Dr. Calah’s Favorite Things
DR. CALAH’S FAVORITE THINGS
I noticed the other day that Oprah’s annual list of her favorite things was released for the holidays. I try not to read her list because it makes me want things that I don’t need (I mean need is kind of a relative term when it comes to cashmere and chocolate, but…). I digress, but the idea of her list made me think that it’s a great time of year to share all sorts of things, and what if I shared a list of some of my favorite wellness tools, ideas and hacks from this year?
1) Podcasts and books- I spend a LOT of time in the car. This has been a big personal growth year for me, and a lot of that was driven (get the pun?) by the stuff I learned from listening to people who are way smarter than me via podcasts and audiobooks. Here’s a short list of some of my favorites from this year:
Atomic Habits by James Clear My favorite book this year. I read a lot of self-improvement books, and I usually think by about Chapter 3 that the rest is just fluff so the book would be long enough. This one was good all the way to the end, and I still go back and revisit parts of it.
Horses Never Lie by Mark Rashid Someone gave me this book (yes, like an actual book) and I ignored it for a long time because it didn’t look like “my kind of horse stuff”. I grabbed it and started reading it during a snowed-in weekend last winter, and I could not put it down. After that, I discovered that all of his books are free with an Audible membership. I listened to all of them, most of them more than once. He is full of wisdom (that he shares in the context of training horses) and has a knack for storytelling as well. If you are an animal person, this is a must-read!
Divergent Mind by Jenara Nerenberg My understanding of the range of human neurotypes and the varying needs that people have based on their neurotype was expanded exponentially with this book. This absolutely made me a better doctor and a more educated and understanding human in general.
The Great Mental Models by Shane Parrish A nerdy overview of how some of the big ideas of science and philosophy apply to daily life. This was super interesting and thought-provoking.
The Huberman Lab podcast- My most useful and interesting podcast discovery for this year. Andrew Huberman is a researcher at Stanford who uses his podcast to educate the public about scientific research that can directly impact quality of life. There are episodes about sleep, stress, exercise and cold exposure that have changed how I do things every day. This one is a total game-changer!
WeCanDoHardThings with Glennon Doyle- This podcast is educational in a very different way, more like the practical education you might get sitting down to chat for an hour with the very coolest and smartest women that you know. Guys can listen too!
2) Dang, that was a long list! I’m going to finish for today with a short list of other things that I really liked this year and write about some of them in more detail in a future post.
Noise cancelling headphones- My son recommended huge over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones from Beats early in the year. I was dubious given how big they are, but Noah usually has great recommendations. He was right! These have been so helpful for travel and many other times when I need to briefly “check-out” and reset during a busy day. The size is actually a bonus because people can see that you’re wearing them and are less likely to try to engage.
Glo.com- A client recommended this online yoga subscription service. Yoga in person is wonderful (especially with all of the access we have in PT!) but with my busy schedule it is very helpful to be able to pick a class that matches my needs in the moment and click a button to get started. Over time, I found my favorite instructors and styles which makes picking classes easier.
Farmacy- A friend pointed me toward this skincare company that focuses on natural products and sustainability, and I am hooked! I have sensitive skin, and I can use their products with no issues. Taking care of myself with a daily skincare routine has become a nice way to take a pause and remember to breathe morning and night.
Speaking of breathing, have you heard of the physiological sigh? I’ve been playing with breathing techniques all year as they pertain directly to physical and mental health, and this technique is simple, quick and effective. Here’s a link to Andrew Huberman (yup, from the podcast) describing the physiological sigh: Reduce Anxiety & Stress with the Physiological Sigh | Huberman Lab Quantal Clip https://youtu.be/rBdhqBGqiMc
I’m a proponent of getting your nutrition from whole foods, but I cover my bases with a simple green drink every morning. I can’t lie, it is not delicious. But I can get my husband to drink it so it can’t be that bad! Here’s my formula: greens powder, collagen, fish oil (flavored), Vit D, Resveratrol, Magnesium, and I take Curcumin on the side because it doesn’t seem very water soluble. I blend it in my Vitamix, which does help with texture. Let me know if you want specifics on brands or doses. If you’re vegetarian, I noticed that Costco has marine collagen these days. Yay!
Ok, so I will wrap it up here for my holiday blog post (my puns are so dang good…). I hope that you find something that you like in the list, but if not then stay tuned anyway because something is bound to be interesting or helpful for you in a future post.