Want to Live Longer? Get a Dog

You love your dog… But now you have another reason to spoil your four-legged friend: Your pooch is helping you live longer.

9 December 2017

A large Swedish study has found that owning a dog extends lifespan.

Researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden tracked the health, mortality, and dog ownership of more than 3.4 million adults. They followed them for 12 years.

The researchers found that dog owners were 33% less likely to die from any cause. And dog owners were 11% less likely to die of the number one killer, heart disease.

Dog ownership was associated with lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. The research was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Dog Ownership Boosts 3 Longevity Factors

The researchers say that dog owners experience three positive health effects:

1. More exercise. Dog owners walk their dogs and are generally more active. A Japanese study of 5,200 adults found that dog owners were 54% more likely to get the daily recommended level of exercise than non-dog owners.

This activity lowers heart rate, helps stabilize blood sugar, and improves overall heart health.

2. A healthier microbiome. Owning a dog can be as healthy as eating probiotic-rich food or taking probiotic supplements. Dogs bring dirt, and yes, bacteria into your home. Many of these microbes are good for you.

Researchers found dogs increase the levels of 56 different classes of beneficial bacterial species in a home. This infusion of microbes helps keep you healthy and your immune system in top condition. (Cats also contributed to probiotic diversity, but less so than dogs. Cats were found to boost levels of 24 classes of bacteria. 

How powerful is the immune effect? A study at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that petting a dog for 18 minutes elevates levels of immunoglobulin A. This is one of the body’s most powerful protectors against infection.

3. Stress reduction. Dogs provide stress relief through companionship. But they also can act as an introduction to new human friends and facilitate socialization during walks. This reduces loneliness, which is a major risk factor for early death.

A German university study found owning a dog reduces the stress hormone cortisol. It increases levels of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes a sense of wellbeing.

Mwenya Mubanga is a researcher at Uppsala University. He led the new study.

"Dog ownership was especially prominent as a protective factor in persons living alone, which is a group reported previously to be at higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death," Mubanga said. "Perhaps a dog may stand in as an important family member in the single households."

Best Dog Breeds for Good Health

Any dog can help extend your lifespan. But to maximize the health benefits, you want one that encourages you to exercise without being too difficult to care for. In other words, you want a pet that is active…but not too active.

According to the American Kennel Club, two classifications of dog best fit this description:

Sporting dogs. These include golden, Chesapeake Bay, or Labrador retrievers, pointers, and setters. They are friendly, like to spend time with people, and make great walking partners.

Terriers. They might be a little feisty, but they are ready-to-go anytime. They are a great choice if you want a smaller dog that loves to walk. This group includes the fox terriers, West Highland terrier (or Westie), rat terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, or Kerry blue terrier.

One more thing… When you’re ready for a new pet, don’t forget shelter dogs. You’ll be saving a dog’s life. And your new friend might save yours.

inhresearch.com

How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle

Welcome! If you want to lose weight, gain muscle, increase energy levels or just generally 

look and feel healthier you've come to the right place.

So you wanna put on some lean muscle mass. And you want to do it within the context of the Primal Blueprint, but aren’t sure where to start. It’s a common question and it’s about time I addressed it head on.

As I’ve made pretty clear, our ultimate goal is to achieve positive gene expression, functional strength, optimum health, and extended longevity. In other words: To make the most out of the particular gene set you inherited. These are my end goals, and I’ve modeled the PB Laws with them in mind. But that doesn’t mean packing on extra muscle can’t happen with additional input. After I retired from a life of chronic cardio and started living Primally, I added 15 pounds of muscle, while keeping low body fat levels without really trying, so it’s absolutely possible for a hardgainer to gain some. The question is how much and at what expense?

I’d be the first to tell you that lean body mass is healthier than adipose tissue. Generally, the more lean mass a person has, the longer and better they live. But to increase mass at the expense of agility, strength, or speed is, in my opinion, counterproductive. What would Grok do – go for enormous biceps or the ability to haul a carcass back to camp? Unless you’re a bodybuilder (nothing wrong with that, mind you; it’s just not my focus), I can’t advise simply packing on size without a proportional increase in actual strength. Those bulging biceps might look good on the beach, but then again, so does the body that comes with keeping up with the younger guys, knocking out twenty pull-ups in a row, and lifting twice your bodyweight. Form is best paired with a healthy serving of function. The two are quite delicious together, and, luckily, following the PB allows us to get both without sacrificing either.

Of course, we’re all built a little differently. The basic building blocks are the same in everyone, but sexual reproduction (as opposed to asexual reproduction) has the funny habit of producing unique genetics and small variations that affect the way we respond to our environments. It’s why some people are short and some are tall, or why some of us respond better to carbohydrates than others. Even though we all pretty much operate the same way, there IS a range of possible outcomes that is proscribed by your direct ancestors. By that same token, some people just naturally have more muscle mass. They’re usually innately more muscular than the average person, and putting more on through resistance training is often an easy task. Then there are those who can’t seem to gain a pound: the hardgainers. They might be increasing strength, but it doesn’t seem to translate into visible muscle mass. Now, my initial advice for a hardgainer is this – don’t worry too much about it! As long as you’re getting stronger, you’re doing it right.

