Are You Experiencing A Comfort Crisis?

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Today’s Health Upgrade

Study of the week
Are you having a comfort crisis?
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Weekly wisdom

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Study of the Week
Drop The Carbs…Or Drop The Sugar?

Ever wondered how different diets affect your body? A new randomized controlled trial put a low-sugar diet against a low-carb plan and examined everything from weight loss to glucose tolerance and gut health. And the results didn’t go as many might expect.

But first some quick background. The study design was fairly simple: one group cut their sugar intake to less than 5 percent of the total calories they ate per day, while the other group consumed approximately 15 grams total of carbs per day (that is super low-carb).

It might surprise some, but both groups lost the same amount of weight despite eating very differently, and neither diet led to more favorable fat loss outcomes.

That’s because despite cutting out carbs or sugar, both groups had a similar amount of total calories per day. While many people will try to suggest that calories don’t matter and that insulin determines if you store fat, the new study is another example of how this only works out in theory, but not when tested in humans. Despite lower insulin levels, the low-carb group did not see superior results for fat loss.

In other words, the low-sugar group ate approximately 160 grams of carbs per day and still lost as much weight as those eating just 15 grams per day (or about as many carbs as you get in half a large apple).

The goal of the study was to focus on how different diets affect how many calories you burn per day. Many diets change how you burn calories outside of your diet, such as leading to less movement. However, neither diet reduced physical activity, calorie burning, or step counts.

What you might find interesting is that even though the low-carb group initially improved their fasting glucose over the first four weeks, after 12 weeks, there was no difference between the two groups. Once again, this suggests that weight loss influences blood sugar management more than how much carbs you consume.

Maybe most interestingly, the low-carb group showed worse insulin sensitivity, energy metabolism, and negative changes to their gut health. These are mechanisms involved in your metabolic health but don’t necessarily influence weight loss (as you can see from the results).

As we’ve shared before, many different diets work for weight loss and other goals. But there’s nothing uniquely special about cutting out any single food if your overall eating habits don’t change. This study found that you can eat carbs or cut them and still lose weight. But you need a calorie deficit to see lasting changes.

It’s ideal to do what works best for you, but remember that the more diversity you have in your diet—proteins, fats, carbs, and fiber—the more likely you are to give your body what it needs and not feel so restricted that you create unsustainable behaviors.

Mindset
Are You Suffering From A Comfort Crisis?

Can you have too much of a good thing?

It’s a question we probably don’t ask enough, but — thankfully — author Michael Easter took the hard road to explore the dangers of life’s comforts in his book The Comfort Crisis.

Last week, we welcomed Easter into The Pump app for “The Pump book club” for a chat with the community. He took member’s questions, shared some incredible lessons, and inspired the entire village.

But for those who haven’t yet read the book, Easter came to a simple and essential realization that can dramatically change your health, happiness, and well-being: we are ill-prepared for the comforts and ease of modern life.

That does not mean abandoning all comfort and convenience (we all need days to chill, and indoor plumbing ain’t that bad), but it does mean recognizing if you’re living on a faulty foundation of too much comfort.

As Easter points out, scientists have found that embracing discomfort can help protect us against physical and psychological problems such as obesity, heart disease, cancer, depression, and anxiety — and help you find meaning when you don’t feel like you have a purpose.

If you’re unsure if you need a little more forced difficulty in your life, ask yourself these three questions for more clarity:

Question 1: How Much Time Do You Spend Indoors?
The average American spends 93% of their time inside. But time outdoors is one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health. It's not always comfortable out there, but you'll adapt and grow. Even better: take your exercise outdoors. It offers fitness benefits you can't get in a gym.

You Have A Comfort Crisis If…You spend more than 90 percent of your time indoors.

Question 2: What Is Your Average Screen Time Per Day?

Fun fact: Humans used to spend zero hours on their phones. Now, some estimates suggest we spend more than four hours. Four hours! It's not that all screen time is bad, but we often use screens to fix boredom, anxiety, and more. Resisting that urge can lead us into interesting territory.

Try this: Get bored. Here are eight ways to leverage the power of boredom. Boredom is associated with creative ideas and less stress. See where your mind goes.

You Have A Comfort Crisis If… You spend more than 3 hours a day on your phone.

Question 3: When Was The Last Time You Truly Did Something With a High Likelihood of Failure?

Our ancestors had to take on big challenges to survive all the time. Each time they did, they'd learn something about their capabilities and grow as humans. We take on fewer big challenges today, and it limits our potential.

Try a Misogi. Pick one epic task with a 50-50 shot of failure. Get to your edge—and watch that edge expand. Need an idea for a Misogi? Here are a bunch.

You Have A Comfort Crisis If… You play it safe and haven’t chased after your wildest dreams or challenges.

A few weeks ago, we shared that lower testosterone is associated with a higher risk of death and cardiovascular disease. So, you might be looking for ways to boost your testosterone — but there’s a proven way…and ways that might not give you the desired outcome

Research suggests that Tongkat Ali — a popular supplement for increasing testosterone — is not yet a reliable hormone-boosting solution.

The scientists tested men and women and gave them 400 milligrams of Tongkat Ali (an herb found in southeastern Asia, also known as Eurycoma longifolia) to determine the effect on body composition and hormonal changes.

After four weeks, the participants did not show improvements in free testosterone, body fat percentage, lean body mass (muscle), mood, sleep, grip strength, or attention.

This isn’t the first time Tongkat Ali hasn’t lived up to the hype. Another study found that in people with “androgen deficiency” (below normal testosterone), taking the herb did not improve testosterone, strength or cardiovascular fitness, and a different study suggests that it won’t improve erectile function or sexual satisfaction.

That doesn't mean it won't work for anyone — as we are aware of ongoing studies testing different dosages. But it does mean if you’re suffering from low T, your best bet is to try out some behavioral changes with more scientific support. These include: