How a $2 "life hack" changed everything. Thank you MJ!

[Lionhearted]

If you're not subscribed to the Fastlane Forum news letter, you're missing out!
I also have a "Health Journal". I track blood sugar weight and workout activity. Thanks to your news letter, I will expand what I document. BTW I had that same itch in the arch of my foot. Seriously one of the most irritating itches of my life. It did go away too.
But I will try out the mats you suggested as I do like reflexology and acupressure too.

The Pen is truly MIGHTY!

Thanks
All The Best

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Forgot to post this particular article...

From the Life in the Fastlane newsletter... {SUBSCRIBE HERE}

How a $2 "life-hack" changed everything.

I had this nagging itch on the instep of my foot a couple months ago. It got so bad that it started affecting my sleep and work. I scratched the hell out of it to the point it got calloused. Still, the itch remained and continued for months. After trying the usual modalities to rid me of this itch, like antifungals or hydrocortisone, I started testing other treatments.



Was it food related?

Was it nerve related?

Was it poor posture?



I tried various things, like a food-elimination diet, acupressure, lymphatic massage, and a bevy of strategies that might impact this nagging issue.

About 3 weeks later, the itch was gone. While I didn't discover the cause, I did find a strategy that lessened the itch and ultimately eliminated it. And it was all made possible by a lifestyle strategy you can deploy with just a few bucks: a health journal.





I keep a tiny notebook (3x4 inch) where I journal everything related to my health. You can find these at any department store for around $2. I recommend having a physical paper journal, not a digital archive, on your smartphone. Pencil and paper are very deliberative and access a different part of your brain.

What goes into this journal, and how did I discover the solution for my itch? 

Well, I use this journal as if I were conducting experiments. Over the years, this journal has made me healthier and happier. It has uncovered some remarkable things about my life simply because I chose to document it.

I've discovered some remarkable things about my life simply because I chose to deliberately document it.

For example, if I had a phenomenal sleep the night before, I'd record what I did and what I didn't do. 


Did I eat something sugary?

If so, what? 



Did I use the hot tub or the infrared sauna a few hours before bed? 



Did I have a cigar? 



Thanks to this journal, I discovered that I couldn't take a hot bath, a hot tub, or an infrared sauna too close to bedtime; otherwise, it would impact my sleep negatively.

I also discovered that having any sugar before bed created horrible nightmares. 



The end result? 



Better health.

Better sleep. 

Better dreams.

Better performance in life.



Similarly, I have a medical cannabis prescription I use to help me with joint pain after gym workouts. (I'm over 50 now, so I'm no longer a spring chicken!) and I use this journal to document my body's reaction to certain cannabis strains. Did it help with pain? How did it affect my sleep? Did it make me paranoid or help with writing?



Also, use this journal to record food-related reactions. Do you get terrible acid reflux after eating a pepperoni pizza? Falling asleep after a sushi lunch? Document it and adjust.



Key point: this journal aims to help you discover what activities, methods, behaviors, and foods keep you in optimal (or sub-optimal) conditions.



Health is wealth.



And a simple $2 investment can do light-years for your well-being.

PS: Regular twice-a-day use of an acupressure mat* helped me ultimately rid myself of my terrible itch. On some days that this itch was so bad, I dabbled in knives and pins for relief! Anyway, the itch was less intense on days when I used the acupressure mat. After about 10 days, it was completely gone!

 

[MJ DeMarco]

I'm going to reiterate the power of using this simple tool.

Here's the full article...

How a simple $2 "life-hack" can make the difference between health or wealth. - MJ DeMarco

I had this nagging itch on the instep of my foot a couple months ago. It got so bad that it started affecting my sleep and work. I scratched the hell out of

www.mjdemarco.com

For the last 6 weeks, I've been having muscle tightness/stiffness in my IT-band and piriformis muscle. For those who don't know what that is, that's the lateral muscle/fascia group down the side of my leg, from my upper hip down to my upper knee. It forced me to downgrade from Healthcon5 to Healthcon4.

The thing is, this thing only flared up while I slept, waking me up at 3AM in severe discomfort.

I figured it was a misalignment since I have pretty poor posture so I paid to see a chiropracter.

After x-rays, 12 treatments, and a $350 pair of orthodontics, NOTHING changed. In fact, I'd say the pain got worse.

During this time, I was also doing a lot of stretches to loosen up my hip and glute muscles.

I tried to use my acupressure mat on the area (which fixed another issue) again, it didn't work.

Nothing changed.

But all of is was recorded, and documented in my little blue book.

For the last 6 weeks, this muscle ache/stiffness/pain thing has f*cked up my sleep.

Then my wife suggested I try a new series of stretches before bed.

I did them to appease her suggestions, thinking it wouldn't change a damn thing.

I mean, why would it? I've already been stretching and paying a fortune for various other treatments to no avail.

And then, for the first time in 6 weeks, I've had 3 straight days of zero aches/pain, and slept again soundly.

