Socks and shoes certainly have a purpose as you already know and there can definitely be a place and a time for socks and shoes.

However, could there also be benefits associated with dumping your socks and shoes?

Yes, it may seem a bit ‘over the top’ in the modern age to be seen moving about without shoes or socks, especially when outside your home and not at a beautiful sandy beach!

Indeed, before shoes were invented, people were going about their business without much cushioning or protection on their feet. Typically, sandals or other forms of light footwear were used to hunt for food, raise cattle and do other things.

Hence, what reasons could there possibly be in this modern age for dumping your socks and your shoes?

Here are 7 reasons why you should!

#1 – Earthing

This is also referred to as grounding, and yes, it can be a good thing! There are negative electrical charges which move around and also pass through the earth. During historic times, mankind was walking in closer proximity to the ground, sitting on the ground and sleeping on the ground or close to the ground with pieces of cloth or flat mats of material.

Over time, people have embraced modernization with its many conveniences and as a result, the modernized world has lost some of its connectivity with the earth. Today, our feet, hands and bodies are typically quite far from the ground. We wear shoes, eat at a table and sleep in beds. These are all nice and convenient.

However, there are health benefits which could be derived from walking barefoot on the ground. When standing barefoot on the ground, the soles of your feet are able to absorb the negative earth charges which produce an effect related to anti-inflammation and your connection to the earth in this form could lead to a state of general wellness and a lack of dysfunction [1].

So, next time you are barefoot and connecting with the earth, embrace the natural flow of energy and well-being!

# 2 – Neutralization of Free Radicals

As your feet touch the earth, contact is made with the earth’s oscillations of negative charges and these could also be important to the body’s biological clock and regulation of the body’s cortisol secretions. Studies also show that these charges could have antioxidant properties that are able to neutralize free radicals in the body and affect the body’s immunity [2].

Grounding has also been linked to relief from problems related to tendons, carpel tunnel syndrome and lower cardiovascular disease risks.

Hence, standing, walking or running barefoot brings you in direct contact with negative electrical charges that are linked to the neutralization or reduction of reactive oxygen species directly related to different kinds of inflammation.

#3 – Alteration of Gait

Shoes could affect the way that a person’s feet touch the ground especially during walking or running. Such patterns of movement are also known as gait and research shows that the gait of people, especially children in their early childhood years can be affected by the shoes they wear [3].

Based on the cushioning support contained in modern running shoes, the heels of the leg can get elevated resulting in heels bearing the brunt of the force of impact with the ground. This could create increased occurrence of injury.

On the contrary, going barefoot more likely provides a better landing for the feet. Inadequate commercial footwear has been linked to the prevalence of the condition known as flatfoot and results show that wearing flexible or slimmer shoes should be recommended during early childhood [4].

Communities around the world that continue to go barefoot or wear minimal footwear such as those populations found in developing countries show significantly reduced rates of injury. Although shoe manufacturers attempt to mimic the way the feet move, it can be difficult to achieve this with commercial shoes. Some customized shoes may more closely match feet outlines and movements. However a variety of commercial shoes, especially shoes for runners and children are unable to mimic the natural gait positioning and patterns that bare feet exhibit.

#4 – Reduced Likelihood of Injury

Yes, this may seem counter-intuitive because shoes are meant to protect the feet and provide comfort. However, although wearing socks and shoes may protect the feet from some types of injury such as the feet being penetrated by sharp objects, going barefoot could actually reduce the risk of other types of injury like plantar fasciitis and sprains.

Due to the restrictions presented by socks and shoes, a fall or stumble could result in a sprain due to the difficulty in determining how much the feet could twist or move when forced to do so. Being barefoot creates much better awareness of the positioning of each foot and there is less likelihood of any sudden shifts or change in the positioning of the feet.

Research in the area of determining the risk of injury while running or walking barefoot is still ongoing. However, it is a fact that feet are able to be less restricted by socks and shoes and this could create a better opportunity for control during stumbles or slips.

#5 – Use of Forefoot Strikes

The use of the front of the foot to land on the ground could decrease the chance of impact-related injuries. There is supporting data that suggest that a forefoot strike pattern, which is more likely when running barefoot, reduces ground reaction forces [5].

Though somewhat speculative, those who walk or run barefoot could notice an improvement in feet strike patterns and subsequent reductions in the tendency to get injured. However, simulated running on bare feet have been noted as being able to produce the more favorable forefoot striking patterns in female recreational athletes [6].

The arguments do continue regarding whether forefoot and mid-foot strike are preferable over heel strikes. Nevertheless, there is increasing research in this area suggesting that forefoot strike patterns, which likely occur during barefoot running, are better for the feet and body.

What are the benefits of using a forefoot strike? You are less likely to get a bruised heel if the heels of the feet are less impacted by the descent of a strike on the ground.

The forefoot and mid-foot strikes could also be less tasking for the knees. Pain and injury may result from how the legs and lower extremities behave when movement occurs during walking and running. There can be a difference in injury risk based on which part of the foot lands first on the surface. The rate of acceleration change sweeping from the knees to the heels and feet or vice versa could determine the type of impact that is felt when walking or running.

#6 – Reduction of Patellofemoral Stress

Ground reaction forces can create stress in the legs and lower extremities. However, taking off your socks and shoes could present an opportunity to reduce such stresses.

Statistical paired tests and the use of standardized mean differences were used to study this reduction with the conclusion that running with shoes creates elevated patellofermoral joint stress and this stress is reduced when running without socks or shoes [7].

Other research results also point to the reduction of peak patellofemoral joint stress by 12% when running barefoot in comparison to shod running or running with shoes and this reduction is based on reduced patellofermoral joint reaction forces [8].

Sometimes, such patellofemoral joint stresses are more prone during motions associated with ascents or descents such as in climbing stairs or a steep hill. Being barefoot could relieve such stresses on the joints.

#7 – Be Natural, Healthy and Feel Good!

You probably know that dumping your socks and shoes can be seen as being a natural way to exist but do you know that it could also be seen as a healthy activity? Being barefoot can be perceived in a variety of situations as depicting health, youth, innocence, inhibition, independence, simplicity, freedom, confidence, fun, expression, sensitivity, clean, considerate and there have also been claims of the influx of energy and feeling good while walking or running barefoot [9].

