How to Improve Daily Performance Through Sexual Acts
By: Jim Goetz, NBCE, CES Sex and the Flow State Sex is a gateway to the flow state. The flow state is what is aptly known as, “the zone” in sports. It’s the state of pure focus and concentration where your levels of performance are seemingly raised to new heights. Flow state is a state of hyperfocus in one area causing one to achieve new levels. When it comes to sex, the flow state can lead to courage and for one to push their boundaries and explore new things and experiences. In order to accomplish this, one must first eliminate sex from the mind. No longer is sex about the act of sex but instead sex becomes primal. Sex becomes allowing the body to seek out what it truly desires. This allows the body and mind to tap into deep levels of freedom, healing and creativity. Sex then becomes a positive tool of progress as opposed to an activity to fulfull an act (meaning the act of foreplay, penetration and orgasm). When the idea of sex and this act are eliminated, sex can instead be brought to whole new levels. All too often, individuals are obsessed with the orgasm. The orgasm however is different in men and women. Really amazing sex increases the spiritual side of an individual and actually is deeper than the orgasm in of itself. Yet if the orgasm is the goal and only goal, then failure for either partner to achieve an orgasm leads to mental defeat and decreased confidence. Therefore, when you remove the orgasm as your goal, you become liberated. To do this you must simply focus on your partner as your goal and not achieving an orgasm. You are not there for a performance but a deep state of fulfillment. Your central nervous system sees sex the same as life and death. Without sexual fulfillment (that is if you still are chasing an orgasm for either partner), then the subconscious becomes starved and without sustinance sex then becomes death of ones soul. Compare if you would sex to fine dining. With a five star meal at a five star restaurant with the perfect partner, you can either leave the restaurant feeling a sense of enjoyment and fulfillment or you can simply leave with the feeling of being full as if you crammed a bunch of food in your mouth. When individuals go through sex as an act (foreplay, penetration, orgasm), they can often feel as if sex is mundane and they can begin to feel stuck. In order to feel unstuck, one can utilize different biohacks. One is neurofeedback. Another is mindfulness. Perhaps even utilizing audio visual entrainment while combining the experience with mindfulness. When one imagines a brief fantasy of true enjoyment, they can significantly increase their brain activity. This leads to being unstuck and improves productivity, creativity and performance. This brief fantasy is different than thinking about what someone else wants or what you feel you should think about. This is about letting yourself go and passing a realm of limits. It’s about understanding true pleasure and allowing yourself to mentally experience it. Then refocus on the task at hand and that task at hand will be completed far more efficiently and effectively. When we are in an analytical state (typical of a high performing individual); this state blocks emotion and empathy. You become shut down and this includes the idea of sex. By using the technique(s) described above, you will shut off your analytical mind thus increasing empathy, joy, the sense of calm, creativity and an overall sense of being one and united with those around you. Now when it comes to confidence and achievement, there’s a difference between mental or actual sexual experiences and made up experiences without any mental involvement...namely porn. Porn actually releases neurochemicals that blunt the flow of dopamine, causing our body to want more dopamine and as a result an addiction develops. With this addiction/ habit, there is zero sense of accomplishment. Confidence goes down and failure is inevitable. By participating in sexual acts with “the one” where the acts mean participating in sexual activity without the activity being an act in of itself as previously described (foreplay, penetration and orgasm), sex releases the analytical mind and you then are able to enter the flow state. Timing of Sex and Orgasm Sexual energy is extremely powerful. Therefore, channeling this energy can be either extremely worthwhile or extremely wasted. Worthwhile sexual energy can increase the quality of ones life, increase productivity and decrease stress. Wasted sexual energy will have an opposite effect as it increases stress, increases anxiety, and increases chances of failure. Without an orgasm, ones world can keep spinning. Once an orgasm occurs, life as we know it is disrupted for those few moments of amazement. This is why many athletes have a history of abstaining from sex before competition. Let me explain…. Research on mice showed that when researchers stimulated their hypothalamus, the mice became extremely violent. The researchers then stimulated the hypothalamus of the mice while they were having sex. The mice reacted very differently. They had zero violent tendencies whatsoever. However, once the mice ejaculated, they became violent once again. Both sex and violence is a survival mechanism in us. The act of violence wards off predators while sex ensures continuity of our species. The stimulation in mice created violence as a mechanism for survival while the violence was subdued as further continuation of it’s species was more important from a primal perspective than self preservation. The mice had subconsciously channeled their energies into creation as opposed to defense. Without