Posts tagged as “#healthandwellness”

The Importance of Sleep! What Happens When We Don’t Get Enough.

Published February 2, 2019 by jjmac80

The Importance of Sleep! What Happens When We Don’t Get Enough.

Brandon Peters M.D. author of Insomnia Solved https://amzn.to/2GihowJ and speaker at Stanford University discusses the Importance of sleep in this Life Years guest article. Brandon is a leading expert in the area of sleep and one of the great minds of our time. I feel very fortunate to have him share his thoughts with all of us. Please click the link above to check out his new book. Thank you all so much for your support; both Dr. Peters and myself greatly appreciate it! Hope you enjoy this article.

Sleep: Pillar of Health and Well-being

By Brandon Peters, M.D.

Sleep is a pillar of health. With nutrition and exercise, it supports the optimal function of the body and mind. Poor sleep diminishes well-being and can precipitate and even worsen chronic medical conditions like weight gain, hypertension, and diabetes. How do sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea undermine health?

The Vital Role of Sleep

In the past century, we have begun to more fully understand the importance of sleep to health. It is not a state in which the body shuts down. On the contrary, our very health is restored with sleep of sufficient quality and quantity.

There are two recognized states of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep. REM is when the mind is active but the body remains paralyzed. Memory is consolidated. Learning is reinforced. Vivid dreams flood the mind, like movies in which you participate.

During non-REM sleep, which constitutes upwards of 3/4 of the night, the body is repaired. Growth hormone is released during slow-wave sleep. This predominates in the first few hours of the night. Physical conditioning, muscle growth, and important physical repairs occur then. Athletic performance is enhanced by adequate sleep. In addition, the brain’s tissues are cleansed as metabolic byproducts are cleared by the glymphatic system.

Sleep needs for adults range from 7 to 9 hours. Inadequate sleep can quickly lead to symptoms of sleep deprivation.

When Things Go Amiss

If you need 9 hours of sleep to feel rested, but you only get 8 hours, you will be sleep deprived. This can lead to important changes that affect health.

With acute sleep deprivation, there can be hormonal changes. Increased cortisol levels may provoke insulin resistance, contributing to high blood pressure and diabetes. Appetite-regulating hormones are disturbed. Ghrelin levels increase, stimulating appetite. Leptin levels decrease, also increasing appetite and weight gain.

Beyond the effects on weight regulation, there are other impacts. Sleep deprivation contributes to:

Excessive daytime sleepiness
Poor concentration
Short-term memory problems
Mood changes (anxiety, depression, or irritability)
Hallucinations
Paranoia
Physical pain
Poor performance, errors, and accidents

Not sleeping enough may provoke these symptoms. Unfortunately, sleep disorders may also have an impact. Insomnia and sleep apnea are two conditions that deserve special attention.

Insomnia is defined as difficulty falling or staying asleep. If it occurs at least 3 nights per week for more than 3 months, it is termed chronic insomnia. It may take someone with insomnia more than 30 minutes to fall asleep. After waking, as much time or more may be spent lying awake at night. Severe insomnia can result in hours spent tossing and turning. Some people feel like they haven’t slept at all for extended periods. Chronic insomnia may affect about 10 percent of the population. The resulting loss of sleep can contribute to the symptoms of sleep deprivation.

Obstructive sleep apnea is the other major sleep disorder that should not be overlooked. It is often associated with snoring. It may lead to fragmented sleep, undermining its quality. Witnessed pauses, gasping, excessive daytime sleepiness, frequent urination at night, teeth grinding, night sweats, and morning headaches may also be present. The condition requires testing to identify, and may be missed by the affected person and his or her bed partner. If sleep is of poor quality, no matter how much is obtained, an evaluation by a board-certified sleep physician is indicated.

Finding Solutions to Improve Sleep

Fortunately, there are ways to improve sleep to avoid the effects of sleep deprivation. Ensure that you are meeting your individual sleep needs. Protect your bedtime, go to bed feeling sleepy, spend enough time in bed to meet your sleep needs, and keep a consistent sleep-wake schedule. Try to get 15 to 30 minutes of sunlight upon awakening, every day, to reinforce your circadian pattern.