Yes, there can be some negative descriptions in other situations associated with being barefoot such as poverty, danger, disrespect, unsanitary conditions and vulnerability. However, there can be safe ways and places to be barefoot. There is also a heightened acknowledgment and awareness of your surroundings associated with being barefoot. In addition, bare feet are able to “breathe” rather than sweat in shoes. In reality, stinky feet are only usually associated with feet that have been in some type of shoes, socks or both.

It is important to remember that socks and shoes do have a purpose and could protect you from hurting your feet on hard objects including nails, broken glass and other items that could cause injury. However, there are good reasons why you should dump your socks and shoes and reconnect to the earth with your feet. Choosing to walk barefoot on soft ground, dirt pathways, grass terrain or on a sandy beach could present a safer option and also enable you reap the benefits of such activities. It may also be wise to start this trend gradually and as the benefits of walking or running barefoot begin to emerge, you may find that it is something you want to do over and over again.

If you are looking for other foods to help you with inflammation and joint pain, then check out 101 Superfoods that Stop Your Joint Pain & Inflammation:

References

[1] Earthing: Health Implications – Journal of Environmental and Public Health
[2] Can Electrons Act as Antioxidants? – PubMed
[3] Effect of Children’s Shoes on Gait – PubMed
[4] Foot Motion in Children Shoes – PubMed
[5] Evidence to Support Forefoot Strike Pattern? – PubMed
[6] 12 Weeks of Simulated Barefoot Running – PubMed
[7] Patellofemoral Joint Stress – PubMed
[8] British Journal of Sport Medicine – Patellofemoral Joint Stress
[9] The Case for Bare Feet

Rick Kaselj, M.S

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In modern times, the refrigerator or fridge has become a permanent and very useful appliance in homes, offices, businesses, recreation centers and many other locations. Refrigeration is a requirement for certain foods and liquids. Also, some foods and drinks taste better after being placed in a fridge to cool off. Indeed, what would you do without your fridge?

However, are all these food items in your fridge truly good for you? What is the effect of some of these foods and drinks on your waistline?

Especially in terms of weight loss, some foods in your fridge right now may certainly not be recommended. Hence, let’s look at 7 of the worst foods you could have in your fridge when considering weight loss and weight management.

#1 – Soda

When thinking of certain types of soda, imagine teaspoons of sugar slowing making a path towards your stomach and into the rest of your body. If this visual does not quite give you the shivers, it should. Sugar can be unhealthy for your body and does not do much to accentuate your waistline.

Some soda brands can contain at least 9 teaspoons of sugar in one can of soda. This is a significant amount and yes, while the gush of seemingly delightful bubbly “goodness” flows into your body and tastes good as you consume it, there is little nutritional value in such drinks. Options you could switch to include good old-fashioned water, tea and fresh juices that have undergone minimal processing.

There is also the notion that diet soda may be a healthier option. This probably occurs because diet soda uses the word “diet”. There are studies that show that weight gain can occur as a result of the consumption of diet soda [1] [2]. Soda has also been directly correlated with obesity epidemics and the increase in the use of artificial sweeteners which are also described as non-caloric constituents of these sugary drinks, contributes to other health problems as well [3]. Keeping sodas, whether ordinary or diet versions, out of your fridge can be very good for your health.

#2 – Ice Cream

Actually, many sugary desserts would fall into this category. Ice cream can have a full fat and sugar content. Indeed, there are also diet varieties of ice cream and other desserts. However, the reality about most desserts is the need or desire to get the feeling of consuming a bona fide dessert. The diet versions of desserts may not actually taste like the dessert your taste buds and body longs for. This is where the full fat and sugar content ice creams and other similar desserts tend to home in on our exact locations and take us on a sugar high.

The reason why ice cream and other sweet desserts could be one of the worst foods in your fridge is based on the powerful hold that these foods have. There is a huge portion control challenge associated with ice creams and these super-yummy desserts!

How do you save yourself from this dilemma?

If you need to have some ice cream in your fridge, seek out manageable portion containers such as individual ice cream cups. Also, add some healthier options like fresh fruit, Greek or low-fat yogurt. You could create a blended dessert of ice cream with some healthier options and gradually begin to wean yourself off the high sugar and high fat dessert choices that may currently exist in your fridge. Getting rid of fat and sugar can be a no-brainer when considering weight loss.

#3 – White Bread

Bread can be used to make delicious sandwiches. However, white bread presents a refined flour food item that has its key nutritional components stripped away during the food processing process. These missing nutritional components include the bran, germ and possibly some proteins originally contained in the flour and this can affect the body, especially heart health.

There are whole grain bread options which could be much better for the body. It is better to seek whole grain breads and foods that clearly specify being made with 100% whole grains. Processed white bread is mainly a carbohydrate that breaks down to sugar when digested in the body. Hence, when you stick to getting rid of as much sugar as you can, which may be disguised as seemingly delicious food items in your fridge, you are on the right track!

#4 – Food Dressing

Items like mayonnaise and other food dressings in your fridge sit there innocently waiting to be used. While some of these food dressings can be quite tasty and not entirely bad in reality, the problem with food dressing stems from how much calories you can consume from such a small amount.

For example, a quarter cup of mayonnaise could provide about 360 calories and 40 grams of fat. Some brands of mayonnaise also provide up to 100 calories per tablespoon. Thus, remember the basics of fat in foods and how this contributes to weight gain. For a large sandwich, there is the temptation to use more than a tablespoon of mayonnaise. However, there are different kinds of fat that may be used in food dressings and some may be good for the body’s metabolism [4].

#5 – Expired Condiments

The fridge can also act like a place where things are placed and inadvertently forgotten. Condiments, unfortunately, usually fall into the category of being tucked away in a corner of the fridge and being forgotten.

One reason why this can occur is the typical long shelf-life that condiments may have. There are other things that can also go bad or expire inside a fridge such as fruit. However, it may be easier to notice when fruit and other similar items are going bad. With condiments, the same telltale signs that may indicate spoilage in other foods may not be readily apparent. Hence, this does make it harder to detect spoilage.

Why is this important in terms of weight loss?

The quality of food that we consume is a significant part of any weight loss plan. Condiments can be a major culprit when considering expired substances in your fridge. Adding condiments may also increase sodium consumption and bloating. Why sabotage your weight loss by consuming expired food. There are different dates that may be associated with foods in your fridge and it can be beneficial to know what these dates mean [5]. Consuming expired food, especially expired condiments that may have probably gone significantly beyond their shelf life can be very bad for your weight and health.

