Power Up Your Food With Plants – Aidan Goggins & Glen Matten #460

January 23, 2018 by Dave Asprey

Fact: If you aren’t eating a lot of plants, regardless of the diet plan you’re on, you’re doing it wrong. That’s one thing Dave Asprey and today’s guests, Aiden Goggins & Glen Matten, international bestselling authors of The Health Delusion and The Sirtfood Diet and nutrition experts to athletes like UFC champion Conor McGregor and heavyweight boxing champion David Haye, agree on. In this fascinating episode of Bulletproof Radio, learn about Goggins’ & Matten’s path to nutrition, via Goggins’ rare autoimmune disease, their passion around nature’s “drugs,” polyphenols, and why it’s essential to use plants to harness the power of the food you eat.

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Follow along with the Transcript.

Power Up Your Food With Plants – Aidan Goggins & Glen Matten #460

Links/Resources for Aiden Goggins and Glen Matten

The Health Delusion: How to Achieve Exceptional Health in the 21st Century

BUY: The Sirtfood Diet

About The Sirtfood Diet

Glen Matten

Aiden Goggins

Show Notes:

Today’s Cool Fact of the Day

A way to make old cells behave like young cells has been discovered!
University of Exeter researchers found a new way to rejuvenate old cells in the laboratory, making them not only look younger, but start to behave more like young cells, has now been discovered.
Within hours of treatment older cells divided, and had longer telomeres, the ‘caps’ on the chromosomes which shorten as we age.
The researchers applied compounds called reversatrol analogues, based on a substance naturally found in red wine, dark chocolate, red grapes and blueberries, to cells in culture.
Within hours, the cells looked younger and started to rejuvenate, behaving like young cells and dividing. The researchers said: “This demonstrates that when you treat old cells with molecules that restore the levels of the splicing factors, the cells regain some features of youth.”

Learn about Aidan Goggins’ path to cure his own auto-immune disease and how it got him into the field of nutrition. As well as Glen Matten’s love of food that drew him to the field of healthy eating.
Find out the research behind the SIRTfood diet, as well as why its emphasis on polyphenols is so important for your body.
Learn why they are concerned about overzealousness in Vitamin D supplements – and why they think high dose supplements aren’t actually that good for you.
If you like today’s episode, check us out on iTunes at Bulletproof.com/iTunes and leave us a 5-star, positive review
Go check out “Headstrong” and “The Bulletproof Diet” on Amazon and leave a review!

Here’s Why You Should Consider a Dry February

January 22, 2018 by Team Asprey

Among the reasons to abstain from alcohol for one month, you will have the opportunity to take stock of your drinking habits and understand your relationship with alcohol. You’ll also likely save money, and experience noteworthy health benefits.
Health benefits may include: increased energy, greater productivity, regular digestion, better sleep, clearer skin, weight loss, stronger immune system, and improved mood.
Make your month of abstinence as easy (and temptation-free) as possible — clear your calendar, clean out the fridge, and pre-plan your meals in advance.
Follow these tips to make it through the month: download an app to stay on track, venture out of the house to try something new, and remember why you started…

So you missed your chance to do a dry January. No worries. You can challenge yourself to go alcohol-free any month of the year, and bonus: February, being the shortest month, is one of the easiest ones to tackle. Dry February gives you a chance to observe your drinking habits and welcome greater health and balance into your life. Whether you intentionally missed the boat with #DryJanuary or are just warming up to the notion of a month of abstinence, it’s never too late to embark upon a health challenge. Still need some convincing that a month without wine is actually a good thing? Read on to learn the surprising health benefits of giving up alcohol. Plus, get some pre-planning tips and tricks to help you get through the month without falling off the wagon.

Here’s why you should go dry in February

Undeniably, your reasons to abstain from alcohol for a month are personal. However, you if you are still on the fence, consider these perks:

It’s an opportunity to take stock of your drinking habits and better understand your relationship with alcohol – how much you drink and why. Ask yourself what you want your drinking habits to look like long-term, and keep the big picture in mind so you don’t go hog wild come March 1.
It’s a chance to hit the reset button. If you drink more than you probably should (or even if you don’t), a dry February lets you see how your body responds to less alcohol. Chances are, you’ll feel better, sleep better, have better focus, and maybe even lose weight.
You’ll see more of life and what it has to offer. When you can’t reach for a cocktail at the end of a long week, what other outlets will you discover?
You’re bound to experience more meaningful connections with others when the booze is out of the equation.
You’ll likely save money. Enough said.

