Hello, and welcome to the October 21st edition of 5-Shot Friday.
1. Meditation Is Simple…But Easy?
A very nice overview of a common type of meditation (mindfulness), and how and why it works. And why you owe it to yourself to add it to your grab bag of self-maintenance skills.
“The MBSR program brought the ancient practice of mindfulness to individuals with a wide range of chronic medical conditions from back pain to psoriasis. Kabat-Zinn and colleagues, including his collaborator Richard Davidson at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, were ultimately able to demonstrate that MBSR training could help reduce subjective states of suffering and improve immune function, accelerate rates of healing, and nurture interpersonal relationships and an overall sense of well-being."
“It is simple, as in “not complex.” Those instructions [how to perform a basic breath focusing meditation] would fit on an index card with room for your grocery list."
“But that doesn’t mean meditation is easy… You know why? Lefty [the left side of your brain -- the interpreting, storytelling, and nitpicking side] fights back.”
There was a time when I thought, Heck, why not? Why not set some high goals, and become more like Ironman, or Batman: a legend on my lunchtime? Double my income within a year, drop my bodyfat to 7% within 6 months, and be able to go toe-to-toe with 90% of martial artists out there within 3 months?
Why, not, indeed?
All of those things were doable, and are attainable with the right training, coaching, and a willingness to get very, very efficient (and ignore a lot of conventional limitations).
Tim Ferriss did exactly that kind of Why Not? over and over again, with himself as the guinea pig. And the underlying method makes for instructional viewing.
The question does arise: can you be Jason Bourne, or Tony Stark, or Bruce Wayne, or Diana Troy, on anything less than a super high protein diet? Crossfitters look pretty darn superhero-like, and their diet is squarely Paleo or Primal: very low starch, lots of veggies, and plenty of animal source proteins.
There are vegetarian and vegan distance athletes, but what about combat sports? Don’t want to look like a soup chicken, right? And putting out hours of moderately intense running isn’t the same as anaerobic bursts of grappling, hitting, and otherwise preparing to fight for your life.
If the UFC is any kind of test tube, going vegan has definitely passed muster as a viable nutritional approach; a number of MMA fighters are going vegan, for more rapid recovery between workouts.
Ian Norrington’s success story from the Forks Over Knives website, as well as his friend and mentor’s, John Joseph, take it up a notch. They come from hardscrabble backgrounds – being a bouncer in London’s West End, and foster care in NYC and the punk-rock scene – and promote veganism to support hard training as well as a life-saving outlook:
“For me personally, I do not want to be responsible for the suffering of other living beings because I choose to eat them. Also, both the current health crisis in America and the state of our environment can be reversed by switching to an organic, whole-food, plant-based diet. It’s a win-win-win situation."
“Another important outcome of eating in the mode of goodness (satya) and living a life of ahimsa (nonviolence) is the shift in consciousness that accompanies it. Many people will attest to similar results. I was subjected to violence my entire young life. I was even incarcerated for two years. And I became very violent as a result. All of that has changed now, and that kind of radical shift is available to anyone. Change how you eat and search spiritually for your path, and amazing things will happen. I guarantee it.”
4. Slow Down And Enjoy Your Grub, Dude
From Darya Rose, and her website, Summer Tomato.
5. Tweet Pic Of The Month: from @bakadesuyo
Dr. Bunten is originally from Huntington Beach, CA. He attended high school in Tokyo, Japan, went to college at UC San Diego and then to medical school in the Midwest. He returned home to California for residency training in Family Medicine at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. His immediate family all reside in Huntington Beach.
Dr Fishbein has been in the practice of family medicine for over 35 years in Irvine. He received his undergraduate degree from Southern Illinois University, medical degree from Chicago Medical School, and completed his family medicine residency at Memorial Hospital of Long Beach.
Dr. Kim is the Medical Director of Family Care Centers, Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at Hoag Hospital, and a recipient of the Physicians of Excellence award from the Orange County Medical Association. He is Board Certified in Family Medicine, and has been practicing in our community for over 20 years.
Dr. Memon is a board certified Family Medicine physician and recently completed her fellowship in Geriatrics at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. She attended Saint George’s University, School of Medicine and completed her residency at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. Her interest in medicine started at an early age and has since evolved into a passionate career.
Dr. Gina Nguyen obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at UC Irvine where she graduated Suma Cum Laude. She went to USC Keck School of Medicine, and returned to UC Irvine for a Family Medicine Residency. Since 2005, she worked at Kaiser Permanente, VNCOC, and Family Care Center Urgent Care.
Dr. Williams is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Sports Medicine. He is a native to Orange County and returned home after completing his medical degree at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. After completing his residency in family practice he successfully completed a fellowship in sports medicine.
Dr. Hye Lee is a board-certified Family Practice Physician, affiliated with the American Osteopathic Association and the American College of Osteopathic Family Practice.She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at UC Riverside and earned her medical degree from Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center. Afterward, she did her internship at Downey Regional Medical Center in California and has been a primary care physician since 2005.
Dr. Coyne is a board certified family practice physician and a California native. He completed his undergraduate degree at UCLA before earning his medical degree at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Dr Coyne spent 6 years in the US Air Force at Andrews and Luke Air Force bases, eventually separating as a Major. He enjoys working with patients of all ages.”
Dr. Jay Friehling is a Family Practice physician who has worked in Orange County since 1981. Born in Florida, he received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and then earned a Medical Degree at the New York Medical College.” His healthcare interests include Diabetes, Geriatric Care, and Hospice Care.
Dr. Jennifer Shoquist is board certified in Family Medicine. Her special interest is woman’s health and her practice accepts patients from 6 years old to seniors. Dr. Shoquist received her M.D. degree at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston in Houston, Texas, and did her residency with Memorial Family Practice at memorial Southwest Hospital in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Tom is a board certified family medicine physician and native Californian. He received his bachelors of science with great distinction in biochemistry and honors in chemistry. Dr. Tom was awarded a Regents Scholarship to attend medical school at UC Irvine.
Dr. Yan attended Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her Family Practice residency at Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, California. She joined Family Care Center in 2001. She chose Family Practice because she enjoys working with a wide variety of people and because it provides a unique opportunity for continuing care.
Share Your Valuable Thought