What Contributes to a Pro-Inflammatory Lifestyle?
November 15, 2021
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Key Lifestyle habits that contribute to inflammation, and what you can do to manage it.
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Key Lifestyle habits that contribute to inflammation, and what you can do to manage it.
SweatNET Denver is a members-only community that offers group events, on-demand classes, and studio & wellness industry deals. As a member of SweatNet, you’ll have a chance to get to know new people, discover new fitness classes, and find resources to support your health & wellness journey. SweatNet Denver Events Events range from outdoor workouts and guided meditation, to silent-discos and private shopping! As a SweatNET Member, you get access to all these events FOR FREE*. *Certain partnership events require a small fee for add-ons like drinks and swag! SweatNet Streaming Library The Class Library is an extensive collection of workouts and mindfulness-based classes. It’s a great way to try out new instructors or workout styles without leaving home. Pro Tip: The streaming library is such a nice resource when traveling and unable to get to your home studio. SweatNet Deals & Member Discounts One of the greatest perks of a SweatNet membership is the exclusive studio & partner deals. These deals include discounts off of class-packs, merchandise discounts, membership discounts and BOGO deals. It’s not just limited to sweating: find deals at local restaurants AND recovery centers. By using your SweatNet Denver membership smartly- you’ll easily make up the $9.97 cost in discounts! Click here to browse local deals. The Facility has a featured SweatNet Denver deal: $25 off an Initial 90-Minute Massage. You’ll still save even with the membership fee! Other great deals I love: Restore South Broadway : SweatNet Members save 20% on all services Traverse Fitness : SweatNet Members get $10 Drop-ins and 10% off packages All of these benefits are available for $9.95 a month. No commitment, no contract. Try it out for yourself and see what novelty YOU can bring in your life. Final Thoughts on SweatNet Denver I’m thankful for SweatNet as an outlet for meeting new people and trying new experiences. I love finding ways to be both active and social, and SweatNet is that answer. I’m looking forward to exploring the resource library for new classes, new recipes, and related health tips! Will you join me? You May Also Like: Fall Weekend Getaway: Buena Vista Colorado What It’s Like to Row 150K in a Month Want to work with a functional nutritionist to personalize your diet? Struggling with hormone imbalance, IBS, weight gain, mood changes? Let’s look at FOOD FIRST. Read more about Functional Nutrition at The Facility here. CLICK HERE to schedule a FREE 15-Minute Nutrition Consult with Kate to determine your best course of action!
Before the “Iron Lung Challenge” was presented, I had determined for my own health to row a minimum of 20,000 meters per week from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day. (Attempting to row 150K was not on my radar.) I was looking for a way to maintain my cardiovascular fitness as the weather got colder, the days got darker, and I would typically feel my motivation wane. I thought this was a reasonable addition to my usual CrossFit schedule: simply picking up an extra 20 mins of rowing a few times per week. Lo and behold, shortly after I began my endeavor, Decima Crossfit announced the challenge. The stakes: the athlete that gets the most meters on the rower during December will win $100. All meters must be at Decima, and the daily WODs don’t count towards the score. As a bonus, the first athlete to get a marathons worth of meters (that’s 42,195) will get $50. When I read the details, I wasn’t immediately in. I thought, “well, that complements my rowing goals … but I’ll probably just keep to myself.” The rowing AT Decima was a big drawback for me, since I enjoy rowing at The Facility separate from daily workouts. The first day I stayed after class to row was December 2. It felt good. The rowing is mindless, repetitive, and so soothing for an anxious brain. On the rower, I’m able to tap into a place of peace and zone out. For the most part, I keep my competitive drive in check. I am sensitive to overtraining and Crossfit has historically not been the best on my hormone balance. Therefore, I must not let my ego run wild or I get burnt out very quickly. I LOVE CrossFit and the community, so it’s a very humbling balance for me. However, I couldn’t hold it in with this challenge. I MISS being competitive. I MISS finding that inner drive to WIN. And THAT REALLY FELT GOOD. It only took a few days for me to realize I had this one. By day four, I had the month mapped out in my head – 20,000 per week, I’d be at the marathon mark somewhere in the third week – simple. During the first few days, I even had a few competitors to outwork. Thank you to Phil, Sharon, and Tim for the initial spring. I just rowed. And kept rowing. 