“Eat less, move more” is a mantra I’ve heard and advice I’ve given many times over the years.  While both calorie intake and physical activity are important factors in weight loss, which one is more important? Physiologically speaking, weight loss and gain revolve around the concept of calories in, calories out. In a nutshell, we lose weight when we eat fewer calories than we expend. Conversely, we gain weight when we eat more calories than we expend. Many of us have been advised to add physical activity to our weight loss plan to increase our calorie burn and improve... Read More

Whether you are from out-of-town planning a trip to beautiful Boulder County, you have family and friends coming into town, or you are a native, protecting yourself from altitude sickness is a must! Here are five tips to avoid getting sick while enjoying Colorado’s beautiful outdoors. Get Acclimated. If you live at a lower altitude, it is best to avoid strenuous activity the first day or two after you arrive. Your body needs time to get used to the oxygen deficiency that comes with the higher altitude. Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. Because of Colorado’s arid climate, you are more likely to get... Read More

Do you get enough sleep?  Most Americans don’t because we have trouble “turning off” our brains.  Sleep is critical for not only recharging your mental and physical batteries, but also healing and even controlling our appetites. How much sleep do adults need? The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours for adults. Because each individual has different sleep needs, here is an easy way to determine yours. Note the time you go to bed on a night when you don’t need to set an alarm to wake up.  Ideally, you haven’t had a heavy meal or too much to drink, as that will influence your... Read More

A recent article in the journal The Conversation, asked the question “Is walking enough exercise?”  Four out of five experts said yes. The one expert who said no, qualified his response by saying that walking is better than no exercise at all. He goes on to point out that, ideally, strength training and higher intensity exercise is ideal for good health. While strength training and higher intensity exercise along with moderate exercise is the ideal situation for many, the National Runners’ Health Study found that moderate-intensity walking and vigorous-intensity running resulted in similar... Read More

Boulder is a city brimming with delectable creations, and cuisine artists. You can’t throw a stone within the city limits without hitting a renowned or beloved place to eat. But not all of Boulder’s delicious delicacies require you to take to the city streets. Some of the best, most regarded food in town comes to you… Meet Chef Bob Sampson, a venerated chef with over 30 years of experience in the industry, and this week’s Boulder Benefactor. He’s served as an executive chef at three different restaurants, and for seven years owned the Boulder restaurant World Fare.... Read More

Since cannabis is legal for recreational use in ten states and counting, one of the most common question that comes up is “Can I use cannabis before working out?” The answer is yes. More and more athletes are coming out of the green closet to discuss their cannabis use and how it affects their athletic performance.  Olympian and World Champion Joanna Zeiger, PhD is the founder and coach with Train Away Chronic Pain. She is a cannabis advocate and often discusses how cannabis has helped her manage chronic pain symptoms and provide a restful night’s sleep. Other athletes such as Anna Symonds... Read More

Did you know that a green (unripe) banana confers its own unique health benefits? Green bananas are a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and contain resistant starch which cannot be broken down by enzymes in your digestive system and, therefore, acts more like fiber. Including foods high in resistant starch in your diet may reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease by aiding in blood sugar control and lowering blood cholesterol levels. Bananas have higher levels of antioxidants as they ripen. Fully ripened bananas produce a substance called Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF). TNF regulates... Read More

With cannabis legalization rapidly spreading across the world, the selection of products available are growing quickly. The numbers of consumers and products are growing, and deciding which products to consume with the desired effects and proper dosage can be overwhelming! Consumers now have a tool available to help clear the air of confusion. Cannabis can be complicated, but the Proper Cannabis Committee, a group of passionate experts, has been working to rate and review cannabis products for the past year! The Committee removes biases by testing product samples without any branding or packaging.... Read More

Earlier this week, I had the honor of presenting “Cannabinoids for Fitness” at the Cannabis Science Conference East in Baltimore, MD. The Cannabis Science Conference is the world’s largest and most technical cannabis science expo. It pulls together cannabis industry experts, instrument manufacturers, testing labs, research scientists, medical practitioners, policy makers, and interested novices with the goal of improving cannabis science. It was an incredible educational conference and I’m proud to share some of our presentation data with you today! Research is showing that cannabinoids... Read More

It’s almost summer, a time for outdoor activities including sleeping in the great outdoors.  Camping helps us refresh our mind and soul. There’s nothing better than seeing the wilderness wake up as the sun lights up the sky! Camping requires some preparation to keep you warm, safe, and healthy. If you are planning a camping trip this year, keep in mind these essential health and safety tips.   Assess your fitness level.  If you are planning a particularly strenuous trip, make sure you are fit enough to withstand the strain of the journey. You may want to consider working with a fitness... Read More

