Staying healthy and trim is simple; most of us know the Dos and Don’ts: Do eat mostly plants, get enough sleep, exercise briefly every day, meditate, and have loving relationships. Don’t drink too much alcohol, eat much meat or processed food, smoke, get overwhelmed by stress, or get angry often. Follow the dos and you’ll greatly improve your chances of avoiding the… Read more →
Kids are heavier today than ever before. Childhood obesity has increased from 7% in 1980 to 20.5% today (for kids aged 12-19). The good news is that most children can slim down quickly if the right steps are taken. There are many interrelated reasons our kids, our pets, and we adults are gaining weight, but we can break the cycle with a… Read more →
Juice cleansing is a popular and generally discredited diet trend. While true that diets rich in fruits and vegetables are associated with lower disease risk, juice cleanses bring dieters to a nonsensical extreme, relying on fruit and vegetable juice as the only form of nourishment for several days. Some self-proclaimed nutrition experts claim juice cleanses detoxify the body, but our… Read more →
Caffeine itself isn’t terribly harmful – suggestions that caffeine intake is associated with osteoporosis and cancer have been disproven by multiple studies – but not all sources of caffeine should be treated equally. The caffeine in coffee and tea is accompanied by healthy antioxidants. Tea, especially green tea, may reduce your risk for developing some types of cancers. Coffee can be used to treat… Read more →
Keeping kids indoors is shockingly harmful. See what the research says about indoor vs. outdoor play. Read more →
Actionable tips to thrive during your child’s first year, as collected by real dads. “Are you ready?” is perhaps the most annoying question expecting dads can be asked. There’s no good answer; saying yes makes him sound arrogant and saying no implies he’ll be a dysfunctional dad. That said, getting ready for fatherhood does take preparation: financial planning, checking health… Read more →
Note: Power 20 does not get paid by or have any financial relationship with SimpleTherapy. We just really love their service! If a nagging sports injury is preventing you from exercising, you probably need physical therapy. Enter SimpleTherapy, a remarkably well-crafted online service that guides anyone through physical therapy exercises. We got to know the CEO of the company while… Read more →
Resolving to exercise more this year? Here’s how to make resolutions for lasting change. If only we could bottle up January 1′s motivation and take swigs throughout the year. Motivation, for it’s inconsistency, is an unreliable ally in our quest for better living. Rules, on the other hand, help us form habits and reduce our thinking to increase our chances… Read more →
The holiday season is here, and for many of us, that means we’ll spend a week or more skipping breakfast, snacking all day, eating big dinners, and staying up late drinking. We’re not our best selves under these conditions. At the same time, we spend lots of time with family members who might not be easy to deal with. So… Read more →
A brief, vigorous workout just before taking an exam can meaningfully improve test scores because memory, creativity and alertness improve measurably right after exercise. It’s well-known fact that staying fit through exercise is good for our brains. Regular exercise, especially aerobic exercise, leads to a larger hippocampus and basil ganglia region. These regions may work together to support thinking and… Read more →
Hypnosis is a powerful tool everyone should use. Imagine being able to instantly reprogram yourself to hurt less, have less anxiety, form a new habit, or get work done without getting distracted online… Wouldn’t that be great? Well, you absolutely can reprogram yourself through self hypnosis. A Practical Guide To Self Hypnosis by Melvin Powers teaches you how to do it right.… Read more →
Clothing can be a source of stress, and since we at Power 20 are in the business of saving you time while reducing your stress and improving health, we’ve researched ways to simplify the daily struggle of figuring out what to wear. Peaceful monks and powerful people have two things in common: they spend many hours alone toiling away at… Read more →
Choosing outfits is a waste of time and a source of stress. Here’s the Power 20 life hack for saving time and reducing stress related to choosing outfits. You can thrive with just 20 articles of clothing or fewer if you follow the list below. The list for women: 2 simple t-shirts that fit perfectly. 3 all-purpose blouses 1 cashmere… Read more →
Simplifying your wardrobe is easy to do and will save you plenty of time and money. Decision making is like exercise: we can only do so much in a day, so why waste valuable decision-making power on clothes? Men’s list 4 solid t-shirts that fit perfectly. 3 long-sleeve collared shirts that fit perfectly. 3 Jeans 2 slacks 1 black suit… Read more →
In most parts of the world it’s summer time again, so if there’s one very easy thing you can do to impact your mood and overall health, it’s get a little sun. Exposure to the sun helps reduce cancer, improves nighttime sleep, and boosts mood. Humans are solar-powered. The benefits that come from sun exposure include: Vitamin D production, which… Read more →
How to Double Your Pull Ups in Six Weeks Pull ups are the ultimate expression of one’s strength-to-weight ratio. Contrary to popular belief, men and women can both do pull ups, but men have an advantage because their muscle mass is generally greater. That shouldn’t stop anyone from doing pull ups, though. Defining the Pull Up: Hang from a horizontal bar with palms facing outwards. With palms spread about shoulder… Read more →
It’s hard for many of us to stick to a daily routine of exercise and clean eating (or whatever routine we aspire to keep). And when our will power wains, we beat ourselves up by saying, “I really need to workout more,” or “I’ve been so bad recently,” or “I’m feeling lazy.” We put ourselves down. Try instead to rephrase… Read more →
In 2009 a medical team won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for solving part of the mystery of human mortality. They discovered that telomeres, which are part of our DNA and which shorten as we age, can actually be repaired. Longer telomeres might lead to longer lives. What Are Telomeres? Every cell in our body has a nucleus… Read more →
This post is for anyone looking for research to support switching to a standing desk. It’s also for anyone already using a standing desk but frequently encounters skeptics who fear varicose veins or atherosclerosis from standing. Like smoking, the consequences of sitting are not always countered by exercise. We’re not built to sit for hours at a time. Standing all… Read more →
Social support is the key to sticking to new habits. Whether it’s quitting drinking, smoking, or changing your diet, the process is easier when we go through it with supportive friends and family. Even when you don’t adhere, sharing your disappointment with someone else can ease the guilt. We recommend doing the Power 20 Method with at least two other… Read more →
