The SHN #82: The Great Indoor Migration and Insulin Sensitivity

Welcome back to The Synergetic Health Newsletter! 

In this edition, we’ll investigate a concerning long-term trend in the US.

After that, a blueprint into improving your insulin sensitivity.

Then comes the usual links to things I’ve found particularly interesting recently.

December 12th, 2024: Greetings From Bangkok, Thailand! I enjoyed spending two weeks on the island of Phuket- mostly in the quieter beach town of Rawai which is way down south. Within 10 minutes on a scooter I could be at one of several world class beaches, cliff lookout points with insane views, and the port which took me for a trip to the Phi Phi Islands and the national park where “The Beach” was partly filmed.

It was one of the only times in my life I’ve joined a “tour” where you get shuttled around like sheep to multiple places/islands over the course of the day. I can’t believe this is a regular thing people do. For me, it takes so much joy out of the travel experience. Especially when you’re being peppered with questions from a woman from Scotland whose husband was seasick inside the cabin— while dealing with intense dry mouth after smoking a joint at one of the island stops along the way.

Now I’ve arrived in the capital city Bangkok, which is way more clean and upscale (at least in parts) than I was expecting. It has many similarities to other Southeast Asian cities, including the heavy reliance on supermalls as social hubs. I must admit, the quality of options at the 7th floor mall food courts is incredibly impressive. My current neighborhood, Thonglor, rivals top neighborhoods in other big cities.

🏠 The Great Indoor Migration

In 1960, nearly 40% of American jobs required moderate physical activity. Today, less than 20% do. This dramatic shift mirrors a larger trend in American life: we've become an indoor species.

The numbers paint a stark picture. The average American now spends 93% of their life inside - 87% in buildings and 6% in vehicles. For context, that's about 22.3 hours per day indoors. Our ancestors would hardly recognize this lifestyle.

Tracking the Indoor Shift

The Environmental Protection Agency began studying Americans' indoor/outdoor time in the late 1980s. Even then, we spent about 17 hours a day inside. But the rise of the internet, smartphones, and remote work has pushed this number even higher.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2003 and 2021:

• Time spent on outdoor activities dropped by 18%

• Screen time increased by 42%

• At-home leisure time grew by 37%

The Youth Impact

The change is most dramatic in young Americans. Children today spend less than 7 minutes per day in unstructured outdoor play, compared to over an hour in the 1980s (!!!). Teenagers average just 7.7 hours per week outdoors - a 50% decline from their 1990s counterparts.

The Health Connection

This indoor migration has coincided with a dramatic rise in Vitamin D deficiency. CDC data shows:

• 41.6% of Americans are Vitamin D deficient

• Deficiency rates increased by 200% between 2000 and 2020

• The problem is most acute in young adults (ages 20-39)

The Entertainment Revolution

How we spend leisure time has transformed:

• In 1950, Americans watched about 4.5 hours of TV per week

• By 2021, screen time (TV, computer, phone) averaged 7.5 hours per day

• Social media use increased from 5% of Americans in 2005 to 72% in 2021

The Workout Paradox

Interestingly, while outdoor time decreased, exercise has increased:

• Gym memberships rose from 32.8 million in 2000 to 64.2 million in 2019

• Home fitness equipment sales grew 170% during the pandemic

• Yet only 24% of Americans meet recommended physical activity guidelines

We're exercising more - just indoors.

Work's Indoor Migration

The nature of work has changed dramatically:

• In 1970, about 2% of Americans worked primarily indoors at desks

• By 2020, over 60% of jobs were "information work" done inside

• Post-pandemic, 58% of Americans have the option to work remotely

The Silver Linings

Not all trends are negative:

• National Park visits hit record highs in recent years

• Outdoor recreation participation grew 8% between 2019 and 2021

• Interest in gardening, hiking, and outdoor photography has surged

What's Behind the Shift? Several factors drive our indoor migration:

1. Technology advancement

2. Service-based economy

3. Climate-controlled environments

4. Safety concerns

5. Digital entertainment options

The Path Forward

There are several strategies to help reverse this trend:

• Schedule outdoor time like any other appointment

• Take walking meetings

• Create outdoor social events

• Start morning outdoor routines

• Use technology to track and encourage outdoor activity

The Challenge Ahead

As we become increasingly aware of the indoor-outdoor imbalance, the challenge is how to restructure our lives to make outdoor time natural and necessary rather than forced and occasional.

The stakes are high.

Beyond Vitamin D deficiency, our indoor lifestyle has been linked to:

• Increased anxiety and depression

• Higher rates of obesity

• Poor sleep quality

• Reduced creativity

• Weakened immune systems

The Solution

The answer is finding ways to blend our technological world with our biological need for outdoor exposure. Things like:

• Outdoor workspaces

• Nature-based education

• Green architecture

• Urban planning that prioritizes outdoor access

The question isn't whether we can return to our outdoor roots - it's how we can create a new balance that honors both our modern capabilities and our ancient needs for sun, air, and natural light.

