Endurance Planet

By Endurance Planet Inc.Health & Fitness

Endurance Planet episodes

December 01, 2023Brad Kearns: From Fasting to Fueling The Morning (And Why We Recommend For Athletes), Peluva for ‘Natural Movement’ Lifestyle and More
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Brad Kearns of the B.Rad podcast is back on Endurance Planet for an unforgettable show!
Peluva Shoes – Unique Minimalist Footwear
Tawnee and Brad catch up on the new minimalaist/barefoot footwear brand, Peluva, which was founded by friend and colleauge Mark Sisson.
We share how Peluva is unique compared to other minimalist/barefoot shoe brands.
Biomechanics of running, footwear and why minimalist shoes do us a lot of good.
How to incorporate minimalist footwear beyond running, as some athletes may not do optimally with minimalist footwear in all of their running and athletic endeavors but you can still get the benefits of it elsewhere and we share how!
Fasting, Fueling, And Changing Our Minds and Approach
Tawnee and Brad also talk about openness to changing one’s mind to best meet nutritional needs, specifically, as it pertains to diet and fueling practices.
Brad was once a proponent of fasting particularly in the morning (skipping breakfast) but now at 58 years young he’s shifted his routine and makes it a priority to fuel his body first thing.
It’s still and always about prioritizing nutrient-dense whole foods–and it’s not just steak and eggs, this includes honey, fruit, dairy, etc.
How this has only helped his fitness goals and stress balance, and has not hurt him nor his metabolic health/body comp now many months into it.
We both agree that fasting may be good for some folks depending on your season of life and metabolic/health needs, but for very active, high energy-burning athletes and individuals you may want to think twice about skipping meals and opt for that meal instead.
Tawnee elaborates further on the topic and explain when and why she quit fasting or low carb/keto breakfasts and how eating well and avoiding within-day deficits has helped her globally in all the things,.
Why this is particularly important for female athletes who may be experiencing or recovering from RED-S or any hormonal and energy imbalance health issue.

The post Brad Kearns: From Fasting to Fueling The Morning (And Why We Recommend For Athletes), Peluva for ‘Natural Movement’ Lifestyle and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 3 min
November 24, 2023OMM 13: Marketing Tactics
Be sure to check out our new clean-living “non-toxic” Living List at enduranceplanet.com/shop/products, where everything we’ve included are brands and products we own and use in our home and for our family. It will be an evolving list and it’s certainly not exhaustive, these are just some examples and things we have come to use and like. Check back for deals and shop through us to support the show! Some affiliate links included.
On this show we talk about:
Ragnar New England 2024 is on! It’ll be May 17-18, 2024, on the East Coast, email us at [email protected] for details and to join the team for an unforgettable experience!
Followup thoughts on recent episodes.
Tawnee’s goals and intentions with this podcast: to inspire, uplift, encourage, bring together, and elevate in the name of health, wellness and fitness!
Marketing tactics that cloud our mindset into thinking we need things when we may not actually need them.
Case in point: Nike’s new baby shoes marketed toward “helping babies learn how to walk” and “promoting natural foot development” but in reality we don’t need shoes for all that, just our two feet and natural abilities! Of course these shoes are ok—better than mot baby shoes being that they are a minimalist barefoot style—but don’t be duped into thinking we need to buy something to replace what nature and our bodies are intended to do! Use shoes sparingly on babies and children!
We like Vivobarefoot shoes for babies and kids but of course this can get pricey so ways to help with that: buy on sale, look for used, add to gift wishlists, etc…
The post OMM 13: Marketing Tactics first appeared on Endurance Planet.
25 min
November 17, 2023ATC 359: Winter Mojo and Mindset, Stories of Minimalist Shoes in Practice, Ragnar Teaser and More
Be sure to check out our new Living List at enduranceplanet.com/shop/products with all the non-toxic products and products free of harmful chemicals that Tawnee has researched and uses for her family in their household for a healthier home environment and healthier family members. If you’re thinking of making some like changes to clean up your environment and supplies and goods used (from house cleaning to personal care and beyond) this is a great place to start!
Welcome back to episode number 359 of Ask the Coaches with Tawnee Gibson and Lucho.
On this episode:
Followup on ATC 358 —minimalist footwear (MF) talk:
Lucho’s anecdotes of maximalist vs more minimalist shoes, and when he has used more minimalist when his knee is flaring up.
MF is really promising for those with knee issues more than any other injury issue, from what the research indicates…
Correlation between ankles and knee/glute wellness… Reduced ankle mobility/ROM correlates with reduced glute activation and knee issues (knee valgus, compensation, etc). So even though we mentioned that the MF requires more from the ankle (e.g. greater dorsiflexion and plantarflexion; higher loading at metatarsal and ankle joints), in the long run it seems like this is an adaptation worth making for one’s overall biomechanical wellness and injury resilience.
On the flip side, a personal story from Tawnee: Postpartum with Emoree, I jumped into minimalist shoes and rough terrain (freezing temps/snow/ice) too fast and briefly suffered “stiff toe” or functional hallux limitus. Had to work on mobility in big toe joint, trigger point and massage for post tib, etc… given that, perhaps she should have used more cushioned shoes or avoided snow/ice in her running comeback? Probably… so it goes both ways!
Winter Mojo: Our Winter Routines
Lucho and Tawnee share wisdom on mindset and routines that help us during the winter/dark/cold season.
in HPN 34, Julie and Tawnee did a episode on ‘Holistic Winter Prep’ including use of sauna, red light therapy, hydration needs and protein needs.
Also what Tawnee will be adding to her winter routine this season:
Better lighting within the home to help with both winter blues and circadian rhythm, using a full-spectrum light bulb.
Self-care and “me time”—during summer this comes as solo long runs or personal time in nature, but that is limited in this season and as a busy working mom she needs those moments where she puts herself and self-care first, in order to thrive for everyone else she helps!
The post ATC 359: Winter Mojo and Mindset, Stories of Minimalist Shoes in Practice, Ragnar Teaser and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 19 min
November 10, 2023OMM 12: Navigating ‘Non-Toxic’ Part 2 – Lists and Products
A continuation of the clean living, non-toxic conversation. For previous shows leading up to today’s in-depth brand and product list, listen here:
ATC 357: Non-Toxic Insanity, How to Keep Your Cool and Healthy Balance + Budget Around Clean Living
OMM 11: Navigating ‘Non-toxic’ Part 1
Everything on our list can be found (ongoing, forever) at enduranceplanet.com/shop/products, and everything we’ve included are brands and products we own and use in our home and for our family. It will be an evolving list and it’s certainly not exhaustive, these are just some examples and things we have come to use and like. Check back for deals and shop through us to support the show! Some affiliate links included.
