Winter Activities You’ll Love: Intuitive Training = Why Experts Want Us to

Inspiration for Embracing the Season Greater Fitness Results Eat More Veggies

HEALTHY. HAPPY. FOR REAL. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • $5.95

FINDING
MEANING
How Adversity Can
Lead to Personal Growth
p. 52

An Integrative
Approach for
IBS Relief
p. 56

High p.

Hopes!
42

Quick
& Healthy
Roast
Chicken
Recipes
Julia Mancuso,
decorated alpine skier, has her p.
20
sights set on a comeback for
the 2018 Winter Olympics
p. 18
6 Tips
For Your
First Indoor
Cycling Class
November
Jan/Feb 2017 $5.95
2018
THE
REAL
GAINS
BEGIN
NOW
THE ULTIMATE RECOVERY
COMPRESSION

RECOVERY
 2XU RECOVERY is the ultimate compression, featuring
graduated stamping technology for those wanting to
get back to their peak in the fastest possible time.
Proper recovery is essential to any training regimen
to help prevent overuse injuries.

20% OFF
USE CODE: ELM2XU20

* Indicative performance and recovery levels. Information on this product are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical conditions and do
not replace medical advice. For those with medical conditions and injuries, please consult a medical professional.

FEATURES
52 Through the Fire
Tough times can leave us feeling damaged
and discouraged — even shattering our
fundamental assumptions about our
lives and the world. But they also present
opportunities for growth. Learn how we can
grow from adversity and use the experience
to create a more meaningful life.
By Emily Esfahani Smith
IN EVERY ISSUE
4 Experience Life Digital
9 Editor’s Note by Jamie Martin
11 Talk to Us
87 Perspective by Bahram Akradi
88 Meditation
14 Well Informed
A call for greater cosmetics regulation, the
rise of type 2 diabetes among teens, what's
inside your mac-and-cheese dinner, and more.
18 On the Cover
Olympic Spirit
Alpine skier Julia Mancuso on her pursuit of
the 2018 Winter Olympics and why she's
taking a different approach this time around.
By Heidi Wachter
2 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018
56 Gut Feelings
Irritable bowel syndrome affects one in five
Americans — yet it can be tricky to treat.
As we learn more about the underlying
genetic, lifestyle, and environmental causes,
IBS sufferers are increasingly looking to
integrative treatments to help them get
to the root of the syndrome — and offer
renewed hope for relief.
By Catherine Guthrie
18
• HIGH HOPES!
Volume 20, Issue 1
64 Body Talk
Not up for your usual workout today?
Your body may be telling you to try a less
rigorous option or maybe even to take
a break. Feeling great? Maybe it’s time
to push yourself. Discover how intuitive
training uses simple biofeedback tests to
help you listen more closely to your body
and take more ownership of your fitness.
By Andrew Heffernan, CSCS
20 Learn This Skill
Six Tips for Your First Indoor Cycling Class
Guidance for getting on the bike with more
confidence — so you can make the most of
your workout.
By Kaelyn Riley
22 My Turnaround
A Man’s Best Friend
How one man overcame a lifetime of
obesity with the help of a rescue dog.
By Eric O’Grey
DEPARTMENTS

74

32 42 78

REAL FITNESS REAL FOOD REAL LIFE

26 The Workouts
Strength Made Easy
An eight-week strength plan that doesn’t
have to knock you down to be effective.
By Andrew Heffernan, CSCS
Cardio Challenge
High-intensity treadmill intervals to boost
stamina and burn fat.
By Lauren Bedosky
31 Break It Down
The Squat
Alignment and movement tips to help you
master this essential full-body exercise.
By Maggie Fazeli Fard, RKC
32 Up Your Game
Hit Your Glide
Boost your Nordic-skiing performance with
expert advice from two Olympians.
By Steve Waryan
35 Strong Body, Strong Mind
Charting Your Own Course
How learning to trust yourself in the gym
can make you fit, strong, and empowered.
By Maggie Fazeli Fard, RKC
38 Nutrients 72 Balance
Eat More Veggies Expand Your Circle
Plant-based foods boast numerous Four ways to move out of your comfort
nutritional benefits. Learn why experts zone and connect with folks who are not
are recommending we add even more of just like you.
them to our plates. By Jessie Sholl
By Elizabeth Millard
74 Head Out
42 Confident Cook Cold Comforts
How to Roast a Chicken A trip to Québec reveals the joys of winter.
Expand your chicken repertoire with one By Sarah Tuff Dunn
basic technique — plus, find four more
recipes to get you through the week. 78 Good to Know
By Rebecca Katz, MS We tackle your queries on phone-free zones,
elimination diets, and newbie gym anxiety.
48 Honestly, Dara By Jon Spayde
Peace, Love, and Bean Sprouts
The author of a new "hippie food" book 83 Living Experiment
shares his findings about the surprising Masculine and Feminine
influence of this counterculture cuisine. Why it's important to examine and move
By Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl beyond our gender-based expectations.
By Dallas Hartwig and Pilar Gerasimo
51 Worthy Goods
Party Healthy! 85 Worthy Goods
Snacks you can feel good about enjoying at Rise and Shine
this year's Super Bowl celebration. Start your mornings on the right side of the
bed with these helpful products.

Craving more healthy-living inspiration? Sign up for Experience Life's weekly and monthly newsletters at ELmag.com/newsletters.

ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 3

 Connect
With Us!

The
Compassion
Edition
Need a little more peace,
love, and understanding in
your life? Sign up for Pause:
The Compassion Edition at
ELmag.com/newsletters
and receive a weekly
dose of wisdom in
your inbox.

WE LOVE
MEET: Romain Gaillard, a leader in the
green-beauty movement
ABOUT: When
Romain Gaillard
started The Detox
Market as a pop-up
in Venice, Calif., in
2010, he thought it
would be a one-hit
wonder. But the
store’s concept — curating and selling
eco-friendly, toxin-free beauty products
— took off, and The Detox Market
now has several retail locations and a
website that sells more than 140 green-
beauty brands. Learn more at www
.detoxmarket.com.
For an online-only Q&A
with Romain Gaillard, visit
ELmag.com/gaillard.
FEATURED @
EXPERIENCELIFE.COM
Win
This!
• Have kids, will travel: Author Tsh
Oxenreider talks about the adventure
of traveling the globe with her husband
and three children. CLEAN-BEAUTY BOX
ELmag.com/tshpodcast We’re giving away a one-month
subscription to The Detox Market’s
• Acne Rx: Seven tips for treating the first beauty box, which contains a
root causes of acne. variety of toxin-free, green-beauty
ELmag.com/acne products, including the organic
skincare line Odacité. Sign up for your
• Biodynamic wine: The best picks for chance to win the box, valued at $90,
red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines. at ELmag.com/giveaways.
ELmag.com/biodynamicwine

4 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

 REQUIR
EQUIR
REQU
E QUIR RE
UIIR
QUI
Q SS
ES SUBS
SUB CR PTION
SCRIPT
RIPT
SCRIP
RIP
SCRI
SCR
CR IP ON
O VAILAB
N,, AV
ION,
ON,
N AILAB
VAILA
AILA
AIL
VAI
VA
A LA
ILA
LA LE
ABL E IIN THE
N TH
T HE
H U.S.
EU ONL
ON
S. O NL
N LY.
Y

T H E S M A R T WAT C H D E S I G N E D F O R F I T N E S S
PR
RP RE MIUM R
EMIUM
EMIU
EMM

I N T R O D U C I N G I O N I C , T H E WAT C H D E S I G N E D T O P O W E R YO U R
LUS
PLUS
PLU
PLLU
L OR
US O

W O R KO U T S W I T H P E R S O N A L C O A C H I N G , I N D U S T R Y- L E A D I N G
PANDOR
ANDOR
NDOR
PANDO
ANDO
PAND
AND
PAN
ANND
N DOR
D OR
O RA P

G P S , P O P U L A R A P P S , U P T O 5 D AY B A T T E R Y L I F E A N D M O R E .
LIFE
LIF
LI
RY L I VARIE
ARIE
VA
VA RIE
VARI
ARI
VARRI
R WITH
IES W TH
WIT
T USE.
HU SE.
USE
SE
S E PA
E.. PA

PERSONALIZED I N D U S T R Y- STORE & WAT E R PHONE- POPULAR U P T O 5 D AY

BATTER
ATTER
TER
BATTE
ATTEER
E

COAC H I N G LEADING P L AY 3 0 0 + R E S I S TA N T FREE APPS & B AT T E R Y

BATT
ATT
TT
BAT
AT
BA
A

GPS SONGS TO 50M P AY M E N T S N O T I F I C AT I O N S LIFE

B

F I T B I T. C O M / I O N I C
 Our Mission:
Empowering people to become their healthiest, happiest, most authentic selves,
and supporting their enjoyment of a balanced, sustainable, deeply satisfying way of life.
Our Mantra: Healthy. Happy. For Real.
Founding Editor: Pilar Gerasimo

EXPERIENCE LIFE MAGAZINE

EDITOR IN CHIEF Jamie Martin CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lydia Anderson
DEPUTY EDITORS Craig Cox, Michael Dregni PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Jane Meronuck
MANAGING EDITOR Courtney Lewis Opdahl GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jennifer Jacobson
COPY CHIEF Steve Waryan DIGITAL DEPUTY EDITOR Anjula Razdan
SENIOR EDITORS Maggie Fazeli Fard, Courtney Helgoe, Jill Metzler Patton DIGITAL CONTENT SPECIALIST Casie Leigh Lukes
STAFF WRITER Heidi Wachter SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Tatyana McNamara
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kaelyn Riley BUSINESS/SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER Amber Johnson
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Catherine Guthrie, Andrew Heffernan, Jon Spayde MARKETING MANAGER Laura Fogelberg
FACT CHECKER Kate Nelson CIRCULATION MANAGER Carrie Stafford
PRODUCT COORDINATOR Mary Quinn McCallum CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lauren Bedosky, Sarah Tuff Dunn, Pilar Gerasimo,
EDITORIAL/DIGITAL INTERN Serena Rutledge Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, Dallas Hartwig, Rebecca Katz, Elizabeth Millard,
Eric O’Grey, Jessie Sholl, Emily Esfahani Smith
Please address all written correspondence and editorial inquiries to: Editorial Coordinator, Experience Life, 2145 Ford Parkway, Ste. 302, St. Paul, MN 55116 or experiencelife@experiencelife.com.

LIFE TIME
FOUNDER Bahram Akradi PRESIDENT, MEDIA Kimo Seymour

ADVERTISING
CHARLOTTE Chris Stuart COLORADO Kelly Warner MINNEAPOLIS Shannon Murphy
980.422.2172 pstuart@lt.life 720.931.5517 kwarner@lt.life 952.401.2651 smurphy@lt.life
CHICAGO Tim Brazel LOS ANGELES Steve Hamkins MINNEAPOLIS Kip Rakos
773.325.9536 tbrazel@lt.life 714.465.3362 shamkins@lt.life 952.292.7526 krakos@lt.life
CHICAGO Matt Rapaport LOS ANGELES Rob Powell NEW YORK Larry Brittan
312.880.1706 mrapaport@lt.life 310.387.6277 rpowell@lt.life 631.896.9224 lbrittan@lt.life
COLORADO Joe Kensil MINNEAPOLIS Mim Dvorsak TEXAS Josh Chalfant
720.931.5524 jkensil@lt.life 619.341.4204 mdvorsak@lt.life 614.398.9503 jchalfant@lt.life

PICTURE CREDITS
COVER and TABLE OF CONTENTS (MANCUSO) Photographer: JSquared Photography; “ON THE COVER” Photographer: Alexander Hassenstein.
Page 9: Chad Holder; p. 33 (bottom): John Mowers; p. 35 (bottom right): Chad Holder; p. 38–39, 41: John Mowers; p. 83: Jordan Ison.
The royalty-free stock images in this magazine were purchased from Getty Images.

Life Time®, EXPERIENCE LIFE®, LIFE TIME SPORTS®, LIFE TIME ATHLETIC CLUB® and LIFE TIME are all trademarks of LIFE TIME.

EXPERIENCE LIFE Magazine (ISSN 1537-6656) is published monthly except for January/February and July/August by LIFE TIME, 2902 Corporate Place, Chanhassen,
MN 55317. SUBSCRIPTION RATE: One year (10 issues) $27.95; Two years (20 issues) $44.95. LIFE TIME MEMBERS: For member questions, cancellations, or change
of address call Member Relations at 888-430-6432 or email subs@experiencelife.com. NON-LIFE TIME MEMBERS: For non-member
questions, cancellations, or change of address call 800.897.4056 or email ELFcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com. Periodicals postage paid at
Chanhassen, MN 55317 and additional mailing offices. ISSUE DATE: January 2018. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Carrie Stafford, EXPERIENCE LIFE Magazine,
2145 Ford Parkway, St. Paul, MN 55116.

Copyright 2018 by LIFE TIME. All rights reserved. Printed in USA. Reproduction of this magazine, in whole, or in part, is prohibited unless authorized by the Publisher or its advertisers. The
advertising space provided in EXPERIENCE LIFE is purchased and paid for by the advertiser. None of the products or services is necessarily endorsed by LIFE TIME.

Printed on recycled paper (cover paper contains minimum 30% post-consumer recycled, body paper contains 100%
recycled waste paper; processed chlorine-free). The paper used in this publication is Forest Stewardship Council®
certified. Please recycle this magazine.

The information contained in the magazine is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information should not be considered complete and should not
be used in place of a visit, call, consultation, or advice from your physician or other healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning
or altering your personal exercise, diet, or supplementation program.

6 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018


Real Change
Why we’re getting real
about all things health and
fitness in 2018.
Your Thoughts?
Email us at experiencelife
@experiencelife.com.
Y
ou’re only a few pages into
this issue — have you no-
ticed anything . . . different?
I hope so!
More than six months ago, our team
gathered to brainstorm the next evolu-
tion of Experience Life, both the print
and digital offerings. It had been seven
years since our last redesign, and with
the changes on our team and in the pub-
lishing industry, it was time for a refresh.
So we went through recent issues
and talked through feedback we’d
received from you, our readers. The
art and editorial teams collaborated on
design direction; the circulation and
business folks pitched their ideas to
editors; the digital team pushed for
better integration across platforms.
The room was abuzz with excitement
at the prospect of a change that would
bring about an updated look and feel,
and new areas that would open the
door for fresh health and wellness
coverage. We left the meeting
energized and ready to get started.
Change is never easy, and there were
moments throughout the process when
I questioned whether a redesign was a
good idea. As the new editor in chief,
I felt pressure to maintain the high-
quality editorial coverage of health and
wellness topics you’ve come to expect
(that will always be our No. 1 priority)
and to update things, but not so much
that it would feel like a completely
different magazine. At the same time,
I knew it was time to put more of the
current team’s mark on this project.
In hindsight, these concerns were
understandable but unnecessary. As I
recently reviewed an earlier version
of this issue, after months of back-and-
forth and multiple rounds of revisions,
all I felt was a huge sense of pride.
You see, the team members who
create these 92 pages every month, who
manage the website, and who keep our
business afloat are all in on Experience
Life. They are passionate about bring-
ing their best talents and sharing their
unique perspectives and deep wealth
of knowledge with the intent of making
this a magazine that truly stands out in
the health and wellness space.
Editor’s Note
When I flip through these pages,
I see each of them reflected in one
way or another. I hear the stories they
share about themselves and their loved
ones facing daily challenges head-on
and experiencing life to its fullest.
They are real representatives of you,
our readers. I hope you feel that as
you explore this issue, because your
interests were at the center of this
truly collaborative effort.
A lot of what you’ll find will be
familiar, while other parts are brand
new. In Real Fitness, for instance,
we’ve added more workout options,
step-by-step movement breakdowns,
Healthy living is hard,
but we aim to help you
do it a little bit better
every single day.
sport-specific exercises for upping your
game, and a new column that explores
the mind–body connection. In Real Life,
there’s now a Q&A that delves into your
life quandaries, and there’s the Living
Experiment, a new section based on
the popular podcast of the same name
by our founding editor, Pilar Gerasimo,
and Dallas Hartwig, cofounder of the
Whole30 program.
All of this lies in a reorganized, clean,
beautiful aesthetic that our art team —
Lydia Anderson and Jennifer Jacobson
— spent hundreds of hours creating
and refining. I think you’ll love it.
Finally, Experience Life is about
empowering you to live your healthi-
est, happiest, most authentic life. That
requires being honest about what it
takes to embrace healthier habits and
behaviors that create lasting change.
So we’re harking back to our original
tagline: Healthy. Happy. For Real.
Healthy living is hard, but our goal
is to help you do it a little bit better
every single day.
JAMIE MARTIN is Experience Life’s editor in
chief. Follow her on Instagram @jamiemartinel.
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 9
NOW AVAILABLE AT
Talk to Us
OCTOBER ACCOLADES
I recently got a copy of
Experience Life and found it to
be a terrific read. The October
2017 issue is filled to the brim
with insightful tips along with
informative pieces, such as
“More to the Core” and “Finding
Calm in a Frantic World.” Keep
up the great work!
Janice B.
It’s my first time reading
your magazine, and I found
several articles I liked, including
“Life Outside the Box” and
“Finding Calm in a Frantic
World.” The pictures of the
food sections are beautiful, too!
Please publish more articles
Thanks for a fresh read on a wonderful idea to live better,
simpler, and more connected lives.”
about decluttering and living
simply, a challenge for most
people these days.
Lisa L.
You can find our coverage on
decluttering and minimalism at
ELmag.com/declutterseries.
“Breathe Like a Yogi”
(October 2017) was just what I
needed to read today; thank you!
#breathe #spirit
Amy C.
I made the Moroccan
Chickpea and Vegetable Stew
("Healthful Essentials," October
2017) and it was delicious.
@skiphence
In “Finding Calm in a Frantic
World,” the author writes about
music being used therapeutical-
ly in emergency rooms. There
is a large body of research
that documents the effective-
ness of music in treating many
conditions. However, as a music
therapist, I would never recom-
mend anyone do “therapy” on
themselves. I appreciate the
magazine and the helpful infor-
mation, but I feel the suggestion
to provide “your own instant
music therapy” is misguided.
Tania C.
I just read this story (“Find-
ing Calm in a Frantic World”)
while sitting in a hospital wait-
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 11
ing for my father to recover
from a quick test regarding
ailments exacerbated by his
inability to “find calm” in “his”
“frantic world”! As you suggest
at the end of the article, I took
your advice to “express my
thanks” for your very percep-
tive words. I am 47 and have a
somewhat stressful job as a law
enforcement commander. Many
of the techniques you suggest
have found their way into my
normal routine the last few years.
I refer to them as taking time
to stop and smell the flowers.
Life can so easily consume us if
we forget to take notice of all of
the wonderful things occurring
around us each and every day.
Thank you for taking the time to
help others find this peace.
Tye B.
REAL MINIMALISM
Courtney Carver offers
such a refreshing spin on
living a simple, minimalistic
life (“Be More With Less:
Q&A With Courtney Carver,”
October 2017). She has taken
Talk to Us
the concept and made it real,
reminding us this is “our”
journey to live a better life. Don’t
compare to others, go slow,
make real changes, adapt and
live them wholeheartedly. Thanks
for a fresh read on a wonderful
idea to live better, simpler, and
more connected lives.
Susan H.
PICTURE OF HEALTH
I always enjoy reading your
magazine. The articles and
photos help me stay focused on
positive living and have taught
me so much about living a
healthy lifestyle.
I’m writing to share this
photo of my daughter, who
joined Life Time here in North
Carolina and has become a
FITNESS AT HOME focused, fit young lady who
The whole process of making enjoys staying in shape by going
a slosh pipe (“How to Make to the club and also by getting
a Slosh Pipe,” October 2017) outdoors. This photo was taken
looks like a functional way while she was hiking with a
to create a fun, challenging, friend near our home, and it
and durable piece of exercise really looked like something I’d
equipment that offers many see in your magazine.
useful ways to better your Cheryl T.
workout and improve balance
at the same time. We love when readers share their
Roberta M. healthy-living adventures. Want
to see one of your images here?
Email it to us at experiencelife@
experiencelife.com.
Experience Life welcomes your comments and
suggestions. Please email experiencelife@
experiencelife.com, connect with us on social
media, or send to:
Letters to the Editor
Experience Life
2145 Ford Parkway, Suite 302
St. Paul, MN 55116
Please include your city and state. We reserve the
right to edit letters for length and grammar, and
to publish at our discretion. All submitted copy
and materials become the property of the magazine. We do not return or
guarantee the publication of unsolicited materials. For reprint and publication
requests, please contact experiencelife@experiencelife.com.
12 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP,
MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION
(All periodicals Publications Except Requester
Publications) 1. Publication Title: Experience Life. 2.
Publication Number: 1537-6656. 3. Filing Date: 10/1/17
4. Issue Frequency: January, March, April, May, June,
July, September, October, November, December. 5.
Number of Issues Published Annually: 10. 6. Annual
Subscription Price: $27.95. 7. Complete Mailing Address
of Publication: Life Time, 2902 Corporate Place,
Chanhassen, MN 55317. 8. Complete Mailing Address
of General Business Office of Publisher: Life Time,
2902 Corporate Place, Chanhassen, MN 55317. 9. Full
Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher,
Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher Bahram Akradi,
Life Time, 2902 Corporate Place, Chanhassen, MN
55317; Editor in Chief Jamie Martin, Life Time, 2145
Ford Parkway, Suite 302, St. Paul, MN 55116; Manager
of Business Operations Craig Cox, Life Time, 2145 Ford
Parkway, Suite 302, St. Paul, MN 55116. 10. Owners:
Bahram Akradi, 2902 Corporate Place, Chanhassen,
MN 55317; Leonard Green & Partners, 11111 Santa
Monica Blvd, 32000, Los Angeles, CA 90025; TPG, 301
Commerce St, Ste 3300, Fort Worth, TX 76102; LNK
Partners, 81 Main St, #501, White Plains, NY 10601. 11.
Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security
Holders: None. 12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During
Preceding 12 Months. 13. Publication Title: Experience
Life. 14. Issue Date For Circulation Data Below: October
2017. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Health
and wellness. a. Total Number of Copies: Average
No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 months:
789,321, No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest
to Filing Date: 768,069. b. Paid Circulation (1) Mailed
Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form
3541: 678,253; 679,388. (2) Mailed In-County Paid
Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 0. (3) Paid
Distribution Outside the Mails: 12,937; 11,075. (4) Paid
Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS:
0. c. Total Paid Distribution: 691,189; 690,463. d. Free
of Nominal Rate Distribution: (1) Free or Nominal Rate
Outside-County Copies included on PS Form 3541:
69,523; 45,052. (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County
Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 0. (3) Free or Nominal
Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS:
0. (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the
Mail: 0. e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution:
69,523; 45,052. f. Total Distribution: 760,712; 735,515.
g. Copies not Distributed: 28,609; 32,554. h. Total:
789,321; 768,069. i. Percent Paid: 85.93; 88.45.
17. Publication of Statement of Ownership: The
publication is a general publication. Will be printed in the
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 issue of the publication.
18. Signature and Title of Circulation Manager:
Carrie Stafford. Date: 9/20/2017. I certify that
all information furnished on this form is true and
complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes
false or misleading information on this form or who
omits material of information requested on the form
may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines
and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including
civil penalties).
OWN RACE DAY
FOREVER.

