Eleanor once said, “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people.”
Think about the people who you surround yourself with consistently.
What do they typically talk about?
Maybe they are positive, uplifting, driven, creative, and encouraging.
If they are, stay glued to those people. Literally.
If they always talk about other people, especially in a negative light, it might be good to “un-glue” yourself from them.
Here is why.
When you surround yourself with others who talk poorly of others, the negative energy within them begins to sneak inside of your body and mind.
You can’t see this energy because it is invincible.
Soon, your demeanor, how you communicate with others, and how you view things in life, begin to change.
Your mind and the quality of your thoughts change.
Your mental health changes.
And change, not for the better.
You may or may not be aware of this occurring… which is the scary part.
But, now that you are reading this, you are probably realizing this predicament.
Here is the deal.
You don’t have to surround yourself with these types of people.
You have the choice of who you surround yourself with.
Crazy right?
Ok, so you might be thinking.
What does this have to do with hunting?
To me, this quote is crucial for the hunting community to be aware of.
Often, I see hunters talk poorly about other hunters.
Which is weird to me.
A few thoughts come to mind when I witness this:
Would Fred Bear, one of the greatest hunters of all time, approve of this mindset?
What are we hoping to achieve when we talk like this?
It seems that a large sum of the negative words being expressed has to do with not using the right gear, making fun of others for not working hard, not agreeing with the shooting technique, and so on.
It doesn’t matter what the topic of negative words is because, in the end, they are negative towards someone who is involved in the same lifestyle as you.
My thoughts are this may not be a great path to be on.
I would think we would want to represent this meaningful and worthwhile lifestyle to the best of our abilities.
Not only to show good character within the hunting community.
But to also set up the next generation of hunters for success by being a good role model.
So, from here on out, make the change.
Talk less about other people in a negative light.
Talk more about ideas on how to elevate the hunting community through solutions, products, and conservation.
In turn, the hunting community flourishes, your health is better which means you experience more hunting, and this life will become tenfold more pleasant.
When I was going through college, I was exposed to a school in the Bahamas called, The Island School
This school is for students who are looking to get unique curriculum and hands-on learning experiences.
One of the wonderful qualities of this school is the 48-hour solo.
The 48-hour solo is when students are dropped off on an island by themselves for a chance to have sincere reflection and time spent alone.
For many teens this would not sound fun.
However, what is interesting to me is how much transformation takes place after the 48 hours of being alone.
Here is what one of the students had to say.
“The next morning, we started our solos. Solo was one of the biggest challenges I have experienced at The Island School so far. We were alone for 48-hours, and I chose not to accept the small food rations and see if I could subsist on nothing but the coconuts I could harvest. It was a challenge of the body and the mind, as I experienced the effects of minimal food and the vulnerability that comes with being truly alone. I am confident that I learned new things about myself, and I also experienced a couple profound emotional realizations, which I believe surfaced in my mind as a result of the time, space, and circumstances in solo.”
For a teen to have a “profound emotional realization” is music to my ears.
Not only has that teen most likely experienced personal growth, they will impact many others who they surround themselves with.
So, you might be thinking.
What does this have to do with hunting?
It has to do with what happens during the 48-hour solo
Which is,
A moment when you are unplugged from your phone.
With the age of technology, our phones have become a part of us in many ways.
Whether it be using it for social media, emails, hunting apps, and so on.
Those are all things that can be useful for us to some degree.
But there is such a thing as over-indulgence.
Which brings me to the reason for writing this entire article.
And that is,
To find moments outside of hunting (the off-season) where we can immerse ourselves in the outdoors without our phone-especially by ourselves.
A moment to have to ourselves with creation.
Moments such as:
Scouting
Setting game cameras
Shed hunting
Hiking
Fishing
Canoeing
Having a period of time without the stimulation and artificial light from our phone, allows us a chance to reconnect with our inner most selves.
Connecting with our innermost selves, helps us reflect on what really matters and what is significant in life.
Then, when we come back from our time spent without our phone, we can have better control of how much usage we give it.