Cleaning Products
All-purpose sprays; multi-surface:
Branch Basics
Thieves
Aunt Fannie’s Cleaning Vinegar
Meliora
Glass spray bottles for mixing concentrate cleaning solution with distilled water
Dirty jobs: Seventh generation disinfecting spray but trying to get away from this and mostly trusting we don’t need to always sanitize and disinfect!
Clothing & washer/dryer:
Molly’s Suds
Molly’s Suds stain remover
Distilled white vinegar
Baking Soda
Biokleen Oxy Bleach Plus
Branch Basics Oxygen Boost
Biokleen Bac-Out stain and odor remover—for very dirty stinky jobs only
Cleaning washer:
Washing Soda
Borax
Baking Soda
Branch Basics Oxygen Boost
Dishes/kitchen:
Planet
Ecover zero
Molly’s Suds
Biokleen dish powder
Rosesy dishwasher detergent
All-around/DIY:
Distilled white vinegar
Baking Soda
Hydrogen peroxide
Many simple recipes to make yourself using these basics
Handsoap:
Bronner’s Organic Sugar Soap
Everyone
Bar soap
Other:
Microbalance ec3 mold solution and laundry additive as needed /special circumstances
Personal Care – Skincare, Makeup, Oral, Kids, etc.
Avoid: parabens, phthalates, fragrance (essential oils are generally ok), petroleum/mineral oil, aluminum, PFAS/PFCs/PFOAs, PEGs, to name a few big ones.
Makeup:
Ilia
Alima Pure
Good resource for online shopping beauty is Roots Beauty
Skincare:
DIME Beauty—pregnancy safe, has rewards program and deals
Shampoo /conditioner:
Under Luna—their Luna Clear safe for all ages (from babies up) and in our family we share. A little goes a long way and it lasts for a long time!
Soap:
Bronner’s—however, castile soap like in bronners can be drying and more harsh on skin; tend to avoid regular use especially in winter
Goat milk-based soap—we like Bend Soap Co
Probiotic soaps—we’ve tried clearwatercultures.com
Skin, balms, salves and lips:
Badger Balm
Lip balm I love
Earth Mama—safe products such as sensitive skin sunscreen and nipple butter (which we now use as a balm/salve and in place of vaseline).
Motherlove—like Earth Mama, lots of non-toxic, clean safe products for pregnancy, postpartum, mama and baby.
Deodorants—Aluminum free natural:
Native
Crystal
TOMS
Lotions:
Bronner’s—uses coconut oil; I like to avoid seed oils in lotions
Toothpaste/Oral care
Primal Life Organics
Toothbrushes: We also have their electric toothbrushes and charcoal bristle bamboo toothbrushes, both of which are great for kids too!
Bronner’s
Biocidin Botanicals Dentalcidin—available on Fullscript with our exclusive discount
Designs for Health PerioBiotic Silver—available on Fullscript with out exclusive discount
Young Living Thieves
Kitchen, Cookware and Food Storage
Cooking:
Stainless steel—pots, pans, cookie sheets and muffin tins
All-Clad
Calphalon
Ceramic
Xtrema—we got their 10 quart pot to replace a crockpot
Enameled cast iron
Le Crueset Dutch oven
Cast iron
Glass pyrex
Great for non-toxic baking
Loaf pans
We have glass, cast iron, SS (we use a variety)
Food storage, accessories, cups, etc
Glass
Snapware, yes they have plastic lids but not worrying about it
Pyrex for cooking and storage (larger volume meals, etc)
Stainless steel
Munchkin —for kids snack cups, drinking cups
Hydroflask—SS drinkware (too many athletes use plastic too often!)
my fave water bottle for everywhere I go (and I’ve tried a lot of bottles through the years)
Kids bottles are great and well-made
Yeti—another option for SS drinkware
my all-time fave coffee mug for home and travel
Jr bottle is also something we have and love
PlanetBox
We have the Rover classic
Bentgo
We have the kids stainless steel box and use interchangeably with Planetbox
JaceBox
SS food storage that we bought during our vanlife era when glass was too heavy and bulky
Kitchen Aid accessories
Often they include aluminum or paint-coated with appliances, we upgraded to SS for our stand mixer, which is something we use all the time
Silicone, natural wood, bamboo—great non-toxic alternatives to plastic and when you prefer to avoid SS or breakable/fragile materials.
Kitchen utensils, eg tongs, spatula, wood spoon/spatula
Baby/toddler plates (wee sprout)
Baby feeding sets
Storage, lids, etc.
Salt container
Fruit bowls
Molds
Even baking!
SodaStream—DIY carbonated water with glass bottles
Mason jars
We use these for everything! All shapes and sizes (wide-mouth preferred); big glass jugs for bulk storage, liquids, general drinking glasses, etc.
Water
Aquasana shower filter
Drinking water (options we’ve used or are considering):
Premier RO system
SpringAqua
Pristine Hydro
Home Goods & Healthy Home Environment
A Healthier Home by Shawna Holman
Look for OEKO-TEX label for cleaner items that have been tested for and are free of harmful substances
There are different levels and categories of this but it’s overall becoming more widely prevalent making non-toxic more mainstream and accessible
GOTS for top of the line
Natural materials like wool, cotton (over synthetics, polyester, etc)
Air filters:
Air Doctor
Rugs—try to get those without backing, made with more natural fibers (e.g. cotton, wool, jute)
Avoid
Air fresheners, plug-in air fresheners
Scented candles, go for beeswax and if needing scent EOs
Plastic liners in crockpots or cooking anything
Foil—use parchment paper instead, good for baking up to 420-450 deg F; or butcher paper
Plastic wraps, try beeswax wrap!
This list will be updated as needed here.
The post OMM 12: Navigating ‘Non-Toxic’ Part 2 – Lists and Products first appeared on Endurance Planet.
47 min
November 03, 2023Sock Doc 21: When Things Don’t Go As Planned – Ankle Sprains and Migraines
On this episode we have The Sock Doc, Dr. Steve Gangemi, joining us. Steve is a natural health care doctor who founded and practices at Systems Health Care, an integrative wellness center in Chapel Hill, NC. Steve is also a longtime endurance athlete and is a wealth of knowledge for athletes looking to optimize wellness.
We are continuing our new series called “When Things Don’t Go As Planned” that will dissect your health and injury issues that come up when you least want them and can negatively affect your training and race season–how to heal, prevent and overcome going forward of common (and not so common) issues that athletes face. Listen to our first edition here. Send us your requests for topics!
