NooS Podcast

Anne, RD & Avery, CHC

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Created by Anne, RD & Avery, CHC. Two moms making eating whole foods, regular exercise and healthy habits cool. noosworthy.substack.com

-6 ДН.

Happy Noos Year!

Happy Noos Year, Noosers! How is everyone doing one week into 2025? Our kids are finally back in school and routines are back to regularly scheduled programming. Who out there misses their routine after a long break (asking for a friend)?! We are energized and ready for whatever 2025 may bring. Avery and I were talking about resolutions and what we want to focus on individually and together at Noos. We had a similar sentiment—contentment. We feel health-wise to be in good places: strong movement routines, a good nutritional base (of course we are always trying to add more veggies), and actively reflecting on our habits and why we do what we do (thanks in large part to Noos!). These foundations have taken a long time to build and we will continue to strengthen. But, zooming out, we feel steady and in good standing. Ok, end of email — good luck, friends! (snag!) Good for us, right? Stop reading and delete — lol, please don’t! Our mission here at Noos is to inspire you to get curious about your health, empower you to reframe your thoughts and find a process that is best for you. While resolutions force us to think about what we want to prioritize and why, we rarely stick to them long term. Health goals can be pretty easy to articulate: I want to eat better, I want to workout more, I want to get more sleep, I want to drink more water, or I want to handle my stress better (these may sound familiar!). But, how do we make them into a habit, something that becomes a part of us, our new “standards?” As we settle into 2025, remember that creating lasting change isn't about dramatic resolutions or complete lifestyle overhauls. It's about getting curious, staying reflective, and finding what truly works for you. At Noos, we believe the path to better health starts with small, intentional changes that eventually become part of your identity. So rather than chasing perfection, let's embrace the journey of continuous growth and discovery together. Here's to making 2025 a year of meaningful progress, one mindful choice at a time. We wrote today’s post with resolutions in mind. We will return to the usual programming of nutrition, movement and behavior next week! If you like what you’re reading, please click the ❤️ at the top or bottom of this post, it will help us get in front of readers like you! Thanks for your support, noosers! Fresh Start Effect What is it about January 1st that has so many of us setting new goals and thinking 2025 will be better? One aspect is the “fresh start effect.” Our brains treat new beginnings as a clean slate, creating a clear “before” and “after” in our minds. Fresh starts also trigger increased optimism — we tend to feel more capable and empowered! But, when you think of it, what is the actual difference between December 31st and January 1st? Is there a chemical change that happens when the clock strikes midnight that makes it suddenly easier to make “healthy” food choices, hit the gym more, or resist the weeknight glass of wine/take out/etc? Is there a Men in Black mind eraser gizmo that makes you forget your deeply ingrained habits? The difference between the end of 2024 and the start of 2025 is your mindset. What you put your attention to matters. It’s easy to lose focus on our goals during the holidays — it’s busy, festive and fun (and a little chaotic!). With January comes a stretch of winter weeks when you can “hunker down” on your 2025 goals and put your focus towards them without as many distractions (or so we like to think, remember, something will always come up). A fresh start is a great time to examine your behavior. Reflection has always been a cornerstone of our Noosletters and this is the perfect time to look inward. Some of us may need a challenge to jumpstart new behavior (check out ours if you need inspo). For instance, workout for 4 days a week and earn a prize, or sign up for a 6 week nutrition program to get the results you’re looking for. Or maybe a quantifiable goal (drink 64oz of water a day) can be used as a catalyst. Guidelines can be really helpful to start change. But what happens when the challenge is over? Or February 1st strikes? Ideally, you will take some of what worked/you learned, and apply it to a less rigid, more sustainable lifestyle. More commonly, we try the challenge, make it halfway or all the way through, then throw up our hands and say, “well, I tried.” As humans in this day in age, we tend to struggle with self-control, primarily due to the constant pull of immediate gratification. The allure of immediate gratification is so strong that it can wreck our best-laid plans for eating healthier, working out, reducing alcohol consumption, or saving money (you name it). In the moment, these choices are instantly gratifying, but what effect will they have long term? If there is one thing to practice this year, consider taking a pause and focusing on the long-term cumulative benefits of your choices. Before you order that next drink, hit snooze, or reach for the chips, pause and think about how these quick decisions will build up over time. It takes patience to see results and ingrain new habits, so we have to be okay with things taking time before throwing in the towel. With the right mindset, we can make better decisions that will help us in the long run (which is our sneaky hope for our readers!). our Noos Year’s focus We are looking at the “Noos” year a little differently. Rather than going all or nothing, imagine yourself twisting two volume dials: one towards “more” and the other towards “less.” We got this idea from fellow substacker, Christine Yu, and thought it was a great exercise — she stuck two post-it’s to her mirror with a more column and a less column. By quieting some habits and amplifying others, we can grow what we put our attention towards. So, what are some examples? We each came up with a few, and would love to share in case it inspires you. We want to hear what you’re focusing on, too! Of course, I (Avery) do have some more specific personal goals floating around that are important to me. I’d like to stay as injury free as possible, I’d like to increase my running volume, and I’d like to grow Noos to reach more people, hopefully double our subscriber base and explore a podcast. My hope is that by adjusting the dials on my more/less list, I will create more space for all of that! I (Anne) want to dial in on where I focus my attention. As we spoke about above, where you give your attention matters. When I am with my children I want to be present, not just a warm body detached from what’s going on, but one that is engaged. I, too, want to grow Noos and have it more readily available to anyone and everyone. I am excited about our Misogi - last year our first one gave in ways I never expected. A final thought At the end of the day, the key determinant of success is whether you can make your new habits sustainable long-term. If that means you do a fixed challenge like we talked about earlier, or a more/less guideline (or something totally unique), at the end of the day, you have to do what works for you. What can you turn into a habit? What can become your new standard? If you’ve always said “this year I’ll lose weight, drink less, read more, exercise daily, etc” — but you don’t, do you even want to? Reflection is key. Examining our habits is a critical exercise. The goal that re-emerges every January 1st, but hibernates from Valentine’s Day to Christmas time might not actually be for you. This article is great for deciding whether or not your goal is worth pursuing. In short, there are two reasons to consider when contemplating your resolutions: 1. you have to love the process, not just the results 2. understand what is motivating you Again, our aim is to encourage our readers to reflect and look inwards. Awareness is key. If you are seriously considering changing your habits in 2025, think about why you’re doing it — hating the process will not give you the results you want, it will likely lead to quitting in a few weeks. Identify your motivation and consider putting it on a post-it note where you can see it regularly. We hope you found this post helpful as you look towards a great 2025. We are so happy to be here along for the ride! As always, if you liked what you read, please hit the ❤️ at the top or bottom of this post — we are here to help you stick with healthy habits, nutritious foods and regular exercise. So, read along in 2025, because every Monday brings a new dose of Noos inspiration. Until next time… Get full access to NooS Substack at noosworthy.substack.com/subscribe