Health benefits of a dry February

No matter how much you want it to be, alcohol is not good for humans, especially in large quantities. (No judgment; it makes us sad, too.) Research shows that drinking alcohol produces a harmful chemical in the body that leads to permanent genetic damage and increases the risk of cancer.

While the end results of your dry February depend somewhat upon previous drinking behavior (you’ll notice the most profound changes the more you were drinking before), here are some of the health benefits of giving up alcohol, even temporarily:

Clearer thinking
Increased energy
Greater productivity
Regular digestion (too much alcohol messes with your gut’s microbiome)
Improved motivation to stick to good habits
Better sleep
Clearer skin
Weight loss
Greater sense of achievement
Stronger immune system
Less stress on the liver
Improved mood
More money in the piggy bank

How to ease your way into dry February

The month before going booze-free, start cutting back on alcohol to make the transition easier. Aim to cut your alcohol intake to half of your normal consumption. This will help shift your mindset and bodily response to alcohol before you go full-throttle in February.

If alcohol is your salve for a rough day, find healthier ways to cope with stress before February hits, so you don’t have to white-knuckle it. Visit yoga studios, download meditation apps, try an endorphin-boosting workout or soak in a bubble bath. See what works for you and what doesn’t.

Mix up your alcohol outings with dancing, games, or conversation. Did someone say pool or darts?
Slow down – give yourself an hour between drinks and switch between alcohol and water.

How to head off temptation ahead of time

A little planning can go a long way toward your success for the month. Keep these tricks of the trade in mind for February:

Get a handle on your calendar. Ensure that you aren’t battling too much stress in February and do whatever you can to minimize excess engagements now.
If you have plans that might lure you from your goals – rein in a sidekick who will help you stay on course through the month.
Come up with crafty drink substitutions – mocktails, ginger beer, non-alcoholic beers, wines, herbal tea, and coffee. Did you read that last one? Coffee!
Pre-plan your meals with thorough shopping lists for the month.
Clean out the fridge, freezer, and cabinets of all tempting substances.
Mentally prepare – snatch up a quote book for on-the-go inspiration. If you are the writing type, get your hands on a journal too, so that you can process the month one day at a time.

How to make it through the month – and enjoy it

Though you might be overwhelmed – even a little panicked – come February 1, you can make it through the entire month without alcohol. Here are some fresh tips to shift the pendulum toward success:

Educate yourself further about the benefits of abstinence. It’ll go a long way to keep you motivated.
Download an app like Sobriety Counter or Sober Grid to help you stay on track and mark your progress.
Go for the double whammy – pair your alcohol-free month with another health goal like exercise. Every time you desire to drink, focus on your other goal as a positive distraction. Want a drink? Go for a walk. Friends doing brunch? Hit Soulcycle instead.
Hang out with people who don’t drink or are doing a dry month as well. This is a great month to widen your social circle.
Venture out of the house with all that new energy you have to try something new – something noteworthy you’ve always wished to try before.
Get cultured. Ditch the bars for a sporting event, peaceful evening at home, or trip to the cinema.
Worried about questions from onlookers? Go for soda water with lime or lemon when you’re out – it looks just like a gin and tonic.
Remember why you started. Whatever your motivation for embarking on a dry month, remind yourself of this intention throughout the 30 (ok, 28) days to help you keep on keeping on.

Before you know it, you’ll be ringing in March 1 with a glass of champagne – or maybe a cup of relaxing kava tea. Either way, you’ll have learned something meaningful about the experience and given your body a well-deserved break from alcohol.

Eager for more inspiration? Here’s how one woman tackled 30 days of no drinking:

Social Activism Makes You Happier and More Resilient, Says Science

January 19, 2018 by Team Asprey

This weekend, millions of people will gather for the second year in a row in support of the Women’s March – an event that commenced last year the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration. This year, marches in all 50 states and around the globe are calling for action at the polls. The goal is to get people to register to vote, and to show up on voting day.

Wherever you fall on the political spectrum, or on the issue of this march in particular, finding a cause that speaks to you is one of the most Bulletproof steps you can take to increase your resilience and feel good about yourself. In fact, there’s even a term to quantify the health benefits of activism and social engagement – it’s called the “activism cure.”