When Things Don’t Go As Planned
Part 1: Ankle Sprains and Wellness
Some stats
Injuries to the foot and ankle affect 40% of the population at least one point in their life.
Incidence of foot and ankle injuries is even higher for runners: approximately 60% of runners will have one injury every 2 years.
Foot and ankle injuries often lead to issues higher up the kinetic chain: knees, hips, back – even shoulders! Dysfunctional ankles affect the entire kinetic chain.
Consider the importance of ankle’s tendons and ligaments and how the integrity of these can be tied to holistic health, hormones, etc.
Proprioception is really one of the most important aspects of healthy, strong, resilient ankles.
Biomechanical notes
Ankle dorsiflexion influences dynamic balance in individuals with chronic ankle instability. (International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy 2013)
Ipsilateral hip abductors weakened after ankle sprains. (Journal of Athletic Training 2006)
Hip weakness predicts ankle injury risk. (Journal of Athletic Training 2017)
Any other correlations we see that you want to mention?
What kind of ROM do we need?
~30 degrees of dorsiflexion during walking
~35-40 degrees for more functional/athletic positions
Types of sprains
Medial
Syndermotic (high)
Lateral – most common type of sprain – 85%
70% of ankle sprains have recurrent symptoms
Why are some of us more prone to ankle sprains and then recurrent ankle issues?
ROM issues, joint mobility and stiffness.
Proprioception or lack there of.
Shoes, footwear and lack of going barefoot.
What about role of hormones, stress, etc?
Why are some people able to recover on the fly from rolling their ankle vs some people sustain to a full-blown ankle sprain?
Proprioception–and the “preparation” going into circumstance (barefoot shoes).
The ligaments’ ability to react quickly and dynamically.
Structural integrity.
Also nutritional and metabolic component: estrogen, cortisol and stress hormones.
From the lens of health & hormonal status
More estrogen dominance these days
Generally, we see men’s T levels are lower these days while estrogen on the rise;
While women are not breaking down estrogen as readily (impaired detox etc);
All this leading to estrogen dominance, and this causes ligaments to not respond properly.
Research shows that female soccer plays have higher # of knee injuries during ovulation and late luteal, you also see it in carpal tunnel syndrome–all correlated to higher estrogen levels.
Sometimes higher estrogen levels are totally normal ie during pregnancy.
Elastin vs relaxin
Elastin—protein responsible for stretching, shrinking and recoiling; what is found in ligaments and connective tissue. Estrogen affects this protein, and this affects both men and women, thus affecting proprioception and ligament integrity.
Relaxin—hormone, mostly just during pregnancy.
Women sustain more ankle sprains in women
True and relative estrogen dominance
What Tawnee has seen in recent DUTCH tests in her clients: estrogen dominance, normal to low progesterone, relative estrogen dominance, impaired methylation, impaired detox, etc.
Progesterone deficiency can be tied to excess stress hormone (cortisol) production. Also contributing to relative estrogen dominance.
Role of endocrine disruptors, xenoestrogens, etc.
This can be a factor but in Steve’s opinion not 100% the cause; usually something else going on impairing the body’s ability to handle these types of things.
Analogy of EMF and how things like this are almost never the “sole cause” of someone’s health issues.
Detox & Liver health…
Ways to gauge impaired liver health: AST & ALT are not enough! These can be influenced by other things and they will not show up in detox issues.
Two pathways to be aware of for liver detox and breaking down estrogen:
Sulfation
Methylation: Folate, P5P/B6, B12, Mg, etc.
Glucuronidation
Mg, sugar handling, etc.
Artichoke high in glucuronic acid
Betaglucuronidase – enzyme that can upregulate and allow for reabsorption of estrogen, which tied into gut health overall. Impaired gut tends to have higher levels of this enzyme thus more potential for estrogen issues.
Estrobolome
Healing protocol
70% of ankle sprains have recurrent symptoms
Steve’s No. 1 piece of advice: DO NOT WEAR THE BOOT.
“Horrible” orthopedic device.
Does more harm than good… will mess up gait, hips and back.
Gives a good barrier to avoid any further injury, but you lose proprioception and potentially introduce way more problems.
Crutches are more active, boot is passive.
Need load- and weight-bearing work to heal properly.
Timeline of healing
Rehab: ASAP
It’s ok to endure some pain or discomfort in pursuit of healing.
Every moment you rest and don’t do the work you lose valuable time to heal and re-train things the right way.
We often want the “soft” route but that doesn’t get us far.
Sometimes we do need to endure some pain and force to have a breakthrough. This is different than a “no pain no gain” mentality.
Obviously all this is said within reason—don’t be stupid and go running and jumping when you have a sprain.
Protocol should include:
Neuromuscular/proprioception work
Balance training; single leg balance work
Restoring ROM
Exercises for dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, inversion, eversion
Not static stretching alone but what are dynamic and mobilization examples?
Foam roll? Trigger points? Where?
Multiplanar strengthening
Glutes, feet and toes!
Myofascial release
Ongoing maintenance:
Test/re test
Lateral step down test
SL exercises
Mobility
SMFR
Pre/post exercise assessment, eg do the rehab exercises then check squat, lunge, DL, etc, do you see improvement?
Part 2: Migraines
Definition
What makes a migraine different than other types of headache?
Migraine w/aura vs w/o – what is aura
Vasodilation
Photophobia
Athletes who suffer from migraines can be sidelined from training or racing due to migraines. Can be debilitating!
Tawnee’s husband John gets migraines on occasion; he had the onset of one with aura during a very grueling trail HM that he did this past summer, and he was definitely a bit depleted and underprepared for it going into the race….
Generally, we don’t see a clear correlation of what else is happening when he gets them but it tends to be more times of high stress, screen time (blue light/bright light/intense work), dehydration.
Has gotten better with diet improvements over the years.
Tension headache more constrictive.
Sometimes, how do we really know it’s a migraine? Maybe another category like TMJ headache.
Dampening of sensory information tends to help ease migraine pain (visual, auditory, etc.).
In athletes, research says:
“Headaches in athletes”
This article has some good general info and classifications of types of headaches
“The association between migraine and physical exercise”
“It seems that although exercise can trigger migraine attacks, regular exercise may have prophylactic effect on migraine frequency.”
“Possible mechanisms for how exercise may trigger migraine attacks, include acute release of neuropeptides such as calcitonin gene-related peptide or alternation of hypocretin or lactate metabolism.”
