Welcome to 1-3-1 Fridays, my weekly newsletter, where I reveal evidence-based strategies to get lean, strong, and create optimal health.

You'll receive one personal health insight, three actionable tips, and one concrete action step. Let's dive in.

Here's what's new this week:

•  ​Ep 10: How to drop your next 10 pounds (without breaking your body)​(Podcast)

February 9th, I'm opening up 10 new seats for a new test pilot program I've been working on over the past few months.

If you've got 10+ pounds to drop or want to build 5+ pounds of muscle, you're sitting on a goldmine.

Even more so if you're a career-driven human over 40 who wants to get lean, strong, and healthy without sacrificing your work or family time.

Getting healthy and fit doesn't need to consume your life - it should enhance it.

You'll have the opportunity to work 1:1 with me in this test pilot program, with 6 tier options to choose from (from VIP support to basic budget support).

Spots will go fast and are first come first serve since this will be a transformational experience.

Here's the promise: If you commit to everything that's instructed within 90% accuracy and see zero changes/results during the test pilot program, then I'll work with you for FREE until you do.

It's a risk-free investment to become your best self.

If you're serious about creating a lean, strong, confident body that reflects your values and feel congruent in your health, this is for you.

Just reply 'PILOT' below and let's chat about your health.

Whether it's a match or not, I'll gladly still point you in the right direction, even if it's with someone else.

We start on February 9th.

What's in store for today:

• A hidden chemical that is linked to cancer is found in most households.
• The reason why you should protect your water from this pineal gland calcifier.
• Protect your melatonin with this specialized tool and sleep better each night.

How would you describe 2026 so far?

For me, it's been a slower start than I wanted.

But part of that has been because of balance.

2025 put me through the wringer in many ways.

It was a recovery year from 2024 when our son Anthony joined our family.

2026 feels like I'm shaking off the effects of my recovery year.

It's a lesson I've been working on integrating more recently.

In traditional Chinese medicine, there are the concepts of Jing, Qi, and Shen.

According to TCM, our Jing is directly connected to our life force.

It's the metaphorical hourglass of sand that we have left.

The more Jing we burn up, the faster we age and eventually move towards death.

The less Jing we burn up, the longer and healthier our life tends to be.

Daoists, the creators of Qi Gong, didn’t aim for a long life just for the sake of it. However, living longer brought benefits.

These included internal growth and spiritual development. This isn’t about trendy New Age yoga that claims to be spiritual but misses the true essence.

So, back to Jing.

The modern human burns up Jing at a rapid pace by breaking several key Daoist principles:

• Overworking
• Chronic stress and anxiety
• Poor eating and health habits
• Always going 100% or more in every activity
• Not getting enough rest or recovery
• Overstimulation via media, movies, porn, or shows

There's plenty more that the 'modern' human does that harms us more than it benefits us.

Many of these modern-day habits also shorten our lives and health.

I've been focusing on two things: getting more rest and lowering my activity intensity to 70-80%.

This is a big change from my usual pattern of not resting enough and pushing myself to 120% for everything.

Taking more breaks. Being more present with my family.

Taking a random nap on a Sunday afternoon instead of reading emails and scrolling the Internet.

It hasn't been perfect. Nor does it need to be.

But the addicted mind thrives off of stimulation.

The more I return to my Center and live from there, the healthier my life can become.

This helps me move away from stress, which has been my default for a long time.

It makes me a better human, husband, and father for those I love.

And I can feel more grounded in my mind and body.

2026 is the year of intention for me.

It's the year that I commit to living more at ease with myself.

Probably won't be easy.

The best things in life never are.

Lesson: It's hard to change without slowing down first.

Here's Your 1-3-1 Friday:

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1.) Avoid phthalates at all costs

What are phthalates?

The National Library of Medicine states that plasticizing agents are used to make plastic products more durable and flexible.

Phthalates have been studied extensively over the past decade. Several countries have banned them and have strict rules against this chemical.