What makes helping others so powerful? Activism builds a sense of identity and empowerment[ref url=”https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303895913_Implications_of_Youth_Activism_for_Health_and_Well-Being”]. It allows you to feel like you have greater control over life, which helps prevent helplessness and hopelessness[ref url=”https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_activism_cure”]. Personal identity, empowerment, and greater self-preservation and control all tie into better resilience – or the ability to adapt and become stronger in the face of adversity. Physical and mental resilience play a part in everything from increased longevity to better mental health, which is why it’s a core tenant of being Bulletproof.

The health benefits of activism have a physiological basis. Activism triggers the brain to release a shot of dopamine – a chemical involved in pleasure and reward. Dopamine, the same chemical that gets triggered during sex, motivates you to seek out what feels good. It also plays important roles in sleep, attention, and mood. Research from the National Institute on Mental Health even shows helping others give people a jolt of energy and, in some cases, alleviates physical pain[ref url=”https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_activism_cure”]. In that way, volunteering and showing up for a meaningful cause helps you and others as well.

Interested to learn more about activism’s benefits? Watch the video below, then share with your family and friends to inspire them to a make a difference – not only in others’ lives but their own too.

Image Courtesy: 
Lydia Yekalam, Michael Edwards, Brian Kay, Ed Myers, Scott Engelhardt, Susie Orr, Denise Barrett, Louisa Barash, Emily Smoot, Brodie Nelson, 
Keith Sanders Turner, Danielle Fiorito-Grzesiuk

Celebrate your Effort! The Life Insurance Episode – Munjal Shah #459

January 18, 2018 by Dave Asprey

How would you like to die 41% less? What if a quiz could help you get there? Munjal Shah, CEO of Health IQ is betting on you, and your health – by changing the conversation around Life Insurance.

Enjoy the Show!

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Celebrate your Effort! The Life Insurance Episode – Munjal Shah #459

Links/Resources for Munjal Shah

Health IQ

Show Notes

Munjal on the day his quest to get healthy started. “I worked 80 hours a week for 10 years and now I’m going to die? This is unfair.”
Munjal on taking control of his health “I ended up going on a significant journey on just exploring health and wellness, lost 40 pounds, and just really finally took control of my health after many, many, many years, 37 years of basically doing nothing.”
On Munjal’s saying, “Born again healthy.”
How Health IQ sets up its office to be health conscious. No Pizza!
On the office work out schedule. “The whole company is working out, the gym is actually the middle of the office, it’s not off to the side. It’s something we do four days a week, we do this half an hour workout time.”
On how Health IQ was developed backwards. “Forming the company at first with the five of us, we didn’t actually think what we were going to do was create an insurance company. In fact, we didn’t even have that as a plan.”
On celebrating the “heroes” in society! The health conscious! “What we did know was we wanted to create a way to celebrate really the health conscious. We believe there’s this 40 to 50 million people in the world, in America, who while that most of the country has gotten less healthy, these people have gotten more healthy.”
“We wanted to celebrate the health conscious and so we said is there a test out there that measures how health conscious you are, and we looked around and honestly didn’t find out. We wrote our own, we wrote 30,000 questions. We spent $5 million of venture money doing it. We found the 3,000 most correlated questions. One of the things we did at the end when we calibrate the questions was we asked how many times you’d go to the hospital in the last year because that’s something most people remember.”
It isn’t about self assessment. “We don’t say hey, how many times a week do you drink and how many times a week do you exercise, and then we’ll decide if you’re health conscious. In health, most people tend to not say the truth. I think it’s pretty primal. 4,000 years ago on the tribe, if you said you’re unhealthy, you got fed to the lions.”
How the Quiz weeds out the real experts. “We say, hey, an Olympic Barbell unweighted is how many pounds? If you lift, you know it’s 45. If you don’t, you’re like I don’t know.”

