Did you know there is a day that is considered to be the most depressing day of the year? Yup. It happened just a few weeks ago. Why ls “Blue Monday” so depressing? Listen as I explain. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/blue-monday-2021-uk-why-today-b1788755.html You may never have thought about it but there is a real difference between happiness and joy. In fact, you can make the argument that joy is what creates happiness. You may also not realize that there are things that are universa...
Jan 28, 2021•51 min•Ep. 531
I’m sure you’ve seen construction crews sandblasting. Next time you see that - run!. This episode begins with a discussion on the problem with being around sandblasting. And it is a serious problem. Source: Dr. Paul Blanc author of “How Everyday Products Make People Sick” (https://amzn.to/3iug5Me) You know that voice inside your head? It tells you all kinds of things both good and bad. It can be a coach or a critic. Where does that voice come from? How can you use that voice to help steer your l...
Jan 25, 2021•51 min•Ep. 530
When you have pain – you want it to go away. While taking a pill or two can help ease the pain, there are some other interesting and unconventional ways to ease pain that have been proven to work. This episode begins with those and at least most of them will likely be new to you. http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/12-weird-pain-remedies/ss-AAcuOQ#image=1 Self-sabotage is when you set a goal, attempt to achieve it and in the process screw the whole thing up all by yourself. Seems rather poi...
Jan 23, 2021•45 min•Ep. 529
One of the benefits of houseplants is that they clean the air in your home or office - right? Well, not exactly. Houseplants are great and they do offer some benefits, but cleaner air is not one of them. This episode begins with a discussion about this that I know you will find interesting. https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/12/health/plants-do-not-clean-indoor-air-trnd-wellness/index.html Exercise is difficult. 80% of us don’t exercise much. If exercise is so important, why is it so hard to do? Are we...
Jan 21, 2021•50 min•Ep. 528
Have you ever asked yourself, “Is it ever too late?” If you don’t set your social and professional course early in life, will you miss out? Parents often worry that if their kids don’t get on the right track early on, they will have trouble later on. This episode begins with some interesting and optimistic research on why this worry may be unfounded. Source: Susan Krauss Whitbourne author of “The Search for Fulfillment” (https://amzn.to/3bXWqTF) We all mistakes with our money - we can’t help it,...
Jan 18, 2021•51 min•Ep. 527
I suspect you’ve been cheated or lied to at some point in your life and thought to yourself, “How in the world did I fall for that?” There is actually a good reason why it happened to you and to every other human on the planet. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201109/the-5-reasons-we-get-suckered-and-ripped While there is no shortage of advice for people in relationships – I think I have someone who will make you think differently about love and how it really works...
Jan 16, 2021•50 min•Ep. 526
Happiness can be elusive - especially now.. Being locked down with little to do and being away from friends can really take a toll. However, there are a few things that you can do to be happier even now during this pandemic. This episode begins with some of the essential ingredients to create a general sense of happiness that definitely work. http://www.biopsychiatry.com/happiness/ Being busy and getting a lot done can have its rewards. There is a great sense of accomplishment when you get a lot...
Jan 14, 2021•52 min•Ep. 525
If you ask most people if stress can lead to cancer, I think they would say yes. I imagine there are cancer patients who believe they got cancer because of the stress in the life. So what does the research say about this? This episode begins with a look at some conclusive science about stress and cancer that should come as a relief to people who are stressed as well as cancer patients. Source: Nancy Snyderman, M.D. author of Medical Myths That Can Kill You (https://amzn.to/3biHlf4) People need p...
Jan 11, 2021•55 min•Ep. 524
Have you ever watched someone blow out the candles on a birthday cake and wondered, “Do I really want to eat cake after someone blew and spit all over it?” I have -even long before Covid-19. So I start this episode with a look at the risks of eating that cake once the candles are out. http://foodnetwork.wikia.com/wiki/Food_Detectives A lot has been written about peak performance. There are books, articles, podcasts, seminars, speeches, and many gurus all claiming to know the magical steps to ach...
Jan 09, 2021•45 min•Ep. 523
Identity theft is often not the result of some high-tech scam. It is frequently because someone digs through your trash and finds documents with personal information. I start this episode explaining ways you haven’t heard before to protect yourself from low-tech but highly effective dumpster divers who want to steal your identity. https://www.rd.com/list/shred-documents/ It is amazing how people in your life influence you in ways you don’t realize. The things you do, the decisions you make and t...