42,195 came A LOT quicker than I planned. At some point, Megan offhandedly upped the stakes, “So, you’re going to row 100K this month?” —-Yes, Megan, I GUESS I AM. The competition changed from a competition amongst members (sorry, friends) to a competition within myself. I let the fire burn and upped the stakes week-to-week. I’m proud to have kept going, and I’m really looking forward to a break from that seat. Here are a few things that helped me row 150K meters in December 2020… Protecting my gut, adrenals, hormones Endurance training has been demonstrated to cause an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-a, IL-1, and IL-6. This inflammatory response is thought to contribute to dysbiosis, modifications of the microbiome, gut mucousal changes and ultimately increased gastrointestinal permeability. This is what is commonly referred to as “leaky gut.” Leaky Gut, or Intestinal hypermeability, can lead to a number of downstream problems. It is a vicious internal cycle of the worse the leaky gut, the more susceptible you are to the causes of the leaky gut, and so on.. (See “Your leaky gut didn’t cause your leaky gut..”) However, exercise-induced hyper permeability (documented by LPS) can be decreased with a sensitive diet and the addition of probiotic species. I chose to combat the likelihood of leaky gut complications by following a strict diet and consuming strain-specific probiotics for gastrointestinal health. In this case, I adhered to a largely nose-to-tail carnivore diet. Yep, it may seem extreme for many. For optimal GI health, an elimination diet avoiding grains, corn, low-fat dairy, peanuts, and soy may be sufficient. However, I have found that I feel my best when avoiding ALL plant fibers. When I am eating a carnivore diet, I use animal sources to get all the nutrients I need. To do so, I include organ meats, bone broth, connective tissues, oily fish, and occasional full-fat or fermented dairy. [Note that I believe every diet needs to be very individualized. MY “carnivore” diet will look very different than someone else’s because I understand where my tolerance lies. See more about other foods I included below]. Because I am particularly sensitive to overtraining with history of hormone dysregulation; I had to put some measures in place to protect my adrenals. I chose to eliminate caffeine for the month of December. Endurance exercise is a particularly taxing (read: stressful) activity; so it was important to minimize other avenues of stress. While in the correct dosage and timing, coffee can be particularly anti-inflammatory, I found that the positives were not greater than the influence of caffeine (especially early morning) on my cortisol rhythm. Decaf December it was! Nutrition for 150K of Rowing In bouts of rowing 5000 to 10000 meters (on average) I likely burned somewhere between 300-500 calories. Unlike strength training, the calorie burn from cardiovascular exercise is largely isolated to the time spent on the machine. This doesn’t put me in a huge caloric deficit, but it was something I wanted to stay on top of to maintain my energy, strength, and stamina since I continued with normal CrossFit WODs as well. Weight loss was not a goal of mine during this month of rowing, so I adding in supplemental nutrition to account for the additional calories burned. Most days, this was in the form of a high-quality grass-fed protein shake immediately after exercise. My go-to shake was coconut milk (homemade, using The Almond Cow) + Equip Protein + Blueberries (depending on WOD). In addition to protein, I also consumed raw honey daily. I prefer this animal source of