On figuring out people’s depth of knowledge on a topic. “You had to actively seek that depth.”
The difference between getting Health Insurance and Life Insurance after the Affordable Care Act. “The diabetic who drinks five cans of coke a day, and eats cake, and injects insulin is not the same as the diabetic who’s well controlled and manages the blood sugar really well, and so we couldn’t do that but when we found life insurance, we realized here’s a market and a set of regulations which actually allows for a meritocratic pricing for the health conscious.”
Munjal on putting together a company based on rewarding people. “Hey, the health conscious don’t die, any different than those who are not, and so sure enough. The data ended up showing that the health-conscious die 41% less than those who are not health conscious and it was statistically valid enough that it was a data we were able to use, and that was the foundation. The data foundation for the business.”
Munjal on the many correlations they were able to make with their quiz. “We found that the people with lower healthy IQ ended up with greater number of hospitalizations.”
“Traditionally, they’ll move you down a class. If so, if you’re an endurance athlete, that has a low resting heart rate, they’ll move you down a class because they’ll say it’s too low, there must be something wrong with your heart, but actually it’s just because you work out a lot, and so with us. We try to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Munjal on how low resting heart rate could be a good thing!
Munjal on not dinging people for having certain family history criteria. “Because we said look a lot of health conscious people get health conscious not because they have a personal crisis like you and me had, Dave, but just because they had a crisis in their family.”
Is health the new luxury good? “We believe the health conscious are about 40 to 50 million people out of 300-ish million adults or 300 and some odd in America. It’s a growing segment. We think it’s actually a worldwide phenomenon. Health is the new luxury good that everybody wants. Even the Chinese in Beijing, you have your flat, you have your car, you have your Louis Vuitton handbag but what you don’t have is health.”
“The current life insurance industry is still on this one and done paradigm rather than a continuous reassessment. It’s a fixed rate mortgage rather than floating rate mortgage.”
Huge numbers on what the Health IQ Quiz is showing. “We found people with high Health IQ correlate to a 19% lower rate of high blood pressure than those with low Health IQ. We found people with high Health IQ have a 31% lower rate of diabetes than those with lower Health IQ. People with high Health IQ have a 22% lower rate of arthritis. I can see those with high Health IQ smoke less.”
“A lot of people are in denial that their health could deteriorate, but the health conscious, ironically know that best. That’s why they don’t eat a donut every day. They understand the cause and effect. I call it they’re good at seeing the ghost of Christmas future. They understand the long-term implications of short-term actions, and they’re good at deferred gratification. “
Munjal on finding his mission. “I think Martin Luther King, the mission found him. I don’t think he found his mission. I don’t think Nelson Mandela found his mission. I think he was at the right place, and was open to that mission. That just emerge on his doorstep that maybe many other people didn’t take.”
If you like today’s episode, check us out on iTunes at Bulletproof.com/iTunes and leave us a 5-star, positive review
Go check out “Headstrong” and “The Bulletproof Diet” on Amazon and leave a review!

To Live Longer, Here’s Why You Need to Get Dirty

January 17, 2018 by Team Asprey

Dr. Zach Bush is a triple board-certified physician who wants to remind you to play in the dirt. In his recent Bulletproof Radio podcast, Bush noted that you have 1.4 quadrillion bacteria and fungi and 14 quadrillion mitochondria living within you – and these good guys thrive on good ole dirt. By the way, those good guys do everything from regulating your emotions, to keeping your skin clear, to fixing autoimmune issues. When balanced, gut bacteria help you perform at your best – out of balance, and you’re left feeling sluggish, inflamed, and out of whack.

In that way, Bush calls for a return to the natural world as a means to boost your body’s inherent ability to care for itself. By exposing yourself to a healthy biodynamic environment – not one riddled with toxins – you give your immune system the chance to regulate itself with good bacteria and fungi, etc. “Re-engaging in that environment is what will heal you best,” Bush offers.

Bush isn’t the only expert who advocates getting dirty for the sake of your health. Just last year, microbial scientist Jack Gilbert, PhD, published a book called, Dirt Is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child’s Developing Immune System. In it, he argues that keeping dirt and other bacteria out of kids’ mouths leads to an overzealous, inflammatory immune system.

So how can you tap into the natural world for a happier and healthier system? Below are his top five tips:

Breathe good “dirty” air. Bush’s research shows that you can improve the health of your gut by breathing in good “dirty” air – like the kind you find in national parks. He invites you to go explore as many national parks as you can in the next couple years because there is still some intact microbiome. Along those lines, seek out as many environments of the Earth as you can – like such waterfalls along the Appalachian Trail and the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. Go for it – broaden your nose’s horizons and re-engage with as many diverse environments around the globe that still offer intact microbial environments.

