It’s a familiar scenario: Your client understands what they need to do to improve their health, and yet they just can’t seem to consistently follow through on eating right, exercising more, getting quality sleep, etc. Enter motivational interviewing, a way of conducting conversations about change to strengthen clients’ motivation and commitment. Dr. Stephen Rollnick is a pioneer in the field of motivational interviewing and has spent much of his career researching and developing effective method...
Mar 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 257
It probably comes as no surprise that alcohol has a negative impact on sleep quality, but why does something that seems to help you drift off actually turn out to be problematic? Mike Stone, MD, shares two main reasons why alcohol and sleep don’t mix: Alcohol disrupts normal sleep architecture, leading to nighttime waking and reduced sleep quality. Alcohol suppresses REM sleep, which is critical for learning and memory. For an eye-opening experiment, try using a wearable sleep tracker and observ...
Mar 10, 2022•4 min•Ep. 256
Jacki Hillios, Ph.D., is Deputy Executive Director of The Phoenix, an addiction recovery program that uses physical activity and community friendships to support members on their sobriety journey. In her role, she focuses on oversight and leadership in program design, implementation, evaluation, and expansion. Jacki is a former clinician who worked with youth and families struggling with mental illness and substance-use disorders. Since joining The Phoenix in 2006 she has helped expand the model...
Mar 01, 2022•52 min•Ep. 255
“We like to say heart rate variability is the range of motion of your nervous system,” Lindsey Mathews, DC, says. Put another way, heart rate variability (HRV), or the variance in time between the beats of your heart, can provide insight into how your body is responding to the many different stressors in life. This is a valuable tool to help guide women’s training through pregnancy and postpartum. When HRV is low, it opens up a conversation on what other life stressors are going on and indicates...
Feb 24, 2022•5 min•Ep. 254
Mealtime with kids — Is it possible for it to be low-stress AND nutritious? Nicole Christensen wears many hats: CF-L4, owner of CrossFit Roots, Seminar Staff Flowmaster, CrossFit Nutrition Course Director, and, most importantly, mom of two. Her best tip: Keep it simple and offer a small selection of healthy options to keep the decisions and negotiations to a minimum. At breakfast, she keeps it quick and easy by offering a fruit and a protein, which vary based on what’s in the house. For lunches ...
Feb 17, 2022•7 min
Erin Donaldson is a board certified Family physician and graduate of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. After starting her career practicing hospital medicine, she transitioned to her true passion, providing preventative care through wellness and disease prevention. While working in the hospital system, Dr. Donaldson developed a deep respect for the capacity of our healthcare system to treat acute conditions, but she also constantly witnessed the devastation that chronic disease creates....
Feb 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Fats and oils are important parts of a healthy diet and support functions such as vitamin absorption, brain function, and nerve function — but did you know not all fats and oils are created equal? When choosing the right oil for your meal, consider two factors: -The degree of processing the oil has undergone -Smoke point (the temperature at which the oil starts to burn and smoke) Seed oils such as sunflower, vegetable, and canola oil require a high degree of processing and can be pro-inflammator...
Feb 10, 2022•3 min
Focusing on QUALITY food can have a huge impact on health, but many individuals reach a point where they hit a plateau. That’s when food QUANTITY comes into play. Stephane Rochet, CF-L3, shares a simple method to begin measuring food portions. At each meal, load your plate with: Protein: Between 1 and 2 palm-sized servings, depending on your size and goals Vegetables: Double the size of your protein serving Starch: Equivalent to the size of your protein serving Fat: Approximately the size of you...
Feb 03, 2022•6 min
You probably know it’s important to reduce stress for your mental health, but did you know stress can impact your body all the way down to the level of gene expression and immune system activation? Dr. Slavich recently joined me for a live Q&A-style webinar hosted by CrossFit Health with a focus on stress and its effects on health. Dr. Slavich is a leading research expert and the founding director of the Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research at UCLA. His area of focus is psychoneuroi...
Feb 01, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Can giving birth increase your heart rate variability (HRV)? Research conducted by OB-GYN Shon Rowan, MD, indicates that it can! In a study following women who were already exercising and planning to become pregnant, Rowan used a wearable device pre-, during, and post-pregnancy to track HRV and resting heart rate. The results provided several fascinating insights: Several participants were able to detect conception prior to taking a pregnancy test. Women experienced a statistically significant i...
