Drinking water can be a meaningful source of microplastics and associated chemicals, including BPA and PFAS, and reverse osmosis is one of the most effective ways to reduce them. I recently installed a reverse osmosis filter on my kitchen faucet. I wanted filtered water not only for drinking and cooking, but also for washing produce. Soil and water contamination can expose fruits and vegetables to persistent chemicals, so this gives me another practical way to reduce daily exposure. The most important thing is to look for an NSF certification that covers the contaminants you care about and review the system’s performance data. That should tell you what the filter has actually been tested to reduce, and by how much. It can also help address concerns about plastic particles being introduced by the filtration system itself. No filter eliminates every exposure. But because we use water every day, reverse osmosis can be a useful way to reduce the total burden from microplastics and persistent chemicals.

Beetroot juice may offer a small boost in aerobic capacity (VO₂ max), particularly for recreational exercisers. A benefit in highly trained athletes isn't clearly demonstrated. Oral bacteria convert beetroot’s nitrate into nitrite, which your body can then convert into nitric oxide. This molecule relaxes blood vessels and may help deliver more oxygen to working muscles. This biology interests me beyond fitness. Years ago, I gave my mother beet extract powder after she was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Two weeks later, her blood pressure measured normal. My mother-in-law had a similar experience! Using beetroot juice for exercise was something I started considering after interviewing @DrAndyGalpin on the podcast! I can attest to its effects after using it multiple times before a hard workout.

Dr Rhonda Patrick says receipts are covered in BPA, and hand sanitiser or lotion can carry about a hundredfold more of it into your bloodstream. Her advice: get receipts emailed, and if you're a cashier, wear nitrile gloves because latex won't protect you. @foundmyfitness

I want you to eat blueberries, just not with bananas (unless you really want to). In my new episode, I examine the evidence for blueberries' benefits on blood flow, brain aging, glucose regulation, gut health, inflammation, and exercise recovery. Blueberries improve the ability of arteries to relax and deliver blood to the brain, heart, and working muscles. They can improve insulin sensitivity and buffer the blood-sugar response to a calorie-rich meal. Human interventions have also demonstrated improved aspects of memory and cognition in older adults, while observational data link regular blueberry intake to slower cognitive decline. This isn’t simply an antioxidant story. Blueberry polyphenols act like biological signals, influencing nitric oxide, inflammation, gene expression, and possibly neuronal plasticity. I also revisit the controversial banana-smoothie question, and explain why I take a cautious approach when my goal is maximizing blueberry-polyphenol exposure. The full episode is out now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Enjoy! Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 1:15 - Beyond antioxidants 3:01 - The polyphenols that matter 5:18 - Three layers of brain evidence 6:30 - Memory & cognitive flexibility 9:05 - Slower cognitive aging 10:14 - Why dementia estimates diverge 13:33 - Brain benefits beyond blood flow 16:18 - Helping arteries widen on demand 21:22 - One cup vs. half a cup 24:09 - Vascular effects after menopause 24:32 - The cardiovascular evidence chain 27:09 - From nitric oxide to 600 genes 33:14 - Why insulin findings conflict 37:10 - A modest HbA1c improvement 37:54 - Post-meal glucose control 39:51 - Three cohorts, one pattern 40:16 - Metabolic benefits under strain 41:19 - Gut function vs. composition 45:10 - When poor absorption may help 46:44 - Exercise performance vs. recovery 49:53 - The blender as a reaction chamber 53:22 - How quinones degrade anthocyanins 56:38 - The 2023 banana smoothie study 1:02:28 - Why avocado over banana? 1:04:58 - The case for one cup daily

I want you to eat blueberries, just not with bananas (unless you really want to). In my new episode, I examine the evidence for blueberries' benefits on blood flow, brain aging, glucose regulation, gut health, inflammation, and exercise recovery. Blueberries improve the ability of arteries to relax and deliver blood to the brain, heart, and working muscles. They can improve insulin sensitivity and buffer the blood-sugar response to a calorie-rich meal. Human interventions have also demonstrated improved aspects of memory and cognition in older adults, while observational data link regular blueberry intake to slower cognitive decline. This isn’t simply an antioxidant story. Blueberry polyphenols act like biological signals, influencing nitric oxide, inflammation, gene expression, and possibly neuronal plasticity. I also revisit the controversial banana-smoothie question, and explain why I take a cautious approach when my goal is maximizing blueberry-polyphenol exposure. The full episode is out now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Enjoy! Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 1:15 - Beyond antioxidants 3:01 - The polyphenols that matter 5:18 - Three layers of brain evidence 6:30 - Memory & cognitive flexibility 9:05 - Slower cognitive aging 10:14 - Why dementia estimates diverge 13:33 - Brain benefits beyond blood flow 16:18 - Helping arteries widen on demand 21:22 - One cup vs. half a cup 24:09 - Vascular effects after menopause 24:32 - The cardiovascular evidence chain 27:09 - From nitric oxide to 600 genes 33:14 - Why insulin findings conflict 37:10 - A modest HbA1c improvement 37:54 - Post-meal glucose control 39:51 - Three cohorts, one pattern 40:16 - Metabolic benefits under strain 41:19 - Gut function vs. composition 45:10 - When poor absorption may help 46:44 - Exercise performance vs. recovery 49:53 - The blender as a reaction chamber 53:22 - How quinones degrade anthocyanins 56:38 - The 2023 banana smoothie study 1:02:28 - Why avocado over banana? 1:04:58 - The case for one cup daily

This is exactly why I’ve become such a fan of exercise snacks. A few minutes of breathless effort can deliver a surprisingly large biological signal. Your cells don’t care whether the signal came from a gym. Five minutes can restart the habit and still deliver a meaningful physiological stimulus.