“Mechanisms for migraine prevention by exercise may include increased beta-endorphin, endocannabinoid and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levers in plasma after exercise.”
Risk factors and triggers
Hormonal tie in
Females 3x more than men
Estrogen/progesterone imbalances and/or estrogen dominance, just like with ankle issues.
Cortisol levels that compromise progesterone levels.
Women who suffer from migraines can often trace them to happening the same time of their cycle each month, during ovulation and late luteal (before period).
Training stress/life stress—something is off, usually that’s when you will get the onset of migraine (or whatever issue you are prone to, e.g. cold sores, mastitis).
Neurotransmitter or gut issue that is causing the imbalance and triggering a migraine.
Abdominal migraine: serotonin levels of GI system are affected from inflammation (often related to food sensitivity, fungus, GI infection, dysbiosis, etc.)
Sometimes there will be no GI symptoms (nausea), sometimes there won’t be.
Enteric nervous system at work here, ie gut-brain axis or “second brain” affecting vagus nerve.
Serotonin is needed, often parallels estrogen levels so those can affect one another.
if your gut is affecting your migraines, as long as you’re not on an SSRI, the go-to would be St. John’s Wort. This is GREAT to restore serotonin levels.
St. John’s Wort is the go-to herb here.
95% or more of serotonin made in the gut.
St. John’s Wort can help when things go awry.
Just improving the gut can help of course, but the issue is that can take a very long time, so with this idea of using St. John’s Wort, you can hit it both ways: Work on GI health but also use something like St. John’s Wort to help restore neurotransmitter levels, thus improve serotonin levels, which then will also help improve GI health and ultimately aid in migraine issue.
If your gut gets “off” easily, this is a good go-to ensuring there are no contraindications for your personal health profile, other meds, etc.
Other side effects: rarely it can cause anxiety, and depending on other medications you are on there can be side effects. Check first.
Eye issues, light/brightness—can lighting alone trigger one?
Correlation with the following: Posture, breathing patterns, muscle tension? … or even things like overworking/overtiredness, lack of sleep, lack of QUALITY sleep, etc…
Diet/nutrition
Identify food sensitivities
Look at it as an opportunity to overall clean up the gut and do a gut healing protocol.
Consider in your diet:
Omega 6/3 ratio?
Inflammatory foods, seed oils, etc.
Supplement with fish oil? Can be part of an overall health protocol but fish oil alone doesn’t seem to be a “magic pill.”
SAD?
Nutrient deficiencies? Depleted from overtraining?
Supplements
Curcumin/turmeric
Understand that this is an anti-inflammatory compound that fights inflammation differently than omega 3 fish oil
Omega 3’s work off eicosanoids like fatty acid balances and platelet aggregation (stickiness)
Important for regulatory T cells to fight infections and support immune system.
Turmeric works off NF kappa B, inflammatory compound your body makes (fish oil doesn’t do this) and also helps with inflammatory cytokine IL-10, important when you have autoimmune conditions, infections, allergies. Turmeric more specific for immune system.
But overall, when you’re overcome your inflammation issue you shouldn’t and don’t need to continue taking it. Understand why you’re taking something! And go back to diet and training-stress balance first!
Mg, Riboflavin, Zinc
Mg: hormone breakdown
Riboflavin: gut
Zinc: immune system, progesterone & testosterone are made by zinc
Prevention
What to do when you feel one coming on & what to do for overall avoidance of getting one.
Very rarely is there a single pill that will improve something. Successful thing to treat but rarely one answer on fixing them from happening.
Overall this goes back to a holistic lifestyle improvement.
Body is always trying to heal and tell us what it needs… always a reason, be wiling to get uncomfortable to heal, while also giving your body the love it deserves. It’s not fighting against you.
The post Sock Doc 21: When Things Don’t Go As Planned – Ankle Sprains and Migraines first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 14 min
October 27, 2023OMM 11: Navigating ‘Non-Toxic’ (Part 1)
Requested by our audience in response to ATC 357, which addresses keeping your cool around non-toxic living, this episode dives into more on clean, non-toxic living, the mental health component and more.
Terminology around clean leaving, and what does “toxic” really mean?
Fear-including, fear-mongering, click-bait tactics.
Advice and input from an attorney (aka John).
Body overburdened? The signs:
Skin conditions
Fatigue more than normal
Sick often
GI issues
Brain fog
Headaches
Conventional products or additives in foods, etc, may be harmful in the following ways:
Endocrine (hormone) disruptors
Carcinogens
Neurotoxins
Chemicals affecting mood, behavior and cognition
Reproductive harms…
Whether it’s trying to avoid endocrine disruptors esepcially in kids — as we are seeing a rise in early puberty — or avoiding chemicals that contribute to asthma, eczema, etc, it’s our job and duty to be mindful of these things. But not afraid.
Evidence of chronic health issues in adults and children:
Asthma and rhinitis in cleaning workers: a systematic review of epidemiological studies. J Asthma.
Chemicals inhaled from spray cleaning and disinfection products and their respiratory effects. A comprehensive review.
Domestic use of hypochlorite bleach, atopic sensitization, and respiratory symptoms in adults.
Postnatal exposure to household disinfectants, infant gut microbiota and subsequent risk of overweight in children.
Frequent use of chemical household products is associated with persistent wheezing in pre-school age children.
Domestic use of bleach and infections in children: a multicentre cross-sectional study.
House cleaning with chlorine bleach and the risks of allergic and respiratory diseases in children.
Embrace the idea of less is more. We don’t need so much as we are told…
We don’t need sunscreen most of the time (there are exceptions) if we are doing it right with food and our approach to sun exposure.
We don’t need to be cleaning our homes with disinfectants every day, or really at all
We don’t need 10000 beauty products.
Our kids don’t even really need to use soap in the shower most of the time, as it can dry out skin and disrupt their natural oils and biome.
Marketing these days will always tell you what you lack and what you need… critical thinking applies here.
The post OMM 11: Navigating ‘Non-Toxic’ (Part 1) first appeared on Endurance Planet.
34 min
October 20, 2023ATC 358: Minimalist Footwear For Knee Pain Relief and Boosted Economy – Current Research Findings and And How To Safely Transition To Reduce Risk, Plus: A Fit-For-Life Game Plan To Race Everything From 100m to Marathon
Intro Banter
Lucho’s NH Ragnar recap
Brian asks:
A Weird(?) Goal + ‘Do Anything Fitness’
Hi! I’ve been listening to endurance planet since (I think) 2015 when I started getting into distance running. I peaked and burned out on running in 2019/2020 when I ran my fastest times and the work I was putting in was… just felt too much work. I ran a 3:09 marathon in pouring, 80-degree rain, a 1:25 half marathon 2 weeks earlier and a few months later ran an 18 minute 5k and a 5:16 mile (without too much speed-specific training). But, it just stopped being fun. For durability: I got up to 70 miles a week in marathon training and loved it, I did a ½ iron in 2017 with 10-16 hours a week of training with no issues. No injuries at all.