Therefore, giving more time to things like shooting our bow, spending time with family, exercising, reading and learning, paying it forward and helping others, and so on.
All of which, will raise the odds of enhancing your physical, mental, and spiritual health.
And since your health is better, you will most likely experience more hunting opportunities.
Ever wonder why the water you drink out of the stream next to hunting camp or up in the mountains tastes so darn good?
Well, besides the water having less potential contamination like that found in the water pipes of our modern towns and cities, there is another reason why that water tastes so delicious and refreshing.
And that reason is the water is……
Magnetized.
Let me explain.
Water for drinking purposes is typically derived from groundwater, streams, rivers, and lakes.
When water is in these locations, water is paramagnetic in its natural form.
Paramagnetic means that the water holds a magnetic charge depending on the site and source.
Earth has an incredible magnetic field that naturally charges water in these locations, which enhances our vitality.
The challenge with our conventional methods of transporting water through pipes is that the water begins to lose some of its magnetic charges through the various treatment plants and processes.
A good solution to this dilemma is to drink more of the water found in the mountains that is far from people and industrialization.
But what if we don’t have access to that high quality of lovely water?
Then, our next best bet would be to magnetize our water.
Which is probably going to be more realistic for most of us.
How do we magnetize our water?
One way is to acquire a magnetic pad (found online) that you can put underneath your glass of water.
Set your glass of water on top of the pad for at least 20 minutes so that your water can be converted to magnetic means.
Once water becomes magnetized, potential benefits of magnetized water can begin to take place by consuming consistently: reduce arthritis pain, lower blood pressure, break up gallbladder and kidney stones, quicken the recovery from a stroke, improve nutrient digestibility, and unclog arteries.¹
When consuming magnetized water, we have the opportunity to restore balance within the body.
The earth was intended to normalize our circulatory system through paramagnetic means.
Magnetizing our water is an excellent method so our body can return to a balanced medium like we were designed.
Drink up that mountain water and use a magnetic pad to magnetize your water at home.
That is if you want to be a super hunter like my mother.
Reference ¹Ebrahim, S. A., & Azab, A. E. (2017). Biological Effects of Magnetic Water on Human and Animals. Biomedical Sciences, 3(4), 78. doi:10.11648/j.bs.20170304.12
Coffee serves as a friendly wake-up call to a misty cold morning where you can see your breath while on the pursuit of that high country mule deer.
There are benefits to different kinds of coffee.
Let’s briefly talk about dark roast coffee which has less caffeine.
It is known that drinking dark roast coffee may help reduce DNA damage in men and women.¹
This is simply due to the beneficial plant compounds found in the coffee bean that positively impact us.
If dark roast coffee can contribute to DNA integrity, it might be a good option for hunters to consume as it could slow down the aging process to some extent.²
Drinking multiple cups of coffee a day is associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease, liver disease, lowered risk of some cancers, dementia, and diabetes compared with drinking no coffee.³
Keep in mind this is one variable (drinking coffee) concerning better health when there are many variables (known and unknown) that contribute to the prevention of chronic diseases.
We have established a few benefits of consuming coffee that could be helpful for us hunters; let us not forget that the timing for when coffee is consumed and the amount are equally important.
It could be wise for hunters to drink coffee before noon, as the later we wait in the day to consume, the more it may negatively impact our sleep that following night.
Once ingested, caffeine circulates throughout our body for a significant amount of time depending on the individual and the amount consumed.
The later we have caffeine and the larger the amount, the greater the odds of it negatively impacting our sleep the following night.
Self-reflect on the reason you were consuming coffee, to begin with.
Was it because you needed the caffeine for energy?
If so, re-assess the purpose of consuming coffee.
Drink coffee for the beneficial plant compounds, positively influence your biological age, reduce damaged DNA, and disease prevention.
If you are tired when you wake up, you need to establish the “cause” that is making you tired. Is it:
Lack of sleep?
Lack of natural light exposure?
What about the quality of food consumed?
Overconsumption or poor timing of caffeine?
Lack of physical movement?
