What glyphosate is really doing to your gut & brain

In recent years, it’s become commonplace to hear about glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup weed killer) being linked to cancer. But, unsurprisingly, there is much more to the scope of what it’s doing to our health:

• Glyphosate can increase gut permeability (AKA "leaky gut"), interfere with the mucus layer that protects the gut lining, and cause physical damage to the intestinal wall.¹
• Glyphosate has also been officially recognized as an antimicrobial agent. That’s right, the equivalent of an antibiotic, sprayed directly onto our food. It’s been shown to kill off beneficial gut bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, which are essential to a healthy microbiome.²
• Glyphosate negatively impacts the brain, acting as a neurotoxin through oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and brain cell destruction.³

There’s so much more to the picture (which you can read about here), but this should be enough to get anyone’s attention.

The simplest ways to protect yourself and your family are to avoid buying any yard products containing glyphosate, buy organic produce when possible, or look for the Glyphosate Residue-Free certification that’s been popping up on more products.

+Clean living

• The 4 easiest ways to reduce chemical exposure
• This environmental toxin can disrupt your sleep
• What we know about pesticides & cancer risk
• Exposure to this is linked to colorectal cancer

If you do one thing… embrace push-ups

If I said, “Drop and give me ten!” could you do it? Or does a sense of dread creep in faster than you’d like to admit?

Not to worry—we’ve created a new 7-Day Text Push-Up Challenge with trainer and behavior expert Ashley Damaj to help you conquer this classic upper body move with great form and more confidence than ever. Sign up now, we start in a few days!

Ask an RD: What’s the best way to cook without turning on the oven?

I have lived without central AC for nearly a decade, and therefore, am quite picky about when and how long I use my oven in the summer. Basically, I avoid it, and here’s how.

• When I do cook: I reach for small appliances like a slow cooker or air fryer, which generate far less heat than a full-size oven. A slow cooker is perfect for shredded chicken or beef, while the air fryer makes quick work of crispy salmon, tofu, potatoes, and vegetables.
• Batch cook in the morning: Prep a few staples (grains, proteins, chopped veggies) during a cooler part of the day and mix and match them throughout the week.
• Use non-cook staples: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, canned beans, canned fish, and rotisserie chicken are all great non-cook options that provide some protein.

- Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN, editor

+Stay cool

• A non-toxic air-fryer you can feel good about using (no plastic)
• This easy chicken Caesar salad wrap has 32 grams of protein
• A no-bake chocolate bark made with pumpkin seeds & tahini
• High-protein strawberry cheesecake oats that taste like summer

That’s it for the long game—we hope you’re geared up for the week ahead of you.