistent sweatingand shaking at just the thought
(09:04):
of an approaching storm or thebooming sound of thunder. And
psychologists say the conditionis often linked to a traumatic
experience someone had during astorm, like witnessing a
neighbor getting hurt by alightning strike or falling
debris. So is there anything youcan do about astrophobia? The
good news is that most peopleovercome their fears after
(09:25):
repeated exposure to loud noisesassociated with bad weather and
seeing that traumatic outcomesare extremely rare. But if that
doesn't help, talk to atherapist, because treatments,
ranging from simple Stressmanagement techniques to taking
anti anxiety medications haveproven to be very effective at
helping people overcome theirfears, and that's today's
(09:47):
medical term astrophobia comingup. We'll hear more from Dr
Daniel O'Neill, a sportspsychologist and author of the
book survival of the fit. He'llexplain what the birds in your
backyard or. Dog can do to helpchange your life and potentially
get your kids off theirsmartphones. But first, did you
know you're more likely to dieif you're underweight rather
(10:11):
than overweight? That'saccording to research from the
UC Davis School of Medicine.
They tracked more than 50,000adults over a six year period.
The result, compared to peopleat a healthy weight, those who
were severely obese were 26%more likely to die during the
study, but those who wereseverely underweight were nearly
60% more likely to die. That'sbecause being underweight can
(10:35):
lead to malnutrition, vitamindeficiencies, anemia and heart
problems being severely underwaycan also decrease immune
function. So if you've beentrying to get stick thin, you're
better off being at acomfortably healthy weight. If
your teen is struggling withstress, anxiety or insecurity,
get them a pet. A review of 22studies by clinical psychologist
(10:59):
Dr Lisa Damour found kids whogrow up with animals tend to
have higher self esteem, bettercognitive development and more
social skills. Here's why.
First, animals don't judge.
Teens feel they're constantlybeing judged on everything from
their grades to their looks totheir social standing. But a dog
makes it clear that she doesn'tcare if you're cool, failed an
(11:23):
exam or have pimples. Pets alsooffer comfort no questions
asked. Animals sense ourfeelings, and they tend to
gravitate toward anyone who'slonely, upset or sad. Plus, pets
give teens an outlet to beloving without the fear of
rejection. Finally, pets helpkeep us in the moment. After
(11:43):
all, they need to be fed andwalked on a schedule, and when
they try getting your attention,say by sticking their nose in
your face or climbing into yourlap, they're almost impossible
to ignore. And Dr demore saysanything that gets teens focused
on the here and now instead ofworrying about the future, is a
really good thing. Okay, listento this. There is nothing better
(12:06):
than a sweet potato. The Centerfor Science in the Public
Interest ranked it as thehealthiest vegetable in the
world. That's because sweetpotatoes contain two types of
fiber, soluble and insoluble,improving gut health. Sweet
potatoes also have complexcarbohydrates, protein, vitamin
A, vitamin C, iron, calcium and10 other vitamins. And among all
(12:29):
root vegetables, sweet potatoeshave the lowest glycemic index
rating, meaning they cause aslow rise in blood sugar. So
even diabetics and peoplesensitive to carbohydrates can
include sweet potatoes in theirmeals. Back with more health
intelligence from sportspsychologist Dr Daniel O'Neill,
and when it comes to exercise,he says we should aim to do as
(12:51):
much of it as possible outside,because, as he sees it, being
outside in nature is part of ouridentity as humans. And Dr
O'Neill says, even if you'rejust bird watching with the kids
in the backyard, that's a goodplace to start.