Let’s face it, though. You’ve probably heard that enough already. It’s fun being the lanky guy at the gym who can lift more than most, but you’re dead set on bulking up (who doesn’t like a bit more muscle to go along with that strength?), and you want to do it in a Primal context. Besides, continuing to increase strength will eventually require increasing size. To do so, you have to target the very same anabolic hormones that others use to get big, only with even more enthusiasm and drive. Like I said, we all have similar engines, but some require more fuel and more efficient driving (sorry for the corny analogy). Activating these hormones will work for anyone, provided they work hard and eat enough food.

The main hormones that contribute to muscle anabolism are testosterone, growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). A little more about each and how to utilize them:

Testosterone

Crazy bodybuilders don’t inject themselves with anabolic steroid hormones that are based on testosterone for nothing. Among other roles, testosterone is an important muscle-building growth factor that favorably affects protein synthesis in addition to working with other hormones (like GH and IGF-1) to improve their function (more on this later). If you want to increase strength and build muscle, testosterone is absolutely required (don’t worry, though: no injections necessary!).

Growth Hormone

It’s right there in the name, isn’t it? Growth hormone. It helps muscle grow and, perhaps more importantly, it burns body fat. After all, leaning out is a big part of building muscle (or else you’ll just look puffy) and GH will help you do it.

Insulin-like Growth Factor 1

IGF-1 is extremely similar in effect to GH, as it should be – GH stimulates IGF-1 production in the liver. In fact, it’s suspected that IGF-1 is actually responsible for most of the “growth-promoting effects of circulating GH.”

Anabolic hormones all work together. In fact, to maximize their muscle-building potential, you must have all three present. Testosterone increases IGF-1, but only in the presence of GH. GH promotes skeletal muscle cell fusion independent of IGF-1, but the two are most effective in concert. Luckily for you, the types of exercises that stimulate the secretion of one will generally stimulate the secretion of the others. Funny how that works out, huh?

Enter The Central Nervous System

In order for your body to start pumping out these delicious anabolic hormones, you must first give it a reason to do so. I might even say you should give your genes a reason to express themselves. The most effective way to do this is by notifying the central nervous system. Now, the CNS can be a stubborn bastard, but he’s all you got when it comes to interpreting stimuli and relaying messages to the rest of the body. He’s not easily perturbed, and he won’t bother if you aren’t serious. If you insist on doing nothing but light aerobics or tiny isolation exercises, your CNS will barely notice. If you want to get your CNS’ attention, pick up the intensity. Run some sprints or do some heavy lifting. When you do an exercise like the squat with a heavy weight, all hands are on deck. Your CNS realizes that some serious exercising is going down and notifies the hypothalamus, which in turn talks to your pituitary gland. This tiny – but vital – member of the endocrine system is the gland that dispatches luteinizing hormones to tell the testicles to secrete testosterone. It’s also the gland that synthesizes and secretes GH. IGF-1 is mostly produced by the liver, but its production is facilitated by the presence of GH, so we can see that it all comes down to CNS stimulation. Chronic cardio doesn’t affect your CNS in any meaningful way, so that’s why we tend to avoid it; vigorous sprints, hard and heavy lifting, and anaerobic output will get its attention, so do plenty of these to maximize muscle growth.

Cortisol: A Hormone to Avoid

Promoting muscle and strength growth also requires avoiding excess amounts of catabolic (muscle wasting) hormones like cortisol. Cortisol is the major stress hormone, and it exists for a very legitimate reason (dealing with “flight or fight” incidents, inadequate sleep, anxiety), but in large amounts cortisol increases serum amino acids by breaking down muscle, inhibiting protein synthesis and reducing amino acid uptake by the muscles – all awful things for muscle growth. Compounding the problem even further, the broken-down muscle is converted into blood glucose, which then raises insulin secretion and increases insulin resistance while promoting fat storage. And we all know how great those muscles look with a nice layer of adipose tissue covering them up! On a serious note, most people following the PB already minimize cortisol by getting plenty of sleep and reducing stress, but if you’re preoccupied with building muscle mass and engaging in extended workout sessions to achieve it, avoiding excess cortisol can get tricky: excessive exercise without enough recovery time actually increases cortisol. It makes sense (think of it like your body’s telling you it needs a day or two off), but the desire for more muscle mass drives many to work out to the point of counter-productivity. Just be careful, and give yourself at least a day of rest after a particularly grueling session.

Lift Really Heavy Things

 

If you haven’t figured it out already, you’re going to be doing some heavy lifting in order to put on lean mass. The foundation of your routine should be the big compound lifts: squats, deadlifts, presses (bench and overhead), pull-ups, rows, dips, snatches, power cleans, clean and jerks. These engage multiple muscles while triggering your hormonal response systems. Bodyweight stuff, while valuable, simply isn’t going to get you the strength and mass increases you’re looking for. Testosterone, while useful, only gets really anabolic when you start lifting. You need to get under some decent weight, enough so that your CNS and endocrine system are blasted, but not so much that you can’t maintain proper form.