Jan 07, 2021•46 min•Ep. 522
In the search for love, you’ve probably heard claims that pheromones can make you more appealing. And some perfumes and colognes claim to have pheromones in them that will do the trick. This episode looks at those claims and whether they will really improve your love life. https://www.rd.com/article/do-pheromone-perfumes-really-work/ Will a dessert taste sweeter on a round plate than on a square plate? Do candles on the table actually improve the taste of a meal? A lot of things can influence ou...
Jan 04, 2021•51 min•Ep. 521
I don’t know about you but I simply cannot walk and text at the same time. And that turns out to be a good thing. I begin this episode with some fascinating research about texting and walking – and how the people around you hate you when you do it. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/people-who-text-while-walking-are-annoying-as-hell-study-confirms_us_55b8f3e7e4b0a13f9d1b0b13?ir=Healthy%2BLiving%C2%A7ion%3Dhealthy-living&utm_hp_ref=healthy-living Criticism can be tricky. It is often hard to giv...
Jan 02, 2021•44 min•Ep. 521
We have all had the experience of a fly landing on our food and then pondering whether to toss it out or eat it. This episode begins with some guidelines that will help you decide what to do the next time it happens. https://theconversation.com/should-i-throw-away-food-once-a-fly-has-landed-on-it-50895 Your success in life is due in large part to how well you deal with people and how people perceive you. Wouldn’t it be great to know how to make yourself more approachable and interesting to other...
Dec 31, 2020•49 min•Ep. 520
I am sure you have had to perform under pressure. So you know that it is difficult to do and often your performance suffers. But why? Well, a couple of interesting things happen in that situation and when you understand them you can make the experience of performing under pressure a lot easier. Listen as I begin this episode with this fascinating intel. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/01/160120091714.htm We all have so many choices for everything – breakfast cereal, cars, food, careers...
Dec 28, 2020•44 min•Ep. 519
How can drinking hot cocoa from an orange mug taste different from drinking hot cocoa from a blue mug? I’ll explain some interesting research that shows how color affects our perception of taste - and the best mugs for different drinks. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2257063/Study-finds-hot-chocolate-tastes-better-orange-mugs.html It is amazing how many people consider themselves shy. In fact, almost all of us feel shy in certain situations. But why are some people more shy than...
Dec 26, 2020•43 min•Ep. 518
It is called the “helper’s high.” It’s that feeling you get when you do something nice for someone else. It isn’t only a theory, there is solid evidence that doing the smallest thing for someone else is good for you. This episode begins as I explore the power of giving. http://www.medicaldaily.com/acts-kindness-toward-others-helpful-when-dealing-stress-365218 Achieving any goal can be tough, whether it is a New Year’s resolution or some other important goal you want to accomplish. But there is a...
Dec 24, 2020•46 min•Ep. 517
We are taught that jealousy and envy are not productive emotions. Well, maybe. This episode begins with a look at how jealousy and envy can actually help you achieve your goal. And, I explain the difference between jealousy and envy because they are not the same thing. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a19918585/jealous/ Successful dog training is all about conditioning and giving rewards for good behavior. Yet when we want people to change their behavior, we are more inclined to criticize an...
Dec 21, 2020•52 min•Ep. 516
Negotiating your own salary can be stressful and difficult. This episode begins with some proven ways to help you maneuver through the negotiation process effectively, so you get the best deal and the most money possible. http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-negotiate-a-higher-salary Just about everyone enjoys music. But it is more than mere entertainment. Researcher and writer Dan Levitin author of the book, This is Your Brain on Music (https://amzn.to/2zRC39i) discusses how people have used m...
Dec 19, 2020•43 min•Ep. 515
Are you planning to re-gift a gift this Christmas? People have been regifting forever - although it was a Seinfeld episode that made the concept popular. This episode begins with a discussion of how you should re-gift and what the rules are. https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/g30169200/regifting-etiquette-rules/ For many of us, our car is extremely important. It is hard to imagine life without a car. So how did the automobile become such a big part of our lives in a relatively short perio...
Dec 17, 2020•51 min•Ep. 514
During the holidays, we use a lot of power strips to plug in lights and decorations. So this episode begins with a list of things to NEVER do with power strips for the safety of everyone in your home. And you will probably be surprised by some of what you hear. https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/things-you-should-never-do-with-power-strips/ As a group, we humans are kind of quirky. There are things we do and ways we behave that are uniquely human and sometimes cause problems for ourselves an...
