Spark and Go Wild. Part 2

SPEAKERS

Dr. Ratey, Terri Novacek

Terri Novacek 

Imagine a plant a bush, or maybe a tree that stands out to you as healthy and thriving. How do you know it's healthy and thriving? What if it is actually dying on the inside

Terri Novacek 

we all know that a plant is only as healthy as its roots. A lot of people make the assumption that if a plant is green, it must have healthy roots, right. But while the plant may be green, it may not be flourishing. Just like plants, we can be alive, or we can thrive. And just like plants, our roots, our foundational practices, impact our susceptibility to disease, our stability, and our general health. I have a pygmy palm dying in my backyard. For the longest time. It looked beautiful, it looked healthy and thriving. We haven't changed anything in how we care for it. So why did it start to die? There's actually a long story here. And I won't bore you with the details, but in a nutshell, it all came down to the roots did not have the proper care and environment like my pygmy palm, people can sometimes look right on the surface. But we may not be doing so great on the inside. Diet, movement, rest, self awareness, connection to nature, meaningful work, play, social bonding. These are our roots. While we can turn to the finest fashion, cosmetics, hair design all that to look good. Nothing replaces these levers for feeling and doing good. In order to operate in your element, you have to embrace personal leadership, which means taking ownership of yourself and your circumstances and taking the initiative to find solutions to your challenges. So how well are you taking care of yourself as social creatures we humans do best when we tap into each other for support for expertise and feedback. Today we're returning to the expertise of John J. Ratey, MD, Best Selling Author and Doctor of psychiatry with decades of research and practice from which he gleans his wisdom. Dr. Ratey refers to those wellness routes as levers. The first half of his interview, which was our last episode, focused on one lever, exercise, I asked him about exercises impact on another lever, sleep. Here's what he had to say about that. And more.

Dr. Ratey 

All these things work together, like you knew, I would say, you know, they do work together, what what I learned to code, the wellness levers, different levers of wellness, one being sleep, when being exercise, diet, being outside, being in nature, being connected, perhaps again, being the most potent lever, having a relationship with someone that you care about and and all that having a goal, purpose in your life. And for kid in school, the purpose is to grow and to play and to learn and to develop so that the future is brighter for you. I

Terri Novacek 

love that wellness lovers, what a great name. I know, diet being one of them. And in the wild. You guys talk about glucose. And I gotta tell you, when I record I read the book, I thought wow, I will never eat another piece of bread again. I felt like I was going to be really eating poison. So I think a person would argue around the whole you know, what about whole grain or sprouted grain I thought that was supposed to be healthy, it's good fiber.

Dr. Ratey 

No it and we make an emphasis on the toxicity of glucose. in there. We're talking really about high levels of glucose however you get it, you know, in your in your if you feed a lot of whole grains, a lot of it, you're going to have high glucose levels. Even though you might have good fiber to deal with it. You're still going to have high glucose levels and this leads to fat. Because if you have too much glucose and you can't do deal with anything, again, can't use use it, you store it in your fat cells. And it also leads to inflammation. Because the high glucose levels cause an inflammation in your body. And this is a problem, the chronic inflammation is seen as a big cause of disorders and diseases. For

Terri Novacek 

our listeners that are not familiar with it, how, how would you describe glucose? Where am I getting my glucose from?

Dr. Ratey 

You're getting glucose from it mainly from processed food from adding sugar to your coffee or tea, or your soda drinks. I mean, huge amount of glucose there. So that, like he heard you saying you never eat a piece of bread again? Or you did the thought you shouldn't? Yeah, because there's a lot stored in wheat and in our diet, so that you have to pay attention to that a bit. That's not to say, you know, there's some people that I know and have met, and along the way, that will think just as you did reading the reading go out that oh my god, I had a piece of bread. It's like, oh, Lord, how could I have, you know, because they know, the dangers of it. And it's not, I mean, that was that was on the irrational side, great. I mean, it's not like you can't eat any glucose, because you wouldn't be able to eat much at all. It's just a matter of moderation, moderation of really, you know, knowing what you are eating, and knowing what it can do to you. So you know, glucose is the the ultimate energy source within our body, all of our cells use glucose. That's how we you know, work. But it's glucose is there in our fat cells in all over our bodies. And you know, it's just a matter of not taking so much in as we all do too often and lead to all kinds of trouble, pre diabetic diabetic, oh, my God, just anybody. A ages you get there. And that's a problem. Yeah,

Terri Novacek 

the diabetes is definitely on the rise. It's

Dr. Ratey 

too good policy to to really just pay attention to what you're eating and know that a glucose load is a glucose load. And having pasta every night is a problem. Because those, those wonderful. And believe me, I love pasta, like everybody you know, and our pizza. It's like, many tablespoons of sugar, you're taking him because that's what the the wheat or the rice or whatever the past is, is eventually broken down to sugar.

