The SHN #60: Cheap Health Interventions, Truth, and Who Not How

Welcome back to The Synergetic Health Newsletter! 

In this edition, we’ll explore a non-comprehensive list of 10 cheap and easy health interventions.

After that, a look into the search for Truth.

Then comes a discussion about the self-improvement book “Who Not How” and how you can use its message to improve your health.

Finally, I’ll include some links to things I’ve found particularly interesting recently.

🇭🇺 Greetings From Budapest Hungary 🇭🇺

👋 I hope everyone is enjoying their summer, anything happening in the US?

Two friends and I just spent the last month road tripping through the lesser-visited parts of Italy— including Sicily (Catania, Taormina, Palermo, Cefalu), Tropea, Pizzo, Taranto, Gallipoli, Lecce, Polignano a Mare, Bari, Matera, Spello, and Rimini— an awesome experience with very few English speakers met along the way. The highlight for me was jumping off the cliffs into the crystal clear blue sea all along the coast.

Now I’ve arrived in Budapest and can already say that it’s a city worth a visit. Very walkable, beautiful buildings, rich history, (mostly) friendly people, and abundant thermal baths. Lots of English speaking which is nice for a change. Also the Hungarian goulash is just a little bit better than my mom’s “goulash”. Happy birthday Mom!

Traveling in Italy is a bit more expensive than my other destinations, so I was probably spending around $75-80 a day there on average, including lodging. My Budapest AirBnB is $44 a night so my daily spend is around $65-70 a day. I only eat a meal out every 2-3 days, have a few gelatos, orange juices, and coffees out, and either walk or take the bus/train. I haven’t talked about my budget-travel ways much here but if that’s something anyone is interested in I’m happy to write more about it!

📈 10 Cheap and Easy Health Interventions

1. Get full spectrum sunlight: It's free and just a few hours a day consistently lowers rates of disease, including CVD, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Make an effort to watch the sunrise/sunset or get a red light panel.

2. Blue-light filtered lightbulbs or glasses: A one-time purchase that will improve your health for years. Wear blue light blockers every night to limit artificial light.

3. Milk and eggs: While high-quality can be more expensive, they're loaded with nutrition regardless of source, and local farms are often quite cheap.

4. All potatoes: Potatoes are another "multivitamin" food that's incredibly cheap.

5. Fruit: Generally very cheap and one of the best sources of soluble fiber, which improves gut barrier integrity. Many neurogenic and anti-inflammatory properties are found in fruits.

6. Buteyko breathing/nose breathing: Breathing techniques that increase CO2 and oxygen retention are highly beneficial, improving respiration and blood flow to the brain.

7. Solve all interpersonal conflicts ASAP: Maintaining healthy relationships and resolving conflicts quickly can greatly reduce stress and improve overall well-being.

8. Walk 8,000+ steps a day

9. Avoid or limit news and politics*: Excessive exposure to negative news and political content can increase stress and anxiety levels.

10. Cultivate a hobby/learn a skill: Enriches your life with fulfilling and enjoyable activities, wards off cognitive decline, and reduces stress.

*I know how hard it is going to be these next few months dealing with the US political climate. I can absolutely promise you that the less attention and energy you give to the election and everything surrounding it, the better your health/life will be. Your life force is literally getting syphoned away by it— I urge you to reconsider how much you choose to consume.

🔍 The Quest for Truth

Often, I find myself reflecting on the evolving nature of my beliefs and perspectives. In recent months, I've encountered compelling arguments that have challenged my understanding of both the scientific and spiritual realms, leading me to question the very foundation of my worldview.

The mandorla, an almond-shaped symbol formed by the intersection of two overlapping circles, serves as a powerful metaphor for the relationship between science and spirituality. In traditional iconography, the mandorla often signifies heaven, Divine Glory, or Light, and is used to encircle the entire body of a sacred figure. However, in this context, we can view the mandorla as representing the space where the physical and non-physical realms intersect and coexist.