Jan 28, 2022•4 min
Friday, Jan. 21, and Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, CrossFit will host the 2022 CrossFit Health Conference, a virtual event that will bring together world-class experts in science, fitness, and healthcare for a series of lectures and panel discussions on ways to improve our health and quality of life. The conference will focus on the latest scientific research and advances in areas such as nutrition, mental health, injury treatment and prevention, genomics, and more. Healthcare Professionals, Physicia...
Jan 20, 2022•6 min
Jenn Hunter-Marshall is a CrossFit Level 4 Coach, and Seminar Staff Flowmaster, affiliate owner, and former CrossFit Games athlete. In this episode we discuss her struggle to find a diagnosis for celiac disease, her journey with infertility, the importance of advocating for yourself within the medical system, and why its so important for everyone, including fit-appearing individuals, to regularly checking biomarkers to catch underlying conditions before they become problematic. You can connect w...
Jan 18, 2022•1 hr 5 min
“Trying harder is usually not the answer” when you’re making changes to your nutrition, says CF-L3 Sarah Hopping Estrella. Instead, try these strategies to set yourself up for nutrition success. Adopt a positive mindset. Recognize the habits that aren’t moving you toward your goal. Set up your environment to support your goal. Identify challenges or barriers to success and plan ahead for those scenarios. Replace undesired behaviors with healthier options that support your nutrition goals. “When ...
Jan 13, 2022•6 min
Making a lifestyle change doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Stephane Rochet, CF-L3, offers tips for getting started and overcoming plateaus. “There’s nothing harder than taking that first step,” Rochet says. His advice: Start small. Master the basics before moving on to more advanced steps. Once you get started, he emphasizes the importance of being patient and focusing on the process rather than the results. “If you focus on the outcome, it eludes you. But if you focus on the habit or the proces...
Jan 06, 2022•7 min
Dr. Geoffrey Mire is a small-town family medicine practitioner who is using CrossFit to transform his life and the lives of his patients. Several years ago, Dr. Mire, a former Ironman, found himself out of shape and unmotivated. When an affiliate opened in his town, his passion for fitness was reignited. He’s since become a CrossFit Level 1 trainer and now his passion for fitness with his patients. Dr. Mire developed a pilot program within his local affiliate, CrossFit Acadiana, and recruited 12...
Jan 04, 2022•50 min
It’s well recognized that lifestyle factors are key in preventing cancer — quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, avoiding obesity — but did you know incorporating regular exercise has an impact as well? Exercise reduces the risk of developing cancer by approximately 20% and decreases cancer mortality by about 20% as well. Exercise oncologist Allison Betof, M.D. and Ph.D., shares some of the many ways exercise can function as a component of cancer treatment, including improving: Aerobic fitness Men...
Dec 30, 2021•10 min
Your skeletal muscles make up nearly half your body weight, and while they are widely recognized as critical for locomotion, their lesser-known functions include increasing metabolism, protecting neurological health, and more. Dr. Lyon recently joined me for a live Q&A-style webinar hosted by CrossFit Health with a focus on why it’s important to maintain adequate muscle mass to promote long-term health, and I’m sharing that content here. Dr. Lyon is a functional medicine physician specializi...
Dec 28, 2021•1 hr 2 min
Kelly Starrett, DPT breaks down the most common causes of shoulder injuries in CrossFit athletes and explains what can be done for prevention. Starrett attributes most injuries to: Poor preparation or taking insufficient time to warm up Athletes lacking the necessary range of motion Generally not treating the shoulder with the same care as the rest of the body To address shoulder discomfort before it becomes a problem, he recommends: Increasing soft tissue work by adding mobilization between set...
Dec 23, 2021•5 min
Dr. Rodrigo Jasbick is a clinical cardiologist and the chief medical officer in the intensive care unit at the Hospital Clínica do Esporte in Goiânia, Brazil. Dr. Bruno Cardoso is a doctor of sports medicine and regular member of the CrossFit Games Medical Team. The two have teamed up to help educate their colleagues on the power of the CrossFit methodology and to promote what they know from first-hand experience is a potentially life-changing lifestyle intervention. In this episode, they share ...
Dec 21, 2021•56 min
Being a frequent flyer doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice healthy nutrition habits. Nicole Christensen, CrossFit Nutrition Course Director, has spent a significant amount of time on the road as part of CrossFit Seminar Staff. To stay on track while on the go, she recommends visiting the grocery store as soon as you land and keeping a phone note of go-to portable meals so you don’t have to think about what you’re going to purchase. Need help getting started? For breakfast, lunch, and snacks, she ...