FYI - inhalation is a major route for microplastic exposure, particularly to the brain. Brains of Alzheimer's disease patients have been shown to have ~10 times the levels of microplastics than those from people without dementia.

Using a HEPA air purifier improved cognitive function by 12% in middle-aged and older adults. And they only used it for a month! That's a meaningful improvement in a short amount of time, all from a simple purchase you can make for your home.

Exercise and meditation don’t have to compete for your time. You can do both at once. Mindfulness can be practiced during physical activity, including vigorous aerobic exercise. That combination may be especially interesting because aerobic exercise is a powerful stimulus for neuroplasticity, increasing the brain’s capacity to change in response to experience. Pairing the neuroplastic effects of exercise with intentional mental training is an opportunity to cultivate awareness, connection, compassion, or other constructive states of mind. From the latest episode of the FoundMyFitness podcast with @RichieJDavidson.

Five minutes of meditation a day can produce measurable changes well beyond the brain. Dr. Richard Davidson describes new data showing that just 5 minutes of daily meditation for 28 days significantly reduced IL-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine. They also observed changes in the gut microbiome including shifts in pathways involved in the production of the short-chain fatty acid butyrate, which helps maintain intestinal barrier integrity and has important effects on immune and metabolic function. Some of these changes were still detectable up to 3 months after the formal intervention ended! There's a growing body of evidence that training the mind can produce measurable biological effects throughout the body, and meaningful changes may not require hours of meditation every day. New episode with @RichieJDavidson out now!

New episode with Dr. Richard J. Davidson (@RichieJDavidson). He has spent more than four decades asking whether well-being can be trained. His answer is yes—but the training does not have to happen only on a meditation cushion. In this episode, we explore “contemplative aerobics”: combining physical exercise with awareness, connection, insight, or purpose. We can use a run, walk, warm-up, commute, or chore to return attention to the present, see thoughts as transient events, and connect daily effort to something larger than ourselves. Richard explains his four pillars of flourishing, how attention and stress communicate with the immune system, and the incredible evidence linking meditation with inflammation, asthma, and the gut microbiome. We also discuss how generosity and purpose can shift well-being beyond the self and much, much more! The central message is that physical and mental exercise can strengthen one another, and flourishing grows through small practices repeated in ordinary life. This is a can't-miss conversation. Links to the episode on all platforms in the comments below. Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 0:55 - Meditate or exercise? 4:38 - The biology of loneliness 6:18 - Can compassion be trained? 8:48 - Timing meditation around exercise 12:03 - The foundations of flourishing 18:11 - The six emotional styles 25:45 - When emotional styles go too far 27:35 - Shaping the brain on purpose 30:19 - When neuroplasticity backfires 32:06 - The right dose of adversity 35:53 - Why kids stay present 37:47 - Strength training as mindfulness 43:48 - Can mindset change biology? 48:18 - Precision training for the mind 49:59 - Can 5 minutes lower inflammation? 55:08 - The meditation–microbiome link 59:22 - The brain's map of your organs 1:03:56 - The stress-inflammation buffer 1:05:32 - Meditation in motion 1:08:50 - Gratitude at every meal 1:10:34 - When meditation raises anxiety 1:12:58 - Children absorb parental stress 1:18:07 - Can connection extend life? 1:21:04 - How connection curbs self-focus 1:23:35 - Why giving feels better 1:25:54 - Finding purpose in ordinary life 1:30:29 - How curiosity loosens pessimism 1:33:57 - Flourishing without meditation 1:36:28 - Why exercise alone isn't enough