A popular routine is the 5×5 method. Popularized by programs like StrongLifts and Starting Strength, doing compound lifts for five sets of five reps allows you to strike a balance between strength building and superficial muscle hypertrophy. Done this way, your hypertrophy won’t be purely sarcoplasmic, which results in fluid-filled muscles that look big but don’t see a corresponding increase in actual strength. Instead, the 5×5 method promotes myofibrillar hypertrophy: hard, dense muscle fibers that increase strength and size (with no puffiness). That’s real muscle that would make Grok proud.

If you’re lifting heavy and lifting hard, keep your workouts spaced at least a day apart and don’t lift more than 3x/week. Three exercises per session should be perfect. That may not sound like much, but it’ll be plenty if you do it right. Remember, you’re doing big compound movements that will really shock your system, with an emphasis on intensity and power. You don’t want to overwork yourself, release a bunch of cortisol, and set yourself back a few weeks.

Squats and deadlifts are absolutely required. No excuses. They engage the most muscles and produce the biggest hormonal response. They will be the bedrock of your mass building campaign. Most programs recommend doing squats every session, and I tend to agree. You can handle it. Deadlifts are a bit more taxing and so should be relegated to every other workout. So, one week you’ll deadlift once, the next week twice. You can also sub in power cleans for the occasional deadlifts (or do them in addition) if you’re comfortable with such a complex movement. Presses are paramount, both overhead and bench. I’d alternate both types of presses every session. Pull-ups are great, but weighted pull-ups are even better. Same goes for dips. Just try to get one pulling, one pushing, and one squatting exercise in each session.

An example for beginners, with sets coming first in the sequence:

A
Squat 5×5
Pull-ups 5xFailure (add weight if “Failure” is becoming more than 12 reps)
Overhead Press 5×5

B
Squat 5×5
Deadlift 1/2/3×5 (your choice; deadlifts can be incredibly taxing, and with exhaustion comes poor form, so be careful; sometimes it’s better to do a really heavy load for a single set)
Bench Press 5×5

C
Squat 5×5
Pull-ups 5xFailure
Overhead Press 5×5

Do this sequence every week (maybe Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and steadily increase the weight each session. Once you’re making progress, feel free to add in other exercises like dips or more Olympic lifts. For more mass, more lactic “burn” (and more GH secretion), reduce your rest periods between sets or even superset them. If you feel like doing some cardio, stick to sprints once weekly, or even a Crossfit-style metcon (metabolic conditioning) workout, maybe some Tabata burpees. The key is conserving strength and giving your body time to rest and recover for the next round of squats, deadlifts, and presses.

This “program” can be tweaked and altered. Just make sure you’re doing big movements while maintaining extreme intensity and great form. Oh, and always make sure to squat and deadlift. Always. They produce the most testosterone, GH, and IGF-1.

Eat Lots (I Mean Lots) of Plants and Animals

 

No one would ever call the Primal Blueprint a protein-sparing plan, but you’re going to have to eat even more than before. Stuff yourself. I always say that body composition is 80% diet, and that goes for putting on mass as well as losing fat. You need to provide plenty of protein for all those hormones to synthesize, after all.

• Never let your protein intake go lower than 1g/lb of body weight when you are aiming to add long-term muscle. It’s the building block of muscle, and your body is going to be starving for it.
• Eat plenty of saturated and monounsaturated fat. Fat blunts insulin secretion while increasing testosterone production. Insulin may be useful for stuffing your muscles full of glycogen, but that’s not what you’re going for… right?
• Dietary fat, in conjunction with all the GH you’ll be producing, also spares muscle wasting.
• You may have heard of the popular GOMAD method – Gallon of Milk a Day for easy mass-building. It undoubtedly works, but a gallon of milk isn’t exactly Primal and I can’t recommend it. Instead of milk, why not a dozen eggs a day? ADEAD? If you can manage it, eating them on top of your regularly scheduled meals is a great source of affordable protein, fat, and vitamins (Vitamin A in particular may have pro-anabolic effects).
• Eat often. If you’re going for pure size and strength, fasted workouts and skipped PWO meals may not be the ticket. You’ll burn more fat with the extra GH secretion and existing muscle will be spared, but you may be missing the chance at prime protein synthesis when you fast. A PWO meal of protein and fat will still blunt the insulin secretion and provide fuel for your muscles.
• Increase caloric intake. You’re going to be expending so much energy on the lifts (and you’ll continue to burn through it even on rest days) while eating clean, Primal foods (and keeping insulin low as ever) that fat accumulation shouldn’t be an issue at all. Eat!
• On those days when you do expend a ton of energy – maybe on your metcon or sprint day – having a Primal-friendly starch, like squash or sweet potato, is a decent way to replenish depleted glycogen stores.
• Eat a big piece of fatty meat every single day. Steak, whole chicken, lamb leg, organs, whatever. Just eat a solid piece of animal flesh for a powerful protein infusion on a daily basis.
• A hardgainer is often someone who doesn’t eat enough. Sure, genes play a role, but you can ultimately have a significant say in how those genes rebuild you. To a point. Eat more and lift harder to grab the reins.