Guess who I found exploring Chautauqua Park? This lovely lady, Julia Fallman. It’s safe to say that Julia is making a positive impact on the Boulder community, not only at Impact Hub Boulder as a Communications and Programming Coordinator, but also at Unreasonable Institute as a Global Labs Maverick. Julia describes Boulder as, “a sunny place where entrepreneurship meets the outdoors. In one day I could go for a trail run, go to work, climb the Flatirons, and grab dinner at the farmers market.” Cheers to that Julia!  Read More

“There are so many little gems in Boulder!” Meet Sophie! After growing up in Lincoln Park, Chicago, she made her way to Boulder to study English at CU.  She loves Boulder for its mixture of people and its beautiful nature. She fits right into the Boulder lifestyle; having played field hockey in high school, she loves the active lifestyle! Thanks Sophie!      Read More

When I was growing up, our household always had 2% milk in the house.  I never knew why but that’s what I consumed as a kid.  Fast forward to my 20s, when the low fat craze was in high gear.  I had switched to skim milk to reduce saturated fat.  I also used plenty of other low fat/no fat food items.  It wasn’t until I discovered that there was no such thing as a low fat salad dressing that tasted good, that I started the journey to fat freedom. Food manufacturers replace fat with sugar, so the low fat dressing tasted too sweet for me and I switched to full fat dressing. It was years later... Read More

“Running clears my head and is a great way for me to relieve stress. I try to get out every day for either physical or mental reasons. I love it because it gives me a freedom unlike anything else. I can zone out completely or focus on certain issues and work it out in my head. Most importantly, beer tastes that much better after a solid run.” Thanks for the insight Josh!  Read More

Over the years, researchers have tried to determine the cause of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.  Previously, researchers believed that amyloid was one of the proteins thought to cause the disease.  With new discoveries about the mysteries of dementia, there is a new culprit in the debate about what may cause dementia. Amyloid protein is thought to build up in the brain normally throughout life, but, at night, when we’re sleeping, particularly when we get into deep sleep, the protein gets cleared from the brain. Researchers are investigating the possible link between obstructive... Read More

There is no perfect diet for everyone, in spite of what you might have heard.  It seems the human body can adapt to almost any diet and survive, even thrive!  Consider the diet of the Inuit, the people indigenous to polar locations such as Siberia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Theirs is a mostly meat diet, and yet they are a hardy population who consume few to no vegetables in their diet. In the US, experts recommend a diet largely focused on healthy grains, fruits and vegetables.  Most Americans don’t get the recommended 5 servings per day, and even fewer eat the 5-9 servings that is considered... Read More

Cindy Sovine and her team recently submitted their application to open Utopia, which will be the nation’s first full service cannabis spa. It will be a safe space for cannabis infused yoga and massages. They also plan to carry hemp products for health and beauty, as well as offering meditation, and acupuncture services. I attended the Seven Points World Tour, in Denver, where I had the pleasure of seeing Cindy speak in person. She has a very moving story, and her passion to advocate for the health benefits of cannabis is quite apparent. Although the application was just submitted recently, I’m... Read More

This weekend, the cannabis community is wrapping up Hemp History Week. What started as a movement to raise awareness and support for industrial hemp has quickly turned into the largest national grassroots effort to restore strong support for industrial hemp farming in the United States. Running June 4-10, this is the 9th annual campaign which brings together “grassroots organizers, leading hemp product manufactures, farmers, and advocates from all walks of life who are working to change federal policy on industrial hemp in the US.” Hemp has so many uses that it’s not only healthy for you,... Read More

In addition to our other 10 races we are running this year, my husband and I decided we wanted to build a team of 8 athletes to complete a Ragnar Trail relay. We had no idea it would be one of the best weekends ever! When I became the team captain, I was a little hesitant about coordinating a team. We needed an additional 6 runners to run a total of 14.4 miles each to total 114.4 miles and we wanted team members to be open to cannabis use and promotion. A couple other cannabis athletes we knew joined the team to support the cause. Marie Peel, co-founder of Denver’s luxury transportation service... Read More

I am a sponsored trail runner and personal trainer and I incorporate cannabis in my daily training routine.  Specifically, I consume either flower, concentrates or edibles before hitting the gym, trails or yoga sessions.  I also apply topicals to achy joints, such as my knees and shoulders and consume hemp foods throughout the day. Cannabis is a powerful anti inflammatory, and when consumed before a training session, allows me to focus mentally. This helps me maintain longer training sessions. My husband, Antonio DeRose, also uses cannabis as a part of his daily health and fitness routine. We’ve... Read More