But how does it impact your health?

The main impact on health is on your endocrine system.

More specifically, they're endocrine disruptors.

Even worse, they harm pregnancy, child growth, and development. They also affect the reproductive systems of adults and normal hormonal cycles.

The negative long-term effects continue to reveal themselves as years go by.

They harm both male and female fertility. This is no surprise since they are endocrine disruptors. They also affect pregnancy and birth.

Phthalates can cross the placenta and the blood barrier. This makes them a bigger risk for expectant mothers and young moms with kids.

 ​Source

Here's a list from the ​Cleveland Clinic​ of the different phthalates to avoid:

• BBP (butyl benzyl phthalate), used in personal care products, vinyl tiles, and car care products
• DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate), commonly used in nail polish
• DEHP (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate), added to PVC to make flexible plastic products
• DEP (diethyl phthalate), used in personal care products to make them smell better
• DiDP (di-isodecyl phthalate), used in plastic products such as garden hoses, raincoats, and shower curtains
• DiNP (di-isononyl phthalate), used to soften plastic for toys and other children’s products such as drinking straws and bath toys
• DnHP (di-n-hexyl phthalate), contained in products such as notebook covers, traffic cones, and toys
• DnOP (di-n-octyl phthalate), a plasticizer used in items such as cables, medical tubing, and the coating on the bottom of carpets

Back to the air fresheners, I faced a few weeks back at my dad's house.

All the pieces came together when I started digging deeper into phthatles.

Many air fresheners and personal care products, such as perfumes, contain phthalates.

We struggled to breathe for days and had phlegm in our throats for almost a week. This was due to our bodies being exposed to these cancer-causing chemicals.

Some phthalates are linked to a higher cancer risk.

Not all of them do, but I’d bet my Vitamix that regular exposure to phthalates, along with eating the wrong foods, can raise cancer chances.

We live in a world full of chemicals and artificial light, divorced from nature.

It's taken me years to take ownership of my health and start to reclaim what was always mine: my health.

Recognizing the nature of the world we live in hasn't been a comfortable reality to accept.

But when you do, things can change. Awareness is the first step to transformation.

As a final tip, Dr. Anthony Taylor, an internal medicine physician, suggests using this checklist to protect yourself from phthatles:

• Avoid vinyl: Most vinyl contains phthalates, but you can find “phthalate-free” vinyl flooring and other products without them.
• Don’t use fragranced products: Most personal care products with fragrance added contain phthalates.
• Eat whole foods whenever possible: Food that doesn’t come packaged is less likely to have phthalates.
• Identify products with phthalates: Check personal care products and plastic items to see if they contain these harmful chemicals.

Health is your birthright.

2.) Protect your home from chlorine

Chlorine is everywhere. Pools, tap water, showers, you name it.

It's also common in cleaning supplies and house cleaning agents (interesting...).

Chlorine seeps into your body when you shower or drink it. So, my 10-year-old self, who drank shower water, got extra chlorine.

Chlorine calcifies the pineal gland.

The pineal gland is a small but powerful organ. It controls many important processes in the body. We'll discuss it more when we talk about melatonin next.

Calcifying your pineal gland will shut down or slow many processes.

Fluoride does the same, too.

I've spoken about fluoride ​here​ and ​here​ in previous issues of the 1-3-1 newsletter, if you want more context.

So chlorine also falls into a similar camp of negative effects.

Fluoride is linked to cancer and other harmful effects. Chlorine follows closely behind.

Many health centers now choose saltwater instead of chlorine for their pools. This is because chlorine is harmful.

So it's starting to get more attention from the alternative health community.

One of the simplest ways to protect yourself from chlorine in your home is to filter your water.

If you have a private well, you can control your water supply better. There’s no outside interference.

If you don't have a private well (like me), your second-best bet is to use water filters.

A good kitchen sink filter helps protect your produce and food while you clean and prepare.