Your heart racing. The crowd cheering.

The journey to the finish line with your
fellow athletes. The exhilaration of race
day may subside, but your glory and
race results live forever at Athlinks.

YOU EARNED IT.

OWN IT WITH ATHLINKS.

ATHLINKS.COM
Well Informed
The Cost
of Beauty: A Call for Change
I
n 1902 you could order Dr. Rose’s
French Arsenic Complexion
Wafers from the Sears, Roebuck
and Co. catalog. Today’s makers
of personal-care products are un-
likely to include a known poison in
a product title — but if they did, it
might be easier for consumers to avoid
harmful exposure.
BEAUTY-PRODUCT
SAFETY SMARTS
• Report issues. The FDA has launched
a website where consumers can re-
port adverse effects of any personal-
care products: bit.ly/2ylH1dm.
• Research ingredients. The Environ-
mental Working Group’s Skin Deep
database (www.ewg.org/skindeep)
and similar resources make it easy to
know what products and ingredients
are problematic.
• Read up. For more in-depth
information about concerns with
personal-care products, see ELmag
.com/beautybeware.
14 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
A former FDA chief recommends better
regulation of personal-care products.
The personal-care industry —
whose sales were projected to top $265
billion in 2017 — is almost entirely
self-regulating, and ingredients with
known harmful effects appear in
hundreds of products.
Your health, in most cases, depends
on your own smarts in decoding
ingredient labels (threats can range
from dermatitis to cancer). For those
who don’t do this detective work,
their safety relies on a manufacturer’s
willingness to recall harmful products.
And that can be a dicey proposition.
WEN haircare, for instance, logged
more than 21,000 consumer complaints
and settled a $26.3 million class-action
lawsuit in 2016 — all while continuing
to promote its products as “safe.”
The lack of regulatory oversight has
alarmed watchdog groups for some time.
But recently, the mainstream resource
JAMA Internal Medicine also weighed
in with an analysis of consumer com-
plaints, alongside a compelling editorial
calling for greater federal regulation —
inspired in part by the WEN case.
The editorial’s authors, led by
Robert M. Califf, MD, the former head
of the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) under President Barack Obama,
argue that the electronic infrastructure
already exists to make it easier for
consumers to report adverse reactions
directly to the FDA, without increasing
costs for producers or consumers.
They also suggest that the FDA needs
greater regulatory authority.
The authors note that the agency
needs adequate funding and resources
to regulate the vast personal-care
market, a change Califf says is “highly
unlikely in the current administration.”
But the proposed Personal Care
Products Safety Act, introduced in
Congress in May 2017, may ultimately
give the FDA the authority to regulate
and recall products.
Things do change. Today, for
example, we all know that arsenic,
even when peddled by a Dr. Rose,
does not smell as sweet.
— COURTNEY HELGOE
Plummeting
Sperm Count
May Signal Health Risks
Sperm count among
men from North America,
Europe, Australia, and New
Zealand dropped by nearly
60 percent between 1973
and 2011, according to a
recent study published in an
Oxford University journal. The
findings by the international
research team — who
examined semen samples
from 42,935 men from
50 countries — reinforce
concerns that Western male
health may be at risk.
Although the research
did not focus on the cause
of these declines, study
coauthor Shanna Swan, PhD,
a professor of environmental
medicine and public health
at New York’s Icahn School
of Medicine at Mount Sinai,
referred to existing research
that cited several factors:
exposure to cigarette smoke,
alcohol, and chemicals while
in utero; environmental toxins;
and stress and obesity.
Researchers found no
significant decline in sperm
count among men from Asia,
Africa, and South America.
In past studies, Swan has
noted that Western countries
began using chemicals like
phthalates (plastic-softening
agents that are linked to
male hormone disruption)
much earlier than non-
Western countries.
For more on infertility
issues, see ELmag.com/
infertilityroots.
— SERENA RUTLEDGE
Activity =
Longevity
Exercise has long been proven to be
a key to longevity. Now a batch of new
research suggests the fountain of youth
may lie in a combination of physical,
social, and productive activities.
A recent Swedish study of 4,232
people found that nonexercise
physical activity, such as yard work
or fishing, reduced death risk by 30
percent among the elderly.
Meanwhile, researchers from
Harvard, Yale, and the Rush Institute for
Healthy Aging who followed 2,700 men
and women ages 65 and older for 13 years
reported that the most physically active
participants lived longest when they added
social and productive activity. Participants who
were more socially active lived longer compared
with those who were less socially involved.
And a 2016 study noted that social isolation dur-
ing old age was more harmful to health than diabetes
when it comes to developing or controlling hypertension.
The findings suggest social and productive activities may
affect lifespan because they promote a sense of self-efficacy,
create a sense of purpose in life, and enhance social support.
— HEIDI WACHTER

The Alarming Rise of Youth Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes was once considered an adult-onset disease,
but it’s becoming increasingly common among American
tweens and teens, according to a new study published in the
New England Journal of Medicine. The trend, which corresponds
to the growing rate of childhood obesity in recent years, is
especially concerning because the earlier the disease begins, the
more dangerous it can be for long-term health.
Researchers collected data from healthcare systems to
identify diabetes cases among 4.9 million youths annually over a
10-year period. These are some of the numbers behind the trend:

28% 7th 79,535

Increase in people ages 10 to
19 with type 2 diabetes from
Ranking of diabetes among
the leading causes of death
Americans who died from any type of diabetes in 2015, the
most recent year for which statistics are available. This was a
2002 to 2012. The number in the United States. 5 percent increase over 2014.
of teen girls diagnosed with
type 2 diabetes was almost
double that of boys. And Native

300%
American teens had by far the Increase of severely obese American kids and teens
largest increases, followed since the 1970s, according to the CDC. In youths ages 2 to
by Asian-American, African- 19, 17 percent are now considered obese; an additional 16
American, and Latino youth. percent are overweight.
— MICHAEL DREGNI

The overall adverse effect of diabetes on public health

is actually increasing.” — ACCOMPANYING EDITORIAL IN THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE

ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 15

Well Informed

The Anatomy of a
Mac-and-Cheese Dinner
We’ve all cooked up a handy box of mac and cheese at some time — it’s been many a kid’s favorite
meal since the Kraft company first introduced its Kraft Dinners in 1937. Quick, easy, and inexpensive,
it's a go-to option for many parents.
Today, consumers buy more than 2 million boxes of all brands of mac-and-cheese dinners every
day. So, when a recent study revealed phthalates in the popular dinners’ powdered cheese, we
explored other possible concerns with the boxed meals. Here’s what we discovered.

Processed-cheese products: A 2017 Salt — and more salt: After processed

study found phthalates in all 10 types of
mac-and-cheese dinners tested, including
organic offerings. Phthalates are a
plastic-softening agent and solvent; they
are known male-hormone disrupters and
are linked to neurodevelopmental and
behavioral problems in children, including
aggression, hyperactivity, and cognitive
delays. The cheese likely absorbs the
phthalates during manufacturing.
cheese, the predominant flavor here
is salt. Mac-and-cheese dinners have
570–730 mg of sodium, about a third
of the U.S. recommended daily limit of
2,400 mg — and in just a 1-cup serving.
Studies link excess sodium to numerous
health issues. According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly
nine out of 10 kids eat up to 50 percent
more salt than recommended.

Dye job: Mac-and-cheese dinners have long
been tinted with artificial food colorings
— dyes that require warning labels in
European Union countries. Following public
pressure in the United States, Kraft replaced
artificial dyes with natural ones in 2016, but
other brands still use them. Research has
tied artificial colorings to hyperactivity and
aberrant behavior, including ADHD.
Enriched macaroni product: The
first ingredient in mac and cheese is
pasta. In nonorganic brands, beware of
GMO wheat flour, which can contain
glyphosate residue, a herbicide California
regulators recently classified as a
carcinogen. Gluten-free versions are also
available. Either way, most pastas are
light on nutrients and heavy on carbs.

Sugar and carbs: A 1-cup serving is
sweetened with 5–7 grams, or up to
nearly 2 teaspoons, of sugar — part
of the overall 46 grams of carbs in the
pasta, which make up 16 percent of the
daily recommended allowance. So a
typical bowl of mac and cheese provides
a hefty glycemic load (about a third of the
recommended daily allowance).
What’s missing? Beyond carbs, fat, and
protein, the only nutrients these mac-
and-cheese products offer are added
— and they’re usually synthetic. Plus, the
dish contains no whole foods.
—MD AND SR

WHAT TO LISTEN TO NOW

TED RADIO HOUR
Looking for insight and inspiration? The nonprofit TED media organization began in
1984 as a conference discussing the latest technology, entertainment, and design ideas.
Today, TED and NPR have partnered to create TED Radio Hour; each segment is “a journey
through fascinating ideas” shared in live TED Talks. Subscribe to the podcast on most
audio streaming services; learn more at npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour.
16 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
On the Cover
Olympic
Spirit
After a two-year hiatus
from competition, four-
time Olympic medalist Julia
Mancuso has set her sights
on the 2018 Winter Games —
and inspiring the next
generation of athletes.
BY HEIDI WACHTER
J
ulia Mancuso mastered the
bunny slope when she was just 4
years old. “There was a great ski
program for kids in Squaw Valley,
Calif., where I grew up,” she recalls.
“On weekends, my parents would drop
me off and I’d ski all day.”
She started alpine-ski racing before
she reached junior high and debuted on
the elite World Cup stage at 15. In 2005
the then 21-year-old phenom scored
bronze medals in super-G (super-giant
slalom) and giant slalom races.
A year later, at the Olympic Games
in Turin, Italy, she won her first
Olympic gold medal in the giant slalom,
despite nursing a nagging injury.
“It’s inevitable that you’re going
to have an injury when you’re skiing,
because you’re going so fast and you
18 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
can’t predict how your skis are going
to react underneath you,” she says. “It’s
hard to stay on your feet all the time.”
Even though she’s fallen down,
Mancuso doesn’t let injuries keep her
from hitting the slopes. In fact, come-
backs — and high-pressure perfor-
mances — seem to be her sweet spot.
After having surgery to correct hip
dysplasia in 2006, she won her first
World Cup race in 2007 and finished
the season in third place overall. It was
the best finish for an American female
skier since 1984.
Though she was hobbled by back
injuries in 2008 and 2009, Mancuso
nabbed two silver medals at the 2010
Vancouver Games, which revitalized
her career. In the subsequent World
Cup season, she found herself on the
podium after multiple races.
Yet she felt her performance was
lagging, so she decided to take a break
from racing to prepare for the 2014
Olympics. The strategy worked: She
left Sochi with a bronze medal — her
fourth overall.
Mancuso underwent a second hip
surgery in November 2015 to fix de-
generating cartilage. Her recovery has
kept her from World Cup competition
since then. Despite the extended break,
she’s set her sights on the 2018 Winter
Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
While she admits at times to feeling
behind in her training, she’s armed
with “a stubborn drive and a positive
mindset.” Those two traits have helped
propel her to the top of her sport —
time and time again.

Mancuso celebrates her fourth visit to
the Olympics with a fourth medal — a
bronze for the women’s Alpine-Skiing
Super Combined event — at the 2014
games in Sochi, Russia.
Q&A
Experience Life | You played several
sports as a kid. What made you
choose alpine skiing?
JULIA MANCUSO | I played soccer and
did gymnastics, but I loved skiing the
most because of the freedom it offered.
I didn’t have to play with a team or show
up at a certain time. Then there’s the
adrenaline aspect of skiing and racing
that can’t be beat.
I also love the aspect of being outside.
Nature is invigorating, and as a kid I was
inspired to just be in the fresh air. It still
gives me a ton of energy, and I’m outside
as much as possible these days, whether
it’s on skis or a paddleboard.
EL | You’ve had multiple surgeries. What
do you do to support your recovery?
JM | After my first hip surgery, I
recovered well with strength training
and physical therapy. But I started to
have back pain because of the constant
compensation patterns that I formed, so I
had to seek out other options.
I tried lots of things and discovered a
technique called NeuroKinetic Therapy
Pilates, which is basically using Pilates
equipment and machines to connect your
brain with the correct movement patterns.
It also applies the philosophy of
anatomy trains. These are lines of
bone and connective tissue running
throughout the body that organize the
structural forces required for motion and
may serve as conduits for modalities
like acupuncture.
This allowed me to re-create disc
space in my back. I’ve been doing it ever
since, along with physical therapy and a
lot of body-weight strength training.
EL | What have been the biggest
challenges of recovery?
JM | One is that I had to learn to walk
again. I spent three months using
crutches and then three months using a
cane. That was physically and mentally
hard. Doctors never tell you that
recovering is going to take you longer
than you think it will or should.
For me, other people’s perception is
probably the hardest thing. We all deal
with going through something tough in
our own ways, but when I run into people
and they ask me what’s wrong because
I’m limping, or they look at me with sad
eyes, it’s hard. I don’t want people to
pity me.
EL | What have you learned during the
recovery process?
JM | Taking a break from racing helped
me recenter and reset my mind, and rest
my body. The only pain I have now is in
my hip.
Since I couldn’t be active, I studied
a lot about nutrition. I’ve always had a
great diet and focused on eating organic,
but I was never precise about it because
I didn’t have to be. I was working out and
skiing so many hours each day that it
didn’t really matter if I got off-course a bit
or ate a little more sugar.
But during this recovery period, I got
into health coaching and began fine-
tuning what I ate. I focused on what
was healthy for me and what made me
feel good and what didn’t. It was a lot
easier to tell the difference when I wasn’t
burning so many calories a day.
My health-coaching training also
helped me see how connected everything
is on a basic level — our exercise, our
nutrition, our habits, and our mindset. I’m
a firm believer in setting intentions, the
power of positive thinking, and creating
what you want, and I’ve been trying to
heal myself in all those ways, too.
EL | What’s helped you be so
successful in your sport and your life?
JM | I have always set intentions and
believed I could achieve them. I used to
get in trouble with my coaches when I
filled out goal sheets because I would
write that I wanted to be the best and
I wanted to get first place. They often
told me to set realistic goals, and I never
understood why I would put down
something less than what I wanted.
But I didn’t really fixate on being the
best at my sport compared with other
people. I focused on being the best at my
sport for myself and really challenging my
own skill. Comparing yourself with others
is a good way to end up feeling unhappy
and unfulfilled.
EL | What will it mean to you when
you’re back on Team USA?
JM | Yes, when I make the Olympic team
— that's how you set an intention!
When I was training for the 2014
games, I was skiing well, but I had a
setback during the Olympics. Even though
I won a bronze medal, I felt like I left a lot
on the slopes. That’s when I set the goal
that I’m going to the Olympics in South
Korea as prepared as I can be and I’m
going to win another medal.
But as I’ve been recovering and
training, I’ve gained a new perspective on
how meaningful it is to even be a part of
the sport and to just make the Olympic
team. I’ve come full circle. Instead of
ending my career at the top, I’m back to
the mindset that I had when I first made
the team, which gives me better insight
on how to inspire the next generation.
I know what it’s like to fight hard and
to come back, and I know what it’s
like to want something so bad and not
understand how to get it.
I’m a huge Olympics fan. The Olympic
spirit isn’t about who’s winning the
medals — it’s about bringing people
together and representing the pinnacle of
your sport. I want to be a part of that.
HEIDI WACHTER is an Experience Life
staff writer.
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 19
Learn This Skill

6 Tips for Your First

Indoor Cycling Class
Advice to help you feel empowered and ready to ride.

BY KAELYN RILEY
1. Adjust the seat height
so it aligns with the top
of your hipbone. On the bike,
check that you have just

I
ndoor cycling classes are intense and fast paced, which can a slight bend in your knee
make your first ride a little intimidating. But don’t let that keep when the pedal is at the
you out of the saddle. lowest point in its revolution.
Whether you’re a fitness newbie or a seasoned veteran,
you’ll experience a variety of health and fitness benefits with
indoor cycling. It’s been shown to boost stamina and strength,
and it’s also low impact, so it’s easy on your joints. Plus, the
2. Align the height of the
handlebars with your
saddle, or higher depending
camaraderie of your fellow cyclists can help motivate you across on your preference. Cyclists
the (virtual) finish line. with lower-back issues may
These six tips can help you feel more comfortable with
feel confident on your bike. the bars raised slightly.

You may eventually

choose to invest
in a pair of cycling
3. Adjust the fore and aft
positions of the seat
so that you can place your
shoes that lock into
hands on the handlebars
the bike pedals. This
will produce a better without locking your elbows.
workout for your Aim to keep your hips in line
glutes and hamstrings with your ankles.
— and be easier on
your knees.

4. If you’re wearing
sneakers, opt for ones
with a stiff sole. Insert your
feet into the pedal cages,
and tighten the straps
— enough to feel secure
without inhibiting circulation.

5. On the bike, relax your

neck, shoulders, and
hands, and keep your weight
centered on your hips.
Maintain a long spine and
a proud chest, which helps
keep your core engaged.

6. Most indoor bikes

ILLUSTRATIONS: COLIN HAYES

feature a resistance
knob. Don’t be afraid to turn
it up! If you’re bouncing
around on your saddle, it’s a
sign that you need to add a
twist or two.

20 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

My Turnaround

Eric O’Grey
BEFORE:
Eric was overweight for most of his life,
unable to find a diet that worked for him.
AFTER:
At 58, Eric — with his dog Jake — now
enjoys the benefits of his active lifestyle and
a new career as an inspirational speaker.

A Man’s
Best Friend A dietary shift offered hope to an overweight, socially
isolated man, but it was a rescue dog that saved his life.
BY ERIC O’GREY

F
or most of my life,
I’d wanted to make
myself invisible —
which isn’t easy
when you’re morbidly
obese. Being large was all
I had ever known. I was
heavyset in my 20s, and then
obese in my 30s. By the time
I turned 50, my doctor told
me I should buy a cemetery
plot, because I wouldn’t live
another five years.
I felt repulsive — and
I knew I was in trouble. I
stopped attempting to date
or socialize. I didn’t want
to go to the laundry center
in my apartment complex;
instead, I bought socks and
underwear from Amazon
every few weeks. As a
salesman for an out-of-state
manufacturer, I did most
of my work over the phone
and I avoided face-to-face
meetings whenever I could.
For the most part, my
meals were from the drive-
through or delivery. I’d get
two extra-large meat-lovers
pizzas: one for that night, and
one for the next day. That’s
what I told myself. But I
always ate both that night.
I tried dozens of diets,
and I could lose 40 pounds
on any program. But then I
would start to crave pizza or
cheeseburgers, and I’d gain
it all back — plus an extra
10 pounds.
I was paying more than
a thousand dollars every
month in copayments for
medications to control type
2 diabetes, depression, high
cholesterol, and insomnia —
plus more pills to alleviate
the side effects of the others.
None of them made me feel
any better about myself. My
5-foot-10-inch frame was
carrying 340 pounds. The
larger I grew, the more I
withdrew from the world.
Food as Medicine
One day in 2010, I watched
an interview with former
President Bill Clinton, who
had recently lost weight.
His doctors had put him on
a plant-based diet, which I

22 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

had never heard of before. I
realized I needed a physician
who would stop throwing
pills at my problems.
I searched online for
naturopathic doctors who
practiced near my home in
Silicon Valley and found
Preeti Kulkarni, ND; she
could see me the next day.
Kulkarni showed me how
to transform my pantry and
refrigerator: more whole
grains, leafy greens, and
fruits, and fewer sugary
snacks and pizza-delivery
boxes. She gave me recipes
and cooking tips, too.
I was surprised to learn
that there are more than
20,000 species of edible
plants on the planet, which
meant my meals weren’t just
lettuce and twigs. I made la-
sagnas, pizzas, Chinese food,
and Thai dishes. I couldn’t
believe that I was able to
put a healthy twist on all the
things I’d loved to eat before.
Best of all, I didn’t feel
deprived; this approach
allowed me to eat until I
was satisfied, and I didn’t
have cravings. Within a
few months, I could taste
more of the natural flavors
in my food. My palate was
changing, so I didn’t miss
the salty, additive-filled stuff
I’d once lived on.
Dog Days
Kulkarni promised to help
wean me from all my medi-
Eric and Peety’s twice-daily walks
helped them lose weight together.
cations, but she had one
prescription to add: Go to
the animal shelter and adopt
a dog.
I had never owned a dog
before, and it seemed like a
big responsibility. But since
my new diet was going so
well, I was resolved to do
exactly what Kulkarni told
me. I felt like her plan was
my last chance at a new life.
I called Humane Society
Silicon Valley and requested
an overweight, middle-aged
dog. I wanted us to have
something in common.
That’s how I found Peety.
He was 7 years old, a
border-collie mix on the
shortlist for euthanasia.
In retrospect, I realize
Kulkarni’s prescription
was addressing the cause
of my problems. I didn’t
need more pills; I needed
something that would force
me to get outside and cross
paths with other people.
At first, Peety and I only
made it a few steps from our
apartment. Even this raised
my heartbeat and made my
knees hurt and my lungs
burn. Peety was dragging,
too, but soon we had
progressed to walking for
a half hour. Eventually, we
were taking two half-hour
walks each day.
Those daily walks were
the first steps I took toward
becoming the person I am
today. Between my new
diet and increased activity, I
began losing about 5 pounds
a week. Peety was losing
weight, too, and becoming
perkier and more energized.
New Ambitions
In 10 months, I lost 150
pounds — and Peety lost 25.
I was sleeping better; I no
longer needed my insom-
nia medication or anti-
depressants. I was also able
to stop taking insulin under
Kulkarni’s supervision. Eric’s
My life went from a daily
grind of physical misery to Top 3
one of improved energy and
mental clarity. My joint pain
Success
disappeared. I started to
realize what normal felt like.
Strategies
At one of my final
appointments with Kulkarni
in 2011, she suggested I find
1
a new form of exercise Switching to a plant-based
with a social component, diet helped Eric reframe
so I could be around more his approach to eating
healthy, active people. and conquer his cravings.
Later that week I “Once you realize how
connected with a running delicious vegetables and
meet-up group. I was slow fruits can be, you won’t
at first, but before long I miss the drive-through!”
signed up for my first race. he says.
Three months later, I ran
a half-marathon. I have
since completed more than
30 marathons.
2
My life rebounded Eric thinks everyone
in ways I couldn’t have would benefit from the
imagined. I took vegan unconditional love of a
cooking classes and hosted shelter dog. “In Peety’s
dinner parties for my eyes, I was the greatest
running pals. In 2016 I person in the world,”
reconnected with my high he says. “I felt inspired
to become the man he
school sweetheart; a year
thought I was.”
later, we were married.
I owe everything to Peety.
He saved me. When he died
in 2015, Humane Society
Silicon Valley featured
3
our story for their Mutual Meeting up with a running
Rescue program. I felt the group gave Eric an outlet
video was a tribute to Peety, for his newfound energy
but our story resonated and motivated him to set
with so many people that new goals. Plus, he was
able to connect with other
a publisher approached
people who wanted to
me about writing a book. pursue a healthy lifestyle.
Walking With Peety: The Dog
Who Saved My Life came out
in October 2017.
A few months after Peety
died, I realized I wanted
another dog in my life. So I
went back to the Humane
Society and found Jake, a
Tell Us Your Story!
young Labrador retriever Have a transformational
who had come to the shelter healthy-living tale of
your own? Share it with
only hours earlier. Lucky us at experiencelife@
for me, Jake has picked up experiencelife.com.
where Peety left off.
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 23
 Switch to GEICO and save money for the things you love.
Maybe it’s the gym membership you keep. Or the ingredients for the diet you maintain. Fitness is what
you love – and it doesn’t come cheap. So switch to GEICO, because you could save 15% or more on
car insurance. And that would help make the things you love that much easier to get.

