The SHN #63: Exercises, Well-Being, and Thought Crimes

Welcome back to The Synergetic Health Newsletter! 

In this edition, I’ll first ask how I can help you and then tell you some of my go-to exercises to build muscle.

After that, why general well-being is my #1 priority in life.

Then comes a look into why people who question things are often looked at like crazies.

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

🇵🇭 Hello From Cebu City, Philippines 🏝️

It’s my first time in Asia! A bit of a culture shock at first— but eased by the fact that English is so widely spoken here.

Already I’ve eaten pig brains with my hands, visited the new top-notch casino Nustar, been caught in several torrential downpours (it’s rainy season), found myself in questionable parts of town receiving inquisitive stares, dealt with insanely high humidity, had the most brutal food poisoning experience, spotted dozens of older white men with younger Filipina girlfriends or wives, and got a mall haircut (malls are huge and extremely popular here).

I’m staying in a bit of a bubble, a neighborhood called IT park, which insulates you from the high amounts of traffic, poverty, and pollution that sadly exist in the city. That being said, the people here are happy and friendly— often seen smiling and laughing.

My studio apartment here in a “luxury” building checks in at $30/night. The building has a nice pool area for me to get my daily UV. A meal outside the bubble consisting of rice, a fried egg, and a small portion of a meat of your choosing is around $2— the same meal is around $4 inside the bubble. I splurged on a steak, shrimp, and rice dinner from a nice restaurant which was $15 delivered. I’m mostly unimpressed with the options at the markets.

Thirty minute cab rides are around $4-5. I’ve been buying day passes at a hotel gym for $5, where 1/3 of the machines are out of order and the rest are a good 15-20 years old, but it works for me nonetheless!

That’s all from me…. I’m off to Siargao Island tomorrow 😎

🤝 Can I Help?

I’ve got some free time on my hands and would like to extend an invitation to the first three people who respond to this offer.

For one month I will offer these three people unlimited answers to their questions about anything you think I can help with. One question at a time and I will do my best to answer as quickly and thoroughly as I can.

My “expertise” is in the health and wellness world but I hold no active certifications, so nothing is medical advice! But I have a fairly large knowledge base that can help in the broad areas of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

I have long sought out the biggest bang-for-your-buck interventions to living a healthy and happy life and would love to help share anything I can to people who earnestly are looking for answers.

Of course I don’t know everything so if I don’t know something I will both look it up for you and send you whatever resources I find while you think of your next question to ask.

You can ask me how to become less reactive.
You can send me your diet or workout plans and I can comment.
You can ask me what foods are better than others.
You can have me write up an entire workout plan for you.
You can ask me my experiences with energy healing.
You can have me search for healthier products to have in your home.
You can ask me advice on how to sleep better.
You can send me your entire food logs and I can help you improve it.
You can ask me how I’ve overcome my fear of heights.
You can ask me to share my favorite books, teachers, systems.
You can ask me what supplements may be of interest.
You can have me write to you about my beliefs on the ego and higher self.

You get the point! Anything is fair game.

🏋️‍♀️ My Go-To Exercises For Each Major Body Part

Here are some of my favorite/the best exercises which prioritize full range of motion safely while maximizing tension on the muscle group being worked.

Upper Body

Chest: Pushups with hands elevated on yoga blocks (Video)
-remember where to push from

Back: Chest Supported T-Bar Row (Video)

Shoulders
Side: Lu Raise (Video)
Rear: Cable Reverse Flye (Video)

Triceps: Split Stance Cable Overhead Extension w/ Straight Bar (Video)

Biceps: Bayesian Curl (Video)

Lower Body

Quadriceps: Reverse Nordic Curl (Video)

Hamstrings: Lying Leg Curl Machine (seated is better for muscle growth but
I don’t like it as much) (Video)

Glutes: Dumbbell Front Lunge (Video)

Calves: Leg Press Calf Raise (Video)

Abs

Function: Swiss Ball Dead Bug Variations (Video)
Form: Ab Wheel Rollout (Video)

🥇 Put Your Well-Being First

For me, improving my general state is the most important aim in life.

This isn’t necessarily a "goal" but a necessary foundation for things to flow more smoothly.

The general feeling of well-being is at the top of my priority list because it removes all the conditions that “have to” be met in order to be happy. When you already feel good, when you already have happiness, there is no subconscious resistance to the present moment.

There is no “I’ll be happy when I achieve xyz,” “I’ll feel good when Friday afternoon comes,” or “I’ll be satisfied when they apologize to me.”