Terri Novacek 

Vitamin D doesn't always make the list of important vitamins for some reason. How do we get it? And why do we need it?

Dr. Ratey 

We get it through a diet and we get it through sunshine. And we need it because it is a key factor in almost all of our internal chemistry. It's a cofactor very important. Important for our bones for health, for our immune system, and for a mood. Oh, this we know. So yes, not sure why it never got included. But it's it's really crucial for us to have adequate levels of vitamin D.

Terri Novacek 

Now, in today's age, there's a lot of fear around skin cancer. So you see a lot of people avoiding the sun. The use of sunscreen, does sunscreen interfere with vitamin D absorption? certainly

Dr. Ratey 

can. I don't think that's the main the main agent though. I think people not being active not being out there in the in the environment and, and not paying attention to their diet. I mean, you take in a lot of vitamin D, and you probably take in an adequate amount of view, eat a balanced diet,

Terri Novacek 

and then going back to sleep. vitamin D helps with sleep.

Dr. Ratey 

Yeah, I don't think it's as cut and dry as you're making it but okay, because there's a lot of things that affects sleep a lot. But the big issue is getting enough sleep and paying attention to it. And especially with our little devices that are ever present in our hands all the time. You wake up with your cell phone, you use your cell phone to lull you to sleep. And it can be very destructive to getting enough sleep overall. And it's so important because our brain needs it, your body needs it, your mood needs it, oh, these things impact, it's a really important lever of wellness. So I know,

Terri Novacek 

because people are not sleeping, probably because they're not getting the exercise, not getting outdoors as much, you know, being on their screens, late at night, or just before bed. Alone, lot of people turning to melatonin, and I'm seeing it in, you know, child gummies. Now, is there a way that we can create that melatonin on our own more naturally so that we're not reliant on the supplements? Or what are your thoughts on the supplements,

Dr. Ratey 

we do create it. And you know, those supplements are, you know, it's so much better to do exercise and to have a good diet and to have a good relationship with people and, you know, feel connected in the world, and then sleep will come easier. Enjoy general now. And for those that have trouble, melatonin can be useful. Every night, I wouldn't do it, you know, then you're suppressing your natural ability to make melatonin. And that then becomes a problem.

Terri Novacek 

Mindfulness I, when I read go wild, an AHA that I had around that was when you guys talked about meditation, I've always felt bad, because I feel like I can't meditate. Because I've been told, meditation means you have nothing, nothing going on in your head. And I just can't get myself to a place where there's nothing going on in my head. And I don't remember exactly how you guys described it. But it was when you were talking about it being a muscle to the brain. And the idea of, I don't think you use the word purging, maybe Declutter. It's decluttering I thought, oh, okay, that I can do because that it's still active. And then I thought of the word mind full. So it is okay to have your mind full of something. But can you just tell me a little bit about your thoughts on mindfulness and meditation? Yeah,

Dr. Ratey 

yeah, no, the, you know, meditation meditators start by focusing on something over focusing on that again, and again. And again, like the Zen people use breath counting, the lot of lot of meditators use breath, counting the breath coming in and going out, then you focus on that. And you just focus on that. And that's decluttering. Right? If you just focus on one thing, you get your brain decluttered. And that leads to a meditative state or can, okay, so I wouldn't be I wouldn't be concerned that you can't meditate. I mean, first of all, in yoga, Vidya yoga, and you put yourself in these incredible positions, right? Right. When you go to the end, when you're lying there, and they say, just relax and let your mind be empty, you will be able to meditate. Because you've put yourself through, or at least that's the way I remember, I mean, and do it. I do yoga, a bit. But yeah, it's it's, you know, holding positions. And then you have this relaxing time, oh, my God, just like, not thinking about anything. And that's when meditation works. Especially for my ATD people. They have to do that first before they can meditate before they can think of nothing.

Terri Novacek 

So as learners, whether adults or children, but will meditation before you're doing something heavy, so to speak cognitively.

Dr. Ratey 

Yes, well, in Spark, we talk all about that in terms of doing jump rope before you sit down to do your homework that you hate, or doing meditation to clear the decks clear your mind that you will then be better able to focus and stay with it.

Terri Novacek 

Okay, the last thing I'd like to chat with you about is the idea of biophilia. Another one of those things that I'm hearing a lot about and I'm happy about that because I am a plant person, but for those that say I don't have a green thumb. I don't want any plants that We all die. Why do we want plants in our work and learning environment?

