Body temperature vs temperature perception
Hello Dr. Huberman - you have spoken about the inverse effect of cold/heat exposure on body temperature, i.e. cold showers or plunges will trigger mechanisms in the body that will raise body temperature, and heat exposure will precipitate a lowering of body temperature. This makes sense, but another piece of this puzzle for me is how I actually FEEL - i.e. whether I feel comfortable vs. cold vs. hot - in response to such inputs, which I've observed is generally the opposite. So, following a cold shower, or going outside in only shorts/t-shirt on a very cold day, I am generally struggling to regain a feeling of warmth for a while. I'm particularly sensitive to this in my extremities - I practice piano, but my hands can get cold very easily and remain that way even if I've warmed up (and the effect is magnified following cold exposure). My question is perhaps twofold: 1) are body temperature and temperature perception inversely correlated; and 2) how do I leverage cold exposure (which I enjoy at least for its perceived benefits) towards actually feeling warm and relaxed? Thank you very much for all your hard work, and for being so generous with your curiosity and wisdom!
Does cold weather really make you sick?
As I've been doing more deliberate cold water exposure, I've also wondered about the benefits of cold weather exposure - i.e. not wearing a jacket when I'm out and about in the cold. Similarly, I've wondered if I really need to bundle up my young children to go play outside if there are benefits to cold exposure. However, there's a pretty common understanding that cold weather can make you sick. Is this true, or just an old wives' tale?
Physique and general health
To what degree is physique an indicator of general health? I have a friend who has quite poor nutritional habits - e.g. a very large proportion of his diet is highly-processed foods. He is an avid rock climber, so he stays pretty active, but no dedicated resistance training or cardio. However, he has the most impressive physique of anyone I know - i.e. good muscle mass, extremely low body fat, etc. I try to talk to him about the importance of exercise and nutrition (a lot of the things I learn from the podcast), but he doesn't take it seriously, largely because of his physique. So is his physique a good indicator of his overall health? Or is he at risk of particular health issues that don't surface in his physique?
Bipolar
I am 47 years old, diagnosed as bipolar for about 5 years. I experienced two bouts of depression the last two years ago, I am resistant to medication and have started treatment with trt by daily injection. The depression ended after two weeks of treatment, I have never experienced such stability in my life, do you know anything about the subject?