An overabundance of screen time?
Chronic stress?
A typical fallback for caffeine needs that I often witness throughout society is relying on energy drinks to increase wakefulness.
I advise caution.
For one thing, drinking an energy drink could help you in that tired moment; however, it is not favorable healthspan-wise as it can lead to cardiovascular dysfunction if it has low-quality ingredients.
In the United States alone, the consumption of energy drinks has doubled over the last decade.
They have been connected to cardiac arrhythmias and even sudden cardiac death.⁴
Secondly, it doesn’t address the cause of why you are tired, to begin with!
Energy drinks merely help with the symptom of feeling exhausted at that moment.
This usually leads to buying more energy drinks, which promotes poor physical, mental, and spiritual health in the long run.
Choose coffee rather than energy drinks and look for the cause of why you are tired, to begin with.
Here are four tips to consider when consuming coffee:
1)If you decide to consume coffee, consider increasing your unrefined salt consumption as well, since your electrolyte levels minimize when ingesting coffee.
Caffeine is a diuretic that can cause your body to excrete more of your electrolytes through urination causing you to become dehydrated faster.
My favorite unrefined salts:
Celtic Sea Salt
Redmond Real Salt
Pink Himalayan Salt
2)A good rule of thumb is to delay consumption for at least a few hours after waking up. This strategy minimizes the chances of an afternoon crash.
It also allows our body in the morning a proper transition (balanced hormones) into the day without an external influence which can lead to a better quality of sleep the following night.
For example, if you usually wake up at 6 am and have a cup of coffee, consider trying to wait till 8 am to consume it.
I have personally seen stellar results from this strategy regarding my daily energy, mood, thinking, emotions, and sleep.
3)Aim for either having your coffee straight black with nothing added or with full-fat cream.
Now days there are a plethora of things you can add to your coffee drink that can make it taste like an ice cream.
Which, if that is your mission then go for it.
However, when you add flavors that are sweet, it can cause unnecessary weight gain.
If you drink a coffee with added syrups and flavors every morning for months and months, you can begin to understand why it may be difficult to lean up.
4)If you are experiencing anxiety and stress consistently, consider consuming a different beverage like bone broth till you work on alleviating the cause of the problem along with finding ways to release the negative thoughts and energy.
Anxiety and stress put your body in a position similar to a fight or flight response.
With coffee coming in as well, it could potentially add to the internal imbalance you are experiencing by impacting the cardiovascular system (irregular heartbeats).
A healthy mind with good thoughts is when coffee can do wonders.
Just make sure you consider experimenting with some of the tips to obtain the health benefits and avoid the downfalls.
Check out Black Rifle Coffee Company for good, quality coffee that supports veterans, first responders, and law enforcement.
Coffee and hunting deer are what the doctor should order.
Sign me up for that!
References
¹Schipp, D., Tulinska, J., Sustrova, M., Liskova, A., Spustova, V., Lehotska Mikusova, M., … Shaposhnikov, S. (2019, December). Consumption of a dark roast coffee blend reduces DNA damage in humans: results from a 4-week randomized controlled study. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30448878
²Bakuradze, T., Lang, R., Hofmann, T., Eisenbrand, G., Schipp, D., Galan, J., & Richling, E. (2015, February). Consumption of a dark roast coffee decreases the level of spontaneous DNA strand breaks: a randomized controlled trial. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24740588
³Wadhawan, M., & Anand, A. C. (2016, March). Coffee and Liver Disease. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4862107/
⁴Pommerening, M. J., Cardenas, J. C., Radwan, Z. A., Wade, C. E., Holcomb, J. B., & Cotton, B. A. (2015, December). Hypercoagulability after energy drink consumption. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26188956
If we are lucky enough to harvest wild game, we will have access to some of the most nutrient-dense bones on the planet.
Bone broth offers a host of beneficial qualities for our health which is why I strongly encourage utilizing as much of your harvest as you can by taking the bones back to your residence.
One of the beneficial compounds found in bone broth is glutamine.
