Endurance Planet

[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] A New Year's freebie deal you don't want to pass up: If you're looking to take the holistic healthy life a step further but you're not sure how to start (and let's face it, there is an overwhelming amount of information on the interwebs) head to Life Post Collective, an inner-circle community created by host Tawnee Prazak Gibson. At LPC you'll find Tawnee's resources on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness, athletic performance and more to help you on your path to optimization--the same resources and tools she uses for her athletes and clients. No gimmicks at LPC, Tawnee created this community for your wellbeing and as a home to share practical evidence-based and experienced-based ways to kick more butt. Through LPC's integrative forums and features on the site, you can learn from not only Tawnee but also like-minded people all working toward common goals.

As a special offer for EP fans, we're offering a New Year's deal where you can get your first month FREE at Life Post Collective using code "ep2017" - act now and make this the best year ever! [/sponsor]

Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who specializes in sleep, biorhythms, and improving the lives and sleep patterns of patients using chronotypes. He is the author of The Power of When that explains the concept of chronobiology and the four categorizes everyone falls into, which then helps you discover the perfect time for you to do everything including when to have sex, workout, sleep, eat, ask your boss for a raise and much more. No matter what your goals are, reading The Power of When and understanding your natural chronotype can change your life and speed your path to self-optimization.

On this show you'll discover:

• Michael's background as a clinical psychologist and sleep expert... and how he found success with using chronobiology more than other techniques.
• The four chronotypes and their origins (scientific backing and the animal names they're given):
  • Lions
  • Bears
  • Wolves
  • Dolphins

LIONS

• Conscientious, stable, practical, optimists, overachievers, prioritizing health and fitness and strategizers. leaders yet introverts.
• Morning people, like really early risers with high morning cortisol
• For Lions instead of doing fasted workouts fueled by caffeine in the AM instead we should eat soon after waking, skip the caffeine until later, take a few min to contemplate goals and plans, and have sex - all before 8am! Then get to work, but don't rush into solo work - connect with people, have meetings.
• What about early-morning emails for Lions?

BEARS

• These guys are 50% of the popular and whom after we model the standard daily routine of 9-5 work and such.
• What makes bears bears? Cautious, extrovert, friendly, open-minded, aspire to be healthy, likes familiarity

WOLVES

• The night owls: Impulsive, permissive, creative, moody, insightful, intuitive, risk takers, pleasure seekers, emotional - and not morning people.
• EP fan asks: "Do you have any advice for someone who only has time to train in the morning before work, but who has, for his whole life, been a so called night owl and thus horrible at waking up/training early?"

DOLPHINS

• Only turn off half the brain when sleeping so to speak
• Cautious, introverts, neurotic, intelligent and often insomniacs.... many athletes are high stress who also have insomniac tendencies.
• OCD perfectionists, but risk avoidance
• How can dolphins attenuate episodes of insomnia?
• Using "Bed restriction" techinques for insomniacs

YOUR TYPE

• Are athletes usually of the same chronotype or is it as random as the general population?
  • Athletes are usually Lions and Dolphins
• Can you change your chronotype so that your can train, work and sleep as you WANT/NEED to in life and overcome the genetic chronotype you were given?
• Chronotypes are based on the DNA we're borns with and can't be changed but we do tend to evolve over time.
  • You can use 23andme data to further nail down your chronotype.
  • PE3 gene
• Can you be more than one type and what to do if you are? How to really find out your type.
• Many athletes need to train in the early hours before work, kid duties and other life stuff: Should we just suck it up and train early or truly try to reorganize our lives for better results?
• The use of light therapy to optimize your biorhythms and how this helps you get up early and have energy even if you stay up late or have trouble sleeping through the night.
• The best time for sex and how to optimize sex with your partner by finding the right time for both of you!
• Are certain types are more stubborn and unwilling to follow your guidelines?

