Issue #35: You Own Your Health
Good morning. It’s Monday, October 3rd. Just 7 weeks since we launched and we already have over 1K readers - and today we're welcoming our first Thrive25 Partner! When we started this we wanted to help sift through the noise of the many (many) health & wellness companies out there so you know who to trust - today is just the start!
Did you miss any of our issues on MOVEMENT last week? Catch up on Issues #30 - #34 here.
This week we're switching gears and talking about SCIENCE - specifically how to take control of your visit to the doctor for your annual physical.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
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Check out what you get when you refer 1, 3, 5, 10 & 25 new subscribers:
The number of patients seen per day by the average primary care doctor. Based on a 2018 survey by the Physicians Foundation.
You're the CEO
It's time to change the relationship with your doctor - you're the CEO and they should be your Advisor.*
Why?
1. Your doctor - no matter how well intentioned - has different incentives than you do.
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), a primary care physician provides care at the first point of contact and continues to manage their patients' health concerns over time.
Anyone else see a problem with this? Their objective is to address health concerns and solve any diagnosed symptoms - not to be your partner and help you thrive.
2. Your doctor is overworked and too busy to be your personal health partner. The average doctor-patient visit lasts less than 20 minutes.
They simply don't have the time to focus on what you need unless it's about keeping you out of the hospital or solving an urgent diagnosis.
3. Your doctor can't have all the answers - it's literally impossible.
According to Harvard Medical School, the half-life of medical knowledge is less than 2 years and decreasing rapidly! (i.e., half of what is learned in medical school is obsolete in just 2 years). Doctors seeing 100 patients per week, simply can't keep up with all of the latest research and knowledge.
What does all of this mean?
You need to own your health.
*As an Advisor to CEO's, I use this term with the greatest of respect and admiration. I believe Advisors and Coaches are essential for our success - but they can't replace the CEO who lives and breathes the business (in this case your own body) every single day.
Own Your Physical
Only 20% of adults in the U.S. even get an annual physical.
But this probably makes sense - recent trials show that "yearly exams don't improve people's health or health outcomes."
The Society of General Internal Medicine no longer recommends physicals for people who are healthy, without any symptoms of illness.
This backward thinking will not optimize our health or reduce our healthcare costs.
Instead - you need to schedule that physical every single year.
The Physical Agenda
Many of us spend countless hours every week in meetings that are a waste of time. We have meetings about how to cancel future meetings. There are books, articles, LinkedIn posts about how to optimize a meeting.
Well when it comes to your annual health physical - there are few meetings as important. So put on your CEO hat and make sure you come prepared to the meeting:
Know Your Objective
Make an Agenda
Leave with Action Items
For my recent physical -
Objective: I wanted to know is there anything happening in my body that might start to slow me down that I don't know about.
Agenda: I made a list of questions to ask the doctor and to request a blood panel.
Action Items: I have a follow-up on 2 results from my blood work that I want to make sure I know what's really going on.
Story continues tomorrow...stay tuned!
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
Vous Vitamin personalizes a daily all-in-one vitamin blend for your health and lifestyle, eliminating the guesswork of selecting the right vitamin combination. A brief online assessment goes into their proprietary, doctor-developed algorithm to identify the perfect vitamin blend for you.
Vous Vitamin
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
New Definition of "Healthy": The FDA is coming out with new regulations for food companies to tell us if their product is in fact "healthy." We're all for updated nutrition labels and food marketing requirements to catch up with the science. But history suggests the new labels won't put science and our health first. Plus, with the lobbying from food companies, we'll all still be confused. We need to do our own research when it comes to what's "healthy" for us.
Obesity & Chronic Disease: Direct from the CDC, 60% of American adults live with chronic lifestyle-related diseases from obesity and poor diet - the leading driver in the $4.1 trillion of annual health-care costs in the U.S. It's going in the wrong direction too. Since the pandemic, obesity in 5-11 yr old kids has increased from 36% to 45%!
Quitting is Underrated: Grit is a virtue (thanks Angela Duckworth). But what about sticking with something when it's just not worth it? We are biased by sunk costs and the status quo and often "quit" too late. Check out the full article in The Atlantic. Pro Tip: Don't finish a marathon on a broken leg!
Monday Metabolic
Big metabolic workout today - find a workout rope and you'll be drenched after these 3 rounds!
Click HERE to view the workout on our YouTube channel.
Workout and video courtesy of Connor J. Obrochta. Check out all of Connor's workouts on Playbook!
Product Recs
Seed Health is the new standard when it comes to gut health and probiotics. Check out their subscription probiotic and all their latest research when it comes to taking care of our gut.
Primal Kitchen is the best when it comes to healthy condiments. I just used some of their buffalo sauce and it was absolutely delicious. Thrive25 readers get 10% off - use code THR25 at checkout
*Thrive25 continuously assesses companies within the health & longevity space - searching for the best products aligned to our mission, that can benefit you. Thrive25 has engaged in a partnership with Vous Vitamin (today's sponsor), Seed Health, and is an affiliate with Primal Kitchen
Thanks for joining us today - starting tomorrow we're going to get into the details of vital signs, blood tests, and how you can take on more control of your health. See you tomorrow!
Check out the latest workout videos on our YouTube channel
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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.
This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at team@thrive25.com.
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.