10 мин.
23.12.2024

why you should consider a misogi

Happy Monday, Noosers! Big week here in our houses with Christmas knocking on the door. We hope you had a great weekend, welcoming in winter with the solstice, and looking forward to longer days ahead! We thought we would bring back our video Noosletter this week, to invite you into the conversations we have been having lately about our annual misogi. What’s a misogi, you ask? Listen, watch or read the summary below to learn all about it — we hope it will give you something to think about for 2025! As always, if you’re liking what you’re reading, please hit the ❤️ at the top of the post or at the bottom — it helps us get discovered by readers like you! Thank you✨ What’s a Misogi? In the ancient Shinto faith (largest religion in Japan, which focuses on living in harmony with nature), ‘misogi’ meant ‘water cleansing.’ It required standing under an icy waterfall to purify the soul and prepare one for the next 364 days of the year. Brrr!! Our version of misogi is a bit more modern. It takes the idea of the ancient misogi — a “cleansing” ritual that sets the standard for the rest of the year — and instead of requiring an icy waterfall, it can be anything you dream up that pushes the edges of your potential. We discovered the modern misogi while reading Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter last fall. The appeal of a misogi is that it’s a physical adventure out in nature that pushes the edges of your physical and mental boundaries, and really shows you what you’re made of! The upside is that even if you fail and don’t complete your misogi, you will still likely surprise yourself with your own mental and physical toughness. According to Michael Easter, there are two rules you must follow during your misogi. * the misogi must be so difficult that you only have a 50/50 chance of completing. * don’t die. Obviously, when planning your misogi you need to be sure it’s safe. For instance, if you can’t swim, don’t base your misogi around swimming. Training and preparation are also key. Other things to keep in mind when planning — a misogi should take place out in nature and, just like fight club, you don’t talk about your misogi, aka you don’t post on instagram about it. This should be a challenge for you and only you (or you and a friend!) We live in the best time to be alive — we have modern comforts that make life so easy on a daily basis. However, with so many conveniences, it’s easy to lose track of things that are actually hard. When we aren’t challenged with hard things, the easy things can become overwhelming. A misogi is an opportunity to recalibrate. You may be leaving potential on the table without even knowing it. Watch the video to hear more about our misogi last year (it was awesome!) and what we are thinking about doing this year. The end of a year brings thoughts on resolutions and new beginnings. We invite you to try something new (and different 🤣) and outside your comfort zone this year—plan a misogi for 2025! Even though it’s against the rules to post about it, we hope you let us know how it goes and how it shapes 2025 for you! Until next time…. Get full access to NooS Substack at noosworthy.substack.com/subscribe

13 мин.
09.12.2024

growth mindset >

Last week we introduced “Decembering” with intention — we even started a challenge! Check it out, it’s not too late to participate (hint: this challenge is one you can take with you, beyond January 2025). Daily reflection, even if it’s just in your thoughts, or in a journal if you can manage it, is key to awareness and being intentional with your movement, nutrition and behavior. Anne and I realized, as we put together our Noos Challenge, that these are questions we ponder daily. Even when we don’t prioritize whole foods, move our bodies, or get our habits just right (we are all human after all!) — the reflection piece is what helps us stay on track. Being mindful about our choices, and how they make us feel, is how we raise awareness of our habits. Being aware leads to positive behavior change. As you think about the Noos daily challenge, let us know how it goes for you! We are sure it will make a positive impact on your month, and hopefully will be something you can take with you into 2025 and beyond. Today we explore sensory specific satiety (it’s a great time of year to think about this one!), how many workouts a week it takes to maintain your fitness, and the importance of having a growth mindset. We are here to support you and encourage you to make choices that help you feel good! We hope our Noosletters keep you company while you enjoy the holidays this year. As always, if you’re enjoying what you’re reading, please click the ❤️ at the top or bottom of the post — more ❤️’s = more readers will find us (hacking the substack algorithm!) Nutrition Before Thanksgiving, I was reading with my son who was finishing the book, My Side of the Mountain. Moments spent reading together feel fleeting, as he’s entering the “pre-teen” phase. The last time I read the story was probably when I was Robert’s age. It’s fun getting to re-read novels now with plenty more enjoyment while noticing elements I’d missed at the tender age of ten. In an effort to not lose most of you, the story is about a 12-year-old boy who goes to live alone in the woods of the Catskill mountains. There was one particular part I came across that I had to re-read a few times: “for the next week I craved liver, and ate all I could get. The tiredness ended, the bones stopped aching and I had no more nosebleeds. Hunger is a funny thing. It has a kind of intelligence all its own.” Read that last sentence again, it has a kind of intelligence all its own. I thought to myself, yes it does, but we rarely take the time to listen. Isolated in the forest, Sam spent his days in quiet solitude (with the exception of talking to the animals) and deep reflection. He spent most of his time hunting and gathering — eating for survival. I imagine his hunger was crystal clear without any of the noise we experience in today’s society. While eating is necessary for survival, our eating behaviors are strongly influenced by features independent of energy needs. What sways us/our appetite/eating patterns most these days are the characteristics of available food and the environment we live in. Over the holidays, there tends to be more food, especially foods that are more decadent and palatable. Remember, flavorful foods can override our body's natural satiety signals, causing us to eat more than necessary. During this time of year, utilizing the tool of Sensory Specific Satiety (SSS) can be helpful. We talked about it in a past Noosletter. Let’s face it, we’re going to be confronted with lots of tasty foods over the next few weeks, so trying to hone in on our hunger cues and SSS is necessary. Neurons respond strongly at the beginning of an eating episode and become less responsive as satiety for a specific food is reached. Sometimes all you need is a few bites. They are usually the most enjoyable ones after all. As interest diminishes for one food, neurons remain capable of a reward response to other foods. Having a variety of foods available may lead to increased consumption. Think of all the different options at parties, dinners, and cookie swaps (yes, they still have those!). Be present and cognitive of this — having a variety of foods available (especially highly pleasurable ones!) may lead to increased consumption. Only you can answer those questions. As humans, it’s natural to crave and seek out highly palatable and pleasurable foods. These joyous, celebratory times filled with decadent foods, drinks and merriment are a very stark contrast to Sam’s Christmas spent wrapped in nature's beauty. But, if you take the time to listen to your body, you can learn to respond to its needs. Movement Movement is typically the first thing to go during the holidays. When that slips off the priority list, and lack of exercise is paired with richer foods (and/or more drinks) and upended routines, the climb back to normalcy in January feels even steeper. Been there, done that — not fun! Prioritizing yourself and your health is key, especially when things are busier or out of the usual (I’m reminding myself, as I write!). If you don’t have time for a full 45 minute strength class or a run, or whatever your “usual programming” is, do what you can. Something is better than nothing, and if you are intentional about it, and really think about what your body is doing, you can get a lot accomplished in just a little time. Two encouraging studies come to mind. The first suggests that by imagining your muscles flexing, you will gain strength. In the study, pinky finger abductors and elbow flexors were measured, and both got stronger when participants engaged in the mind-body connection! Just by thinking about moving their finger and elbow, muscle strength increased. I would suggest doing more than imagining a workout (lol), but if you are intentional with your movements, you will feel the difference!! The second study shows that when participants just “maintained” their fitness, by only working out once a week for three months, they kept their muscle mass. So, even if you are exercising less, you can still maintain your fitness for a short period of time. This study is great to think about when your week is flying by and you haven’t moved as much as you would have liked. Instead of giving up on the week (“I’ll start again monday”/”I’ll pick this up in January when things slow down”), keep a foot in the door with a workout. Even once a week will make a difference! These studies aren’t to discourage you from working out, or let you off the hook by any means 🤣, but rather, I hope you can maintain a fitness routine during a time when it’s easy to go off the rails. Doing something is always better than nothing, and if you are intentional about it, even better. You won’t regret it. Behavior While rereading the nutrition piece, I couldn't help but think about my son and his reading journey. At this point, he really doesn’t love it and at times, struggles. We've explored numerous genres and had heart-to-heart talks about the importance of reading, but books still feel like a chore to him, making the whole experience far from enjoyable. However, there is a central theme that recurs in these discussions — it’s that his effort is what counts the most. Failure is inevitable. Our strengths are all different, but we learn the most when faced with challenges. I try to reframe it with enthusiasm: “how lucky are you to be challenged with such an important life skill — more opportunity to learn and grow!!” Usually with an exaggerated eye roll (and the likelihood of my speech going right over his head), he’ll huff and puff out of the room. To reassure myself I am using “the right approach” (because that’s what we do as parents, is second guess every decision we make!), I find comfort by trying to instill in him a growth mindset. In my previous work as a teacher, we explored different ways to nurture young minds, which inevitably led me to the work and studies of Carol Dweck. Dweck’s research on growth mindset really resonated – she found that students’ mindsets—how they perceive their abilities—played a key role in their motivation and achievement. Teaching them that failure isn’t permanent, that the brain changes and grows in response to challenge, and encouraging them to persevere when faced with failure, instills a “growth mindset” and resiliency to learn and get better. As the name suggests, a growth mindset encourages growth when faced with a challenge, rather than shutting down or quitting. The opposite is a fixed mindset, or the belief that one’s skills are innate and cannot be improved with effort. A fixed mindset leads a person to avoid challenges, or give up quickly — typically with an “all or nothing” approach. Ok great, Anne, that’s a wonderful tool to use when working with kids, but how does this relate to me?! Stick with me…this time of year there is plenty of encouragement and optimistic sentiments. But, there are just as many (or even more) feelings of defeat, discouragement, and even failure. Time and time again, I hear patients say “what’s the point, I already blew it” or “ it’s too hard (sticking to their plan) this time of year with all the temptations” or “ I can’t get back on track after I mess up.” Here is where the growth mindset comes into play. You now know that challenges are good — that your brain will actually grow in response to challenges! It makes me think of a quote we shared recently: “The place where your greatest discomfort lies is also the spot where your largest opportunity lives.” Continue to “December with intention” using a growth mindset. When faced with challenges, rather than throwing in the towel, reflect on what you can do differently next time (tomorrow, next meal, next workout, next opportunity). Focusing on what you can learn, rather than what you have m