Healthcon5 .... is back.

Life is all one big experiment. If you're not paying close attention, you could miss out on problem solving conclusions.

Act.
Assess.
Adjust.

This is a concept I hit hard in Unscripted and Rat Race Escape (not TMF ) -- it truly is the reiterative secret to your best life.

 

[Haya_Verbena]

I'm going to reiterate the power of using this simple tool.

Here's the full article...

How a simple $2 "life-hack" can make the difference between health or wealth. - MJ DeMarco

I had this nagging itch on the instep of my foot a couple months ago. It got so bad that it started affecting my sleep and work. I scratched the hell out of

www.mjdemarco.com

For the last 6 weeks, I've been having muscle tightness/stiffness in my IT-band and piriformis muscle. For those who don't know what that is, that's the lateral muscle/fascia group down the side of my leg, from my upper hip down to my upper knee. It forced me to downgrade from Healthcon5 to Healthcon4.

The thing is, this thing only flared up while I slept, waking me up at 3AM in severe discomfort.

I figured it was a misalignment since I have pretty poor posture so I paid to see a chiropracter.

After x-rays, 12 treatments, and a $350 pair of orthodontics, NOTHING changed. In fact, I'd say the pain got worse.

During this time, I was also doing a lot of stretches to loosen up my hip and glute muscles.

I tried to use my acupressure mat on the area (which fixed another issue) again, it didn't work.

Nothing changed.

But all of is was recorded, and documented in my little blue book.

For the last 6 weeks, this muscle ache/stiffness/pain thing has f*cked up my sleep.

Then my wife suggested I try a new series of stretches before bed.

I did them to appease her suggestions, thinking it wouldn't change a damn thing.

I mean, why would it? I've already been stretching and paying a fortune for various other treatments to no avail.

And then, for the first time in 6 weeks, I've had 3 straight days of zero aches/pain, and slept again soundly.

Healthcon5 .... is back.

Life is all one big experiment. If you're not paying close attention, you could miss out on problem solving conclusions.

Act.
Assess.
Adjust.

This is a concept I hit hard in Unscripted and Rat Race Escape (not TMF ) -- it truly is the reiterative secret to your best life.

Would you mind sharing the stretches you did MJ? Have been having piriformis problems the past few weeks as well

 

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[ugudango]

Funny to see this, just yesterday I started my health journal after having bad sleep but an amazing and focused work day. Weirdest part for me was, I had just 1 quick coffee in the morning instead of the usual 3.


I was curious why this happened but I realized I didn't eat anything that day. I practice intermittent fasting until 12 and then go eat, and I always had the dip in energy after eating but I didn't know it was this drastic. Even after work I was full of energy.

I decided to go on an elemination diet, and will write everything in the health journal. Just today I found out that those quick protein drinks reduce my brainpower and focus by quite a bit, so I eliminated them.

Recommend this to everyone who wants to learn more about their body.

 

[AppleTree]

I've got to implement this. I always have random headaches or random energy dips and would have no idea why since I've never been actively tracking my daily health status.

 

[Rob Tennant]

Forgot to post this particular article...

From the Life in the Fastlane newsletter... {SUBSCRIBE HERE}

How a $2 "life-hack" changed everything.

I had this nagging itch on the instep of my foot a couple months ago. It got so bad that it started affecting my sleep and work. I scratched the hell out of it to the point it got calloused. Still, the itch remained and continued for months. After trying the usual modalities to rid me of this itch, like antifungals or hydrocortisone, I started testing other treatments.



Was it food related?

Was it nerve related?

Was it poor posture?



I tried various things, like a food-elimination diet, acupressure, lymphatic massage, and a bevy of strategies that might impact this nagging issue.

About 3 weeks later, the itch was gone. While I didn't discover the cause, I did find a strategy that lessened the itch and ultimately eliminated it. And it was all made possible by a lifestyle strategy you can deploy with just a few bucks: a health journal.



View attachment 49283

I keep a tiny notebook (3x4 inch) where I journal everything related to my health. You can find these at any department store for around $2. I recommend having a physical paper journal, not a digital archive, on your smartphone. Pencil and paper are very deliberative and access a different part of your brain.

What goes into this journal, and how did I discover the solution for my itch? 

Well, I use this journal as if I were conducting experiments. Over the years, this journal has made me healthier and happier. It has uncovered some remarkable things about my life simply because I chose to document it.

I've discovered some remarkable things about my life simply because I chose to deliberately document it.

For example, if I had a phenomenal sleep the night before, I'd record what I did and what I didn't do. 


Did I eat something sugary?

If so, what? 



Did I use the hot tub or the infrared sauna a few hours before bed? 



Did I have a cigar? 



Thanks to this journal, I discovered that I couldn't take a hot bath, a hot tub, or an infrared sauna too close to bedtime; otherwise, it would impact my sleep negatively.

I also discovered that having any sugar before bed created horrible nightmares. 



The end result? 



