Hi All,

Here is our list of interests/learnings/ponderings for the week.  Enjoy, and as always, we love your feed back so let us know if you enjoyed this post.

OUR OBSESSION:

Sleep - getting enough as well as good quality.  The more we learn, the more interested we become.  Why such a fascination?  Well...a short blurb directly out of the book Gregg has been reading, Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker, sums it up pretty well. 

"Scientists have discovered a revolutionary new treatment that makes you live longer.  It enhances your memory and makes you more creative.  It makes you look more attractive.  It keeps you slim and lowers food cravings.  It protects you from cancer and dementia.  It wards off colds and the flu.  It lowers your risk of heart attacks and stroke, not to mention diabetes.  You'll feel happier, less depressed and less anxious.  Are you interested?"

He is referring to sleep, of course.

Six simple ways to help you get more and better sleep are:

1. Keep your room on the cooler side.  
2. Turn off all screens, ideally 2 hours before bedtime.  If you must use a screen, invest in blue blocking glasses.
3. Create a sleep cave out of your room.  Cover up any and every light in your room, including small rays of light coming in from the streets, lights from alarm clocks, smoke alarms, etc.  (These tiny pre-cut light blocking stickers are really helpful).
4. Avoid alcohol before bed.  It takes your body hours to process alcohol and get it out of your system and it WILL disrupt your sleep, so save drinking for special occasions.
5. Create a sleep schedule and stick to it every day including weekends.
6. Get outside in natural sunlight at least 30 minutes a day to help regulate daily sleep patterns.  If you can, make it first thing in the morning. 

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FOOD EXPLORATION CONTINUED:

Our Okinawan exploration continues.  (The soba noodle soup was AMAZING, by the way.  Sorry, it was gobbled up before I could snap any pictures.  Email us if you'd like the recipe we used (I made noodles from scratch but some good alternatives are available at Thrive Market or even Amazon).  

Next, we tried a little something to satisfy the sweet tooth, Imo Custard.  Though not very sweet at all, by "normal" standards, we really enjoyed this recipe.  We tried it as written below, and also substituting the sweetener completely with a bit of cinnamon, which changed the flavor profile, but was equally enjoyable...even by 9 year old taste buds.  

Imo Custard (Okinawan sweet potato dessert)

• 4-6 Okinawan Sweet Potatoes or Purple Yams, peeled boiled and mashed
• 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar (we used maple syrup)
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• Milk (cow, coconut or nut milk) as needed

Blend all ingredients until creamy, adding milk to get to desired consistency.

Another helpful takeaway from the Okinawan culture is the concept of Hara hachi bun me (腹八分目/はらはちぶんめ), (or hara hachi bu).  As Okinawa has the highest proportion of centenarians in the world, its worth paying some attention to.  What exactly is hara hachi bu?  It is a Confucian teaching that translates to "belly 80 percent full".  Of course this is relative and difficult to quantify, but is simply a wonderful reminder to eat slowly and reap the benefits of chewing your food well, being present and expressing gratitude during mealtime.

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MOVEMENT OF THE WEEK:

Dead Hang Plus.  Add on to the dead hang from last week and try lifting your chest and squeezing your shoulder blades down and back while hanging.  Hold strongly for a few seconds before releasing and repeating.  Note that the movement should come from the shoulder girdle, not your arms.  Keep your elbows straight. 

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FINAL WORDS:

Inspired by Gabby Reece, my super-hero role model, we, as a family, have declared February a No-Complaining Month.  According to research, less complaining = better mood + increased happiness and mindfulness.  It's only day 5, but the effects are REAL.  It's a great exercise in taking a pause before speaking, and also rethinking and perhaps editing the way we express ourselves.  We are each holding each other as accountability partners, just in case we begin to slide down the complaining rabbit hole.  Join us.  You have nothing to lose and so much to gain!

Have a great week!

Hello Evolutionaries!  We hope the weekend has been relaxing and fulfilling.  Here's what we're upto this week.

WHAT WE ARE READING:

• Auggie and Me by R.J. Palacio.  We are fortunate enough to have a 9 year old daughter who reads like its going out of style.  This is her recommendation.  I haven't gotten to it yet, but if the first book, Wonder (now also a major motion picture), is any indication, it will be well worth the investment in time.  Heartfelt and well written book about empathy, kindness and being human.  
• Farmocology: Total Health from the Ground Up by Daphne Miller (who wrote the book we were reading last week, Jungle Effect).  An interesting investigation into biodynamic farming and its relationship to health and medicine.  Definitely a fresh perspective.
• Why We Sleep, Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker
• Did anyone read this article in the NY Times this week?  It's an interesting look into friendship and its relationship to health and also offers up some tips on how to nurture our connections.

MOVEMENTS OF THE WEEK:

• Dead Hang.  Why?  Several reasons.  Spinal decompression, decreasing the risk for back injury, posture correction, grip, rotator cuff, shoulder, forearm and wrist strength, core stability.  You can do this from any overhanging bar.  We keep a pull up bar in our doorway and hang throughout the day.  Start with 30 seconds at a time and gradually work your way up to 90-120 seconds.   Before attempting this, make sure you've nailed your form.  Here is a good reference.  
• Post Dinner Dance Party.  Research shows that easy movement immediately after a meal has been shown to help lower blood glucose levels.  This could be a 20 minute walk or for us, a family post-meal dance party.  

FOOD EXPLORATION:

• Okinawan Cuisine:  Taking a page from The Jungle Effect, we decided to experiment with traditional Okinawan fare this month.  We are starting with Soba Noodle Soup with homemade fermented sprouted einkorn noodles...a mouthful both literally and figuratively, and adventurous undertaking indeed!  We will post the recipe and pictures soon.  Know any recipes we should try next?  PLEASE SHARE!

The first month of 2018 is just about over.  How are you doing with your resolutions?  If you've fallen off the bandwagon or find your enthusiasm quickly waning, you are not alone.  Apparently, 80% of resolutions fail by February.  Habits are extremely difficult to change and our resolutions are often too grand to allow for any changes in neurological wiring and therefore have little staying power.  So, how can we make change happen and stick?  Let's look at a few effective habit changing strategies.

1. Think small.  Small changes are surmountable and sustainable.  Small successes are gratifying and can cultivate the path to more change.

2. Set up goals.  For example, if you're looking to incorporate more exercise into your day, instead of resolving to visit the gym 5 days a week, resolve to being able to increase the number of push ups you are able to do per day from say, 20-100 in six months.

3. Establish some type of accountability.  Depending on your tendency and whether you respond to inner or outer accountability, you may need to get a friend, join a club or invest in a program to help stick to your goals.

4. Create a morning routine.  We've talked a bit about the importance of morning routines, and their role in getting things done.  Our will power is strongest in the earlier par to the day and decreases throughout the day.  By harnessing will power in the morning and setting the day up properly, we are more likely to follow through on our commitments.

5. Lastly, consider hiring a coach!

Enjoy the week friends!  Findings from the books we've been reading coming up next.  We'll also be posting some Superbowl pre-game strategies and recipes later this week.  Stay tuned.