I’m a firm believer in the body’s natural ability to achieve proper homeostasis, provided we supply the right environment and the right foods. For some of you, that might mean lower body mass, lower than you’d like. In my opinion, that amount of muscle is probably “right” for you and I wouldn’t recommend going above and beyond to achieve more of it… but I also wouldn’t condemn it, especially if it’s pursued in accordance with the Primal Laws. As for me, I am comfortable where I’m at and tend not to seek added mass (I’m also at a point where lifting heavy increases my risk of injury, and I HATE downtime). But if you are a hard-gainer looking to add a few, as long as it’s not just show muscle and you can actually lift some decent weight and at the very least manipulate your own body weight comfortably, eat those dozen eggs and gain that weight.

Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/gain-weight-build-muscle

This post is on Healthwise

5 Natural Ways to Boost Your Sex Drive

Here are some ways to boost your desire without the nasty side effects of drugs:

November 27, 2008


Here are some ways to boost your desire without the nasty side effects of drugs:

1. Exercise: Aerobic workouts improve blood flow to sex organs, and they can also boost your mood, pumping up "feel good" brain chemicals called endorphins. The increase in testosterone levels that arrives about one hour after working out can also leave you feeling sexier.

2. Relax: Too much stress increases the stress hormone cortisol, which causes testosterone to plummet.

3. Add a Little Novelty: Recent research shows that partaking in new and challenging experiences with your partner can boost the brain chemical dopamine, which helps fuel sex drive. This doesn't even need to be in the bedroom -- anything new is a good idea.

4. Consider Some Non-Drug Remedies: Ginkgo biloba has been used to treat sexual dysfunction. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) could be useful, since it's critical for the manufacture of sex hormones in the adrenal glands. Choline may help to enhance levels of acetylcholine, a brain chemical that sends sexual impulses from your brain to your sex organs.

5. Inhale: Certain scents are known to be attractive, including the sweat of your partner.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/11/27/5-natural-ways-to-boost-your-sex-drive.aspx

Go to Healthwise for more articles

Hormone imbalance has a profound effect on your weight

September 15, 2014 | Dr. Michael Cutler

Healthwise

Unbalanced or poorly functioning hormones are an often overlooked cause of unwanted weight gain. The hormones involved include cortisol, thyroid, DHEA, aldosterone, growth hormone, progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen.

In this article, which is the seventh in my ongoing series about effective weight loss strategies, I will discuss which hormones you should have checked and managed by a physician experienced in natural hormone balancing if you have found it difficult to manage your weight. (You can find links to my other articles in this series below.)

Excess hormones promote weight gain

The hormones cortisol, estrogen, insulin, and aldosterone have many important functions. However, if these are elevated you may be experiencing their weight-promoting effects. Here are signs and symptoms to consider so you know whether or not to have them checked and balanced.

Cortisol: This hormone is secreted naturally and appropriately in times of mental, emotional or physical stress to protect you. However, if you allow yourself to be under prolonged or chronic stress (by continuing to allow stressful causes to be the focus of your attention, rather than focusing on what is wanted and feeling good), cortisol will take its toll on you in many ways, including increased abdominal fat and puffy face (“moon face”). It can progress to even depositing abnormal fat on your shoulders and upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”). Excess cortisol also interferes with normal thyroid function and impairs production of growth hormone and testosterone, all of which mean excess body weight.

Insulin: You know this hormone is high in people with type 2 diabetes. Yet it is elevated in many times more people than in diabetics, a condition known as metabolic syndrome (“pre-diabetes”), a condition now estimated to affect one in four American adults. Insulin causes energy storage in the form of fat, usually on the abdomen, hips and thighs. When it surges in the non-diabetic person, it drops blood sugar and triggers the craving for caloric intake, often in the form of simple carbohydrates such as pasta, bread, cereals or sweet foods. Without nutrient-rich high-fiber food to go along with simple carbohydrates, the body secretes even more insulin, completing a vicious cycle. Getting enough cortisol, thyroid hormone, testosterone, and growth hormone also help to normalize insulin levels.

Estrogen: Testosterone can easily be converted into to estrogen in the adrenal glands. In both men and women this causes abnormal weight gain: breast and abdominal fat in men (testosterone deficiency); droopy breasts and overall body fat in women. Other causes of estrogen excess include lack of exercise, a diet low in fiber but high in unhealthy fats and simple carbohydrates, and taking or being exposed to too much estrogen (including xenoestrogens).

Aldosterone: Elevated levels of aldosterone causes water retention, which can make you heavy but not necessarily fat. Be aware that water retention can also be from a failing heart or kidneys.

Insufficient hormones lead to weight gain

There are other important hormones that can easily lead to abnormal weight gain when low or under-functioning. These are thyroid hormone, DHEA, testosterone, progesterone, growth hormone, aldosterone and cortisol. I’ll describe these and what to look for.