#6 – Processed Meats

There have been recommendations to reduce the amount of meat consumption, especially red meats. Processed meats in your fridge may also not be the best option to include in your sandwiches and other dishes. This is as a result of the high sodium and saturated fat contents that can be found in certain brands of processed meats.

High consumption of these processed meats could also lead to higher risks of some diseases like diabetes [6], chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease and diabetes.

There can still be nutritional benefits from processed meat when healthier options or brands are chosen. For example, you can seek out processed meat brands that use all-natural ingredients and also brands that do not pump harmful components into the meat while processing these foods. These harmful substances can include nitrates or excessive amounts of sodium [7]. With more attention on eating healthy food, certain food brands have taken the initiative to dedicate their product lines to more natural food selections. Hence, look for natural and preservative-free food labels as you shop for food.

#7 – Butter

This food item has a high number of calories per serving. A single tablespoon of butter could easily load you up with 100 calories. Indeed, a hundred calories may not seem like too much to be overly concerned about. However, the main issue here is how scalable and out of control this can become. One tablespoon could just as easily become five or six tablespoons during the day.

When used during cooking, the flavor of butter can also vanish, leaving you with a high calorie food component in your body. Butter also provides about 30 mg of cholesterol and 7 g of saturated fat in a single tablespoon. Margarine may not be the better alternative to butter. However, using virgin coconut or olive oil could be a healthier substitute.

When focusing on weight loss, there are certain types of foods you should stay away from. Unfortunately, if these food items are in your fridge, pantry or kitchen, the chances that you could consume the foods can be very high. Hence, knowing what the worst foods in your fridge could be is the first step towards getting it right in terms of weight loss goals and healthy living.

If you are looking for other foods to keep in your fridge and kitchen that help you with inflammation and joint pain, then check out 101 Superfoods that Stop Your Joint Pain & Inflammation: 

References
[1] Drink More Diet Soda, Gain More Weight?
[2] Gain weight by “going diet”?
[3] Consumption of Artificial Sweetener and Sugar-Containing Soda
[4] Weight-Loss Diet: Medium-Chain Triacylglycerol Oil
[5] Do Food Expiration Dates Really Matter?
[6] Type of Vegetarian Diet, Body Weight and Type 2 Diabetes
[7] Sodium Nitrite: Another Reason to Avoid Processed Meats

I am still in Orange County at a fitness conference called Fitness Business Summit. 

This morning I will be going on stage and sharing some of my experience and knowledge on how to help hundreds of thousands of people around the world with your blog, newsletter and videos to well over 500 fitness professionals.

Can’t wait!

One other person that will be on stage with me is Shawna Kaminski.

If you missed her article on on How to Have Visible Abs Over the Age of 50, make sure to read it.

Today, I have a continuation of that article and Shawna highlights the WORST Food to Eat for Breakfast, down below.

Take care.

Rick Kaselj, MS

P.S. – Shawna talks about the food in question #3 below.

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Rick Kaselj: What do you think the number one mistake people make that sabotage their weight loss?

Shawna Kaminski: The number one mistake people make to sabotage weight loss is INCONSISTENT effort. If people apply small dietary and lifestyle changes CONSISTENTLY over time then BIG physical changes happen. When people ‘diet hard’ and then completely fall off the nutritional wagon, it sets them up for a messed up metabolism and poor relationship with food. Fat loss is a marathon and not a sprint, it takes slow and steady progress to meet your fat loss goals and maintain them.

Rick Kaselj: What food do people eat which people think is healthy but takes away from their fat loss?

Shawna Kaminski: Anything that’s labeled as ‘diet‘ food is probably one that should be avoided. It means that it’s likely highly processed and full of junk.

The BEST ‘diet’ food is wholesome and natural foods that have five ingredients or less, ingredients that you can pronounce, and things that are fresh (like fruits and veggies) and organic meats.

Our grandparents had a much healthier diet since most things were less processed and natural. When choosing the best foods to eat, eating those that are as close to what Mother Nature intended is the goal.

Rick Kaselj: We ran into each other in Tampa, Florida when we were at the Biotrust Partners Appreciation Weekend and we got chatting about yogurt. You were kind of shocked about the yogurt you got.

Maybe you can explain how different yogurts can affect your weight loss?

Shawna Kaminski: Yogurt is one of those foods that marketers have a field day with. It’s REALLY important to READ LABELS very carefully.

Greek yogurt, unflavored with no added fruits or sugar is the best. Do NOT be fooled by words like ‘Greek style’ or ‘honey flavored’ this often means sugars have been added and protein content is less.

Rick Kaselj: What is your favorite healthy snack?

Shawna Kaminski: My favorite healthy snack is Greek yogurt with berries, walnuts and chia seeds. Sometimes I’ll add a tablespoon of Biotrust protein powder or a sprinkle of Truvia or stevia to sweeten it up. Yum!

Rick Kaselj: I have never heard of Truvia and know about stevia. What makes these better than other sweeteners?

Shawna Kaminski: Truvia is a brand of stevia. It’s a natural sweetener with no additives. It’s a great alternative to aspartame or sucralose and other artificial sweeteners. Stevia (or Truvia) is a sweetener that doesn’t increase blood sugar the way sugar does and it’s not intensely sweet the way artificial sweeteners are.

When you ‘eat sweet’ you ‘crave sweet’ so it’s best to keep artificial sweeteners out of your diet. In addition, they’re up to 600 times sweeter than sugar and can really do a number on your taste buds (as well as your body). It’s hard to enjoy the natural sweetness of fruits when you’re accustomed to the intense sweetness that these artificial sweeteners provide.

Rick Kaselj: So, what is so bad about having your blood sugar skyrocket?

Shawna Kaminski: You can’t lose fat in the presence of insulin. When you eat carbohydrates, your body responds by dumping insulin into your blood to lower the resulting blood sugar. By keeping blood sugar levels steady, you won’t get a surge of insulin and it will be easier for your body to oxidize fat as an energy source.

Rick Kaselj: What is the best thing that someone can do to keep the on their fitness and diet program?

Shawna Kaminski: Not getting social support or not getting the right social support.

Studies show that social support is one of the biggest factors to increase fat loss success. Being accountable to others for what you eat is a surprisingly effective fat loss tool. This is why I’ve included the social network with the 21 Day Challenge Diet program. Beta testers said that having the support of the group was the BEST part of the whole process and was the missing link in their other fat loss efforts. When the going got tough, they’d check into the group for encouragement and motivation. Those that were a little competitive used the energy of the group to spur them on to greater success. It’s win-win when like-minded people gather together to create a powerful fat loss community.

