Flourish Finds

What are Flourish Finds?

Flourish Finds will quickly cover topics in a digestible way, they are not as intensely researched as my articles, but they are quick pieces of advice or information that you may find useful in your flourishing journey!

Flourish Find #5: Cold Showers

More research is needed into the benefits of cold showers (most of the scientific literature is related to full body immersion, so whether the claims below remain true for cold showers is to be seen), but based on what I was able to find, here is the quick summary. 

Cold immersion is thought to activate your sympathetic nervous system, giving you more energy and making you more alert (Leppaluoto et al. 2008). There are also claims that it can provide a variety of other benefits such as increasing metabolism (leading to weight loss), improved circulation, better sleep, and improved immune system function (Brychta & Chen. 2017; Bouzigon et al. 2014; Buijze et al. 2016; Healthline). 

One of the most popular claimed benefits of cold immersion is that it alleviates muscle soreness and helps with recovery. While that is backed by literature (Moore et al. 2022), there are claims that cold actually decreases your “gains” because of a temporary decrease in blood flow, depriving muscles of nutrients (Roberts et al. 2015). It is worth noting that that stance is particular to full body immersion (like ice baths), not cold showers, so even if that critique is true, it may not impact the current discussion. If that particular discussion is of interest, I recommend reading Stephens et al. 2016, which attempts to lay out in what conditions cold therapy makes sense for athletes. 

This final point, I share purely out of my personal experience and testimonials I have heard from others. But it feels good to safely push your body out of its daily comforts, and when you do so, you can carry that determination and mental strength over to other aspects of your life. And when you get out of a nice cold shower, you feel energized, accomplished, and ready to go.

So when should you take cold showers?

• Before bed? Probably not. Having your body full of energy is not going to bode well for your ability to get a good night’s sleep. 

• After working out? If you buy into the research that says cold exposure will negatively impact muscle recovery and you want to play it safe then you can skip the post workout cold shower. But if you only want to shower one time a day (which would likely be after working out) and you do not believe it will negatively impact your gains, then go for it. So the answer is, most likely fine.

• Before working out? One study said that cold immersion before working out could decrease strength, but once again it was not referencing cold showers specifically. And what is sure is that cold showers give you energy, which is obviously important to have before exercise. So my personal (yet, not qualified) take would be, go for it!

• First thing in the morning? Yes, this seems to be the best time to do it. I did not come across anything that said this would be a bad idea. Some extra energy and alertness can definitely be a positive for many people. And who knows, if you are trying to be less dependent on caffeine this may help out. 

Flourish Find #4: Vitamin D 

What are the benefits of vitamin D? 

• Low levels can be responsible for causing what we know as “catching a cold” 

• Low levels can increase risk of obesity

• Sufficient levels can maintain bone density – it helps with the absorption of calcium 

• Sufficient levels can decrease chronic low grade inflammation, which is essentially when the body is in a constant battle and ends up destroying our own tissues. This can contribute to cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, heart disease, depression, acne, and more. 

(Adams & Hewison 2010 – Update in Vitamin D, Healthline – Vitamins D2 vs D3, Harvard Health – All About Inflammation, Vranić, Mikolašević, and Sandra Milić 2019 – Vitamin D Deficiency)

What is the difference between vitamin D2 and D3?

The main difference is that plants create D2 and animals (like us) create D3. 

Vitamin D2 is typically found in what are called fortified foods, which is when there are intentionally added nutrients to combat deficiencies. Fortified foods typically include some milks, cereals, and juices. 

Vitamin D3 is found in many animal based foods such as wild fish, liver, butter, and egg yolk.

Vitamin D3 is also created by our skin when we are exposed to the sun, just as D2 is created by plants when they are exposed to the sun.

(Healthline – Vitamins D2 vs D3, Healthline – Fortified Foods)

What is the best way to get vitamin D?

Vitamin D recommendations are difficult to meet with just food, so it is very important to get some exposure to the sun! 

It should be noted that the amount of time to spend in the sun will vary depending on skin pigmentation, air quality, weight, age, weather, and distance from the equator. 

There is also debate about whether or not sunscreen blocks Vitamin D from being created, so if you do decide to spend time in the sun without it, make sure you are careful to not overdo it. The consequences of not having enough vitamin D are bad but so is skin cancer!