Thyroid hormone: This hormone can be under-functioning even if blood levels indicate thyroid levels in the normal range. That’s because thyroid hormone drives metabolism in practically all your body tissues, so you are dependent not only on levels circulating, but also whether it is actually effectively working at those receptor sites. I have found that a low basal body temperature along with signs and symptom of fatigue, swollen face in the morning, leg edema (see also high aldosterone), cold hands and feet, dry skin, enlarged thighs and calves, or excessive weight, etc., respond well to natural thyroid replacement without causing hyperthyroidism.

Testosterone: Especially in men, enlarged feminized breasts, abdominal obesity and waning libido usually turn out to be testosterone deficiency. For women, low testosterone can also contribute to low interest in sex, poorly toned muscle and sagging breasts.

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone): This precursor to testosterone can be low, thereby contributing to signs of low testosterone, especially abnormal belly fat.

Progesterone: When progesterone levels are low (relative to estrogen) this may cause a woman’s breasts to begin growing again after they stopped growing after adolescence, and be painful prior to menstruation. Other premenstrual syndrome symptoms (belly bloating, heavy or painful periods, irritability, etc.) and increased breast and body weight indicate a need to balance progesterone.

Growth hormone: An increase in belly fat or generalized body fat could be caused by a low level of growth hormone, as with low testosterone and/or low DHEA levels.

In my article next week on weight loss interventions I’ll cover the lab tests you can have that will uncover these and also other treatable causes of abnormal weight gain. If the cause of your abnormal weight is diagnosed with a lab test, your treatment then becomes much easier and your healthy diet and supplements become more effective.

To safe, effective, and permanent weight loss,

Michael Cutler, M.D.

Easy Health Options

http://easyhealthoptions.com/hormone-imbalance-profound-effect-weight/

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New Truths About Cholesterol

Dr. Michael Cutler | Dec 30, 2013 

In my previous article, New Perspectives On Treating Heart Disease, I outlined some of the really good and some of the questionable aspects of the new cardiovascular disease risk assessment and treatment guidelines. In this article I’ll explain what you deserve to also be aware of to reduce your cardiovascular disease risk that is not covered in the new guidelines.

Guideline Summary

I previously commented that while the new guidelines are highly scientific, they are still far from sufficient to cause any appreciable improvement in patients’ lifestyles. I say this because, although they direct physicians to provide lifestyle guidance, most doctors simply are not taught much about nutrition and real-life implementation of nutrient-rich diets.

Nearly all physicians are scientific-minded; and while the science is available about the benefits of phytonutrients of all types and their risk-reducing effects, the panel of experts involved in the new guidelines did not consider this data. In addition, physicians are not taught how to be personal-life coaches and really don’t want to perform that type of function because of the amount of time this requires with each patient.

Furthermore, because the guidelines focus so much attention on who should take a statin and who should not, physicians will simply rely on the risk calculator provided in the guidelines and use each patient’s other risk history to make that decision.

Unfortunately, the risk calculator has been shown ^[1] to overestimate heart disease risk by 75 percent to 150 percent when the calculator was applied to three large-scale primary prevention studies: the Women’s Health Study (WHS), the Physicians’ Health Study (PHS) and the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS). This means that far more people will be prescribed statin drugs than the data supports. The risk calculator does motivate patients to look seriously at their heart attack risk. So let’s just hope that it pushes them toward more serious lifestyle improvements instead of just further reliance on statins.

It is good to know there are healthy options other than statin drugs to assist in lowering cardiovascular risk.

Many of these options are not included in the new guidelines for a few obvious reasons. Alternative options don’t have the large, well-designed studies behind them that drug companies pay for. Nevertheless, the studies have been performed; but they get hidden in the sea of headlined studies done by pharmaceutical companies to highlight their products (including studies of statins).

Another reason alternative options are overlooked is linked to the extra time healthcare providers need to learn about them. It also requires a significant time commitment to teach patients about things like stress reduction and other non-supplement interventions (that I discuss below).

Finally, most physicians don’t appreciate the power of these other natural options. I’ll share more of these healthy options with you in this and my article next week.

How To Lower Inflammation And Lower Your Risk For Cardiovascular Disease

So you want to lower your risk of heart attack? You’ve likely heard over and over that to do this you must reduce inflammation in your body. This can be done by consuming nutrient-rich whole food, reducing your emotional stress level and getting consistent enjoyable exercise — and then use nutrient supplements to help even further.

I’d like to give more details on this. We know that statins lower cardiovascular risk mostly because they reduce inflammation, even in folks with normal cholesterol levels. Therefore, long before taking a statin drug, I’d recommend we all consider how to eliminate or reduce these causes of inflammation and contributors to cardiovascular disease.

