Study Finds That the Vast Majority of Respiratory Diseases in Vapers Are Linked to Illegal THC Products

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How to Listen to Yourself—Especially If You’re Really Out of Practice

When was the last time you listened to yourself?

That is, when was the last time you checked in with your thoughts and feelings? When was the last time you expressed an opinion? When was the last time you considered your needs and actually met them?

When was the last time you said yes and actually meant it—you genuinely wanted to attend that get-together or take on that project or do that favor?

So many of us don’t listen to ourselves—and with good reason. Ignoring and dismissing our thoughts, feelings, and needs can be adaptive in certain situations—particularly in childhood. According to New York City psychologist Snehal Kumar, Ph.D, maybe you grew up in an authoritarian home, had to care for an unwell parent, or learned that maintaining peace meant minimizing your needs (and yourself).

“Over time, this way can become our default method of operating and perceiving the world, which perpetuates this cycle of not listening to ourselves,” she said.

You also might not listen to yourself because you’re afraid of what you’ll hear, said Kumar, who specializes in burnout recovery, diversity-related stress, mindfulness, and mental wellness. You’re afraid that you’ll be “disappointed, hurt, or angry…Sometimes the emotions and thoughts that come up when we try listen to ourselves can feel so utterly heartbreaking, overwhelming, and even chaotic, that we’d rather not listen to ourselves.”

We also might not listen to ourselves because we assume that everyone else knows better than we do. We assume that “everyone else is smarter, wiser, and has the answers,” said Kirsten Brunner, LPC, a therapist who specializes in perinatal mental health and relationship counseling at her private practice in Austin, Texas.

And sometimes we simply pick the easier option—at least in the short term. “There can be a lot of work, emotionally and sometimes physically, in trying to give ourselves what we need,” Kumar said.

But even if it’s been a while since you’ve listened to yourself—really listened—you can start at any time. In any moment. Because every moment is an opportunity to check in with yourself and honor what you hear. Below, you’ll learn eight tips for doing just that.

Look for clues. Figure out how you’re listening to yourself in the first place. One helpful strategy is to consider if your words match your actions, said Panthea Saidipour, LCSW, a Manhattan psychotherapist who helps people in their teens, 20s, and 30s better understand themselves and their relationships so that they can live more intentionally.

“For example, if you say yes to an invite, are you eager to show up or do you find yourself dragging your feet?”

Other clues that you’re not listening or honoring your own boundaries are feeling resentful, irritable, or uninterested, she said.

Something else to watch out for: physical aches and pains, such as headaches, chest discomfort, and gastrointestinal issues. Saidipour noted that when we’re not listening to our emotions, they can express themselves through various ailments. “This is the body’s way of getting the mind’s attention.”  (Of course, it’s important to first get these checked out by a doctor.)

Journal. “Start a ‘tuning into myself’ journal in which you let your feelings and thoughts flow without fear of being corrected or influenced by anyone else,” said Brunner, co-author of the book The Birth Guy’s Go-To Guide for New Dads: How to Support Your Partner Through Birth, Breastfeeding & Beyond. She noted that when we write down our words, our thoughts naturally slow down, “which helps you to hear your voice more clearly and tune out other distractions.”

Ease in. “If [we] begin our practice of listening to ourselves by trying to face the most traumatic thing, it can make us feel completely overwhelmed, scared, and more afraid to listen to ourselves,” Kumar said. Which is why she stressed the importance of reflecting on something that’s a level 3 or 4 on a 10-point distress scale: a movie you just watched, a recent conversation with a friend, or three experiences you’re grateful for.

Check in throughout the day. Listening to ourselves means “creating time and space every day to check in with ourselves, feel what we’re really feeling, and ask ourselves what really matters to us,” said Keely Clark, LCSW, a therapist who offers supportive counseling and coaching to moms as they navigate the transitions of motherhood at her private practice MotherBloom Wellness PLLC in Asheville, N.C.

One simple way to do that, she said, is to set a timer for 5 minutes and practice a gentle meditation or sensory scan (asking yourself: “what am I seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and feeling?)

Clark suggested pairing your check-in with other routine parts of your day, such as taking bathroom breaks or getting into your car.

