The Misfit Project is a health, lifestyle and wellness podcast aimed at providing useful information while bringing people together to implement healthier habits from nutrition, to sleep, to mindfulness.
You asked, we answered...again! This week on the Misfit Project we've compiled some listener questions and sat down to dive deep into some answers.
Episode 17 - The Ketogenic Diet
Apr 10, 2018
Show notes
This week on the Misfit Project we break down the wildly trending ketogenic diet. Defining what causes the body to produce ketones and what technically constitutes an exact ketogenic diet is the first task we go after, but often these sort of details fall short of helping someone achieve the results they’re seeking.
The real goal in this episode is to go after the actual reasoning behind why this works so well for so many people, and in turn, allow that to guide anyone looking into implementing a ketogenic diet. Long story short this diet works because of the impact it has on our blood sugar. A diet that clears up the gut bugs begging for sugar, mitigates hunger, and lacks energy crashes is a diet that can become very repeatable, even in a calorie deficit. That being said the critical portion of that sentence as it relates to your success or failure on this diet is the deficit. If we overeat on this diet, we are still going to struggle to lose weight. The body will never need to turn to our body fat for energy if we’re going beyond filling up our cells with the energy they need. The myth that you can eat as much as you want if the carbs aren’t involved is usually one that’s being used to sell something. The reality is we will typically take in fewer calories on this diet due to the normalization of blood sugar.
The final stab at ensuring someone can have a successful run at this way of eating is making sure they’re taking in a hefty dose of vegetables. We need that insoluble fiber to work its magic on our gut biome that is newly rid of the sugar bugs. Once you’ve dialed in a way to make the bulk of your diet healthy fats, nutrient dense protein, and vegetables, it’s time to introduce fasting into the equation. The benefits of intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet are very harmonious together.
We hope you enjoy a glimpse into the keto world as we see it. If you decide to give it (or one of the variations explained) a try, let us know how it goes!
Episode 16 - Andrew Hurley
Mar 22, 2018
Show notes
This week on the Misfit Project we chat with THE Andrew Hurley (Fall Out Boy/Sect/Etc drummer extraordinaire). The conversation ranges from Andy’s struggles on the road all the way to the topic of using technology to our advantage without it also being to our detriment. This is certainly the first “conversational” style podcast so let us know if we should keep sprinkling these in every once in a while.
Episode 15 - Hot and Cold Part 2 - The COLD Episode
Mar 08, 2018
Show notes
This week on the Misfit Project we cover the other half of the hot and cold conversation we began last week in episode 14. As we mentioned with all of the reasons to incorporate heat acclimation into your routine, the information on both sides of the conversation we just too great to present in one episode. Now it’s time to dig into cold therapy and the vast array of benefits it can provide.
In the heat acclimation episode, we talked a lot about the release and benefits of norepinephrine and heat shock proteins. This week norepinephrine is back in a big way with great research backing its release during cold therapy, along with familiarly named and efficacious cold shock proteins. Along with a multitude of other factors, these two benefits are the primary drivers of cold exposure resulting in improved brain function, mood, immune system, body composition, performance, and recovery.
The use of cold therapy for depression can be traced back much further than the research supporting it. From an evolutionary biology standpoint, we can understand that completely removing ourselves from our past has enormous consequences on our hormones and neurotransmitters; we can follow why things like hot, cold, and the great outdoors would affect us. The good news is we can choose when and how to add these stressors now, which makes them even more likely to be beneficial.
When we dig back into the conversation of thermogenesis, it's quickly understood how we could burn fat as a result of naturally trying to warm ourselves back up. What’s potentially even more interesting than this simple process is the byproduct. The process of ramping up our metabolism to heat ourselves up creates the production of mitochondria in the fat which shows up on a microscope as a browning effect, hence the name of the highly beneficial brown adipose tissue or BAT. BAT, unlike standard white adipose tissue, can burn energy in the form of white adipose tissue as a means of heating our bodies up. The more acclimated to the cold we get, the more brown fat we accumulate.
The process of producing mitochondria as a result of cold exposure is a nice transition into the concept of cold being a catalyst for aerobic capacity. The ability to use oxygen as means for cellular energy production in endurance sports is primarily driven by mitochondrial density, and our ability to perform mitochondrial biogenesis as a means for improved aerobic function is found within the world of cold therapy. Before we jump into the how and when of this conversation it’s important to note the potent recovery effects of cold therapy through two pathways. The first is a very personal and intuitive one that relies on the understanding of what a healthy mind can do for recovery. As I say to a lot of my athletes: stress is the number one killer of the gainz. The second concept is in close relation to the protein synthesis vs. degradation conversation we had last week on the heat acclimation episode, but instead of heat shock proteins playing a significant role in the plus side, it’s cold shock proteins to the rescue this week.