WHEN TO WORKOUT

• Best time to run/workout:
  • Varies by up to 26% from morning to evening
  • Best time relates to when you wake up
• Lions - 5:30 p.m. Yup, even though they're morning people, Lions should workout later in the day and not first thing in the morning when cortisol is already really high and time is better spent elsewhere. Workout later in the evening for a boost of energy and to optimize the session instead of getting sleepy too early. Then leading up to race, switch to AM workouts to get body primed for racing at that time of day.
• Dolphins - 7:30am
• Bears - 7:30am or noon, fasting pre breakfast or afternoon to suppress appetite
• Wolves - 6pm for performance and fat burn
• Across all type the WORST time of day to workout is 6am - why?
  • injury risk
  • core temp not up yet
  • wait at least 90min after waking
• Discussing other biorhythms that determine ideal run time:
  • fat burning rhythm - when to run to burn fat and boost metabolism
  • performance rhythm - workout according to your preferred wake up time for fastest times. Studies show peak power in evening, but
  • rest rhythm - time of workout to improve quality of sleep (benefits of workout out early = better sleep)
• Do evening or nighttime workouts reach a point of diminishing returns if they're too late by decreasing sleep quality?
• Other biorhythms in fitness including coordination rhythm, power rhythm, flexibility rhythm, muscle growth rhythm, muscle strength rhythm and more.
• When is the best time of day for strength training? Yoga? Team sports?
• Pain tolerance rhythm - morning types can handle more pain than evening types

SLEEP OPTIMIZATION & DIET

• Best time to wake up:
  • Lion 5:30-6am - chill for 10min in bed, and best foods to have at breakfast
  • Dolphin 6:30am - get up and into light immediately
  • Bear 7am - get up right away
  • Wolf 7:30am - snooze once then get up and into light
• More thoughts on manipulating macros for best results
• On napping:
  • Lions 1:30pm
  • Bears 2pm
  • Dolphins and Wolves no naps allowed
  • What is the "Nap-a-latte"
• Don't try to make up for sleep by sleeping in on the weekends
• Michael recommends a regimented "Power Down Hour" - what does this entail?

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Often we can't do all these hacks because life just doesn't allow for it, so how can we try to do our best?
• These days there are more race options and varying times of days, what about trying a race at night if you're a Wolf?

[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]

On this episode of Ask the Coaches, the first of 2017:

• Quick discussion on a great blog post by Steve Magness: What Actually Matters - Concepts of Details?
• On cleanses as we get into the new year: How about thinking about it a different way and an opportunity to ADD more to your life, not restrict!
• We are doing New Year cleanse/reset over at lifepostcollective.com, and looking to add and enrich our lives - not just restrict. Tawnee shares a few things she'll be adding to her 2017 including more turmeric.
• Some sarcasm and fun from our Swedish friend, PÄR TÖRNHULT
• If you're at triathlete, should you bother with all MAF training if you can only train 7hr a week? Or is it not enough of a stimulus? Or can you mix it up? (And those 7 hours include SBR, so less than 50% of that is running.)
• Is the heart rate associated with LT, AeT, and MAF all the same?
• The biggest factor that separates MAF from most other approaches to training and setting HR zones is that MAF focuses on METABOLISM to set your target HR, whereas most other approaches focus on the CARDIOVASCULAR system to set zones.
  • MAF wants you to be in fat-burning zones
  • How does this correlate to AeT, i.e. aerobic threshold and LT, lactate threshold
• MAF training for those healing from plantar fasciitis can be promising to stay injury free
• MAF progress going from 11:30 to an 8:23 pace at 138 heart rate, but after that it went back up to a 9-9:15 pace then plateaued - what to do?
  • Changing the stimulus: it's either volume or intensity that needs to change!
• Followup on the acid reflux issue mentioned in this recent show with Dr. Maffetone.
  • Health specialist chimes in to add advice: "The athlete complaining of reflux said it got bad on the swim and worse on the bike. I would have liked to know how his race day tri suit, aero time and race pace diaphragmatic involvement played into significant increase on pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter. Sometimes we can dial in exactly what we eat but don't take into consideration how food gets into or stays in our stomachs. Particular attention to pressure around the waistline, aero position, and when/how one eats can also have a significant effect on reflux. Because we are already depleting precious blood supply to the GI system, absence of gravity (swimming and aero position) can take a toll on esophageal motility."
• Former power/speed athlete transitioned to endurance and is now doing triathlons and Ironman but unsure of aerobic efficiency. How to decide to go with a MAF-based plan, or Friel, or what... how to choose; how to know; what to do?