With most programs you buy, you get the knowledge but not the support, feedback and the help from the creator of the program.

Rick Kaselj: Why is this called ‘Challenge Diet’? I don’t want more of a challenge where my diet is concerned.

Shawna Kaminski: Actually, the name is a bit of a misnomer. The challenge is NOT in the nutrition plan at all. The challenge involves MOVEMENT! If you want to look sexy and you don’t want to be a skinnier version of your former fat self, you need to MOVE in order to transform your body.

The 21 Day Challenge Diet challenges you to get off the couch daily. But don’t panic! I have you covered with daily email messages of motivation, inspiration and workouts. You’ll be challenged to keep moving with short invigorating workouts, no matter what your fitness level is.

Rick Kaselj: Why is this a 21 day diet plan?

Shawna Kaminski: Typically it takes 21 days to form a habit. Beta testers found that this was a good amount of time to get great results as well as form new eating habits.

Also getting results fast is really motivating. According to a recent study done by the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, researchers found that dieters who saw the least amount of results in the beginning of their study were the ones who dropped out of the study fastest. This means that when you see fast fat loss results, you end up sticking to the program for a longer period of time, which in turn yields more results. This shows us that choosing the right diet and workout program is especially important when trying to lose weight. Get weight off fast, stick to it, and keep the weight off. Yackobovitch-Gavan M., Steinberg D.M., Endevelt R., Benyamini Y. (2014) Factors associated with dropout in a group weight-loss programme: a longitudinal investigation. J Hum Nutr Diet.

Rick Kaselj: Some may say, “I’ve lost weight before, will all my weight come back after 21 days”, what do you say to them?

Shawna Kaminski: Beta testers found that they DID NOT gain their weight back after the initial 21 days. They were able to increase their calories and continue to lose pounds and inches. This is because they had adopted a better way of eating, an active lifestyle and they had more meal plans to support them.

Rick Kaselj: What about those that are gluten intolerant, will this plan work for them?

Shawna Kaminski: This is a plan is ‘mostly’ gluten free, so it will be easy for you to eliminate what little gluten choices are within it.

Rick Kaselj: For those that are vegetarian, will this plan work for them?

Shawna Kaminski: Unless you can replace the protein options with vegetarian protein options, this plan is NOT suitable for vegetarians. Stay tuned for a vegetarian Challenge Diet 2.0 coming out soon.

Rick Kaselj: I like to be told EXACTLY what to eat, the mix and match plan makes me nervous. What can I do?

Shawna Kaminski: In order to truly embrace the nutritional changes required to lose and maintain fat loss, you need to understand WHY you’re eating a certain way. I want to support you by providing a ‘done for you’ plan, but I like to have you make some choices as this replicates real life more closely.

You don’t want to live your life on a ‘diet’. You want to learn how to make your own choices. Having said this, if you want a ‘read it and eat it’ style plan, you can easily do this by following the meal plans sequentially. Hopefully from there you’ll learn to ‘mix it up’ as the plan was intended.

Rick Kaselj: One more scenario for you. I know you travel a lot. You are out of town and the only eating option you have is a mall food court. You got KFC, McDonalds, Chinese Food and Taco Bell. What do you eat and what do you make sure you avoid?

Shawna Kaminski: Rick, this happens all the time and I’m going to give you an answer that people may not like. I usually PACK snacks with me so that I don’t have to face the food court. There is rarely an option that is perfect in such a scenario so I almost always have some almonds or an apple, protein powder or a protein bar for such a situation. But, if I were unprepared, and this can happen, I’d likely choose a McDonald’s salad with grilled chicken. I’m not sure if KFC or Taco Bell has a salad option with grilled meat, but if they did, I’d consider those options.

I’d go EASY on any dressing and I’d be careful of cheese and any croutons or crackers added in. My motto is ‘fail to plan and plan to fail’, nutrition is all about thinking ahead. You know you’re going to be hungry and need to eat, throw something in your bag or pocket to help yourself out.

Rick Kaselj: Where can people get more details on the Challenge Diet?

Shawna Kaminski: If you are looking for a program to help you reach your fat loss goes that is intensive but supportive, then check out Challenge Diet, here.

Rick Kaselj, MS

It seems everywhere you look you see a new ‘diet’ out there promises magical weight loss.

Trust me, there’s no magic bullet where weight loss is concerned but many time we need a good road map for weight loss.

I’ve been on the planet long enough to know. I’m a good friend of Rick’s, I’m Shawna K, fellow Canadian and half centurion.

I’ve seen it all.

I’m known more of challenging workouts, you’ve no doubt seen me on Rick’s blog here and here.

I got tired of seeing well-intentioned people making the same diet mistakes, sabotaging their metabolisms getting no results.

How to Have Visible Abs Over the Age of 50

Several people asked how I manage to have visible abs over the age of 50 and I figured it was time to let out my secrets.

I want to share 7 tips to getting visible abs at any age with you.

As well, since you’re on Rick’s blog, I know you may have sustained an injury of some sort so your nutrition is THAT MUCH MORE IMPORTANT.

I know that suffering an injury can be a little depressing. I’ve experienced that feeling myself. Don’t let food be your best friend during your injury.

My solution for dealing with an injury is this:

Control the things that you CAN to help you recover faster and even get leaner in the process.

As for training, you may not be able to exercise in exactly the same way, but you’ll likely be able to do SOMETHING, so don’t give up.

More importantly, you’re in COMPLETE control of your nutrition, so here’s an opportunity to make some positive changes to your diet. Not only will it help your waistline, but you’d be surprised how nutritious eating can help your recovery.

Okay, on with the 7 tips to getting visible abs:

#1 – Lose the cardio

I hope Rick has made it abundantly clear that steady state cardio is actually counter productive to your goal of getting visible abs. According to study after study, ‘traditional cardio’ in the ‘fat burning zone’ is ineffective and simply wastes your training time. It’s even been shown to increase appetite which makes it all the more difficult to stay on a weight loss plan.

*So many repetitive use injuries are associated with steady state cardio like ‘jogging’.

Just stop it.

Rick will fix up your repetitive use lower body injuries, then try something different in terms of training (I have some ideas, stay tuned.)

#2 – Less is More

This statement goes for the equipment you need to train with and the time it takes to train.

