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livebetter_everyday

@livebetter_everyday

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Live better with Coach & Dr. Z! 👉 Coach: F45, CrossFit, Yoga instructor 🏋️‍♀️ | Dr. Z: Family & Lifestyle Medicine | Athletes and nature enthusiasts

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I see and hear a lot about NAD+ supplements for anti-against purposes. There are NO HUMAN studies that support this. These benefits were only seen in animal studies. Fact of the matter is that NAD+ is too large and highly charged for optimal bioavailability. Check out the slide posts for more details. #nadplus #optimizingaging #antiaging by @livebetter_everyday

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2 months ago

🌲 Medicine Without a Prescription: The Science of Forest Bathing 🌲

Ever notice how a walk through the woods instantly shifts your physiology? It’s not just the quiet — it’s the chemistry.

When you practice Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), you’re actively inhaling phytoncides — antimicrobial volatile compounds (like α-pinene and limonene) that trees emit to protect themselves from bacteria, fungi, and insects.

When humans breathe them in:
🧬 Immune boost — phytoncides raise Natural Killer (NK) cell activity, our frontline defense against viral infection and mutated cells
🌬️ Nervous system reset — shifts the body from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest, lowering cortisol, resting heart rate, and blood pressure
😴 Deeper sleep — α-pinene modulates GABA-A receptors, quieting the nervous system and speeding recovery

Swipe to see which trees deliver the highest dose, and 5 Bay Area trails where you’ll find them 👇

Pro tip: this isn’t a cardio workout. Slow down, breathe deep, and let a 2-hour “bath” in the woods do its work — the NK cell boost can last for days.

Which canopy is your go-to reset? Drop your favorite Bay Area trail below 👇

#ForestBathing #ShinrinYoku #Phytoncides #BayAreaHikes #ImmuneHealth EvidenceBasedHealth PreventativeMedicine NatureIsMedicine Redwoods NorCalHiking FunctionalMedicine by @livebetter_everyday

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3 months ago

Love this quote addressing an important element of social connection 🥰 💫 #belonging #socialconnection by @livebetter_everyday

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4 months ago

I haven’t been on the trails for several months. It’s so refreshing to be back! As I’ve been getting older, overcoming excessive tissue damage/injuries, and working a full time job, I’ve come to the realization that I need to be smarter in terms of how I workout and train to stay healthy long term and for races. Recent Hyrox races really tanked my HRV and recovery. I love that my WHOOP band can be prescriptive in their approach allowing clients to optimize their sleep and recovery consequently stabilizing HRV and brining it back to baseline. The Rich Roll podcast with Andy Galpin was a reminder to train optimally fostering your exercise adaptations. I decided to hit the trail today for a hike listening to some chill neoclassical music on low volume with my Shokz headphones which allowed me to take in the sound of the wind through the leaves of the trees and the bird song making for a magical mix. This allowed for foundational training in Zone 2 (60-70% of your Max Heart Rate) continuing the mitochondrial efficiency journey, and a chance to slow down my breathing and autonomic nervous system. Grateful for this opportunity! #mitochondrialhealth #heartratevariability #exerciserecovery #trainsmarter #naturecalls by @livebetter_everyday

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8 months ago

After having completed not one but two #hyroxpro events 3 weeks ago, my body is still recovering per my #whoop metrics. The metrics are showing low Heart Rate Variability and high resting heart rate trends (markers of cardiovascular fitness). As a result, my body ends up needing more time to recover from moderate to high intensity workout activities. This a reminder to spend more time in lower heart rate zones (zones 1-2), get optimal sleep, manage stress, eat healthy and hydrate adequately. If we don’t do this, it can take us longer to get back on track. Today’s recovery called for a beautiful hike with some elevation gain 😊#activerecovery #trainsmart #heartratevariability by @livebetter_everyday

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9 months ago

Words of wisdom from the legendary Bob Ross. Happy Holidays! #bobross by @livebetter_everyday

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10 months ago

A gentle reminder to connect with nature whenever possible. It is a healing activity that helps to ground and calm the nerves. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s writings on nature are some of my favorites and wanted to share 😊#shinrinyoku #forestbathing #ralphwaldoemerson by @livebetter_everyday

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a year ago

In a world that constantly wants to sell us something that they think we need, it’s good to take a step back and evaluate whether there are easier more accessible ways to achieve the same goal should it be one that would ultimately make us better versions of ourselves. #neuromodulation #binauralbeats #solfeggiofrequencies #decreasestress by @livebetter_everyday

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a year ago

Here are 'Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones key common threads for the 5 Blue Zones' analyzed by Dan Buettner and his team (Best Selling Author and Blue Zones Expert):

🌱Plant Forward Diet
This is a major determinant of overall health. Several of the locations incorporated legumes into their regular diet. Healthy oils (i.e. extra virgin olive oil), complex carbs including veggies, whole grains, nuts and seeds were also included in many of the diets.
Discuss what an optimal diet might look like for you with your primary care physician and/or registered dietician.