Overtraining can be a problem, especially for females. Learn how to recognize signs of overtraining and what practices to put in place to prevent exercise burnout. In our culture, we feel the need to go-go-go and don’t take the necessary time to REST and RECOVER. This cycle keeps us undernourished, fatigued, and restless and leads to downstream effects. Often, those downstream effects are things that KEEP US OVERTRAINED- i.e., weight gain, stubborn weight, and mood issues. We often think, “Man, I need to work HARDER to get rid of this extra fluff..” when the opposite may be true. Here are some of the key signs of overtraining to look out for as a woman Soreness. One of the obvious signs of overtraining is being sore all the time. Now, every once in a while you may have a really great workout that leaves you quaking every time you squat down or face a flight of stairs: that’s not really what I’m talking about. But, if you’re getting intensely sore after every workout that lingers for a few days.. that’s a big clue that you are overtraining. You’re either working too hard OR not recovering enough, which kinda amounts to the same thing. It takes time for your body to condition to regular workouts, but after a while you should settle into a place where your workouts leave you energized. You should be able to workout days in a row without being in pain or experiencing muscle fatigue. Motivation changes. If you start to notice motivation changes, this is a really big sign of overtraining. Like (regularly) waking up and wanting to cancel your workout… it maybe isn’t serving you the best it could. Especially if you are a woman who LOVES to workout and be in the gym! Listen to your body. Find movement that energizes and excites you. Somedays that might be a leisurely amble around the block. Somedays it may be a restorative yoga session. And when you’re feeling it, it can be a kick-ass power HIIT session that you CRUSH. Plateaus. This can be in many facets of life: gym to diet. If something that has worked for you for a really long time suddenly stops working, it’s a good time to step back and re-evaluate. Plateaus happen (and they are ok), but a lot of times our adjustment is to work harder to push past it rather than backing down. Recognize that sometimes you need to take more time off (from the gym, from a diet) in order to come back stronger. Recovery is King It’s easy to forget that the recovery period, the time away from the gym, is when you are actually getting stronger. The hard workout is when you’re beating your body down, tearing your muscles. It’s the time OFF that allows you to rebuild and recover stronger. They MUST happen together. Really, it comes down to committing fully it each side. If you have the time to get a hard workout in everyday, then you have the time to recover. You just aren’t prioritizing it. When you’re in the gym, WORK YOUR ASS OFF. When you’re not, RELAX HARD. Mediocre workouts (due to overtraining fatigue / waning motivation) + Incomplete recovery = A recipe for metabolic dysfunction and hormonal imbalance. My favorite recovery tips? Just take a break. If you can’t force it upon yourself, consider booking a massage or soft-tissue work for scheduled recovery. Other modalities like infrared sauna, PEMF, and meditation can offer rest and rejuvenation. It’s also essential that you are fueling yourself for your workout. For athletes, I often recommend using Macro Tracking to ensure you’re consuming adequate protein and calories to support expenditure. Try my FREE GUIDE TO MACROS as a starting point for understanding how this works. You May Also Like: What It’s Like to Row 150K In A Month Colorado Hike Series: Culebra Peak
Since a young age, I have played team sports. The competition, community, and teamwork mindset has become an internal part of who I am. From youth t-ball to college field hockey, I have always had my team to motivate, inspire, and support me. After graduating and moving to Colorado, I turned to hiking and skiing and biking to fulfill my physical activity—but I felt a little out of place without the accountability of daily practices and the excitement of upcoming games. I lost my drive, and with it, my fitness. I no longer felt like an ATHLETE. In January 2017, I got over my fears (of the stereotypes, the injuries, the price) and enrolled in Intro to CrossFit at Project Move. I committed myself for one month to try it out….and I haven’t looked back since. From day one, I felt that sense of belonging that I had been missing. Not just belonging in a social sense, but the kind of belonging that you feel deep within; the set your soul on fire type of contentment. I was “drinking the kool-aid” and wanted to shout it out! CrossFit has given me so much more than power shoulders and superior VO2 Max. It has shown me what a true community is. I have learned how to be more accepting of all people, how to minimize my judgements and