Head to the desert. Some of the best air is in the desert due to low humidity. There is also pristine soil in the fossilized state, so any place with fossil layers, like Arizona, offers up a unique microbiome. Another boon for these areas — minimal development and no agricultural spraying like you find in rain-drenched areas.

Play in the dirt. “Take your shoes off, step outside and, like your dog, run around in the grass for 5 or 10 minutes and then come back in.” This gets you up close and personal with the good bacteria that’ll keep your internal microbiome in check.

Grow plants at home. Bush states, “We have separated ourselves from just fundamental easy, cheap, frankly free mechanism of microbiome exchange, which is to touch Mother Earth.” So, grow some plants at home then tend to them – water and touch them. This is especially important for all the urban dwellers out there.

Eat your veggies off the vine. While Bush has a penchant for tomatoes, any freshly picked vegetable from your garden will suffice. Eat a tomato off the vine. It is a completely different experience than picking the tomato and eating it half an hour later on your salad. There’s going to be a layer of dust and this hairy quality to the tomato before it’s picked. It’s got this little fur on it that is capturing microbiome and other things on it. If you pluck it, there’ll be often a little spider web on it. There’s biology on the surface of that tomato that you’re missing otherwise.”

The Most Important Natural Beauty Swaps to Make This Year

January 17, 2018 by Dave Asprey

It used to be that swapping your conventional lipstick or eye cream for natural beauty products meant sacrificing quality. But natural beauty is big business these days, meaning there are plenty of better, more effective, and safer skincare and makeup options.
The cosmetics industry is barely regulated in the US, so it’s up to you to research products and keep yourself safe. This beauty products ingredient guide will help you navigate the beauty aisles.
Read on to find out what ingredients to avoid and what swaps you can make to clean up your beauty stash, then get recommendations on the best natural beauty products to buy now.

With the current wellness obsession (what some call the Goop effect), more and more people are looking for organic and natural beauty products to complement their clean lifestyle. Natural beauty is big business these days, with millennials leading the demand for better, more effective, and safer skincare and makeup options.

When you start paying attention to your health, you cut out gluten or shop organic produce. The next natural step is to consider what chemicals you’re using to wash your face or lengthen your lashes.

It used to be that swapping your conventional lipstick or eye cream for a natural product meant sacrificing quality. Now you can get super-potent, chic, and affordable natural beauty products that deliver even better results than the traditional stuff.

If you’re on the fence about giving up the beauty products you swear by, consider this. While it’s easy to assume that topical products stay where you put them, the fact is that anything with a molecular weight below 500 Dalton seeps right into the bloodstream. A lot of beauty ingredients need to have molecules that small so they don’t sit on top of the skin. Think about it — you want your moisturizer to absorb so that it hydrates. You want your foundation to melt into the skin so that it looks natural. Lots of beauty products need their ingredients to drop below the surface so that they can do the job the way you want them to.

If a beauty product ingredient gets into your body, you don’t want it to wreak havoc. Read on to find out what to watch out for and how to choose the best natural beauty products that will keep you looking gorgeous — without wrecking your biology. Plus, recommendations on the beauty products you’ll want to stock up on.

Current safety standards for beauty and personal care products

Spoiler alert: There aren’t many.

It’s easy to walk into a store, pick up a well-known brand of shampoo, and lather away without thinking twice about what your suds are doing to your body. You would think that a mass-produced beauty brand would be under the government’s microscope, right?

Not really. The United States government banned a handful of ingredients and barely regulates the safety of cosmetics and personal care products at all. For perspective, the European Union banned over 1,000 beauty ingredients[ref url=”http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32009R1223″] and updates their lists frequently. State governments ban additional ingredients, but for the vast majority of states, anything in the beauty product department goes.

The 3 most important natural beauty swaps to make

No. 1: Choose all-natural deodorant over antiperspirant

Now that you’re in your bathroom, ready to clean out, first ditch your antiperspirant.

You’re built to sweat. Sweat is the body’s natural cooling system and it ushers toxins out of the body. When you stop yourself from sweating, you’re blocking your body’s ability to eliminate the bad stuff.

