Dr. Andrew Belaveshkin

  The principle of the golden mean. The tendency to swing to extremes in the search for truth has long been recognized by people. Buddha explained this using the metaphor of a musical instrument, asking, “Tell me, will music sound if the string is too loose?” — “No, teacher.” “And will we hear music if the string is pulled so tight it’s about to snap?” — “No, teacher.”    Buddha continued, “The music you wish to draw from yourself will only emerge when the strings are neither too loose nor too tight but perfectly balanced in the middle. Know that excessive tension leads to excess, while too much relaxation results in weakness. Find your balance — only then can you achieve your goals.”   This principle applies to improving your health as well. There is always a golden mean, optimal performance or resilience point, and the lowest mortality risk. The golden mean may differ among individuals depending on their genetics and lifestyle. It can be determined empirically by c...

  Why consistency beats intensity: 4 cornerstones of daily health — the foundation for everything else On what foundation should you build your health, or why does consistency beat intensity every time? There are 4 essential elements, 4 cornerstones of daily activities that must be in your schedule These are: an eating schedule, a physical activity schedule, a work-rest schedule, and a sleep-wake schedule. Let's look at some examples: ✅1. Regular eating. It's simple — eat at the same time every day, on weekdays and weekends. No skipping and no overeating to compensate. Irregular, chaotic eating negatively affects cognitive function, increases the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. A study in which people's eating schedules were switched from regular to irregular showed that within 2 weeks, levels of insulin, total cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol changed noticeably. ✅2. Regular sleep. Waking up (this is more important) and going to bed at th...