the opportunity of preservation of species, self preservation became key in order to have the opportunity to once again create more mice. Psychologists have a term called, “sublimation”. This means to channel ones sexual energy into creativity or physical action. This is the same idea as previously discussed on how to use mindfulness in order to enter flow state. This is why (and through motivation- how) athletes abstain from sex before competition. A mans sex drive is by far the most powerful force he posesses while a womans sex drive undergoes a hormonal ebb and flow. While a man’s greatest desire is to procreate, a woman wants to ensure a dependable mate to want to have sex with so she may ultimately have a baby. Most of the time this female urge is greatly subconscious. But none the less, it is an evolutionary impulse that she wants to lie with a male who she believes will be able to pass his seed to her so he may fertilize her egg. If she feels unsafe around the male, she has zero desire to reproduce. In the beginning of a woman's monthly cycle, an egg is released. This has been deemed the “love window”. If she feels cared for, she will release estrogen, which will in turn cause her mate to release more testosterone and spur on a sexual encounter where she will hopefully receive his seed. The caveat occurs in postmenopausal women and in men with low testosterone. The two will often be on a hormonal roller coaster and never be riding the same car together. The woman will have reduced levels of estrogen while the male will not have the urge or confidence in the first place to have sex. In these cases, there will be zero primal urges and if one does somehow have them, most likely they will not be experienced at the same time. Anti- aging therapies and techniques can come into play to assist the couple if sex is an important part of their lives. As discussed earlier, sex can be utilized to enter a flow state and therefore increase success in this world. It would seem prudent anti- aging therapies might be essential for post menopausal women and men with low testosterone levels. Let me digress for a moment. During the first week of a woman’s monthly cycle, she will have the best orgasms of the month. When a woman orgasms, her mate’s testosterone levels will increase two fold as a result of his subconscious satisfaction (something not achieved through porn). After a male ejaculates though, it will take a full week for him to rebuild his testosterone levels back to their highest levels. This is why men often retreat and act…”like a dick”. After sex, both male and female estrogen levels increase. Combined with the release of oxytocin (the love hormone), females desire to bond. While some males will “cuddle”, most will want to retreat to rebuild their stores of testosterone. With the release of added estrogen, other males around will have testosterone levels increased and also want to mate with the woman. Remember the mice? This is where the primary male may become violent again in order to protect not only his mate but the best chances of his seed reproducing from his sexual efforts as opposed to a competing male. Fascinating, right?!? Here’s where things really get wild. While women are more inclined to be with only one partner as she must find one suitable to procreate one chid at a time and find comfort, satisfaction and confidence with this, men want to conquer. A man is far more primal in this aspect and even monogamous men who become polygamous have increases in testosterone when they “conquer” a woman who is not his primary mate. This is the nice way to say, men cheat because of a subconscious decision to have an opportunity to pass on his DNA and is rewarded with higher testosterone levels, which makes him feel more confident. Now the way to overcome this primal urge is to ejaculate once every seven days. This will keep a man in check. As his testosterone peaks, he releases and his testosterone needs that week to recover back to optimal levels. However, when it comes to physical performance, research has shown that a man who orgasms once every 30 days is optimal. He can have sex daily, just not orgasm. The sublimation of sexual energy leads to far higher performance. Therefore, it’s not a wives tale for athletes to abstain before competition. They actually will have a better chance to perform better. Timing is (on average) 30 days. Self testing should be done for individual performance. Sexual Conclusion We have discussed entering a flow state and timing of sex for high performance. It would then be prudent to understand that sex is more than a primal instinct but a biohack in order for an individual to achieve more in their activities of daily living. A CEO can become a mega CEO. A mid level manager can rise to CEO. An entry level position employee can thrive and be promoted through the ranks. A mom can be a super mom. Dad can be a super dad. An athlete can become an all star or champion. Practice is as only as good as you practice. Therefore, perfect practice makes perfect (or at least as close to perfect as possible). So…..turn off the porn. Find an open minded and trustworthy partner you can be open with and discuss things that are far more than superficial and be able to be as open as possible at what truly excites you. Practice sex not as an act but an experience where an orgasm is not the goal and depending on your goal (as a guy), ejaculate once a week to once a month. Combine that with multiple “rounds” (as discussed on Healthy Happy Hour at Functionised) last week as was termed, “high intensity interval sex”- and you will be positively changed for the better. Live Functionised!!!!