If you look at your antiperspirant’s ingredients label, chances are you’ll find aluminum as an active ingredient because of its effectiveness at blocking your sweat. Aluminum has a well-established link to Alzheimer’s and dementia.[ref url=”http://jech.bmj.com/content/50/4/401.full.pdf”] Plus, it rubs off on your clothes, the aluminum oxidizes, and voila! Yellow pit stains. Yep, they come from your antiperspirant — not from sweat itself.

You may be able to skip deodorant altogether. After a stinky washout period of a week or so, everything that’s been plugged up in your pores will have washed away, and you’ll notice you’re much fresher than you thought. Illness and normal hormonal fluctuations change your general level of odor but it’ll hover around your natural baseline.

Not everyone is comfortable going au naturel. Instead, replace antiperspirant with a non-toxic deodorant. Keep reading for recommendations on the best natural deodorants that work.

Or make your own natural deodorant with this DIY deodorant recipe

4 T coconut oil
6 T arrowroot powder
12 drops of your favorite essential oils

No. 2: Use non-toxic sunscreen

Sunscreen is notorious for containing toxic, hormone-disrupting chemicals. Scientists have measured common sunscreen chemicals in blood, urine, and breast milk.[ref url=”http://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/#.WXFjEdPyvVo”]

Because sunscreen alone doesn’t reduce the rate of skin cancer[ref url=”http://www.who.int/uv/publications/solaradgbd/en/”][ref url=”https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/”], it’s important to cover up with clothing and stay in the shade during peak hours of sunlight once you’ve sufficiently dosed on vitamin D.

Too much sun causes DNA damage in your cells and destroys collagen and elastin,[ref url=”http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002944010633378″] resulting in sunspots, wrinkles, and sagging skin. Plus, sunburns are a literal pain, especially for kids’ tender skin. So, choose a sunscreen option that will prevent burns, skin cancer, and aging, while keeping your hormones and DNA happy.

You can get a recipe for a DIY natural sunscreen here. Don’t worry about looking like a cartoon lifeguard with a white nose. It rubs in and the beeswax makes it water-resistant.

No. 3: Avoid anything heavily fragranced

If a product has a strong smell, there’s a solid chance it’s full of hormone disruptors and chemicals that damage your cells. If an ingredient is volatile enough to emit an aroma, you get the double whammy of the molecules entering the body through inhalation as well as through the skin.

The exception is if the aroma comes from essential oils — fragrant natural plant compounds. While essential oils are natural, they’re certainly not inert; every one of them has a weak- to strong medical action associated with it. Know what you’re doing. Here’s an intro on essential oils.

How to find the best clean, natural beauty products

Buy the brands you trust: The lack of oversight in the beauty industry means that as the consumer, you have to look into the company’s practices and examine ingredients at the product level — even when it comes to natural beauty products. Some beauty brands ban harmful ingredients on their own so you don’t have to check every product.

Shop at non-toxic boutiques: Natural beauty boutiques like Follain, Credo Beauty, CAP Beauty, and even Whole Foods have developed their own set of production standards and banned ingredients, and will carry a range of brands and products that meet their criteria. So you can trust whatever products they choose to put on their shelves.

Download on-to-go apps: Tools like the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database rates products based on ingredients. They did your homework for you and will rate products so that you can make informed purchasing decisions. For extra convenience, you can open their Healthy Living app while you shop, and just scan barcodes of products to get an instant safety score before you check out.

Toxic beauty product ingredients to avoid

The most common offenders you’ll see on ingredients labels include:

Phthalates
Parabens
Fragrance
Formaldehyde
Toulene
Propylene glycol
Sodium Laurel Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Triclosan, Triclocarban
Hydroquinone
Heavy metals

This isn’t a complete list of everything that’s harmful, but it will get you accustomed to reading labels and gathering information about what is in your products.

Best natural beauty products to stock up on

Ready to clean up your beauty stash? Here are some natural beauty products that both perform well, and don’t have questionable ingredients.

Best natural sunscreens

Farmacy Green Screen Daily Environmental Protector Broad Spectrum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30, $36: On the hunt for a daily moisturizer that contains sunscreen? Most hybrids don’t contain enough sunscreen to provide adequate protection. Instead, use this non-greasy facial sunscreen in place of your daily moisturizer. It leaves skin nourished and prepped for makeup — and leaves no white cast.

