223: Food vs drugs, Longevity, Dating market while aging, Is Lust a trap?

In today’s show, Dr. Lisle and Dr. Howk discuss the following: 

1.  How does withdrawal and Tolerance In drug usage compare to eating foods with addictive properties in terms of trying to quit? For instance, Would planning a strict day and time for a specific portioned unhealthy meal once a week then after get straight back on the wagon aid in keeping tolerance low and cravings at bay? or is complete abstinence the key to lifelong success in ending the addiction? I’ve been trying for about 3 years to be WFPB  but I’ve never made it more than 30 days and when I cave into crap foods each time it’s making me doubt I could achieve this success.

2. It seems so far that calorie restriction might not offer the degree of increased longevity benefits for humans as is found in mice and other animals. If you took an evolutionary perspective on this, what might you guess could explain why humans don’t get quite the boost that other animals do? Do you think humans and perhaps some other animals have physiology that might expect to go hungry fairly often, so it’s required for a normal lifespan rather than causing an abnormally longer one?

3. I recently celebrated my 30th birthday during this time, as fun and different as it was, the classic questions have now come to my mind about dating/settling down. I am single, and have not been on a date in 2 years! I know my chances are decreasing by the year of “finding a mate”, and I am worried that males will be able to tell I am not as young as is ideal. Is there any way of avoiding this/giving off the illusions/impression that I still have value on the market as much as a twenty something?

4. Is following your lust just another pleasure trap that will leave you dissatisfied long term? Should a person who is not pair bond oriented try to work towards this for long term happiness or is this like trying to change your personality?

222: Stats Update Coronavirus

In today’s show, Dr. Lisle gives our audience an update and some reflection about the coronavirus pandemic.  In true fashion, what was intended to be a few minutes of finalizing the coronavirus stats discussion followed by listener questions, ended up being an entire show about coronavirus stats & updates.  Next show, we resume listener questions.  

221: Lockdown changes & annoyance, Dealing w Burn out, How to Help a friend

In today’s show, Dr. Lisle & Howk discuss these questions:

1. Do you see any big long term changes coming as a result of the shut down and isolation that will last more than a few months?  Will this cause any long term evolutionary pressures for habit change or will we revert back to the same norms?

2.I’m disagreeable and fairly low conscientious and don’t respond well to authority. If I get told to do something I don’t want to do, it just makes me not want to do it even more. During the pandemic, how can I stop getting annoyed and getting into arguments with people and other jobsworths making pointless and unreasonable demands beyond the legal requirements of social distancing? Sometimes it feels like some people are in a competition to be seen as doing the pandemic better than others and love to point out all the faults, real or imagined, of others.

3. I am a hyper-conscientious nut case as Dr. Lisle would say. I’ve been running tech startups for over 25 years but my latest one has really burned me out. My life and my office are in disarray. I’m normally a very organized person but now I have piles of things everywhere and I can’t seem to dig myself out. I can’t get motivated. The only thing I’m very conscientious about now is my diet and exercise. Is there a way to kick start my natural tendencies and get organized again.?What do you suggest for recovering from burn out? How long will it take to recover?

4. How do you help someone to get the right help?  A colleague of mine recently opened up to me about struggling with what seems to be a deep depression and suicidal thoughts.  Of course anything I say is only a drop in the ocean.  Knowing what I now know, this is really frustrating to me.  How can you help someone get the right help? What advice do I best give to someone who I know is on the wrong track?