Auto • Home • Rent • Cycle • Boat

geico.com | 1-800-947-AUTO (2886) | local office
Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Homeowners and renters coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are
secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Boat and PWC coverages are underwritten by GEICO Marine Insurance Company. Motorcycle and ATV coverages are underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company.
Motorcycle insurance is not available in all states. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. © 2017 GEICO
Real
Fitness
CROSS-COUNTRY
CONDITIONING

• The word "ski" comes

from the Old Norse
"skid," which means a
split length of wood.
• The first documented
ski race took place in
Tromsø, Norway, in 1843.
• 4.5 million people
cross-country ski in the
United States.
• 46 percent of Nordic
skiers are women.
• A 155-pound person
will burn more than
550 calories during
one hour of skiing with
moderate effort.

Page
32

Get expert advice on

improving your cross-
country skiing, including
three drills to refine
your technique.
 Real Fitness
The Workouts

STRENGTH
Made Easy
You don’t have to sweat and strain to
get strong. This two-month, field-tested
program will show you another way.

BY ANDREW HEFFERNAN, CSCS

W
hat if getting strong
could be easy? In
a culture that tells
you gain is forever
associated with pain and you’re
supposed to go home if you don’t go
hard, that’s a pretty off-the-wall idea.
A few years ago, strength coaches
Dan John, a champion discus thrower,
and Pavel Tsatsouline, a former
special-forces trainer, asked that
question. The program they created
shows that it is not only possible to
get strong, but it might be the best way
to do it. People who try the program
— including John himself — wind up
stronger than ever.
“We all have this idea that it doesn’t
count as exercise unless you end up a
sweaty mess on the floor,” says John.
In fact, the hardest part of this
eight-week, 40-workout Easy Strength
program is not the workouts them-
selves; it’s getting past the belief
that workouts have to be hard to be
effective. “You won’t get pumped. You
won’t get sweaty or sore,” says John.
PHOTOS: KELLY LOVERUD; FITNESS MODEL: ROBERT BLAKE

“What you do get, however, is strong.”

He acknowledges that this doesn’t
look like a normal workout regimen —
and that can be a stumbling block for
many people.
“I wrote the book on this program.
I made the best progress of my career
on it, and yet I still struggle with it,”
he says.
“It shouldn’t be this easy, but it is.”

26 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

THE PLAN
You’ll do the same workout — save for weight increases — five times a week, for
eight weeks. Forty workouts in all. Each one will take you just 15 to 20 minutes to
complete. Here’s a template of what each gym session will include, along with John’s
suggested exercises.
1. Warm up. Spend five to 10 minutes on low- 3. Perform a power movement.
intensity cardio and calisthenics. Quickly and explosively
2. Perform each of the following movement types: contract your lower-body
muscles (and possibly upper-
• Hinge. Hinge movements are initiated by body muscles as well) to jump
bending at the hips to move weight. or accelerate an object in your
• Press. Push something to arm’s length, either hand or hands.
overhead or upward from your chest as you lie
4. Perform a core exercise,
on your back.
focusing on precise movement
• Pull. Pull something toward you from and proper bracing rather
arm’s length. than speed.
Movement Type Suggested Exercise Sets/Reps
Hinge Rack Deadlift 2 sets x 5 reps
Press Incline Bench Press 2 sets x 5 reps
Pull Assisted Pull-Up 2 sets x 5 reps
Power Kettlebell Swing 20 to 50 reps
Core Ab Rollout 1 set x 5 reps
To design your own 40-workout plan, find more exercises at
ELmag.com/strengthmadeeasy.
THE MOVES
Rack Deadlift
• Stand inside a power rack,
and set the support bars so
a barbell placed across them
is at knee height. Stand on a
weight plate, if necessary.
• Load the bar with a
moderately heavy to heavy
weight and stand with the bar
in front of you.
• Hinge at the hips, bend
your knees, and grasp the bar
with an overhand, shoulder-
width grip.
• Keeping your arms straight,
your lower back in its natural
arch, your chest up, and your
head aligned with your spine,
stand fully upright.
• With your lower back still
in its natural arch, bend at
the hips and knees, lowering
the bar to the support bars.
Repeat.
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 27
THE FINER
POINTS
• Choose your weight
conservatively. The point
of this program, says John,
is not to work as hard as you
can on each workout, but
to come back the next day
and do it all again, perhaps
a little bit better. Choose
a weight you can lift for
the prescribed number of
reps with some effort but
minimal fatigue. You should
never miss a rep on this
program. You are far from
lifting to failure.
• Advance slowly. When the
weight you chose at the
beginning of the program
becomes truly easy — and
not until then — increase it
by 5 or 10 pounds.
• Stick to the moves you’ve
selected. Unless a move-
ment is causing you pain,
don’t change it.
• Don’t rush. Rest for about
two minutes between sets
of each move.
• Vary the power work. You
can do the 20 to 50 reps of
the explosive move however
you wish: in sets of five, 10,
15, 20 — or one long set,
with excellent form.
• Go easy on the core work.
Perform this single set with
focus and excellent form,
but don’t overdo it with
extra weight, or by adding
additional core work.
Video Extra!
See all these strength moves in
action at ELmag.com/videos.
Real Fitness
The Workouts

Incline Bench Press

• Place a barbell in the uprights of an incline-
bench-press station, load it with a medium-
heavy weight, and lie back on the bench.
• Keeping your feet flat on the floor, grip the
bar evenly with hands wider than shoulder
width. Press the bar off the uprights until
your arms are straight but not locked out.
• Slowly lower the bar until it
contacts your chest, pulling your
shoulder blades together.
• Press the bar back to the starting
position and pause. Repeat.
Note: Always use a spotter when
lifting heavy weights.

Assisted Pull-Up
• Hang an exercise band over a pull-up
bar so it forms a single, long loop.
• Place one foot or a knee inside the
loop, hold the bar with an overhand
grip, and allow your arms to straighten.
• Pull your shoulder blades together and
draw your elbows down until your chin
clears the bar.
• Lower yourself with control until your
arms are straight. Repeat.

Kettlebell Swing
• Stand with feet slightly wider
than shoulder width and a
kettlebell about 1 foot in front
of you. Hinge at the hips to
reach down and grasp the
kettlebell with both hands.
• With core engaged and lower
back flat, quickly snap or
“hike” the kettlebell backward,
high between your legs.
• Reverse the movement
by forcefully driving your
hips forward, straightening
ANDREW HEFFERNAN, CSCS, is an Experience Life
contributing editor.
your legs and strongly
contracting your glutes.
The kettlebell will swing out
in front of you. (Do not lift
the weight with your arms.)
• Once the kettlebell reaches
its apex — about shoulder
level — engage your lats Ab Rollout
and core to push it back • Kneeling on a pad, grasp the handles of an ab wheel, and position it with
between your legs. the wheel directly below your shoulders.
• Repeat until the set is • Keeping your arms straight and bracing your core, slowly roll the wheel
complete, then “park” the forward as far as possible, allowing your chest and hips to come as close
kettlebell in front of you. to the floor as you can. Do not allow your back to arch.
• Slowly return to the starting position.

28 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

CARDIO
Challenge
This HIIT routine reimagines
the treadmill jog, burning fat
and building endurance in a
quick workout.

BY LAUREN BEDOSKY

W
hether you’re looking
to round out your
Easy Strength sessions
or simply craving
a sweat-heavy cardio burst, the
following treadmill routine may be
just the rut-busting routine you need.
Designed by Jill Coleman, the
California-based owner of JillFit
Physiques and creator of the
TreadLift program, this 30-minute
high-intensity routine will challenge
you with alternating incline sprint
and recovery segments, helping you THE ROUTINE
build muscular endurance while
supporting postworkout fat burn. Time Incline Speed Segment
Setting
Perform this workout just two or
three times per week. “This helps 0–1 minutes 2.5 Walk: 2.5 mph; Run: 5 mph Warm-up
manage recovery so you can get up 1:00–2:00 2 Walk: 3 mph; Run: 5.5 mph Warm-up
the next day and train hard again,” 2:00–3:00 1.5 Walk: 3.5 mph; Run: 6 mph Warm-up
Coleman explains. 3:00–4:00 1 Walk: 4 mph; Run: 6.5 mph Warm-up
The routine can be done walking
4:00–5:00 0 Walk: 4.5 mph; Run: 7 mph Warm-up
or running, making it scalable for
both new and returning exercisers. 5:00–5:20 15 Walk: 3.5 mph; Run: 6 mph 20-second sprint
The speeds and inclines for running 5:20–6:00 15 Rest: Step off or slow down 40-second rest
and walking are suggestions, so
Repeat the above 20-second sprint/40-second rest 10 total times until you
feel free to adjust the levels to suit
get to the 15-minute mark.
your needs.
Remember: Don’t skimp on the
15:00–15:30 11 Walk: 4.5 mph; Run: 7 mph 30-second sprint
prescribed rest periods, and don’t be
afraid to take a break — especially if 15:30–16:15 11 Rest: Step off or slow down 45-second rest
you feel lightheaded or nauseated. Repeat the above 30-second sprint/45-second rest six times, until you get to
“The key with a workout this the 22:30 mark.
intense,” says Coleman, “is to listen to
your body.” 22:30–23:00 7 Walk: 5 mph; Run: 8 mph 30-second sprint
23:00–23:45 7 Rest: Step off or slow down 45-minute rest

LAUREN BEDOSKY is a Minnesota-based Repeat the above 30-second sprint/45-second rest six times, until you get to
health and fitness writer. the 30-minute mark. Walk slowly at a low incline to cool down.

ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 29

 FITBIT IONIC.
B U I LT F O R
FITNESS.

M A D E F O R YO U.
LY.
ONL
S ON Y

W I T H I N D U S T R Y- L E A D I N G G P S A N D E N H A N C E D
E U.S.
WITH USUSE.
U
THE
HE
E IIN TH

H E A R T R AT E S E N S O R T O H E L P YO U B E YO U R B E S T,
ES W
ABLE
LE
VARIES
N AVAILAB

I O N I C P U T S YO U R P E R F O R M A N C E O N D I S P L AY —
YL LIFE VA
FE
RIPTION,
IION,

W H I L E K E E P I N G E V E RY T H I N G E L S E O N T RAC K .
ATTERY
RY
IO
ER
BSCRIPT
CRIPT
Y. BATT
BA
SUB
UB
PARATELY
RATELY
RATELY
SS
QUIRES
REQUIR
SOLD SEPA
M REQU
EMIUM
M UM
D SO
PREMI
ED

PERSONALIZED I N D U S T R Y- STORE & WAT E R PHONE- POPULAR U P TO 5 DAY

ND DEPICT
RP
DEPIC
DEPI

COAC H I N G LEADING P L AY 3 0 0 + R E S I S TA N T FREE APPS & B AT T E R Y

OR
EP
SO

GPS SONGS TO 50M P AY M E N T S N OT I F I C AT I O N S LIFE

DORA PLUS
BAND
ORTS BA
B AND
PANDOR
ANDOR
NDOR
SPORTS
PANDO
ANDDO
SPOR
AN
O
A

T H E S M A R T WAT C H D E S I G N E D F O R F I T N E S S
F I T B I T.C O M / I O N I C
 Real Fitness
Break It Down

The
Squat
Build essential strength
with this powerhouse move.

BY MAGGIE FAZELI FARD, RKC

Keep your chest up and
proud by bracing your

S
quats work the muscles of your lower core and maintaining a
body, core, and upper back, making neutral spine — neither
it an ideal exercise for muscle gain, overly arched nor curved.
fat loss, and improvements in athletic
performance and general well-being.
The move appears simple: You just lower
your hips down and stand back up. But this
action is easier said than done. Tight hips and
ankles, a weak core, muscular imbalances
between left and right, and simply not know- Squat only as
ing how to do the move can all be hindrances. low as you
Luckily, none of these has to stop you. comfortably can
while maintaining
The cues and options here will help you
good form and
safely get started or progress your practice.
staying pain-free.

1.
Stand with feet about
hip width apart and OUR
planted firmly on the FAVORITE
ground, hands in front VARIATIONS
of you or on your hips.
Barbell Back Squat:

2. Brace your core, and,

Perform a squat with a
barbell positioned across
your shoulders and the
meaty part of your upper
with control, bend back (not your neck).
your knees and hips Goblet Squat: Squat with
to squat down until a kettlebell or dumbbell
your thighs are about held in front of your body
PHOTOS: KELLY LOVERUD; FITNESS MODEL: JULIANNE LAGO

parallel to the ground. at chest height.

Zercher Squat: Use

3.
Press through your
feet to stand up.
Squeeze your glutes
at the top to achieve a
full lockout.
a barbell or sandbag
If mobility is an issue, positioned in the crooks
try elevating one or of your elbows.
both heels off the
floor (thin weight
Play with foot positioning. You may plates do the trick).
find that a small change — like slightly
turning out the toes of one foot — makes MAGGIE FAZELI FARD, RKC, is
a big difference in comfort and balance. an Experience Life senior editor.

ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 31

Real Fitness
Up Your Game

Hit Your
Glide
BY STEVE WARYAN
Good form is the key to more efficient — and enjoyable —
Nordic skiing. Two Olympians share their secrets.

E
fficiency is essential in cross-
country skiing. Focusing on
the fundamentals of your
form will pay off in improved
performance and overall enjoyment —
whether you’re an amateur skier or an
experienced racer.
To travel up and down hills on
Nordic skis, you need endurance,
strength, and coordination, say
Caitlin Gregg, a four-time American
Birkebeiner (“Birkie”) champion and
Olympian, and her husband, Olympian
Brian Gregg.
Varied workouts — including easy,
long-distance bouts that accumulate
time out on the snow — will go a long
way toward preparing your body for
harder, higher-intensity ski sessions.
But without good technique, you’ll
be compromising the benefits of those
outings. You can burn your hard-
earned training by working too hard
to keep pace with others, expending
your reserves and even risking injury.
Practicing the correct body positions
for generating power and transferring
weight will help activate the right
muscles — the upper-body muscles
for poling and the lower-body muscles
for striding and propelling. This will
ensure you get the most out of your
hard work.
The Greggs designed the following
drills to help you improve your form
and speed with less effort. The drills
will help you learn the fundamental
body positions for good skiing tech-
niques and how they produce maximum
glide, efficiency, and muscle engage-
ment. You can practice them at home
or on the trail, with or without snow.

5,000 years ago, skiing was developed in Scandinavia

as a means of travel and transport.

32 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

Drills for Classic and Skate-Skiing Techniques
Drill 1: Forward Lean
“This drill helps you learn how to
maintain a forward lean without
bending from the waist,” says Caitlin.
“Having just the right amount of lean
will provide free forward movement
on snow.”
• Stand on the ground in your ski
boots with your weight centered and
your knees slightly bent. Bend at the
ankles so your shins are at a 45- to
60-degree angle.
• Keeping your body straight and
your hips high, lean forward from
the ankles and hips onto the balls of
your feet.
• Check that your hips are in line
with or in front of your heels. You
never want your hips behind your
heels; you are not trying to sit back
into a chair.
• Try to always maintain this
forward lean, without bending much at
the waist.
• On snow: Practice this forward
lean while standing on your skis,
forming a V position with the front of
your skis angled outward. The skis will
start moving forward and outward.
Rock side to side in a short skating
motion as you move forward with
little effort.
Drill 2: Pole Force
This drill focuses on applying your
body-weight force in poling, says
Caitlin. “The more power you can apply
with your poles, the faster you’ll go.”
• Assume the start position from
drill 1: Stand with feet at shoulder
width, knees slightly bent, and weight
forward on the balls of your feet.
• Hold your poles with your hands
in the straps, and raise them overhead,
elbows bent at about 45 degrees.
• With your core engaged, lean
forward at the ankles. Drive the poles
downward forcefully as if you’re doing
a crunch until the poles hit the ground
and your body stops in a high plank
position. You’ll feel like you’re falling
forward; that is the force on your poles
needed for generating power and
forward movement on snow. On snow,
the follow-through will engage your
lower abs.
Web Extra!
For a full-body, cross-country-skiing
workout designed by Olympians
Caitlin and Brian Gregg, visit
ELmag.com/nordicskiing.
Drill 3: Weight Shift and Balance
Reinforce the proper weight shift onto
each ski with this drill.
For both skating and classic skiing,
says Brian, “you need to commit your
weight fully to each ski, so you don’t
leave your weight in between your
skis. Without full weight transfer,
you’ll be working harder than you
need to.
“The weight transfer should come
from bending your legs and moving
your hips from side to side; make sure
you aren’t just moving your shoulders
or head, which is a common flaw,”
he explains.
• Begin by standing on your skis on
snow, and rock your hips and torso
from side to side over each ski.
• Then take turns balancing on each
ski. Alternate sides and allow your
weight to shift fully.
• Finally, try gliding on one ski for
a second or two. Again, allow yourself
to feel the full weight shift; don’t short
the transition. If you don’t transfer
weight fully, you won’t glide for very
long, and you’ll work harder than you
need to.
STEVE WARYAN is Experience Life’s
copy chief.

Gear Upgrades
Be trail ready with these gear recommendations from Matt Liebsch,
American Birkie champ and co-owner of Pioneer Midwest.

SALOMON RS CARBON
PILOT SKATE BOOT
A lightweight boot for racing
and recreational skate skiing.
$299; www.salomon.com
TOKO THERMO PLUS: SWIX DELDA JACKET SWIX TEAM SPECIAL POLES
COLD-WEATHER GLOVE This softshell jacket is water- Affordable, high-performance
The warmth of a mitten with resistant, breathable, and made poles made of flexible,
the dexterity of a glove. $49; for high-output aerobic activity. lightweight carbon fiber. $150;
www.tokous.com $150; www.swixsport.us www.swixsport.us

ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 33

 v e st in y o u rself -
In
you deserve it !

MAY 10 - 13, 2018 | THE WESTIN CHICAGO O’HARE | ROSEMONT, IL

EMPOWER! is much more than a fitness conference.

It’s an opportunity to join fitness professionals, yoga
teachers, personal trainers, nutrition professionals, fitness
enthusiasts and life changers like yourself in workshops,
master classes and lectures with the top presenters in the
world delivering inspiring and innovative programming.