🕺💃Natural movement daily
We all know exercise is important. Movement regularly, daily and often is present in every Blue Zone community. Whether it's dancing festivities or walking up a hill to get to a grocery store, these older communities do not sit around.

😊 Social connection
This is also important and supported by studies as well. It's noted that loneliness and lack of social connection in the elderly can be devastating to their mental and physical healthy. Family and/or a tightly knit community nearby is a commonality in these zones.

✨Purpose for loving
This was a driving factor for many of the zones. Whether is was "Plan de Vida" (life plan) in Nicoya, Costa Rica or Ikigai (reason for being) in Okinawa, Japan, these older folks had something to liver for daily.

🙏Stress relief
This varied in all the zones, however, the different forms all help to reduce stress. Whether it's going to church weekly, having optimism or strong family bonds. They benefited from all the various forms. Just slowing life's pace down was also a common practice.

👴👵 Respect for elders
This hits home for me. As young children and young adults, we were always taught to respect our elders and to soak up the wisdom they had. They truly are a treasure in this regard, and hence why these zones have thrived for generations.

Definitely check out this documentary! It's fun seeing how every zone is different, but how they incorporate some common themes.

#bluezones #longevity #danbuettner by @livebetter_everyday

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a year ago

The medical literature consistently demonstrates that lower grip strength is associated with increased all-cause mortality and reduced longevity across diverse populations and age groups. This association is robust after adjustment for confounders such as age, sex, comorbidities, and lifestyle factors, and is observed in both Western and Asian cohorts.

Grip strength, typically measured by hand dynamometry, shows a near-linear inverse relationship with all-cause mortality: each decrement in grip strength is associated with a higher risk of death. For example, in large cohort studies, a 5 kg reduction in grip strength is associated with a 16–20% increase in all-cause mortality risk. The association is evident from midlife onwards and persists into advanced age. The predictive value of grip strength for mortality is comparable across different countries and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Thresholds for increased mortality risk vary by sex and age, but even modest reductions below age- and sex-adjusted norms are associated with shorter remaining life expectancy. The relationship is particularly strong for cardiovascular and respiratory mortality, while the association with cancer mortality is weaker or inconsistent after adjustment for confounders.

First and foremost, a full body strength routine should be prioritized over grip strength alone. However, grip strength is a simple, inexpensive, and non-invasive biomarker that can be used for risk stratification in clinical practice. You can get a Dynamometer for $20-50 as shown in the 2nd picture to get an objective assessment. The Captain of Crush grippers in the 3rd picture are a great way to progressively improve strength. I’ve gotten to the point of using a heavy gripper 2-4 times every 2-4 minutes for 3 sets several times per week to build power; like to do this while watching some TV after work. Doing more reps can definitely still build the strength but the power (like a 1 rep max goal in weight lifting) is in low reps. #gripstrength #captainofcrushgripper #handdynamometer by @livebetter_everyday

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a year ago

Strength training comes up over and over again as a missing part of lifestyle routines for many of my patients. If you can implement a plan just twice a week for 20-40 minutes focusing on upper and lower body, you can benefit from improved mitochondrial health and density which in turn can help optimize your glucose, lipids and weight management. As a result, fragility as you get older becomes less of a concern as you try to manage your activities of daily living. Your brain also benefits from Brain Derived Neurtrophic Factors helping you to stay sharp cognitively in your later decades. The deadlift shown here is a core powerlifting move. Get guidance from a personal trainer if you want to add this to your practice. #strenghttraining #musclefit #deadlift #physicalactivity #mitochondrialhealth by @livebetter_everyday

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a year ago

Listening to the song in the background during a @hannahfrankson ride made me think of Rumi’s “There’s a universe inside you” quote. I thought the hero theme was great and more accessible in that we’ve all heard or seen stories of heroes. Although we may not be faster than a speeding bullet or made of adamantium, heroic virtues are part of that universe inside us. Life’s difficult journey’s help to shape the hero within us. #herowithin #universeinsideyou #heroofathousandfaces by @livebetter_everyday

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a year ago