Back in 2000, a paper titled "Safety Evaluation and Risk Assessment of the Herbicide Roundup and Its Active Ingredient, Glyphosate, for Humans" was published in the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. The paper concluded glyphosate posed NO health risks to humans. A 2019 meta-analysis found high exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides increases the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma by 41% (PMID: 31342895). The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a "probable human carcinogen" back in 2015. Mechanistic literature reports genotoxic effects in human lymphocytes in vitro and in vivo models (PMID: 34052177). More than 60,000 active lawsuits are currently pending against Bayer (who bought Monsanto in 2018). AND they’ve already paid out more than $10 BILLION to settle cases from people who developed cancer. Now, I get it can feel overwhelming when you realize how embedded glyphosate is in the modern food system... But the good news is you can minimize exposure through a few measures: - Grass-fed AND grass-finished meat whenever possible. Ask your supplier if they ever feed hay or if the grass is sprayed. Yes, unfortunately some cattle are fed glyphosate-sprayed grass; the “grass-fed” label is not enough. Choose USDA organic, regenerative organic or certified naturally grown. - Filter your water. Reverse osmosis is the most reliable way to remove glyphosate from your tap water.​- Ditch the grains. Wheat, oats, corn - these are some of the most heavily glyphosate-contaminated foods on the planet. - Carefully source fruit and vegetables. Your local organic farmers' market is always going to be your best option here. Talk to the farmers. Ask what they spray. Build that relationship. (I don’t eat vegetables which cuts my exposure quite drastically.) If that’s not possible… A 15-minute soak in a baking soda solution (1 teaspoon per 2 cups of water, followed by a thorough rinse) has been shown to remove a significant portion of surface pesticide residues (PMID: 29067814)

Even though sesame seed is rarely considered beyond their role in decorating hamburger buns or as an ingredient in tahini, they could be considered a 'lifesaver.' Compelling research shows it is capable of reducing several blood markers of cardiovascular disease risk by 39% within only six weeks. One of the most promising studies to come through the biomedical pipeline of late was a gem published in the journal Archives of Iranian Medicine, and which looked at a traditional, sesame-based food-medicine known as Ardeh (aka tahini) for its ability to decrease cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetics - a group whose risk of cardiac mortality is greatly enhanced due to unhealthy ratios and quantities of blood lipids associated with chronically elevated blood sugar, glycation and insulin resistance. Based on these promising observations, the researchers concluded: "Ardeh could have favorable effects in decreasing CVD risk factors in type 2 diabetics." Keep in mind that they found a 39% decrease in the so-called atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), which is no small effect for a relatively small dietary change. It should be noted that the tahini used in this study contained no additional additives or oil. It was ground sesame seed, plain and simple. Were this a drug trial, results like these would be broadcast the world over as the next life-saving (multi-billion dollar selling) blockbuster drug. For a more detailed explanation of the results. This is not the first human clinical study to find a beneficial effect of sesame on cardiovascular health or diabetes. Here are a few others: - A 2012 study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that "Sesame oil consumption exerts a beneficial effect on endothelial function in hypertensive men." - A 2010 study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition found that "Sesame oil exhibits synergistic effect with anti-diabetic medication in patients with type 2 diabetes." - A 2006 study published in the Journal of Medical Food found that " The substitution of sesame seed oil as the sole edible oil lowers blood pressure and glucose in hypertensive diabetics."

Join me in my kitchen as I show you a day in the life of meal prepping for the week. 😊

Most people still think creatine is just for muscle gains in the gym... But the data consistently shows creatine does SO much more than that. This stuff is incredible. And it's probably one of the most well-studied, safest, cheapest supplements you can take. So today I'm breaking down 7 benefits of creatine you may not know about yet… Let's get into it! #1 Makes You Smarter Ok, some of you have probably heard this one by now… but it’s still fascinating to me. A large systematic review of 16 randomized controlled trials found that creatine supplementation significantly improves memory, attention, and processing speed (PMID: 39070254). The effects may be even more pronounced in older adults (PMID: 35984306). Why does this happen? Your brain runs on ATP - energy currency for your cells. Creatine stores phosphate groups in your brain that quickly regenerate ATP when your brain needs it. More ATP = better brain function. I talked about this in my creatine video, but at higher doses - like 20 grams per day - creatine can actually cross the blood-brain barrier and increase brain creatine stores too. That's when you see the BIGGEST cognitive benefits… especially if you're sleep deprived, stressed, or doing cognitively demanding tasks. So if you want a sharper brain... creatine is a no-brainer (pun intended!). #2 Women may need Creatine even MORE than men Most men have heard of creatine - we've seen it in bodybuilding magazines, heard gym bros talk about it. But turns out… Women have 70-80% LOWER creatine stores than men (PMID: 33800439). And research shows that creatine is absolutely CRITICAL for women's health across the entire lifespan. In a study of 4,522 US women, those eating higher amounts of creatine from food had 25% lower odds of irregular periods and significantly lower risks of fetal macrosomia, pelvic infections, hysterectomy, and needing HRT (PMID: 39055234). During pregnancy, creatine is vital too… Your reproductive tissues, placenta, and developing fetus rely heavily on the creatine-phosphocreatine energy system (PMID: 33540766).

Selfishly, I'm happy to see these results because I love coffee. A new study in JAMA followed more than 130,000 people for up to 43 years and found that drinking 2-3 cups of caffeinated coffee daily was associated with an 18% lower risk of dementia. Tea showed similar benefits with 1-2 cups daily, whereas decaffeinated coffee did not, suggesting that caffeine is the key protective factor. Coffee's neuroprotective effects likely stem from polyphenols and caffeine reducing inflammation and cellular damage in the brain. The effect size is modest, which aligns with what I saw clinically: coffee can be one piece of a brain health strategy, not a magic bullet. Important caveat: if you're caffeine sensitive to the point where coffee significantly disrupts your sleep, you're unlikely to experience this benefit since poor sleep is a major risk factor for cognitive decline. Make sure you drink mold-free and organic coffee like Organo :)