10 мин.
02.12.2024

"December" with intention

Happy December, Noosers! We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, hopefully unplugging a bit, relaxing, reflecting, and feeling recharged, ready for December. We both had a nice few days filled with family and enjoying the snow! As much as we tried to “unplug” and focus on the present, we noticed it was hard to turn away from our inboxes, which are a mile long with retailers shouting the sales, countdowns and making us feel frazzled. The elf! The gifts! The decorations! Deep breath, I usually love the beginning of December (my wedding anniversary), but this year feels extra “busy.” December is the last month of the year and with it comes the winter solstice. In the darkest days there can be so much light, if we draw our awareness to life’s greatest joys. We challenge you to “December” differently this year; focus on the simple things that bring joy: a walk outside, a lebkuchen cookie (a delicious German cookie-highly recommend trying), or sitting by the fire with a book. It seems like we have to cram so much into these 31 days, and I bet it doesn’t ever involve prioritizing your health—you wait until January for that. We tend to push aside our good habits and routines and get absorbed in the busyness of it all. In the coming weeks, we're here for you, supporting you through the holiday season. “December” with intention. Our goal is to provide awareness and practical insights that help you navigate this potentially challenging time, ultimately preventing you from feeling like you’ve been run over by a plow come January 4th — setting you up for a healthier start to the new year. It is possible to enjoy the holidays while keeping your wellness (and sanity!) intact, but it usually involves some help — whether it’s making a plan to stick with or finding a professional to help you with accountability. We are here for you in the form of our Monday Noosletters, but if you’d like personalized help (text support, a zoom call, we assist in a lot of different ways!), we are here for you! Reach out, we’d love to hear from you and set up a call. Nutrition How was your Thanksgiving? Were you able to savor the meal without the food noise? Were you able to be present and enjoy your food? I hope so. The next few weeks are some that many look forward to all year, but they also bring a lot of challenges when it comes to food and thoughts around holiday eating. Holiday events offer unique opportunities to enjoy foods outside our typical diet. Now, more than ever, your relationship with food matters. When you care about what you eat and why you eat, your food choices become more clear, and it’s easier to maintain the standards you’ve set for yourself — it becomes more rewarding. One of the biggest mistakes I witness my patients make is approaching the holidays with no plan. Everyone’s plan is different, but some common themes that are encouraged are: reflecting on how you want to feel in those early days of 2025, honoring your hunger and fullness cues, and prioritizing foods that give you energy and make you feel good. When we take time to be present and draw awareness to our hunger and fullness cues, it’s possible to enjoy your favorite “fun” foods and not overdo it. Building an action plan that feels doable will almost always lead to positive results. Over the past seven months, we’ve encouraged and challenged you to find an eating pattern that is right for you. I hope you’ve been able to find some foods in the right quantities that offer you energy and work with your body, not against it. If you’ve taken time over the last half of the year to build your eating pattern, going into the holiday season will be that much easier. Don’t fret, if you haven’t built a pattern that honors your health, you can still go through December and make better choices. It might be harder, but not impossible. Tell yourself this holiday season will be different. By approaching the meals/parties/cookie swaps with intentional mindfulness and challenging our usual patterns, we can create a different experience that leaves us feeling empowered and in control throughout the holiday season. Movement Having a plan helps when things get out of whack during the holidays. Speaking from experience, movement is the first thing to get bumped when my routine gets disrupted. It doesn’t feel good, but it’s easy to cut your workout out when you think things are “too busy.” A couple of years ago, I made up a yoga challenge for myself during the month of December. It was a challenge for sure — while I started out strong, I almost didn’t complete it! The premise was, I would do 15 yoga classes in the month of December. I used the peloton app and really enjoyed Kirra Michel’s classes. She has great music and always changed my energy for the better. I chose yoga because I could do it at home when my schedule was varying, or kids were inevitably sick, and I was limited with my movement due to major knee surgery earlier that year. The plan was great. It held me accountable. Peloton kept track of my classes, so I could see where I stood as the month passed. Sometimes it’s nice to make a plan to stick to ( a challenge = plan). As I crept closer to the end of the month, I realized I wasn’t as on pace with my challenge as I thought, and I had to do a couple of days in a row of yoga classes… but what was the downside? I made a promise to myself that I wanted to keep and I never regretted making time for myself and my yoga classes. Making a plan is a way of prioritizing yourself during a busy, unpredictable time. A plan can be a challenge like my yoga one a couple years ago… or it can be as simple as looking ahead at your week and working backwards. Cocktail party on Thursday night? Maybe you move your workout class to Thursday morning instead of Friday morning, so you aren’t working against tiredness or a hangover. Family coming into town for the weekend? Carve out some time earlier in the week so you can use some rest days and relax when you have company, or plan a family hike to get out and move (“fresh air club!”). If you have goals, or want to stay consistent, planning ahead is key. For so many, movement is the first thing to be tossed aside when a routine is disrupted, but it doesn’t have to be. We emphasize the importance of prioritizing yourself at Noos, because it’s easier to feel good when you are aware of your nutrition, movement and habits. When you feel good, you can take care of others more effectively and can be present, rather than thinking about what you could have done differently (guilt and regret are the worst, woof!). Find a way to make a plan and stick with it, for yourself, this holiday season. Is it a challenge? Is it just looking ahead at your schedule and working backwards? Getting enough physical activity during the holidays isn’t always easy and takes some planning, but your body will thank you, and you won’t regret it! Behavior Sticking to a plan sounds good and easy, but without a strong enough why, your commitment will inevitably crumble. Spoiler alert: things never slow down– there will always be something competing for your attention. Your success hinges on having a motivation so powerful, so personal, that it cuts through the noise and disruptions, keeping you anchored to your goals when everything else tries to pull you off course. Truthfully, most people have an insufficient reason for action. The pain isn’t painful enough. It’s a nice-to-have, not a must-have. We often say, find your why until you cry. A few months ago, we wrote a Noosletter about the importance of finding your “why.” If you don’t have a strong enough why and things start getting in your way, it’s much easier to give up on your goals. This is a great time to nail down your why, given all the distractions and disruptions that come with the holidays. If your why is strong, then it will be easier to stay on track and stick to the plan. We all know what it feels like to negotiate with ourselves — “I will start eating more plants tomorrow, so I’ll treat myself to extra cake now,” “It’s so cold and windy out, I’ll run later this week when it warms up” — these are just a couple of things I’ve told myself to buy myself time, especially when my why isn’t super strong. The why that will keep me accountable is that I don’t want to be crawling out of a “hole” on January 1. I want to be feeling strong and ready for ski season, healthy for the winter months when my kids tend to get sick, and ready for our annual Misogi (more on that later). Your why can help you “be the straight line!” So, Noosers, what’s your why? Until next time… Get full access to NooS Substack at noosworthy.substack.com/subscribe