Inflammatory factors include:

• Sleep deprivation or poor-quality sleep. ^[2]
• Obesity, which raises blood volume, increases insulin production (which is inflammatory), and increases inflammatory cytokines. ^[3]
• Poor intestinal health from a leaky gut, certain food allergies and even hybridized wheat products. ^[4] A  great deal of autoimmune inflammation begins in the gut.
• Synthetic prescription drugs, including antibiotics that promote overgrowth of resistant bacteria, yeast and parasites.
• Chemical food dyes, preservatives, pesticides, herbicides, etc. The 12 foods that are most susceptible to pesticide residues that I recommend you buy organic (aka the “dirty dozen”) are apples, celery, cherries, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, hot peppers, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, spinach, strawberries and sweet bell peppers.
• Digestive enzyme deficiency and low stomach acid.
• Eating large amounts of sugary desserts, snacks and drinks.
• Consuming too many servings of transfats in fast food and frozen foods.
• Cow milk protein (dairy), which can be antigenic (causing inflammatory immune reactions).
• Chronic low-grade infections.
• Hormone imbalances, including thyroid, sex or adrenal hormone imbalances.
• Abnormal blood sugar (diabetes) or elevated insulin levels, which can be done without using drugs. ^[5]

Balancing Hormones And Reducing Stress

Even before you begin taking supplements to reduce your risk for cardiovascular complications, it is wise to get your body in balance.

We know that the hormones cortisol, thyroid and aldosterone directly affect blood pressure. As recognized in the new heart disease risk guidelines, keeping blood pressure at a normal level is critical for shrinking cardiovascular disease risk. (Aside from influencing your blood pressure, these hormones play a direct role in the health of your cardiovascular system.)

Cortisol is an important hormone that closely affects blood pressure. In turn, stress directly leads to cortisol secretion. And when stress is chronic or frequently repeated, the continually elevated cortisol can:

• Trigger hyperglycemia and make you prone to high insulin levels and insulin resistance.
• Promote central obesity (belly fat).
• Lower thyroid hormone by blocking the conversion of T4→T3 in your liver.
• Lead to memory impairment, hyperlipidemia and immune system suppression (a prednisone effect).
• Cause hypertension largely by stimulating adrenaline (epinephrine), which initiates the “fight or flight” sympathetic nervous system response. This response is characterized by an increased rate/force of contraction of the heart muscle and constriction of blood vessels.

These factors have motivated a huge effort to emphasize the necessity of keeping stress under control for cardiovascular-risk reduction. Numerous stress-reduction techniques are available to help fight the risk of heart disease. ^[6]

Low thyroid hormone affects the metabolic rate of every body tissue and affects the function of these tissues and organs. When thyroid function is low, it can not only cause fatigue, sensitivity to cold, constipation, weight gain or depressed mood, but it can also disrupt the cardiovascular system. Some European endocrinologists boldly state that low thyroid function is the true leading cause of cardiovascular disease, based on their clinical observations. ^[7]

An easy way to correct both hypertension and hypercholesterolemia in someone with low thyroid is by using natural thyroid hormone supplementation. ^[8]

Aldosterone is the hormone that directly controls blood volume through its effects on salt and water retention or the kidney’s elimination system. This hormone is made from progesterone in your adrenal gland. The reason this matters: Aldosterone secretion is closely tied to the other hormones produced in your adrenal gland, including progesterone, cortisol, DHEA, testosterone and the estrogens. Under chronic or frequently stressful conditions, the production of aldosterone is affected by a “cortisol steal” effect.

In my next article I’ll explain the amazing phytonutrients now proven to reduce cardiovascular disease risk that were not included in the new guidelines.

To knowing how to feel good for health,

Michael Cutler, M.D.
Easy Health Options

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[1] http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/814579?src=wnl_edit_specol&uac=17237PJ

[2] Alanna Morris, Dorothy Coverson, et al. Sleep Quality and Duration are associated with Higher Levels of Inflammatory Biomarkers: the META-Health Study. Circulation, 23 November 2010; 122: Abstract: A17806. Found online at: http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/meeting_abstract/122/21_MeetingAbstracts/A17806

[3] Neil M Johannsen, Elisa L. Priest, et al. Association of White Blood Cell Subfraction Concentration with Fitness and Fatness. BJSM  Published Online First: 17 October 2008. Found online at: http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2008/10/17/bjsm.2008.050682.abstract

[4] Cutler M. Gluten Unveiled. Published online Aug 12, 2013 at: http://easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/gluten-unveiled/

[5] Cutler M. Managing Diabetes so it can be Cured. Published online Nov 19, 2012 at : http://easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/managing-diabetes-so-it-can-be-cured/ and http://easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/managing-diabetes-and-aiming-for-a-cure-part-ii/

[6] Cutler M. Alter your Lifestyle to Naturally Shrink Blood Pressure. Published online Sept 30, 2013 at:
http://easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/alter-your-lifestyle-to-naturally-shrink-blood-pressure/

[7] Barnes, Broda O: Solved: The Riddle of Heart Attacks, Robinson Press, Fort Collins, CO,
1976

[8] Ibid.

http://easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/new-truths-about-cholesterol/

The longevity hormones

Art of Healing
        

Published: Sunday March 17, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Thursday August 22, 2013 MYT 4:59:01 PM

 

Art of Healing by Dr AMIR FARID ISHAK



Natural ways to increase cortisol include exercising in the
morning sunlight and consuming foods such as licorice.



In this third part in the series on hormones for health, we continue with other hormones that are not only ‘youth hormones’ in that they help maintain health and youthful biological age, but may also impact our lifespan.

