Coaches Corner

Read first: we do not recommend smoking or inhaling carbon monoxide at any time for any reason. This article summarizes research and mechanisms only. It is not medical advice. Update (July 2024): Media reports note some athletes experimenting with CO inhalation protocols; see this article. You should not do this. Why talk about CO at all? CO is best known as a deadly poison. Yet the human body also produces small amounts of CO endogenously via heme oxygenase activity, and these tiny, tightly regulated amounts act as cell signals (a “gasotransmitter”), similar in concept to nitric oxide. See background overviews...

Ask Dr. Cohen · Protein Guide 16 Delicious High-Protein Foods (Plus How Much You Actually Use) By Dr. Rick Cohen • Updated September 19, 2025 Daily protein is non-negotiable for muscle, metabolism, immune function, neurotransmitters, and repair. Great sources include eggs, dairy, fish, meats, nuts and seeds, legumes, and a few strategic grains. Powders help when life is busy—but the quality and completeness of the amino acid profile matter. If you’re unsure what a complete protein really means, or how digestion changes the numbers you see on labels, start with our quick explainer and calculator. Proteins are built from amino...

Terrain Notes · Non-Toxic Lifestyle The Non-Toxic Lifestyle 101 Guide: Practical Upgrades for Your Home, Food, Light, and Tech By Dr. Rick Cohen • Updated September 18, 2025 This is a focused, field-practical primer on lowering everyday toxin load without turning your life upside down. It blends a QMT terrain lens with mainstream references so readers (and Google) see both coherence and credibility. The goal is simple: reduce exposures that dysregulate hormones, sleep, immune tone, and mitochondrial efficiency—while keeping the protocol realistic. Why toxin load matters now Modern life is chemically dense. The U.S. chemical framework under the Toxic Substances...

Terrain Notes · Food Strategy Why You “Don’t Have To” Eat Vegetables or Beans (And How To Do It Safely If You Choose Not To) By Dr. Rick Cohen • Updated September 17, 2025 You can run a metabolically strong, resilient terrain without relying on vegetables or beans as staples. That sentence triggers people because it breaks nutrition dogma. In a terrain-first model, the question isn’t “what does the pyramid say,” it’s “what inputs stabilize your signals with the fewest tradeoffs?” Some users experience downsides from specific plant defenses, modern growing practices, or prep methods, and do better emphasizing fruits,...