🍓 Improving Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin sensitivity plays a major role in our metabolic health, acting as the gatekeeper for glucose entry into our cells. While many people focus on cutting carbs to manage insulin-related issues, there might be a more effective approach to improving insulin sensitivity naturally.

The Stress-Insulin Connection

When our bodies enter a stress state - whether from fasting, intense exercise, or emotional stress - we release free fatty acids from fat stores. These fatty acids compete with glucose for cellular entry, making it harder for insulin to do its job. This competition, known as the Randall cycle, can lead to consistently elevated blood glucose and insulin levels, potentially contributing to insulin resistance over time.

The Fructose Factor

Nature provides us with an interesting blueprint for improving insulin sensitivity through the behavior of bears post-hibernation. When bears emerge from hibernation in a diabetic-like state, they consume large amounts of honey, which contains both glucose and fructose. Within weeks, their insulin sensitivity returns to normal.

Fructose, often demonized in health media, can actually help improve insulin sensitivity when consumed properly. Unlike glucose, fructose doesn't require insulin to enter cells, making it a valuable tool for improving metabolic function, particularly in the liver.

A Strategic Approach to Better Insulin Sensitivity

Here's a practical daily protocol to enhance insulin sensitivity:

1. Start your day with warm bone broth to prepare your digestive system

2. Maintain a slight underfed state during the day, consuming mostly whole fruits

3. About an hour before your main meal, drink warm water with honey, salt, and lemon

4. Have your largest, carb-containing meal in the evening

5. Consider taking aspirin with your evening meal to help reduce free fatty acids in the bloodstream

This approach works because the daytime fruit consumption provides a gentle supply of both glucose and fructose, helping to maintain metabolic function without overwhelming the system. The evening meal timing takes advantage of your body's enhanced insulin sensitivity after a day of light eating.

Considerations

When following this protocol, you should still consume adequate daily calories - you're just redistributing when you eat them. During the day, maintain a slight hunger sensation, but not to the point where you feel completely empty. If hunger disappears entirely, it might indicate that you're undereating and should consume a bit more fruit.

Exercise can enhance this protocol's effectiveness. A brief workout before your evening meal can improve glucose uptake by your muscles, as muscle contraction allows glucose entry without insulin's help.

This approach offers a practical alternative to the common "cut all carbs" mentality for improving insulin sensitivity. By working with your body's natural processes and timing your nutrient intake strategically, you can enhance your metabolic health without extreme dietary restrictions.

Variations on this type of strategy are popular in the health subgroups I follow online, including the “only fruit until noon” and the honey diet I’ve written about in the past.

𝕏 Thread of the Week

💨 Buteyko Breathing 101: I've written about Buteyko breathing before, and this comprehensive article does a great job explaining both the theory and practical application. The piece details how Dr. Buteyko discovered that reduced breathing volume could improve health, challenging our assumptions about CO2 being merely a waste product. His method differs significantly from popular techniques like Wim Hof or box breathing - instead focusing on creating mild air hunger while staying relaxed. The core insight is that carbon dioxide isn't just something to exhale, but a crucial molecule for delivering oxygen to our tissues through the Bohr Effect.

If you're interested in trying this yourself, the article provides detailed instructions for two simple exercises: seated breath control and walking breath holds. Alternatively, download the Oxygen Advantage app developed by Patrick McKeown, which offers guided Buteyko-based exercises.

😴 Being a Night Owl Is Not Optimal: A Stanford Medicine study of nearly 75,000 adults found that staying up late is detrimental to mental health, regardless of one's natural sleep preference (chronotype). Night owls who stayed true to their late-night tendencies were 20-40% more likely to develop mental health disorders compared to those who adopted earlier sleep schedules.

😴 You Need to Breathe Through Your Nose At Night: The study "Rediscovering the Importance of Nasal Breathing in Sleep" by P. Lavie emphasizes the critical role of nasal breathing in regulating respiration during sleep, a concept acknowledged since the sixteenth century. Historical accounts highlighted the negative effects of mouth breathing and the benefits of nasal breathing on sleep quality. The study reaffirms that obstructed nasal breathing can lead to sleep disorders, aligning with past clinical observations. Also, “Nasal breathing boosts deep sleep, oxygenation of tissues, nitric oxide and lowers stress...it also improves your jawline, blood flow to your head and facial structure.” Give mouth taping a try if you haven’t already.

🔗 One Hitters

💉 12 Years of Peptide Research and Insane Self-Experimentation Boiled Down to a 2-Minute Cheat Sheet (Link)

💪 Eating 0.7g of protein per pound of bodyweight is the optimal number (Video)
-For a 135lb woman, aim for approximately 95g of protein per day; for a 180lb man, aim for approximately 125g. This is less than a lot of the fitness influencers preach. 

🧸 Pomegranate gummies with grass fed beef gelatin and honey (Recipe)

I’m Taking Over the World 😂😂😂

📚 Read my e-book, “Self-Development for Authentic Living” for free.

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

📰 To read all past newsletters, go here.