For those with insomnia, consider participating in a cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) program. This 6-week education course can be guided by a psychologist, and online programs and books also exist. It is the most effective treatment for chronic insomnia and teaches a set of skills that can improve sleep for a lifetime.

If other symptoms are present, or if sleep deprivation persists, seek evaluation and testing with the help of a sleep physician. If a sleep disorder is identified, appropriate treatment may be the key to finally getting the healthful rest that your body and mind need to function at their best.

Brandon Peters, M.D., is a double board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine physician who practices at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. He is the author of Insomnia Solved https://amzn.to/2GihowJ, an online CBTI program and book available through Amazon. He is also an adjunct lecturer at Stanford University, the birthplace of sleep medicine.

The Benefits of Enzymes, and Why Most People Are Deficient.

Published June 1, 2018 by jjmac80

The Benefits of Enzymes, and Why Most People Are Deficient.

Here's a quick link to the enzymes I use.https://amzn.to/2RK1vBJ

The body produces and utilizes both digestive enzymes and metabolic enzymes. Digestive enzymes are tasked with turning the foods we consume into energy. While metabolic enzymes are responsible for all biochemical reactions taking place throughout the body, and are contained within every human cell. There are thousands of types of metabolic enzymes scattered among the body’s over 100 trillion cells. Without these enzymes cell death would occur and we would die. Some digestive enzymes are secreted by the gallbladder, liver, stomach, small intestine, and colon, but most are produced by the pancreas. The pancreas is likewise charged with regulating blood sugar as discussed in my blog An Overview of The Endocrine System. Metabolic enzymes are produced internally as well.

There is another very important form of enzyme which is often over looked and most are lacking; this is the food enzyme. Herein lies the problem for many individuals. Numerous issues of the body are related to this simple truth, and here’s why. When we don’t ingest ample amounts of food enzymes to help us break down the foods we eat. the body must compensate by producing them. When this occurs, the body must also slow its production of metabolic enzymes. To further compound the matter, the body produces less and less of these enzymes for us as we age. In fact, by the time one reaches their forties they are already producing far less than they did when they were younger (infants for example produce 30x the digestive enzymes then that of an adult) and with today’s common diet consisting largely of processed and refined garbage food, many could have problems much sooner. Food enzymes abound within raw foods and grass fed meats which have not been overcooked. We have become so concerned with food safety and preservation that we kill these beneficial enzymes in order to remove potentially harmful bacteria. This is done via various processes such as pasteurization, homogenization, radiation (as with spinach for example) and the use of microwaves. Other factors contributing to low enzyme survival rate include foods raised in poor soil, GMO alteration, and the ingesting of toxins such as artificial sweeteners, herbicides, pesticides, medications, and consumption of fluoride. The effects of fluoride are further discussed in my blog Fluoride in The Drinking Water. While it’s true there are some dangers in regard to bad bacteria in milk, I.g. E coli, and listeria, there has been research done which shows a substantial nutritional deficiency in animals which were given pasteurized milk versus whole milk. One such study included multiple generations of cats. The group receiving only whole milk thrived and proliferated, while the group receiving only pasteurized milk eventually became frail and sterile. A good rule to follow when it comes to food is if it doesn’t mold and break down on its own, don’t eat it. I personally supplement my diet with an enzyme blend to help insure my body is getting what it needs. This is a quick and easy way to help make the most of the foods you’re eating. There are different enzymes required for the utilization of each carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Food allergies, obesity, poor muscle development, depression, anxiety, gallbladder problems, crones disease, leaky gut syndrome, constant diarrhea, dairy intolerance, brain fog, inflammation, toxicity, blood clots, poor hormone regulation, increased aging, poor utilization of oxygen, and many other ailments can all be related to enzyme deficiency. To give you an idea of how enzyme deficiency can cascade, lets take a quick look at brain fog. The brain can only make use of glucose as energy. It burns 25% of all blood sugar available in the body. Some other organs in the body can directly utilize fat as energy, but not the brain. Without a steady supply of glucose the brain will become impaired within approximately 4 hours. Symptoms often begin to show up as erratic emotional behavior before progressing into memory loss and inability to concentrate. The brain can make quick use of foods high in glucose like honey and fruit, but otherwise requires carbohydrates to be turned into glucose by the body before it can be used. When carbohydrates are in short supply it can make use of glycogen which has been stored by the liver from the breaking down of proteins and fats, and then converted to glucose. However, in order to make this conversion the liver itself must have glucose from carbohydrates to burn as fuel. Enzymes help with this as well. The more enzymes available, the less energy is required to make this conversion. This is why low carbohydrate diets are not sustainable for extended periods, and also why it is paramount that proper enzyme levels are present.