One circle represents the physical universe, governed by the laws of nature and the rigorous methods of scientific inquiry. The other represents the spiritual or metaphysical universe, a realm often associated with the mysterious, the transcendent, and the ineffable. While these two domains may seem distinct, the mandorla reminds us that there is a space where they overlap, offering a more comprehensive understanding of reality.

In my exploration of this intersection, I've come to realize that the path to truth is not always clear-cut. The spiritual marketplace is filled with a wide array of ideas, books, thoughts, practices, and people from various traditions that claim to hold the answers to life's deepest questions. However, engaging with this vast array of spiritual offerings requires a keen sense of discernment and a willingness to question even the most alluring concepts.

At the same time, recent advancements in fields such as quantum physics, neuroscience, and consciousness studies have begun to bridge the gap between science and spirituality, offering new insights into the nature of reality. Theories like the holographic universe, the role of consciousness in shaping our experience, and the interconnectedness of all things suggest that our understanding of the world may be far more complex than traditional scientific models have assumed.

As I explore these ideas, I find myself grappling with the temptation to have it all figured out, to be the one who holds the ultimate truth. According to Ernest Becker in "The Denial of Death," this often-unconscious desire to make a mark on the world and leave a lasting legacy is not just a powerful motivator but the primary driver of human behavior. He argues that the fear of death and the need to find meaning in our lives compel us to seek heroic acts and grand accomplishments.

So, it makes sense that many people on both poles of understanding want to believe they have it all figured out and that their camp is the one everyone should be in. After all, it is human nature to want to have climbed the mountaintop of truth and understanding and shout it down to others.

Yet, the search for truth is an inherently personal journey, one that requires each of us to confront our own biases, assumptions, and limitations. No one can claim to have all the answers, and the path to understanding is often marked by uncertainty, doubt, and the willingness to revise our beliefs in the face of new evidence.

In my individual process, I look to maintain a balance between scientific inquiry and the openness to all other possibilities. I seek to approach new ideas with a critical eye, while also remaining receptive to the mystery and wonder of the universe. By doing this, I hope to find a middle ground that honors the best of both science and spirituality.

The search for truth is a never ending process.

💪 Reach Your Health Goals by Focusing on "Who" Not "How"

Most of us have health and wellness goals we'd like to achieve, whether it's losing weight, getting fit, reducing stress, or managing a chronic condition. But too often, we get stuck on figuring out "how" to reach those goals all on our own. We research diets and workout plans, buy gadgets and gear, and try to force ourselves to change through sheer effort and willpower.

According to the book "Who Not How" by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy, this is exactly the wrong approach. The authors argue that the key to achieving goals is not asking "How can I do this?" but rather "Who can help me do this?" By working with the right "Whos," we can reach our objectives much more efficiently.

This shift can be applied to your health. Instead of struggling to become an expert on nutrition, seek out an expert. Rather than forcing yourself through workouts you hate, find a great personal trainer who makes exercise fun and motivating.

Need to reduce stress and improve your mental health? Work with a skilled therapist or counselor. Want better sleep, more energy, or to optimize your hormones? Consult with a functional medicine doctor or naturopath. The options are endless.

The "Who Not How" ethos is about focusing on results, not effort. It's about surrounding yourself with talented people who can provide the expertise, resources and perspectives you lack. Yes, it requires letting go of control and ego. But wouldn't you rather spend your time and energy on the things you do best while empowering Whos to help with the rest?

Of course, accessing Whos often requires an investment of time and money. But the authors assert that Whos are never a cost, always an investment.

If you've been spinning your wheels trying to improve your health on your own, try a new approach. Ask yourself, "Who can help me reach my wellness goals faster and with more ease?" Then seek out those Whos. Focusing on "Who" rather than "How" may just be the breakthrough you need to become your happiest, healthiest self.

I’d be happy to be a Who for anyone who needs one!

𝕏 Thread of the Week

🧠 Mental Health Issues Reduce Energy Production in the Brain: In a study titled "Psychosocial experiences are associated with human brain mitochondrial biology," researchers have uncovered a significant link between our mental experiences and the energy production in our brains. This research sheds light on how our psychological states may directly impact our brain health, and vice versa.

