Fuzzy Brain, Wt Training vs Cardio, Broke Neck, Coffee & Anxiety, and Much More

Good afternoon Nikkola Newsletterers!

On February 15, 399 BCE, Socrates, the classical Greek philosopher, was sentenced to death by the Athenian court on charges of impiety and corrupting the youth.

Socrates was known for his method of questioning, which often embarrassed and angered many Athenians by exposing their ignorance.

His approach to seeking truth and knowledge, as well as his criticism of democracy, made him widely unpopular.

He was associated with questioning the traditions of Athens. Additionally, his method of dialectic questioning led to accusations of corrupting the youth by teaching them to question authority and traditional beliefs.

If you just read that and thought, “Wow! It doesn’t sound that different from today,” I was thinking the same thing as I wrote it. Maybe that’s why I appreciate his wisdom and that of his fellow Stoics.

Enjoy this week's carefully curated newsletter!

Fuzzy Brain Symptoms: Causes and Solutions. As an adult, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced moments when your brain feels foggy or you struggle to concentrate. This phenomenon, commonly known as “fuzzy brain” or “brain fog,” can be frustrating and impact your daily life. But what causes these symptoms, and are there solutions to combat them? In this article, we will delve into the causes of fuzzy brain symptoms and explore solutions to enhance your clarity and cognitive function. Keep reading…

Weight Training or Cardio for Heart Health? Which is Better? If you were to ask the average person, or even the average healthcare practitioner, “What is the most important form of exercise?” the majority would respond with “Aerobic exercise,” like walking or running. That never made sense to me. Such antiquated advice doesn’t match up with scientific evidence, a basic understanding of exercise physiology, or my experience from the past two decades. Researchers in a recent meta-analysis examined the evidence for heart health benefits from strength training. Keep reading…

I Broke My Neck, Part 1: Injuries, Surgery, and Recovery Challenges. It was a warm summer morning, July 30. Vanessa, our grandson Asher, and I were riding a single-track mountain bike course in Woodbury, MN. As always, I rode in the third position, ironically, in the event either of them ever had a bad fall. I came upon a skinny bridge about three feet off the ground and, for a brief moment, thought I should skip it that day. I didn’t listen to my intuition. Keep reading…

Coffee does not induce anxiety or depression. I’m befuddled by how often people are told to stop drinking coffee because it causes stress or triggers anxiety and depression. The research just doesn’t support that. Are there exceptions? Of course, but another study backs up the value of coffee consumption for mental health. A just-published study involving more than 150,000 middle-aged men and women found that “2-3 cups of ground coffee, milk-coffee, and unsweetened coffee per day was associated with lower risk of depression and anxiety.” That goes along with numerous other such findings.

Resistance is a powerful treatment for anxiety and depression. Numerous research studies show that this is the case, with a new one adding to that evidence. However, it’s not totally clear yet how it has such a significant effect. In my opinion, it helps with normalizing stress-related hormones and neurotransmitters, especially when they’re higher than they should be. That’s different from the way specific probiotics might work, which help in producing more of the calming neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA.

ADHD meds still in short supply. The ongoing shortage of Adderall and other ADHD medications in the United States has escalated frustrations among those dependent on these drugs for managing ADHD symptoms. Originating during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased diagnoses and prescription rates, compounded by manufacturing delays and unprecedented demand, the shortage has left patients and parents scrambling to find necessary medication. Efforts to resolve the issue are hampered by controlled substance regulations and cautious manufacturing quotas, making it difficult for many to obtain their medication, impacting their daily lives and overall well-being.

Should you workout with your spouse as you get older? Maybe not. A new study shows that when older couples exercise together, they exercise less than older couples who exercise on their own. Could it be that one of the two talks the other into ending the workout early? That part wasn’t clear. But if you aren’t seeing progress when working out together, maybe try going to the gym at the same time, but doing your own routines.

When it comes to heart disease, you can’t outexercise a high-sugar diet. The average American consumed about 70 grams of sugar every day. The recommendation is to exercise for at least 150 minutes per week, but according to research, that amount of exercise isn’t enough to offset the damage the sugar does for your cardiovascular system. Would it help if that exercise time was intense strength training instead of walking? Sure. But as you age, you’ve gotta manage your sweet tooth.

Dietary fiber, or the short-chain fatty acids bacteria produce when they break it down, could prevent allergies. A new study has demonstrated that gut bacteria can transform dietary fiber into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), acting as an anti-allergy weapon. This research revealed how SCFAs can suppress allergic reactions by inhibiting the activation of mast cells, which are key players in allergic responses. The study provides insights into the anti-allergic properties of SCFAs, including their interactions with specific receptors and their impact on gene expression related to allergic reactions. It’s possible that consuming the SFFAs in supplemental form, like in MentaSync, could have the same effect.

🥛 The Curse of Ultra-Pasteurization (The Epoch Times). Ways to process and store massive amounts of milk produced by factory farms robs it of it’s natural nutrients—but today, unprocessed milk is making a comeback. Keep reading…

🤮 You’ve tried plant-based meat, but here come meat-based plants (Engadget). A team of South Korean researchers at Yonsei University have developed a hybrid rice variant that’s quite literally filled with beef. The lab-grown rice grains were infused with cow muscle and fat cells, so they are one part plant and one part meat. The rice is also an appetizing shade of bright pink, which tends to happen when flesh enters the picture. Keep reading…

💪 The gym industry is rattled by a flabby January as customers resist membership plans over $10 (Fortune). Foot traffic to major gyms was flat from January 2023, according to mobile phone location data for 10 chains tracked by Placer.ai. January visits rose more than 40% in each of the past two years at the clubs, which include both closely held ones like Equinox Holdings Inc. and listed ones like Planet Fitness Inc. and Xponential Fitness Inc. Keep reading…