I still love running, but mostly just 3-4x a week for 3-4 miles for enjoyment. I supplement it with a bit of swimming, biking, and lifting but without a plan; mostly intuitively for whatever my body wants that day.
Not related to the goal but absolutely my #1 priority is to build and maintain what I call “do anything” fitness. I love the idea of being able to jump into training for a triathlon, ocean swim, paddleboard race, or something else endurance-y and having a great base so I don’t have to spend a lot of time getting ready to train. This also includes a little durability to jump into something totally new (just an example, but something like playing tennis or soccer randomly even if I’ve never played) without risking injury.
So, to my weird goal: I’d like to make a really good attempt to run my best in every running event from the 400m to the marathon in 1 year (400, 800, 1600, 5k, 10k, 13.1, 26.2). This doesn’t really mean PR because I don’t really want to put that pressure on myself, I want it to be fun. But, I want to feel like I made a really good attempt. I started running as a 26 year old (35 now) and went right for the marathon, so I’ve never done speed stuff besides the marathon-style speedwork (which for me was usually 400 repeats at the shortest).
The 2 goals sort of align bc I’m also someone that loves the slow-and-steady running and weight training (I do love hammering on the bike and swim though, not sure why). I sometimes love pushing 100m sprints in the backyard or doing burpees, but those days are few and far between. I realize that part of having “do anything” fitness means developing and maintaining some of those explosive or fast-twitch muscles, and having a more-concrete goal will help motivate me.
So, any advice on how to start building that “do anything” fitness, use the winter to prepare for an April start date for training for the “Year of All Races”, how to sequence the year (e.g., do I start short then train for long? The other way? A mix-up? I truly have no idea), and how to balance that (if possible) with the relaxed/intuitive training I’ve enjoyed lately (not necessary but a cherry on top).
For background: I am a 35 year-old male; 5’10” and 165lb (during running PRs I got down to 150-155 but it wasnt a sustainable weight). I have a home gym with a treadmill, bike trainer, free-weights, home-made TRX system, squat rack + Olympic bar. Despite that I don’t know if I could even squat my own weight (I don’t really do 1 rep maxes ever bc Im more concerned about injury than knowing what those #s are, but I could be wrong about that; it could be a good metric) and I can do maybe 8 pullups in a row and probably max out at 30 straight pushups… so strength is a weakness for me. Despite that I have no history of injury. I work from home with a non-demanding job (very much 9-5 and I take an hour for lunch with my wife every day), so time isn’t a major issue. I live in the northeast US so winter isn’t great for speedwork but I’m not against it.
thanks again for all your help, I absolutely love the podcast; it’s one of the few constants in my life in the last 10 years
FOLLOWUP: Apologies! I also meant to include the 100 & 200; all the “endurance” events according to Lucho!
What the coaches say:
Listen in for Lucho’s advice!

Research Review:
Minimalist Footwear For Runners—A Systematic Review of 23 Studies
Title: Influence of Minimalist Footwear (MF) in Middle and Long Distance Runners’ Physical Fitness, Biomechanics, and Injury Incidence: A Systematic Review
“The main findings were
(a) the use of MF induces improvements in stride frequency and running economy in long distance events and allows a reduction in support time (i.e., foot support) during 5km distance races;
(b) for biomechanical factors, MF can be useful to induce some benefits in the running cycle: greater ranges of ankle motion, increased stride frequency, and forefoot striking predominance as well as a reduction in knee stiffness; and
(c) although the use of the MF does not reduce the impact forces in the meta- tarsus or ankle, it may reduce knee impact, indicating the interest in its use during rehabilitation processes.”
Criteria?
MF = shoe with a highly flexible sole and upper that weighs 200 g or less, has a heel stack height of 20 mm or less, and a heel–toe differential of 7 mm or less (5).
Comments on shoes used in these studies and the “more extreme” minimalist shoes used.
More details on findings:
Running economy and stride frequency increased for long distance runs.
“Because MF has shown a great predominance of landing with midfoot and forefoot (11,21,31), the use of MF has been shown to influence changes in the footprint. In addition, MF is more suitable than conventional footwear to enhance stride frequency (31,32). Hence, MF has demonstrated its benefits for improving the running economy and, subsequently, running performance.”
Improves forefoot strike and decreases heel striking.
Minimalist footwear has been shown to reduce impact forces at the knee joint but not necessary ankle, or foot.
Decrease in O2 consumption with MF.
Best for fast races? Minimalist footwear have the greatest impact on running economy and performance at fast paces.
Greater dorsiflexion and plantar flexion = ankle ROM (but this comes with risks!).
However, MF may increase injury risk at the ankle and tarsus according to research.
Overall – if you are looking to increase SF and forefoot strike use MF in your tool box
Furthermore, MF has demonstrated its influence on athletes’ injury incidence (14). For example, Hryvniak et al. (15), found that 69% of the participants reported an improvement in their previous knee, ankle, hip, and lower back injuries when using MF.
Lighter shoes make a difference! Heavier shoes decrease economy:
for every 100g that was added to the shoe weight, the athlete decreased their running economy by 1.11%. 2016 study ref
What are the risks of MF?
The transition into wearing MF matters. Don’t go too fast.
One study showed: 86% of the participants suffered injuries in the conventional/Five fingers transition.
Potential for:
Flexor hallucis brevis stiffness.
The loads with MF were higher in the metatarsal and ankle joints; however, they were lower in the knee joint.
“Higher initial loading rate and plantar pressures may increase injury in this footwear condition in the early stages [8, 36]. This hypothesis requires further investigation as there is currently no high-level evidence of increased injuries in this period.”
“Unless high-level evidence emerges, we have no reason to believe that the injury rates are any higher either during a transition to MFW or habitually wearing MFW when compared to running in CRS. There may be specific differences in injury trends amongst groups, such as increased foot injuries in the MFW group [89], but not in the rate of injury.”
But overall MF can lend to stronger feet so if careful in the transition period, these potential issue may be mitigated in the long run?
Making the transition safely!
Article mention: Transitioning to Minimal Footwear: a Systematic Review of Methods and Future Clinical Recommendations (2017).