Dec 14, 2020•51 min•Ep. 513
Confident people just have a way about them. The way they act and talk draws people to them. So how can you be (and appear) more confident? I begin this episode with some expert advice on how to project confidence. https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2015/04/01/12-things-truly-confident-people-do-differently/?sh=2e5271174766 How does your money move around? In other words, you write me a check, how does the money get from your account to mine? What makes a $20 bill worth $20? And how do...
Dec 12, 2020•45 min•Ep. 512
Christmas is a fun holiday with lots of stories and traditions. This episode begins with some interesting facts about Christmas you may not know. Ever wonder why we use the term Noel at Christmas time? OR did you ever wonder what Christmas decorations are edible? Listen to discover the answers and other fascinating Christmas intel? (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/50-things-yule-never-know-653613) We all have the best of intentions. We so often say we are going to do things with the best in...
Dec 10, 2020•47 min•Ep. 511
The corona virus vaccine comes as a shot -most likely two shots! And getting shots is no fun. So this episode begins by explaining what you should do just before, during and after you get the shot to make it hurt less. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9018211/Pain-Grimacing-make-injection-bearable-study-claims-ahead-COVID-vaccine-rollout.html Why are so many people overweight? There are likely several contributing factors and one of them seems to be how food tastes. In short, it d...
Dec 07, 2020•53 min•Ep. 510
Why do people get angry over the little things? At least one leading expert believes it’s all about control. I begin this episode of the podcast discussing the high cost your pay by getting so upset over nothing and how to let go of life’s little aggravations. (Source: The Anger Trap by Les Carter https://amzn.to/2NYGHpd) A lot of the advice on eating healthy is about what to avoid – meat, dairy, gluten, sugar, oil etc. But pediatrician Dr. Aaron Carroll, professor of Pediatrics at Indiana Unive...
Dec 05, 2020•45 min•Ep. 508
Have you ever had “one of those days”? You know those days when everything seems to go wrong and you can’t help but think about how wrong everything is going? This episode begins with a simple yet effective technique for you to use the next time you have one of those days. Source: Judith Orloff, M.D. author of Positive Energy (https://amzn.to/2KHzr3K) Dust, mold, dust mites, spiders, bugs and other things are lurking in your home. Are they dangerous? Quite possibly, according to Jeffrey May, a c...
Dec 03, 2020•49 min•Ep. 509
Eating cereal for breakfast is a relatively new concept that really didn’t catch on until the 1940s and 50s. So where did it come from and how did it get so popular? This episode begins by answering these questions and explaining how popcorn was really the first breakfast cereal. Source: David Hoffman, author of The Breakfast Cereal Gourmet (https://amzn.to/35UKIpr) You make a lot of decisions as you go through the day such as when to have your first cup of coffee, whether to sit or stand, how m...
Nov 30, 2020•51 min•Ep. 506
Getting kids to eat their vegetables can be frustrating for parents. However there are some techniques that can help sway your kids to at least try to eat some vegetables. This episode begins with a couple of really easy ones. https://psychcentral.com/news/2020/02/21/when-both-parents-eat-veggies-kids-more-likely-to-follow-their-example/154381.html You likely don’t give a lot of thought to how important strangers are to you because, well, they are strangers. However, certain strangers can play a...
Nov 28, 2020•46 min•Ep. 505
We all want people to like us and obviously a lot of things determine just how likable you are. However, there are a few simple techniques to make you appear more likable instantly. I start this episode with three ways, according to Psychology Today, that will make you more likable to others when you meet them. And they aren’t what you probably think. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/let-their-words-do-the-talking/201107/get-anyone-you-instantly-guaranteed-1 Evolution is what got us to wh...
Nov 26, 2020•47 min•Ep. 504
Will you be traveling over the holidays? Obviously, the spike in Covid-19 cases is causing people to reconsider travel and family get-togethers. Listen as this episode begins with the results of a survey about just how many people will or won’t be traveling over Thanksgiving and Christmas. Source: https://bit.ly/32SL0eB When you think about what’s really important to your health, you likely think of medical care, diet and exercise. So what if I told you that friendship and kindness also have a h...
Nov 23, 2020•49 min•Ep. 503
How much water do you drink in a day? Not drinking enough water is a big problem. And while being a little dehydrated won’t kill you, dehydration does have a lot of significant and negative effects on your physical and mental wellness. This episode starts with a look at some surprising findings. http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/5-signs-dehydration-besides-color-your-pee Language controls what you think and how you think it. Imagine how differently you would think if you didn’t have w...
Nov 21, 2020•47 min•Ep. 501