By examining brain tissue samples and comparing them with individuals' reported psychosocial experiences, the researchers found a correlation: people who reported higher well-being tended to have a greater abundance of mitochondrial proteins responsible for energy production. Conversely, those reporting more negative moods showed lower levels of these vital proteins.

The research also revealed differences between brain cell types. Using advanced single-cell analysis techniques, the team discovered that the relationship between psychosocial experiences and mitochondrial function was particularly strong in the brain's support cells.

These results open up new avenues for understanding treating mental health issues. By demonstrating the biological impact of our psychosocial experiences on brain energy production, this study suggests that supporting mitochondrial function could be a promising approach to improving mental well-being and overall brain health.

🧂 Don’t Be Afraid of Salt: In her article "Why Are We So Scared of Salt?", Angela A. Stanton, PhD challenges the decades-old health dogma that demonizes salt. Stanton argues that the widespread advice to reduce salt intake has been a "broad-brush campaign" with potentially "disastrous consequences" for many. She questions the logic behind singling out salt as "enemy number one" and points to emerging research that contradicts long-held beliefs about salt's effects on health.

"It is scientifically irresponsible to analyze biological processes in the human body involving salt without accounting for the effects of... the amount of water consumed," Stanton asserts. Her piece serves as a call to action for the medical community to reassess its stance on salt, urging a "process of correction" in light of new evidence.

🏋🏼‍♀️ Lifting Weights Once a Week is OK For Beginners: In their review "Minimalist Training: Is Lower Dosage or Intensity Resistance Training Effective to Improve Physical Fitness?", Behm et al. explored whether less intense, less frequent resistance training (RT) can still yield significant fitness benefits, particularly for beginners or those with limited time.

"The least amount of RT that can be performed to improve physical fitness for beginners for at least the first 12 weeks is one weekly session at intensities below 50% 1RM, with < 3 sets per multi-joint exercise," the researchers conclude, offering hope to those intimidated by traditional RT recommendations.

This review suggests that even minimal RT efforts can produce meaningful results, potentially making fitness more accessible to a broader population. By highlighting the effectiveness of lower-dose RT, the study should breed optimism among sedentary individuals who are unwilling to work out multiple times per week.

🔗 One Hitters

🥭 Ray Peat-inspired Costco grocery guide (Video)

💭 "We poison ourselves with the wrong food, then try to mitigate the painful consequences of our folly by poisoning ourselves still further with drugs.'' - Aldous Huxley

💪🏻 Creatine rapidly reverse anxiety (Post)

😨 Stress, trauma & negative emotions can degrade melanin, leading to a loss of charge & both dysregulation/depletion of various neurotransmitters (Thread)

📚 What I’m Consuming 🎙️

Currently Reading
-The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self by Michael Easter
-Path of Empowerment: New Pleiadian Wisdom for a World in Chaos by Barbara Marciniak

Recently Finished
-Effortless Being by David Bingham (My Highlights)
-Illumination of Consciousness by Frederick Dodson (My Highlights)
-The Endless American Midnight by Christopher Knowles (My Highlights)
-Journeys in Spectral Consciousness by Frederick Dodson (My Highlights)

Listening History
-Five recent episodes of Dr. Mercola’s “Take Back Your Health” podcast. Mercola has fully embraced Dr. Ray Peat’s work with bioenergetics and has had many practitioners and researchers on lately to discuss that work.
-The Fourth Turning is Here with Brandon Quittem on the “What Bitcoin Did Podcast”
-A Journey Into the Psychedelic Powers of Cannabis with Ryan Sprague on “The Way Forward” podcast.
-Analyzing Humanity’s Cosmic Allies with Paul Wallis on “The Jay Campbell Podcast”
-Five Issues on My Mind on the “EMF Remedy” podcast.

✔️ That will do it for this time! Hopefully you got some value out of it. If you have any questions/comments/things you’d like to learn more about please don’t hesitate to reach out.

🔗 If you know anyone who loves learning about these types of topics, send them this link!

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