The authors suggest that a transition period of no less than 4–8 weeks should be used because of general muscular adaptation to training, taking this period of time [43].
“Given what has been observed with increases in bone marrow edema when running initially in MFW, we suggest that the initial overall running volume is decreased in the region of 10–20% in the first 2 weeks (Fig. 2), in order to reduce the risk of this bony injury from unfamiliar repetitive loading. This suggestion is based on consistent evidence that training volume is related to running injury risk [48, 49].”
“Given the dramatic change in the demand of the foot structure and musculature with MFW use, a period of preparation could include some light walking and every day, non-uniform loading whilst wearing MFW or going barefoot may be of benefit before any running activity is begun [44–46]. In addition, foot muscle size may be important for transitioning safely [11].”
“However, there are currently no studies that have evaluated whether this preparatory phase has any influence on overall injury incidence compared with a group that does not undergo a preparatory phase.”

The post ATC 358: Minimalist Footwear For Knee Pain Relief and Boosted Economy – Current Research Findings and And How To Safely Transition To Reduce Risk, Plus: A Fit-For-Life Game Plan To Race Everything From 100m to Marathon first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 16 min
October 06, 2023HPN 38: Holistic Approach To Building Bone Density and Lifestyle Medicine Part 3: A Fresh Perspective on Physical Movement and Nature Immersion
Welcome to episode 38 of Holistic Performance Nutrition (HPN) featuring Tawnee Gibson, MS, CSCS, CISSN, and Julie McCloskey, a certified holistic nutrition coach and personal trainer, who you can find over at wildandwell.fit. On this episode:

Allison L. asks:
Building Bone Density (for a Masters Female Athlete)
First, a huge thanks for all the podcasts over the years. I have listened so much whenever I have a question I can hear you and Lucho discussing it in my head.
But here’s a new one for HPN:
I am a 60 year old female marathon runner who recently had a DEXA scan showing
SPINE RESULTS: T score at L1-L2 is -2.0 with bone density of 0.920 g/cm2. L3 and L4 excluded from diagnostic analysis because degenerative change artifactually elevates measured density at those vertebral levels. Technical quality of the study is good.
HIP RESULTS: Low bone density value at the hip is a T score of -0.5 and bone density of 0.967 g/cm2 at the right femoral neck. Technical quality of the study is good.
GENERAL COMMENTS: The patient has low bone mass by WHO criteria. Fracture risk is elevated. A T score of -2.0 at the spine corresponds to an increased risk of fracture approximately 4 times that expected when compared to a young adult reference population. There is significant discordance in bone density at the spine versus hip, a finding which can sometimes suggest the presence of occult medical contributors to bone mass loss. A careful search for correctable contributors to bone mass loss is therefore recommended.
I am guessing the 25 years of running 20 miles a week helps the hips, while swimming and biking do not hurt but don’t help.
Calcium 94
Vitamin D 64 ng/ml.
No history of REDS.
Height 5′-7″ weight 145
I am going to tr Dr. Fishman’s 12 poses for Osteoporosis.
Do you have any good exercises?
What the coaches say:

The yoga poses mentioned
Based on this study:Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss
“Yoga poses were selected specifically to produce torque and bending of the proximal femur, compression of the pelvis, and twisting of the lumbar vertebral bodies. The choice was determined because these are the most common sites of osteoporotic fractures and the anatomical regions measured by the DXA scan. However, osteoporotic fractures frequently occur in the thoracic spine, the forearm, and the ribs. These sites were not studied and might not respond to yoga directed toward them in the same way.”
Also, maybe an unintended “side effect” and uncontrolled variable of stress reduction via this yoga practice that helped on a biochemical level? (Nutrients, hormones, gut, etc)
Literature:
Osteoporosis: Exercise Programming Insight for the Sports Medicine Professional
Bone loss may begin to occur after the age of 30 when the rate of bone remodeling begins to decline. In women, bone loss accelerates after the age of 45 when estrogen production slows and menopause begins usually at an average age of 51 (11). Women transitioning into or who have entered menopause have a much lower estrogen level, which can lead to a 2–3% loss in bone density in the first 5 years after menopause (41). (REF)
Primary (type I) or “postmenopausal” osteoporosis is the most common type of osteoporosis which results in trabecular (spongy) bone loss (23,41,42). Estrogen deficiency is believed to be the main underlying cause for this form of osteoporosis (26), which is why women are 8 times more likely to get primary osteoporosis than men (25).
Factors assoc. With primary/postmenopausal osteo (Q: how many of these does she have?)
Also secondary osteoporosis can occur at any age and is often caused by chronic diseases, endocrinopathies, metabolic conditions, nutritional deficiencies or absorption disorders, alcoholism, and certain medications (Table 3) (23,26,32,41,42). often results from an age related vitamin D deficiency which leads to poor calcium uptake, increased parathyroid hormone release, as well as bone resorption (16). (Her D levels look good- however again blood levels may not tell the whole story of what is happening)
E.g. ref this podcast ith Sock Doc on testing vit D levels in which he said: Vitamin D is another example that we can’ trust that one marker along- don’t jut test 25-hydroxy Vitamin D, also test the 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D to measure the balance between the two. But few people do this. If you see levels go up with supplementation then plummet back down after you stop supplementing, then that could be indicative of needing to test both. But then where does the testing end?
Factors assoc with secondary.
Look at from a functional/holistic/nutrition perspective:
Ca & D are important but more to bone than calcium and vitamin D
Manganese (Mn) is also an important bone health mineral
Manganese supplementation can increase both bone mineral density and bone formation [24] (ref)
Eg) for healing Stress fx or bone injury, Your body needs a lot of Mn, eg up to 50-100 mg for a short period of time!
Also: magnesium, copper, zinc, and silicon.
EAs often have Cu deficiency, and we’ve talked about Mg deficiency being prevalent! Zinc… gotta be careful of chronic supp which can create imbalances, look to food form
Silicon and bone health
Calcium—a different perspective:
Caution against supplementing with calcium! The issue is not often needing more Ca but rather, we need to stop stealing it from our bones. Even if blood levels are good, we could be stealing this mineral from bones.
Body pulls calcium from bones when the blood and tissues are too acidic, i.e. excess caffeine, poor diet, chronically high cortisol issues/HPA axis dysfunction, overtraining syndrome, not resting enough, and/or too many other high stressors in life.
Bottom line: again it goes back to addressing diet and lifestyle.
Calcium, no evidence that you need more than a normal dietary intake.
1300mg/day? We get enough. Dairy, seeds (chia, sesame, poppy seeds), canned fish with bones, beans/lentils, whey protein.