Put up reminders. This is a visual way to check in with yourself. Brunner suggested putting up Post-It notes around your house, office, and car with different phrases and questions, such as: “How are you feeling today? Your opinions and desires matter. What does your gut say? What do you want right now? What are you needing in this moment?”

Pick what comes naturally. Kumar noted that it’s important to choose practices that feel accessible and enjoyable to you—and have the “least barriers.” For instance, she’s found that athletes, yoga enthusiasts, and performers tend to gravitate toward dance, finding it a powerful way to express experiences through movement. She’s also found that people who prefer talking and reflecting through listening—versus writing out their thoughts—like to create audio notes. What self-reflective practices resonate with you?

Teach your kids. If you’re a parent, Brunner suggested encouraging your kids to listen to their inner voice—which, in turn, encourages you to do the same. What does this look like? When your kids approach you with a challenge they’re having with a friend or a question about the world, avoid giving your thoughts and opinions, she said. Instead, first “ask them how they feel about the situation, and ask them what they think.”

Work with a therapist. Therapy is a powerful place for learning to listen to yourself. Saidipour noted that therapy helps you “hear more of your own unfiltered thoughts without having them crowded out by other people.”

“Therapy is also wonderful because you can work with a non-judgmental and respectful trained professional, who’ll help you sort through and understand your experiences,” Kumar said. Plus, she said, therapists can “use their training to equip you with strategies that address your unique barriers.”

Whether you seek therapy or not, make it a habit to listen to yourself—a habit that’s as natural as brushing your teeth and getting to sleep. After all, it’s just as essential.

As Clark said, “when we learn to dial into ourselves more…we tend to feel happier, more balanced, and connected in our lives.”

These Four New STIs Are On the Rise

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Dear Mark: Does Chicken Cause Cancer, Should You Neuter, Dog Collagen, and Skipping Dinner

For today’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering a few questions. First came in from an email and regards a new study showing a link between chicken eating and several types of cancers (melanoma, prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) among British adults. What do I think of the study? Second, did I really tell people not to neuter or spay their dogs? Third, can dogs take collagen powder, and if not, are there any alternatives? And last, I address a comment about early time restricted feeding.

Let’s go:

Hey Mark,

What are your thoughts on this study that showed a link between chicken consumption and cancer?

https://www.9news.com.au/national/eating-chicken-cancer-link-oxford-university-uk-study-health-news-australia-world/6944a0bd-20dc-44b9-9063-16db54cd2f7c

Okay, let’s do this.

First of all, the link wasn’t between chicken and cancer, it was between chicken and specific cancers. The specificity suggests that there may be something going on here.

Look, I love a good roasted chicken. There’s almost nothing quite like crispy chicken skin.

But today’s birds are exceedingly high in omega-6 fatty acids. Your standard battery-fed bird—which is what most people in these studies are eating—eats a diet of soybean oil, corn byproducts, and other junk high in omega-6 fats. Those dietary fats are incorporated into the animal’s tissues, which get incorporated into your dinner, which get incorporated into your body.

Most of the cancers in question have been previously and mechanistically linked to elevated omega-6 levels and/or reduced omega-3 levels.

Melanoma and other skin cancers?

One study out of Australia—land of skin cancer—found that adults with the highest serum concentrations of DHA and EPA had the least “cutaneous p53 expression.” When your skin is in danger of damage from the sun, p53 expression is upregulated to protect it. The fact that p53 expression was low suggests that the skin wasn’t in danger; the omega-3s were protecting the skin and reducing the “perceived” (and real) danger. Acute intakes of EPA reduce the inflammatory skin response to UV radiation.

One problem of excess omega-6 fats is that they crowd out DHA and EPA from the serum and cellular membranes. The more omega-6 in your diet, the less DHA and EPA you’ll have laying around to protect you from the sun.

Prostate cancer?

Anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids (found in seafood and fish oil) are generally linked to lower rates of prostatic inflammation and a less carcinogenic environment; omega-6 fatty acids can trigger disease progression. A 2001 study of over 6,000 Swedish men found that the folks eating the most fish had drastically lower rates of prostate cancer than those eating the least. Another study from New Zealand found that men with the highest DHA (an omega-3 found in fish) markers slashed their prostate cancer risk by 38% compared to the men with the lowest DHA levels.