8 мин.
18.11.2024

Give yourself the gift of health✨

Happy Monday, Noosers! We recorded another video Noosletter — you can listen, watch or read our shorter summary below, your choice! As always, we love feedback, so please comment or if you like what you read/watch/listen, or give us a like at the top or bottom of the post ❤️ . With all the gift guides coming out (tis the season!) we thought we would give you our version. However, there are no lists of things you need to buy — supplements or gadgets. Instead, we are reviewing our Noosworthy pillars and sharing them so you can give yourself the gift of health, whether it’s during this busy season or for the rest of your life, prioritizing the basics will never go out of style. These are very broad ideas, so if there is something you want to work on specifically, let us know, we’d love to work with you. Listen, watch or read along, we hope you enjoy! Pillar #1: Nutrition Big one! Without getting too granular (video has examples), we emphasize the importance of eating whole foods. This is accessible, uncomplicated and we are sure it will never go out of style. A diet rich in whole foods provides essential nutrients that support both physical and mental well-being. There are so many health benefits to eating plants (vegetables, fruits, pulses), protein (plant/vegetables), and healthy fats (oily fish, olive oil and more). While the latest diet trends and strict eating protocols may seem alluring, simply focusing on whole foods will naturally nourish your body and enhance your overall well-being. Pillar #2: Movement We can’t say enough good things about movement. Exercise is so critical to support our bodies as they age and our mental health on a daily basis. We live in a time that makes sedentary life so easy, but regular movement is essential for maintaining our health and vitality. Movement is a great opportunity to push yourself physically (and mentally — it promotes mental toughness for sure!) and create confidence and empowerment. Find something you like that’s a little challenging and get out there. Getting a workout done out in nature is a bonus — getting outside and moving (despite the cold!) will make a world of difference in your day. Pillar #3: Behavior Behavior is a pretty broad category, but an impactful piece of the wellness puzzle. Behavior encapsulates our daily habits — why we do the things we do. At Noos, we emphasize healthy habits that you can take with you — making your own standards to live by that aren’t too strict, but are more like guidelines that make a healthy lifestyle sustainable. Any change begins with self-reflection – understanding how your sleep patterns, mindset, stress levels, and daily habits impact your well-being. Life's constant changes, whether it's adjusting to motherhood, starting a new career, or simply flowing through different seasons, remind us that balance looks different in every chapter of our lives. The basic pillars of health create profound, lasting changes that no quick fix can match. Instead of getting lost in the endless world of supplements and wellness hacks, focus on mastering the fundamentals – quality sleep, whole foods, movement, and stress management. Having someone in your corner, whether it's a friend or health professional, can make all the difference when you're starting your wellness journey. Remember, investing in your health is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself and your loved ones – you're worth the time and effort it takes to prioritize your wellbeing! Until next time… Get full access to NooS Substack at noosworthy.substack.com/subscribe

15 мин.
11.11.2024

this little nutrient packs a huge punch

Happy Veterans Day Noosers 🇺🇸! Hope everyone is having a great long weekend and you’re enjoying this extra day to travel, rest or get ready for the week. We are getting into some nitty gritty’s in this Noosletter — if you’ve been curious about the nutrient we are almost all deficient in, read closely! Additionally, we are writing about the best workout you can do, as well as a strategy to achieve your goals. These Noosletters are meant provide education in broad strokes. If you’d like professional and personalized guidance on any of our topics, email us at noosworthy@gmail.com to join our client waitlist. Enjoy! Thank you for subscribing! If you’d like to support our writing or upgrade to being a paid subscriber for monthly Q&A or Noos Necessities, click below ❤️ Nutrition Here at Noos, we are all about elevating our awareness around our health. Learning about the health benefits of specific nutrients can motivate better food choices, naturally leading to improved well-being. So often we focus on all the things we shouldn’t be consuming; instead, let’s put our attention towards all the good stuff we should be eating! One of the nutrients at the top of the list is fiber. After reading last week’s Noosletter, were you able to reflect on what types of foods generally make up your diet? If I had to guess, I bet most of us are lacking in fiber. You are not alone if that’s the case. A 2017 analysis in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine concluded that 95% of adults and children don't consume the amount of fiber recommended for good health. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans have even labeled fiber a “nutrient of concern” since 2005, due to the substantial gap between typical fiber intake and recommended levels. This lack of adequate fiber consumption is a public health issue, given the well-established health benefits of getting sufficient dietary fiber. Eeek! Why aren’t we getting enough of fiber and what is so great about it anyway? The recommendations for daily fiber intake are about 14g of fiber per 1,000 calories. Ideally, we should be aiming for around 25-30g of fiber a day. Many of us think we may be getting enough, but in fact, we are averaging around 15g/fiber a day. Fiber is found in plant foods and is a type of carbohydrate that the human body cannot fully digest or absorb. Thus, it passes relatively intact through the digestive system. There are two main types of fiber: Soluble fiber - This type of fiber dissolves in water. When it reaches the large intestine, soluble fiber is fermented by the gut's microbiome. This fermentation process produces short-chain fatty acids that serve as food for the good bacteria living in our gut. It is considered the primary "prebiotic" that nourishes the good bacteria in our gut. Insoluble fiber - This fiber does not dissolve in water. It helps add bulk to stool and promotes regular bowel movements. Increasing your fiber intake has been shown to lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer, lower your risk of developing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (the two main types of IBD), help regulate blood sugar levels, and keep your hunger in check. One landmark review analyzed data from nearly 200 observational studies and dozens of clinical trials, involving over 135 million participants in total. It showed that diets higher in fiber were associated with a lower risk of developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. Wow! For every 8 gram increase in fiber intake per day, the researchers found: * 5% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease * 4% lower risk of developing coronary heart disease * 4% lower risk of stroke * 15% lower risk of type 2 diabetes * 5% lower risk of developing cancer How does fiber work in our bodies? Fiber has several key mechanisms, but one of the most important is its role in gut microbiome support. It is the primary food source for the trillions of microbes that live in our gut (see soluble fiber above). These microbes play a critical role in so many aspects of good health. Having a diverse gut flora is associated with reduced inflammation and improved immune function. Another important role is blood sugar and insulin regulation: soluble fiber slows the absorption of sugars, helping to control blood glucose levels and insulin response. This can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. When soluble fiber binds to cholesterol in the digestive system, it helps eliminate it from the body. This can lead to reductions in LDL ("bad") cholesterol and improvements in overall cholesterol ratios. Hopefully by the end of reading this you are excited to increase your consumption of fiber! So what does 25-30g of fiber look like in a day? I’ve made a little visual with some meal ideas. I am not talking about consuming just Fiber One cereal and an apple for every meal (although those are great sources!). We want variety within what we consume. If we eat the same sources of fiber it will only feed certain bacteria, and we want a diverse gut. Here is a comprehensive, printable list of food sources of dietary fiber. If a label reads “good” or “great” source of fiber, here are the classifications: * Good source: 2.5 - 4.9 grams of fiber per serving * Great source: 5 grams or more of fiber per serving So let’s use this next week to draw awareness around our fiber intake. Record your intake and see how much you are getting. Go from there, make small additions to your meals. Try adding some beans or lentils to your taco, a tablespoon (5g) of chia seeds to your oatmeal, munch on a pear (5g), make some chili with a variety of pulses (dry peas, lentils, chickpeas and dry beans), or even add some black beans to your next batch of brownies 🤯😮. Once again, if we can be more mindful of our choices in the present, knowing they will positively impact our future, won’t the payoff be worth it? Most definitely! So take some time to prioritize fiber! Health isn't about finding the one “best” food - it's about creating a varied plate that includes plenty of fiber-rich options. Small additions can add up to big benefits over time. ***If you’re going from a very low consumption of fiber to large amounts you may experience some GI discomfort. Take it slow and consult a Registered Dietitian for your specific needs. There are some cases where increased amounts of fiber are not recommended. Movement If you are on instagram or listening to podcasts, then you have probably heard by now all the optimizers and trainers touting “the best” workout for your age or demographic. If you are 35-55, you are likely seeing messages like “weight training is key,” “lift heavy,” “mix in HIIT,” “walk 10k steps,” and “add a weighted vest.” Even we at Noos have suggested certain workouts (we are trying them all, and seeing how they feel!). However, the BEST workout you can do is…the one you will do consistently. Obviously we want to battle sarcopenia (muscle loss with age) and osteoporosis (bone density decline) and the best way to do that, according to current research, is with regular strength training (with weights!). However, if that’s not part of your repertoire right now, and you’re trying to figure out where to start, finding something you enjoy is a great first step. Moving our bodies regularly is so important, not just for physical health, but for mental health as well. Many of us, as mothers (or fathers, or any adult or caretaker, you name it!), are exhausted from keeping people alive and managing the day to day. Laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, working, planning… that’s a lot to do! It can feel like one too many things to exercise, too. However, at Noos we are trying to encourage our readers to prioritize themselves. Finding a way that you enjoy moving your body is one way to focus on yourself. IF you enjoy what you are doing, you will be much more likely to continue and be consistent, and as we’ve mentioned before, consistency is the name of the game. Sometimes it’s not what we are doing, but who you are doing it with. When you are trying to start a new movement goal, it might be helpful to bring a friend along (or sign up for a class together!). I would have ZERO chance running outside in the early morning hours last winter at 18 degrees, if Anne and I weren’t holding each other accountable. I looked forward to our runs because I enjoyed them and felt great after — it was a double whammy: a great workout and a social outing. Between the cold and a typically less than perfect night sleep (and a comfy bed tempting me to stay in) — I would have given into one of those excuses. But, knowing that Anne was counting on getting a workout out of the way, too, made me much more consistent. Take some time now, in the “lull” between holidays (let’s be real, there hasn't been a lull or down week since…I’m not even sure when lol) to prioritize yourself and move your body in a way that feels good — that might take some experimenting! Set a goal you can reach — don’t set the bar too high (going from zero workouts to 4 a week may lead to burnout or overwhelm and then quitting/feeling disappointed in yourself) — see behavior section for tips on how to set a goal! We talk a lot about “not regretting a workout.” Find something you won’t regret doing, and see if the enjoyment factor leads to consistency. Your body will thank you. Behavior We talked about getting enough fiber and finding consistent ways to exercise today. If now you’re thinking you’d like to add those to your routine, where should you start? Try making a SMART goal. SMART is an acronym that stands for SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, RELEVANT, and TIME-BOUND when referring to setting goals. Pretty clever, right? They transform vague intentions into clear, actionable plans. If you

