Stop Using Ice For Your Injuries... 

Putting ice on a sore spot or injury might seem to make sense. In fact you might have done this before and subjectively you might have noticed some form of improvement... 

Would you be surprised to know there is not much evidence for this in healing injuries? 

Icing does reduce pain and swelling but it does nothing on a cellular level for healing. 

When you get an injury, inflammation is a key part of the healing process and triggers a cascade of reactions including activating the immune system, improving blood flow and oxygen delivery and increases the excretions of waste products via the lymphatic system 

So suppressing this immune response, swelling and inflammation could hinder the healing process. 

Even on a chemical level, cold slows down chemical reactions.. and your entire body is built on the speed of chemical reaction 

We have research suggesting that cryotherapy affects muscle recovery in the long term and reduces muscle growth and has catabolic effects. 

If you have an injury and you can tolerate it, heat is a much better tool. 

Do This To Protect Yourself Against Alzheimer’s 

For a long time, we’ve known that being bilingual has offered cognitive benefits to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s particularly in older adults.

Research shows it helps delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease by up to five years compared to monolingual adults. This is one of several lifestyle factors that may contribute to brain resilience as we age. 

In another new study published in the journal Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, researchers used scans to examine brain resilience in regions of the brain linked to language and aging. 

They found that the hippocampus (memory centre) in bilinguals with Alzheimer's disease was noticeably larger than those who were monolingual with Alzheimer’s 

This study suggested that bilingualism may help to support brain maintenance and ultimately help to delay the progression of Alzheimer’s by means of preserving cognitive reserve further into old age.  

Speaking more than one language is one of several ways to be cognitively and socially engaged, which helps promotes brain health.

So whilst being bilingual isn’t offering immunity against neurodegeneration, it can help to keep your brain as healthy as possible for as long as possible... and it’s free to do! 

P.S If you want more interesting health advice and deep dives into important topics to improve your health and lifestyle, listen to my podcast where I speak to different experts every week on the Dr Karan Explores podcast:

7 Things I Learned About Life Working As A Surgeon 

1. If you want to solve issues quickly, be soft on the person and hard on the problem 

2. Give people importance by making them feel seen, heard & remembered 

3. People don’t like being lonely, assume everyone is scared to make the first move too and that they want to meet you 

4. Go first more often 

5. Storytelling is powerful – use it to pitch an idea, educate or engage people 

6. Focus on quality of your relationships not just the quantity 

7. Find a coach or mentor that will give you unfiltered honest feedback that you might not want to hear. This is the only way to improve even when you feel you’ve mastered your craft. 

3 Books That Are Unputdownable... 

I’m really into fiction books at the moment and the ones I’m going to share with you were so engrossing it might affect your sleep habits (you’ll be up all night reading them.. so caution advised!) 

1. Empire of the Vampire (Jay Kristoff) 

   

Whether you’re into vampires or not this is an incredible read.

Set in an alternate timeline where vampires rule the earth, this is the story of the last vampire hunter. This book has an incredible number of twists and turns and you’ll be lost in the mythos and story created by the writer. I finished this in under a week.

2. Reincarnation Blues (Michael Poore) 

   

There are very few books I read twice, this is one of them. There are also very few books that change my perspective on life (I can only think of this and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho).

Without giving away too much, this story follows Milo... an average human being and how he is reincarnated lifetime after lifetime.

The catch is, we only have 10,000 goes at life... and we need to make something of it in those attempts. This book will offer a new perspective on what to make of life and how to deal with the feeling of “perfection” we chase. 

3. Piranesi (Susanna Clarke) 

   

I may have recommended this book a few weeks ago but I had to put it in here to remind you guys again.

I finished this in approximately 36 hours. Very easy read but very confusing for the first 50 pages... get through that and it will likely be one of the greatest stories you will have ever read.

Mind-bending stuff. 

P.S If you’re in the mood for some non-fiction, you can grab my book here:

P.P.S if you’ve already read it, I'd be grateful for a cheeky review on Amazon! 

Why You Need To Eat “Anti-Nutrients”...

Anti-something usually conjures up a negative image.

In the case of anti-nutrients the perception they are bad comes not just from the name but countless uninformed social media influencers talking about them in a negative light. 

Anti-nutrients include things like lectins, tannins, phytates and oxalates and are naturally found in wholegrains, legumes, fruits and vegetables and yes they can limit the absorption of certain nutrients like iron or calcium. 

Now breathe... because this is where the nuance comes in... 

Unless you consume certain foods which contain anti-nutrients (e.g. spinach containing oxalates) in ridiculously high amounts.. say 20 bows of spinach in one sitting... they are not going to cause any clinical issues. 

On their own these anti-nutrients have their own health benefits, for example phytates have been show to reduce cholesterols and these are found in fibre rich nuts and beans 

We also can do certain things to minimise the effect of these anti-nutrients on certain minerals – for example pairing vitamin C rich foods with iron helps to boost iron absorption (e.g. eating your lentils with bell peppers) 

4 Ways To Stay Calm In Stressful Situations... 

I’ve had my fill of stressful, chaotic situations in both in the hospital, during surgery and life in general.

Here’s what I’ve learned from colleagues, through my own trial and error and research that could help you stay cool and calm: 

1. 4-7-8 breathing.

   We often neglect the power of our own breathing style to influence our thoughts and biology but this breathing technique which has its root in pranayama yogic breathing techniques is powerful.

   How: Breathe through our nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale through the mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat as much as you need. 

2. Write  it down.

   Emptying your busy, cluttered mind onto a piece of paper or even the notes app on your phone can help clarify your thoughts. Block out 20 minutes a day, grab a pen or open the notes app and write a brain dump that is unfiltered. 

3. Brain stuff:

   Start with brain health to reduce your stress.

   Are you hydrated enough? Are you hungry? Have you slept enough? Are you overloaded with screen time?

   Focus on these easy to spot biological cues first that are related to your brain health before anything else 

4. Zoom out:

   Ask yourself just one question... will this matter in a year or even 5 years. If the answer is no, put it out of your mind within 5 minutes. Being able to take a macroscopic view of things was a game changer for me.