Why not spend $15 on a jump rope instead of $1500 on a treadmill?

Or how about spending zero dollars on equipment or gym membership and doing burpees or other body weight exercises instead?

Getting visible abs isn’t about throwing more money or more time at your belly fat problem. It’s not about LONG workouts either; it’s about the INTENSITY in your workouts.

#3 – Where’s the beef?

You need muscle to burn fat and look sexy. Muscle gained from resistance training helps to burn calories and keeps your metabolism stoked to burn off the belly fat. If you have an injury in the shoulder, there’s no reason you can’t focus your training on the core and the lower body.

The idea is, never let an injury shut down your resistance training, in fact, resistance training will get your injured body part back up to speed faster as well as help you burn fat. Rick is the expert on that, he’s helped me with all my aches and pains. He’s NEVER said, ‘Shawna, just go sit on the couch.’ He’s always got me doing SOMETHING to rehab an injury and I’m always working other body parts to stay fit and lean.

#4 – No roller coasters

If you want visible abs, your job is to control insulin spikes since your body will not burn fat in the presence of insulin. The hormone, insulin is released into the blood stream in response to the ingestion of carbohydrates. When you control your carbohydrate intake, your fat loss efforts will pay off. Plus you won’t get crazy energy swings.

#5 – You’re sweet enough: drop the sugar

If you have a ‘sweet tooth’ you just need to stop eating sugar. The saying ‘Eat sweet crave sweet’ applies here. When you say ‘no’ to sugar, your sweet tooth will diminish and so will your cravings. The first few days of dropping sugar are difficult, but after that, if you’re satiated with other nutritious foods, it gets easier.

#6 – Pass (on) the bread

No one needs the calories found in breads and other bread like products, even if you’re NOT gluten intolerant. Abs will be more visible if you replace almost all your starchy carbs with a variety of vegetables instead.

#7 – Treat yourself

This sounds too good to be true, but it is. When you reduce caloric intake, your hormones that help you burn fat can be reduced by 50% in as short as seven days. So to keep those fat burning hormones happy, make sure that you increase your calories with a ‘treat meal’ at least every seventh day. Of course this makes more than just your hormones happy

*Don’t go overboard here, especially if you’re side lined with injury. Typically a ‘treat meal’ can be a slippery slope to excess. This is even more detrimental to your waistline when you’re injured because you can’t necessarily counteract a big meal with a metabolically charged workout. My suggestion here is to PLAN.

Have just enough of the treat food for your treat and then throw or give away the rest of the treat so it doesn’t ‘accidentally slide down your throat

I have lots of other tips and tricks for getting a six-pack at any age. In fact, so many folks have asked me what I do to stay lean, I wrote it all down for you in the ’21 Day Challenge Diet’.

First of all, I need to clear up the name ‘Challenge Diet’. It’s a bit of a misnomer.

The fact is, the nutrition portion of the 21 Day Challenge Diet isn’t challenging at all. Based on what beta testers found when they did a test drive, they said that the nutrition plan was practical, sustainable and they felt full and energized on it. In fact, they lost up to 15 lbs in 21 days.

Now while this isn’t ASTOUNDING weight loss, veteran dieters know that it’s a substantial loss, especially when the weight stays off. The good news is that during the 21 day maintenance phase, beta testers not only maintained their weight loss, they lost even more pounds and inches while feeling satisfied.

No, the challenge is definitely NOT with the nutrition plan for the 21 Day Challenge Diet.

The challenge involves MOVEMENT!

Unless you want to be a skinnier version of your former fat self, you need to MOVE in order to transform your body. So the 21 Day Challenge Diet challenges you to get off the couch daily. Now if you’re injured, your movement will be modified but there’s almost ALWAYS some way to move and burn more calories even if you’re injured.

I have you covered with daily email messages of motivation, inspiration and workouts. No matter what your fitness level is, you’ll be challenged to keep moving with short invigorating workouts.

A bonus to the 21 Day Challenge Diet is the social support you’ll get. Few other ‘diet’ plans have 24/7 support with a network of like-minded people all on the same path. You’ll have access to me (and the entire Challenge Diet community) to help you reach your goals. Studies show that those with social support have the MOST success with weight loss. The support group is like the ‘secret sauce’ of the 21 Day Challenge Diet.

My goal for my clients is for them to NEVER go on a diet again. The 21 Day Challenge Diet plan is created with this in mind. It’s really the ‘non-diet’ diet. You’ll learn sensible eating habits and lifestyle skills that won’t necessarily ‘end’. You’ll feel so good that the changes you make in the 21 days will be ones that you’ll adopt for life.

Imagine how you’ll look and feel as you easily drop those extra pounds while gaining your health and vitality back.

The 21 Day Challenge Diet is not the ‘challenge’ that you think. You won’t be hungry or deprived. You’ll challenge your body to be it’s best. You can check it out here.

Are you up for the challenge?

ABOUT SHAWNA K

Shawna Kaminski is a retired schoolteacher of 20 years who’s found her passion in the fitness industry. She’s parlayed her ability to teach and her love of training into programs that you can directly benefit from. Shawna is almost 51 years old, is a mother of two teenagers and understands how busy life can be.

Her workouts are short and intense and often can be done anywhere. She’s always up for a challenge and shares her fitness challenges with you on her blog Challenge Workouts. Currently she runs her own fitness boot camps and coaches clients in person and online around the world with her amazing ‘result getting’ programs.

Shawna Kaminski

Okay, I am on my way to Orange County for a fitness conference.

It looks like I will be presenting Saturday morning so need to work on my presentation.

Today, I got Travis Stoetzel stepping in with a challenge workout for you.

Enjoy!

Rick Kaselj, MS

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Hey, what’s going? Travis here at TravisStoetzel.com. This is for my man Rick and all his people over there at ExercisesforInjuries.com. I am excited to go over an exposure chaos session here with you taken from my new training system called Unbreakable BadAss Blueprint 2.0.

Before I get into this awesome chaos exposure session here, I wanted to go over something that is very important. I know that Rick being about the injuries and helping you become injury-free, this is really something that I harp on BIG TIME Within my gym and within my programs, that people focus in on in order to get the best results. It is where I like to call my Performance Triple Threat.

