Issue #196: Make Your Kids Proud
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, June 6th.
Today’s Quick Win
From the Lab: 3 Shifts for Parent Health & Sanity
Speed Read: Time to Visit the Beach
Tuesday QR: Keto Fish Cakes
“Being a father is the single greatest feeling on earth. Not including those wonderful years I spent without a child, of course.”
Of all the time we will spend with our kids in our lifetime - 75% of that time is already over by the time they are 12 years old. (Source)
From the Lab
It’s not turning 42 that’s crushed my health - it’s been a 2-yr old dictator taking over our house without regard to who gets in his way (even his 5-yr old sister).
Parenting embodies everything in life. It’s hard. It’s rewarding. It goes too fast. It seems to drag on forever. It’s full of more love than we can imagine, yet more frustration than we think we can handle.
There’s no guidebook and no perfect way to raise kids. But here’s a few ways to hopefully raise some awesome humans and keep you on the road to thrive (not just survive):
1. Change Your Perspective
The job of parenting can be monotonous - packing tomorrow’s lunches, doing the dishes, driving to soccer practice, building another magnet tile tower, or watching yet another episode of Bluey - oh, biscuits!
But that’s the job. We can either embrace it or resent it - our response changes everything.
Research proves that we can actually alter our brain chemistry when responding to the exact same event.
Steve Magness writes in “Do Hard Things” that when preparing for a big race some runners secreted significant levels of cortisol - leading to fight/flight response, while other runners released adrenaline - boosting their energy in a positive way.
Same race - different response.
2. Let It Go
(Maybe I’ve seen Frozen too many times)
Kids are going to frustrate us and we’re going to let our emotions get the best of us too. This happens all the time when the little guy throws a tantrum and after it’s over I’m still holding on to it.
All this does is keep a barrier between my son and me, while raising my heart rate, breathing, and stress levels - hence the accelerated aging of parents.
Instead, hit the pause button. Switch over from the part of the brain that is running your emotions (amygdala) and give yourself a chance to get back to moving forward without the stress baggage.
3. Make Them Proud
How many times have you said “say thank you”? (Literally - how many times??) We spend so much effort to raise kids that we’re proud of - but what about them being proud of us?
Actions speak much louder than words. The best way to instill our values into our kids - show them.
I want my kids to see me working, working out, loving their mom, cooking healthy food for dinner, making eye contact with our server.
I should be doing these things for my own health anyway - our kids should make us better (and maybe even younger, not older).
Coming back to “Do Hard Things” - toughness doesn’t come from being controlled. It comes from seeing an example of how to navigate a situation and then doing it on our own.
If I’m just telling my kid what to do - then he’s probably thinking I’m the dictator taking over our house without regard for anyone else.
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
It’s summertime - as much as we’re looking forward to time with the kids and maybe a few fun trips, a few date nights would be nice too. Don’t forget to make time for yourself and getting together with the people that make your life fun!
Bambino Sitters is the #1 babysitting app that connects parents with local sitters through your social connections and personalized recommendations.
Go get a night out - not only do you deserve it, but it's good for your health!
Download the app and use the code THRIVE to get 15% off your first sit.
Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Think D+Q for Reduced Senescence: Biology 101 - as we age, cells become senescent (they can no longer grow or divide). This is bad and can raise the risk of cancer. In a study, the combo of dasatinib + quercetin with caloric restriction led to a reduction of senescence within monkeys - now onto human clinical trials. (Lifespan.io)
Head to the Beach: Research shows that just visiting the coast is associated with better health, even when controlling for income/wealth. The same findings were in lockstep across studies from 15 countries. So where are you going this summer?? (Continue reading)
Secret to Long & Happy Life: The key to live to 100 (at least in Japan)? Just these two things: 1) Positive Attitude (we’ve been saying that forever - see Issue #167) and 2) Emotional Awareness (being open to what you’re feeling - not bottling up inside). (CNBC)
Tuesday QR | Keto Fish Cakes
Relatively quick fish cake recipe for lunch or as an appetizer at your next BBQ. It’s all about the ingredients here - get high-quality, wild-caught white fish (remember to avoid the lakes) to ensure great flavor and get all the nutrients. And make extra dipping sauce - it will last well in the fridge for a few days and go great on almost anything.
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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, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.