Dr. Ratey 

Biophilia means we're naturally in love with nature. And plants are a way of reminding us in being with nature and simple house plant like behind you, you have these plants, right? It's it's a cheap way of being in nature. But you know, in other words, you're not out in the garden or you know out on a walk in by the seaside you know, the nature it's not not just plants plants are part of it, but a big part of it, oh my god, I was spent five months in a way. And I'm just addicted to the the palm trees that right outside of our third storey window, we're at the top of these palm trees, where the birds come at night, and watching the birds come in, and just I want to hug the trees, you know. It's like, Oh, my God, they're they just are so wonderful. Not wonderful, seeing them, watching them, seeing them in the wind, and, but then seeing them with the birds coming and being in places the birds sleep and all that just so wonderful. And the time spent in nature is is such a benefit for our brains and for being. So

Terri Novacek 

that sounds really good again, to somebody like you and me that are natural nature lovers. But for those that might hear about your walk, and you know, them the birds are maybe noisy or a nuisance or, you know, they don't like getting dirty or whatever, like what's the science or what should be the motivation behind you know, get yourself out there more.

Dr. Ratey 

Well, there is a science and that's that's that would go out talked about a bit, you know, in, in biophilia, there is a science that show that we need this nature, there's there's a nature deficit disorder, which you probably read about, right, you know, that in people living in the city, and especially our vertical cities that are, you know, 80 storey apartment buildings, and, you know, never get out or get up very seldomly, and certainly don't get out and in the fields, and where there's lots of birds and lots of greenery, you know, but we need that we need that connection. Because it lowers our stress level, it lowers cortisol, one of the measures of stress, it raises our good neurotransmitters, it makes us feel happier, and more content and less depressed. And we have evidence to show this, you know, and I think that's the again, that's what it comes down to is, yeah, there's people naturally, they're, they're not into it, but then realizing what it may do for them. In terms of its benefit. Like, instead of turning to a gummy, you experience the peacefulness of nature,

Terri Novacek 

right. Just kind of wrapping up here. If you could picture yourself as a parent that's, you know, trying to raise a child or teen in today's world, you know, your advice to parents, as far as an area of focus for their children's overall well, being, overall

Dr. Ratey 

well being is being a great role model by, you know, getting into being well. All the stuff that we've talked about educating the your children about why that is not just because Oh, I'm just a green thumb, and therefore I'm interested in nature, but the kinds of things that benefits that can accrue from from them doing these healthy kinds of activities. And then for the, for the younger kids, with parents, parents there is playing with the children, playing with the kids, putting down your cell phone, as well as their device and playing with them. There's nothing like it, nothing like it, in terms of benefiting both you and them. I mean, it's such a lost art in a way for so many parents, because their devices take us into wonderful worlds, but play with them get to headsets of VR people, you know. Right. All right, that sort of interaction is precious, precious.

Terri Novacek 

I agree. Well, John, I really appreciate you taking the time and you know, speaking of technology, I am feeling thankful for technology that you and I can be talking on opposite coasts. And it's really been an honor to be able to meet you and chat with you. I really enjoy your work. I think that you've done some very impactful work.

Dr. Ratey 

Well, thank you. It was fun, enjoyed talking with you and loving what you're the work you're doing and helping kids find their find their best selves.

Terri Novacek 

There are schools and businesses across the nation converting classrooms and workspaces to well spaces in order to provide calming refuge for students and employees to visit throughout the day. Things like chairs, snacks, water, plants, quiet space for yoga, focus and reflection. When you look at your daily schedule, how much opportunity do you make? And notice I did not say do you have? But how much opportunity do you make for the levers of wellness? And in what ways can you incorporate more? Let's begin at home. And once you feel like you've adequately integrated all the levers into your home space, think of ways you can incorporate more into your work and or your learning spaces. Remember that each person's levered needs will be slightly different. So if you live and work with other people, there might be some compromises and conversations that need to take place. Some people are more sensitive to diet than others. Others need more exercise and or time outdoors. Some need more quiet time and rest. To wrap things up, I have two challenges for you. First, we're going to make Friday the 13th a lucky day for five listeners who spread the word and support others and achieving and maintaining wellness. We're going to do this by sharing this and our last episode on one or more of your social media stories, tag element education, and use the hashtag element is everything. We will randomly select five of those who did this to receive a free copy of their choice of either spark or go wild. Second challenge, see our show notes for a wellness worksheet. Employees of element education can use this worksheet to participate in this month's wellness challenge. Students in element schools can use the worksheet as a PE or health assignment. Other listeners can use it for the sole purpose of self reflection and improvement because after all, it is only when we tend to our roots that we are truly healthy and thriving. And it is only when we are healthy and thriving, that we can truly be in our element.