Blue Lizard Sunscreen, $19.99: Blue Lizard has sunscreen types for every skin type and activity, just like the big brands have. They differ in the quality of their ingredients — Blue Lizard doesn’t use the yucky stuff that will disrupt your hormones and DNA.

100% Pure Everywhere Body Stick, $20: If you’re looking for a sunscreen you can toss into your bag without worrying about finding a greasy mess later, you need the Everywhere Body Stick. It looks like a solid deodorant, so it’s highly travel-friendly. Not only does their formula leave out the toxic chemicals you want to avoid, it also leaves out a lot of the more common allergens and skin irritants that you might be concerned with if you’re more sensitive.

Best natural lipsticks

Ilia Beauty Lipstick, $26: Complete your look without microdosing on lead and cadmium all day long. Rich and pigmented, Ilia lipstick is comfortable and long-wearing, just like those other high-end brands — but without all the yuck.

Rituel de Fille Enchanted Lip Sheer, $24: If you want a ton of moisture with a touch of vibrant color, Rituel de Fille’s Enchanted Lip Sheer comes in 10 colors that give just enough pop — like you’ve been eating a popsicle. Again, you get all the goodies of a quality lip sheer without the heavy metals.

Vapour Organic Beauty Siren Lipstick, $25: For those looking for a more matte finish, Vapour’s luxe botanical line comes in every shade you could possibly wish for. It also manages to do the impossible: provide stay-put wear without drying out your lips.

Best natural face cleansers

Annmarie Gianni Aloe Herb Cleanser, $30: Annmarie Gianni Skin Care has astronomical standards for the ingredients they’ll use in their hand-crafted natural beauty products. Not only do they exclude the worst offenders, but they also audit the ingredients they do use for purity and performance. This gentle, creamy cleanser leaves skin nourished and refreshed, not stripped.

Acure Organics Brilliantly Brightening Cleansing Gel, $10: This foaming, antioxidant-rich cleanser will leave your skin truly clean while nourishing it to boost natural defenses from the elements to come. Best for normal to oily skin types.

Best natural acne prevention and spot treatment

Nerd Skincare Acne Treatment Lotion, $85: Instead of wiping out all skin bacteria, Nerd Skincare aims to naturally keep you clear by supporting your skin’s natural defense mechanisms. That includes the good bacteria on your skin. Use the entire system, or just use this daily serum to prevent breakouts without any harsh or drying side effects.

Indie Lee Blemish Stick, $28: Even people who have the most enviable skin see an eruption every now and then. Food, pollutants … your face fends off a lot every day. The Indie Lee Blemish Stick is a fantastic natural spot treatment to have in your stash because you never know when these things will happen. Apply this fast-acting, clear solution over or under your makeup and watch pimples disappear.

Best natural moisturizers

The Alitura Moisturizer, $49: This moisturizer from Alitura Naturals contains 95.4% organic ingredients, and they package it in a bottle that only allows in light wavelengths that enhance the product. Check out this episode of Bulletproof Radio in which founder Andy Hnilo shares his story about how he used diet and his own skincare products to help re-grow his skin after a car crash.

Herbivore Pink Cloud Rosewater Moisture Crème, $48: There’s a reason this dewy, fast-absorbing moisturizer is always on back-order. It’s just that good. The mousse-like texture feels ultra-light going on but melts into skin for immediate soothing and hydration. Perfect for sensitive, acne-prone and combination skin.

Kora Organics Noni Glow Body Oil, $58: A little Kora Organics body oil after a shower gives your whole body a dose of antioxidants and essential fatty acids. The result is hydration without a greasy residue, and of course, without the toxins.

Best natural eye creams

Biossance Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel, $54: Biossance uses natural ingredients to plump the skin to minimize wrinkles, firm skin and reduce puffiness around the eyes. The Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel has the EWG Verified seal, which means it meets the EWG’s highest standards of purity.

Goop by Juice Beauty Perfecting Eye Cream, $90: This eye cream uses rich emollients to increase the skin’s elasticity and snap back sagging skin. All Goop products adhere to strict ingredient standards so you don’t age your skin faster by damaging your cells.

Best natural anti-aging serums

Tata Harper Elixir Vitae Ultimate Wrinkle Solution, $380: If money is no object, this anti-aging serum smooths wrinkles while plumping the skin to take years off of your face. The ingredients are beyond legit — they grow almost everything they use on their own farm in Vermont.

