Hey!
Welcome to theĀ Weekly Boostāa roundup of things Iām exploring, creating, or simply enjoying to help you get that extra edge this week.
IāmĀ Matt Levene (@mattjlevene). Some of my favorite topics include health, fitness, self discovery, consciousness, and the art of living. As I explore, experiment, and battle-test, I will share the good stuff here.
On with the Boostā¦
To Live and Die in LA - Season 2
To Live and Die in LA was my favorite podcast (and show, regardless of medium) in 2019. It is incredibly well-produced and there is something about the audio-only format that is especially gripping.
The show does a great job investigating and bringing awareness to missing personsā cases. With that said, this is heavy stuff and the stories can stir up strong emotions.
Iām looking forward to the new season, which begins on May 27th. You can listen to the trailer here: Meet Ingrid.
And if you havenāt already listened to Season 1, I highly recommend it.
Another nugget on HRV
I have to share this gem after discussing heart rate variability (HRV) last week:
āIf the heartbeat sounds like a metronome, death is very close.ā
This heuristic comes from ancient Chinese medicine. If anyone can attribute this quote more precisely, please let me know.
Sprout your grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes
Iāve been getting more questions from people looking to reduce their meat consumption or transition to a fully plant-based (vegan) diet.
I experimented with a 100% plant-based diet for six months last year, so I have some thoughts on the best way to approach this with performance in mind.
One thing I would emphasize is soaking or buying pre-sprouted grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
Most plants are rich in vital nutrients, but many of them also have protective properties, which can impair healthy digestion. These properties are commonly called āantinutrients,ā which is a catchall term for compounds such as gluten, phytates, tannins, lectins, and oxalates.
When you soak them you can eliminate a lot of these antinutrients. And you can take this a step further with sprouting, which makes them even easier to absorb.
Right now Iām eating sprouted cereal from Ezekiel, some of the sprouted quinoa and lentil blends from TruRoots, and oatmeal from One Degree.
If you want to DIY, here are soak and sprout guidelines for some common foods:
Data sourced from bengreenfieldfitness.com
Thatās all for this weekās Boost. Live well!
- Matt
I'm boosted! Just ordered more Ezekiel Cereal, local Green Grocer stopped carrying it, unfortunately. Keep the suggestions coming!