Issue #18: Boost Your Mood 😀
Good morning. It’s Thursday, September 8th. The Rams and Bills kick off the NFL season tonight in hopes of winning Super Bowl LVII (that's 57). And we're excited to see if Frances Tiafoe can become the first American to reach the finals of the U.S. Open since Andy Roddick back in 2003 and first African-American since the late great Arthur Ashe won the championship in 1974.
On to today's issue...
“If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.”
Plus, check out new research to regrow hair (and maybe get rid of the gray)!
The number of times a child laughs in a typical day (300), compared to how many times an adult laughs in a typical day (4.2). This might be our craziest stat yet! If you take nothing else from today's issue - just remember to laugh today.
Credit: Humor, Seriously (2021)
Wired for Wanting
If you've seen the Disney movie Inside Out, then you have kids. If you haven't - the movie visualizes the little chemicals that influence how we feel and act nearly every second of every day (Lewis Black as Anger 😡 - nothing better).
Today we're covering the 3 Neurotransmitters that impact our life - what are they and how can we control them:
Dopamine - The Molecule of "More"
How many distractions interrupted you so far today?
Let's say you're in your home office, drinking your morning coffee, and about to get into "work mode." Every thought that takes your mind away from the here and now - that's dopamine!
This is why we often drift off to focus on the future "anticipatory desire." The opportunity for what the future holds beyond the reality that exists today. Maybe you'll make more money, travel the world, go viral - the possibilities are endless!
Dopamine triggers all of our wants -
This is a good thing in the right amount - after all it's what makes us strive for success and to be our best.
But too much dopamine and you just crave more (of anything and everything) in the future - that is hedonic adaptation. We get used to our current status and want to keep moving up.
“If you live in a tent, dopamine makes you want a house. If you live in the most expensive mansion in the world, dopamine makes you want a castle on the moon. Dopamine has no standard for good, and seeks no finish line. The dopamine circuits in the brain can be stimulated only by the possibility of whatever is shiny and new, never mind how perfect things are at the moment.”
We search out our next dopamine hit from gambling, social media, or just checking our phone - which in the U.S. is 344 times per day! 📱
**Check out this list of how to get healthy dopamine highs
Boost Your Mood
Two other neurotransmitters lift us up and make us feel good. But again, balance is key - too much of a good thing is real.
Endorphins - The Molecule of "Pain Relief"
I might be (my wife would tell you I am) addicted to working out. Could be worse, right?
Endorphins release during intense exercise to make us "feel good" and flood your cardiovascular system with immune cells. That's why some people get the euphoric "runners high."
When endorphins are too low - we go to extremes in order to boost them. This can take the form of extreme risk-taking, including unfortunately alcohol abuse and even opiates.
So how do we naturally boost endorphins?
Exercise, including Yoga
Give to Others or Volunteer
Meditate
Eat dark chocolate or spicy foods (capsaicin - in peppers that make you sweat gives an endorphin rush!)
Laugh (seriously)
Serotonin - The Molecule of "Respect"
This chemical is essential for our sense of wellbeing. It not only improves our mood, memory, and sexual function, but also makes us more adaptable to change.
It increases when we feel respect from others and goes down when we negatively compare ourselves to others - like on social media - or when others make us feel like s#*%.
Serotonin also counterbalances dopamine - when one goes up, the other goes down.
So how do you boost serotonin:
Some other tips from Dr. Amen:
Specific tryptophan foods = turkey, chicken, carrots, blueberries, pumpkin seeds, sweet potatoes
l-tryptophan or 5-HTP supplements*
Massage
Avoid negative comparisons of yourself on social media (or just get off IG)
Focus on what you like more than what you don't (easier said than done)
*I was actually prescribed 5-HTP from a Functional Medicine doctor when I had gut issues and it did successfully boost my serotonin. (Sample of 1)
Check back tomorrow as we dive into 3 more chemicals that affect our feelings and Mindset!
Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
What About Human Hair?: Scientists have successfully regrown hair in mice using dissolvable microneedles loaded with rapamycin and EGCG, an active ingredient in green tea. Rapamycin can also partially reverse hair graying. Call me when this is ready for humans!
Shower Them with Gifts: Self.com dropped a list of 72 wellness gifts for the health-conscious person in your life. Lots of ideas to support relaxation and wellness for birthdays or anniversaries (hint hint, #11 is coming Mrs. Thrive25).
Don't Look Back, You Can Never Look Back: Vera Punke from Arlington, VA just turned 107! After joking about how she should feel at her age, she shared the true secret to her longevity – keep moving forward, never look back.
Thursday Night In
Great dinner recipe that tastes like comfort food, but is full of nutrients and foods that support your DNA!
Credit: Younger You, Dr. Kara Fitzgerald
Thanks for joining us today - see you bright & early tomorrow (if you don't stay up too late watching football)!
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Why Thrive25
We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
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To health!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.