13 мин.
04.11.2024

we are what we eat

Hello Noosers! Happy November. How was Halloween? We had a great night, filled with lots of treats, not too many tricks, and the only tears came from the local Fire House haunted house. Perhaps some of you are already sipping coffee thanks to daylight savings. What a treat to have an extra hour, but for those who have young kids, it may feel more like a curse — our kids were up at 5am Sunday! With a little extra light in the morning, perhaps you’re more motivated to move your body first thing…Take note how much the daylight affects your habits and moods. Today we explore the impact of our food choices on our health later in life, reflect on movement as a gift rather than a chore, and map out S-R-O — a tool to interrupt unwanted habits. Enjoy today’s Noosletter, and as always, stay curious! Just a quick note, in case you missed it on instagram. We have been working with clients behind the scenes, and want to open up to subscribers. Respond to this Noosletter, email us (noosworthy@gmail.com), or DM us, if interested in joining the waitlist! Investing in yourself and your health will never go out of style ❤️ Nutrition “Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es." For all of you out there that don’t speak French, this translates to “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are," written by French lawyer and politician, Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in 1826. The basic idea behind this common cliche, “you are what you eat,” is simple, but profound: the food we consume directly affects our body's composition, health, and wellbeing. When our diet is largely composed of nutritious foods, we build and maintain a healthy body. On the flip side, a diet that is less optimal and less nutritious can negatively impact our health. Over the past few years, I’ve been lucky to see patients of all ages. The ones in the “back stretch” offer a common sentiment, “I wish I had known some of this sooner.” When I hear my older patients say this, it makes me think about present bias: the tendency to favor instantly gratifying temptations over more impactful long term rewards. Why is it so challenging to make a food choice that will help us feel good in the long run, instead of a more satisfying one right now? Well, if you’ve been reading our Noosletters, you know that our food choices are based on an array of things. The health conditions I treat often result from years of accumulated dietary choices. While symptoms may first appear in a patient's 20s, they typically worsen over time when their diet consists mainly of foods that harm rather than nourish. When my patients and I discuss their health history, the connection becomes clear. While it's easy to see how years of poor eating has led to their current health challenges, making healthy choices along the way proves much more difficult. If we can be more mindful of our choices in the present, knowing they will positively impact our future, won’t the payoff be worth it? A staggering 80% of us will have a chronic health condition by the time we're 65. The number of people aged 60-79 living with chronic health conditions is expected to grow significantly. Furthermore, the amount of 80 and above, managing multiple conditions, is predicted to increase by more than twofold between 2020 and 2050. And what about all you middle aged females out there (us included!) — perimenopause may be knocking on our door. Good nutrition and an active lifestyle remain the cornerstone of a healthy menopause — more on this to come! It’s important to step back and take a look at how impactful our current decisions around nutrition and exercise are when it comes to our future. The encouraging truth is that decades of poor health aren’t inevitable. Even better, we can still take steps to prevent it, no matter what age. Of course, our health and longevity are determined by much more than just diet: genetics, exercise, stress, socialization, finding purpose and connection in life are all contributors, but our diet is a very large lever that greatly impacts the prevention or development of many chronic diseases. Take stock of your intake over the next week. I always ask my patients to do this at the beginning of working together — I guess in a way it comes back to tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are…a lot can be uncovered by reflecting on our intake. Think back to our plant challenge. Reflect on what types of foods generally make up your intake. Is it primarily whole foods? Is it composed of mostly refined carbohydrates? Are you hitting 30 plants a week? What’s your fiber intake like? Developing awareness around the foods we are eating, at any age, empowers us to make choices that serve our health. Next week we’ll explore a nutrient most of us are lacking. Movement We have been writing about motivating to workout lately because this can be a hard time of year to get outside and moving (just wait, peeps in the northeast, it will get worse 🥶)! One reframe I like to use when it comes to motivating myself to exercise is showing gratitude for my body and its ability to move. If you’ve ever dealt with chronic pain, a nagging injury, or long term illness, you know how it feels to be “out of the game.” It’s the WORST when you’re sick or injured and unable to move the way you want. You think, “if only I could get out and enjoy this beautiful day” or “I’m so bummed I can’t do X,Y or Z.” As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve had injuries and illnesses that set have me back. Many have! When you can’t do what you want with your body, it’s not a fun phase to endure. My knee surgeries have left me fumbling with a brace for weeks (months?), dealing with irritating stitches, swelling and pain, not to mention other injuries as I tried to return to my favorite activities! However, I am starting to feel more like my healthy self since my last surgery in July. I am pain and swelling free (for now — I’ll take it!). What I try to do when I am healthy is appreciate being pain-free. Showing my gratitude for my healthy body helps me enjoy my workouts and be present with them, whether they are hard or easy, rough or enjoyable. I recognize that pain-free movement is a privilege. When my body is cooperating, I am thrilled, and I want to move it! I have started to slowly get back into running the last few weeks, and it might sound psychotic, but if you saw me on the bike path during my 30 minute jog the other day, you would have seen me smiling ear to ear. Yes, I was panting (it’s hard getting back into shape!), yes, I was thinking about my form, about my knee, about my cadence, and listening for any whisper of pain or discomfort that would signal me to stop (my physical therapist reads this, so I am being extra careful, lol). But I was also very present. I was listening to my music, looking at the changing leaves, feeling the sun on my face, feeling my heart beat and enjoying the freedom of moving a healthy body. I know that some may read this and not be in the same state. You may be sick, or injured or otherwise immobile. I’ve been there, in some way. It’s lousy, and it’s a season, and cannot last forever in that exact way. There are so many ways to move our bodies other than running (that’s just my favorite). Find a way to move that feels good, and thank your body. Reframing with a lens of gratitude may be just the way to enjoy your next workout. Remember, you don’t have to move, you get to move. Behavior Last week we explored habit mapping and gave some visuals to support our theory at Noos, that if you elevate your awareness, you will elevate your health (and not eat stale popcorn). Awareness is a key factor when trying to reduce unwanted habits. As we wrote, habits can be like putting your car in cruise control — helpful when you are going in the right direction, but detrimental if they are steering you off course. Today, we are going to take it a step further with some examples of how to become more aware and disrupt unwanted behavior loops. We’ve referenced Michael Easter (author of the two percent substack and one of our fave books, Comfort Crisis) in previous Noosletters and are highlighting him again — he writes good stuff! Easter was struggling to lose a couple of unwanted pounds and couldn’t figure out why it was so tricky (he’s a very healthy, active guy!). He turned to Dr. Trevor Kashey, a friend and nutrition expert who introduced him to S-R-O (we aren’t talking about Standing Room Only), a way to become aware of unwanted behaviors by identifying three things: S=situation, R= response, O= outcome. Easter was visiting the pantry and loading up on peanut M&M’s (among other treats), and couldn’t stop or figure out why, but knew it was contributing to his inability to lose weight. By drawing awareness to his actions, Easter realized he was visiting the pantry to snack when he was stressed or procrastinating from work (situation/trigger). He was eating the M&M’s to enjoy and to distract him (response). When he realized that the outcome was contributing to his inability to lose weight and it didn’t actually help him relieve stress, he became aware of the trigger and could interrupt his unwanted behavior loop. Give it a try! Write down the unwanted behavior and play it out using S-R-O. By identifying these three key points, are you more likely to change your behavior? How about thinking about the behavior loop before it happens when you’re in the situation — does the behavior offer the outcome you want? Simply reflecting on the outcome can help you make more conscious choices in the future! Until next time… Get full access to NooS Substack at noosworthy.substack.com/subscribe

