Fitness:

• Check out this old video (2011) from Greg Glassman, founder of Crossfit. This represents an early stage in his effort to disrupt the healthcare industry. An even better place to start is Glassman’s 2002 articleon what fitness really is. 
• He distills his philosophy of fitness (including nutrition) into 100 words. Hard to argue with any of it. Thanks Brian Ferguson for the video link. 

Brain Bacteria:

• We have all heard the saying that we have more nerve fibers in our gut than in our brains. Well apparently the bacteria that live in our intestines are diversifying their portfolio. This article reviews evidence of a somewhat eerie finding of bacteria in the brain, a possible “brain microbiome.” 
• Gut health and integrity show up in nutrition-based approaches to neurodegenerative disease, and this line of research may be onto an explanation. Keep both brains healthy. 

Carnitine:

• We haven’t covered the supplement L-Carnitine in prior PofW’s. This molecule is involved in cellular fat utilization. You may have also seen it come up in valproic acid toxicity and in children with long chain fatty acid diseases. 
• But carnitine does play a potential role in both fasting and ketogenic diets by allowing longer fatty acids to be transported into the mitochondria for oxidation. Additionally, it seems to raise HDL and lower triglycerides. This Triglyceride / HDL ratio is a robust indicator of cardiovascular risk, easily determined by even the most elementary lipid panel. Carnitine has also shown benefits in cognition in older adults. 
• Plus, carnitine is already in meat, therefore not some unnatural drug you put into your body. Worth checking out. 

Classical World:

• Interesting brief post that gained some notoriety online when it came out in 2017. Sarah Bond highlights several art shows illustrating “ancient polychromy.” 
• The bottom line: all of that beautiful ancient sculpture was originally painted in many different colors. She points out that we should appreciate how the original form appeared. And that by doing so, more individuals from different backgrounds might be drawn into studying the classics. 

Stress:

• Is it good or bad? Do football players complain about being stressed before taking the field? Do sprinters say they are too stressed to run the 100m? No. Athletes understand that what we call stress can be harnessed to our benefit. 
• Kelly McGonical covers this mindset effect on stress in her book The Upside of Stress. Higher stress does lead to higher mortality, but ONLY IF you view stress as having a negative impact on your life. 
• Jim Loehr was writing about this in the 90s, explaining that the only way to develop stress tolerance is by stress exposure. Another ancient idea that is cycling in and out of our collective consciousness. 
• So next time you feel stress, don’t say “Oh no, I am so stressed.” With a big smile, say “Ahhhhh (like you took a sip of a cold beverage on a hot day) … I am so stressed.”

Quote:

“I asked why somebody didn’t do something, and then I realized that I am somebody.”
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*Think about this when you see a problem at work or home today. Take the first step.