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum, $34: Vitamin C is a tried and true wrinkle-fighter and radiance-booster. It’s also a potent antioxidant that helps fight free radicals that lead to collagen breakdown, i.e. wrinkles and other skin damage.

Biossance Squalane + Phyto Retinol Serum, $78: The retinol that you typically see in anti-aging serums can cause biochemical changes at the cellular level, and it increases photosensitivity which accelerates aging and development of skin tumors. Biossance solved that problem by developing a formula containing Bakuchiol, which has a retinol-like effect on the skin without the irritation and increased sensitivity. To boot, it’s just as hydrating and effective as the rest of the Biossance squalane line.

Best natural face mask

Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial, $80: This powerful mix of glycolic, tartaric, lactic, citric, and salicylic acids gently but effectively exfoliate skin to slough away dead skin cells and encourage new cell turnover for more youthful, radiant skin. Niacinamide and chickpea flour brighten skin while antioxidants from matcha, apple fruit, and milk thistle soothe reactive complexions.

Best natural shampoo and soap

Mother Dirt Shampoo, $17, and Foaming face Cleanser, $24: Chances are, you’ve heard that you have friendly bacteria in your gut. Did you know you have a community of bacteria, or microbiome, on your skin, too? Mother Dirt products are formulated to restore a healthy skin ecosystem and maintain the good bacteria to keep skin and scalp healthy, balanced and irritation-free — without any detergents or preservatives.

EO Botanical Shampoo, $8-$13: If you like to have a lot to choose from, EO carries a wide variety of soap and shampoo products. Choose for scent, or in the case of shampoo, choose for the formula depending on your hair — you can get one that balances, volumizes, or nourishes.

Best natural hand sanitizer

Everyone Coconut & Lemon Hand Sanitizer Spray, $18 for 6: Stow these travel-sized sprays in every handbag, diaper bag and glove compartment to fight on-the-go germiness. You never thought you’d care much about a hand sanitizer until you try this one, which all your mom friends will ask to borrow.

Best natural deodorant

Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant, $14: Essential oils and beta-glucan fight odor with powerful antioxidants, anti-bacterial agents, and polysaccharides. If you struggle to find a natural deodorant that keeps you dry and stink-free, give this one a go.

Fatco Stank Stop Deodorant, $12: Fatco women’s and men’s deodorants do not have the toxic ingredients you’ll find in conventional antiperspirants and deodorants, and you can choose a spritz, jar, or tube.

Herban Cowboy Maximum Protection, $8: Herban Cowboy carries a variety of men’s deodorants that perform, without nasty aluminum or mineral salts. You can choose solid or dry spray.

Whatever products you choose to go with, know this: Companies reformulate often, so give the label a once-over before you buy.

Don’t get overwhelmed with the idea that you have to empty your bathroom drawers and cabinets into the trash and drop mad cash on natural products. Swap out the highest-impact products first, then you can either opt for the clean versions of products you use as you run out, or make the commitment to swap out one or two beauty products a month.

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Power Up Your Food With Plants – Aidan Goggins & Glen Matten #460

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Follow along with the Transcript.

Links/Resources for Aiden Goggins and Glen Matten

Show Notes:

Here’s why you should go dry in February

Health benefits of a dry February

How to ease your way into dry February

How to head off temptation ahead of time

How to make it through the month – and enjoy it

Listen

Follow Along with the Transcript!

Links/Resources for Munjal Shah

Show Notes

Current safety standards for beauty and personal care products

The 3 most important natural beauty swaps to make

No. 1: Choose all-natural deodorant over antiperspirant

No. 2: Use non-toxic sunscreen

No. 3: Avoid anything heavily fragranced

How to find the best clean, natural beauty products

Toxic beauty product ingredients to avoid

Best natural beauty products to stock up on

Best natural sunscreens

Best natural lipsticks

Best natural face cleansers

Best natural acne prevention and spot treatment

Best natural moisturizers

Best natural eye creams

Best natural anti-aging serums

Best natural face mask

Best natural shampoo and soap

Best natural hand sanitizer

Best natural deodorant

Get on “The Inside Track” with Dave

See What Trouble Dave’s Getting Into on Social

Start hacking your way to better than standard performance and results.

Get on
“The Inside Track”
with Dave