I didn’t see any solid evidence one way or the other with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but omega-3 intake is linked to a lower risk. If that’s a causative connection, and excessive omega-6 is competing with your omega-3s for physiological supremacy in the body, that could increase the risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. But again, this isn’t a sure thing.

I couldn’t find the study mentioned in the article, but according to the article the scientists focused only on “meat consumption patterns.” They weren’t looking at other foods or nutrients—just what kind of meat they ate. If that’s the case, they wouldn’t have controlled for the intakes of fries and mayo and other junk foods often consumed alongside chicken.

British are eating more chicken than ever before, and they’re moving increasingly away from big family chicken meals—roasts and such—toward individual chicken meals for one—pasta and stir fries.

The fastest growing fast food in Britain is fried chicken. That’s chicken that’s been breaded in flour and fried in reused, rancid vegetable oil, then served alongside french fries and smothered in mayonnaise.

Now, I’m not going to say you should eat chicken for every meal. Red meat, fish, and eggs offer far more nutrients than chicken, and they’re much lower in omega-6 fatty acids. But I’m not going to shy away from a good roast chicken, or even a chicken chili, especially if I’m using well-raised, preferably pasture-raised chickens.

I’m sorry, are you recommending people DON”T spay/neuter their pets?!? Am I reading an article in The Onion? Is it April 1st? What the hell is going on??? Dear Bob Barker is rolling in his grave and thousands of dogs and cats will be unnecessarily euthanized today (and tomorrow, and the next day, and the next….) because there are just too many of them.

Nope, I’m just recommending that people read the literature and understand that spaying/neutering can have unwanted health effects, especially if you do it too early.

Most experts agree that fixing the dog after they’ve stopped growing is pretty safe and reduces the risk of later health issues. That to me is a good compromise.

And I’m not speaking to the masses. I’m speaking to the people reading this who are in general a reliable, conscientious bunch.

Also, a vasectomy is a good option that few people consider but more vets are offering.

Mark, would there be any harm or benefit in throwing in a scoop of collagen on top of my dog’s raw meat&veggie patty?

You could definitely do it. Just be aware that I’ve found some dogs have bad digestive responses to protein powders of any kind. A raw chicken foot will do the trick, if you’re up to trying it. I’ve also seen freeze-dried tendons in pet stores.

After a few years of IDF that had me mostly eating between noon and 8, I recently tried early time-restricted feeding (eTRF) and man it seems to work well for me. I did it under the influence of this guy’s posts: https://www.patreon.com/CaloriesProper/posts

And I learned about him from an MDA post…

Awesome.

Two things.

Yes, some people for whom intermittent fasting doesn’t seem to be working may want to switch to an early feeding system. The vast majority of people who skip meals every day are skipping breakfast. It’s easier that way, you can just have some coffee and keep trucking. But not everyone benefits from it. If that’s you, try eating breakfast (and lunch) and skipping dinner.

And yes, Bill Lagakos is a great resource. Always love his stuff, even or especially if it conflicts with something I held to be true.

Thanks for reading, everyone. If you have any more questions, drop them down below!

The post Dear Mark: Does Chicken Cause Cancer, Should You Neuter, Dog Collagen, and Skipping Dinner appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

'It is time to stop vaping' - Kansas reports 6th U.S. death linked to mystery illness

'It is time to stop vaping' - Kansas reports 6th U.S. death linked to mystery illness
Reuters: Health
A Kansas resident was the sixth person to die in the United States of a mysterious respiratory illness related to vaping, state officials said on Tuesday, as public health officials scrambled to understand a nationwide health problem.

'It is time to stop vaping': Kansas reports sixth U.S. death linked to mystery illness

'It is time to stop vaping': Kansas reports sixth U.S. death linked to mystery illness
Reuters: Health
A Kansas resident was the sixth person to die in the United States of a mysterious respiratory illness related to vaping, state officials said on Tuesday, as public health officials scrambled to understand a nationwide health problem.

Xeris Pharma's low blood sugar treatment wins FDA approval

Xeris Pharma's low blood sugar treatment wins FDA approval
Reuters: Health
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Xeris Pharmaceuticals Inc's glucagon pen that aims to treat severely low sugar levels in diabetes patients, the drugmaker said on Tuesday.