really get to know people. There’s no bonding experience quite like a 5am WOD: covered in sweat, sprawled out feeling like you might die, and getting a fistbump from a badass 57 year old with a smile on his face having just gone through the same thing. I’ve gained lifelong friends by letting go of my attitude and “forging elite fitness” among some of the most unlikely of humans. As much as I thrive on competition—I have to admit my favorite part of Project Move isn’t that it stokes my competitive fire, it’s the extraordinary community I’ve found myself welcomed into. Over the past year and a half I have improved greatly both mentally and physically. I’ve had months of pushing myself and months of scaling back. I have shown up crying, I have shown up laughing. I’ve been welcomed and supported through it all. I’ve learned a balance of intensity and effort: and learned how to train for longevity—I want to do this when I’m old! If you’ve thought about joining CrossFit I want to tell you to DO IT. Stop being afraid of “not being good enough” or being judged. NO ONE CARES if you scale every single workout for a year. Or two years. Here are my top reasons why I love CrossFit at Project Move: 1. I’m never bored. I love the CrossFit style workouts because they vary in intensity, duration, and skill from day-to-day. It’s not all meathead heavy lifting and its certainly not the boring cardio machine grind. The WOD (“workout of the day”) is programmed to work well from one day to the next, so I don’t get burnt out going 5-6 times per week. 2. I see measurable results. Results that go way beyond the scale. Lifting PRs, Performance measures, and greater ease of LIVING LIFE. I love knowing I am in shape to do ANYTHING I want to do, I never have to consider my fitness holding me back. 3. I’ve learned proper form and technique. CrossFit is a traditionally small group setting, so I’ve gotten very specialized training in complex movements. I am thankful for our skilled coaches who have spent a LOT of hours (and probably a bit of frustration) teaching me how to safely lift heavy weights. CrossFit has a stigma of injury, but it comes down to proper preparation, and personal responsibility. Injuries happen when the ego is too great. 4. I’m challenged and I’m empowered. I’ve accomplished things I didn’t think I would, I feel incredibly strong and confident in who I am beyond the limits of the gym. 5. I found a community like NO OTHER. Yes, CrossFit is expensive. Yes, CrossFit is polarizing. Yes, CrossFit is difficult. IT IS ALL WORTH IT. I’m so thankful for my health, my friendships, the built-in support, and the lifestyle I’ve adopted. xx, Kate
Having my large gym bag packed is one easy way I keep myself accountable to my workout schedule. I always have what I need- so when schedules change and I have a free hour… to the gym I go! Here are a few essentials that I always keep: Headphones: I’ve gotten out of the habit of wearing headphones. I love the community at my crossfit gym where we are all in it together. There is usually pumped music playing, and I enjoy interacting with others. However, on days at big box gyms I love that solo time to be in-the-zone. Nike Metcon: I switch between Metcon and Nano. I typically like my Nikes for workouts with more running/jumping, and prefer Nano for heavier lifting, rope climbs, and any lateral work. Hat: For when I really need the blinders on. My craft-saavy Mom monogrammed this Lulu hat for me. Bonus- keeps my hair tamed and out of my face when I’m working out at the end of the day. Doterra: I love Deep Blue Rub for post-workout soreness. BUT It is just as good as a pre-workout muscle warm-up. I like to put it on hamstrings and quads prior to squat-heavy days and on my shoulders for overhead-heavy workouts. My other go-to intra-workout oils are Peppermint for mental focus and Breathe for, well, breathing. [To order Doterra visit my recommended products page] Rocktape: When I injured my shoulder in the fall, Rocktape was instrumental in my recovery. It helped me feel ‘stable’ when I started easing back in, and served as a tactical reminder to stay in correct position. I had a stretch injury, so keeping the capsule tight eased any pain and allowed me to keep working out through recovery. Rocktape is NOT a stand-in for proper recovery NOR a crutch..but I believe in its power in the right capacity. My gym bag tends to become my call bag which becomes my throw-everything-I-have-in-it bag and I end up with 50lbs of gear by the end of the week. Anyone feel me?