Performance Triple Threat (Read this to say injury-free)

In order to get the BEST RESULTS POSSIBLE, you need to focus in on these 3 things and it is progressive in nature:

1. Form and Technique – You always need to focus in on having good form and technique because obviously if the form and technique are not there, you are going to get yourself injured or you are not going to have the best results possible.
2. Being consistent with your form and technique – If you are not consistent with it and your form is only good 50% of the time and your technique is only good 50% of the time, well guess what?, your results are going to be about 50% of where they could actually go.
3. Focus on the Intensity – After being consistent with your form and technique now you can focus in on the intensity, you can now increase the intensity. Getting a little bit crazier with your workouts.

In reality, a lot of people have things backwards where they focus in on the intensity first, maybe being consistent second, and then form and technique last.

When you focus on it the wrong way like that, that’s when you don’t get results, that’s when you get yourself injured, and that’s when you have to go to Rick to say “hey Rick, I got hip problems. Rick, I got shoulder problems”.

We want to avoid that!

In order to avoid those problems, focus in on that performance triple threat: form and technique, consistency, and intensity.

Keep in that in mind!

Let’s go over this awesome chaos exposure session. This is a component to my program within Unbreakable Badass Blueprint 2.0 . And what type of program it is I like to call the C2 Method and it’s a controlled chaos method.

Controlled Chaos Workout with Travis Stoetzel

CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.

With this, you’ve got your controlled section and that’s going to be your progressive strength training. It is going to be structured, that’s what you always have to do at the start of the session. For the last part of your session is where we have our chaos of the program. This is where I like to add in my Chaos Exposure Sessions. I call them this is because they are a little bit more random in nature. They are a little bit more chaotic and they expose you to a lot of different things.

With this set-up, there are different set-ups that I use, but with this particular set-up I like to call it an Interval Phase Method. We are going to have actual work periods and we are going to have actual strategic mandatory rest periods. The top level set up for this, we are going to do 4 rounds, we are going to do 60 seconds of work with 20 seconds of rest. That’s going to be the top level.

If you are not up to that level, you can regress that down and let’s say we can go down to 40 seconds of work, 20 seconds of rest, or you can actually increase the rest up to 30 seconds so we can go on a 1:1 ratio if you wanted to, 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off. There are a lot of different ways you can modify that to match your fitness level.

For this, we are going to go 60 seconds on, 20 seconds rest. What we got are three different movements. I am going to go with these movements and also go over the regressions.

Again, number one focus is form and technique, consistency, and then intensity.

#1 – Pull Ups

This is not just a normal pull up. We are going to do power repeat pull ups. This is a little bit different. We are going for 60 seconds.
What you are going to do with this power repeat pull ups is you are going to do 1 single pull up at a time. You jump onto the bar. You are going to tighten up your lats and your shoulder blades. You are going to do one pull up and then you are going to drop off the bar. Shake your arms out and then you immediately jump back up, that’s two pulls up.

Pull Up

You are focusing in on being nice and tight, good form, chin over the bar every single time. You can switch up your grip as you want every single rep but you are going for 60 seconds so you can try to get as many reps of those power repeat pull ups as possible in that 60 seconds period.

If you need to regress the movement, you can always do band assisted pull ups as well or you can go for recline rows. For recline rows, you just hit one row, pause for a second. Another row and pause for a second. Just repeat it for 60 seconds.

#2 – Single Arm Snatch

We are going to do a single arm snatch either with a kettlebell or with a dumbbell. For this set up, you will switch arms halfway through. After 30 seconds, you will go ahead and switch arms.

For using a kettlebell, let me go over some form and tips here with you. With the snatches everything is hip driven. It is not that we are pulling it with the upper body. We are simply pulling with the kettlebell and we are using those hips to get that kettlebell up and overhead.

When you grab your kettlebell, you will reach across to grab your kettlebell and you will imagine your thumb is going to point back and when we get overhead the thumb is going to point back again so palm is will be facing inside.

Single Arm Snatch with Kettlebell (front view)

Let me show you here from the side how we work with the snatch with a kettlebell. You are going to drag it into place and imagine it is an explosion with the hips, pull and punch through. It is like a high pull and punch through, real fast movement.

Single Arm Snatch with Kettlebell (side view)

Once we get on top, we simply just going to let the kettlebell fall back down and you are going to hike it again pull punch. You repeat it and go for 30 seconds on one side and 30 seconds on the other side.

Couple of key tips with this: it’s a hip driven movement so we need to push our hip back, tighten up those hamstrings, and when we explode make it sure everything from the hips up, stay nice and tight. Upper back stays nice and tight. Core stays tight. I am not rounding my back over. We stay nice and tight, head to toe.

When I am at the top, I am making a nice straight line with the body. That kettlebell is straight over head, in line with the shoulders, the hips, the knees, and ankles, all that good stuff and then we are going back into our next rep.

If we are not comfortable with kettlebells, we can do the same movement with a dumbbell. For this, we will start from the ground and do power snatch. Everything is the same in regards to the movement with your arms and your hips so there’s an explosion with the hips, high pull punch underneath.

Single Arm Snatch with Dumbbell

Now when we come back down with a dumbbell, it’s a little bit different with the kettlebell. Bring it back down under control into the shoulder back down to the ground and explode. You go for 30 seconds.

#3 – Drop Lunge

We will do 60 seconds lunging. We can either use a kettlebell or a dumbbell, or we can regress that down we use bodyweight. We will just simply go into a drop lunge.

I will demonstrate it with a dumbbell. We will pick our dumbbell up right into a goblet position, elbows in tight, and we simply just step back.

Drop Lunge

Drive into that front heel, step back touch the knee, and we are just simply alternating steps every single time. You are going to do that for 60 seconds. Once 60 seconds is up, you will get that strategic rest for 20 seconds and we are going to repeat that interval set-up for 4 total rounds.

You will be going to all those 3 movements for 4 total rounds. Again, this is what I like to call an interval phase method of chaos conditioning. For all you people there at Exercises for Injuries and my man Rick, go ahead and give this a try. Let us know how you do.
If you want more information about the Unbreakable BadAss Blueprint 2.0, the full system, click here to find out more about that.

Like I always say, got 110% Ham, live aggressive. Travis, I am out!

Travis Stoetzel

I got another interview for you from Las Vegas with Travis Stoetzel.

Travis does really hard core intense training and I got chatting with him about going to max because a lot of times what people do is every time they go to the gym or every time they workout they think they need to go to max and lift their heaviest weight.

I wanted him to chat about what people need to remember and think about when it relates to going to max.

How to Lift to Heavy Without Getting Injured with Travis Stoetzel

CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.

