The Expedition: Air quality, the truth about breakfast, an artistic rule, five qualities of resilience, and more
17 ideas to improve your life this month.
Housekeeping
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Jaspr air purifiers. I think using a Jaspr is one of the easiest things you can do to improve your health. Air quality is highly linked to health, and all you have to do is plug in your Jaspr and remember to breathe. Having a Jaspr in my room seemed to improve my sleep, and I love watching the Jaspr in our kitchen kick on and filter our air after my frequent cooking disasters.
Audio/Podcast version
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The post
The Expedition is a monthly journey into thoughts, opinions, ideas, observations, studies, facts, figures, etc.
Good ones, insightful ones, interesting ones, weird ones, and ones you can use to live well and long.
It’s a roundup of all the worthwhile stuff I’ve discovered in the last month. The Expedition is a bit of an island of misfit toys. But, hey, the greatest journeys are winding.
This month, we’re covering:
Numbers on:
Air quality failures.
Frailty.
Top causes of death.
Income taxes.
Where cocaine users live.
Drug overdose death rates.
Workplace mental health programs.
Something annoying: Is breakfast good or bad?
A critical rule all creatives must follow (or fail miserably).
Five qualities that research suggests make you more resilient.
The truth about the mindfulness movement.
An important parting quote.
Let’s roll …
By the numbers
7
Countries met the World Health Organization’s air quality standards in 2024. The U.S., U.K., and Canada were NOT on the list. Get a Jaspr and breathe clean air.
19
Percent of U.K. adults between age 50 and 64 are affected by frailty. That makes them much more at risk of death should they fall or experience an accident. The remedy: Walk with weight, lift, and move.
70
Percent of the top causes of death globally are from non-communicable diseases. Many non-communicable diseases, like heart disease and type II diabetes, are preventable.
69
Is the five-year survival rate for all cancers combined. That’s up from 49 percent in the 1970s.
56
Percent of Americans say their federal income taxes were too high this year.
36
Percent of Americans say their federal income taxes were about right.
25
Percent of cocaine users worldwide live in the United States.
4
Percent decrease in drug overdose deaths in the United States from 2022 to 2023.
0
Impact workplace mental wellbeing programs had on mental health.
Something Annoying: Is Breakfast Good or Bad?
Have you ever been confused about whether or not you should eat breakfast? I have!
The messaging around breakfast is mixed and, frankly, terrible.
Consider The New York Times’ history of reporting on breakfast and whether it’s good or bad for us:
Here they say “there's nothing magical about breakfast.”
Here they say a big breakfast can “jump-start our metabolisms and prevent obesity.”
Here they say that skipping breakfasts before exercise is a “possible weight loss strategy.”
Here they say that skipping breakfast “may increase stroke and heart risks.”
Here they say “eating breakfast regularly is associated with a variety of health benefits.”
Here they say skipping breakfast “may help with modest weight loss and with stabilizing blood sugar for those with Type 2 diabetes.”
My brain reels. And we wonder why people are so confused about nutrition ...
The Two Percent position on breakfast
It’s science-backed, sane, and nuanced.