(Schmid & Walther 2013 – Natural Vitamin D Content in Animal Products, Healthline – Vitamins D2 vs D3, Harvard Health – 6 Things You Should Know About Vitamin D)

Flourish Find #3: Pickle Juice 

Before we get started, you should know that drinking pickle juice should by no means replace consumption of water. Our body needs water to function properly, so do not deprive yourself.

Pickle juice can lessen the effects of muscle cramps, and it can replenish electrolytes (like sodium) that you need to perform throughout the day (but particularly during exercise). Beyond helping with recovery it also provides vitamins C and E, which are antioxidants meaning they fight against free radicals (molecules that steal electrons, creating cellular damage, and in turn high levels of inflammation and increased sympathetic activity). When pickle juice is fermented it can also provide a boost of probiotics which are essential for maintaining a healthy gut. (Healthline)

BUT pickle juice will not be for everyone!!! It is very high in sodium, and having too much sodium in your diet can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease. If you already have a diet high in sodium, a heart condition, high blood pressure, are pregnant or are under the age of 14 (the recommended levels of sodium for them are lower), then you should probably skip the pickle juice. (OSU; Harvard School of Public Health) One dietician recommends having 1.5 to 3 ounces (44-88 ml) of pickle juice which would be about 345 to 690 mg of sodium. (Women’s Health Mag)

Pickle juice is particularly helpful for people that workout intensely and lose a lot of electrolytes during activity. If you don’t exercise with high intensity, the risk of increasing sodium intake, from what I have researched, would seem to not be worth the risk. You can get your probiotics, and antioxidants from other sources. 

If you do want to add pickle juice to your recovery routine do your best to find it fermented so you can get the benefit of the probiotics as well!

Flourish Find #2: Brazil Nuts

Just 1 or 2 Brazil Nuts a day is all the selenium you need! (Thomson et al. 2008)

Selenium is a very important nutrient for proper human function, in the short and long term. It is important for reproduction, healthy thyroid function, and preventing certain heart diseases and even cancers (prostate, lung, colorectal, and bladder). (Rayman 2012; Harvard School of Public Health) 

If people don’t have sufficient selenium intake it can weaken the immune system and cause a decrease in brain function. (Rayman 2012) Furthermore, selenium has antioxidant properties, meaning that it can combat excessive free radical activity (molecules that steal electrons, creating cellular damage, and in turn higher levels of inflammation and sympathetic activity). 

While it is important to get your daily dose of selenium, it is also important to not overdo it. Excessive selenium intake can cause a variety of negative effects. But do not let that worry you, just be aware of the foods you are eating and if you already consume enough selenium each day. (Harvard School of Public Health)

The following foods are sources of selenium: poultry, organ meats, beef, some seafood, whole wheat bread, beans, lentils, and eggs. (Harvard School of Public Health)

If these foods are already staples in your diet then there may be no need to throw brazil nuts into the mix. But check the selenium content of the foods you eat and see if you should be having 1, 2 or even no brazil nuts each day.

FYI: The recommended minimum amount of selenium for most adults is 55 micrograms and the upper limit is 400 micrograms. (Harvard School of Public Health) Each brazil nut contains between 50-100 micrograms of selenium. 

Flourish Find #1: Wim Hof

Imagine being immersed in ice for almost 2 hours or running a marathon in the desert without drinking any water…

You probably think that’s impossible. But the Iceman, Wim Hof has done it. He has also been a test subject in scientific research which has supported his claims that focusing on breathing, cold exposure, and mindset can help boost our immune system and decrease inflammation.

If you want to learn more about the Wim Hof Method and what it can do for you, check out the following links!

• Here are all the studies that have been done on Wim or about the Wim Hof Method

• 10-minute breathing session, led by Wim himself!

• YouTuber Sky Cowans, explains the science behind the Method

• What Doesn't Kill Us, a book by investigative journalist, Scott Carney. He initially went to Wim's retreat to prove what he was doing was BS but they end up hiking a mountain together. This book will teach and inspire you!

• YouTube group Yes Theory, shares their experience going to Wim Hof’s retreat in Poland and hiking up a mountain in the freezing cold shirtless 

• Wim Hof’s YouTube Channel