[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a wider variety of cool products and services we've come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free... Be sure to stock up on PerfectAmino, which comes in powder or pill-form and is an athlete's secret weapon featuring all the essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. Plus don't forget to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com to do your online shopping! [/sponsor]

On this episode of Sports Nutrition 236, we have a special guest host, Dr. Steve Gangemi aka The Sock Doc. In addition to his chiropractic practice, Steve is a board-certified sports nutritionist and joins the show to tackle your questions...

In This Show:

• How to help athletes with excess anxiety and unnecessary stress, mentally speaking, especially females?
  • Are there supplements, certain macro ratios or specific foods would we advise for athletes dealing with anxiety, worry and high stress?
  • Should one avoid IF and sugar? How to find the proper nutrition for one's cognitive needs?
  • Should one get tested to measure for deficiencies and imbalances, which is best to do first: urine organic acids, blood or hormone?
  • GABA and nourishing your neurotransmitters.
• Steve shares his balanced approached to diet and nutrition.
• Pros and cons of nutritional ketosis, and understanding the risks of taking it too far.
• Trouble in keto land: Ironman athlete wants to know if going from low-carb/loosely Paleo to fully ketogenic was too much for the body and the cause of his performance decline.
  • Other potential negative impacts from going full keto: an increase in resting HR, drop in HRV, drop in power, slower MAF pace, and increase in racing HR.
• The concept of carb cycling for best results
• Adopting MAF after year of dealing with an injury and also learning to wean off carb dependence.
• When diet, fasted workouts and low carb can go too far, especially for females.
• Achieving healthy body composition and understanding the red flags if your body is getting too lean.
• Could you have signs of an eating disorder and not realize it?
• Abnormally high blood glucose reading despite a lower carb diet, healthy lifestyle and regular exercise?
• What should you do if glucose levels commonly are 105-120 up to 140s upon waking. Could this be a sign of a more serious issue that requires investigation?

[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you're looking for that extra bit of support to build a richer, fuller, healthier life head to Life Post Collective, an "inner circle community" created by host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more, and helps you on your path to optimization. Right now you can join Life Post Collective for just $1 for the first month; use the code "holiday2016" when signing up. See you at LPC, where you will enjoy direct access to Tawnee and a like-minded community all working toward common goals. [/sponsor]

On this episode with Dr. Tamsin Lewis of Curoseven, we dive deeper into female issues, how to be a healthy fertile female athlete and Q&A:

• Tawnee shares personal details about regaining her menstruation once she made the decision to stop being such a hard-hitting athlete, and the time it took for her periods to normalize.
  • The value of tracking your female health and cycles.
• Tamsin shares more of her story from pro triathlete to regaining health and her pregnancy.
• Depending on the situation, normalizing one's period after years of amenorrhea can take time, even years.
• A crucial variable in proper HPA axis function and healthy hormones for a normal cycle is energy availability (how much you have once you subtract energy expenditure from energy intake).
• Questions from female athletes:
• Competitive female endurance athlete wants to start a family with her husband. She recently stopped taking the pill and hasn't gotten a period back yet. Is it normal for a woman's body to take time to readjust after being on the pill for so long or is there potentially a deeper issue to address?
  • Are there certain tests to determine if there are underlying problems?
  • Scale back on exercise (and if so to what extent)?
  • Supplementing? Thorne Basic Prenatal and what else to be healthy before baby?
• Breastfeeding while training and racing an Ironman - are there special considerations? Was very active during pregnancy, so this is not too much of a new extreme.
• Bouncing back to great fitness postpartum - faster than before! But what can female athlete moms expect as far as performance after weaning and hormones regulating?
• Does breastfeeding or not breastfeeding (i.e. the hormones) influence performance?

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On this edition of Ask the Coaches with Tawnee and Lucho:

• Is there a difference and/or pros and cons to doing a bulk of your MAF/base miles on an incline vs. on a flat surface besides the slower pace on inclines?
• Clarifying the difference between junk miles and MAF/aerobic training?
  • Junk miles: Anything that is helping toward your goal(s), or, worse, working against your goal(s)!
  • If you're freely and loosely exercising and not "training" (like Tawnee mentions) this isn't necessarily junk miles because there is the health benefit to being active!
• A triathlete who raced Ironman Kona this year chimes to discuss the severe gut, nutrition and hydration issues he had, and wants some advice and answers as to what was going on to avoid these problems in the future.
  • Our podcast with Paul Laursen in which he discusses hydration guidelines and how to race well in heat.
  • Hyponatremia risks and knowing how to properly hydrate to stay safe
• When racing the marathon: push harder and take risks, or run conservative for a "safe" race?
• On one hand we need to set realistic goals, on the other hand we should take realistic risks!
• Mental toughness and central governor talk
• Learning how to believe in ourselves and not feed negative thoughts that work against our race outcomes. (No "I can't"!!!)
• Tawnee's 'Mental Toughness' series on LifePostCollective.com. Join now and get the first month for just $1 with code "holiday2016".
• Followup on sweet spot training for running - is this basically polarized training if your intervals are around threshold and VO2max?
• Are longer intervals at 10k effort considered a sweet spot for running?
• How much training can be "intensity" and discussing risk vs. reward?
• The Stephen Seiler video on his research that is the basis of polarized training
• Takeaways:
  • DISCIPLINE! Easy must be easy, hard must be hard. Don't run up a hill on an easy day! Also remember many research studies are looking at elite athletes who can handle the stress because it's their job!
  • "Training at LT is too much effort for too little gain"
  • How about not training very much at MP at all! Instead: polarized, sweet spot, etc.
  • What are the details of high intensity? Comes down to "tolerable accumulated duration" - how long at what intensity can you tolerate? I.e. 90% for longer duration more tolerable than 100% for shorter duration.
  • "Effort matching model"
  • Polarized as not just short very hard efforts of <3min, but harder efforts for 4-8min at ~90% (sweet spot?).
  • It's not so much about periodization; rather, just a lot of work happening, and most of it low intensity - but as you get closer to races, hard sessions get harder and easy gets easier.

[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]You can support EP when you shop online! Simply open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com to do your online shopping—it's just one extra click to link to Amazon through the banner on our sidebar or click theAmazon links in the show notes.[/sponsor]

[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000021378425_Large.jpg"]Also, head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we've come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free... Get started now on the path to optimizing your health and performance![/sponsor]

On this episode of TriNews with Thorsten Radde:

• Top-3 favorite triathlon moments of 2016
• ....Thorsten and Tawnee each share theirs. What do you think? What are your favorite moments from this year in triathlon? Email or tweet at us to let us know!
  • Tawnee's
    • Gwen Jorgenson and Nicola Spirig Olympics battle, with Gwen getting gold and Nicola getting pregnant right after the race!
    • Patrick Lange's record-breaking day in Kona (listen to our Kona recap here).
    • Natasha Badmann's final Kona performance capping off one of the most inspiring careers ever in the sport.
  • Thorsten's
    • Roth & Frankfurt
    • MBK & Diana Riesler's consecutive wins and IMNZ, IMAZ and IM Malaysia, respectively.
    • Big German wins: Jan Frodeno, Julia Grajer
• Special guest interview: Pro triathlete Joe Gambles
  • Healing his Achille's
  • Transitioning to more minimalist running shoes as part of healing his injury
  • Specializing in 70.3 vs. full-ironman distances
  • Why he's finally shifting to more Ironman focus
  • "70.3's build you up; Ironman breaks you down"
  • In 70.3 vs. Ironman, it all comes down to the bike and for Joe the bike was a strength in 70.3 but a weakness in IM, and he's working on fixing that
  • On diet and nutrition:
    • Fat-adaptation - Joe's diet has transitioned to be better at utilizing fat for fuel
    • He's also a vegetarian and talks on that
    • Other pros who are becoming more fat-adapted: Tim Reed, Sam Appleton, Benn Hoffman, etc.
    • The secret to success: proper timing of nutrients and proper nutrients that complement the workout (high intensity = add back more carbs)
  • Joe on being Heather Jackson's coach
    • Their plan that got Heather on the IM Kona podium (3rd)
    • How they improved Heather's bike and also got her out of a plateau
    • Early season:
      • Neuromuscular training
      • High-cadence drills and developing an efficient pedal stroke
      • Top-end power work, short-duration intervals/repeats
      • VO2max workouts
    • Add the high-end work to a huge bike base for the best success
  • On the men and women's race in Kona
  • And more!