10 мин.
28.10.2024

Tricks to enjoy your Halloween Treats

Another Monday, another Noosletter for you! We are entering deep fall… It’s the last Monday of October and there are three days until Halloween. Get the sardine tins, the mini salad bags and baby carrots ready to give out instead of candy — just kidding 🤣!! Being in this field, we sometimes get the side eye when candy is brought up — but we don’t have a problem with Halloween candy and indulging in some sweet treats, and will definitely be trick-or-treating on Thursday. We’ll leave handing out toothbrushes to my neighbor, who is a dentist. Today we are discussing why “saving up” for that one meal or holiday backfires, why you’ll almost never regret a workout, and how to use our awareness to understand the reward value of habits. Nutrition After reading last week’s Noosletter about being a “food snob,” are you choosing your food more carefully/have you experimented with being pickier with foods rather than settling just because? Have you tried something and thought, “gosh I don’t love it, why would I eat this?” and stopped eating, or “damn, this is tasty, I’m going to really savor,” then go on to slowly enjoy? We hope so! I recently had a conversation with a patient where we focused on tuning into foods they enjoy, and saying no to foods they don’t actually like or that aren’t serving them, encouraging them to put their “food snob” cap on. After further discussion, we discovered that they were “holding out” for a meal they’d consume later in the day. I see this a lot with holiday eating or when there is an outlier event that involves food. We tend to severely eat less during the day, “saving up” for the event. Have you ever done this? Connecting the dots later in the conversation, my patient realized that when they were starving, it was really hard to say no to foods they didn’t like, know when to stop eating, and couldn’t identify which foods made them feel crummy. At the first opportunity to really eat, we feel an intensity that is uncontrollable, and can act desperately when faced with food choices. Any ability to stick to a “plan” is fleeting and irrelevant. We usually overeat, with binge-like tendencies. When we rigidly limit the amount of food we consume throughout the day in hopes of “saving up” for later, we set ourselves up to overeat — eating past discomfort and completely throwing aside our hunger cues. When you are underfed, you also tend to obsess about food. Instead of this restriction/deprivation-binge/guilt cycle how about shifting to consuming balanced, filling meals throughout the day? Nourishing our bodies and respecting our body's hunger cues throughout the day will help prevent intense cravings and overeating at night. Furthermore, feeling nourished will promote contentment, which is a great way to enjoy the holidays. Yes, it’s easy to write and read about, but in order to truly understand the benefits of nourishing and trusting your body, you have to experiment and experience these sensations yourself. Give it a try, you will feel nourished and centered, and ready to enjoy your company and your food. A couple of tips for Halloween… For anyone who is feeling stressed about Halloween, remember: * It’s one day * You and your children are building memories * Eat dinner before trick-or-treating * Let your children count, sort, and eat the candy! * (Oh and expect meltdowns!) Don’t forget, like adults, controlling and restricting food (in this case, candy) with children can cause them to fixate on it or become “obsessed” with the food. We all want what we can’t have (Bradley Cooper? lol am I right?!) — it’s human nature. Take away the candy, and kids can’t stop thinking about it. Don’t make it a “thing,” perhaps they pick out one piece a day for their lunch for the following week or two? Do what works best for your family, but at the end of the day, it’s only one night, try and relax and have some fun! Movement With daylight savings around the corner and temps dipping in the northeast, we have been talking a lot about our natural decrease in movement. Last week we talked about how it affects our NEAT — we are just less likely to move when it’s not summer and we have the tendency to be more active. Have you ever visited somewhere warm (Florida/California for instance) and noticed how active everyone is? It’s such a mood/energy booster for me to see people active and outside, it’s contagious! It can be harder to be consistent with workouts in the late fall/winter — I get it! I am definitely NOT always motivated to workout…my bed feels cozy in the morning, I HATE being cold, sniffles/coughs are going around and it’s so easy to convince myself that I’ll fit a workout in later in the day as I snooze my morning alarm. So, what gets me out of bed every time, or out into the cold for an early run or walk? A reminder to myself that I have never regretted a workout. I’ve never finished a workout and thought “s**t, I really wish I didn’t do that.” Even if a workout doesn’t go according to plan (getting a cramp when I run/feeling weak when I lift/kids interrupt, etc), I still usually feel better than I did before I started. I used to workout to get in shape for sports (20 years ago, but feels like yesterday 😂), but now, I do it primarily for my mental health, and a close second for my fitness. My sister Caroline coined this phrase… working out depletes my “rage battery” — it’s a way to tire myself out mentally and physically, so I can start the day with a clean slate. I’m happier, more even keeled, and ready for the challenges that my kids (and everyone else) might throw at me. I definitely feel more energized after a workout, too, which may seem counterintuitive. You need energy to workout, but if you’re out of practice, it seems like a much bigger undertaking to make it a daily routine. Once I get into a cycle of working out 5-6 days a week — and I know this may sound crazy — it’s harder to take a day off. I feel restless and I crave the endorphin rush I get from a workout. But…that feeling takes time to get to. The first few workouts after not exercising for a while can be a shock to the system, and it’s hard to enjoy when it feels like every workout is uphill. Once momentum is in place, the results and benefits seem to come way more easily. It’s a matter of building a habit or a standard, rather than relying on motivation. So… next time it feels too dark or cold, or something is giving you a little push back when it comes to working out, remember: you won’t regret it. Our bodies are made to move, and motion is lotion — the more you incorporate regular exercise into your routine, the more you will crave it, and I promise, you won’t regret it. Behavior Why is it so hard to change a habit? Our brains are wired with a reward based system — that’s how we survived as cavemen and continue to be motivated today. Dr. Jud Brewer created the video above, which illustrates why habits both help and hurt us and how to interrupt behavior loops that aren’t serving us. This is pretty helpful stuff if you’re trying to figure out why you continue a certain habit even when you don’t like it! Oftentimes we rely on willpower or blame the lack of it, when it comes to breaking habits, but, according to Brewer, it doesn’t have to be a game of willpower after all. As we’ve mentioned before, habits can be really helpful — it’s nice to not have to relearn how to drive a car or wash your hair every time. However, if you have a habit of grabbing some gummy bears every time you pass the pantry and you are trying to cut down on sugar (or pour a glass of wine every night and you are trying to reduce consumption), then it’s time to change your behavior. In the video, Brewer reveals (**spoiler alert**) that awareness is key to behavior change. As we often highlight at Noos, if you elevate your awareness, you will elevate your life (and not eat stale popcorn). Habits can be like putting your car in cruise control — helpful when you are going in the right direction, but detrimental if they are steering you off course. “By paying attention to the results of the behavior in the present moment, we can jolt our brain out of habit autopilot, and see and feel exactly how rewarding or unrewarding it is for us right now.” - Jud Brewer Brewer is the director of Research and Innovation at Brown University's Mindfulness Center where he is a pioneer of how mindfulness affects the brain's habit formation patterns. He has helped many with smoking cessation. We all know that smoking cigarettes is bad for our health. Does that stop people from smoking? Typically, it takes more than health warnings to get people to stop (it is highly addictive after all). Brewer worked with a group of smokers, and instead of asking them to stop due to its negative health effects, he allowed them to continue smoking, but asked them to be really present as they lit up. How does it taste? How does it smell? When smokers became aware of the actual act of smoking (beyond the ritual of it), and were mindful, many realized they didn’t actually like it — the smoke tasted like chemicals and and smelled like “stinky cheese.” Gross! The power of our awareness is greater than we might give it credit for. Next time you are in the act of something habitual that doesn’t serve you, try elevating your awareness in the moment. That awareness serves as the essential tool for rewiring these deeply ingrained patterns. Check out the Habit Mapper below from Dr. Brewer. It’s a simple tool that will help you understand how your brain works — try using it to change your behavior and break bad habits. Until next time… NooS Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Ge