This is the ​one​ we're currently using (no affiliation).

The next area is to protect your shower water.

We use this ​one​ (no affiliation) and upgraded recently to the Pro model.

The difference is that the water quality from both tap and shower water is night and day.

The water I used to use for our son's baths was cloudy and smelled of chlorine.

I felt like I was walking into a pool each night when I filled up his bath each night.

Now? It's clear, with no smell or other strange odors.

Water is 60% of our bodies. It's the basis of all life.

The better your water, the better your health.

3.) Boost your melatonin

One of the simplest ways to improve your sleep is by improving your melatonin.

Yet, for the vast majority of us, we suffer from poor sleep due to blue light.

Blue light is a natural part of the light spectrum.

The blue light from our phones, laptops, and TVs can be very harmful, especially at night.

This has been studied for years.

It's why I've been protecting my eyes from blue light every evening since 2022.

The fight against the 'false' light.

Melatonin comes from the pineal gland. Your melatonin levels drop when you are exposed to blue light in the evening before bed.

I’ve found it helpful to wear my blue light blockers for at least 2 hours before bed if I’m using my laptop.

Ideally, 3-4 hours before bed would be even more beneficial. I’ve been working on my 2-hour standard for a while now. I will most likely increase it over time.

For mental stimulation, especially before bed, my goal is to be completely off all electronics.

I've noticed that my mind is more stimulated the later I'm on my devices, especially if it's right before bed.

Our pineal gland plays an important role in our health and sleep functions.

Unfortunately, many of us overlook this, and we sacrifice our sleep for blue light.

Block blue light in the evening, and your health and sleep will thank you.

Here's the blue light blockers I'm currently ​using​.

(No affiliation; just sharing a great tool)

Health is built on the fundamentals.

Sleep is a fundamental.

1 Action Step

What's 1 health action you've been procrastinating on since the New Year? Commit to starting this within 24 hours. Procrastination is also a habit.

Client of the Week

Vanessa is a busy entrepreneur. She's a real estate investor and health consultant.

She’s also a mother and a wife.

Because of many years of struggling with her weight (due to family conditioning), she decided enough was enough.

She wanted to feel confident in her body while showing her son a healthy plant-based lifestyle.

Vanessa and the VFR team got to work.

We started by building a solid foundation in exercise and nutrition while retraining her to view her health differently.

One of the core areas we focused on was helping her understand that her health was hers.

She was responsible for creating the results she wanted... which she eventually did.

Our strategy: Create a standard for strength workouts (3x per week, then later 4x), track her nutrition 5 days a week, and eat to 80% fullness.

Even during life challenges, getting sick earlier this year, and hosting family multiple times this year, she stayed committed to her goals and standards.

Her wins: She dropped 11 pounds and 5 inches from her waist and doubled her strength on multiple exercises.

Vanessa even ran a 5k earlier last year, which capped off her newfound health and fitness.

Onwards and upwards!

One Quote To Finish Your Week Strong

Almost to the 200th edition of the 1-3-1 newsletter.

Been a fun ride the past few years.

Looking forward to the next 200 ahead.

As promised, get leaner on plants in under 5 minutes.

Till next week,

Whenever you're ready, there's 3 ways I can help you:

1. Connect with me on ​Facebook ​and ​Instagram ​and let's be friends.
2.  ​Join our free Facebook Group​. Get free trainings on how to get lean and strong with plants.
3. Want to drop body fat and build lean muscle in a fraction of the time with ease? ​Apply for Accelerator 1:1 coaching.​ 

References

• Wang, Y., & Qian, H. (2021). Phthalates and Their Impacts on Human Health. Healthcare, 9(5), 603. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9050603
•  ​https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-are-phthalates​ 
• Casale J, Rice AS. Phthalates Toxicity. [Updated 2023 Jun 15]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK587442/
•  ​https://www.center4research.org/what-are-phthalates/