The emphasis that we're makingis that you know, bird watching
(13:11):
is not getting your heart rateup necessarily or or burning
calories, but it's getting yououtside and getting you to
appreciate Mother Nature, and ifit's getting you outside with
your friends or your family,even better, I ask all my
patients if they have a dog, andif they say yes, I'm like,
perfect. It's, you know, cominginto spring, now your dog is
(13:33):
going to love it. We're going toget you on a new exercise
program or a new walkingprogram, and everybody's going
to be happy. You're going to behappy, the dog's going to be
happy, and it's going to changeyour life. And it really is that
simple, almost. The other greatbenefit of doing that is the
children are not looking at aphone. They're not looking at a
(13:55):
computer. And again, we can'tput a price on that. It's so
important back withmore health intelligence from
sports psychologist Dr DanielO'Neill, his latest book,
survival of the fit encouragesall of us to exercise more
often. So I asked Dr O'Neill,what can help people get
motivated to exercise and getmore fit? His answer, get a
personal trainer. The bestthing if you really feel
(14:19):
completely unmotivated andyou're just really doubting
yourself, to get a coach, to geta personal trainer to get you
going, and what they're going todo is they're going to give you
specific goals to hit, specificworkouts to do, and you've
really got to start small and beconsistent, but don't ask
yourself to lose those 30 poundsin the next two months. It
(14:43):
really, you know, it's that sameold stuff we keep talking about,
that, that element of justconsistency and just small
moves. One of the things my wifeand I do every New Year's Eve
was we sit down, we say, okay,how can we improve our health?
And. Coming year, and we canalways almost all of us can eat
a little bit less junk food. Andfor sure, cut down on the sugar,
(15:05):
cut down on the salt, you know,increase our activity as you get
older, increase your flexibilityfor the women, increase some of
your strength work. And allthese things are available, and
there's great resources for italmost anywhere where you live,
but getting somebody involved tokind of get you on that path is
the easiest way to getmotivated. Here's
(15:29):
a quick way to increase yourenergy when you're having a mid
day slump. You know how Tarzanwould beat on his chest. He was
on to something, according toSeattle Children's Hospital,
tapping on the Tarzan spot onyour chest can help increase
energy. Just tap on the centerof your breastbone with your
fingers for 30 seconds. Thatstimulates the thymus gland,
(15:53):
which is located in the middleof the chest. It produces
immunity, boosting cells thatcan counteract stress and
increase energy, moreintelligence for your health.
From Sports Psychologist DrDaniel O'Neill. If you'd like to
know more about him or his book,survival of the fit, check out
survival of the fit.net. And oneof the most important messages
(16:15):
in that book is that exerciseshould never feel like work. In
fact, Dr O'Neill encourages usall to think of exercise as a
way to play, and the more fun wehave, the better.
I love the word play, and I lovethinking about it and and, you
know, every animal plays, andone of the animals I talk about,
(16:37):
and in my book, and I have onthe front cover is an octopus.
And these creatures that are,you know, millions of years of
removed from us in evolution,they play. And so when we talk
about getting fit, when we talkabout adults exercising, it
shouldn't be a job. And ifyou're thinking, Oh God, I have
(16:59):
to go there, and I have to dothis exercise class with this
spin class, or that's that'sterrible. You shouldn't be
thinking like that. It can't bea job no matter what you're
doing. You know, Pickleball isthe big rage, and that's great
because it's social and it'sfun, but boy, oh boy, if you're
going to start getting supercompetitive in pickleball, God,
(17:20):
just look in the mirror and askyourself, Am I still having fun?
I do some bike racing, and someof these guys can really take
themselves seriously and make ita job and race every weekend
that doesn't say fun to me, thatdoesn't say play to me. So we
really want to always have thatelement of fun, of play and
(17:41):
social, hopefully, but reallyenjoying yourselves. And it's
out there, and there's so manyfun things you can do. You know,
if you're not liking what you'redoing, do something else
to avoid a painfully inflamedcornea. Don't wear your contact
lenses when you shower or swim,because if any bacteria filled
water gets trapped under yourlenses, it can cause a type of
(18:01):
microbial keratitis. That's afancy name for an inflamed
cornea. It's painful. Could evencause blindness, and nearly a
million people get it everyyear. If you need to wear
contacts so you can see whileyou're swimming, get some
goggles to cover your eyes.