Most of the research you will hear in this podcast is tied closely to either cold water immersion or cryotherapy. The debate on which to choose draws a close comparison to the wet vs. dry sauna conversation. We can last much longer at higher temperatures in the dry sauna, just as we can cover more surface area and spend much more time in the cold water than the cryo-chamber. Both mediums are backed by science, and both can have great benefits, that’s why I think everyone healthy enough to do so should try both. At the end of the day, this topic is about getting cold, and we’re looking for people to test out what works for them regarding how often and how long they do this. And as with any new stressor, we’re intentionally adding to our routine, take it slow and build up to a schedule that works for you.
Hope everyone enjoys the episode, and as always: don’t talk about it, be about it.
Episode 14 - Hot and Cold Part 1 - The HOT Episode
Mar 01, 2018
Show notes
This week on the Misfit Project we take a deep dive into the world of heat acclimation via sauna. The original concept for the episode was the cover the science and how to of hot AND cold exposure, but the notes on heat grew and grew to the point where you now see a 'Part 1' attached to the title.
The research on sauna use is very promising which helps us provide a link between something we know feels beneficial from an intuitive standpoint with a strong scientific backing. As you’ll hear in our list of statistics, there are some very eye-opening numbers presented which in full disclosure are there to pique your interest enough to join us on the deeper dive into what is really going on and how it could affect your personal goals or overall health
If we split the benefits up into the two apparent categories of body and mind, it becomes a little easier to grasp the breadth of what takes place during heat acclimation. In simple terms, the body acclimates to the heat and provides a new and improved cooling system during exercise which allows for lower strain via core temperature control, and lowered heart rate due to enhanced blood flow. On the side of muscle building we need to be cognizant of the things that help us build up the protein structures in relation to what breaks them down, and lucky for us there are some significant benefits on the building side with heat acclimation. Last but certainly not least is the massive effect sauna has on our insulin sensitivity and in turn, our blood sugar levels. With the diabetes epidemic in our country, we need to be vigilant with the outreach on simple activities that can have significant effects on our peers.
As we shift over to the mind, it’s important to take stock in how often we’re trying to optimize our bodies in relation to the brain. We must get over the fact that the results aren’t as easy to measure and take into consideration a healthy mind isn’t just sharp and powerful but also emotionally strong. That’s where the stars of the show come in: neropinephrine, prolactin, and BDNF. We’re talking massive increases here on our friends that help with mood, memory, rebuilding brain cells, vigilance, brain function, and on the list goes.
It wouldn’t be an episode of the Misfit Project if there weren’t a built-in message here. When we read between the lines, we can see that this is another form of resilience we can add to our list of preparation for anything. When we learn to withstand giving in to these controlled stressors, we understand how capable we truly are of taking on anything.
We really hope you guys enjoyed the first part of the hot and cold series. The real question for all of us now is just how and where we’re going to get into these saunas. Otherwise, we would just be talking, and you know how we feel about that...
Episode 13 - Strong Women
Feb 14, 2018
Show notes
This week on the Misfit Project we enlisted the help of CrossFit Games Women Mekenzie Riley and Chyna Cho in hopes that their personal stories will help convince other women to make strength training a part of their movement practice. It’s important to hear stories we can relate to in our search to find the best practices for ourselves.
In the long term it is our hope that we can convince women all over the world to add squats, lunges, deadlifts, sled pushes, pressing, and so on to their movement practice. In terms of “bang for your buck” these movements are at the top of the list. Not only are the health benefits plentiful, not having to spend hours and hours on your movement practice every day allows for the rest and recovery we all need.
We hope you guys enjoy this episdoe and can relate to what Kenzie and Chyna have to say about their history with this topic. If you know of someone struggling with the reconciliation of being strong and healthy with the social landscape, send them our way!
Episode 12 - 4 Tips to Help You Survive Travel
Feb 02, 2018
Show notes
On this episode of the Misfit Project, we dig into the topic of travel. We’re hesitant to call ourselves experts in any category, but if we are experts anywhere, it might be on this issue. Ted and I have traveled the world, often together, extensively over the course of the last six years. Our experiences coupled with the science on where a lot of it comes from was the inspiration for this episode.