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“Can I share a secret?” I'm a little embarrassed to admit this but” We’ve never shared this on before but if you want to hear and see how you can make your sex life hotter, more fulfilling and enjoyable, then check out this Healthy Happy Hour on High Intensity Interval Sex with Jim and Chantea Goetz!!!
After years of personal experience and many trial and error life changes of my own, I am thoroughly motivated to share with you the tools I’ve used to improve my own relationship to health!It’s my goal today to share the most effective ways to improve your health and also to help YOU assess your stance on them honestly and truthfully. I believe that being honest with ourselves about our health is the only way to get to the bottom of any issues and start to implement lasting changes!!Any questions you might have along the way you can leave in the comments below and we can get the conversation started! As always -please maintain an open, honest, and understanding mind when it comes to each other’s unique experiences. This way we can start to cultivate more honesty and openness around our relationship with health.Are you ready?? One huge aspect of improving your health in any area is first to assess what your current relationship with that area is. To do this, it’s important to ask yourself (and honestly answer) the question of ‘what does health mean to you?’Consider your understanding of the word health, and then consider your idea of optimum health.Now....what is the difference between the two definitions? Many people would consider their idea of health somewhere within the spectrum of a state of optimum physical and mental health, yet even within this, there are many variables. Once you’ve compiled your ultimate definitions of health and well-being, it’s time to get things moving towards them!Get real about your current beliefs and habits. Be honest with yourself about your current state of health. This is the only way you’ll be able to move forward from a place of stable awareness.What are your priorities? To begin, ask yourself these questions: What have you allowed to take priority over your health? Are you prepared to tackle this lifestyle factor in order to take back control of your health?If the answer to the second question is no, then you still need to do some searching to uncover the true value of changing that answer to a YES! In the same way that the term ‘physical health’ doesn’t merely outline your state of good/bad health in a given moment, ‘financial health’ doesn’t necessarily apply to how much money you currently have in your bank account. A healthy attitude towards money is achieved when we are realistic and calm about the flow of our income and expenditure to the extent that it neither rules our lives nor restricts us in any way. The same can be said about health. Our attitude is everything, and the way we should neither ignore nor obsess about our health is a delicate balance to maintain at all times.It’s often stated that being healthy is ‘expensive.’ While it’s true that many whole food stores and gyms can place an unfair strain on our pockets, the reality of this is that there are many other ways to achieve nutrition and fitness goals if we are set on doing so. It just may take a little research.22One thing we need to stress in this seemingly never-ending road to achieving health is that it’s not a straight path. We sometimes NEED to hit the low points in order to realize that something needs to change. These negative experiences are often exactly the motivation we need to keep going and achieving higher levels of health.Neither ignoring nor obsessing about our health, mindset, exercise, and food habits is healthy. It’s important to keep an eye on your beliefs surrounding your efforts to maximize them. If this area of health may be an issue for you, it can be helpful to ask yourself -1. Is my relationship to exercise/food/wellbeing beneficial or obsessive?2. Can I miss a day of exercise/wellness practices and NOT freak out?23Children are very easily influenced when it comes to belief systems. Between the ages of 7 and 11, we endure what psychologists call the mirroring stage, where we mirror beliefs, actions, and intentions of those whom we look up to. This can be parents, guardians, peers, or any other inspirational figures. It stands to reason so that the health habits of those we look up to will impact our lives too, and cause us to form beliefs and habits similar to those we observe during this phase.It’s interesting to consider the links between childhood illness and exposure to poor attitudes to health at a young age. So many adults don’t realize their poor attitudes and habits towards health until it has already become too late and illness has begun.If your health is at risk, it might be worth taking a look back at the attitudes and habits you were exposed to as you grew up -were they damaging or supportive? Did your parents respect their health as much as they cared for yours?The following study takes a look at children’s concept of illness and considers a thing like their early environment and past experiences with illness having shaped their beliefs as they get older: 24https://academic.oup.com/her/article/21/5/643/751632 24When it comes to assessing your health habits and how you relate to them on a day to day basis, the ultimate question comes down to this:Are you prepared to accept the habits which may be holding you back from experiencing optimum health? Do you WANT to experience optimum health and happiness? Making the choice to change the way you view health is ultimately a very personal one, and will look different for everybody. That’s why it’s important to do some deep self-introspection as you embark on the journey to improve your health. Be open, honest, and realistic with yourself about what may need to change, where you want to go, and how you will