[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/UCAN-logo-rev-nutrition.jpg"]This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code "enduranceplanet" if you're shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out UCAN's new bar made with coffee beans![/sponsor]

[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you're looking for that extra bit of support to build a richer, fuller, healthier life head to Life Post Collective, an "inner circle community" created by host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more, and helps you on your path to optimization. Right now you can join Life Post Collective for just $1 for the first month; use the code "holiday2016" when signing up. See you at LPC, where you will enjoy direct access to Tawnee and a like-minded community all working toward common goals. [/sponsor]

On this episode of Ask the Coaches with Lucho and Tawnee:

• Fat-adapted low-carb female runner experiences gut issues in half-marathon after taking sugary gels; she thought the high-intensity would require more sugar for fuel but the plan backfired, resulting in bloating and cramps.
• The more fat-adapted you are, the more you burn fat even at higher intensities.
• Gut-bomb effects of gels - more on the science of why they may wreak havoc.
• Fructose, maltodextrin, and also the bigger risks of gels if you have gut issues like SIBO or dysbiosis.
• Good alternative fuel strategies to gels for running races.
• Why UCAN digests differently than gels and traditional fuels.
• Will vasectomy patients experience low testosterone?
• How to mitigate chances of low T if you're an endurance male athlete.
• Thoughts on sweet spot base training for cycling, i.e. lots of rides with increasingly longer intervals at 75%-95% of your FTP. Comparing this approach to MAF.
• Sweet spot is a more traditional threshold training program that can yield great results but comes with higher risk and increases chances of overtraining.
• Can sweet spot training be applied to running?
• What's the deal with MAF for swimming; should we apply MAF to the swim?
• The importance of technique above all in swimming!
• Helping a 51-year-old male athlete find his "next thing" in sport, where he can also inspire and promote a positive message on health, fitness and nutrition to his daughter (who's had an eating disorder) and wife...
• How to still be an all-around athlete but not get obsessed with training.
• Don't feel like you have to race if you don't want to!

[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you're looking for that extra bit of support to build a richer, fuller, healthier life head to Life Post Collective, an "inner circle community" created by host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more, and helps you on your path to optimization. Right now you can join Life Post Collective for just $1 for the first month; use the code "holiday2016" when signing up. See you at LPC, where you will enjoy direct access to Tawnee and a like-minded community all working toward common goals. [/sponsor]

On this episode with Dr. Phil Maffetone:

• Acid reflux in ironman (but never before that!) - possible causes and ideas for solutions.
• On stomach acid.
• The problem with antacids.
• Trouble-shooting Ironman nutrition issues despite being incredibly fat-adapted and healthy.
• Pre-race breakfast thoughts and keeping it simple!
• Considering fewer calories before a big race to put less stress on the gut.
• If you inhibit fat burning in a race by going out hard in a bike race (because that's just how they are), can you still burn fat for fuel at all?
• Why in some races going out hard is imperative, but in other races be more mindful of pacing.
• What's Dr. Phil's own exercise routine? Does he use a HRM?
• Advice for an athlete with Wolff-Parkinsons-White (WPW) syndrome who wants to do MAF but HR will randomly spike very high literally uncontrollably.

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[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] If you're looking for that extra bit of support to build a richer, fuller, healthier life head to Life Post Collective, an "inner circle community" created by host Tawnee Prazak where she shares her expertise on holistic health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and more, and helps you on your path to optimization. Right now you can join Life Post Collective for just $1 for the first month; use the code "holiday2016" when signing up. See you at LPC, where you will enjoy direct access to Tawnee and a like-minded community all working toward common goals. [/sponsor]

• Do you chew gum while you're training/racing? You may want to think twice about that habit and ditch the "artificial junk"
  • Typical sugar free gum ingredients: Sorbitol, Gum Base, Glycerol, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Aspartame, Mannitol, Acesulfame K, Soy Lecithin, Xylitol, Colors (Beta-Carotene, Blue 1 Lake), BHT (to Maintain Freshness).
  • Artificial sweeteners may induce glucose intolerance.
  • More from Chris Kresser on harms of artificial sweeteners here.
• Ultrarunner who pushed too far, went too hard and is now suffering from overtraining syndrome. How to get past it? How to recover?
  • Tip: Don't put a time limit on your recovery from OTS.
• Coach wants advice on a female athlete who's making the transition from being a Crossfitter with poor endurance to an Ironman athlete.
  • Body type, size and shape...
  • How coaches can help promote healthy body image...
  • Using MAF...
  • Improving diet...
• But, really, with MAF how many miles/hours per week to improve?
• If you go over MAF once a week when you're feeling good and want to let it rip, does that really negate everything else? Is it all or nothing with MAF?
• Former collegiate distance runner trying to make a mark on the road race circuit is having hydration, kidney and health issues; needs advice.
  • Super-saturation of minerals and acid salts in your urine, such as calcium and uric acid, can crystallize and form solid masses. This can happen if you don't drink enough fluids,
  • Oxalate discussion on recent SN with Ben
  • Also: lower sugar and refined carbs; track hydration, 2 L a day minimum; aim for light yellow urine; lower caffeine; consider magnesium, B6 and a full health check to find underlying cause with a doctor or qualified practitioner.