• Earn 2 years worth of CECs

• Special empowering Mother’s Day retreat
• Event EXPO with clothes, shoes, fitness products,
food and so much more
• An inclusive event, open to all fitness professionals,
enthusiasts and yoga teachers

Learn more and get registered at empowerfitnessevents.com

..........................
MPOWER! MI WA PA NV KS NC IL TX NY MN IL OK CO VA AZ TX
the E
SERIES
.......................... JAN FEB FEB APR APR APR MAY JUN JUL SEP SEP SEP OCT OCT NOV NOV

Charting
Your Own
Course
Our fitness editor shares her
struggle to find a fitness
regimen — and mindset —
that’s effective and fun.
BY MAGGIE FAZELI FARD, RKC
Just tell me what to do.”
When it comes to fitness,
most of us have high hopes and
big aspirations. But when it comes time
to get to the gym to do the work, it can
be daunting. It’s a challenge to know
what to do, how many times to do it,
and for how long and how often.
The feeling of being lost, for
me, is often compounded by one
of intimidation when it seems like
everyone else knows exactly what
to do. “Just tell me what to do,” I’ve
pleaded with countless trainers. And
for a long time, my requests for black-
and-white “do this, not that” guidance
garnered decent results.
Following exercise programs
diligently and wholeheartedly led me
to meeting weight-loss goals, complet-
ing two half-marathons, and hitting a
300-pound deadlift. I found success
thanks to my unwavering dedication to
plans laid out by other people.
On the flip side, though, were the in-
between periods when I felt aimless. As
one program wrapped, I’d worry about
what came next. I feared losing the fit-
ness I’d gained and hesitated to repeat
routines. The stress detracted from my
feelings of pride and satisfaction.
I wanted exercise to be effective
and fun. Over time, I understood that
reaching my goals wasn’t satisfying if I
was miserable along the way.
With this understanding, I began to
rely less on what people on the outside
told me to do. Instead of looking for
a boss, I sought out teachers. I looked
for opportunities to learn new things
and relearn what I already knew from
different people. I learned to swim and
climb and paddleboard and fly on a
trapeze. I took dance classes — salsa,
house, and hip-hop, to name a few. I
enrolled in workshops on powerlifting,
kettlebell training, and martial arts.
Some activities inspired a desire to
delve deeper, to keep learning. In other
classes, I absorbed what I could and
happily stepped away. Not forever, but
for the time being.
At the nexus of this changing
mindset, in early 2013, was my
introduction to biofeedback training.
It’s founded on the idea that no choice
My refrain is no longer a
plea. Now, I proclaim to
anyone willing to hear:
“I want to play.”
is absolutely neutral — that everything
you do moves you along a spectrum
of better-for-you to worse-for-you.
“Better” is not necessarily the same
thing for me and my workout buddy;
in fact, it’s likely that better looks
different for each of us.
I learned to use range-of-motion
testing to assess what were the best
exercises, weights, and rep ranges on a
given day. At times, it meant deviating
from a program; taking a day off when I
hadn’t planned to; pushing harder than
the workout called for. (Learn more
about biofeedback testing and training
in “Body Talk,” page 64.)
Real Fitness
Strong Body, Strong Mind
All this learning about different
types of movement — and about
listening to my body and respecting
what it’s asking for — altered how I
viewed myself. Whereas I was once a
clumsy and nonathletic woman who
needed to be told specifically what to
do, I suddenly saw myself as someone
with a sense of agency over her fit-life.
I could take information and make a
choice about what to do based on what
suited me best in the moment.
The word “empowerment” is buzzy
these days and, for some, has lost any
oomph it once had. But I’m not being
hyperbolic when I say that the more
I learned, the more empowered I felt.
My worry about failing transformed
into wonder — wonder about where
I could go from there and how I
could keep growing. My coaches and
teachers were no longer drill sergeants,
but mentors and collaborators.
My refrain is no longer a plea. Now,
I proclaim to anyone who is willing to
hear: “I want to play.”
In this new column, our fitness editor looks
at both the latest research and anecdotal
evidence for movement as a tool for self-care,
self-discovery, and connection. She’ll explore
the important intersection of the body and
mind, and how it affects how we approach
our health and fitness — and our lives.
MAGGIE
FAZELI
FARD, RKC,
is Experience
Life’s senior
fitness editor.
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 35
 MARCH 4, 2O18 The new 305 Half Marathon & 5K (March 4,
2018) is all about local vibes, attracting visitors from all over the
world and those who are fired up to call Miami their home. Once
known as the 13.1 Miami Beach & 5K, this ultimate 305 experience
is a cultural gem that will have you running like you live here. Count
on a fast and coastal course with a fresh and vibrant Miami soul.
Register today and see how we do it in the 305!

3 0 5 H A L F M A R AT H O N . C O M
Real
Food

Page
42
Sunday's roast chicken
can become the backbone
of a number of delicious
meals throughout the
week, including this
Chicken Tortilla Soup
from Rebecca Katz, MS.
It comes together in
under an hour but boasts
a depth of flavor that will
make you think it's been
simmering all day.

Find this and other

recipes at ELmag.com/
roastchicken.
Real Food
Nutrients
Eat More
Veggies
BY ELIZABETH MILLARD
I
t’s a perennial question: How can
I improve my eating habits? Food
activist and journalist Michael
Pollan famously counsels, “Eat
food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
While clever and catchy, the lack
of specificity can be vexing. What
foods are acceptable? What’s too
much? And when it comes to all those
plants, how does “mostly” translate to
the plate?
The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines
for Americans (DGA) recommends
2 ½ cups of vegetables per day. But
many health experts believe the U.S.
government sets the standards way
too low.
“If you look around the world,
[you realize] government agencies
that have no relationships with
food companies come up with very
different recommendations,” observes
Terry Wahls, MD, clinical professor
of medicine at the University of Iowa
Carver College of Medicine and
38 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
Committed to healthier eating? Start by piling
your plate with even more vegetables.
author of The Wahls Protocol. “They
advise much higher vegetable and
fruit consumption.”
The Japanese government, for
example, recommends 13 portions of
vegetables and four portions of fruit
daily. In France, it’s 10 servings of
veggies and fruits.
If you change how
you eat, you can
change everything.”
In the United States, however,
the Departments of Agriculture and
Health and Human Services develop
nutrition guidelines with input
from groups such as the National
Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the
International Dairy Foods Association.
Although the dietary-guidelines
committee notes that these industry
lobbyists offer only advice — not
mandates — Wahls and others argue
that the DGA guidelines are overly
influenced by the special interests of
these groups. (For more on the role the
food industry plays in official health
advice, see ELmag.com/healthmedia.)
Many health and nutrition experts
want to raise the bar on eating veggies,
challenging us to eat much more than
the DGA advises. Wahls, for instance,
advises her patients to eat 9 cups of
vegetables — measured raw — per
day (less for smaller-framed people
and more for those addressing specific
health issues).
Other experts advise levels that are
higher than the current DGA recom-
mendations, and most of them empha-
size vegetables over fruits. For all of
fruits’ nutritional virtues, including anti-
oxidants, phytonutrients, and fiber, they
can cause blood-sugar problems, such

as elevated triglycerides, if regularly
eaten in excess.
Americans currently consume an
average of only 1 ½ cups of veggies
daily — half of which are potatoes and
tomatoes, including fries and pizza
sauce. Nine cups of vegetables may
seem like an exceptionally tall order,
but experts emphasize the nutritional
and health benefits that only plants can
provide. Plus, by focusing on eating
more veggies, you’ll have less room for
unhealthy foods.
Wahls can attest to the myriad
health benefits her patients see when
they shift to a plant-heavy diet. But her
strongest testimonial is her own.
In 2007, after several years of
decline from progressive multiple
sclerosis (MS), she was using a tilt/
recline wheelchair and facing a dismal
prognosis. As conventional treatments
failed, Wahls researched alternative
protocols, ultimately discovering
a functional-medicine approach to
Americans currently consume
an average of only 1½ cups of
veggies daily — half of which are
potatoes and tomatoes.
treating complex chronic diseases
that employs specific nutrients
to support her health. Along with
other therapeutic interventions,
she eventually adopted an eating
plan based on paleo principles, with
an emphasis on large quantities of
nutrient-rich vegetables.
It had a profound effect. In 2008
Wahls competed in an 18-mile bicycle
race and started marathon training.
Since 2010 she has been conducting clin-
ical trials on her nutrition protocol —
a cornerstone of which is consuming 9
cups of produce daily. (For more about
Wahls’s protocol for managing auto-
immune conditions including MS, see
ELmag.com/wahlsaudio.)
“If you change how you eat, you
can change everything — physically,
but also mentally and emotionally,”
Wahls says. “This way of eating gave
me my life back.”
If you’re intent on getting more plant-
powered foods in your diet, read on.
PICK YOUR PRODUCE
Aim to eat 3 cups of veggies from
each of the following categories
daily, recommends Terry Wahls,
MD. This strategy not only boosts
nutrient diversity, but it also
prevents getting into veggie ruts.
• Dark Leafy Greens: Nutritionally
dense and rich in phytochemicals,
greens deliver vitamins A, C, and K as
well as the B vitamins you need for a
healthy nervous system. Great choices
include arugula, beet greens, bok choy,
chard, dandelion greens, kale, spinach,
and mustard greens. Herbs count as
veggies, too, notes Maggie Ward,
MS, RDN, LDN, so load up on fresh
and dried parsley, basil, mint, cilantro,
and others.
• Brightly Colored Veggies: Color
signals the presence of antioxidants
— and when a vegetable has color
all the way through, antioxidant
concentration is the highest. Go green
with asparagus, cabbage, and peas.
Red options include peppers, radicchio,
and red cabbage. Dip into the blue,
purple, and black world with purple
cauliflower, purple kale, and black
olives. Brighten up with yellow and
orange staples like carrots, peppers,
pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and squash.
• Sulfur-Rich Vegetables: Sulfur
nourishes cells and mitochondria,
and it helps the body efficiently
eliminate toxins. It’s also important
for synthesizing protein and producing
collagen, which makes up connective
tissues. Pick cauliflower, garlic, leeks,
onions, radishes, shallots, rutabagas,
and collard greens.
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 39
Real Food
Nutrients

Your Body on Vegetables

Wahls’s recovery powerfully illustrates the influence of
food on health — and it’s a good reminder that nutrition
does its most important work at the cellular level.
Cells issue the signals that affect how you think, feel,
sleep, age, breathe, and operate. Their main power source,
the mitochondria, helps them rejuvenate and function
effectively. Proper nutrition is one of the keys to boosting
mitochondrial health, with nutrient-dense, plant-based
foods — particularly veggies — playing an important role.
While it might be tempting to pop supplements to get
these nutrients, you’d miss out on the numerous com-
pounds in vegetables that work together to support cell
function. By eating plenty of vegetables, you can get all the
vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals you need — in their
most bioavailable form. (For more on how whole foods
outperform supplements, see ELmag.com/wholefood.)
These are a few of the ways veggies support your health.

Reduce Inflammation Clear Your Head Boost Gut Health

Several factors can damage your cells,
including poor diet, too much sunlight,
viruses, and chronic stress. While
damaged cells have the capacity to
repair themselves, they are vulnerable
to further harm by free radicals created
through normal bodily processes —
such as the release of digestive enzymes
and other metabolic functions — as
well as from environmental toxins and
other external sources.
Unchecked oxidative stress and
sustained cellular damage can trigger
bodywide inflammation, which can
cause the immune system to attack
healthy cells. Scientists link rogue
immune systems to MS, rheumatoid
arthritis, atherosclerosis, and a host of
other conditions. They’ve also found a
connection between inflammation and
obesity, and some researchers suggest
it increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.
“Antioxidants stop the cascade of
reactions that occur with unchecked
oxidative stress and inflammation,”
explains Maggie Ward, MS, RDN,
LDN, nutrition director of The
UltraWellness Center in Lenox, Mass.
Found in various vitamins, minerals,
and phytonutrients, antioxidants
are the primary anti-inflammation
compounds in veggies, and they’ve
been shown to restore cellular health.
Inflammation also inhibits frontal-
lobe function, Wahls says, which can
hamper insights and clarity, and even
prompt anger and stress. Research at
the National Institutes of Health has
tied inflammation to cognitive health,
Alzheimer’s disease, and other forms
of dementia. People of any age can
suffer brain fog — as well as feelings
of frustration, high stress levels, and
mood shifts — if they don’t get enough
nutrients, says Wahls.
Not only do vegetables (minus
the deep-fried, sugar-drenched,
preservative-laced kind) lower
inflammation, but they also deliver
vital vitamins and nutrients to the
brain. They have a powerful effect
on cognition, including emotional
responses, memory, learning, and
executive function.
In several studies, researchers
have found that the antioxidants
and folate compounds in specific
vegetables — such as leafy greens and
crucifers — are particularly important
for improved brain health. From the B
vitamins that produce mitochondrial
energy to vitamin K, which supports
healthy blood vessels, the breadth of
specific plant nutrients that support
brain health is unmatched.
Fiber is the workhorse of a healthy
microbiome, helping good gut bacteria
thrive, explains nutritionist and
educator John Bagnulo, MPH, PhD.
And despite the marketing efforts of
bran-cereal makers to convince you
otherwise, vegetables are among your
best sources of fiber. He recommends
at least 2 cups of vegetables per meal
for optimal digestive health.
Some studies have found that when
digestive microbes are starved of fiber,
they may start to feed on the mucous
lining of the gut, leading to intestinal
permeability, which allows undigested
food molecules to leak into the blood-
stream. Known as leaky gut syndrome,
this can trigger an autoimmune
response as the body deals with the
perceived invaders, producing symp-
toms such as food allergies, migraines,
and digestive distress.
“Many people are suffering from
gut disorders and may not even realize
it,” Bagnulo says. Digestive issues
can also manifest as skin conditions
and even moodiness and depression.
(For more on gut disorders, including
irritable bowel syndrome, see “Gut
Feelings,” page 56.)
ELIZABETH MILLARD is a writer and editor
based in northern Minnesota.

40 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

4 Strategies
TO BOOST YOUR VEGGIE INTAKE
Start where you are.
Be a savvy shopper.
Eating “mostly plants,” as Pollan suggests, doesn’t have to
be hard. We asked nutrition experts how to make it easier.

Cook up some magic. Baby your belly.

1. If eating more veggies
sounds good in theory but
you already struggle to
hit 3 cups a day, start by
fully committing to those 3
cups. You may be surprised
how just increasing your
awareness can kick-start a
veggie habit and inspire you to
add on.
Not a big fan of veggies?
Paul Kriegler, RD, a nutritionist
with Life Time in Chanhassen,
Minn., suggests writing a list
of vegetables you do like, and
then adding four or five you’d
be willing to try.
Believe it or not, your
palate can change. (To learn
how to retrain your taste buds
to prefer whole foods, see
ELmag.com/tastebuds.)
2. If local, seasonal pickings
are slim or your budget feels
too tight for fresh (ideally
organic) vegetables, you can
still aim high. Terry Wahls,
MD, counsels people on strict
food budgets to buy onions,
garlic, and root vegetables
— which keep for weeks —
in bulk, and to stock up on
dried mushrooms, as well
as canned vegetables. She
also recommends frozen
vegetables, which are
typically flash-frozen shortly
after harvest and retain their
nutritional density.
“Do the best you can,”
says Wahls. “But at a certain
point, you may want to
dedicate more of your budget
to vegetables. When people
begin to see the link between
what they eat and their health,
their priorities tend to shift.”
3. Vegetables that seem
ho-hum prepared one way can
surprise you when prepared
another way. “A vegetable
can taste very different if it’s
roasted versus steamed or
grilled,” Kriegler says.
Turn a zucchini into a
plate-full of zoodles and top
with tomato sauce, pesto, or
more vegetables (find a recipe
at ELmag.com/zucchinipasta).
Grill a head of romaine lettuce
or snack on raw veggies
sprinkled with a mixture of
curry and cinnamon.
And remember: Those
recommended 9 cups are
measured raw. “A cup of
raw spinach turns into about
one-eighth of a cup when it’s
even lightly steamed,” says
Kriegler. “So you can get to 9
or 10 cups a day much easier
than you might think.”
4. Vegetables are a
significant source of fiber,
which is great for gut health
— and for cleaning out your
system. That’s another
reason to start slow and
build up, advises nutritionist
John Bagnulo, MPH, PhD,
who notes that some folks
may benefit from a gradual
increase in their intake.
Nutritionist Maggie
Ward adds that cooked or
fermented vegetables can be
gentler on the belly than raw.
“Cooking can soften fiber like
cellulose and make it easier
to digest,” she says. “The
salt and bacteria involved in
fermentation also break food
down somewhat and improve
its digestibility.”
As you add vegetables,
you’ll likely start seeing more-
efficient elimination.

WHAT’S IN A CUP?
No need to break out the measuring cups. This guide,
adapted from The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life by
Terry Wahls, MD, is a handy way to estimate just how
much of your favorite veggie counts as a cup.
1/3 large cucumber
1 avocado
8–10 stalks asparagus 2 cloves garlic*
1 beet 4 lettuce leaves
1 bell pepper (large) 5 mushrooms
¼ head of broccoli 34 olives (black)
5 large Brussels sprouts 1 onion
1/6 head of cabbage 1 small rutabaga
1 large carrot 1 handful spinach
¼ head of cauliflower 1 large tomato
1/3 large yam or sweet potato
2 stalks celery

* Wahls gives garlic extra credit for its nutrient density.

ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 41

Real Food
Confident Cook
How to
Roast
a Chicken
Learn one basic recipe and enjoy roast
chicken in a variety of healthy dishes.
BY REBECCA KATZ, MS
R
oast chicken may be the ultimate
Sunday dinner. Not only is it an
easy-to-prepare comfort food,
but it’s a nutritious pick, too:
Poultry is rich in vitamin B3, which can
boost memory and improve mental focus,
and each serving delivers more than 30
grams of protein.
Roast chicken also gives you a good
bang for your buck. Every part is valuable,
including the carcass, which you can freeze
and use later to make a delicious stock.
And if you roast a chicken on the
weekend, you can use it as the foundation
for other meals during the week, including
the chicken-based salad, bowl, and hash
featured on the following pages. Chop up
the meat and store it in an airtight glass
container for up to four days.
This roast-chicken recipe is simple, but
there are a few secrets to success. First, use
an instant-read thermometer to help ensure
your chicken is cooked all the way through
without overcooking.
Second, be generous with your season-
ings. This classic recipe uses fresh rose-
mary, thyme, and sage, along with lemon,
but feel free to experiment. Filling the
cavity with aromatics will keep the breast
from drying out while the dark meat cooks.
Finally, for a crisp, golden skin, add
butter and salt to the bird’s exterior
and roast at high heat to develop the
chicken’s flavor and give it that lovely
crackling texture.
42 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
Classic Roast Chicken
Makes six servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: one hour, plus 10 minutes to rest
• 1 4½- to 5-lb. organic chicken
• 2 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or ½ tsp. dried)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ tsp. dried)
PHOTOS: ANDREA D’AGOSTO; PROP STYLING: ALICIA BUSZCZAK; FOOD STYLIST: PAUL JACKMAN
• 2 fresh sage leaves
Preheat oven to 400 Set chicken on a roasting
degrees F. rack in a baking dish,
breast side up. (Trussing is
Pat chicken dry with paper
optional.) Roast until meat
towels, then rub the inside of
thermometer reads 163
the cavity with ½ teaspoon
degrees F when inserted in
salt. Coat the outside of the
the thigh and the juices run
bird with unsalted butter.
clear, about one hour. (The
Combine pepper and remain- temperature will climb to 165
ing salt; lift as much of the degrees F as it rests. This is
skin as possible and rub half called carryover cooking.)
the mixture underneath and
the remaining half on the
Let rest 10 minutes. Carve.
Squeeze remaining lemons
outside of the skin.
over chicken and serve.
Put two quarters of the
Refrigerate up to four days, or
lemon, as well as the garlic
freeze for up to four months.
and herbs, into the cavity.
TIPS
Make Stock
Freeze the chicken
carcass in a zip-top
bag and use it to
make a flavorful stock.
(For a no-fuss recipe,
see ELmag.com/
roastchicken.)

Up the Flavor
Roast your chicken
on a bed of aromatic
veggies, like carrots,
celery, onion, and
garlic, for an easy
one-pan meal.

Season Away
No need to be overly
cautious when
seasoning under the
skin. If it tears, just pat
it back down.

Shop Smart
“Free-range” labels
don’t mean a whole
lot. For the most
nutrient-dense chicken
minus the herbicide,
antibiotic, and other
chemical residue,
opt for organic and
pasture-raised.

ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 43

Real Food
Confident Cook

For additional crunch

and a pop of flavor,
try adding chopped
green onions, diced
celery, slivered
almonds, or chopped
fresh cilantro.

Curried Chicken Salad

Makes four servings
Prep time: 15 minutes

• 4½ cups chopped roast chicken

• 1 Granny Smith apple, diced
• ¼ cup raisins
• ½ cup plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbs. lime juice
• 1 tbs. curry powder
• ½ tsp. ground gingerroot
• ½ tsp. sea salt

In a medium bowl, combine chicken,

apple, and raisins. Separately, whisk
together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime
juice, curry powder, ginger, and sea salt.
Add the yogurt mixture to the chicken,
and stir gently until combined.

44 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

 Boost the
phytonutrient
factor by
mixing in a cup
of spinach or
Swiss chard
in the last five
minutes of
cooking.
Chicken Cozy Bowl
Makes four servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes, including time for rice to stand
• 2¼ cups organic chicken stock
• 1/3 tsp. finely chopped saffron
threads or turmeric
• 1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbs. finely diced yellow onion
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed
• 1¼ cup chopped roast chicken
• 3 tbs. chopped olives of choice
• 1 tbs. diced pimiento or roasted
peppers
• Spritz of lemon juice
• ½ cup flat-leaf parsley
THE WELL-
STOCKED
PANTRY
It’s easy to whip up a
healthy meal when your
kitchen is well supplied
with go-to staples.
These chicken recipes
lean heavily on spices,
aromatics, condiments,
and grains that you
can have on hand for
everyday use. If your
kitchen cupboards are a
bit bare, start by stocking
up on these basics.
In the Cupboard
• Sea salt and black
pepper
• Dried herbs and spices:
bay leaves, cumin, curry
powder, fennel seeds,
ginger, oregano, red-
pepper flakes, rosemary,
saffron, sage, thyme,
and turmeric
• Rice (jasmine is a
versatile choice)
• Canned diced tomatoes
• Boxed chicken or
vegetable stock
(organic, if possible)
• Jarred olives
In a large saucepan, bring stock to a boil. Pour into a • Jarred roasted red
small, heatproof bowl, and add the saffron. peppers or pimientos
• Raisins
In the same saucepan, warm olive oil over medium-
high heat, and then add the onion and ¼ teaspoon • Almonds
sea salt. Sauté until soft, about two minutes.
In Dry Storage
Add the rice to the saucepan and stir until well • Onions (yellow is a
mixed and slightly toasted, about one minute. versatile choice)
Stir in the broth and another ¼ tsp. sea salt. Bring • Garlic
the rice to a boil, and then lower the heat, cover,
and simmer for 12 minutes. In the Fridge
Stir in the chopped chicken, olives, pimiento, and • Plain, full-fat
lemon juice. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand Greek yogurt
12 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve, garnished • Mayonnaise
with parsley. • Lemons and limes
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 45
Real Food
Confident Cook
Amp up the protein by
topping each serving with a
poached or fried egg.

Roasted Sweet Potato

and Chicken Hash
Makes four servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper,
plus more to taste
• ½ onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ tsp. minced fresh thyme (or ¼ tsp. dried)
• 1½ tsp. minced fresh sage (or ¼ tsp. dried)
• ¼ tsp. crushed fennel seeds
• Pinch red-pepper flakes
• 1 cup chopped roast chicken
• 3 cups baby spinach

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking

pan with parchment paper.
Put the diced sweet potato into a large bowl. Add
2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼
teaspoon pepper, and toss until evenly coated.
Spread sweet potato evenly in a single layer on
the prepared pan and roast for 20 minutes, or until
tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
While sweet potato is roasting, heat a large, heavy
skillet over medium heat and add remaining 2
tablespoons olive oil. When oil shimmers, add onion
and a pinch of salt, and sauté until translucent, about
four minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, sage, fennel seeds,
Web Extra! and red-pepper flakes, and sauté until aromatic,
about 30 seconds.
Find Rebecca Katz’s recipes
for Chicken Tortilla Soup Add the chicken, sweet potatoes, and spinach, stirring
and Roast Chicken Stock at until well combined and the spinach is just wilted.
ELmag.com/roastchicken.
Serve on plates with a grind of black pepper and a
pinch of salt.

