A lot of us think that in exercise, more is better. We all just don’t do enough. But perhaps we’re giving too much. In today’s interview, our guest, Chad Morris, discusses how people over-train to their detriment, as they give up way too much time, money, effort, sweat, and stress in return for way too few fitness returns and way too many tears in frustration and discouragement. What if we could do a lot less for a lot more?
Continue readingPhysical Health
Physical health is perhaps the most fundamentally important value in a flourishing life. Here, I share ideas, experiences, and other content related to physical health, including nutrition, physical activity, and good thinkers on the subject.
How about some good news for a change?: Podcast ep. 63 now released
Good stuff is happening, and it’s much more common than the negative. Listen in for some optimistic news that’s going on in the world.
In Part 1 of this two-part series, Matthew highlights some of the astounding feats of medical science, while expounding on what this means for the lives of real individuals like you and him–and those we love.
Continue readingConvince yourself to crave things that are good for you: Podcast ep. 40 now released
You can make your unwanted cravings disappear. Matthew has. And he’s here to describe how.
Continue readingBe a better version of yourself every day: Podcast ep. 33 now released
Be a better version of yourself every day. This is the essential message strength & conditioning coach Jim Goetz brings to Mr. Bright Side in this wide-ranging and highly-informative interview, as he shares his experience in pro sports and beyond.
Continue readingSweet but healthy condiments a reality! Podcast ep. 31 now released
Get educated and inspired on nutrition, health, and life. Get hopeful and excited about deliciously sweet but healthy food products created by self-educated food scientist and serial entrepreneur Thom King. This guy is really impressive.
Continue readingNever Binge Again: Podcast ep. 27 now released
Ending overeating is a lot simpler than it’s made out to be. This is the hopeful and confident message Dr. Glenn Livingston brings to listeners in this interview filled with helpfully illustrative analogies and colorfully-related personal stories.
Continue readingDon’t miss this interview–Podcast ep. 16 released
Do you feel frustrated with the changes you haven’t made yet? Do you know what to do, but you’re just not doing it consistently? If you doubt your ability to change, allow Elizabeth Benton to help you change your mindset.
Continue readingDelimit to be free in diet
Estimated reading time 7 mins.
Please see my article, “Don’t listen to me (or even experts): My blanket disclaimer” for a brief discussion of my goal in sharing ideas on health.
A key excerpt: “We all have different bodies, lifestyles, means, likes/dislikes, goals, and many other factors which make up the context in which we are making health decisions. So my attitude is always intended to be not, “This is the right way to eat/work out” or “You should try this.” But rather: “This is what is working for me in this way. How might it apply to you in achieving your goals?””
“I eat whatever I want.” Something to this effect is what I say in a nonchalant way when trying to impress upon people that my diet doesn’t involve the giving up of things I love to eat. Its aloof but matter-of-fact delivery is intended to shock the person while at the same time encouraging them to hope for a moment before I attempt to qualify what I mean. Because of course, I don’t mean that I just eat whatever I want whenever I want.
But on some level in my own mind, that is what I do mean.
Continue readingThe Obesity Code: A new framework, a new hope
Estimated reading time 35 mins.
Please see my article, “Don’t listen to me (or even experts): My blanket disclaimer” for a brief discussion of my goal in sharing ideas on health.
A key excerpt: “We all have different bodies, lifestyles, means, likes/dislikes, goals, and many other factors which make up the context in which we are making health decisions. So my attitude is always intended to be not, “This is the right way to eat/work out” or “You should try this.” But rather: “This is what is working for me in this way. How might it apply to you in achieving your goals?””
Fat loss is among the top health challenges many people struggle with. For myself, it has been the single biggest challenge among others, requiring so much discipline and effort in various directions. With diet, it has required constantly doing without, eating the things I don’t always want to eat while restricting the things I do want, generally feeling hungry—you know, being “on a diet.” It has also required exercise—lots of time-consuming, grueling exercise. No pain, no gain.
Read morEWhat does “health” look and feel like?
Estimated reading time 16 mins.
Please see my article, “Don’t listen to me (or even experts): My blanket disclaimer” for a brief discussion of my goal in sharing ideas on health.
A key excerpt: “We all have different bodies, lifestyles, means, likes/dislikes, goals, and many other factors which make up the context in which we are making health decisions. So my attitude is always intended to be not, “This is the right way to eat/work out” or “You should try this.” But rather: “This is what is working for me in this way. How might it apply to you in achieving your goals?””
“I’m gonna get healthy.” What does that mean? I’ve often taken the answer for granted, holding vague images of a slimmer, trimmer, fresher self. Everyone knows what healthy is; it’s just hard to do. But when pressed to define exactly what I want to achieve, I’ve in the past been reduced to expressing narrow goals like “lose weight.” As I got thinking a little more precisely, I might have started to say “lose fat.” But health is not a single-faceted concept, nor even a combination of a few things. Health is an integrated concept comprised of multiple components requiring multiple interrelated actions.
Continue reading‘Crave’ the body you ‘want’
Please see my article, “Don’t listen to me (or even experts): My blanket disclaimer” for a brief discussion of my goal in sharing ideas on health.
A key excerpt: “We all have different bodies, lifestyles, means, likes/dislikes, goals, and many other factors which make up the context in which we are making health decisions. So my attitude is always intended to be not, “This is the right way to eat/work out” or “You should try this.” But rather: “This is what is working for me in this way. How might it apply to you in achieving your goals?””
The title of this article includes two key concepts which may often be used interchangeably, but in the context in which I will define, are very distinct. I am referring to craving and wanting, and I don’t just mean that the former is a more intense version of the latter.
Continue reading100 pushups/100 squats/day: Early benefits (and they’re obvious)
Estimated reading time 16 mins.
Please see my article, “Don’t listen to me (or even experts): My blanket disclaimer” for a brief discussion of my goal in sharing ideas on health.
A key excerpt: “We all have different bodies, lifestyles, means, likes/dislikes, goals, and many other factors which make up the context in which we are making health decisions. So my attitude is always intended to be not, “This is the right way to eat/work out” or “You should try this.” But rather: “This is what is working for me in this way. How might it apply to you in achieving your goals?””
We’re all busy. Or at least we ought to be. In any case, most of us find ourselves occupied with something enough making it difficult to find time to hit the gym even a couple times a week. Gearing up and getting there and back itself makes “Annhh, not today” a pretty easy, often necessary, call. Given my own schedule and the conditions I’ve set to make the gym or an outdoor run an on-the-whole enjoyable and life-enhancing rather than dutiful and detracting activity, I go comfortably about twice a week, with one (occasionally two) runs a week. When the university semester starts again next month, that will likely become one gym and one run per week. Last semester, it became regularly only one time at the gym per week.
Continue reading
Mr. Bright Side 