Enzymes are extremely valuable for every function of the body, not the least of which is the immune system. The immune system requires the enzyme protease for example, which is needed to break down proteins critical to the production of white blood cells that are essential for proper immune function. Lipase is a major enzyme needed for breaking down fat. Without it, an individual could struggle with unhealthy weight gain and an inability to make use of lipids for the production of sex hormones such as testosterone for males and estrogen for women.

I could go on, but to conclude, I would strongly encourage anyone looking to optimize their health to consider making a few healthy alterations to their diet by including plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, and perhaps enzyme supplementation to round out a healthy lifestyle. Here are the enzymes I use once again. https://amzn.to/2RK1vBJ I also like to recommend fulvic acid, https://amzn.to/2q5usME this is amazing stuff!

How to Increase Testosterone Naturally

Published April 19, 2018 by jjmac80

How to Increase Testosterone Naturally

Many will tell you that lower levels of testosterone in men come with increased age and that’s just the way it is. Interestingly average testosterone levels in men have been slowly declining for many years now. There have been multiple studies conducted in this area, and most have concluded that each generation of males born will on average have lower overall testosterone levels then their fathers, and their fathers lower than their grandfathers. The decline is approximately 1% per year. This means (for example) on average a male of say 40 years of age in 2018 has 10% lower testosterone levels than a man who was age 40 in 2008.

There are many negative effects of low testosterone levels such as depression, low bone density, poor muscle development, and sexual dysfunction. For more about the effects of low testosterone, check out my blog; An Overview of The Endocrine System.

So what’s happening, and what can you do to fix it? There are potentially many natural reasons for the decline. Studies have shown that testosterone tends to temporarily increase when males are in a constant state of being challenged by other males. As the world becomes more civilized and cozy (meaning we no longer need to forage for food, and battle for territory) one could speculate less testosterone is needed. Also, as the world moves out of the industrial age of working with our hands and doing physical labor, and more into the technological age, one may again theorize, less testosterone is needed. Another interesting connection is low levels of vitamin D3, which has a role to play in the production of testosterone. D3 is more accurately a hormone synthesized by the body. Many are spending more time indoors these days, limiting their exposure to the sun and causing levels to plummet. Supplementation can be helpful, but it is not assimilated as well as that which comes by natural processes. If an individual is low in D3, elevating levels to within normal range can increase testosterone levels in some men by as much as 20%. This does not mean that one can increase testosterone levels even higher by dosing mass amounts of D3, balance is important. The best time to get out in the sun for D3 production is when the sun is at its highest, so in the middle of the day. The reason for this is the sun produces more UVB rays during this time which are necessary for 7-dhydrocholesterol to be activated for D3 production; 15 to 20 minutes is plenty. When the sun is lower in the sky there are greater concentrations of UVA rays which do not flip this switch. It should be noted that over exposure to both types can be harmful to the skin, so it’s important to monitor your time. My favorite D3 supplement https://amzn.to/2yu44Av

Sleep is another important factor. In 2011 The University of Chicago Medical Center reported that lack of sleep dramatically decreases testosterone levels. In this study many young men in their mid 20s who were sleeping less than 5 hours a night were found to have testosterone equal to men 10 to 15 years older. Other studies have shown 7 to 9 hours is ideal for maximum production. Lack of sleep also leads to an increase in cortisol levels which has itself been shown to lower testosterone. Lack of sleep also tends to mean higher stress levels which cascades into higher levels of cortisol and again minimizes testosterone production. Not to mention excessive levels of cortisol can also lead to weight gain; another enemy of testosterone. So make sleep a priority.