Glutamine is a compound that is very effective at healing leaky gut by maintaining and strengthening the mucosal lining of our intestines.¹
Leaky gut has a deep-rooted connection with many gut health limitations such as irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, and celiac disease.
When the gut is damaged, for example, due to poor dietary habits, the mucosal lining of our intestines activates inflammation and autoimmune triggers.
Drinking bone broth can help maintain the integrity of our intestines’ lining.
Other potential benefits arising from the consumption of bone broth:
Strengthen Immune System
Decrease Inflammation
Elevate Mood
Enhance Sleep
Improve Digestion
and so on…
Look into making homemade bone broth from your recent harvest and/or grass-fed livestock if you have the opportunity.
When your gut feels better and you don’t have a stomach ache, the way you experience life will be significantly enhanced.
You will be more productive and work towards your goals, scout for upcoming hunts, and crush everything in life.
Sounds pretty good right?
Reference
¹M;, A. N. D. P. C. (n.d.). Glutamine and the regulation of intestinal permeability: From bench to bedside. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27749689/.
As we age, brain health becomes more and more important.
Not only for the sake of functioning but also staying involved with what we love doing-hunting.
There is one topic in relation to brain health worth becoming aware of. And that is Neurogenesis.
Neurogenesis is a complex process in the brain that involves the development of new brain cells.
When this process is activated, new brain cells are born that replace damaged or dead brain cells (a self-repairing mechanism) for improving brain health.
The activation of neurogenesis can help preserve brain functioning and potentially prevent some mental decline associated with aging.
Vital for people who have and/or are at an increased risk for Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
To some degree, we can increase neurogenesis through various lifestyle choices.
A few ways to potentially increase the rate of neurogenesis could be:
Learning (reading)
16:8 Method (fasting)
Training (planned exercise)
Sauna
Cold Water Immersion
Consuming Specific Foods
A few ways that could decrease the rate of neurogenesis could be alcohol, chronic stress, and sleep deprivation.¹
In this context, our focus is increasing the rate of neurogenesis by consuming blueberries.
Blueberries contain a plant compound called anthocyanins which are connected to improving cognitive functioning.²,³,⁴,⁵ AKA better thinking, reasoning, and logic.
Anthocyanins from blueberries have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which could be why brain health in terms of memory, learning, emotions, and mood begins to improve.⁶,⁷
Eat blueberries, activate neurogenesis, and then enhance your brain health.
Plus, enhanced brain health equates to better learning and problem-solving skills, both of which are factors that could play a vital role while on your hunt.
In short, neurogenesis is a fun and exciting avenue in the science world that offers potential healthspan enhancements and positive implications when incorporating strategies that activate it.
Get your neurogenesis on hunters, your mind and body will thank you.
References
¹Adult Neurogenesis & Mental Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/adult-neurogenesis-mental-health.
²Boespflug EL;Eliassen JC;Dudley JA;Shidler MD;Kalt W;Summer SS;Stein AL;Stover AN;Krikorian R; (n.d.). Enhanced neural activation with blueberry supplementation in mild cognitive impairment. Nutritional neuroscience. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28221821/.
³Miller, M. G., Hamilton, D. A., Joseph, J. A., & Shukitt-Hale, B. (2018, April). Dietary blueberry improves cognition among older adults in a randomize, double blind, placebo-controlled trial. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28283823
⁴Shukitt-Hale, B. (2012). Blueberries and neuronal aging. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22907211
⁵Shukitt-Hale, B., Thangthaeng, N., Miller, M. G., Poulose, S. M., Carey, A. N., & Fisher, D. R. (2019, June 18). Blueberries Improve Neuroinflammation and Cognition differentially Depending on Individual Cognitive baseline Status. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6580694/
⁶Stangl, D., & Thuret, S. (2009, December). Impact of diet on adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2775886/
⁷Subash, S., Essa, M. M., Al-Adawi, S., Memon, M. A., Manivasagam, T., & Akbar, M. (2014, August 15). Neuroprotective effects of berry fruits on neurodegenerative diseases. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4192974/
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