ABOUT a year ago, I wrote about the Okinawans, who are famous for their longevity (Holistic ageing, Fit4Life, April 1, 2012). The secret of their longevity, according to Prof Emeritus Makoto Suzuki, who is the leading expert on the Okinawa longevity phenomenon, lies in their diet, culture and lifestyle.

While much has been written about their diet, culture and lifestyle, the only glaring difference in their blood tests is that they continue to have youthful levels of the hormone DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) as they age past 50.

DHEA

DHEA is the most abundant hormone in the body. It is produced by the adrenal glands. It is required by both sexes and levels decline with age. At age 60, the level is only about 40% of its peak.

It improves sexual function, increases muscle mass, reduces fat, stimulates bone growth, improves sleep, mobility, memory, immunity and reduces pain. It may help improve arterial disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, lupus, and possibly cancer.

It is also the precursor for the sex-hormones (oestrogens and androgens).

While the direct effect of DHEA is relatively weak compared to the sex hormones, a healthy level of DHEA is crucial because it is needed to manufacture the sex hormones.

Strenuous physical exercise and stress increase DHEA secretion, as do high protein and high fat diets. Conversely, a sedentary lifestyle and diets high in carbohydrates, cereals and sugar reduce secretion.

In anti-ageing hormone management, DHEA is among the most important hormones monitored and corrected/optimised (if necessary).

Pregnenolone

While DHEA is the mother of the sex hormones, pregnenolone is the grandmother of all the steroid hormones, which include DHEA, the sex hormones, glucocorticoid adrenal hormones (eg cortisol and other steroids responsible for stress and glucose management), and mineralocorticoid adrenal hormones (eg aldosterone, responsible for salt and water regulation).

Pregnenolone is manufactured from cholesterol. This is one example of the vital role that cholesterol plays in the body. So cholesterol itself is not bad. It is the excess and the “bad” cholesterol that is harmful.

Even that concept (that high cholesterol is bad) is controversial and I hope to write about this in the future.

Pregnenolone level declines with age, and is indirectly responsible for the decline of the steroidal hormones. A serious deficiency in pregnenolone affects many organ systems because it is the precursor of so many hormones which influence so many organs.

While the main function of pregnenolone is as a precursor or pro-hormone, it is also a neurotransmitter. It has been used with some success to improve memory and to reduce stress/depression.

Since memory decline is a constant and worrying feature of ageing, anti-ageing doctors often use pregnenolone to alleviate the problem, and about half of the patients report some improvement.

Pregnenolone testing and supplementation are not readily available here. Therefore most of the anti-ageing doctors test for, and correct/optimise the other hormones instead as an indirect way of addressing suspected pregnenolone deficiency.

Melatonin

Most of you may be aware that melatonin is used to counter the effects of “jet-lag” after long-distance travel, but you may not be aware that it is also a youth/longevity hormone.

Its level also declines with age like the other hormones previously mentioned, and its impact on health goes beyond normalising the sleep rhythm.

Melatonin is a neuro-hormone produced in the pineal gland, which is a small gland almost diagonally opposite the pituitary, in the mid-brain. In the esoteric world of mysticism, metaphysics and occultism, the pineal gland is variously believed to be the “seat of the soul”; the centre of the “sixth sense”; or even the “third eye” (connected to the Ajna chakra, which is important in spiritual awakening, clairvoyance and higher states of consciousness).

Circulating levels of melatonin vary in a daily cycle, and influences the circadian rhythm of several biological systems. In animals, it even influences sexual development, hibernation and seasonal breeding.

Melatonin production decreases with age. The reduced and delayed melatonin production/release (at night) as we grow older partly explains the later sleeping and waking times.

While the sleep-inducing effects of melatonin is well known (it also improves quality of sleep by relaxing the muscles and calming the nerves), our interest here is its health and anti-ageing effects.
Melatonin improves HGH (the youth hormone) secretion and also improves thyroid function. It calms down excessive stress, and lowers the stress hormone cortisol.

Melatonin is a powerful broad-spectrum antioxidant that does not itself become a free radical once it has been oxidised, unlike other antioxidants. Each melatonin molecule, through its metabolites, can neutralise up to 10 free radicals (reactive oxygen/nitrogen species).

The other powerful antioxidant that mops up many free radicals without itself becoming a free radical is silica hydride.

Melatonin is especially useful in protecting DNA from free-radical damage. It has been shown in animal experiments to protect against brain injury and Parkinson’s disease. As a longevity hormone, it has been shown to increase lifespan by 20% in mice. Let us hope human studies will be done too.

Melatonin is readily available over-the-counter in many countries and even in some aeroplanes for the convenience of travellers. Unfortunately, it is not available here, so we have to get it from overseas to prescribe to our patients who need them.

Cortisol – the stress resistance hormone

Cortisol is the most important glucocorticoid hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It also has a circadian rhythm (highest in the morning) and decreases with age.

Cortisol is a catabolic hormone (breaks down tissues to provide energy) in contrast to HGH, DHEA and the sex hormones, which are anabolic (build and preserve tissues/body).