Belly fat is a testosterone killer! At the beginning of 2018 it was estimated that 40% of adult Americans were obese and almost 19% of children. Fat contains Aromatase, which is an enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen. The more fat one has the more testosterone is converted to estrogen. In today’s society people have become sedentary; compound that with mass amounts of processed crap food and you get the average man-boobed male. So get up and move, and for crying out loud stop eating the junk food. I like to tell people to think about what types a food were available a couple hundred years ago, before everything became processed. It starts to look a bit like the paleo diet. High amounts of sugar are also associated with low testosterone and should be avoided; as are foods containing simple carbohydrates such as pasta, bread, candy, and soda. It is imperative to eat good fats however, such as those found in Salmon, avocados, nuts, and olive oil, as testosterone is a lipid hormone, meaning its production is directly related to certain forms of cholesterol.

Proper liver function is also paramount to optimum testosterone production. One crucial job of the liver is to expel excess amounts of estrogen from the body. Estrogen can build up in the body for a number of reasons. Pesticides, herbicides, BPA in plastic bottles, some soy products, perfumes, fire retardants, liquor, beer (mainly those high in hops) and a number of other things can have an effect on estrogen build up. The liver is already working overtime these days, but one that is toxic could really be struggling to keep up. The same is true of the lymphatic system. (for more on this refer to my blog, An Overview of The Lymphatic and Immune Systems) There are ways to assist the liver in detoxifying. Foods high in sulfur help to shuttle these toxins out while also serving to elevate glutathione levels, which is a very powerful antioxidant produced in the body. By helping the body to eliminate estrogen one can better appreciate the positive effects of testosterone. Foods high in sulfur include Broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, garlic, turnips, eggs, and my favorite, onions. In fact, one study performed in 2009 reported rodents fed a diet high in onions for 20 days increased their testosterone levels by 300% This is the sulfler I use, 99.9% pure https://amzn.to/2yt9Wdu

Zinc is also crucial to testosterone production. Much like D3, if one is low in zinc, bringing levels up to within normal range can have a profound effect of testosterone levels and when combined with magnesium the results are even better. Many people are deficient in these minerals due to poor diet. Good sources of zinc include oysters, grass fed beef, lamb, chicken, eggs, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, cashews, and some mushrooms. The body sweats out zinc when exercising, so the more active you are the more likely it is that you will need to replace it. Another way in which the body becomes quickly depleted in men is through excessive seamen loss. Yep I said it. If you’re sitting around punching the clown all day, you are going to have very low zinc levels, and to compound that every time you orgasm the body releases large amounts of oxytocin. This hormone has many positive roles to play in the body (again more information to be found in my blog on the endocrine system) however oxytocin is a testosterone antagonist which means it may temporarily down-regulate free testosterone while simultaneously up-regulating the production of DHT (often related to hair loss and prostate issues) and another inflammatory enzyme PGD2 which can also have many negative effects when left unchecked. Do with this information, what you will, but I would suggest finding other things to do when you get bored. Here is an inexpensive zinc supplement I recommend for those who aren't getting enough in their diet https://amzn.to/2D4eyKQ

Finally, one simple way to increase testosterone is to weight train. Lifting weights 3 to 4 days a week for 30 minutes to an hour has been shown to increase both free testosterone and growth hormone. There is also some research to suggest that cold showers may spark a temporary rise is testosterone levels as well as increase immune activity. This is known as the James Bond shower.

So that’s it. Sleep, eat a proper diet, exercise and lift, mitigate stress, get outside, don’t drink in excess, don’t self indulge daily, stay away from the sweets, maybe try a cold shower, and be the man you were meant to be.