REBECCA KATZ, MS, is the author of several cookbooks,
including Clean Soups and The Healthy Mind Cookbook,
and is the director of the Healing Kitchens Institute at
Commonweal. She lives in San Rafael, Calif.
WHY NO NUMBERS?
Readers sometimes ask us why we don’t publish
nutrition information with our recipes. We believe
that (barring specific medical advice to the contrary)
if you’re eating primarily whole, healthy foods — an
array of sustainably raised vegetables, fruits, nuts,
seeds, legumes, meats, fish, eggs, whole-kernel
grains, and healthy fats and oils — you probably don’t
need to stress about the numbers. We prefer to focus
on food quality and trust our bodies to tell us what
we need. — The Editors

46 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

Real Food
Honestly, Dara
Peace, Love,
and Bean
Sprouts
It’s time to take a second look
at hippie cuisine — because it
changed everything.
BY DARA MOSKOWITZ GRUMDAHL
L
et us light a hempen candle in
memory of hippies, for history
has not treated them kindly.
They’re often remembered
for their regrettable bell-bottoms, their
fulsome tie-dye, and little else. As if to il-
lustrate this point, my third grader came
back from camp last summer with a
chant that posited the various life paths
one could have taken besides going to
camp, including being a hippie: “Love
and peace, my hair is full of grease!”
Hippie food has fared no better,
even though it’s what many of us were
raised on.
When Jonathan Kauffman was
growing up Mennonite in Elkhart,
Ind. — hardly a community known for
Summer of Love abandon — his family
ate like many earthy types in 1970s
America: hippie-style.
“My parents were part of a garden
collective, and we ate a lot of lentil
stews, yogurt, sprouts, wheat germ
— we even had a moment of carob,”
Kauffman recalls.
Eventually, his parents grew out of
their hippie phase, and Kauffman went
on to become the most elite of eaters: a
restaurant critic in San Francisco.
That’s where the two of us met
and bonded over childhood memories
48 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
of looking askance at our parents’
wheat germ — though my side-gazing
happened in the heart of New York
City. To this day I think of wheat
germ as a food product that really
goes a step too far. Keep the hard,
albeit nutritious, germ of wheat and
toss away the soft middle? You might
as well have an apple pie made only
of peels. (I wish I had been able to
concoct this metaphoric rebuke in
third grade.)
But Kauffman went beyond mere
reminiscing. He decided to investigate
that passage in American food history
to discover its roots and unveil its
enduring effects.
“Just as I started thinking about
hippie food as a unique occurrence
and looking into the origins of it, I
realized that many of the restaurants
that had been an important part of it
were dying,” says Kauffman.
Indeed, several of the vegetarian,
vegan, and feminist eateries that
thrived in California’s Bay Area in
the 1970s have disappeared. Around
the country, some classics — Sunlight
Cafe in Seattle; Seva in Ann Arbor,
Mich.; Bloodroot in Bridgeport, Conn.
— live on, though most have moved
beyond their hippie roots. “I thought,
I’d better capture these stories before
they’re gone,” Kauffman says.
So he got out there, tracking down
hippie-food history. He located the
food co-ops that predated and inspired
modern-day health-food stores, such as
Whole Foods; talked with the activists
who helped craft the official USDA
organics program; and explored why
Asian burritos make so much sense
to American eaters when, say, Czech
burritos don’t.
The book that resulted? Hippie Food:
How Back-to-the-Landers, Longhairs,
and Revolutionaries Changed the Way
We Eat.
Beyond Woodstock
As Kauffman and I know from our
childhoods, hippie food wasn’t
restricted to Woodstock potlucks. Its
reach was wide, springing seemingly
out of thin air during the late 1960s
and early 1970s and leaving its mark on
family dinners across the country. The
fact that yogurt was able to leap from
ILLUSTRATION: PAUL HOSTETLER
weird fringe food to grocery-store
mainstay in the blink of an eye may
be due to hippie food’s roots in other
longstanding American traditions.
During the 18th century, for exam-
ple, our country’s deep culture of reli-
gious freedom produced Seventh Day
Adventists, Protestants who believed
in healthy eating and a vegetarian diet.
Notably, it was hippies on the spiritual
trail to India and Asia — returning with
lentils and saag paneer — who later
brought such fare to the Adventists.
So, hippies, you win.
I concede that you had
more gastro-cultural
impact than your Earth
Shoes led us to believe.
In the early 20th century,
immigrants in the upper Midwest —
the same ones who founded farming
cooperatives such as Land O’Lakes —
introduced their co-op traditions
from northern Europe. The co-op
food markets of the 1960s and ’70s
owed their heritage to this farming
distribution model, as well as to
the consumer-owned businesses
that emerged from the political and
economic turmoil of the 1930s. Hippie-
era co-ops demonstrated that, with
volunteer labor and bulk bins of oats,
you didn’t need much capital to open a
grocery store.
“There were also a few books that
were hugely influential, like Diet for
a Small Planet and a Seventh Day
Adventist vegetarian book called Ten
Talents Cookbook,” Kauffman notes.
Thence came brown-rice-and-
tempeh bowls sprinkled with
sunflower seeds and seasoned with
liquid aminos — a quintessential
hippie staple that went out of fashion
only to return to popularity in many of
today’s healthy-eating circles.
“Much of this food was kept alive
in the kitchens of people of that
generation, but the media-driven
food culture moved on,” Kauffman
observes. “Baking whole-wheat bread
went out of fashion for 20 or 30 years,
replaced by these crunchy French
and Italian breads. But lately, with
the return of heirloom grains, we see
something close again to what the
hippies were doing.”
From Tofu Chili to Korean Tacos
No, hippie food was not vanquished.
If anything, it’s come back stronger,
though under a somewhat different
guise. The same people who started
co-ops and championed a back-to-
the-land ethos for small farmers went
on to create the certified-organic
movement — which supports a market
now valued at $43 billion annually.
“Even the way the hippies idealized
very particular parts of the world, like
Asia and Central America — you see
that in our food today,” says Kauffman.
Yesteryear’s hippie tofu chili cleared a
path for today’s Korean tacos.
So, hippies, you win. I concede
that you had more gastro-cultural
impact than your Earth Shoes led us to
believe. Indeed, as Kauffman promises
to explain in his new book, hippies
have even more to teach modern
folk who survey our foods from the
enlightened paradise of avocado toast
and açaí smoothies.
“As Americans, we tend to believe
that every new movement that comes
out is the best thing that’s ever been
thought of,” says Kauffman. “We jump
from one food trend to the next because
we’re so desperate for a food movement
that will help us be fit and happy. But
I think it’s instructive to look at food
movements that came before.”
Because, as it turns out, peace, love,
and bean sprouts weren’t such bad
ideas after all.
DARA MOSKOWITZ GRUMDAHL is a James
Beard Award–winning food and wine writer.
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 49
 Real Food
Worthy Goods

Party Healthy!
A snack spread you can
feel good about sampling.

Pop-Up Fresh Idea Spicy Bites Flavor Fusion Farm to Fork Greener Pastures
Buddha Bowl’s pop- Tasty anytime, on its These flavorful corn Hope Foods’ spicy Red Table salami is Organic Valley’s raw
corn is the ideal anti- own, or as a mixer, chips from Late July guacamole-hummus made the traditional cheddar changes color
dote to salt cravings. Superior Switchel is pair bacon’s smoky hybrid offers the best way — slowly, from with the seasons, de-
PHOTOS: JOHN MOWERS

It’s seasoned strictly a refreshing brew of goodness with a of both dips: It’s rich, humanely raised pending on where the
with ghee, coconut ginger, apple-cider healthy sprinkling of creamy, and protein- animals, by salumieri cows graze. Its flavor is
oil, or avocado oil, and vinegar, water, and habanero. Even better, packed. $4. www who’ve spent years complex, buttery, and
Himalayan sea salt. honey or maple syrup. they’re vegan. $7. .hopefoods.com honing their craft. good with everything.
About $3. www $4. www.superior www.latejuly.com Yum! $13–$27. www About $9. www
.lesserevil.com switchel.com .redtablemeatco.com .organicvalley.coop

ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 51

 THROUGH
THE
FIRE

52 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

 IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY, SOME PEOPLE MANAGE
TO FIND DEEPER MEANING AND PURPOSE.
DISCOVER THE FACTORS OF POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH.
BY EMILY ESFAHANI SMITH
was sitting at a small table in a New York
City apartment with a couple named Sarah
and Raúl and two women named Christine
and Sandy. I had arrived two and a half hours
earlier at this potluck affair with wine, chips
and guacamole, and an apple pie, prepared to
talk about death and grief.
Most people probably don’t consider
this appropriate table conversation. But in cities
across the United States, an online organization
called The Dinner Party brings together adults
who have experienced the unexpected death of
a loved one to break bread and discuss how the
loss has affected their lives. I haven’t experienced
a loss like theirs; I’m a journalist who studies
meaning, and I was invited to dinner to observe
how people come together to forge meaning and
grow through suffering.
Many of us may not have suffered the loss of
a loved one, but we all carry around emotional
baggage of some kind — baggage that can bring
with it fear, hurt, guilt, and insecurity. At least
one specific source of pain lives inside each of us
and colors the way we see the world: the memory
of an alcoholic mother or an abusive father, the
pain of being bullied at school, the horror of
losing a child, the trauma of being raped, the
helplessness of being held hostage by depression,
cancer, addiction, or other ailments of the mind
and body. These experiences of suffering can be
tremendously difficult to overcome.
They also pose serious threats to finding
meaning in life. They can shatter our
fundamental assumptions about the world —
that people are good, the world is just, and our
environment is a safe and predictable place.
They can breed cynicism and hatred. They can
lead us to have troubled relationships, to lose our
sense of identity and purpose, to abandon our
faith, to conclude that we don’t matter or that life
is senseless.
But this is an incomplete picture of adversity.
Traumatic experiences can leave deep, sometimes
permanent wounds. Yet struggling through them
can also push us to grow in ways that ultimately
make us wiser and our lives more fulfilling.
We do so by relying on what I call the
four pillars of meaning: belonging, purpose,
storytelling, and transcendence. If these pillars
are strong, we’ll be able to lean on them when
adversity strikes. And even if the pillars crumble
because of a shattering trauma, we can rebuild
them to be even stronger and more resilient.
(Learn more about these four pillars of meaning
at ELmag.com/meaningfullife.)
This is what I saw Sarah, Raúl, Christine, and
Sandy doing as we sat around the dinner table on
that autumn evening.
Hearing them speak — sometimes angrily,
sometimes sadly, sometimes with deep remorse
and guilt — I was struck by how they were
struggling to understand their losses. A couple
of them were further along the road to recovery
than the others, but each was leaning on some,
if not all, of the pillars of meaning. They were
forming a community. They were figuring out
what their purpose was in light of the loss. They
were trying to make sense of what had happened,
and they were participating in a ritual that helped
them step outside the hustle of their daily lives to
find peace.
They were finding the meaning in their losses.
We’re often told that happiness is the key to
the good life. Yet my research has taught me
that meaning is the more powerful factor — and
adversity plays an important role in finding it.
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 53
BE OF SERVICE
Since ancient times, literature,
religion, and philosophy have shown
how adversity can help us grow and
lead deeper and more meaningful
lives. Until recently, though, many
psychologists considered trauma
primarily a catastrophic stressor.
One of the characteristics of
trauma, they believed, was that it
damaged a person psychologically and
physically, sometimes to the point of
incapacitation. In 1980 the American
Psychiatric Association added
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
to the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, which
is used to diagnose mental disorders.
Since then, PTSD has received a great
deal of attention from psychologists,
the media, and ordinary people trying
to understand what happens to people
after a crisis.
Vietnam veteran Bob Curry’s
story is a good example. Curry grew
up in a blue-collar neighborhood in
Milwaukee, Wis., the kind of place, he
says, where people eat a lot of apple
pie and watch a lot of John Wayne
movies. As a child, he took to heart the
lesson of John F. Kennedy’s inaugural
address. “Whatever your country asks
of you,” Curry remembers thinking,
“you do it.”
When Curry was a teenager,
Vietnam War protests were at their
height. Even so, Curry felt a strong call
to serve his country.
During the war, he flew
reconnaissance missions over North
Vietnam and Laos. It was a harrowing
experience, he says. Enemy fire often
bombarded his plane, and he nearly
died on several occasions.
The terror of war experiences
never left him, nor did the guilt of
surviving when so many others died.
He returned home in 1971 a different
man. He tried leading a relatively
normal life — starting a family, buying
a home, and working for IBM. He
had some flashbacks, but he largely
managed to bury his guilt and fear.
In 1991, graphic depictions of
the Gulf War on television and in
newspapers brought him right back to
54 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
Vietnam. He started drinking heavily.
After the 9/11 attacks, his flashbacks
intensified, and so did his drinking.
After a bender in 2002, Curry woke
up in a hospital; two police officers
stood next to his bed. They told him he
had hit and killed a man with his car.
He was acquitted after being
diagnosed with PTSD and was sent
to a state mental institution, where he
ruminated on how much destruction
he had caused. Curry considered
ending his life, but realized he had
been given a second chance.
He began visiting the local VFW
and found a safe space in which he
could bond with people who had
endured similar experiences and were
dealing with similar consequences.
Since ancient
times, literature,
religion, and
philosophy have
shown how
adversity can help
us grow.
Finding acceptance among his peers
led him to ponder creating bonding
opportunities for his fellow veterans
that didn’t revolve around drinking.
In 2008 he and some friends
launched Dryhootch, a community
center for veterans that includes a
coffee shop and offers live music,
reading groups, art classes, and
therapy sessions. Today, Dryhootch
has six locations in Wisconsin
and Illinois, including Madison
and Chicago.
The drunk-driving accident forced
Curry to turn inward — to figure out
what he could contribute to the world.
“Service is the only thing that makes
sense after what happened,” he says.
“I can’t undo time, but I can make
a difference, and that’s what drives
me forward.”
POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH
Most people have heard about how
PTSD can unravel a person. Fewer
have heard about posttraumatic
growth, the process that lifted Curry
out of his despair and into his new role
as a leader in the veteran community.
The term — defined as “positive
change that occurs as a result of the
struggle with highly challenging life
crises” — was coined in the mid-
1990s by Richard Tedeschi, PhD,
and Lawrence Calhoun, PhD, after
studying how people develop wisdom.
After speaking to an array of
trauma survivors, Tedeschi and
Calhoun found that suffering
could help people transform in
fundamentally positive ways — and
that these transformations were both
more profound and more common
than either of them expected.
They identified five specific
ways people can grow after a crisis.
First, their relationships strengthen.
One woman diagnosed with breast
cancer, for example, said she realized
her relationships “are the most
important things you have.” Bereaved
parents told Tedeschi and Calhoun
that losing a child had made them
more compassionate.
Second, they discover new paths
and purposes in life. Sometimes these
are related to a particular survivor
mission. One interviewee became
an oncology nurse after losing her
child to cancer. Other times, the
crisis becomes the catalyst for a more
general reconsideration of priorities,
as Christine discovered when she
started attending The Dinner Party in
the aftermath of her mother’s death.
Third, the trauma allows them to
find their inner strength. The com-
mon thread among those Tedeschi
and Calhoun studied is a “vulnerable
yet stronger” narrative. This para-
doxical outlook defined the attitude
of a rape survivor who admitted the
world seemed more dangerous after
the assault, but that, at the same time,
she felt more resilient as a result of the
inner strength she’d built.
Fourth, their spiritual life deepens.
That could mean they renew their

faith in God, or it could mean they
grapple with existential questions
more broadly, coming to know
certain deep truths about the world
or themselves, as one interviewee did
after his spinal-cord surgery.
Finally, they feel a renewed
appreciation for life. Rather than
taking for granted a stranger’s
kindness or the vivid colors of autumn
leaves, they savor the small moments
of beauty that light up each day.
Tedeschi and Calhoun discovered
that the nature and severity of the
trauma are less of a factor in posttrau-
matic growth than two other variables:
how people interpret what happened
to them and the degree to which the
trauma upends what they believe
about themselves and the world.
The difference between those who
are able to grow from adversity and
those who are stymied lies in what
Tedeschi and Calhoun call “deliberate
rumination” or introspection. The
participants they studied spent a lot
of time trying to make sense of their
painful experiences, reflecting on how
the events changed them. Doing so
helped them make the life changes
associated with posttraumatic growth.
But what distinguishes the resilient
from the rest?
EMILY ESFAHANI SMITH is a journalist who writes about psychology,
literature, and philosophy. This article is adapted from her book The
Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfillment In a World Obsessed With
Happiness. Copyright © 2017. Published by Crown, an imprint of Penguin
Random House LLC.
After extensive interviews with
survivors of abduction, rape, and
prisoners-of-war captivity, Steven
Southwick, MD, of the Yale School of
Medicine, and Dennis Charney, MD, of
the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, noted that those who emerged
from their traumas bent but not
broken shared similar characteristics.
First, these resilient people had a
purpose, a worthy goal, or a mission
in life — and a moral compass tied to
altruism and serving others.
Beyond purpose, social sup-
port is another critical predictor of
resilience. For children, especially, a
healthy relationship with an adult or
caregiver can buffer the harmful
effects of adversity.
Transcendent sources of meaning,
such as a spiritual connection, also
play a role in helping people cope
with trauma.
As much as we might wish, none
of us will go through life without
some kind of suffering. That’s why
it’s crucial to learn to suffer well.
Those who manage to grow through
adversity do so by leaning on the
pillars of meaning —
and afterward, those
pillars are even
stronger in their lives.
HOW TO BUILD A
MEANINGFUL LIFE
Smith’s four pillars of meaning —
belonging, purpose, storytelling,
and transcendence — can help
victims recover from severe
trauma. They can also aid anyone
dealing with the stresses of daily
life. These strategies for nurturing
the four pillars can guide you
through times of adversity.
Write about your experiences,
emotions, and thoughts regarding
the causes and consequences of the
trauma. Research shows that those
who write about their lives make bet-
ter sense of their stories, report better
grades, display fewer symptoms of
anxiety and depression, and enjoy
more powerful immune systems.
Cultivate a sense of belonging.
Feeling part of a larger purpose is
vital to finding meaning. A survey
of 28 janitors at a large Midwestern
hospital found that when they felt
doctors or nurses acknowledged
rather than devalued them,
they began to see their work as
meaningful. Many even started to
view themselves as caregivers.
Adopt a “meaning” mindset.
High school students who believed
their studies would allow them to ful-
fill a life purpose earned better grades
in math and science several months
later. (For more on the power of
mindset to help you build resilience,
see ELmag.com/mindsets.)
Experience awe.
Highly resilient people tap into
sources of strength and power
greater than themselves. One study
noted that college students who
spent one minute viewing a grove
of 200-foot-tall trees became more
altruistic than those who spent a
minute looking at a tall building.
Awe-inspired people feel a diminished
sense of their own importance,
researchers concluded, which leads
them to be more generous. (For more
on awe, visit ELmag.com/awestruck.)
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 55
 ILLUSTRATIONS: LEO ACADIA