Then, after you get out of thewater, disinfect your contacts
as soon as possible. Or if yourcontacts are the one day
(18:22):
disposable kind, throw them awayafter a shower or swim and put
in a fresh pair. Here's an emailI received at Connie at
intelligence for your health.comIt comes from Roma Caputo, who
writes, What are some foods thatcan help make my skin look
better? I've started eatinghealthier, but my skin has not
improved. Roma, try adding thesefoods into your daily diet. We
(18:45):
get these from Dermatologist, DrNicholas pericone, author of the
wrinkle cure. First wild salmon.
It's loaded with protein, whichmaintains the body, including
the skin on a cellular level.
Another benefit, it's rich inomega three fatty acids. Those
acids boost production ofcollagen, which keeps our skin
(19:06):
supple, plus salmon's pink colorcomes from an antioxidant with
anti inflammatory properties,and inflammation is at the root
of wrinkles. Then to protectyour skin from sun damage, but
still get a healthy glow. Eatcantaloupe. One cup contains
100% of your recommended dailyintake of vitamins A and C, and
(19:27):
both protect the skin from thefree radicals that come from sun
damage. Also the beta carotenethat gives cantaloupe its orange
color gives your skin a healthyglow. The final skin superfood
is watercress. It has a highpotassium content and cleanses
the blood, which can help clearup skin problems like eczema,
(19:49):
acne and rashes. Thank you foryour email. Roma, I hope this
helps. Okay, listen to this ifyour regular workout feels
effortless. Stress, it probablymeans you're well rested. Many
studies have shown that athletestend to exercise more intensely
and even perform better after agood night's sleep, compared to
those who are sleep deprived.
(20:12):
The reason because when wesleep, our body converts
carbohydrates from food intosugars called glycogen, which
are then stored in the musclesfor energy, but when we skip
sleep, less glycogen getsstored, which means we hit the
wall sooner while running,climbing or lifting weights
after a rough night of sleep,the answer may not be coffee. It
(20:33):
may actually be aspirin,according to the journal sleep,
a simple, low dose aspirin, thekind many people take for heart
health could be a game changerin combating harmful
inflammation due to sleepdeprivation. The researchers
found that taking a baby aspirincan significantly reduce the
body's inflammatory responsewhen you're short on sleep. This
(20:55):
isn't just about feeling better,it's about potentially reducing
your risk for serious healthissues that are linked to a lack
of sleep and the chronicinflammation it causes, like
heart disease and diabetes. Thestudy's results suggest that for
people going through periods ofinsomnia, baby aspirin could be
a simple, affordable way toprotect their long term health
(21:17):
that includes shift workers newparents or students or students
pulling all nighters moreintelligence for your health
from Dr Daniel O'Neill, a sportspsychologist and orthopedic
surgeon at the Alpine clinic inPlymouth, New Hampshire. And
it's in his role as a surgeonthat Dr O'Neill has witnessed
the amazing healing andstrengthening powers of
(21:38):
exercising while immersed inwater. So I asked him to share
some of the benefits he's seen.
Aquatic exerciseis absolutely fantastic,
because, as you can imagine,you're not loading your joints
and and ligaments the same wayyou do with land exercise. So
if, particularly when you'recoming back from an injury, the
(21:59):
water is the place to start. Wedon't worry about balance. We
don't worry about falling. Andlook, we start our lives in
water. We are water, you know,creatures on a lot of levels. So
it's so consoling to be in thewater, and nobody comes out of
the water not feeling better,but again, it's just a brilliant
(22:22):
way of doing movement patternsthat you can do completely
safely and getting in the water.
And by the way, when I'm talkingabout getting in the water, I'm
not talking about swimmingnecessarily, talking about being
upright in the water, becausethen the things that you've
learned and the balance andcoordination that you learned in
the water then translates ontoland things, which is obviously
(22:45):
where we're spending most of ourtime.
That's it for our show today,our special intelligence for
your health with Connie Selig,edition of the podcast, I'm Gib
Gerard. Don't forget to ratecomment and subscribe on Apple
podcast. Spotify, wherever youget your podcast. It helps us
out a lot. And also you canreach out to us on social media.
All of our links are listed. Arelisted down in the show notes.
We try to respond to every DM,every mention of the show,
(23:08):
because ultimately, we do theshow for you guys. So thank you
so much for listening. You.
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