Cortisol allows us to respond adequately to stress by making energy available (increased blood glucose), maintaining or raising blood pressure, and fighting inflammation.

Cortisol and its derivatives are therefore widely used as anti-inflammatory drugs (for all forms of inflammation and pain), and are widely abused in sports to enhance performance and manage the stress of competitions.

The overuse and abuse can give rise to dangerous side-effects.

The abuse has given a bad name to cortisol and steroid hormones because the public only know the bad side of the story. In reality, those with low levels of cortisol can easily be helped with their health and behavioural problems such as poor memory, emotional lability, anxiety, depression, attention deficit, irritability, poor reaction to stressful situations, negativism, being quarrelsome, paranoia, excessive emotions, hair loss, being underweight, inflammatory skin conditions, muscle and joint pains, fatigue, dark eye circles, and a host of other problems.

There are many people who can benefit from cortisol therapy (if their problems correlate with low cortisol levels), but many are reluctant and aghast because the doctor prescribes a steroid (hormone) drug!

Correcting and optimising cortisol levels can result in mood enhancement, more energy, better work performance, better stress management, and improved immune system.

The natural ways to increase cortisol are by exercising in the morning sunlight and by consuming certain foods (eg licorice).

Since cortisol level decreases with age, and the aged are the ones most likely to have problems of inflamed and damaged joints and other tissues, their ability to cope with the damage is compromised. Thus many end up with chronic injuries and have to consume all sorts of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs.

This is worsened by the decline in the anabolic hormones that are needed to preserve and build
tissues.

The right balance and synergy of hormones are required to maintain optimum health. Even during the day, there is a programmed symphony among them. The “active” hormones like cortisol and testosterone peak in the morning, while the hormones like melatonin and HGH work quietly at night while we sleep.

In the next article, I will discuss hormone therapy in more detail.

http://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/Viewpoints/Art-of-Healing/Profile/Articles/2013/03/17/The-longevity-hormones.aspx

7 Reasons You Don’t Have Energy To Do Stuff

June 20, 2013             

 

You want to check things off of your to-do list, but you just don’t have the energy to do them all. Ever wonder why this is? Check out the 7 reasons why people exhaust their energy out and you may be able to change things for yourself!

 

1. Carbohydrates

 

Sure those fast food fries taste good and that bread you just ate was filling, but did you know junk foods actually make you tired? Your body uses a lot of energy processing carbohydrates, which means you’ll feel tired and lethargic soon after eating them. You probably have noticed this in the past after eating heavy meals. Do you just want to take a nap when you’re done eating? If so, that’s because your body is busy processing those carbohydrates and converting them into energy!

 

2. Exercise

 

If your body is used to not getting any exercise, then it’s going to feel tired even from exerting even a small amount of energy. Exercising can actually give you more energy when you do it on a regular basis. Your body will release endorphins and it will build muscle as you continue to work out more often. This will result in being able to do more without feeling nearly as tired fatigued as you did before.

3. Sleep

Sleep isn’t just great because it makes you feel more alive; it also gives you energy. When your body doesn’t get rest at night it won’t be able to recover the way that it needs to. So, you need to make sure that you’re getting adequate sleep at night. This might mean going to bed earlier than you would like, but you will feel a lot better in the morning if you do. Even a half an hour can make a big difference with how you feel when you get up.

4. Breakfast

If you like to eat cereal laden breakfast in the morning, then you might want to consider quitting this habit right away. While these might give you energy right away, that is going to be gone in just a few hours time. This will result in you feeling super tired when you really need it. Eat a whole grain breakfast or eggs instead, and you will find that you have more energy throughout the day.

Women need to get around 7-9 hours of sleep at night and men need just the same. If you happen not to get that much sleep, then try to take a short nap during the day, but only for 10-20 minutes. This nap can give you energy without putting you into a fatigued state.

5. Coffee

That morning cup of coffee is going to stimulate your cortisol and adrenaline, but did you know that excess coffee is going to make you sleepy? If you continue to drink coffee all day long you’re going to deplete both of those hormones, which is going to result in fatigue. Try and cut back to one cup of coffee per day and drink water throughout the day as well.



6. Nutrition Deficit

There’s good reason why the FDA recommends getting five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Not only will this make you healthier, it will also ensure that you get the nutrients that your body needs for energy. For example, lack of magnesium could be causing you to feel sleepy all the time. Fortunately you can get more of this nutrient by eating dark green vegetables and kidney beans, as well as a wide variety of other foods.

Try to eat as many raw foods during the day that you’re able to. This means cutting out bad foods and getting more that are whole, which will give your body more nutrients that it needs. There are tons of recipes out there that can help, so explore them!

7. Stress

Everyone has to deal with stress on a daily basis, but excess stress might just be what is causing you fatigue. The brain uses up a lot of energy when you’re stressed, which will cause it to release adrenaline. You need this adrenaline, so it’s important that you try to avoid stress as much as you can. Meditation and deep breathing are great tools that you can use to release your stress and gain a new perspective. Both of these can also give you more energy, so try them out!

http://www.fitnea.com/7-reasons-you-dont-have-energy-to-do-stuff/