Ask Doc Love him or hate him, everyone seems to have an opinion about Lance Armstrong.
He's arguably one of the most controversial figures in modern sports history. But Armstrong isn't just the scandal that overshadowed his decadeslong career as a professional cyclist. He's also the founder of the Livestrong Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping cancer survivors. And he's the founding partner of the venture-capital company, Next Ventures.
In two months, I'll be on stage interviewing him in front of the audience at the annual Stansberry Conference & Alliance Meeting. I don't know if our talk will change your mind about his past. But by the end of our conversation, I'm sure that you'll at least appreciate that he's very human.
If you want to see my chat with Armstrong, I hope you'll join us in Las Vegas for this interview and much more...
This year, from October 16 to 18, we'll be at the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. Our annual conference always includes presentations by some of the best folks in financial research. Attendees hear from Stansberry Research editors like me, financial heavy hitters, and inspirational speakers... mingle with like-minded folks... and get investment ideas they can act on in real time.
And we have another incredible lineup of folks this year, including...
- Meb Faber, co-founder and chief investment officer of Cambria Investment Management. He's a big deal in the finance world and has an enviable Rolodex.
- Danielle DiMartino Booth, CEO and chief strategist for Quill Intelligence. She's an economist who spent time working for the Federal Reserve. One of her focuses now is promoting financial literacy.
- Apollo Robbins, formerly known as "The Gentleman Thief." He's a master at sleight of hand and uses his skills to covertly teach critical thinking and perception.
And, of course, I'll be there alongside familiar names to Health & Wealth Bulletin readers, including Director of Research Matt Weinschenk and our senior analyst Jeff Havenstein.
If you attended or watched last year's event, you might have seen Jeff's stock pick for the year – leading animal-health company Zoetis. As I writer, people who followed Jeff's advice are up 20.1% versus just 15% for the S&P 500 Index.
In-person tickets are selling fast, so if you would like to join us live, in Vegas, click here for all of the details. (And if you see me, don't forget to say hi. I love meeting my subscribers.)
If you can't make it, we're also offering a livestream pass that will let you be "in the room" for all the presentations from the comfort of your own home with no travel required.
From my chat with Lance Armstrong to the dozens of incredible presentations that will help you live a better, wealthier life, you won't want to miss a minute of it.
Now, let's dig into some questions... As always, keep sending your comments, questions, and topic suggestions to [email protected]. My team and I really do read every e-mail.
Q: Doc, my wife likes to fall asleep with the TV on. She says it helps her relax so she can sleep. Are there any downsides to this? – S.V.
A: Longtime readers know I recommend avoiding watching TV shows or movies right before bed. I even go as far as telling folks to keep electronics out of the bedroom. (Your bedroom should just be for sex and sleep.)
One problem we've written about before is blue light. Blue light from things like tablets, smartphones, and TVs disrupts your body's natural circadian rhythm, which tells your body when it should be awake and when it's time to sleep.
Another issue is watching something that stimulates you rather than relaxing you, making it harder for your brain to relax.
Also, if you fall asleep with the TV on, the noise from it could wake you up in the middle of the night.
I'd ask why your wife needs the TV to fall asleep... Does she need white noise? Or perhaps she's stressed after a long day and uses the TV to help her relax. Once you know the reason, you two can look for a less disruptive way to achieve the same goal of relaxing at bedtime.
For example, she might benefit from a white-noise machine or some soft, relaxing music. Just make sure to use a sleep timer. One of my researchers plays rain sounds on Spotify at night, and it lets her set a 30-minute timer so the noise won't wake her in the middle of the night.
Another strategy could be doing some meditation before bed. Meditation triggers the "relaxation response," which helps our bodies naturally let go of anxiety and stress.
Either of these approaches provides a calming bedtime routine without the poorly timed blue light from a TV screen.
Q: Thoughts on keto? – M.M.
A: Ketogenic diets are typically high-fat, low-carbohydrate diets. Here's the basic idea behind it...
Normally, our bodies break down carbs to make glucose, which we use for energy. When we don't eat carbs, our bodies will break down fat. When fat breaks down during a process called ketosis, it creates an acid called a ketone.
The ketones act as energy units that feed your body. They travel through your bloodstream to muscles. This is actually how you maintain energy when you fast. And "keto" diets are meant to jump-start this process.
Here's the thing... ketogenic diets work, and they do help people lose weight. But they're extremely difficult to maintain over a long period of time. One study out of the Rowett Research Institute in Scotland found that obese men following a ketogenic diet for four weeks lost almost 14 pounds. But subsequent studies saw high dropout rates later on, as the diet was difficult to follow for too long.
Longtime readers know I'm not a fan of unsustainable fad diets. If you're trying to get healthier, I recommend long-term health habits that you can actually stick to, like the Mediterranean diet or fasting.
What We're Reading...
- Did you miss it? After a summer off, traders are getting back to Wall Street.
- Something different: The spotless giraffe just born in Tennessee.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
August 25, 2023