Travis Stoetzel:

#1 – Does it correlate with your overall goals?

One of the things in regards to lifting heavy is does it correlate with your overall goals. Are you a competitive athlete? Are you an actual powerlifter? That’s what you are going to have to do in regards to competition. Is it going to require you to lift as much weight as you need to? Is it going to transfer over to your overall performance? These are some of the main things that you want to focus in on first in regards to lifting extremely heavy.

#2 – Look at your fitness level.

As you start out, are you going to want to grab a barbell and lift as much weight as you can? Well, it’s something that we all want to do. It’s our natural instinct. If you think about it, that’s probably what a lot of people have done the first time they go into a weight room and that’s kind of the mantra so to speak , “I am more bad ass than you. I can lift more weight than you”. It’s kind of just the overall thought process with people. They don’t know any better.

It’s not really about how much weight you can lift, it’s how much weight you can lift efficiently & effectively in order to get you to your goal that you got in mind.

Again, that is all relative to what you are trying to get accomplished. If it’s relevant to your sport, if you are power lifting, obviously you know as a powerlifter you got to build yourself up to that.

Going to max, how often should you do it? If you are going to be doing it, if you are a competitive athlete, if you are a powerlifter, obviously you are going to be doing a lot more than somebody who is just after general fitness and just looking at getting strong. You don’t have to do it once.

In my gym with a lot of my clients which I call athletes whether they are competitive athletes or not, we typically stay around 3′s. You will go pretty heavy with three reps but you are not necessarily taking that ultimate risk of just putting as much weight on the bar and just cranking out a single rep because that’s pretty taxing to the body and again it’s all about your general fitness level and what your overall goal is.

Do you need to be taxing your body out that much? Because singles, if you are not ready for those, they can mess your body up. As we were talking about earlier, back pain with squatting and deadlifting, if you are not yet ready to do that, that’s when those injuries occur.

Just the basic stuff with the maxing out and do whatever we are doing at the gym, and yes we do it but again it’s all relevant to who is training, what their goal is, and if they have earned the ability to do that. Obviously if they are not efficient with the lift that we are doing, for example deadlifts, overhead press, squats, whatever it may be, they have got to earn the right to max out so to speak.

Rick Kaselj: Where can people get more information about you Travis?

Travis Stoetzel: People can find more information at TrainAggressive.com or you can check out Unbreakable Badass which are the workouts that I do with my clients, that you can do at home.

You can get more details on Travis’ Unbreakable Badass Blueprint 2.0, here: 

Rick Kaselj, MS

I wanted to do a follow up video to the 14 Point Checklist on how to do the Plank exercise.

Numerous people got back to me and commented on the video and the pictures in the blog post. And what I wanted to do was show the plank exercise from a different angle because from the video angle we had the camera in a higher position and it showed that Orsy’s back was really arched.

I wanted to show the from another angle and also get Orsy to go through it at a different time because when we were filming the other time it was well below freezing (Celsius) in the gym and she had been doing the plank exercise for 12 minutes.

As a side note, now what Orsy has is a 12 minute plank joke with her clients. If her clients are not listening or thinks the workout is too easy, she threatens them with the 12 minute plank.

Now lets get to things…

Common Mistake Made when Planking

CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.

I will get Orsy to go through the plank and I will highlight the points again and show it from a different angle.

Also, I am going to add a 15th point that I didn’t mention when it came to the checklist which is also something you want to look at when someone is doing the plank.

Plank Position

Looking from the side, curve in her back is normal for her. She is strong through the mid back, her glutes were activated and she is in a nice straight line from the side looking at her head, shoulder, hips and the rest of her body. I am going to just highlight the points again, try to go through those 14 points.

You want to look at the following points:

1. Head
2. Neck
3. Shoulder
4. Elbow
5. Wrist
6. Mid back
7. Shoulder blades
8. Low back
9. Core
10. Hip
11. Glutes
12. Knee
13. Ankle
14. Foot

Now I wanted to go through the 15th point that I didn’t mention but I think is also important. Some people will shrug up in the shoulders.

Plank with Shrug Up Shoulders

You want to make sure that people are relaxed in the neck and in the shoulder. You don’t want them to shrug up.

There you go. This is a follow up with that first video so definitely refer to it where I go into the 14 points in a lot more detail and now I showed you the plank from a different point of view.

Think about that 15th point where the shoulders are not shrugged up, they are relaxed or they are in neutral.

Make sure to swing by ExercisesForInjuries.com, enter in your injury or pain, there is a good chance that I have a video, interview, or a blog post that will help you with your injury or pain.

If you are watching this on YouTube, head up above and hit “Subscribe.” What that will do is every couple of days you will get a video like this where I talk about overcoming injury or pain. Plus, I end up having guest videos and interviews with my friends in the health and fitness world.

Lastly, head down below, hit “Like” and leave me a comment or question.

If you are looking for a program to help you overcome your back pain and get you back to pain-free workouts, then check out Fix My Back Pain, here:

Take care and bye bye.

Rick Kaselj, MS

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Lavender, also scientifically known as lavandula angustifolia, is part of the mint family of plants and is widely found in areas such as the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean, parts of Africa, parts of India and other places too. It is a small shrub-like plant with its trademark purplish-blue flowers and slim leaves.

There are different areas where lavender may be used including medical purposes and in perfumery applications. However, there is a lot of emphasis on the healing effects of lavender from an emotional and physical perspective.

Lavender is widely referred to as the healing herb.

The flowers of this plant can be aromatic and the oils derived from the plant are also powerful. Oil from lavender contains a number of compounds including ketones, esters, linalool and aldehydes. Linalool is a naturally occurring alcohol that provides a pleasant, spicy and floral smell. Consumption methods for lavender include use in teas or in a bath. However, there can be other ways to use lavender and benefit from its healing effects. Learning more about these healing effects can be quite useful.

Thus, here are 7 healing effects of lavender:

• Lavender is an antiseptic.

Antiseptics are used to prevent or reduce the occurrence of infection by making it difficult for microorganisms to grow. Hence, imagine the possibilities that could be achieved by using lavender by itself or adding lavender to other ingredients to create antiseptic sprays, creams and lotions. Lavender’s antiseptic properties provide use in treating skin problems, sunburn and bites [1]. The growth of microorganisms on or in the body can be a very bad idea as this could lead to putrefaction, sepsis or decay of living tissue.