10 мин.
14.10.2024

Making healthier choices more appealing in the long run

We’re back! We recorded another video Noosletter this week so you have the option to read, listen (you can download and listen on Spotify or Apple music!) or watch. We had a lot of fun researching and recording this one, and as always, it’s a “one take wonder” — we go over our notes, hit record and let it rip (no editing… who has time for that??)! We hope you enjoyed last week’s Noosletter about supporting our immune systems with whole foods (anyone throw more red bell pepper or garlic in their meals this week?!), and not getting wrapped up in the “health optimization” that seems to be sweeping the internet. This week we talk about the placebo effect and how we can use it to make healthier choices in the long run. We hope you enjoy and even experiment with shifting your mindset around some healthy foods! What is a placebo and its effect? The placebo effect demonstrates the powerful connection between mind and body. A placebo will not shrink a tumor or reduce your cholesterol, per say, but it does contribute to dopamine release and will change your perception of pain. Let’s break it down… Placebo is a Latin word that means “I shall please” (really had to dust the cobwebs off from my Latin teaching days for this one 🤣). By definition, a placebo is an inactive substance or treatment that has no known medical benefits. It often looks identical to the real treatment being studied. Common examples include: sugar pills, saline injections, and sham surgeries (we highlighted some really cool studies in the video!). In clinical trials, pharmaceutical companies must show not only that their drug has the desired effects, but that the effects are significantly greater than those of a placebo drug. In the video, we touched on a brief history. Dr. Henry Beecher was an influential American anesthesiologist and medical researcher who made significant contributions to the understanding of the placebo effect. Working as a medic in WWII, he ran out of morphine while tending to wounded soldiers. Determined to provide the wounded soldiers with a sense of care and treatment, Dr. Beecher resorted to administering a saline solution while telling them it was morphine. To his surprise, 40% of the soldiers reported that the saline had reduced their pain. Perhaps you’ve experienced the benefits of placebo effect in a doctor’s office — Ted Kaptchuk, acupuncturist and placebo researcher/guru at Harvard, found in his studies that the placebo effect is many effects woven together: how kind the doctor is, how nice the room is, how expensive the pill is — he refers to these actions as the Ritual. The Ritual matters — the more you perceive the drug to be effective or expensive, or you believe that the physician really cares about you, the greater of a placebo response you’re going to have. On the other side of the coin, there is the Nocebo (“I shall harm”) Effect — which occurs when you take a placebo pill and you experience the side effects listed. Read that again! For example, patients took a sugar pill and listened to adverse side effects (but it’s just sugar, nothing should happen, right?!) and then experienced the side effects — like hives!!! Can you imagine? It just goes to show how powerful the brain can be. So how can we use the placebo effect when it comes to nutrition? How we perceive something may alter how we feel — if you believe your meal to be nutritious or good for you, does it taste better? Do you enjoy it more? Anne’s 6-year-old daughter came to that realization this week, after Anne had visited her classroom to give the first graders a “garden to table” lesson with vegetables from the school’s garden. Learning how certain foods can help your body encouraged Caroline to try a food she would normally shoo away. Perhaps the same can be true for you! Sometimes shifting our mindframe can help us eat foods we normally wouldn’t try or thought we didn’t like. If we know all the wonderful things foods can do for us, we may be more apt to eat them. When we reframe our perception of food, as “this is nourishing food that will support my body,” we may look at something like broccoli or [insert least favorite “healthy” food] with a different lens! Do you enjoy it more with this perspective? By changing our belief or perception of food, we can use the placebo effect to trick or prime our brains to enjoy it more. Keep in mind, though, just like placebo pills can’t change things physically, per say, we can’t change the way we digest food or how it’s used in our body with our thoughts. But, we can affect the way we enjoy them, increasing the likelihood we’ll consume them again! So, can using this mindframe encourage us to eat more healthy foods and enjoy them more? Playing devil’s advocate Some may read this and think — why would I want to trick my brain into eating a salad or boring chicken breast (again, insert you least attractive healthy food)? Life is short, I want to enjoy what I eat, I don’t want to eat that sh*t!! We get it — life is short, and we should find pleasure in our foods! We are in the camp that the food we eat should bring us both health and happiness. We wrote about this in a recent Noosletter. We find happiness in a range of foods — some are nutrient dense, some are not. We think it’s important that we find balance in the variety and frequency of foods we eat—it’s about moderation — it should be a “both, and” situation, not an “either, or.” Using the placebo effect to make healthier choices more appealing in the long run… At Noos we are trying to create more options for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, and by shifting our mindset to “this food is going to do my body so much good,” we may be able to enjoy more foods and feel the benefits. By changing the way we perceive foods, we can move away from being motivated solely by immediate sensory pleasure, and instead develop an appreciation for the deeper benefits that different foods provide for the body. So, if you’re curious, try this experiment next time you’re eating something that doesn’t already elicit pleasure — enjoy it by thinking about all of the wonderful things it does for your body…does it taste different? Your mind can be a powerful healing tool when given the chance! Until next time… Get full access to NooS Substack at noosworthy.substack.com/subscribe

