Rachael Recommends - March 2023
Hello from a freezing spring day in Flagstaff, AZ! While it doesn't feel like spring, I still am trying to channel my inner "spring mood." Often with spring comes cleaning or cleansing. So, in this month's issue, I wanted to offer some of my current favorite modalities and supplements for cleaning up our brains and bodies. I think you will find them very intriguing!
Thermogenesis
Cold thermogenesis (think - cold plunges, polar plunges, or cold showers) has a multitude of benefits. From improved brain cognition and better immune function to fat loss, regularly "getting cold" can be great for our bodies. This article by Ben Greenfield extensively covers these and more perks of this modality.
The benefit I want to highlight today is the benefit of fat loss. This is quite phenomenal. Studies have shown that regular cold exposure can produce a physiological change called "fat beiging." Fat beiging is the process of white fat turning into, or behaving like, brown fat.
Ugh... what does that mean?! (I was scratching my head too). After looking into it, I found that, in simple terms, white fat is associated with obesity, while brown fat is associated with good metabolic health and lower body mass index. Brown fat is made to burn energy, whereas white fat is made to store energy. So, it's beneficial to switch from white fat to brown fat. Cold thermogenesis has been shown to make white fat behave like brown fat - fat beiging. Check out this PubMed article for a more scientific explanation.
Collagen
Though this trend has slightly died down in pop culture, I think collagen still deserves a highlight. Still, it is consistently one of my top recommended supplements. I like this supplement because of its purity, effectiveness, and a vast array of benefits.
Consistent collagen supplementation can help improve the appearance and texture of skin, hair, and nails, better the function of joints, aid in muscle growth, and can provide some gut healing benefits. There have even been some studies that show collagen supplementation to be beneficial for fat loss and improved body composition.
While the other benefits may take a bit longer to realize, most people notice a marked difference in their skin, nails, and hair within a few weeks of taking collagen consistently.
We sell Vital Proteins brand Collagen Peptides at Fitness Collective, or you can purchase this product from your favorite health food store.
PureHMO® Human Milk Oligosaccharide
My current favorite supplement. The perks seem endless. If you have any gut dysfunction, tummy troubles, or immune issues, this is the product for you! Layer Origin has many good supplements for gut health and is also an excellent resource for learning how to care for your gut, improve longevity, and more! To learn more, visit the Layer Origin website.
"HMOs" stands for Human Milk Oligosaccharides. They are prebiotics that feed and proliferate good gut bacteria to reduce gut permeability by increasing tight junction proteins (basically, your gut gets healthier and functions better). Here are some of their proven benefits: Reduce gut permeability (improve autoimmune conditions), decrease the risk of infection, protect against some chronic diseases, balance good gut bacteria for optimal gut and digestive function, and more!
For further info, check out these articles:
How HMOs help the gut barrier to function
Thank you for your reading time. I hope it was interesting and added to your life! See you next month!
<3 Rachael