Using lavender provides a nice-smelling antiseptic or disinfectant and it is widely used in various products for the home, school, office, hospitals and other areas where microorganism attempt to thrive. You can begin to arrest the growth of harmful microorganisms by using lavender oil or products made with lavender. Due to lavender’s ability to inhibit bacteria, it can also be used to regulate the secretion of sebum which adversely increases the growth of bacteria. Hence, using lavender as a moisturizer could help treat acne and balance secretions.

• Lavender is an expectorant.

The compound known as linalool that is found in the lavender plant also possesses expectorant qualities. Indeed, able to produce a nice-smelling aroma, linalool also packs another punch in its ability to tackle coughs. As an expectorant, this plant is able to address allergy situations related to bronchial passages. The objective is to open up the bronchial track and enable a person breathe adequately and easily.

While acting as an expectorant, lavender can also attack inflammation which may result from an allergic episode. In addition, plants like lavender that contain volatile compounds are known to have insecticidal, antimicrobial and antifungal activities and properties [2]. Hence, you may find that lavender is popularly used as one of the ingredients in cough syrups and also in allergy medication.

• Lavender is an analgesic.

Headaches and pain could be relieved by using lavender. As a potent pain reliever, lavender is able to tackle aches and relieve tension.

Do you have a sore back, sore arms, sore legs or sore muscles?

A bath containing lavender oil may gently help soothe away the pain and discomfort. Lavender oil may also be applied to minor burns, wounds and cuts for immediate relief from pain. Ketones contained in lavender contribute to its pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties.

There are also certain types of pain that could be tricky to handle. For instance, studies show that lavender essence is effective in treating pain such as post cesarean pain which is a type of pain that obstetricians find challenging due to the potential for other medications to interfere adversely with the well-being of the newborn and mother [3]. Hence, lavender could be used as a substitute or a complementary therapy in treating pain these types of pain as well.

• Lavender is used in aromatherapy.

A strong and distinct aroma with properties that can soothe or calm a person is produced by the aldehydes contained in the lavender plant. The use of lavender in aromatherapy is possibly one of the more popular uses of this plant. Its use in aromatherapy could provide relief from headaches and calm the nerves. Inhaling the scent of lavender could also provide a settling effect for the digestive system. Ketones contained in lavender could also help in inducing sleep and may be used in the treatment of insomnia. The smell of lavender could also help soothe a person suffering from anxiety and introduce a calming effect to the nerves and mind.

Disturbed sleep patterns may also become regulated by incorporating aromatherapy into supervised care and there are efforts to study the effect of aromatherapy in the care of people suffering from conditions such as anxiety, dementia and disturbed sleep patterns [4]. It can be easy to simply place lavender flowers and leaves in a bowl and let the fragrance fill a room and alleviate some of the negative conditions mentioned. Aromatherapy could also be the way through which other healing benefits of the lavender plant are acquired. For example, using aromatherapy could help minimize the pain that a person is feeling.

• Lavender is a nervine.

Nervines are related to remedies made from plants or herbs and these substances are able to affect the nervous system. Research studies have linked the therapeutic use of lavender with the treatment of neurological disorders [5]. Plants that fall into the nervine category include lavender, wild oats, catnip and chamomile.

What can nervines do for you?

There are gentle nervine plants that can gradually calm the nerves and entire nervous system. However, there are also other nervine herbs that possess a more potent effect and may be used to stop anxiety, fight insomnia or tackle muscular spasms that originate from nervous system membranes. The reduction of tension and stress relief are great benefits of nervines.

Due to the gentle nature of some nervine herbs and plants, it could be possible to consume nervines intermittently throughout the day or possibly earlier in the day if a calming effect is required as the day starts. Gentle nervines may act as mild sedatives, help address digestive disorders or upset stomachs, reduce gas and bloating, treat infant colic, reduce fevers in children and reduce muscular cramping.

• Lavender is a cicatrizant.

Cicatrizant is an interesting word that simply means the promotion of healing. Yes, this is a good thing and it is great to know that lavender possesses this property of natural healing. Such healing applies to wounds or sores and takes the form of a cicatrix or scar tissue [6]. Esters that are contained in lavender aid in the reduction of swelling and soreness.

These esters could also help minimize scarring. Studies show that wound closures progress more rapidly when lavender is used [7]. Apart from being a natural cicatrizant, lavender is also astringent which provides a powerful combination for treating wounds. Other kinds of natural cicatrizants include sandalwood, myrrh and yarrow.

• Lavender is an antidepressant.

Lavender oil can be used as an antidepressant. As a precaution, it could be beneficial to discuss depression treatment with a primary care physician or related medical specialist especially as a result of possible interactions between the use of lavender and any prescription medication that person may be taking. For instance, there could be sedatives that interact with the usage of lavender [8]. The esters in lavender could contribute to relieving depression or putting someone in a better mood.

There are oils, lotions, teas, creams, salves, soaps, perfumes, bath salts, traditional medications like herbal cough medicines and other products that could be made with lavender oils and flowers. All these could directly have an effect on a person’s state of mind too. It is also possible to dilute lavender oil with other oils such as grape-seed oil. Bowls of dried lavender leaves and flowers could also be used to make a room fragrant or in potpourri bags. These applications of lavender could lift a person’s spirits or moods and help fight depression.

Why is lavender so powerful in its healing abilities?

The simple answer relates to the chemical composition of this plant. The Latin name for lavender is lavare, which means “to wash”. The origins of this Latin name for lavender is as a result of its “clean” aroma. This Latin name seems quite appropriate too, given the myriad applications that the lavender plant provides in relation to healing the body in different ways. There can also be appropriate or suggested ways to use lavender including recommended usage for children [9].

Use lavender to treat bites, burns, wounds, fatigue, depression, fatigue, cramps and much more. Its wide variety of healing abilities makes it one of the most popular plants on earth. These are some of the reasons why adding this plant to your life will change it forever.

If you are looking for other foods to help you with inflammation and joint pain, then check out 101 Superfoods that Stop Your Joint Pain & Inflammation:

Rick Kaselj, MS

References

[1] Natural antiseptics – Natural therapy
[2] Antibacterial activity of essential oils – NCBI
[3] Effect of lavender essence oil – NCBI
[4] Nurses experience aromatherapy – NCBI
[5] Lavender and the nervous system – NCBI
[6] Lavender uses
[7] What are the healing benefits of lavender?
[8] Lavender Interactions – WebMD
[9] Lavender: University of Maryland Medical Center

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