[sponsor image="http://www.enduranceplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2016-09-15-at-8.25.33-PM.png"] Head over to our Shop Page where we've added new friends who make products that we love and use, including Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener, Vital Choice seafoods, and Vital Proteins (their collagen is top notch!). When you shop through Endurance Planet you support the podcast, and ensure that you're getting the best-quality products and services available today—we've done the homework for you!

Also, are you ready to live a holistic healthy life but not sure how to start? Join Tawnee and crew at Life Post Collective! At LPC, you'll discover practical ways to make health and performance the priority. Get direct access to Tawnee and her secrets to building a healthy life—what she does and recommends—and also access the tools she uses to coach clients whose goals range far and wide from healing health to athletic performance. As a special offer for EP fans, we're offering a holiday deal where you can join Life Post Collective for just $1 for the first month! Use code "holiday2016" to get this special introductory fee, and give yourself or a loved one the gift of wellness by joining this like-minded community. [/sponsor]

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Brie Wieselman is a functional health practitioner in Santa Cruz, Calif., who specializes in reprograming hormones, fixing digestion, improving detoxification systems and female wellness. Her philosophy is that our physical health creates the bandwidth for our emotional, spiritual, and professional growth and success.

Download Brie's free handout titled "The Foundation of Health" here.

On this show:

• Brie's background and health journey that led her to practicing functional medicine
• What is functional medicine and how is it different?
• Using the functional model to assess health, healing and achieving optimal wellness and performance
• You don't have to be sick! It's great to further increase health toward optimization
• Tackling root causes and the key areas of focus....

• Liver & Detox
  • What detox isn't (i.e. juice cleanses)
  • What detox IS and what it can achieve
  • Liver detox is the key to rebalancing hormones for males and females
  • Estrogen dominance
  • Alcohol's role
    • Beer drinkers and brewers beware: hops are estrogenic and can contribute to estrogen dominance
  • Athletes sweat - is that enough for a detox?
  • Gut dysbiosis clogs up the liver and is a huge toxic burden
  • Candid produces ethanol (alcohol)
  • Phases of detoxification
  • What's necessary for a good detox: amino acids/protein, and nutrients such as Vitamins A, B(s), C and antioxidants
  • How long does detoxing take?
  • What's the deal with athletes who have HIGH liver enzymes (but not big drinkers)?
    • Muscle/tissue breakdown, overtraining, high sugar consumption (especially fructose), and genetics
  • Liver enzymes AST and ALT
• Adrenals
  • Cortisol patterns - too high, too low, what does it mean?!
  • HPA axis - the system by which our brain interprets the situation and does the best for us
    • Dysfunction is a problem with the "software" not "hardware"
  • Is adrenal fatigue a myth, or is there a better way to describe it?
  • Relationship between adrenals and diet
  • Keeping blood sugar under control is key
  • Stages of "adrenal fatigue"
    • One - cortisol sort of high
    • Two - Cortisol increases; wired but tired
    • Three - Cortisol tanks, DHEA tanks (fatigue, difficulty healing, etc)
    • BUT it does not always present in this exact manner!
  • Free cortisol
  • Tie in with training/racing and fueling
  • Testing: DUTCH
• Gut
  • Basics on tackling sever issues like Chron's, IBS, Ulcerative Colitis and SIBO
  • Assess lactoferrin and calprotectin
  • IBS associated with anxiety and serotonin issues
  • If cortisol is too high or low this can contribute to leaky gut
  • A good "intro" test? GI MAP!