Ultralight, by Leo Babauta

Published November 30, 2016  ·  All posts on Nov 30

This entry is part 2 of 5 in the series Parkour Travel

The freedom that resulted was so incredible. We felt liberated. We could travel faster, farther, happier. Sure, we gave up a handful of comforts, but in return we got the comfort of being unburdened.

Recently, Leo Babauta put together a spectacular book on travel called, Ultralight. I’ve only recently begun reading it, but it covers a great deal of what I wanted to say. And — as with so many things Leo writes — it’s written better than I could hope to do myself. So for now, start with this book (it’s a very affordable Ebook). I expect some of what I add to this series will be commentary and thoughts on what Leo has written, and some will be from the notes I’ve already compiled on my own.

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Maturity

Published November 26, 2016  ·  All posts on Nov 26  ·  

I don’t know the actual meaning of maturity. But for me, maturity is when a person hurts you and you try to understand their situation rather than hurting them back.

~ unknown

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Take big swings

Published November 20, 2016  ·  All posts on Nov 20  ·  

The great thing about taking chances when you’re younger is you have less to lose, and you don’t know as much. So you take big swings.

~ Amy Poehler

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Wake up and chase them

Published November 14, 2016  ·  All posts on Nov 14  ·  

Every morning you have two choices: Continue sleeping with your dreams, or wake up and chase them.

~ unknown

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Vitamin D improves energy production in muscles of vitamin D-deficient people

Published November 10, 2016  ·  All posts on Nov 10  ·  

This entry is part 13 of 14 in the series John Briffa's "A Good Look at Good Health"

In this study, muscle function was assessed in a group of 12 individuals with known vitamin D deficiency. The assessment centred around timing the replenishment in the muscle of a substance known as phosphocreatine. Phosphocreatine is a key molecule in the production of energy (in the form of what is known as ATP) by tiny ‘powerhouses’ in the cells of our body known as mitochondria (pronounced my-toe-con-dree-ah). Shorter phosphocreatine replenishment times after activity are a sign of better mitochondrial function.

Vitamin D supplementation was found to lead to a significant reduction in phosphocreatine replenishment times, signalling an improvement in mitochondrial functioning. Fatigue ratings improved in all the study participants too.

~ John Briffa from, «http://www.drbriffa.com/2013/03/18/vitamin-d-improves-energy-production-in-muscles-of-vitamin-d-deficient-people/»

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The more I read, the more I believe that Vitamin D is a keystone for my health and progress. I believe that getting more sun exposure (walking, running, and Parkour outside), combined with taking vitamin D supplements has enabled a lot of other successes: Better sleep, better immune system functioning, better mood (ever hear of “Seasonal Affliction Disorder”?) and now, some evidence that it really does affect the performance of your mitochondria — your cells little power-houses.

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Crossing the Williamsburg Bridge

Published November 9, 2016  ·  All posts on Nov 9  ·  

This entry is part 1 of 13 in the series Williamsburg Bridge QM challenge

Having carefully examined every inch of the pedestrian pathway on the Williamsburg Bridge, I can authoritatively state that it is in fact, VERY long. When I stood up after 2,000 meters of quadrapedie-movement, I could hardly believe it was over! Two kilometers turned out to be possible!

The entire bit of madness started after I mentioned to several people I might be heading into NYC/Brooklyn on a particular weekend in October. Unfortunately, my plans changed and I forgot to tell Jesse.

As the weekend approached, he sent me a message, “I’ve been thinking of some good physical challenges for when you’re here…” I was just thinking, “Oops, I forgot to tell him I’m not coming into the city that weekend.” When he followed with an upbeat, “Let’s QM across the Williamsburg Bridge on Saturday!”

Now in my defense, I was feeling a little guilty that he had spent time thinking about a visit that I had to abort, and my train of thought went off the rails like this:

The problem with my schedule is that I need to be home by about 3pm on Saturday…
…actually, that gives me until about 1pm to do some QM in the city on Saturday…
…so if I went in Friday, and if we started early enough…
…sure, a little QM in the morning would be fun…
…and October’s weather has been so beautiful…

“Ok, sure! I’m in. Let’s do it!”

…and then I looked up the Williamsburg Bridge on Wikipedia, learned it was 2,200 meters long, and thought, “I have made a terrible mistake.”

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10 learnings from 10 years of Brain Pickings

Published November 9, 2016  ·  All posts on Nov 9

And now, somehow, a decade has elapsed.

Because I believe that our becoming, like the synthesis of meaning itself, is an ongoing and dynamic process, I’ve been reluctant to stultify it and flatten its ongoing expansiveness in static opinions and fixed personal tenets of living. But I do find myself continually discovering, then returning to, certain core values. While they may be refined and enriched in the act of living, their elemental substance remains a center of gravity for what I experience as myself.

~ Maria Popova from, 10 Learnings from 10 Years of Brain Pickings – The Marginalian

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Maria Popova’s site “Brain Pickings” is one of the true delights of the Internet. Take a few minutes to click over and see.

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Polyphenols, hormesis and disease: Part II

Published November 8, 2016  ·  All posts on Nov 8  ·  

This entry is part 11 of 12 in the series Stephan Guyenet's "Whole Health Source"

I think that overall, the evidence suggests that polyphenol-rich foods are healthy in moderation, and eating them on a regular basis is generally a good idea. Certain other plant chemicals, such as suforaphane found in cruciferous vegetables, and allicin found in garlic, exhibit similar effects and may also act by hormesis. Some of the best-studied polyphenol-rich foods are tea (particularly green tea), blueberries, extra-virgin olive oil, red wine, citrus fruits, hibiscus tea, soy, dark chocolate, coffee, turmeric and other herbs and spices, and a number of traditional medicinal herbs. A good rule of thumb is to “eat the rainbow”, choosing foods with a variety of colors.

~ Stephan Guyenet from, Polyphenols, Hormesis and Disease: Part II

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This is part 2 of the best series on polyphenols I have ever found. I bet they don’t work the way you think they work… and they’re NOT antioxidants, except in your digestive tract, where they actually help prevent YOUR OWN GUT from creating trans fats …and they’re actually a toxic stressor… oh, just click already :P

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Intermittent fasting: A beginner’s guide

Published November 7, 2016  ·  All posts on Nov 7  ·  

Beyond vanity, the reported health effects of an intelligently designed Intermittent Fasting program read like a laundry list of live longer, live better benefits including: reduced blood lipids, blood pressure, markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and cancer. Increased cell turnover and repair, fat burning, growth hormone release, and metabolic rate. And improved appetite control, blood sugar control, cardiovascular function, and neuronal plasticity.

~ John Berardi from, Intermittent Fasting: A Beginner’s Guide | The Art of Manliness

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This is a terrific overview. It’s writen by a physician and is intended to get you thinking about how you eat; As opposed to trying to talk you into trying it.

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