It’s finally Friday! Does anyone else feel like the shorter weeks always seem longer for some reason? So strange! Let’s get started with my recap of Amy’s podcast, “4 Things with Amy Brown.” Be sure to check out the full episode!
- Benefits of placebo. Amy’s family doctor came on the podcast to discuss the placebo effect — thinking something is going to help you — and how it actually can help you. A lot times, he’ll tell a patient that he has confidence that a certain treatment will work for them, and that, in turn, gives the patient more confidence. The placebo effect isn’t going to stop a life-threatening situation like a heart attack or cancer, but it is real and can help — we just don’t fully understand how it works. The bottom line is to be positive because your mindset can affect your health.
- Dogs for warriors. Amy and her friend, Meri, run The Shop Forward, which has cute apparel and items that give back to charities. A while back, when the line first came out, sales of the retro #pimpinjoy items supported K9s for Warriors, which gives service dogs to veterans. (I have both the tee and the sweatshirt.) The line now supports St. Jude Children’s Research center. But enough proceeds went to K9s for Warriors so that a few puppies were sponsored, and they were named after everyone on the Bobby Bones show. Amy had an exciting update — the puppy named Bobby has just begun training and will soon be able to help a veteran in need!
- IV health & wellness. Adam Bobo, CRNA and owner of Arete, an IV health & wellness service in Nashville, talked about IV “vitamin bags” and their benefits. He said that sleep and hydration are the two best things we can do for our health. Amy asked him about glutathione, which is a popular antioxidant in the IV bags. It’s naturally found in our bodies, but production decreases in our 30s. It aids in the prevention of cancer and detoxes the skin. B12 is another common vitamin in the IVs, and it helps our bodies produce more energy, promotes more effective sleep, and builds immunity. I take B12 already, but definitely want to check into glutathione. I prefer to take my vitamins and supplements by mouth, but Adam did say that we only absorb about 20%-60% orally, as opposed to fully absorbing through the bloodstream with an IV.
- Boss babe. Amy talked about something that the Instagram account, Bossbabe.inc, posted the other day. It basically said that if you think about a yellow car enough, you’ll spot a yellow car. If you focus on a goal enough, you’ll reach that goal. The point is, you become what you constantly think about. This is a good reminder to think positively!
This week, my four things are sort of a recap of my trip last weekend. I love my 4 things tote, which comes in really handy for travel and works perfectly for your “personal item” on the plane. So, I wanted to go through the 4 things on my bag since they were all a part of my weekend.
- Faith. My faith is an important part of my daily life. I try to make time, typically each night before I go to bed, to pray and read a devotional. I like to thank God for the blessings I have and ask for the things I want and need. This trip came at a perfect time, as I was feeling really burned out at work and needed to get away, so I knew that God had worked it out at just the right time because He knew it’s what I needed.
- Family. I’m so very thankful for the family I have, and especially thankful that we enjoy traveling together. My mom took this trip with me, and we absolutely love getting to experience adventures like this. These are memories we will never forget!
- Good food. Anytime I travel, I enjoy trying out some of the foods I don’t have at home. I never eat at chain restaurants if I can avoid it, and I actually enjoy going into different grocery stores to see what other places have. My first meal of this trip was lunch at a new-ish restaurant in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina, called Canteen Market & Bistro. I ordered the Buddha Bowl, which consisted of chickpeas and lots of roasted veggies — some of which were pickled and a little spicy — over a bed of basmati rice. It was so good! The cool thing about this place is that they have grab & go options, a deli, a bar, and a market with grocery items. It’s nice to be able to either eat in, grab something already made, or get things to cook your own meal.
- Mountain views. The mountains are my happy place. When I was younger, we took family trips to the mountains and I would get so bored. But it’s funny how your likes and dislikes change as you get older. Now there’s no place I’d rather be! I love getting outdoors and going on a hike, and I try to go to different places. On this trip, we hit Grayson Highlands State Park, which was just over the state line in Virginia. The Appalachian Trail actually runs right through this park, and it’s known for its wild ponies. They will sometimes come right up to you! I was dying to see the ponies, but it was really foggy and drizzling rain the day we were there, and there wasn’t a pony in sight. Every time we passed someone, we’d ask if they saw any ponies or they’d ask us, but no one had any luck. We did see bear tracks on our way back to the car, though, and they were fresh! That’s the first time I’ve ever come across any on a hike and I was definitely glad we weren’t too far from the car at that point!
I really couldn’t have asked for a better weekend, and am already ready for another adventure! Thanks for checking out my 4 things from this week. Have a great weekend, and see you back here soon!