19 мин.
07.10.2024

prioritizing the basics to support your immune system

Happy Monday! We are coming to you “live” again from Anne’s guest room. We had a lot of fun recording last week, and received positive feedback, so thought we’d offer it again! As always, we will offer a written version too, which covers most of our chat, and also offers some nitty gritty details and studies if you’re interested. Let us know what you think in the comments, we love hearing from you and appreciate your feedback! Today’s Noosletter is all about how to support our immune systems. This time of year is tricky, kids are back in school (germs!), the days are shorter (less sunlight! Less motivation to workout!), and there is a lot of stuff going around. We have had our fair share of illnesses (literally the worst ones you can think of 🤢) in our houses and are finally enjoying a break! Here are some immune boosting tips, both in nutrients and whole foods, to help support your body during this season. Spoiler alert: the best thing you can do to support our overall health is have a balanced diet, get some decent sleep, move your body, and create healthy, sustainable habits. Some of these extra things may help too, but at the end of the day, no food in isolation is going to make or break your health. Nutrients to work into your everyday diet that might help your immune system: Vitamin C: Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin (generally not stored in the body, excess amounts are typically excreted in urine). Vitamin C is widely promoted as a remedy for colds. We see Emergen-C and Airborne all over the place, but there are many excellent food sources that provide this vitamin. Incorporating some of these whole foods into your diet can be a delicious and effective way to boost your vitamin C intake! RDA (recommended daily amount) for Vitamin C: 19+ years: Male: 90mg, Female:75mg * Red Bell Pepper: 1/2 cup raw: 95mg * 1 medium orange 70mg * 1 medium kiwi 64mg * 1/2C cooked broccoli 51mg * 1/2C sliced broccoli 49mg Overall, the evidence to date suggests that regular intakes of vitamin C at doses of at least 200mg/day do not reduce the incidence of the common cold in the general population, but such intakes might be helpful for people exposed to extreme physical exercise or cold environments and those with marginal vitamin C status, such as the elderly and chronic smokers [81-83]. The use of vitamin C (200mg) supplements might shorten the duration of the common cold and ameliorate symptom severity in the general population [80,83], possibly due to the antihistamine effect of high-dose vitamin C [84]. However, taking vitamin C after the onset of cold symptoms does not appear to be beneficial. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin (take with fat for best absorption!). Fat-soluble vitamins have a higher risk of toxicity if over consumed, as they can accumulate in the body. Vitamin D is unique among vitamins, because it can be synthesized by our bodies through sun exposure! But this time of year, in the northeast, we get less sun, so we need to be sure we are getting it from our food, and supplement if necessary. The RDA for ages 1-70 is 600IU, and for 70+ is 800IU. Here are some options to find vitamin D in our food: Highest Amount of Vitamin D (per 100g): * Cod liver oil: ~400 IU (D3) * Swordfish: ~566 IU (D3) * Salmon (wild): ~988 IU (D3) * Tuna (canned): ~268 IU (D3) * Sardines (canned): ~193 IU (D3) * Beef liver: ~42 IU (D3) * Egg yolk: ~37 IU (D3) * UV-exposed mushrooms: Can vary widely, up to 400 IU (D2) There's evidence suggesting vitamin D may help protect against respiratory infections, including colds, especially in people with low vitamin D levels— but not all studies have found a significant benefit. Maintaining adequate vitamin D levels is important for overall health, including immune function. You can find out your vitamin D levels by getting a blood test through your doctor. Zinc is the third and final nutrient that we cover! Zinc is also water-soluble and is great to incorporate at the onset of symptoms of a cold — or within 24 hours. Supplementing with zinc (especially zinc logenzes, but beware they may affect your taste buds!) can help shorten the length (shorten by 1-2 days) and lessen the severity of symptoms associated with the common cold. RDA for 19+ years: Women: 8 mg/day and Men 11mg/day. Sources of zinc: * Oysters cooked: 3oz: by far the highest source, with 74 mg (raw too!) * Beef chuck: 3oz: 9.7mg * Ground beef: 3oz: 5.3mg * Roasted peanuts: 1/2C: 4.7 mg * Ground turkey: 3oz: 3.2mg * Canned baked beans: 3oz: 2.9mg When it comes to zinc most studies focus on treatment rather than prevention. Some research suggests that regular zinc supplementation might reduce the incidence of colds, but results are mixed. Studies typically use doses of 75-95 mg per day, divided into several doses and most effective when started within 24 hours of symptom onset. The maximum recommended daily intake of zinc for adults, known as the tolerable upper intake level (UL), is set at 40 mg for long-term use. This limit exists because prolonged excessive zinc consumption can interfere with copper absorption, potentially leading to deficiency. Short-term zinc supplementation at higher doses, say for 5-10 days, is generally considered safe for most healthy adults. Therapeutic doses for specific conditions (like colds) can exceed the UL for short periods under appropriate circumstances. Not all of the zinc is necessarily absorbed systemically, which is partly why higher doses are used. As always, before increasing your vitamin intake or starting any new supplement regimen, it is recommended that you consult your physician. While vitamins are essential for health, individual needs can vary greatly. Excessive intake of certain vitamins can lead to adverse effects or interfere with medications. When you are sick — what are some foods that may support your body? My (Avery) fave chicken soup recipe is a fixture this time of year. It’s nourishing with protein, plenty of vegetables, and is such a cozy soup for when you aren’t feeling well, or you need an easy weeknight dinner! My friend Kit taught me how to make this recipe when I had my first baby and I didn’t know how to cook. It’s been a staple ever since. The best part is you can buy the pre-chopped mirepoix from Trader Joe’s, and pick up a rotisserie chicken — the rest is a piece of cake! Garlic, turmeric, and ginger are also great foods to cook with and consume to support your immune system. Check the video for a fun tip on how to maximize your use of these three roots! Anne is a big ginger gal (she’s been drinking ginger juice for years!) and I’m trying to be more consistent. At the end of the day, we all get sick. We are human! It’s not about avoiding getting sick, it’s about prioritizing your health with the basics. At Noos we don’t believe in “majoring in the minors” — the wellness world is a confusing place, so many ads for colostrum, AG1, red light masks, and fear mongering instagram reels about seed oils, organic vs non organic — you name it! While it's tempting to seek out quick fixes or the latest health trends, these approaches rarely address “the basics.” Without establishing solid health fundamentals, investing in trendy wellness products or following the newest fads is pretty pointless. In the video, we referenced this Substack article. It really resonated with us, in particular this quote: But what happens when wellness becomes just another performance? When the pursuit of balance turns into a rigid regimen of kale smoothies and morning meditations that feel more like punishment than practice? It's easy to get caught up in the endless cycle of health optimization and stressing over the next best improvement (it’s enough to make you sick!). However, as Anne mentions in the video (we joked it’s her mantra 🤣), no food in isolation can be solely responsible for making you healthy or sick. We can’t rely on one thing to make or break our health. Instead, it’s the overall lifestyle choices that we are focused on at Noos. This approach offers meaningful, long-term benefits over chasing after the next big thing in wellness. The foundation of good health — a diet rich in whole foods, regular exercise, and consistent healthy habits — may not be glamorous, but these are the “basics” that truly impact our wellbeing. Until next time… Get full access to NooS Substack at noosworthy.substack.com/subscribe

20 мин.
30.09.2024

Coming to you "live" from Anne's Guest Room

Happy Monday to the Noos crew!! Hope everyone had a great weekend and are starting the week off well. We are psyched to be sharing a video recording with you all. We love to write, but thought we would try this out, too, in case you’re like us and like to do things while you listen (click “watch now” and it will take you to the Substack website to view the full video). Below you will find a quick synopsis of our recording, so if you prefer to read, be our guest. We have a solid group of subscribers that are friends and family, so they know who we are, but we are thrilled to have Substack followers who don’t know us yet, so here we are! We are moms, friends, and love to talk about all things nutrition, movement and behavior (why we do the things we do!). We kicked off our video talking about how September is kind of like a second new year. It’s a great opportunity to get back into a routine or try something new. I (Avery) gave an update on my protein challenge. It was a success! My muscle mass is the same (even though it briefly dipped) as it was in mid-july. The challenge definitely kept me focused on fueling my recovery with the right nutrition, during a time when I wasn’t as hungry as I might normally be (in the video I really butchered “anesthesia,” hopefully you got the gist 😂). Anne reflected on her plant challenge, which led us to the importance of building a complete meal, featuring protein, fat and fiber. When we can put a meal together that is balanced and hits each of those categories, the difference in our energy is pretty remarkable. Not only does it fuel workouts or daily activity, but a balanced meal helps our moods, our brains and our bodies function on a daily basis. Complete meals also satiate our appetites so we aren’t reaching for things we ideally don’t want to eat (that aren’t nourishing/satisfying). Finally, we give a preview for what’s to come over the next few months. Having the right mindset going into the holidays and the end of the year is critical! We are excited about the topics we will share as the year winds down. We will be discussing what immune boosting foods to work into your diet, protein/fat/fiber combos to energize you, ways to break behavior loops, the value of the placebo effect and putting a Noos spin on some of our favorite recipes! If you have any recipes you’d like us to take a look at, respond to this email and send us a link to it! We love riffing on recipes in many different ways — for ease (time, hassel, ingredients), added nutrition (more protein! more fiber!), or to make it more kid friendly! With Anne’s experience as a Registered Dietitian, and our combined experience as moms who cook for hungry kids on a daily basis, we are always looking for tasty, easy things to make. As always, we have so much fun putting these Noosletters together. We stepped out of our comfort zone a little bit today as we recorded our video post, but want to bring you in on our conversations — we hope you enjoyed! Until next time… Get full access to NooS Substack at noosworthy.substack.com/subscribe

15 мин.

Выпусков: 11

Created by Anne, RD & Avery, CHC. Two moms making eating whole foods, regular exercise and healthy habits cool. noosworthy.substack.com

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Anne, RD & Avery, CHC
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NooS Podcast

NooS Podcast

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Happy Noos Year!

why you should consider a misogi

growth mindset >

"December" with intention

Give yourself the gift of health✨

this little nutrient packs a huge punch

we are what we eat

Tricks to enjoy your Halloween Treats

Making healthier choices more appealing in the long run

prioritizing the basics to support your immune system

Coming to you "live" from Anne's Guest Room

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