The Weekly Word

What I've Been Thinking About...
Or shall I say not thinking about? Recently a story came up that involved repressed memories and I wanted to take a moment to discuss the topic. Little did I know that this is a highly debated topic in the field of psychology and now I don't know what to make of it! 

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) initially came up with this idea and he believed that the mind has a defense mechanism that stores certain thoughts or memories towards the unconscious mind, making them inaccessible to conscious thought. Things such as memory gaps, concentration problems, and self-sabotaging thoughts are prevalent among those with repressed childhood trauma. The brain's attempt to protect itself from painful memories can lead to these gaps in memory.

Fast forward to today and The American Psychological Association (APA) says that "while it's theoretically possible for memories of trauma to be repressed, it's extremely rare". Richard McNally, the head of Harvard's department of Psychology states that "The notion that traumatic events can be repressed and later recovered is the most pernicious bit of folklore ever to infect psychology and psychiatry." In other words, he thinks it is nonsense. The unconscious mind is interesting because we cannot just tap into it and figure out what is there. Memories "come and go" but in reality, they may just be put away in a safe place that we do not access.   

What I've Been Listening To...
The political season had me going down a few rabbit holes and one morning I tuned into a podcast titled When Students Become Terrorists and there is a shout out to one of the coolest Bob Dylan songs (and videos) I know titled Subterranean Homesick Blues. 

I first got introduced to Bob Dylan and tons of other music from the 60's when I was young. My buddies dad played a ton of music from that era at parties and gatherings and I really enjoyed it. It wasn't always the sound but it was the message. Fast forward a few decades and I still enjoy them all. From Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin to Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. The music of the sixties will always have a place on my playlists!

When you think back to the times that those artists were making music, the United States was going through some serious turmoil. There was the Cold War and the ever present Nuclear threat, The Civil Rights Movement, the assassination of Kennedy (and RFK, MLK, Malcolm X), Vietnam, Watergate, and more. It was a crazy couple of decades and the social change that people were fighting for helped create some of that great music that we still enjoy today. 

Fitness Tip of the Week
Exercise is a great tool for health but not for weight loss

Have you ever started a workout program to lose weight? Has it worked? If you answered NO to that last question then this section is for you. Exercise is important and should be a part of everyone's daily routine. The reason we want to exercise is because it can literally add years onto your life by reducing the likelihood of things like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc. In addition, it will also add life into your years as the more fit you are, especially as you age, the more life experiences you can have. As you can see, I did not mention weight loss. Exercise can be a wonderful aid but it is not the biggest determining factor in whether or not you shed some pounds. 

Interested in knowing what is the biggest determining factor? Drum roll please.... energy intake (aka consuming too many calories). This sounds obvious but if we are consuming more then we are expending, we will gain weight. The best results seem to come when you can combine a daily practice of physical activity with nutrient dense foods. Go figure!  

There are two additional things from the video above that I found insightful...

1. Vigorous exercise is anorexic in nature. The by-product (lactate) of intense exercise reduces your appetite therefore leading to a decrease in energy intake. Exercise like steady state cardio and low intensity weight lifting does not illicit this response therefore it may actually drive hunger and over eating.
2. Physical activity adherence begins in childhood. It becomes easier to exercise for life when it is started at a young age. In addition, joy seems to play a major role in exercise adherence so don't be afraid to have a little fun and childlike when you partake in physical activity!

What I've Been Watching...
The Voice on Peacock

As a family, we really enjoy watching this show. It always amazes me how much talent there is out there in this country of ours. So many of these artists could "sing the phonebook" as one of the coaches like to say and it would sound beautiful. But yet, something is missing. They haven't had an opportunity to breakthrough and "make it" in the music game. 

When pursuing something, there is only one way to achieve it: you have to stay in the game. You cannot quit when the times get tough. You cannot quit when you get your first taste of rejection. You cannot quit when all you hear is NO after NO. This show serves as a reminder to me to stay in the fight and keep working towards the things that you want to accomplish.

Quote of the Week
“You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows" -- Bob Dylan

I hope you all have an awesome week!Chris Fluck