Bones are alive, they are constantly breaking down and building up and getting remodeled every day/week/month/year of your life depending on the stress and loads that they are exposed to or NOT exposed to.
1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men over 50 will have an osteoporatic fracture in their lifetime.
Consider this, from a research perspective:
Potential mechanisms linking psychological stress to bone health
Strength training thoughts
Effect of weighted exercises on bone mineral density in post …
Results: The review revealed evidence to support the effectiveness of weight training exercises to increase BMD in postmenopausal women. The increases in BMD were site-specific and required high loading with a training intensity of 70% to 90% of 1 RM for 8 to 12 repetitions of 2 to 3 sets performed over one year duration.
Conclusion: Weighted exercises can help in maintaining BMD in postmenopausal women and increasing BMD of the spine and hip in women with osteopenia and osteoporosis. The exercise program must be incorporated into a lifestyle change and be lifelong due to the chronic nature of bone loss in older women.
the effects of differing resistance training modes on the preservation of BMD in p
Abstract: This meta-analysis synthesized current evidence from 24 clinical trials to evaluate the impact of different resistance training modes on postmenopausal bone loss. Exercise interventions were categorized into two training modes, namely resistance-alone versus combined resistance training protocols. The combined resistance training protocols were defined as the combination of resistance training and high-impact or weight-bearing exercise. The results suggested that the combined resistance training protocols were effective in improving bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck and lumbar spine.
Results: Twenty-four studies were included in the overall analysis of skeletal response to resistance exercise. The between-study heterogeneity was evident for the hip (I (2) = 46.5%) and spine (I (2) = 62.3%). The overall analysis suggested that resistance training significantly increased femoral neck BMD (SMD = 0.303, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.127-0.479, p = 0.001) and lumbar spine BMD (SMD = 0.311, 95% CI = 0.115-0.507, p = 0.002) in postmenopausal women. However, subgroup analysis indicated that combined resistance training programs significantly affected both the hip BMD (SMD = 0.411, 95% CI = 0.176-0.645, p = 0.001) and spine BMD (SMD = 0.431, 95% CI = 0.159-0.702, p = 0.002), whereas resistance-alone protocols only produced nonsignificant positive effects both on the femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD.
Conclusions: Combined resistance exercise protocols appear effective in preserving femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD in postmenopausal women, whereas resistance-alone protocols only produced a nonsignificant positive effect.
Example exercises
2 Pulls: rows and lat pulldowns
2 Presses: push-ups and OH or Chest press?
Hips: deadlifts, RDLs, kettlebell swings
Full Body: squat, hinge, lunge, UB press and UB pull, plyos? Proprioception/balance work to prevent falls/fractures?
Lifestyle Medicine & the Roots of Wellness
Part 3: #5-7
Refresher (listen to these first is you haven’t already!):
HPN 36 – Intro + #1-3
HPN 37 -The Research + #4
Our list continues…
5. Physical movement
Consistency + moderation; for this crowd we can say that extremes ok as long as you’re healthy and taking time to recover from them.
Discipline to show up; discipline to hold back. Depending on where you’re at, discipline goes both ways!
Eg) movement snacks/strength training in kitchen and dining room while kids are eating. But also those high stress times when less is more… Figure it out!
But on flip side if lots of red flags, don’t try to PR! Don’t force the physical exertion, maybe some gentle yoga and mobility and getting IN your body is preferred.
Find your happy medium. Be INTUITIVE… not so stubborn and relentless, at least, this is the case when viewing as a lifestyle medicine standpoint.
Also, don’t be AFRAID of the physical if it hurt you in the past. Trust you can do it wiser this time without the pitfalls and setbacks to health.
For endurance athletes (obv): strength training super important in season and not just during the shoulder seasons. Low volume heavy weight to keep all your shit together as you enter that season of being in a catabolic state
Def get to know yourself and know whether it’s time to go for it, time to dial it back, or time to take an extra rest day or 2 or a full week or 2 off. I had some early season burnout I talked about last episode and knew I had to scale back the miles, “running through it” wasn’t the way to getting my mojo back…and turns out you can still crush your race without training like a maniac! Hard work is super important and valuable in so many ways, but a lot of us tend to think “if some is good more must be better” and completely overshoot
Fitness routines post-race.
Fitness as a lifestyle is so critical to good health. Exactly what you said, find that happy medium. Something you look forward to most of the time, somedays do something really uncomfortable, and overall less sitting and more movement snacks over the course of the day!
6. Connection to nature
No matter the season, we have to get in sunshine (even on a cloudy day), practice grounding, etc.
There are ways to offset this in dark, cold season
If you live in a concrete jungle consider this, how often are you getting outside of the city life? How do you feel in one environment vs the other?
The thing is, there’s plenty of research on this topic and plenty of naysayers and claims of pseudoscience, so follow your intuition and test these things for yourself, no harm in trying… only the potential to help!
Turn your phone off and go for a long hike or walk, must turn off “the switch” – listen to the birds, the creek, the waves, whatever noise nature is giving you
What connecting with nature does for me – allows me to breathe again. During packed weeks I feel like I am living in a constant state of inhalation, all up in my traps. When I connect with nature I’m able to exhale and connect with myself again. And there is nothing better for our health then remaining in connection with ourselves
Helps so much with perspective – “omg, the world is so big and I am so small…does it REALLY matter if the clothes are not folded correctly? Why am I stressing so hard on the small things when the world is this big and beautiful?”
The post HPN 38: Holistic Approach To Building Bone Density and Lifestyle Medicine Part 3: A Fresh Perspective on Physical Movement and Nature Immersion first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 7 min
September 29, 2023 OMM 10: Race Report – Perspective, Tears and Joy
Visit our shop page to support the podcast, see what we use and love in our own home and in training, and give it a try! Head over to enduranceplanet.com/shop.
In this episode of On My Mind (OMM), Tawnee and John catch up after a big weekend of racing for their family. Tawnee finally did her half-marathon at 11 months postpartum, John ran a 5k and their daughter Cora participated in a 1k kids fun run. Hear their perspective and what’s been on their mind since this race weekend.
In this show, Tawnee shares insight on pacing a half-marathon and how her year of intuitive training has paid off and helped her in this 13.1-mile event. She also gives an emotional perspective of racing before kids and with kids and putting performance in perspective, while celebrating the opportunity to get out and do the things we endurance athletes love.
The post OMM 10: Race Report – Perspective, Tears and Joy first appeared on Endurance Planet.