The topic of hydration during travel may seem like a simple place to start, but as we’ve learned over the course the last few months of podcasts, simplicity and efficacy are not mutually exclusive. The regulation of our body's ability to use water and electrolytes connects directly to our adrenal glands, which are a big part of stress regulation. The concepts that we present infer that stress both causes dehydration and can be caused by dehydration in reverse.
Our second tip comes from the concept that we need an immune system boost or overhaul BEFORE we leave and not starting during the travel. We see a lot of people at the Hudson News counter in the airport stocking up on Emer-gen-C which leads me to believe this is a last-ditch effort. Knowing that our stress is already elevated and what that does to our immune system, we need to be mindful of that style of supplementing as being too late.
One of the most significant changes our travel tribe has made is making sure that we both find time to exercise in the morning and encourage our counterparts to do so as well. There’s something so incredibly relieving about the feeling you get after coming down from a morning travel workout. It’s as if you went in one side feeling like you were going to have a rough day and come out the other side ready for anything.
Lastly, we tackle the immensely important concept of reverse engineering both your home and travel experiences. If you love the comforts of home and stress out about travel, how can you improve that? And conversely, if you’re always waiting to go on vacation to be happy, what is happening on vacation that be brought back home? If you think about it, you’ll realize the power of your perception.
We hope all of our fellow road warriors out there find something new on this episode, and as always: Don’t talk about it, Be about it.
Episode 11 - Functional Medicine
Jan 22, 2018
Show notes
Meneah Hayworth - Functional Medicine Practitioner
This week on the Misfit Project we interview Functional Medicine Practitioner Meneah Haworth. It was important to us to have our first interview be about a topic we are very passionate about. The concept of having our healthcare system focus primarily on preventative medicine could truly be the most important issue we face as a country in the US.
Rather than fall in line with the restraints of conventional medicine, Meneah took it upon herself to enroll in the Institute for Functional Medicine and take a position where she can impact lives of people that begin their journey within the current system. We really enjoyed interviewing her about where her passion to make these decisions came from and what we can expect from making functional medicine a part of our life.
Episode 10 - Intermittent Fasting
Jan 16, 2018
Show notes
This week on The Misfit Project we break down the science, benefits, and how-to of intermittent fasting. Digging through the research was a very eye-opening experience in regards to consistency of results. The scientific method is all about reproducing results to ensure your study wasn’t an anomaly. Study after study cited weight loss, decreased blood glucose, stress reduction, improved gut health, lowered blood pressure, decreased heart disease risk, and the list goes on.
The benefits are undoubtedly there, and we explain the science behind them in the podcast in a style that we hope gets the point across without putting you to sleep. That being said there’s also the intuitive piece of understanding how it specifically works for you and that concept is all about giving your body a break. When you fast, you’re allowing your body to fully digest, to clean out old junky cells, and to starve off the gut bugs that try to tell you sugar is your only path to happiness. We evolved in true periods of feast and famine, and that style of eating is our link to hacking the system and using those periods of famine to our advantage.
The goal of stating the benefits and concepts behind this is pure motivation. We hope that it’s enough to nudge you into finding a fasting schedule that can work for you and your goals. As always try to stack the deck in your favor when you begin. Start somewhere that makes sense for YOU, instead of diving in blindly and falling off the wagon when your willpower runs out.
We wish you all of the luck in the world as you attempt to make this part of your routine. And as always: Don’t talk about it. Be about it.
Episode 9 - Momentum
Jan 08, 2018
Show notes
As we get started on another new year, it’s always a big time of reflection. From the lens of The Misfit Project that observation is based on both mental and physical health. With some new goals in mind, it’s time to head to the drawing board to figure out the best plan of attack for achieving them. We believe that creating momentum in a chosen category (or two) via developing some new habits is the best way to get started. Much of the current landscape is asking us to make very drastic changes in our lives for a few weeks, which often yields phenomenal results. The drawback is the long-term benefits seem to rely much more on your previous health status than your improved situation. The fourteen day challenges outlined in this podcast are geared towards a mix of both concepts. Committing to something that could make a real change, but in what we consider a very doable manner, in hopes that you feel the momentum towards the end and it spills over into the intimately relatable categories.
These challenges are one of our first opportunities to come together as a community and keep in touch with the ways we use and share this information. We can’t wait to head to social media to see how everyone does.
And as always: Don’t talk about it. Be about.
As an added bonus, here is a PDF summarizing the 5 14 Day challenges outlined in this episode!
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