56 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

Irritable bowel syndrome
affects millions of people — and relief can be elusive.
An integrative approach may provide hope.
BY CATHERINE GUTHRIE
F
or most of his life,
Rich Geldreich suf-
fered gut distress.
The 42-year-old San
Diego–based soft-
ware engineer had experienced
recurring bloating, gas, and
constipation since he was 13. His
symptoms grew more severe as
he aged and were exacerbated
by his stressful job.
“Every time I had a big dead-
line at work, I’d hit a wall with
my gut,” he says. The pain and
gas felt “like a volcano erupting.”
After one especially bad
bout in 2013 triggered by severe
food poisoning, Geldreich
saw five doctors, including a
gastroenterologist. They all
offered the same diagnosis:
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
This didn’t bring relief.
IBS affects one in five
Americans, yet its causes are a
mystery to most health profes-
sionals, even those who spe-
cialize in gastrointestinal (GI)
disorders. Unlike a disease,
which has identifiable biomark-
ers, a syndrome is a collection of
common symptoms — and can
be devilishly difficult to treat.
“IBS is the most common di-
agnosis made by gastroenterolo-
gists, yet it’s the one we know
the least about,” says Robynne
Chutkan, MD, an integrative
gastroenterologist at George-
town University Hospital. Part
of the problem, she says, is that
root causes can be as varied as
the individuals suffering from
them, and doctors often don’t
take time to search them out.
“Stopping with a diagnosis
of IBS is too vague,” Chutkan
explains. “If you take a good
look, you find lots of potential
explanations — gluten sensitiv-
ity, parasites, bacterial over-
growth, lactose intolerance, and
leaky gut. But none of those can
really be addressed in your typi-
cal 15-minute appointment.”
Most physicians are taught
to view gut ailments as a
problem with anatomy, but IBS
is usually about biology and
function, says Greg Plotnikoff,
MD, coauthor of Trust Your
Gut. “IBS doesn’t lend itself to
quantification; it won’t show up
on a CT scan, an ultrasound, or
a biopsy. So people with IBS get
passed from doctor to doctor
like a hot potato.”
Geldreich was one such hot
potato. When he visited his doc-
tors in 2015, each one put him
through a variety of tests. They
all ruled out ulcers, Crohn’s
disease, and cancer. After no
one found an explanation for his
chronic pain, Geldreich went
home with a prescription for
heartburn medication and the
suggestion that he start supple-
menting with probiotics.
Doctors write nearly 6
million prescriptions a year for
drugs to ease IBS symptoms.
Yet GI specialists agree that
these medications — usually
laxatives, antidiarrheals, and
antispasmodics for cramping —
often provide little relief.
“The drugs we use to treat
IBS only have a 10 to 40 percent
efficacy rate compared with pla-
cebo,” says University of Michi-
gan gastroenterologist Shanti
Eswaran, MD. And they often
produce side effects that can
compound IBS symptoms. The
antacids Geldreich’s doctors
prescribed, for example, can
lead to reduced stomach acid
and poorer digestion. (For more
on problems with antacids, go
to ELmag.com/heartburn.)
Leaving the underlying
causes of IBS untreated takes a
toll. By 2015 Geldreich devel-
oped gastritis, a painful inflam-
mation of the gut lining, as well
as small intestinal bacterial
overgrowth (SIBO), which can
cause bloating and nutrient
malabsorption. He couldn’t
sleep. He struggled to find foods
he could eat, and his weight
dropped from 150 to 115 pounds.
It was at this point, after
meeting a stressful deadline at
work, that Geldreich made up
his mind. He took his bonus,
quit his high-pressure job,
and devoted himself full-time
to getting to the root of his
gut problems.
“I had no choice,” he says.
“This was a battle for my life.”
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 57
 The Path to Healing
While every case of IBS is different, most functional-treatment strategies cover the
same basic protocol. These are the steps Geldreich followed in his recovery.
1. Know Your
Gut’s History
IBS can seem like a lifetime diag-
nosis, but it doesn’t have to be
— especially if you work with
a health practitioner who helps
you address the root causes.
“It’s absolutely essential to
figure out why you have IBS,
rather than just accept the
diagnosis and resign yourself to
a life of pharmaceutical inter-
vention,” says Chutkan. “You
have to be a medical detective.”
Geldreich enlisted the
help of two Seattle healthcare
providers: functional
naturopath Dan Lukaczer,
ND, and acupuncturist Avigail
Cohen, LAc. Over the next
18 months, each would help
him identify and treat the
underlying causes of his IBS.
When he first met with
Geldreich, Lukaczer asked
for a detailed health history.
“As a physician, I get a lot of
clues from a patient’s story,”
Lukaczer says. “Getting to
the root cause of a condition
like IBS isn’t like one of those
medical TV shows, where you
find out it’s one unusual thing,
like the mercury from fish
or lead from the pipes, that’s
making a person sick. Usually
it’s a combination of factors,
and Rich is a good example of
that complexity.”
Their discussion revealed
several potential causes for
Geldreich’s distress. He told
Lukaczer about his pressure-
cooker job and how he often
worked 12- to 14-hour days. He
also recalled getting sick after
58 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
drinking water contaminated
with raw sewage when he was
13. (Hostile microbes are a
common trigger for chronic gut
ailments, and they can persist
in the gut for years.) By the end
of the 90-minute appointment,
Geldreich felt hopeful.
It’s absolutely
essential to
figure out why
you have IBS,
rather than
just accept the
diagnosis and
resign yourself
to a life of
pharmaceutical
intervention.”
“Lukaczer was the first
doctor who I felt was actually
paying attention,” he recalls.
Most IBS patients feel
unheard and disempowered,
says Plotnikoff. “Asking a
patient to ‘tell me your story’
often shines a light on the most
important information.”
Geldreich’s health history
also revealed a family con-
nection: Both his mother and
his brother experienced gut
distress. Studies show that
people who have a parent or
sibling with IBS are three times
as likely to suffer from the
condition, though it’s unclear
precisely why or how.
“We know genes play a role
in IBS,” says Gerard Mullin,
MD, associate professor of
medicine at The Johns Hopkins
Hospital in Baltimore. But we
don’t know exactly how or
how much.
Both genetics and mic-
robes have an influence. The
microbiome is a pillar of
gut health, so any inherent
weakness ups the odds of a
gut-related condition.
Meanwhile, the bulk of the
100 trillion microbiota that
compose our gut microbiomes
are inherited from our mothers,
including some 1,000 species
of bacteria and untold archaea,
fungi, and viruses. This inher-
itance is transferred from
mother to baby in the birth
canal. If a mother’s intestinal
microbiota are imbalanced at
the time of delivery, her child’s
often are, too.
Studies have found that peo-
ple with diarrhea-predominant
IBS have lower-than-normal
levels of Bifidobacterium and
Lactobacillus; those with
constipation-predominant
IBS show flagging levels of
Veillonella species.
While genes can’t be
altered, the microbiome can
be revitalized with nutritional
and lifestyle interventions. A
genetic predisposition is not a
life sentence.

2. Balance the
Microbiome
Like many people, Geldreich
inherited a less-than-robust
microbiome. And then life
piled on.
For years he worked too
much, rarely exercised, and
ate a less-than-stellar diet: He
often wolfed down energy bars
for lunch and chain-restaurant
fare for dinner. He’d taken
multiple courses of antibiotics
over the years, and Chutkan
notes that a single course of
a broad-spectrum antibiotic,
such as ciprofloxacin
(commonly prescribed for
urinary- and respiratory-tract
infections), can destroy up to a
third of the gut’s good bacteria.
“The process of repopulation
may take months or even
years,” she explains.
“Identifying and remedi-
ating the cause of bacterial
imbalance is essential to
repairing and healing the
gut,” Chutkan adds. “Your
microbiome wasn’t built in a
day, so rebuilding it will be a
gradual process. But tangible
improvements can be made.”
(For more on this, see ELmag
.com/buildmicrobiome.)
For her IBS patients,
Chutkan often advises a 90-
day course of high-quality
probiotics to repopulate the
gut with good bacteria. She
recommends a formula with
strains of Bifidobacterium,
Lactobacillus, and Strepto-
coccus, which “help crowd out
pathogenic species.
“Probiotics aren’t a
panacea,” she admits, “but for
those suffering from microbial
Your
microbiome
wasn’t built
in a day, so
rebuilding
it will be a
gradual process.
But tangible
improvements
can be made.”
discord, they represent a
glimmer of real hope for
improved health.”
To get a glimpse of what
was going on in his patient’s
microbiome, Lukaczer
reviewed the results of
Geldreich’s comprehensive
digestive stool analysis.
The results showed
Geldreich was free of many
of the parasites and yeasts
common in people with IBS,
though they did show he had
difficulty digesting fats, which
can lead to bloating, pain, and
indigestion. Lukaczer put him
on supplements containing
fiber and bile salts to aid with
fat absorption.
This allowed him to move
forward to the next step of
healing his gut’s lining.
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 59
 3. Address
Leaky Gut
In a healthy gut, the lining
serves as a sophisticated filter.
It’s composed of permeable
cells that allow fully digested
nutrients to pass through while
deflecting larger food particles,
chemicals, and toxins.
When those cells are
irritated — by food aller-
gens, stress, toxins, and other
sources — the cell junctures
loosen and microscopic bits
of undigested food leak into
the bloodstream. The immune
system attacks these invaders,
leading to chronic inflamma-
tion that can perpetuate low-
grade digestive discomfort for
years. (For more, see ELmag
.com/leakygut.)
Chronic inflammation is the
long road to a leaky gut and
IBS; the shortcut is intestinal
infection. One in three cases of
IBS begins with a severe bout
Chronic
inflammation is
the long road to
a leaky gut and
IBS; the shortcut
is intestinal
infection.
60 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
of food poisoning or traveler’s
diarrhea. The infection causes
the immune system to target
the gut directly. The resulting
inflammation weakens the
microbiome and, for some,
unleashes IBS symptoms.
Geldreich took the long
road and the short road. He
had a family history of gut ills
and a microbiome weakened
by a childhood illness; then the
bad bout of food poisoning in
2013 triggered his chronic gut
distress. “After that, I was in
near-constant stomach pain,”
he says.
To heal a leaky gut, Chutkan
follows the three Rs: remove,
replace, and repair.
Remove the major dietary
sources of inflammation,
including dairy, gluten,
refined sugars, alcohol, and
artificial sweeteners.
Replace them with nutrient-
rich vegetables and fermented
foods, like sauerkraut and kefir.
Repair by eating anti-inflam-
matory foods, such as gut-heal-
ing bone broth, cold-water fish,
flaxseeds, and walnuts.
Lukaczer put Geldreich on
a comprehensive elimination
diet for three to four weeks
that cut out gluten, dairy,
soy, corn, beef, pork, sugar,
and processed foods. (See
“Nutrition Protocols to Relieve
IBS,” opposite page.) This
offered Geldreich substantial
relief, as it does for many
IBS sufferers whose guts
have become leaky and, by
extension, hypersensitive to
inflammatory fare.
Lukaczer also started him
on gut-healing supplements,
including probiotics and
digestive enzymes.
NUTRITION PROTOCOLS TO RELIEVE IBS
Food intolerances are common in people with IBS. While nutrition changes alone don’t usually
cure all symptoms, food protocols that remove common irritants give the gut lining a chance
to heal, creating a solid foundation for a healthy microbiome and a positive-feedback loop that
supports overall gut health. These two approaches are commonly used to treat IBS.
Elimination Diets
A modified elimination diet involves
removing one common food allergen
from your diet for two to four weeks,
and paying attention to the effects on
your symptoms. Eliminating dairy is a
good place for people with gut distress
to start. About one in four Americans has
some form of lactose intolerance, and
some IBS patients enjoy at least partial
remission when they give up dairy, says
gastroenterologist Shanti Eswaran, MD.
“This is the first thing to try.”
The second item to eliminate is gluten.
Although celiac disease is rare, many
people suffer from nonceliac gluten
sensitivity. This can cause symptoms
similar to celiac symptoms, such as
bloating, gas, rashes, and brain fog, but it
isn’t considered an autoimmune disease.
Because there is no specific diagnostic
test for gluten sensitivity, the only
way to check is to remove it and then
reintroduce it. “Cut gluten for two to
three weeks and see what happens,” says
integrative gastroenterologist Robynne
Chutkan, MD. “It is DIY medicine at its
best. Chances are, you are going to
feel better.” Gluten is found in wheat, rye,
barley, and spelt.
A comprehensive protocol eliminates
all the most common food allergens —
dairy, gluten, yeast, eggs, corn, soy, and
peanuts — for two to four weeks. If food
sensitivities are triggering the IBS, relief
should come quickly with this approach.
(For a guide to the Institute for
Functional Medicine’s elimination diet, as
well as instructions for reintroducing foods
over time, visit ELmag.com/ifmdetox.)
Low-FODMAP Diet
FODMAP stands for ferment-
able oligosaccharides, disac-
charides, monosaccharides,
and polyols — foods that
contain either simple or
complex sugars that are
fermented by bacteria in the
small intestine and colon.
As FODMAPs ferment, they
release short-chain fatty
acids and gas (mostly carbon
dioxide and hydrogen). The
gas stretches the bowel (a.k.a.
intestine), which causes
abdominal pain and bloating.
Fructose, lactose, and polyols
draw water into the bowel,
which can worsen diarrhea.
The low-FODMAP diet
restricts those fermentable
foods and has provided relief
to many IBS sufferers. It is
probably the most challenging
of all elimination diets
because it removes otherwise
healthy foods containing
particular carbohydrates that
can provoke gas and bloating.
The protocol has two
phases. The first lasts two
to four weeks and involves
a strict elimination of all
high-FODMAP foods, such
as wheat; some vegetables
(including onions, garlic,
cabbage, and broccoli); some
fruits (such as stone fruits,
apples, and pears); sorbitol,
which is often found in
chewing gum and sugar-free
foods; and dairy products
containing lactose.
This strict avoidance
phase is brief; it is a test to
determine sensitivity. “The
idea behind the low-FODMAP
diet is that you won’t really
know what you’re sensitive to
unless you take everything out
and see how you feel,” says
Eswaran. “This isn’t some-
thing you want to stay on
long term.”
The second phase is a
slow reintroduction of specific
FODMAP foods to see which
you can tolerate. For this
phase, it’s important to work
with a healthcare provider
who is trained in the diet, says
Eswaran. “The reintroduction
process can take many
weeks, and guidance is
important to keep you from
getting frustrated.”
Eswaran led a study of 90
IBS sufferers: Half followed
a low-FODMAP diet and the
other half took common-sense
measures, such as eating
smaller meals and cutting
back on caffeine and alcohol.
At the end of six weeks, more
than 50 percent of the people
on the low-FODMAP diet saw
a major reduction in abdominal
pain, compared with 20
percent in the control group.
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 61
 Onward
Geldreich left his job to escape the stressful work environment,
though he knew unemployment was not a long-term solution. He
worked with his healthcare providers to develop a supportive
plan: In addition to maintaining good nutrition and stress
management, he committed to exercising at least 30 minutes a day,
retiring between 9 and 10 p.m. to optimize restorative sleep, and
The human body scheduling a weekly massage and chiropractic adjustment. He also
started walking up to three miles daily.
has quite a bit Geldreich moved to San Diego for its sunny, laid-back atmo-
of resiliency if sphere. He is once again employed as a tech consultant but now
we unleash it.” works from home. This allows him to eat well and take breaks to
exercise. He walks every day, and as his health has improved, he’s
started jogging and weightlifting. After following an elimination
diet for several months and using a rigorous, food-and-supplement-
based approach to rebuilding his gut lining, he now eats most
foods comfortably. His IBS symptoms have been absent for a year.
“The human body has quite a bit of resiliency if we unleash it,”
Lukaczer says. Though the symptoms of IBS once nearly ruled his
life, Geldreich is now living proof that the gut, when given the tools
and support it needs, is built to heal.

CATHERINE GUTHRIE is a Boston-based health journalist and Experience Life

contributing editor.

THE ROLE OF THE GUT-BRAIN AXIS

How, exactly, do
worry, anxiety, and
general emotional
stress relate to IBS?
As researchers have
discovered, the gut
is a road to the brain
— and it’s a two-
way street.
The gut–brain axis
refers to the biochemical signal-
ing between the gut and brain,
which takes place largely through
the connecting channel of the
vagus nerve.
The health of the brain and
gut depend on each other,
says Emeran Mayer, MD, PhD,
codirector of CURE: Digestive
Diseases Research Center at
the University of California, Los
Angeles. The healthier your mental
state, the healthier the messages
to the gut, and vice versa.
The gut’s microbes are sepa-
rated from the intestine’s inner
lining by a thin layer of mucus;
from there, they pick up brain
signals about how stressed,
happy, sad, or anxious you are.
At least 70 percent of the body’s
mood-regulating serotonin is
produced in the gut, where
no less than seven different
serotonin receptors are involved
in everything, including peristal-
sis (the muscular action of the
intestines during digestion), pain
sensitivity, and mood. Because
our microbes can signal to our
brains and modulate emotions,
it’s easy to imagine how a gut hi-
jacked by bad bacteria can cause
your mental health to nosedive,
explains Mayer. (For more on
the microbiome and mood, see
ELmag.com/psychobiotics.)
Stress increases stomach-acid
production, notes Chutkan, which
can cause heartburn and nausea.
It channels blood away from the
gut, which slows digestion and
lowers nutrient absorption; it
can also speed up or slow down
elimination. Even for people
with healthy guts, a stressful
conversation during a meal can
cause stomach upset.
A traumatic experience
in early life may be another
precursor. Studies have shown
women with IBS often report
a history of verbal, sexual, or
physical abuse. Nearly twice as
many women as men have IBS.
Other studies have found
that hypervigilance and cata-
strophic thinking can amplify
IBS symptoms.
Stress reduction is as im-
portant as a healthy diet in the
treatment of IBS, if not more so,
Mayer contends. “What starts as
an emotion in the brain influ-
ences the activity of your gut and
can alter the signals generated
by your microbes. Some of these
signals, in turn, communicate
back to the brain, reinforcing and
sometimes even prolonging the
emotional state.”

62 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

WHEN GOOD
BACTERIA TURN BAD
BY COURTNEY HELGOE

Painful bloating after meals is common among
IBS sufferers, and a frequent trigger for it is small
intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO.
SIBO is “an overcolonization of specific bacteria,
usually the colon bacteria, into the small intestine,
where they don’t belong,” explains IBS researcher
Mark Pimentel, MD, an associate professor of
medicine at Cedars–Sinai in Los Angeles.
More than half of all patients with IBS also have
SIBO, according to naturopaths Allison Siebecker, ND,
MSOM, LAc, and Steven Sandberg-Lewis, ND, DHANP.
Unlike the large intestine, which is designed to
host a large, diverse community of microbiota, a
healthy small intestine is home to far fewer bacteria.
When microbes do colonize the small intestine, they
feed vigorously on any carbohydrates they encounter.
This half-digested material ferments in the small
intestine, producing hydrogen or methane gas that
leads to bloating and discomfort. Bloating tends
to get worse as the day goes on, and many people
may feel the need to loosen their belts by evening,
explains functional nutritionist Liz Lipski, PhD, CCN,
CHN, author of Digestive Wellness.
Other symptoms of SIBO include flatulence, heart-
burn, nausea, and fatty stool or steatorrhea. A number
of other health conditions are correlated with SIBO,
including hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia, acne rosacea,
celiac disease, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

How do bacteria get into
the small intestine?
Your digestive system keeps
things moving thanks to the
migrating motor complex (MMC),
which transfers bacteria down
into the lower intestine when
the body is fasting between
meals and at night. Anything
that inhibits the MMC can allow
bacteria to accumulate in the
small bowel. Food poisoning,
for example, may trigger gut
neuropathy and stasis, leading
to overgrowth. Even stress can
disrupt the MMC, affecting the
gut lining at the same time.
Another suspected cause
of SIBO is deficient stomach
acid, often from the overuse
of antacids. “If you don’t have
acid in your stomach protecting
you from bacteria, fungi, and
parasites coming in on your food,
you are left wide open,” notes
Lipski. Some health professionals
suspect that problems with the
colon’s microbiome can be a
trigger; more research is still
needed. Others believe that
mechanical problems with the
valve between the large and small
intestines may cause bacteria to
escape into the small bowel.
How is SIBO diagnosed?
The standard test for SIBO is a
breath analysis that measures
elevated hydrogen and methane,
both byproducts of fermentation
in the small intestine. (Excess hy-
drogen corresponds to diarrhea-
predominant IBS; methane
corresponds to constipation-
dominant IBS.) The test is usually
administered in a doctor’s office,
but home kits are available.
Because tests tend to provide
inconsistent results (both over-
and underdiagnoses), many
healthcare providers opt to treat
SIBO symptoms without tests.
According to functional-medicine
practitioner Chris Kresser, MS,
LAc, who sees many patients with
IBS, “we have no gold-standard
way of diagnosing SIBO.”
How is SIBO treated?
Because SIBO is a bacterial condi-
tion, the goal of treatment is to
eradicate bacterial overgrowth.
The usual protocol involves some
combination of a carbohydrate-
restrictive diet (like low-FODMAP)
to starve the bacteria and either
pharmaceutical or herbal antibiot-
ics to eliminate them.
The standard antibiotic used is
rifaximin, which works locally in
the digestive system and causes
fewer systemic effects.
Studies have found that herbal
antibacterials — berberine, orega-
no, and others — perform as well
as rifaximin. One herbal formula
called Atrantil was developed
based on research in reducing
methane production in cattle.
Many find digestive supple-
ments such as hydrochloric acid
or herbal bitters helpful in reduc-
ing bacterial overload.
In general, while recovery
is often slow and sometimes
incomplete, many SIBO sufferers
can find significant relief with
these strategies within several
weeks. The tendency for relapse
is common; health professionals
are still trying to figure out why.
COURTNEY HELGOE is an
Experience Life senior editor.

ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 63

 Body
Intuitive
training
isn’t about exercising
how and when you
feel like it. It’s a science
that uses simple
biofeedback that
can help you get
Talk
stronger and fitter.

64 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

BY ANDREW HEFFERNAN, CSCS

C
ourtney Scott’s back hurt. Bad.
For months, the 43-year-old mother
of two had been working with a coach to
master Olympic lifts — hoisting heavy
barbells overhead. But she soon found
that no matter what she did, the lifting caused pain.
“My trainer kept telling me I needed to push
through it,” she says. But Scott is a physician’s
assistant focused on spinal health, and she knew that
was the wrong approach. “I kept thinking there had
to be a better way.”
Eventually Scott discovered intuitive training,
thanks to Mark Schneider, NASM-CPT, a Minneapolis-
based strength coach who specializes in the approach.
Also known as autoregulatory training, intuitive
training is based on the idea that every stressor —
no matter how big or small — pushes us toward
moving, feeling, and performing either better
or worse. What constitutes better or worse one
day will not necessarily hold true the next. It’s a
flexible approach to exercise in which workouts are
structured around your daily fluctuations in
energy and focus.
Through simple biofeedback tests,
you can determine how to train to live
up to your body’s fullest potential on
that day. The tests clarify the clues your
unconscious mind is sending you, so you
can distinguish between the days in the
gym when you need a nudge, and the days
when you need a break.
A test might encourage you to practice
squats on what would otherwise have been a
deadlift day; introduce a high-intensity sprint
session on what’s scheduled to be a rest day; or
hold back on the depth of a yoga pose that you
normally pull off without a problem.
These biofeedback tests include heart-rate vari-
ability (HRV) as well as DIY heart-rate and range-
of-motion assessments, which assess responsiveness
to different stimuli and readiness to train.

ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 65

 Experts point out that autoregula-
tion has little to do with mood or a
sense of desire or obligation to train
(or not). Rather, it blends subjective
and objective measures of your readi-
ness for exercise, explains Jeff Rosga,
NASM-CPT, NASM-PES, senior direc-
tor of Life Time Academy in St. Paul,
Minn. It helps answer the question
“How am I doing today?”
Schneider introduced Courtney
Scott to one of the simplest DIY
biofeedback tests: a toe touch to
measure range of motion. She
performed the test at the start of every
workout to determine her baseline
for the day. Then she repeated the
toe touch after each exercise. This
information allowed both Scott and
Schneider to know her capacity for
exercise on each training day and see
which movements tested best. The
pair prioritized those movements and
pushed her effort based on her overall
capacity. When exercises tested well,
she worked harder. When something
tested poorly, she backed off.
The system initially felt odd to
Scott, who was used to pushing
through discomfort, but she kept at it.
“I learned it was OK to listen to my
body,” she says. “It opened a whole
new world.”
Now, two years later, Scott is lifting
heavier than ever — pain-free. She’s
closing in on a 200-pound deadlift, and
her endurance has shot up.
“I have bigger goals than just
lifting,” she says. “I want to stay
injury-free. I want to keep up with
my kids. Recently, I took up jujitsu. I
attribute all of it to this intuitive way
of training.”
Tune In, Get Fit
At first glance, intuitive training sounds
like a fancy name for doing whatever
you like in the gym — and avoiding
what you don’t. But it has gained
recognition in recent years as a viable,
even essential, tool for athletes.
Biofeedback is the body’s
physiological response to external
stimuli, and science has shed new light
on its power to guide our behavior in
ways that elude our conscious mind.
Progressive trainers are discovering
how to apply this.
66 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
In practice, intuitive training
is more structured than its name
implies. Before, during, and after
your workout, you perform one or
more brief biofeedback tests. Some
are subjective, like responding to a
question or series of questions; others
are objective, such as a physical
task. Your response or performance
determines how you should proceed
in your workout. Pass the test and you
Do a self-inventory
of your physical
and mental state —
your rest, recovery,
nutritional status.
All those things
help to determine
the direction you
should take your
training that day.”
might increase the weight on your
next set. Fall short and you might skip
the exercise you’d planned, or even
hang it up for the day.
Testing makes the intuitive
approach more concrete than simply
following a gut feeling. “Intuition
is not intuitive. Think of it as your
unconscious response to something,”
Schneider says. “If you’re thinking, I
don’t want to do this exercise, that’s
judgment — not intuition.”
Biofeedback tests summarize
your mental, physical, and emotional
readiness for an exercise or workout,
explains Rosga. “You want to do a
self-inventory of your physical and
mental state — your rest, recovery,
nutritional status. All those things help
to determine the direction you should
take your training that day.”
Training intuitively is a technique
you use within the context of a
larger, well-designed fitness program.
Schneider and his team guide people
through this in a group fitness setting.
At Life Time, trainers are taught to
use biofeedback testing — including
HRV and heart-rate testing — to
ensure clients’ safe and steady progress.
Intuitive training gives you the
opportunity to make the most of
what you have at your disposal, says
exercise scientist Eric Helms, MS,
author of the Muscle and Strength
Pyramid series, and a strength and
physique coach who uses biofeedback
to inform his programming.
“It allows you to strike while the
iron is hot and perform in the sweet
spot of your capacities on any given
day,” Helms says.
Find Your Biofeedback Test
Getting started with intuitive training is
straightforward. Begin with an honest
assessment of your physical, mental,
and emotional condition, explains
Rosga. Take a moment — by yourself
or with a trainer — to check in with
the general state of your body prior to
working out. This is a way of respect-
ing your body’s boundaries, he says,
while reducing the possibility of injury.
Checking in sounds like an obvious
first step, but it’s one even longtime ex-
ercisers often skip, sometimes to their
detriment. When you disregard fatigue,
pain, stress, and other factors that
affect your body’s ability to work out,
Rosga says, you not only set yourself
up for a bad workout that might result
in injury — you also reinforce the idea
that exercise is a chore, which can kill
motivation over the long term.
Next, apply objective measure-
ments. They can serve as useful tools
to balance or counter subjective
assessments of how you feel.
“Technology [and self-tests] can
affirm what you may be feeling,” Rosga
explains. “It can also validate what
approach to training you should take
that day. It connects the objective
to the subjective, ensuring a better,
smarter approach to your training.”
Here are the basic tests and how to
perform them.
• Heart-rate testing simply
measures the number of times your
heart beats in a minute. It can be done
either manually (by feeling a pulse
Biofeedback
for Strength Training
For strength enthusiasts,
the first year of training is
usually the most productive:
For several months after they
pick up their first weight, most
people make impressive gains
in strength, performance, and
muscle mass.
Thereafter, training gets
more complicated.
“After a year,” says Alex
Viada, CSCS, a North Carolina–
based strength and endurance
coach, “it’s impossible to
predict exactly what weights
you should use a month from
now, or how much rest you
need between workouts or
sets, unless you’ve been
absolutely meticulous with
tracking or have been work-
ing consistently with an
experienced coach or trainer.”
That’s why intuitive train-
ing is particularly valuable
after you’ve been exercising
for a while: You can ride those
alternating waves of progress-
ing and plateauing without
having to start a new program
every time you go to the gym.
Viada recommends a
simple system to accommo-
date strength training’s inevi-
table ups and downs: Choose
your heaviest weight in any
exercise based on a combina-
tion of what you’ve lifted in
previous workouts and how
you feel today.
Let’s say you’re trying to
get stronger. On multijoint
exercises (deadlifts, squats,
rows, presses, pull-ups), use
the charts below to deter-
mine your heaviest weight for
the day.
Your “working weight”
is the heaviest weight you
used the last time you did
that exercise. So if you’re
doing rack deadlifts, and the
heaviest you lifted last time
was 100 pounds, you’d lift 50
pounds for 10 reps on your
first set, 75 pounds six times
on your second, and 100
pounds for as many good-
form reps as possible on your
third set. (See table 1.)
Your performance on
the third set determines the
weight you’ll use on your
fourth and final set — and will
serve as the “working weight”
in your next workout.
If, on your third set of rack
deadlifts, you manage eight
reps with 100 pounds, your
maximum weight from the
previous workout, you’d use
105 to 110 pounds on your
fourth set, and 105 to 115
pounds next time you perform
rack deadlifts. (See table 2.)

1.
Set % of Working Weight Reps
Table

1 50% 10
2 75% 6
3 100% As many as possible
4 Adjusted based on results of As many as possible
prior set (see table 2)

Number of Weight to Use Weight to Use

2.
Reps in Set 3 in Set 4 Next Session
0–2 Decrease 5–10 lbs. Decrease 5–10 lbs.
Table

3–4 Decrease 0–5 lbs. Same weight as set 4

of previous workout
5–6 Keep the same weight Increase 5–10 lbs.
7–10 Increase 5–10 lbs. Increase 5–15 lbs.
11+ Increase 10–15 lbs. Increase 10–20 lbs.

ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 67

point, counting beats for 15 seconds,
and multiplying the result by four) or
with a heart-rate monitor.
Obtain a baseline by measuring
your heart rate each morning for a
week and calculating your average.
Then compare subsequent days: A
resting morning heart rate that’s five
to 10 beats a minute above the average
can be a sign of fatigue, stress, or even
impending illness — good indications
that you should ease up on your
training. A heart rate that’s at, or a few
beats below, average suggests you’re
good to go.
• Heart-rate variability is the
change in time, or variation, between
successive heart beats over time.
Applying the right HRV calculations
at the right times offers insight into
how your autonomic nervous system
— your body’s biocontrol center —
is functioning.
Many factors affect HRV. Circadian
rhythm, hormonal fluctuations, and
other internal processes cause it to
slowly rise and fall. Mental, physical,
and emotional experiences, as well
as rest, also affect HRV. Exercise is a
stressor to the body; if you’re already
experiencing a higher level of stress
than normal and you exercise at a
high intensity or volume, it is like
introducing a double negative —
which can negate positive progress.
Ideally, you want to trigger acute
stressors that cause a change in
your HRV every few days, and
follow it with adequate recovery
to allow improvement. An app such
as Elite HRV or HRV4Training will
measure shifts in variability, establish
a baseline relative to you, and offer
training and recovery feedback over
time. (Learn more about HRV tracking
at ELmag.com/hrv.)
• The toe-touch test is a simple
biofeedback tool you can use at any
time throughout a workout. Bend
forward with your legs straight
(avoid locking your knees) and let
your fingertips fall toward your toes
without stretching. The farther they
go (in relation to your usual capacity
— shins, ankles, toes), the more
primed you are for exercise.
There’s nothing magical about the
toe-touch movement, says Schneider.
68 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
“Almost any physical task can work:
grip strength, range of motion,
dexterity.” The point is to get an
objective sense of how well your body
is functioning.
Schneider has his clients perform a
baseline toe touch right after a general
warm-up. Take note of how far your
fingertips fall without added effort
(say, to your ankles), and move on to
an easy effort of your first exercise
of the day. After your set, retest. If
fingertips arrive at the same point or
farther than before, it’s a green light
Technology can
affirm what you
may be feeling. It
can also validate
what approach to
training you should
take that day.”
for that exercise.
If they don’t,
modify the
exercise — or
try something
different — and
repeat the process.
Once you find a
move that tests well, follow your
program as planned, repeating the
toe-touch move every set or two. “If
it keeps testing well, keep going,”
says Schneider. But if you hit a red
light — suddenly you don’t bend as
far — stop the exercise and move on.
Keep hitting that same wall, no matter
which exercise you choose? Call it
a day.
Schneider has seen impressive
results: Long-distance runners
perform better with lower weekly
mileage; competitive powerlifters
come back from injury stronger than
ever; regular gym-goers find issues
begin to clear up, whether it’s knee,
back, or shoulder pain, or structural
problems such as scoliosis.
Intuitive Training in Groups
Biofeedback is not relegated to
solitary fitness adventures such as
lifting and running. While it might feel
odd at first, you can apply this self-
knowledge in group fitness settings,
too, says Rosga.
One of the most motivating — and
effective — aspects of group fitness
classes, such as cycling, yoga, and
boot camps, is the encouragement and
guidance the instructor and fellow
classmates provide. At the same time,
that extra push makes it easy to push
yourself too hard or in ways that are
not in your best interest.
By assessing your readiness to train
prior to a class, you can determine
how much effort and intensity is
appropriate. Continue to check
in throughout the class, and make
necessary modifications to ramp
exercises up or dial them down.
Rosga suggests having a quick
conversation with your trainer or
instructor before class about what you
hope to get out of the day’s session.
If you’re not comfortable initiating
a dialogue, simply knowing your
intention will make it that much easier
to stay true to yourself and get the
most out of your training.
Tuning in to your intuition gives you
more autonomy — and ultimately
more responsibility — for your
exercise program. Over time,
Schneider says, taking note of how
your body responds to exercise (or
any stimulus) can become a skill set
with implications for your life outside
the gym.
Many people ignore their physical
and emotional needs. Respecting our
bodies’ limits in the gym can help
us see the subtle signals we often
overlook at work, in relationships,
and in our home lives. Once we start
noticing, it’s hard to stop. And that
awareness is the first step to taking
action toward achieving our goals.
ANDREW HEFFERNAN, CSCS, is an
Experience Life contributing editor.
 Making a
Comeback
Trainers see it all the time: the former
athlete or ex-gym-regular who comes
roaring back six months, a year, or three
years after his or her last serious workout.
Before long, however, these hard chargers
find themselves in a world of hurt.
Strength and endurance begin
dropping off within two weeks of
inactivity. After three weeks of rest, you’ll
have lost 50 percent of your strength and
endurance, and after six, you’ll have lost
most everything. “If a layoff happens,
your fitness will decrease,” says Life Time
Academy’s Jeff Rosga. “Trying to pick up
right where you left off is not going to get
you back on track.”
So, if you’re returning from a break,
apply the intuitive-training approach and
take some time to assess how you’re
doing right now — not in your glorious
past. Have you accrued any injuries or
muscle imbalances since you last worked
out? Have your goals changed?
If so, you’ll need to take these
There’s nothing
magical about
the toe-touch
movement. Almost
any physical task
can work: grip
strength, range of
motion, dexterity.”
developments into account when
designing your new program — and
possibly enlist the help of a trainer.
If, prior to taking time off, you
achieved a fairly high level of fitness,
you’ll need to take some time to build
back up to that level. Hit a beginner’s
program for your first couple of weeks
to get your body accustomed to training
again, and keep checking in — using any of
the biofeedback intuitive-training tools —
to make sure you’re not doing too much
too soon.
Once you’ve laid a new foundation,
however, Rosga says, muscle
memory and training history
will allow you to rebuild lost
fitness faster than when
you built it the first time.
“Just as quickly as
those gains can
be lost, you can
get them
back with
the right
approach.”
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 69
11292
 Real
Life

Escape from the cold by a taking a sauna, a Scandinavian

tradition that’s been adopted around the world for its
social, emotional, and physical benefits.

Page
74
Discover how one writer
overcame the winter blahs
in Canada — with outdoor
adventures and spa rituals.
Real Life
Balance
Expand Your
Circle
If you want to feel more connected to others,
break out of your social comfort zone.
BY JESSIE SHOLL
M
any of us
have a lot in
common with
the people in
our inner circle — which
makes sense. We’ve taken
the same courses in school
or worked under the same
boss. We’ve bonded over
the books we’ve read, the
places we’ve been, and our
shared interests and values.
We’ve found our tribe.
These commonalities are
important, and it’s normal
to make friends through
shared experiences. But it’s
also good to burst our social
bubbles now and then to
meet people with whom we
don’t have quite so much in
common — on the surface,
anyway, says economist
and journalist Tim Harford,
author of Messy: The Power
of Disorder to Transform
Our Lives.
Getting to know people
whose backgrounds, values,
and ways of being in the
world are different from
our own broadens our
perspectives. “Our world
gets bigger. We appreciate
its variety a little more,”
says Harford.
That’s not to say it’s
easy. For all its diversity,
our culture doesn’t always
72 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
encourage engaging with
people who are different
from us — whether racially,
politically, generationally,
socioeconomically, reli-
giously, or the many other
ways in which we define
ourselves as “other.”
But the effort is worth it,
says Dacher Keltner, PhD,
professor of psychology at
the University of California,
Berkeley, and author of The
Power Paradox. “Reaching
out to people who aren’t in
our comfort zones produces
a lot of innovation and spurs
creativity,” he explains,
noting that connecting
with people outside our
familiar groups can boost
professional success,
longevity, overall well-
being, and happiness.
The first step to diver-
sifying our network of
friends and acquaintances,
says Keltner, is simply to
pledge to do so. “Commit to
expanding your social circle
like you would commit
to an exercise regimen,
eating less meat, or driving
less. Make that kind of
commitment,” he says.
ILLUSTRATIONS: DOMINIC TREVETT
The following strategies
can help you broaden
your circle of friends
and acquaintances.
1.
Build Psychological
Flexibility
San Francisco–based
engineer Max Hawkins
used an extreme method to
broaden his social network:
He created a computer
program that randomly
selected a public event
promoted on Facebook and
hired a car to deliver him
there — and he didn’t learn
the destination until he
arrived.
His experiment took
him to gatherings where he
met people he’d never have
encountered otherwise, and
inspired him to travel the
world for two years. “When
you’re getting sent to a
place at random, it makes
it easier to be comfortable
with unexpected outcomes,”
Hawkins explains. “That
brings about a certain
psychological flexibility that
is really beneficial.”
Fortunately, we
don’t need to go to such
extravagant ends to become
more psychologically
flexible. “The key to open-
ing yourself up to these
experiences is to let go of
your own preferences,”
Hawkins advises.
To train himself to move
beyond his preferences,
Hawkins often asks for the
least popular item on the
menu in restaurants, rather
than the one that appeals
to him in the moment. The
point, he says, is to welcome
possibilities, a principle that
applies to meeting people
as well.
Hawkins suggests
venturing into different
neighborhoods and going
to different types of
restaurants, concert venues,
or places of worship.
2.
Be of Service to Others
Helping others can create
valuable connections that
shift your understanding
of the world, says Jenny
Friedman, executive
director of Doing Good
Together, a Minneapolis-
based nonprofit that
pairs families with
volunteer opportunities.
Friedman cites a
mother and her two young
daughters who volunteered
at a nursing home, where
the girls developed
strong intergenerational
relationships. But the real
benefit came when the
woman’s father-in-law
became ill. “He was confined
to a wheelchair and bed, and
eventually passed away,”
Friedman says. “Her girls
were the only grandchildren
who weren’t afraid to be
around him during that time
of decline.”
A caveat: “One of the
dangers with volunteering
is that you can see yourself
as the giver and this
other group of people as
receivers,” Friedman warns.
So she encourages
parents to ask kids whom
they helped that day —
and who helped them. “It
helps kids walk through the
world thinking about how
they can make a positive
difference, and be grateful
for all the ways they’re
being helped.”
3.
Let Wonder Guide You
Cultivate a sense of
curiosity, advises Emma
Seppälä, PhD, science
director of Stanford’s
Center for Compassion
and Altruism Research and
Education and author of The
Happiness Track.
“Ask about a person’s
life, about their childhood,
about their challenges,”
Seppälä suggests. Taking a
genuine interest can lead to
deeper discussions about
things that matter to us,
increasing the possibility
that we’ll discover what we
have in common.
The key to
opening yourself
up is to let go
of your own
preferences.”
“We all experience the
same kinds of emotions,”
she says. “Finding out about
a person’s life can really
broaden your ability to see
from another perspective.”
Keltner, who’s spent 20
years researching nonver-
bal behavior, says body
language goes a long way
toward establishing trust.
“Physical cues are a
foundation for connecting
to other people,” he says.
“If you and I are talking
and I really look into your
eyes, listen carefully, and
position my body in a
way that is connecting to
you, then it’s clear that I
feel like you’re a fellow
human being.” (For more
tips on having meaningful
conversations, see ELmag
.com/hearttoheart.)
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 73
4.
Confront Your Biases
Even well-intentioned
people make assumptions
and judgments about
others — often based on
stereotypes, and often
without realizing they’re
doing it.
“Biases are the stories
we make up about people
before we know who they
actually are,” explains
Vernā Myers, JD, in her 2014
TED Talk. To expand our
networks, we need to move
beyond denial.
Myers, author of Moving
Diversity Forward: How
to Go From Well-Meaning
to Well-Doing, suggests
looking at our own inner
circles and asking ourselves,
Whom do I gravitate toward?
Whom do I tend to avoid?
Then we have to do the
hard work of overcoming
our biases. (Read about
implicit bias at ELmag.com/
blindspot.)
“Walk toward your
discomfort,” Myers says.
Simply saying hello once
in a while isn’t enough. Go
deeper. Develop real rela-
tionships. “You’re not going
to get comfortable before
you get uncomfortable.”
When you push
through discomfort and
start to build friendships,
“something really powerful
and beautiful happens. You
start to realize that they
are you . . . that they are in
your family. And then we
cease to become bystanders,
and we become actors, we
become advocates, and we
become allies.”
JESSIE SHOLL is a writer and
writing teacher in New York City.
Real Life
Head Out
Cold Comforts Don’t like winter, eh? These Canadian outings will inspire you to
break out of hibernation mode and enjoy the snap of the season.
BY SARAH TUFF DUNN
S
queak, squeak, squeak.
That’s the sound of my
boots crunching through the
fresh snowfall. It’s a clear,
crisp mid-February morning, and I’m
gearing up for a day of backcountry
skiing at Mont-Édouard in Québec.
I take in the frosty air, pause to
gawk at sun-drenched ice chunks on
the St. Lawrence River, and wonder
what surprises the day will bring. A
breakfast of croissants au chocolat,
crêpes with local maple syrup,
and cups of steaming coffee at the
Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu has
me fueled and fired up to explore
the wonders hidden in the hills of
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean.
These are a few of the sounds,
sights, and smells of the season when
Québec chills to its arctic core, open-
ing a slew of adventure opportunities:
cross-country and backcountry skiing
74 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018
in the mountains near the Fjord-du-
Saguenay, snowshoeing and winter
running in the streets of Montréal, and
ending the day with a refreshing soak
in a thermal-fed spa.
A lover of winter sports, I’d grown
bored by the standard routine of skiing
the mountains near my Vermont
home and struggled to get motivated
to venture outside. So, I’ve crossed
the border to learn how my northern
neighbors embrace l’hiver.
Something’s Afoot in Montréal
My winter wanderings begin in Mon-
tréal, where Le Saint-Sulpice Hôtel in
the Old Port district provides a perfect
base camp for exploring the city on
foot. On a Friday evening, it’s numb-
ingly cold, but city dwellers seem
undeterred, simply ducking into a
watering hole to warm up before head-
ing back outside to move their bodies

Winter wonderlands, Montréal and Québec
attract visitors looking to ski and skate, party
at winter carnivals, and relax in charming inns.
some more. It’s Igloofest — an enor-
mous annual celebration of electronic
music and dance — and the pom-pom
toques (as French Canadians call win-
ter hats) are bopping amid crystalline
castles on the frozen St. Lawrence.
On Saturday morning, I lace up
my sneakers and go for a run. I want
to see some of the city’s famous
landmarks while getting in a workout.
I begin nervously prancing over the
snow-covered cobblestones but find
my footing as I pass the Notre-Dame
Basilica, the Montréal Science Centre,
and the Place Jacques-Cartier. Winter
running in a snow-covered city, I
discover, is a great way to explore an
unfamiliar locale while tuning in to its
cultural rhythms.
Later that day, I meet tour guide
Thom Seivewright, who drives me
from the hotel to Mont Royal Park,
a 470-acre mountain greenspace
designed by Frederick Law Olmsted,
the creator of New York’s Central
Park. “Mont Royal Park is a winter
wonderland,” Seivewright says. “It
allows you to escape the city while
never leaving it. As you cross-country
The breathtaking views of the
city remind me to use the snowshoes
gathering dust in my garage when
I return home.
ski or snowshoe on the triple-peaked was way beyond expectations, with
hill, you’ll catch glimpses of the city perfect fluffy powder to lose yourself
below through the trees. I absolutely in. The resort was welcoming with a
love this mountain and can’t help but great local vibe of passionate skiers.”
feel lucky to have something so unique After a night of rest and relaxation
at my doorstep.” at Le Manoir Richelieu, we venture
At a pavilion by Beaver Lake, where farther north to Mont-Édouard, which
families are ice skating and playing has only three lifts and only a few
hockey, we rent snowshoes and are soon miles of groomed trails. It also boasts
clomping happily along the trails. The a brand-new backcountry area that
breathtaking views of the city remind allows skiers to skin up and slide down
me to use the snowshoes gathering pristine pillows of snow.
dust in my garage when I return home. Having never tried climbing skins
before, I’m pleasantly surprised by
Sliding and Gliding how easy it is to slip them over my
Mont Grand-Fonds is known as one of skis and how well they grip the snow
the little gems of the many ski areas — and a bit unpleasantly surprised
sprinkled throughout Québec. At first by how difficult the climbing is. I’m
glance I’m underwhelmed: The lifts sweating through my layers as I
look slow; the runs look short. But my tackle the uphill switchbacks, and
guide, Yves — a bearded bon vivant occasionally find myself toppling
who skis like an Olympian — takes over sideways on the tight turns. The
me higher up the mountain, where payoff, however, is more powder:
the surprisingly steep pitches are Once I reach the top, I strip off
smothered in deep snow. I feel like a kid the skins, clamp my heels into the
as I dance through thigh-high powder bindings, and float among the trees,
before slaking my hunger with naan and even giddier than the day before.
sausages in a nearby cabin. A third ski area, Le Valinouët,
“I wasn’t sure what to expect, but also benefits from the microclimate
I was pleasantly surprised by Mont surrounding the Fjord-du-Saguenay,
Grand-Fonds,” British Columbia formed 950 million years ago as a
resident Mark Mackay tells me later. glacier cut through the bedrock.
“The runs were short but packed with Snow is abundant, as is a genuine
fun features to test your skill; the snow friendliness among local skiers who
AT HOME WITH THE COLD
Even if a trek north isn’t possible this season, there are some
easy ways to embrace winter closer to home.
• Gear up. The proper winter attire makes chilling in the cold more enjoyable.
• Find a trail. Go running, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing at a regional park.
• Hit the ice. Lace up your skates for some figure eights or a game of hockey.
• Take the plunge. Warm up after your outdoor activities by stepping into a
sauna or dipping into a whirlpool. Check local health clubs and gyms, spas, and
holistic-health centers for availability.
• Wine and dine. Enjoy a meal and a hot beverage with friends.
• See stars. Top off your day by taking an evening walk and enjoying
some stargazing.
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 75
Real Life
Head Out

share the secrets of their playground. We

find ourselves carving long, giant-slalom
turns on freshly groomed corduroy snow,
too exhilarated to really notice that the
temperature is about 20 below.