I believe that everything we do in life aims to improve our well-being. This applies to all sentient beings. The basic drive to seek good feelings and avoid bad ones motivates every action, desire, resistance, plan, and worry.

The problem people run into is constantly believing that the next carrot will miraculously improve their state, when in reality the carrot becomes easier to reach when you are already in an improved state.

See the paradox?

For example: Why do you exercise? "To stay healthy." Why do you want to stay healthy? "To feel good and live longer." In this case, exercising is driven by both the desire to feel good (and thus avoiding feeling bad) and the fear of death.

Viewed differently: "Because I feel good, I am motivated to exercise, which helps maintain and improve my overall well-being."

Prioritizing well-being not only makes life more enjoyable now but also sets the foundation for achieving other goals more effortlessly.

💡 Thought Crimes and Social Punishment

From Christopher Knowles “The Great American Midnight”:

It's a curious phenomenon highlighted by Knowles: society often tolerates widespread mediocrity, yet reserves its harshest judgment for those who dare to question the nature of reality itself.

This invisible scarlet letter of nonconformity empowers even the most incompetent individuals to mock and ridicule the questioner with impunity. In fact, such behavior is often rewarded, as it upholds the sacred virtues of conformity that those in power seek to maintain.

This dynamic plays out frequently in public forums. Those who question prevailing narratives, beliefs, or "settled science" often face ridicule, shadow-banning, and ostracism. Individuals with long histories of achievement and clear-headed thinking aren't immune. One step into challenging the "consensus" can lead to swift and severe backlash.

On a personal level, I've experienced this resistance when challenging long-held beliefs or worldviews. There's an almost palpable tension that arises, as if an invisible line has been crossed. Once that threshold is breached, everything you say may be met with deflection and defensiveness.

This phenomenon raises questions about the nature of progress and the role of unconventional thinking in society. How can we foster an environment where challenging ideas are met with curiosity rather than contempt? How do we balance the need for societal consensus with the importance of paradigm-shifting thought?

Perhaps the key lies in building a collective mindset that values intellectual humility and open inquiry. By taking on board the Socratic wisdom of knowing that we don't know everything, we might create space for thinking that brings us greater understanding.

𝕏 Thread of the Week

🦴 The Magic Of Collagen: In this video, Brad Marshall discusses the health benefits of collagen, a protein rich in amino acids like glycine and arginine. Arginine in collagen is essential for producing nitric oxide, a vasodilator that enhances blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissues. This is particularly beneficial for individuals with obesity, who often experience reduced blood flow and increased inflammation.

Supplementing with collagen can mitigate these issues by boosting nitric oxide levels and reducing inflammatory markers. Additionally, collagen's unique amino acid profile, with high glycine and arginine content and low branch-chain amino acids, supports better metabolic health and insulin sensitivity. Some of the people I’ve been learning from recently try to get 30% of their protein intake per day from collagen, which is A LOT more than the average person gets.

💊 Diabetes— Another Problem With Hormonal Birth Control: This article highlights a concerning link between hormonal birth control and increased risk of diabetes. This connection was first noted in the 1970 Nelson Pill Hearings, where experts testified that oral contraceptives could aggravate existing diabetes and alter carbohydrate metabolism.

Recent studies suggest that hormonal contraceptives may increase the risk of gestational diabetes and predispose women to diabetes across their lifespan. The author criticizes the lack of conclusive research on this topic and questions the acceptability of these risks. She argues that women are still forced to choose between convenient contraception and their health, as the potential dangers of hormonal birth control continue to be downplayed or hidden.

😴 Aspirin Mitigates Effects of Sleep Deprivation: A recent human study has shown that low-dose aspirin can mitigate the negative cognitive effects of sleep deprivation by reducing brain inflammation. This finding is particularly significant given the prevalence of sleep deprivation in Western countries and its associated health risks, including infertility, diabetes, dementia, heart disease, and cancer.

The researchers demonstrated that preemptive administration of low-dose aspirin during sleep restriction reduced pro-inflammatory responses. This suggests that aspirin may offer a more effective and less harmful alternative to conventional sleeping pills in addressing the inflammatory consequences of sleep deprivation.

🔗 One Hitters

👨‍🦲 Aspirin: The Swiss Army Knife of Baldness Remedies? (Video)

🪄Aspirin: The Miracle Drug (Video)

🕖 Stop eating after 7pm (Here’s why)

🦷 What is the “best” oral hygiene routine? (Post)

🏛️ Delete politics from your life (Video)

✔️ 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!

📰 To read all past newsletters, go here.