MET-Rx Big 100. These are one of my four favorite protein bars, and my go-to when I’m on a road trip. I told Michael Easter about them, and they became his go-to on an 850-mile hike. Vitamin-fortified and hefty in size — they come in at 410 calories and 32 grams of protein — they’re more of a meal replacement than a snack. They’re pretty cheap, and for a protein bar, they taste good. My favorite flavor is the cookies and cream. Peanut butter pretzel is becoming a new favorite of mine. You can find them at most gas stations.
Dad Brain by Darby Saxbe. Saxbe is a USC psychologist who’s spent more than twenty years studying fathers and families, from hunter-gatherers in the Congo to suburban dads at Little League baseball games. Her research shows that men’s physiology significantly changes when they become fathers. Your brain rewires and even your testosterone drops so you become more nurturing and better able to take care of little humans. The relationship with your kids becomes a two-way street: you have a huge impact on the well-being of your children, and your kids help you maintain a more youthful brain later in life. A great Father’s Day read to help you appreciate the joys and pleasures of being a dear old dad. For more about the unique nature of dads and their influence on kids, check out Podcast #998: Dad’s Essential Role in Making Kids Awesome and “The Importance of Fathers (According to Science).”
You’re probably taking the wrong painkiller. I’ve always been leery of Tylenol because of what it can do to your liver. OD on Tylenol, and you’re cooked. Advil? I’ve popped that stuff like candy during bad tendonitis flare-ups, figuring it was the safer and gentler option. This piece makes the case that maybe I’ve got it backward. Used as directed, acetaminophen is safer than ibuprofen for most people in most situations. That’s because ibuprofen acts on the whole body and can be rough on the stomach, kidneys, and heart, while acetaminophen has an overall gentler effect. It’s only dangerous if you take too much. Give it a read. It’s meticulously researched and provides some food for thought. Obligatory disclaimer: This isn’t medical advice. Talk to your doctor.
“Rayando el Sol” by Maná. I’ve talked before about my love for rock en español. One of my favorite bands in this genre is Maná, out of Guadalajara, Mexico (they opened this year’s World Cup). They’ve been at it four decades and are huge across the Spanish-speaking world. They’re like Mexican U2. My favorite song of theirs is “Rayando el Sol,” their first hit, from 1990’s Falta Amor. It’s a love song about a guy whose girl won’t call him back. He looks for her everywhere (en el parque y el cine, for example) and can’t find her. Finally he gives up. It’s easier to reach the sun, he sings, than her heart. If you don’t speak Spanish, it sounds a lot like The Police. Think “Every Breath You Take.”
On our Dying Breed newsletter, we published DB Dialogues: The Friendships, Rivalries, and Extraordinary Minds of the Emerson Circle and Sunday Firesides: In Your Element.
Quote of the Week
The words that a father speaks to his children in the privacy of home are not heard by the world, but, as in whispering galleries, they are clearly heard at the end, and by posterity.
—Johann Paul Friedrich Richter
Looking for more quotes on dads and fatherhood? Check out our collection of them.