Dec 16, 2021•5 min
Sarah Hopping Estrella started CrossFit in 2009 after narrowly missing qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games in the hammer throw. Since then, she’s been involved with CrossFit in just about every way imaginable: Regionals competitor, coach, affiliate owner, Seminar Staff, Nutrition Course contributor, and member of the CrossFit Sport virtual events team. In this episode, we talk about how she’s navigated the transition from competitive athlete to motherhood, how CrossFit has shaped her beliefs a...
Dec 14, 2021•50 min
Nagging aches and pains? According to Jason Garrett, DC, rest and myofascial release are often the best first line of defense. If your aches or pains persist for more than a few days without improvement, he recommends you seek professional assistance from a provider who employs a combination of manual therapy and corrective exercises. Your provider's goal should be to not only take away the cause of pain but also to rebuild and strengthen the area while educating you about what's causing the inj...
Dec 09, 2021•2 min
At just seven years old, Luke Palmisano was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Nearly 35 years later, he’s an ER physician, avid CrossFit athlete, father, and former collegiate wrestler, and he’s learned quite a bit by modifying his lifestyle to help reduce complications from the condition. We first met a couple years ago at a CrossFit Level 1 seminar for physicians and ever since I have been struck by his intensity and passion for using CrossFit to prevent and treat so many of the conditions he en...
Dec 07, 2021•1 hr 4 min
The average American consumes 57 lb of added sugar per year — not total sugar, but sugar that has been extracted and added into foods! This statistic seems shocking until you consider how many sneaky sources of added sugar show up in our diets: sauces, dressings, breads, granola bars, and more. These small amounts add up over time. Luckily, the FDA now requires that the volume of added sugar be reported on nutrition labels for packaged foods. Want to learn 56 different names for sugar so you kno...
Dec 02, 2021•3 min
We know aging is inevitable, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re destined for decrepitude. There are numerous lifestyle factors that can support longevity and contribute to maintaining mental, social, and physical well-being. Dr. Bob Rountree recently joined me for a live Q&A-style webinar hosted by CrossFit Health with a focus on the science behind healthy aging, and I’m sharing that content here. Dr. Rountree is widely regarded as an expert in functional medicine and is one of the orig...
Nov 30, 2021•1 hr 2 min
Spending just 15-20 minutes in nature 3 times per week can contribute to a host of physical and psychological benefits, including: An increase in natural killer cells which support the immune system, prevent cancer, and speed recovery A decrease in heart disease, blood pressure, and heart rate A reduction in stress hormones, depression, and anxiety An improvement in some attention deficit disorders Longer exposures are important as well. Full-day immersions create benefits that can last up to 30...
Nov 25, 2021•5 min
Nina Hersher is CEO of The Digital Wellness Institute and co-founder of the Digital Wellness Collective, a global trade association of digital wellness experts and organizations collaborating to enhance human relationships through the intentional use and development of technology. She holds a specialized Masters of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis in Norms of Connectivity and Reconceptualizing Human Development in the 21st Century, and holds additional credentials as an Oasis ...
Nov 23, 2021•51 min
Chronic inflammation: It's a term we hear all the time, but just what is it, and what causes it? Check out these tips from Mike Mallin, MD, to figure out whether you're experiencing chronic inflammation. And if you are, here are some tactics you can use to address it: - Make sure you're getting recovery and not over-exercising. -Focus on improving sleep quality and quantity. -Consume a healthy diet consisting of a variety of whole, well-sourced foods. To learn more about CrossFit Health and how ...
Nov 18, 2021•2 min
Healthcare practitioners discuss the applications of using genomics to improve health and performance. Panelists Dr. Matt Dawson and Dr. Mike Mallin provide background on the science behind genomics and precision care, describe how this cutting-edge form of medicine can inform lifestyle choices, and explain why genomics is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to optimizing health. The panel was part of a series of conversations hosted by CrossFit Health at the 2021 CrossFit Games. You can ...
Nov 16, 2021•51 min
What is precision medicine? In short, it's a data-driven approach to healthcare that recognizes we're all unique and a one-size-fits-all approach to care doesn't work for everyone. Mike Mallin, MD, explains how precision medicine providers take your genetics, epigenetics, biomarkers, and unique risk factors into account as they develop a comprehensive plan designed to help you achieve your overall health goals. To learn more about CrossFit Precision Care and how to get involved as a healthcare p...
Nov 11, 2021•6 min
