Issue #303: The Power of Love
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, February 13th.
In today’s email:
Learn: The Power of Love
Try: Be Vulnerable
Measure: Testosterone
Laugh: Our Super Bowl Pick
In the News: Running for Love
Very excited to share with you all our new video podcast series! We’ll be launching quick 5 min videos 3x per week that you can also listen to on your favorite podcast platform.
The content won’t be the same as our newsletter so tune in for more science & quick wins that will optimize your health & longevity.
Listen on Spotify | Amazon | Apple
**Got feedback - tell us what you think at team@thrive25.com
Stat of the Day
The percentage of Americans living alone in 2020. Compared to just 7.7% in 1940. (U.S. Census)
Learn
The Power of Love
Human connection is embedded in our DNA - literally.
Who we find attractive and how we feel about them starts in the oldest part of our brain - the limbic system.
This is the part of the brain that keeps us alive - it includes the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus and basal ganglia. Collectively these parts of the brain manage our memories, emotions, and motivation.
It makes sense - the cerebral part of our brain (our logic center) continued to develop well after humans had been reproducing so it can’t be the first stage of attraction.
So what happens when we find someone attractive? There’s a huge boost in dopamine and adrenaline.
Adrenaline is the same hormone we get when we’re tense or gearing up for the big game (or presentation). It also tells us to “proceed with caution” as it puts us on alert to potential danger. We’re excited by this person, but we’re not yet sure what it means.
Yes - attraction really causes the physical feeling of butterflies in our stomach.
Dopamine is our “molecule of more” - it’s our reward center that jumpstarts our motivation and seeking out pleasure.
And according to some research, seeing images of a relatively new lover sends dopamine all over the brain. It’s not just reward we’re feeling - but elation, energy and even “mania.” That’s why we do crazy stuff early on in relationships - things like walking together on the beach talking until 3am or flying cross-country just to be together for a couple of hours.
Who we like is actually kinda wired into us. There’s a fascinating study that had women smell the armpits of t-shirts worn by men. They then ranked the shirts from most awful to, I guess, least awful. The other part of the research was that all participants had their DNA mapped.
Turns out that women were repelled most by shirts worn by men with the most similar “immune system genes.”
This is evolution at work - our kids have the best chance of survival and thriving if they have the most diverse immune system to protect them.
So when someone asks you - what do you love about him or her? It’s fair to say, at least for part of the answer, you don’t know you just have a feeling (or smell).
Over time though, this early infatuation turns to attachment (in a good way). That dopamine starts to go down and it’s replaced with oxytocin and vasopressin.
Oxytocin gives us that feeling of connection and a real bond. Vasopressin helps keep the excitement alive, but can also give us that nudge of jealousy.
This is why we, much to our partner’s chagrin, don’t fly cross-country for a single night anymore. Heck, we sit in the cell phone lot instead of going into the airport to pick them up (or we all have Uber, right?).
But it’s this deeper attachment that not only feels awesome, but is such a boost to our health & longevity.
“Love is a biological necessity that is as vital to a person’s wellbeing as fresh water, food, and exercise.”
Try
Be Vulnerable
Whether you’re married with kids or haven’t yet found your partner, one of the keys to building these strong bonds is vulnerability. Being open to letting someone in and proactively wanting to really - like really - get to know someone else.
Don’t just think that Valentine’s Day is about flowers and an over-priced, prix fixe dinner date.
Spend the time to ask your partner (or prospective partner) questions that you don’t already know about them. Take the time to look at them (no phones/TV) and be grateful you have that person in your life to be your support, your love, and apparently even keep you healthy.
Trouble thinking of what to ask - here’s 36 questions to help get started (but I’d suggest following your gut here).
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
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Measure
Testosterone
Testosterone (T) is an essential hormone - for both men and women - to have energy all day long, to workout, to use our brains, and to have great sex.
Having the right level of T is also critical for bone density and heart health - plus just being in a good mood. It’s normal to go through ups and downs as we manage kids, work, life - but chronic fatigue and being depressed or upset might be a signal of hormonal imbalance
What’s My Reading?
When we’re born, both genders have roughly the same amount of T. After puberty, the sexes diverge with women averaging roughly 1-5% of the amount in men.
There’s two key values for T - Total and Free. 97% of our testosterone is tied up to a binding agent, such as sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and can’t get into our cells and power us up. What’s really important is to measure free testosterone.
Values for adults:
But look at the numbers - this says that for Free T men can be 6x higher than someone else in the “normal” range and for women there is a 10x spread between high and low.
The point is - don’t just focus on the numbers. If you’re on the low end, make sure it aligns with symptoms before you look to a course of action to boost it up.
How to Increase T
Most of the time low T is a symptom, not a cause, of bad health. The first place to start is everything we preach at Thrive25. Here are 5 practical tips to do whether you decide to get more T or not:
Optimize your Waist-to-Height ratio (0.5) and Waist-to-Hip ratio (0.9) (Issue #36)
Strength training at least 2-3x per week to boost lean mass
Get Omega-3 in diet or supplement - it lowers aromatase and thus the conversion to estrogen (Issue #22)
Avoid plastic food containers and water bottles
Filter your water (Issue #28)
If you still have symptoms and low T after trying these - then find a qualified functional medicine doc that isn’t just jumping at the chance to give you an injection, but rather is focused on your health and thinks testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can be a part of the solution.
Laugh
Our Super Bowl Pick
Not many big laughs from the commercials this year - maybe Michael Cera promoting CeraVe and Christopher Walken impressions, but we’re going with Matt Damon putting his head down in shame for standing with his guy Ben.
In the News
Running for Love: Have a running high? This was thought to be increased endorphins and serotonin - but now research is showing it might boost oxytocin too! (Outside)
Mastering Metabolic Magic: Metabolic flexibility means your body can easily adjust to your varying energy demands at the gym, sitting at your desk or while you’re sleeping. This flexibility improves overall metabolism and translates to fewer food cravings, disease risks and overall better health. (Levels Health)
Like an Animal: Looking to break up your workout routine? Go “walk” like a crab. No doubt you’ve done a bear crawl or two in your life, but these animal movements are another form of bodyweight exercise that work different muscles than yoga, dance and most HIIT, and can challenge the brain too. (NYTimes)
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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, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.