28 min
September 22, 2023ATC 357: Cyclocross Season Workouts And Tips, Grinding Gravel, and Non-Toxic ‘Insanity,’ How To Keep Your Cool And Healthy Balance + Budget Around Clean Living
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Intro Banter:
Lucho running Ragnar New Hampshire!
Lucho’s boys continuing their MTB racing
Endurance Conspiracy mention
Mark asks:
Gravel and CX specific workouts?
Hey guys! Cyclocross season is upon us, I’ve been dabbling in races the past couple years and feel like I’m falling short in these hard efforts. Basic question: what are a few key, specific workouts to nail these dynamic hard races?! Also for gravel racing, I’m looking to do longer events, so what prep would you recommend specific to this type of racing?
What the coaches say:
Cyclocross fall/winter
Make sure base on bike was trained leading up to the season
Specificity now!
Aspects of Cx racing:
Run training–look at 400 and 800 training, not a lot of endurance just some 20-30min runs or hiking with some run intervals
The run is not about running well it’s about not losing time and not letting the run hurt you
Work on dismounts/remounts!
Powerful bursts and sprints at high power.
Dynamic courses, skill and technique.
Skill level is often the biggest limiter.
CX Races 45-60min
Zero Z1/Z2
All Z4/Z5–it’s vicious! Much of it at FTP or over.
What to do:
Practice drills like jumping off bike, run, jumping back on.
Focus on getting technically proficient while running a very high HR.
Example workouts/sets:
Long tempo of 20-30min Z3, strong not hard + 3-5min of threshold
4 x 5′ upper Z4 w/ 30-60″ recoveries, this is the same, essentially, as doing a 20min effort
VO2, for short punchy hills
Eg) 5″-30″ to 40″ in Z5/Z6 above threshold and/or efforts up to 3min (to nail that VO2 specificity)
Interval duration of 5”-30” @ peak power or up to 2-5’ high power – and repeating this… 3… 8… 10…15x
Critical power workouts, 3-4 sets of 4 x 15″ max/peak power…repetition.
Working on high cadence efforts, higher cadence is often necessary in these races on technical spots.
Similar to MTB when going thru a technical spot when you can’t use a lot of force
Find a hill, eg grassy park ,15 sec to 1min and ride chill interval ride up at 95-98% effort (Vo2), jump off at top, run down hill then remount bike as you’re going down, practice this all with high HR!
Similarities with zwift racing as well so in regards of power intervals you could use that for crosstraining
Power and strength!
Make sure to get in the weight room, keep it simple.
Planning races:
On non-race weeks: Can do 2x shorter, intense workouts (Z3, Z4, Z5+) + a tempo/Z3 for a bit of a longer set.
Then, be sure to cut back on intense workouts on race weeks.
On race weeks, do your hard session on Tue/Wed then race hard on the weekend.
Always, start with looking at life objectively, rest/recovery–how much recovery do you need? How’s your life load?
Then work backwards to decide how much intensity/training you need/can handle.
If having trouble with this, let technology help you eg an Oura ring.
Gravel races:
Just about a lot of time in the saddle, the terrain.
Less high intensity VO2 work needed (especially if you did this for CX)
Races start too hard, will you take the bait? need an adequate threshold and then the ability to recovery and bring it back down to Z2
Muscular endurance is a big deal.
Often hilly, rollers. Punch up to Z3/Z4 and do sets of 5′-20′ work for the inclines.
Added fatigue from the terrain. Specificity. Grit. Bike maintenance.
Volume is key. Can’t get away with 20min Z2 kinda stuff.
Grace asks:
How To Approach Non-Toxic Living With A Healthy Mindset
For Tawnee: How do you find the balance of pursuing non-toxic living while not losing your mind over all the toxic $%!& in our environment, all the options, all the claims, all the potential risks, etc etc?! It seems like a never-ending rabbit hole that can send us Type A’s spinning.
What the coaches say:
It’s definitely a balance, just keep in mind the anxiety and stress over toxins, chemicals and keeping it clean can often be more harmful than the toxin/chemical itself.
Kind of similar to that orthorexic mindset regarding food if you’re not careful, I definitely see it as a disorder to live “toxin free” and if not feel anxious about it… and being perfect just isn’t possible.
When we’re not well or healing I find this to be the hardest time to have a healthy mindset as we tend to push harder for toxic free life.
In one way, pursuing low toxin chemical free living is valuable, important and totally realistic, many of us need this relatively simple overhaul in our lives.
But to your point there’s a lot of info out there, and it’s important to be educated, but if you go too far it’s just a lot of fear-inducing propaganda.
Awareness is key.
Perfection isn’t obtainable.
Always assess/reasses how you and your family feel.
Some basics to consider:
Water–drinking water, shower/bath.
House cleaning products, self-care products
Consider the products used to dishes/silverware/anything food-related, look at food storage (no plastic), and kid’s lunchboxes (I love this one as well as this one)
Choose organic when possible to avoid glyphosate but don’t freak out when you eat out or have to buy an alternative…same with all the things grassfed, non gmo, etc…
Ewg.org clean 15
Ewg.org dirty dozen
Budget wise, it can get expensive so:
Watch for black friday deals!
Shop on Thrive Market, fir better deals, frequent sales.
Brands I like/use:
Branch basics–took a while to pull the trigger on this, not cheap up front but lasts so long and worthwhile.
Seventh generation cleaner for extra dirty jobs only
Air Doc air filters
What about clothing?
Often unrealistic to buy all organic chemical free clothing.
Don’t lose sleep or stress over that which you can’t control (eg Tawnee isn’t worried about all the Lululemon “chemical” clothing she’s work over the years)
Prioritize kids stuff: organic onesies for babies, PJs without flame retardants, etc.
But also consider the greatest tool you have, your body, so take good care of it!
Support detox pathways:
Think liver, skin, GI tract, kidneys…
Chronic constipation, poor diet, medications, alcohol, slow down our detoxification pathways.
Our bodies are made to detox, and this can become impaired but generally we’re equipped with the abiluity to toelrate exposure to various toxins and be fine. This can certainly become imbalanced (which why checking the “big things” may matter) but it’s also an opportunity to trust your body and your environment… and live in harmony in this regard. Feeling stress and anxiety will only fuel the fire.
If you can’t live in your ideal non-toxic environment you can at least control a lot as far as your body’s ability to detox.
The post ATC 357: Cyclocross Season Workouts And Tips, Grinding Gravel, and Non-Toxic ‘Insanity,’ How To Keep Your Cool And Healthy Balance + Budget Around Clean Living first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 10 min