Traditions With a Twist

Little do I know, gleefully brushing frozen
droplets from my eyelashes at Le Valinouët,
how warm I will soon be. Our après-ski
session involves a short drive to L’Eternel
Spa, a Scandinavian-style retreat that
introduces guests to the rituals of rotating
through hot and cold stages to maximize
wellness and relaxation. In bathing suits
and robes, we listen to the attendant
suggest we spend 10 minutes getting chaud
in the sauna, then getting froid in an icy
pool for 15 seconds, and then stretching
out for 10 minutes before a soak in the spa
chaud for another 10 minutes.
Full disclosure: I skip the first three parts
and head straight for the outdoor hot tub, a
fantasy land of neon lights glowing through
the layers of snowfall.
“I’ve been to more than a dozen Nordic-
style spas in Québec, from the largest to
the most beautifully decorated,” explains
Ottawa native Bruce Sach. “And if I could
have one installed in my backyard, this
would be it. Perfectly designed, subtle,
simple, and extremely hot. The wet spa was
just steps from the freezing-cold dipping
pool, and the dry sauna in all its subtle
beauty was next door in the same building
as one of the principal relaxation areas,
which had a roaring fire and swings.”
It’s dark now, the first stars pinpricking
the night sky. More constellations will
come, and I’m eager to see them from
a unique viewing spot — a skylight in
my own personal yurt at Imago Village.
Only a few hundred yards from L’Eternel
Spa, it’s yet another happy surprise. I’d
expected flimsy walls, a rickety bed, and
chilly wooden floors. Instead, I find thick A QUÉBÉCOIS
insulation, furnishings right out of an issue
of Dwell, and a kitchenette. Each of the
QUEST
five yurts provides a luxurious glamping
experience in the Valin Mountains. Fairmont Le Manoir
Imago Village also includes a simple Richelieu
www.fairmont.com
bar that serves its guests as well as
Lodging begins at
local snowmobilers. There’s a convivial
$349/night.
atmosphere in the early evening, as the
cinq a sept happy hour winds to a close. My Le Saint-Sulpice Hôtel
traveling companions and I share fondue, www.lesaintsulpice
and say bonne nuit as we retreat to our .com Lodging begins at
yurts. Alas, there isn’t more stargazing $285/night.
tonight as the skylight is completely
covered with snow. No matter — I’m too Imago Village
tired to even climb up to my bed in the loft. www.imagovillage
.com Lodging begins at
The next morning I drive to Québec City
$150/night.
to catch a flight home. But there’s one more
thing I want to try: the cheese curds found
L’Eternel Spa
in poutine, Québec’s famous dish of French www.leternelspa.com
fries and curds topped with gravy. I stop at Prices vary by treatment;
a dépanneur, a convenience shop, to pick up massages begin at $75.
a packet and pop a handful into my mouth.
I’m delighted one more time by the sound Mont-Édouard
and the sensation of winter in Canada: www.montedouard
squeak, squeak, squeak. .com Adult day tickets
are $45.
SARAH TUFF DUNN is a travel writer who recently Mont Grand-Fonds
moved from Vermont to Colorado and is looking www.montgrandfonds
forward to exploring new sights. .com Rates vary
by activity.

Mont Royal
www.lemontroyal
.qc.ca Rates vary
by activity.

Le Valinouët
www.valinouet.qc.ca
Rates vary by activity.

76 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

 2018 will be
the year you meet your
perfect ‘ Mate’!

The Lodge Social Club is the first of its kind,

triple vetted dating app for healthy-minded
successful singles seeking true love.

To become a member, visit: Join The Lodge Social Club dating app
and take the Real Reveal® test to discover
what kind of ‘Mate’ you are, the kind of
Life Time members enjoy TheLodgeSocialClub.com ‘Mate’ you deserve, and most importantly
exclusive offers including
a complimentary, 3 month 877-930-5683 or 952-544-5683 experience the love you desire!
bronze membership by joining
before Dec. 31st
Real Life
Good to Know

Experts explain how to establish a phone-free zone,

approach an elimination diet after an eating disorder, and handle “gymtimidation.”

BY JON SPAYDE

“My partner is
always on her
cell phone. How
do I address
this without
provoking
defensiveness?”

A If we bury
ourselves in
our phones in
our loved one’s company,
we might be sending an
unintended message.
“When a partner is
always glancing away
from you to a phone, it
feels like rejection, and the
rejections can add up,” says
Guy Winch, PhD, author of
Emotional First Aid: Healing
Rejection, Guilt, Failure,
and Other Everyday Hurts.
“But if you say, ‘You’re
always on your phone,’
there’s likely to be hurt
feelings and a breakdown of
communication.”
Winch suggests that
couples who struggle with
this issue agree to set some
boundaries around phone
use. To keep communication
open, it’s best to make
any agreement a mutual
one (by using “we” rather
than “you”), he says, lest
the frequent phone-user
feel blamed. Try having a
phone-free dinner hour, for
example, or turning off the
phones at 8 every night.
If your partner feels she
needs to stay available for
work, he says, “establish a
15-minute period to check
messages. But schedule
it — decide when it would
be least disruptive to your
time together.” And then
stick to it.
And if that doesn’t work?
Emphasize the idea of
uninterrupted time together,
he suggests. You’re commit-
ting to a time when work
is finished, and “not being
distracted from each other.”
If the phone is truly not an
obstacle, it should be easy to
establish a no-interruption
time. If putting it down is a
challenge, that only proves
how important and necessary
a phone-free zone really is.
“Is it safe to try
an elimination
diet if you’ve
had an eating
A Mary Purdy, MS,
RDN, in Seattle,
is straightforward
about this: She says there’s
disorder in a real risk that doing an
the past?” elimination diet to test for food
allergies could trigger eating-
disorder behavior.
“If you have even an
inkling that you might not
be in full recovery, check in
with a dietitian or a counselor who
understands eating disorders before you embark
on the diet,” Purdy says. “In fact, I’d check in with
them no matter how you feel.”
To safeguard against the tendency to obsess
about food, which is central to many disordered
eating patterns, take a moderate approach. “I’d sug-
gest doing an elimination diet that’s not as extreme,”
she says. “Start with just one or two food groups.
Choose the ones that are the most likely culprits
or the ones that are most prevalent in your diet.”

78 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018

 A standard multi-food-group elimination diet
can make anyone anxious “because they may feel
that they have nothing to eat,” Purdy explains.
“And it also may amplify the fear of food that can
be prevalent in people with eating disorders —
the sense that some foods are evil.”
Removing just one food group — dairy or
wheat, for example — may help reframe the diet
as a chance to learn how your body responds to
certain foods.
If you’re in the middle of an elimination diet
and find yourself feeling obsessive and nervous,
despite these safeguards, seek professional help
right away. “I’d also suggest exploring the anxiety
to see how serious it is and whether it really
threatens your eating-disorder recovery,” she says. “I haven’t been
“Tell yourself that you recognize that you are to a gym in
feeling anxious. Ask yourself what it could be years and I’m
about. If the anxiety grows less as you look into it, intimidated
it will probably pass,” Purdy explains. “If it grows about going back.
more intense, take it seriously. Let go of the diet How do I get
until you can talk to your practitioner.” comfortable?”
A Being a gym
newbie can be
overwhelming.
You’re anxious about not
being in shape, you don’t
know the equipment, and
you’re sure you’re going to
look incredibly . . . newbie.
Barbara Markway,
PhD, a psychologist who’s
written about shyness, social
anxiety, and other forms of
self-consciousness, believes
you don’t need to give in to
the fears. She shares these
tips for the “gymtimidated”:
1. Dress in comfortable
clothes, but don’t necessar-
ily go big and baggy to hide
Got Questions? your body. You have a right
If you have inquiries for our experts, to be at any gym, as you are.
email us at AskEL@experiencelife.com.
2. Remember that most
people aren’t looking at you,
your body, or how much
you’re lifting. They’re more
likely to be focused on
themselves and their own
efforts, Markway explains.
She adds that many
people also feel admiration
when they see those who
are just starting out at the
gym. And if you really look
around, you’ll see a wide
range of body types.
3. Focus on what you’re
doing rather than what you
think you look like. That
is, really feel the effects of
movement on your body.
That not only relieves your
self-consciousness; it helps
you sense when you need
to slow down, correct your
form (to prevent injury), or
stop for a break.
4. Give yourself time —
and credit. You won’t lose
your gym nerves or see
results overnight. But you
are showing up and taking
care of yourself, and that’s
cause for celebration.
JON SPAYDE is an Experience Life
contributing editor.
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 79
1

3
 INTRODUCING
OUR NEXT BIG HIT

1 FLEX COLLAR 2 FLEX ARMHOLES 3 4-WAY STRETCH


Masculine and Feminine
An exploration of gender-related social expectations
and how they influence our daily experiences.
BY DALLAS HARTWIG AND PILAR GERASIMO
C
ulturally defined
expectations of
masculinity and
femininity shape
nearly every aspect of our
lives. By the time we’re
adults, they’re so ingrained
that we’re often only mar-
ginally aware of the ways
they affect our health, happi-
ness, and sense of identity.
So what does it really
mean to be masculine or
feminine, and how do these
traits both limit and em-
power us?
Those are challenging
questions to answer, so it
was with some trepidation
that we recently waded into
them. Our goal: taking a
close, compassionate look
at our gender-related social
expectations and how they
influence our daily experi-
ences and self-perceptions.
Here are a few highlights
of our conversation, plus
some experiments that
invite you to reflect on the
masculine and feminine
dynamics at work in your
own life.
Listen and Learn
Check out this and
other episodes of The
Living Experiment at
LivingExperiment.com. You
can also subscribe to the
podcast via Apple Podcasts,
SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
Having Courageous
Conversations
• Discussions of gender stereo-
types can be emotionally and
politically charged — so much
so that Dallas considers the
subject our “most terrifying
topic” to date.
• One reason it can be scary:
It’s not an area most of us
have openly discussed, so
there’s plenty of opportunity to
inadvertently offend or alien-
ate each other when we do.
• A growing number of people
prefer not to be defined by
conventional gender-based
identities. This shifting
awareness is giving us a fresh
opportunity to review how
gender-centric assumptions
affect our lives.
Honoring Yin and Yang
• “Feminine” energy is typical-
ly described as yielding, soft,
receptive, and collaborative,
while “masculine” energy is
often characterized as force-
ful, powerful, aggressive, and
competitive. These generaliza-
tions can be profoundly limit-
ing when seen as the exclusive
or “proper” domain of just one
gender or another.
• In Traditional Chinese
Medicine, practitioners believe
deficiencies or excesses
of either yin (feminine) or
yang (masculine) energy are
the basis for serious health
problems. We all benefit from
balancing and honoring both
our yin and yang capacities.
Real Life
Living Experiment
• Masculine and feminine
traits are informed by evolu-
tionary biology, genetics, and
hormones, as well as social
norms, but they are certainly
not immutable. Over time, and
with changes of circumstance,
our expression of gender-
associated traits and tenden-
cies can fluctuate and evolve.
• Typically, the more comfort-
able we are in our own skin,
the more we can witness and EXPERIMENTS
honor a full range of masculine
and feminine traits in our-
Dallas suggests:
selves and others. Ask someone you trust
and who knows you well to
comment constructively on
Reclaiming Harmony
how you express both your
• Despite decades of progress, masculine and feminine
we still live in a predominantly
traits. Be open to hearing
patriarchal culture. The his- about the full spectrum of
toric undervaluing of feminine
characteristics that person
perspectives and contribu- observes and appreciates
tions has given rise to a host in you.
of problematic interpersonal, Pilar suggests:
organizational, and socio-
Focus on two key accomplish-
economic dynamics. ments in your life, and reflect
• Chauvinistic attitudes also on both the masculine and
affect men, who often feel feminine characteristics that
constrained in how emotion- helped you achieve those
goals. Observe how you are
ally vulnerable or expressive
leveraging your feminine and
they can be without risk of be-
masculine strengths, and take
ing labeled “unmanly” by men
stock of how they serve you.
and women alike.
• The more compassionately
we acknowledge these This column is based on The
Living Experiment, the top-rated
charged subjects, the more we podcast by DALLAS HARTWIG
all stand to benefit. Only by and PILAR GERASIMO. Dallas
talking openly and authentically is cofounder of Whole30 and
with each other can we hope to the New York Times best-selling
break down barriers, challenge coauthor of The Whole30 and
It Starts With Food. Pilar is an
our own preconceived notions, award-winning journalist, healthy-
and reach our full masculine living advocate, and Experience
and feminine potential. Life’s founding editor.
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 83
TOMORROW’S
INNOVATION TODAY

Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute at Baptist Health

South Florida has been at the forefront of innovation
for 30 years, earning recognition as one of America’s
Best Hospitals performing heart bypass surgery and
abdominal aortic aneurysm repair and for treating
patients with congestive heart failure. Under the
direction of top-tier leadership and world-renowned
SK\VLFLDQVDQGFOLQLFDOVWDσZHâYHFRQVLVWHQWO\GHOLYHUHG
excellent patient outcomes, developed life-saving
procedures and contributed to groundbreaking research
in cardiac and vascular care. Among the state-of-the-art
equipment at our new facility is the latest image-guided
therapy platform, which has led to advancements in the
diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Call 786-596-2700 today to see one of our experts

or learn more by visiting BaptistHealth.net/Heart.

A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to our faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence. For giving opportunities, visit BaptistHealth.net/Foundation
 Real Life
Worthy Goods

2.

5.
For those mornings
when you wake
up feeling foggy,
Zaca recovery
chewables offer a
1. combination of herbs
and antioxidants to
support your detox
and immunity. $30
for 12 tablets.
www.zacalife.com

6.
Time to ditch the
plastic dental floss.
3. Woobamboo! silk
floss is a pleasure
to use and it’s bio-
degradable. Two-
pack for $9.90.
www.woo
bamboo.com

Rise &
Shine
Get a better start to your day
with these smart products.

1. 3.
Wake up to a gentle Akamai’s Essentials
combination of light Starter Kit contains
and sound with the mineral toothpaste, a
iHome Zenergy alarm three-in-one soap- 4.
clock. It’s designed shave-shampoo bar,
to support your and moisturizing oil.
circadian rhythms It’s a light packer’s
so you wake with dream. $33.
energy. $100. www www.akamai
.ihomeaudio.com basics.com 5.

2. 4.
Dr. Ginger’s dentist- The
designed, fluoride- deluxe “farm
free, minty coconut- to face” skincare 6.
oil mouthwash offers line from Gaffer
the oral-health & Child is unisex,
PHOTO: JOHN MOWERS

benefits of Ayurvedic vegan-friendly, and

oil pulling with a rich with plant-
much fresher taste. powered nutrients.
$18. www.dr $26–$34. www
gingers.com .gafferandchild.com

ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 85

 WHATEVER
IT TAKES
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Photo: Niko Kitaoka

YOUR TEAM SAVE THE CHILDREN TRI EVENT EXCLUSIVES:

• Guaranteed, free LIFE TIME TRI entry • Featured partner products
(with $500 fundraising commitment)
• Private hospitality tent for your fans
• Special swim start wave (where available)
• And so much more!
• Virtual training and coach support

You have what it takes. Now make it all matter. When you join

JOIN NOW!
Team Save the Children, every stroke, every spin, every long last
mile not only challenges you to achieve your goals, but helps
children in need facing challenges of their own.

Together with champions like you, we do whatever it takes to

SavetheChildren.org/TRI
Or text TRI to 69866 to learn more
give children what every child deserves – a future. Join us!

By texting TRI to 69866 you are opting-in to receive recurring text messages from Save the Childrent.Visit savethechildren.org/legal for our
Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. Text STOP to opt-out, HELP for more info. No purchase necessary. Message and data rates may apply.

Past, Present, Future
A look at how the ways we’re living have changed in recent
decades — and why it’s important to adapt and grow.
BY BAHRAM AKRADI
I
nnovation, adaptation, and experi-
mentation — if you’ve been reading
this column for a while, you know
these are topics I’m deeply pas-
sionate about. I revisit them time and
time again because I believe it’s through
these practices that we grow and
evolve. We learn what works and what
doesn’t, and we find new solutions that
improve our lives and move us forward.
In this era of unprecedented inven-
tion (and reinvention), cultivating an
innovative and iterative mindset is no
longer an option for most individuals
and businesses. It’s a necessity if we
want to stay at the top of our game.
Today’s pace of technological
advancement is changing how we live
our lives — how we work, play, social-
ize, exercise, and relax. In the span
of a decade, we’ve gone from leading
largely compartmentalized existences
to blending aspects of our lives that
were once distinct.
Think about the differences, for in-
stance, between the average workday
of 30 years ago and today. Back then,
the day started with a beeping alarm
clock, breakfast spent catching up on
the latest headlines via an actual news-
paper or a morning news show, and a
distraction-free commute. Work began
upon arrival at the office and ended
when you left. Another distraction-
free commute was perhaps followed
by a workout, and then evenings at
home devoted to personal interests
and uninterrupted family time. Each
part had a clear start and finish.
Today, work is no longer limited to
the 9-to-5 window. Thanks to technol-
ogy, it filters into nearly every other
aspect of our lives. Many of us wake
Printed on 100% recycled paper.
Please recycle this magazine.
up to our smartphones and check
email and news headlines even before
getting out of bed. We conduct meet-
ings and conference calls during our
commutes and workouts; we telecom-
mute — from home, a coffee shop, an
airplane, the beach.
Our workdays are broken up by
more social interactions, and we can
finish our days by taking a call or
completing a project after the kids are
In the span of a
decade, we’ve gone
from leading largely
compartmentalized
existences to blending
aspects of our lives that
were once distinct.
in bed. The lines between our profes-
sional and personal lives are blurred.
At the same time as technology is
enabling us to stay connected from
almost anywhere, more of us are real-
izing that living away from each other
and all the amenities that support
our lifestyles isn’t all that convenient.
Many people are relocating to more
centralized spaces where they can get
to work, the gym, the grocery store,
the doctor’s office, and the spa without
having to get into a car.
I share all of this because it’s influ-
encing how the team at Life Time is
innovating and adapting our offerings
to the evolving healthy-way-of-life
needs of our members. We’re con-
Perspective
stantly thinking about how we can
affect the health and well-being of
people worldwide, and we’re experi-
menting with how we can promote
healthy thinking, eating, socializing,
working, and entertaining beyond the
walls of our health clubs.
While fitness is a part of what
Life Time offers, we realize that being
healthy requires a balanced, integrated
lifestyle. With that in mind, we’ve
changed our name to Life Time —
Healthy Way of Life to reflect our
commitment to all your healthy-
living endeavors.
In the last year, we’ve also launched
new initiatives that bring together the
rapid shifts we’re seeing in the culture
at large: Life Time Living and Life Time
Work. Life Time Living will include
residential offerings integrated with our
athletic resorts; Life Time Work is a
shared workspace that allows individ-
uals to meld their professional ambi-
tions with their personal values and
their health and wellness goals. Both
are intended to meet people where they
are in their active, fast-paced lifestyles.
Because as much as we might
long for the simpler ways of the past,
there’s no going back. We have to find
ways of weaving these areas of our
lives together. Done mindfully, it can
offer its own rewards and fulfillment —
in the forms of flexibility, improved
productivity, and a greater sense of
community, connection, and happiness.
This is the way of the future, and
we’re committed to making it as
healthy as possible.
BAHRAM AKRADI is the founder, chairman,
and CEO of Life Time — Healthy Way of Life.
ExperienceLife.com / EXPERIENCE LIFE / 87
Meditation

What oxygen is to the lungs,

such is hope to the meaning of life.
— EMIL BRUNNER

88 / EXPERIENCE LIFE / January/February 2018 ExperienceLife.com

 Enjoy the
new year with
new vision!
Get LASIK now!

Check out our reviews online

800
2
Custom All Laser LASIK Procedures $
Guaranteed Financing - Everyone Qualifies‡
OFF LASIK

To redeem offer you MUST book via:

—Plus—
1-866-921-2107 NOW!
or LasikPlusfitness.com 200
and receive a qualifying treatment.
Restrictions Apply^

Copyright© 2018 LCA-Vision, Inc. dba LasikPlus®. 2Only members of participating partnerships, health and vision plans who schedule via their plan are entitled to this limited time offer. Savings based on a standard price of $2099 per eye. Prices will vary by market and are subject to change. Discount determined by combining a 15% discount off
standard prices from LasikPlus, plus an additional 5% discount to patients who receive Custom or Wavelight® bladeless treatment with Premium LasikPlus® Advantage Plan. ‡Financing Options Guaranteed: Excludes Ft. Lauderdale, Northville and Oklahoma City LasikPlus® locations. Certain conditions apply. Down payment varies based on FICO score. Interest
rate varies by length of term selected. See website for details. Most LasikPlus® Vision Centers are owned and medical and optometric services are provided by independent physicians; LCA-Vision, Inc. d/b/a LasikPlus provides only medical management services. Treatment must be completed by 1/31/2018. Discount may not be combined with any other
discount. LT BUCK$ must be redeemed online by selecting eligible products and in-club services at www.myLT.com/ltbucks or shop.lifetimefitness.com. Products and services vary by location. LT BUCK$ expire 120 days from date awarded. LT BUCK$ have no cash value and no cash back will be given. LT BUCK$ may not be used on certain products and
services at shop.lifetimefitness.com, at LifeCafe, for certain dues or fees, or gratuity. LT BUCK$ are nontransferable and cannot be combined with other discounts or offers. See www.myLT.com/ltbucks for other terms and conditions. FL Residents: The patient and any other person responsible for payment has a right to refuse to pay, cancel payment or be
reimbursed for payment for any service, examination or treatment that is performed as a result of and within 72 hours of responding to the advertisement for the free, discounted fee or reduced fee service, examination or treatment. ^To redeem offer you must book your initial appointment through the unique phone number or url, and receive Custom or
Wavelight® bladeless treatment with Premium LasikPlus® Advantage plan in order to receive any LT Bucks. Photography contains paid actor, not actual patient.