Are you in?
By Austin Perlmutter, MD
KEY POINTS
Most people are sick, and most sickness is preventable
If we don't break from the norm, we should expect normal results
Being a bit "weird" is necessary for our best shot at overall and brain health!
Let’s face reality: most people are sick, and most of this sickness is preventable. This simple fact speaks to an unavoidable truth: if we don’t depart from the status quo, we should expect that we too will become ill with a preventable condition. Not every disease is preventable. Not everyone is able to live an incredibly healthy lifestyle. Yet each of us does have an opportunity each day to make choices that depart from the norm and prioritize health. This requires, however, for us to embrace being considered “weird” or different.
Here are some examples of when I’ve been considered “weird” because I’ve prioritized my health
· Passing up on alcohol on a night out, even though everyone else is drinking
· Heading home early to prioritize sleep
· Asking a waiter if there’s sugar added to the recipe
· Bringing my own healthy snacks to an event with unhealthy food
· Declining to eat something because it makes me feel unwell
· Going outside to simply stand in the sun and nature
· Eating random vegetables that look (and potentially taste) strange
You can likely think of a number of instances where the average person would also consider what you’re doing to be “weird.” Yet while this may seem strange to many, it’s really, in some ways, the only normal thing you can do if you’re trying to prioritize your wellness. In fact, I predict that in the years to come, there’s a good chance that we’ll think back to what we deemed typical with incredulity, especially as it relates to our brain health. Here are just a few examples:
· Celebrating and socially normalizing consumption of multiple alcoholic drinks in a night
· Eating 50+ pounds of added sugar each year
· Spending 11 + hours on our digital devices each day
· Spending the whole day seated
· Smoking cigarettes
· Eating a diet made of mostly ultra-processed foods
The bottom line here is simple: embrace the weirdness, because it’s really the only path towards sustainable wellness. I know that many if not most of you as readers of this newsletter are already well on your way towards being considered “weird” in typical circles because you prioritize your health, and I’m right there with you.
For more on our default unhealthy reality and the benefits of becoming weird, consider checking out The Healthy Deviant by my friend and wonderful person Pilar Gerasimo. You can also check out my social post on this subject to hear/see me discuss.