- Dr Karan's Weekly Dose
- Posts
- The Weekly Dose
The Weekly Dose
The Weekly Dose
The Weekly Dose...
... the latest from Dr Karan
This weeks edition - Let's talk supplements
Hello my friends (to be read in Obi-Wan's voice)
The weekly dose is a brief summary of things going on in my head, things that have taken my interest and also a chance for me to hopefully provide you with bite-size nuggets on information that help you in some way in your everyday life.
If you enjoy it, please feel free to forward to friends, family & enemies alike.
The Supplement(s) I Take
One vitamin D tablet. That's pretty much all I take, the reason being is that I live in the UK.A wonderful place in some aspects but not when it comes to weather. Particularly in the Autumn and Winter months when sunlight is at a premium and the amount of UVB rays penetrating the atmosphere is hindered at this time of year.Those at risk of low vitamin D levels, including people with darker skin, would likely benefit from taking these supplements year-round.
I was, at one point, very much into this strange ‘bio-hacker’ sub culture and have suffered first hand with ‘supplement anxiety’.So I get it completely. We all want that little bit extra, even just 0.1% more and thanks to media branding and advertisement we’ve all been guilty of purchasing the latest revolutionary supplement our favourite celebs advertise!
Lets address the situation, we aren’t all high performance athletes. We don’t all need to supplement zinc, CLA or the extract of wild Peruvian goat, especially the latter!If we prioritise the basics over biohacking we will reap the rewards, and our bodies will thank us. Sleep, regular exercise, working on our mental health and committing to a diverse diet rich in fibre are just some of the things we can do.
This recent report was an interesting read:
Essentially what I’m getting at is if you’re a “healthy” person, you would not benefit significantly from supplements.
Having said that, if you objectively think you struggle on a regular basis to maintain these “healthy” habits for whatever reason then book an appointment to go see your Doctor.They may advise you to take a well-researched supplement or multivitamin with a good track record, and you know what? That’s fine too.Supplements can be a huge help to offset health disparities which are often a consequence of social inequalities. But note that REAL food will always provide superior nutritional value than most supplements.
Rarely is anything black & white. There is always nuance. Those that outright say supplements are USELESS, I’d argue come from a place of privilege. Don’t be disparaged if you need to take supplements, you have your own reasons.
What am I watching?
The Boys! (I think its only on Amazon prime)
No TV series has brought me this much joy since breaking bad. Warning, this is not for the faint hearted. Too often I’ve told myself that I’ll watch one episode before bed and then next thing I know it’s 3am. A brilliant show which is now deep into it’s third series.
This article changed me
So not so much a book I’ve been reading recently, but this article by Sonja Lyubomirsky, Kennon M. Sheldon and David Schkade has really enlightened my outlook. We all strive to be happy but should we? Why is it so hard to be happy sometimes?
Whilst I think society has conditioned us to believe we NEED to be happy all the time, that’s just not possible and not being happy sometimes is ok! Humans have a complex and extensive emotional range and happiness is a tiny dot on that spectrum.
The article proposes that happiness can be viewed as a pie chart -
Whilst the above may or may not be true, one thing that can be agreed upon is that your perspective frames your emotions.
Finding a positive interpretation of a negative event is the best way to move forward, even if this positive interpretation isn’t immediately available. Greek philosopher Epictetus said it best. “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react…"
This leads onto my new YouTube video, which will be a journey of my quest to be happy. Watch it here! (P.S. there may be a cameo from my dog shadow and a few nostalgic baby pics of me!) (Dr Karan Investigates!)
This song is helping keep me sane right now!
Bistro Gravy - Dan Fable
Exactly the kind of song I need to calm my existential panic as I drive in to work for an all day operating list. It’s not the happiest song in the world, but the melody and lyrics are easy to appreciate and you can’t help but sing along. Sometimes this is all the medicine your mind needs!
This quote hit me, it hit me hard!
“Don’t try and make your dog more human. Instead make yourself more dog!” unknown, internet
The more we can develop a way of being with each moment, the more pleasure and joy we will find in our lives. Just experiencing things in greater detail and resting with each action or experience will calm the mind and heighten the senses. So, be more dog. Lie around basking in the sunshine, spend time enjoying the little things and don't give yourself a hard time when you walk mud up the stairs! But please draw the line at pooping on the back field!
Let me know your feedback on twitter (DrKaranRajan)… which bit was your favourite and what do you want to see next time? Send a tweet to @drkaranrajan and put hashtag (#TheWeeklyDose) at the end so I can see it!
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
Karan