Better health.

Better sleep. 

Better dreams.

Better performance in life.



Similarly, I have a medical cannabis prescription I use to help me with joint pain after gym workouts. (I'm over 50 now, so I'm no longer a spring chicken!) and I use this journal to document my body's reaction to certain cannabis strains. Did it help with pain? How did it affect my sleep? Did it make me paranoid or help with writing?



Also, use this journal to record food-related reactions. Do you get terrible acid reflux after eating a pepperoni pizza? Falling asleep after a sushi lunch? Document it and adjust.



Key point: this journal aims to help you discover what activities, methods, behaviors, and foods keep you in optimal (or sub-optimal) conditions.



Health is wealth.



And a simple $2 investment can do light-years for your well-being.

PS: Regular twice-a-day use of an acupressure mat* helped me ultimately rid myself of my terrible itch. On some days that this itch was so bad, I dabbled in knives and pins for relief! Anyway, the itch was less intense on days when I used the acupressure mat. After about 10 days, it was completely gone!

I'm going to reiterate the power of using this simple tool.

Here's the full article...

How a simple $2 "life-hack" can make the difference between health or wealth. - MJ DeMarco

I had this nagging itch on the instep of my foot a couple months ago. It got so bad that it started affecting my sleep and work. I scratched the hell out of

www.mjdemarco.com

For the last 6 weeks, I've been having muscle tightness/stiffness in my IT-band and piriformis muscle. For those who don't know what that is, that's the lateral muscle/fascia group down the side of my leg, from my upper hip down to my upper knee. It forced me to downgrade from Healthcon5 to Healthcon4.

The thing is, this thing only flared up while I slept, waking me up at 3AM in severe discomfort.

I figured it was a misalignment since I have pretty poor posture so I paid to see a chiropracter.

After x-rays, 12 treatments, and a $350 pair of orthodontics, NOTHING changed. In fact, I'd say the pain got worse.

During this time, I was also doing a lot of stretches to loosen up my hip and glute muscles.

I tried to use my acupressure mat on the area (which fixed another issue) again, it didn't work.

Nothing changed.

But all of is was recorded, and documented in my little blue book.

For the last 6 weeks, this muscle ache/stiffness/pain thing has f*cked up my sleep.

Then my wife suggested I try a new series of stretches before bed.

I did them to appease her suggestions, thinking it wouldn't change a damn thing.

I mean, why would it? I've already been stretching and paying a fortune for various other treatments to no avail.

And then, for the first time in 6 weeks, I've had 3 straight days of zero aches/pain, and slept again soundly.

Healthcon5 .... is back.

Life is all one big experiment. If you're not paying close attention, you could miss out on problem solving conclusions.

Act.
Assess.
Adjust.

This is a concept I hit hard in Unscripted and Rat Race Escape (not TMF ) -- it truly is the reiterative secret to your best life.

Definitely. Since the start of this year, I've been tackling my shoulder pain, but using a digital approach. This pain has been a huge challenge, affecting things like putting on shirts, driving, and brushing my teeth. Despite consultations with several physical therapists, chiropractors, and an orthopedic surgeon, the issue persisted. It became clear that each professional viewed the problem through their own specialized lens, often missing the bigger picture. This realization led me to take charge of my own health journey.

In my approach, I meticulously log every detail: every food item I consume, various stretches and physical therapies targeted at my shoulder, different supplements I try, the quality of my sleep, my workout routines, and even my daily moods and focus. I've committed to this method long enough to collect meaningful data, discerning what seems to help and what doesn't. The process is straightforward but requires discipline.

Every two weeks or so, I feed this data into ChatGPT for analysis. Its capability to organize and expedite pattern recognition is invaluable, helping me identify beneficial practices and those that aren't effective. I've even incorporated x-ray reports, as well as notes and observations from my physical therapy and chiropractic sessions, to provide a comprehensive overview. During my appointments with chiropractors and physical therapists, I've been proactive in asking numerous questions, delving deep into their expertise. This approach has been met with mixed reactions; while some practitioners appreciated my inquisitive nature, others seemed annoyed, particularly when my observations contradicted their advice. I quickly realized the vast differences in knowledge and expertise among these professionals, leading me to alternate between different therapists to gain diverse insights and treatment plans.

About 2 months ago, I decided to stop attending physical therapy sessions and began a self-devised regimen. Since then, there has been a significant improvement in my shoulder pain, range of motion, and mobility. The journey has been painful, with real progress only becoming evident in the last month or so. This experience highlights the patience and perseverance required in such situations, especially when it feels like no progress is being made and theres no hope. Navigating through all the conflicting information about shoulder care has been challenging, given the complexity of the joint. Surprisingly, one of the biggest disciplines has been to refrain from intense or heavy workouts during this period of experimentation. Understanding that it took around ten years to develop these shoulder issues, I recognize that recovery is a gradual process. I still have a long way to go, but I'm finally seeing a positive trend in my recovery.

 

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