4 Minute Fridays: A Teaspoon Of This Regulates Blood Sugar, Placebo Steroids & How To Get Married Using The Internet
Feb 16, 2024Welcome to 4 Minute Fridays, a weekly newsletter where I reveal cutting-edge health tips to help you become the best version of yourself.
What's In Store For Today:
- An underlooked part of living a good life is managing blood sugar. A great way to do this is to take a teaspoon of something you already have in your kitchen cabinet
- How to increase your performance in the gym by 7x by using this little-known mindset trick
- A funny (but true) story of how one man crowd-sourced the internet to go from single to married
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I'll never forget the day I decided to get in shape.
I was at a basketball run and I hadn't run for years.
Due to my addiction to cigarettes, I could barely make it up and down the court. I looked like a husky Asian guy who had the lungs of an 80-year-old smoker.
During a fast break, I had a straight path to the basket so I ran as hard as I could.
As I ran, I could feel a jiggle in my chest.
"That's odd", I told myself.
Not wanting to bring attention to it I excused myself and headed straight back home.
When I got to my bathroom I ripped off my shirt and looked in the mirror.
Staring back at me were a pair of man-boobs that I hadn't noticed before. I touched them and they started to jiggle. I shuddered in disgust. It was there I hit rock bottom.
How could I let my body get to this point? How could I be so ignorant?
I felt a massive amount of shame and anger. It was there I made a decision.
I promised that I would never let my body get to this point ever again. I'd do whatever it takes to get back into shape.
And since then, I've kept my body in good shape. No more man-boobs. I traded shame for confidence.
I'm not sure where you are in life but there's something that's been bugging you in the back of your mind that you haven't been able to shake (or jiggle).
I'm here to tell you that all it takes is one decision to change your life.
It can happen at any moment. Is this your time?
That being said...
Here Is Your 4 Minute Friday:
1. Take A Teaspoon Of This To Regulate Blood Sugar
Maintaining optimal blood sugar levels is the unsung hero of well-being but most people don't know how it works.
Picture this:
When your blood sugar levels are in the normal range, your body becomes more insulin sensitive, which means you're better equipped to turn the food you eat into energy rather than storing it as unsightly fat.
But if your blood sugar levels are constantly elevated it's like a rollercoaster of unpleasant sensations like increased hunger, dehydration, and jittery feelings that just won't quit.
But wait, there's more!
In the long term, high blood sugar can pave the way to some serious health woes, like diabetes while wreaking havoc on your eyes, nerves, and kidneys. Yikes.
Things that cause blood sugar spikes are:
- Skipping breakfast
- Eating too much to often
- Snacking between meals
- Lack of exercise
- Dehydration
But do not fear my friend for there's a glimmer of hope amidst this sea of sugar-induced chaos.
Let me introduce you to my little secret: a humble teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar before each meal.
One ​study​ delved into the magic of vinegar after carb consumption and found that it boosted insulin sensitivity by a whopping 19% to 34%.
Another one from Japan​ discovered that adding pickled goodies to your rice can significantly slash the meal's glycemic index.
I've personally hopped on this Apple Cider Vinegar bandwagon and it's been a game-changer for my blood sugar levels especially if I eat a carb-heavy meal.
So, if you're looking for a simple, natural way to keep your blood sugar in check, a teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar* might just be your golden ticket.
*Note: It doesn't have to be Apple Cider Vinegar. Any vinegar will do.
2. Placebo Steroids
It was 1972 and researchers were ​conducting a study on athletic performance​ but with a twist:
For 11 weeks athletes would lift weights. Those who made the most improvement after 7 weeks would be rewarded with an anabolic steroid for the final 4 weeks of training.
What they didn't know was the researchers fed them placebo pills instead.
What happened next was shocking:
In the 4 weeks of taking placebos, the athletes had a 7x increase in all of their lifts.
It was clear that every athlete got stronger because they simply believed they were on steroids.
One thing I'm reminded of is that when your mind thinks it's had enough your body is only at 40% of its potential.
As David Goggins said in his book "​Can't Hurt Me​":
There may be a benefit to using this to your advantage by literally believing a pill you're taking is like taking a performance-enhancing drug.
I don't know about you but I'm willing to at least give it a try.
3. How To Get Married By Crowd-Sourcing The Internet
A single man in China named Xiao Ai was in a rut.
For years he'd been trying to find a girlfriend so he could settle down and get married but he couldn't even find a date.
In frustration, he turned to the internet, posted a photo of himself, and asked,
“I can’t find a girlfriend. What’s my issue?”
In true internet fashion, most people mocked him, saying his issues were that he was too fat, ugly, poor, short, and more, deeming him a “hopeless” case.
But some people (mostly women) decided to give him some genuine advice. They recommended small things like getting new glasses and a haircut.
So he followed their advice and came back asking for more. So they told him to lose weight, workout, find a new job, etc.
After 2 years, he ended up losing weight, working out, changing his diet, getting a six-pack, changing his wardrobe, and tripling his income.
Xiao Ai’s journey finally ended when he proposed to his girlfriend, who tearfully accepted.
This goes to show that, while the internet can be a toxic place, there are people out there who are well-meaning.
Do you have an area of your life you want to improve? Maybe crowd-sourcing the internet and being open-minded to change is the unlock needed.
You can read the full story ​here​.
Client Of The Week - Kelghe, Entrepreneur
Kelghe is an entrepreneur dad whose biggest struggle was controlling his diet and finding the time to workout.
His goal was to lose his belly, drop the excess fat, and boost his energy levels.
In 12 weeks, he's dropped 24 pounds, lost 6 inches from his waist, increased his energy & is feeling more healthy than he's ever felt in his life.
Our Strategy
- Matched his eating schedule to his circadian rhythms to manage his hunger.
- Fixed his sleeping habits by adding blue light blockers at night to help him sleep faster.
- Lift weights instead of doing long cardio sessions so he could keep his muscles as he lost weight.
I'm proud to say that his physical changes lead to being a better entrepreneur and, most importantly, being a better parent.
One Quote To Finish Your Week Strong
“The vast majority of us are slaves to our minds. Most don’t even make the first effort when it comes to mastering their thought process because it’s a never-ending chore and impossible to get right every time.”
The biggest tool and impediment to your success is your mind.
Much like your body, you must train your mind to do what you want it to do, not the other way around.
Start with small things like making simple healthy food choices. Expand to much larger things like that goal you've been putting off.
Everything is a mental game when it's all said and done.
- Dan
When you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help:
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