We hope you’re enjoying the holiday season with friends and family or catching up with a book or TV show, in solitude.
If you’re heading out for a brisk walk with a coffee (or an eggnog mixed with the good stuff), we present three podcast episodes we heard this year that are worth joining you on the stroll.
These are not the most comfortable to listen to but will definitely get you to think differently about how to make healthy decisions and keep on top of your relationships.
#1 - How to Make Fat Loss Easy with Elizabeth Benton - Primal Potential, Episode 54
The presenter never specifically uses the word, but we are talking about mindfulness here. It’s the only real magic bullet, the one true gangster move, the deux ex machina, and it’s readily available 24/7… in your head.
This podcast is about putting mindfulness to practice, just as you would playing the piano or dunking free pointers on the b-ball court. We’re not totally into our mantras but “time to practice” seems like an apt prompt when important decisions come your way.
It’s also just 20 minutes long and walks a neat line between tough love and inspiration.
Top Quote
“If we really want change, we have to make peace with the fact that we cannot self-exempt every time the calendar offers us a more attractive alternative.”
#2 - Cracking the Code of Love with Dr. Sue Johnson – The Knowledge Project, Episode 62
Likely the best podcast we consumed this year, in part, because it can be an uncomfortable listen.
Sue talks about finding, sparking and rekindling connection with our partner, why emotional responsiveness is critical to a healthy relationship, and she shares the recipe to a great sex life that all the popular online and magazine articles are missing.
Top Quotes
“People think that conflict is the issue in distressed relationships. Conflict is the virus; the inflammation is emotional disconnection.”
“The main thing that gets in the way of sex is emotional distance. When emotional connection gets lost, the desire to be erotic dissipates (you’re not wired to deal with threat and be turned on at the same time).”
“The very best thing you can do for your kids is to have a good relationship with your partner.”
Bonus
In a similar vein, Esther Perel’s conversation is also highly recommended.
#3 – The Loneliness Epidemic with Vivek Murthy – The Ezra Klein Show, Episode 264
“So, you’ve recommended podcasts about a couple of touchy subjects, like fat loss and relationships, and now you want me to hear about loneliness! Which reindeer pissed on your lawn, pal!?”
Stay with us! This one’s really good and one of the reasons BOMB exists – to create relationships and community.
Top Quotes
“Loneliness isn’t simply painful, it’s lethal. Several meta-studies have found the mortality risk associated with loneliness is higher than that of obesity and equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes per day. So, Murthy decided to label loneliness a public health “epidemic,” a term that medical professionals don’t throw around lightly.
There’s a lot in this conversation. Murthy’s explanation of how loneliness acts on the body is worth the time, all on its own. It’ll change how you see the relationship between social experience and physical health.
But the broader message here is deeper: You are not alone in your loneliness. None of us are. And the best thing we can do is, often, helping someone else out of the very pit we’re in.”
Happy Holidays Y’all
Kevin & Victoria