New episode with Dr. Richard J. Davidson (@RichieJDavidson). He has spent more than four decades asking whether well-being can be trained. His answer is yes—but the training does not have to happen only on a meditation cushion. In this episode, we explore “contemplative aerobics”: combining physical exercise with awareness, connection, insight, or purpose. We can use a run, walk, warm-up, commute, or chore to return attention to the present, see thoughts as transient events, and connect daily effort to something larger than ourselves. Richard explains his four pillars of flourishing, how attention and stress communicate with the immune system, and the incredible evidence linking meditation with inflammation, asthma, and the gut microbiome. We also discuss how generosity and purpose can shift well-being beyond the self and much, much more! The central message is that physical and mental exercise can strengthen one another, and flourishing grows through small practices repeated in ordinary life. This is a can't-miss conversation. Links to the episode on all platforms in the comments below. Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 0:55 - Meditate or exercise? 4:38 - The biology of loneliness 6:18 - Can compassion be trained? 8:48 - Timing meditation around exercise 12:03 - The foundations of flourishing 18:11 - The six emotional styles 25:45 - When emotional styles go too far 27:35 - Shaping the brain on purpose 30:19 - When neuroplasticity backfires 32:06 - The right dose of adversity 35:53 - Why kids stay present 37:47 - Strength training as mindfulness 43:48 - Can mindset change biology? 48:18 - Precision training for the mind 49:59 - Can 5 minutes lower inflammation? 55:08 - The meditation–microbiome link 59:22 - The brain's map of your organs 1:03:56 - The stress-inflammation buffer 1:05:32 - Meditation in motion 1:08:50 - Gratitude at every meal 1:10:34 - When meditation raises anxiety 1:12:58 - Children absorb parental stress 1:18:07 - Can connection extend life? 1:21:04 - How connection curbs self-focus 1:23:35 - Why giving feels better 1:25:54 - Finding purpose in ordinary life 1:30:29 - How curiosity loosens pessimism 1:33:57 - Flourishing without meditation 1:36:28 - Why exercise alone isn't enough

Lutein and zeaxanthin may be among the most evidence-backed carotenoids for longevity They accumulate in the brain, where higher lutein levels are associated with greater crystallized intelligence (RCTs show that lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation can improve some measures of cognitive function) Evidence also suggests they may slow progression to advanced macular degeneration in high-risk individuals Kale is exceptionally high in lutein, and both carotenoids can also be obtained from certain multivitamins

More protein does not necessarily mean more muscle. For most people doing resistance training, gains in muscle and strength appear to plateau around 1.6 g/kg/day. But there’s a good reason to push protein higher when the goal is fat loss or body recomposition. Higher protein intake can: - increase satiety and make a calorie deficit easier to sustain - help preserve lean mass so more of the weight lost comes from fat - modestly increase energy expenditure through the thermic effect of food This often gets lost in debates about “optimal” protein intake. You may not need more than ~1.6 g/kg/day to maximize muscle growth, but higher intakes can still be useful when you’re trying to lose fat without losing muscle.

Zinc supplementation improved insulin resistance, inflammation, and oxidative stress in people with diabetes or prediabetes, even though it didn't clearly lower blood glucose. This fits with the biology of zinc. Inside the pancreas, it helps insulin molecules assemble into compact structures so they can be safely stored and released when blood glucose rises. Zinc also supports insulin signaling and antioxidant defenses, both of which can become disrupted in diabetes. This doesn’t mean everyone should supplement. Any benefit may depend heavily on whether someone is getting enough zinc in the first place, while excessive zinc intake carries risks of its own (like interfering with copper absorption).

How this affects the brain: "Exercise improves brain health in the long term, through the deployment of things like BDNF, through the deployment of things like osteocalcin, and on and on. But it also does so by improving your sleep." "If you're slightly sleep deprived, sure go ahead and exercise. That will actually help you offset some of the negative effects of that sleep deprivation, but you want to be careful how you exercise so you don't get sick and you don't get injured." "You don't want to get into a habit of using exercise as a way to compensate for sleep loss." "After about 10 days of not doing any training, that is no cardiovascular training, no resistance training, you start to see significant decrements in brain oxygenation levels." "Rapid eye movement sleep is the kind of king of reshaping your brain connections for the better. Just a little bit of REM deprivation will make you more emotional and will make the painful experiences of recent and distant past also more painful." "Sleep is the thing that mediates many, not all, but many of the positive effects of exercise on brain performance and long-term brain health." @hubermanlab

Should you still exercise if you’re sleep deprived? In most cases, yes. Just don’t make it your hardest workout. A single night of insufficient sleep can worsen insulin sensitivity and increase inflammatory signaling. But studies suggest physical activity can help blunt some of those effects. Long-term data also show that people sleeping fewer than 7 hours per night tend to have higher mortality risk, yet among people meeting physical activity guidelines, much of that excess risk appears to be attenuated. This does not mean you can exercise your way out of chronic sleep deprivation. Sleep is still foundational. But after the occasional bad night, some movement may be one of the better things you can do, even if exercise is often the last thing you feel like doing. From my last appearance on @hubermanlab.

In last week's newsletter, I talked about how resistance training can support cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women. It's not just aerobic exercise! You can now read the issue - and sign up for free - in our archive. We send it out every week.

Plastic chemicals may be one of the more overlooked contributors to declining testosterone levels The pattern starts before birth, when normal testosterone signaling is critical for male sexual development Higher phthalate exposure during pregnancy is associated with undescended testes, hypospadias, and shorter anogenital distance Undescended testes, in particular, carry risks well beyond development (impaired fertility and a major risk factor for testicular cancer) The trend continues into adulthood: large NHANES studies find that men with higher phthalate levels have substantially lower testosterone

Even 10 minutes of very slow running (~35% of VO2 max intensity) elicits a pleasant mood, improves executive function, and activates the prefrontal cortex -