Use It or Lose It!
Feature
Seamus + Parsley Health
August 23, 2016 • By Seamus Mullen
A little while ago I sat down with my friends from Parsley Health to talk about nutrition, sleep, travel, my mom and a whole lot of other stuff! Parsley is a really interesting concept in wellness and health care, offering a tech-focused, subscription based approach to Functional Medicine. I’m a huge fan of Functional Medicine and believe firmly in the basic principle as described by my dear friend Dr. Frank Lipman who says that “if the leaves of the tree are brown, you don’t paint them green, you make sure the soil and the roots are healthy.” Read the complete conversation below or check it out on the Parsley website here.
Ask a Mindful Man:
Award-winning chef, restaurateur and cookbook author Seamus Mullen
Seamus Mullen also happens to be a ‘miracle’ healer who fought his way back from death’s doorstep using food and functional medicine.
If he was any cooler he’d be ice. Dry ice that floats and fascinates you for days.
Ask a Mindful Man is our fresh-off-the-boat blog series featuring the raddest and baddest fellas in the house. Twice a month. Six quick questions. One mega man.
‘sup Seamus. Cool steak. What’s your mantra lately?
“My mantra tends to be ‘use it or lose it!’ This goes for a lot of things…things in general, I mean what value do material objects have if you can’t use them? But literally I think of it in terms of the body- the human body is really good at doing whatever you do a lot of…if you do a lot of sitting around eating potato chips, it gets really good at sitting around and eating potato chips. If you do a lot of movement and laughing, it gets good at moving and laughing. 1% theory….99% practice.”
How’d you sleep last last night? What do you do when you can’t sleep? (and what do you wear to bed, just curious)
“I slept like a rock…when I can’t sleep I take a cold shower. I know it seems counter intuitive, but after the initial shock, it seems to calm the nervous system. Then some box breathing exercises and poof! I’m asleep! Oh and what did I wear? I usually roll with nothing at all, but I recently discovered the most comfortable boxer-briefs ever by a company called Saxx. They are made out of the most comfortable material and have a well designed…how do I say….c@#k-pocket.”
Any sweet vacation plans coming up?
“I’m off to Provence in two weeks to lead a Chef on Wheels cycling trip. We ride during the day and stay in a chateau and cook delicious meals at night. It’s a blast. I think there may be a few openings if anyone wants to join, sign up here.”
The most important thing your mother taught you? (about health or love or none of the above)
My mom is a very healthy person, always has been. I think the one thing that has been really fundamental to her health and that I try (often fail) to emulate is the notion of moderation. She is a very disciplined person and while she loves her dark chocolate, she is very capable of rationing off one or two small pieces a day and savoring them. She is the anti-binger in every sense of the word. She enjoys all things and doesn’t forgo pleasures, but she is well measured in her indulgences.
We have a kitchen at Parsley – when you come over what will you make us?
I’m a sucker for eggs….so I think we’d have an egg sesh and we could play with the myriad preparation of Eggs and Spring veggies. Like beet pickled eggs with trout caviar, poached eggs with asparagus, morels and herbs, frittatas with chia, bitter greens and avocados and a good old fashioned hard boiled egg with an anchovy bagna cauda dipping sauce. Eggs.
What do you look for in a doctor?
Someone who connects the dots and doesn’t just look in verticals of symptoms. Someone who acutely understands that the body is a system and there is a relationship between all things that happen within the body. Someone who listens. Someone who is open minded in her approach to treatment. Someone who is able to truly offer guidance.
Thanks a billion Seamus. See you soon for those beet pickled eggs.