get there.Are you ready for this? What (if anything) do you feel is still holding you back?25Knowledge and awareness are great, and they will definitely help you as you progress through the various stages and challenges life presents us with. However, they are nothing without ACTION.ACTING on your beliefs is the first key stage to achieving optimum health, and continuous action means continuous and strengthened success.Are you ready to take action?What’s the first thing you’ll do to take action?26Here are some great resources used to assemble this class for you:http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-832261.pdf Creating your own reality with belief system: http://www.thehealersjournal.com/2013/09/18/create-reality-with-your-beliefs/ Eating right for body types https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-18384/how-to-eat-right-for-your-body-type.html Links between mental and physical health imbalances: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071612/ What is a conditioned belief: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-conditioned-response-2794974 De-cluttering for mental health: https://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/1011917-decluttering-can-actually-benefit-health/ Formaldehyde scientific info: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/formaldehyde#section=Top Heavy Metal Exposure: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1764574/ Behavioral medicine: https://goo.gl/1GHgYZ Preventive medicine: https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19932020318 Triggers and health: https://goo.gl/JjidvH 27Putting yourself first: https://www.victoriahealth.com/editorial/the-importance-of-putting-yourself-first-1Put yourself first: https://goo.gl/jRLebp Functional Medicine: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6014/The-5-Principles-of-Functional-Medicine.html Honesty and health https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/07/honesty-healthy-lies-truth_n_1748144.html Costs of healthy eating: https://www.webmd.com/parenting/raising-fit-kids/features/healthy-food-cost#1 Finding balance: https://www.peacefuldumpling.com/is-fitness-taking-over-your-life-how-to-find-balance Children’s relationship to illness: https://academic.oup.com/her/article/21/5/643/751632
Hydrogen Water and How Energy Drinks Kill on Healthy Happy Hour with Jim Goetz and Chantea Goetz10/6/2020
Molecular hydrogen is a gas with very unique and selective antioxidant effects. Molecular hydrogen refers to diatomic hydrogen or H2 gas — two hydrogen atoms combined together. Hydrogen is the smallest molecule in the universe and is neutral and nonpolar, which is why its bioavailability is so great. It does not dissociate into its electrons and protons when dissolved in water, so it will not alter the pH of water or your body - so it really has nothing to do with the concepts put in place about alkaline water. Hydrogen gas is three times more energy-dense than gasoline, which is why it's being looked at as an alternative energy source or fuel. Hydrogen is what powers the sun and fusion in producing helium. Research is finding that hydrogen can also be therapeutic, and is effective whether you inhale it, dissolve it in water and drink it, or apply it using other methods. There are more than 1,000 peer-reviewed scientific publications on molecular hydrogen, which have collectively demonstrated that H2 has therapeutic potential in over 170 different human and animal disease models. In fact, hydrogen is shown to benefit virtually every organ of the human body, The reason why is because hydrogen targets and mitigates the root cause of many diseases, inflammation, and oxidation. Molecular hydrogen remediates oxidative stress, which is one of the most fundamental mechanisms that destroy human health. That's why molecular hydrogen is so exciting — because it has such unique antioxidant effects that specifically target only the most harmful free radicals. There are two basic definitions of an antioxidant: 1) a molecule that donates an electron to a radical reaction, and 2) a molecule that improves the redox status of the cell. Redox stands for oxidation reduction. In your cells, you need both oxidation and a reduction of oxidation in order for everything to work properly.When that balance gets perturbed by too much oxidation, you end up with oxidative stress. If you don't have enough oxidation, you end up with other serious problems. In many cases, damage is not caused by an excess of free radicals but rather a redox dysregulation. Although not marketed as such, the first energy drink may have been Coca-Cola, launched in 1886, as it originally contained two strong stimulants — caffeine and cocaine.The company's name — Coca-Cola — was derived from the coca plant from which cocaine is derived and the kola nut, the source of caffeine. In 1960, Taisho Pharmaceuticals in Japan made the first drink specifically targeted at increasing energy. It contained essential vitamins, taurine, and niacin, metabolic agents proven to boost energy and concentration. Recent research shows energy drinks significantly prolong electrocardiogram measurements and raise blood pressure. The goal of the research was to determine the impact energy drinks may have on electrocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters in healthy volunteers with no known heart disease risk. They gathered 34 participants with an average age of 22 years and enrolled them in a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled crossover study. The participants drank 32 ounces of energy drink A, energy drink B, or a placebo over 60 minutes on three study days. Between each study day, they underwent a six-day washout period. The primary end measurement was the assessment of various heart rhythms and electrical properties of the heart, referred to in medical terms as the QT and QTc (corrected QT) intervals, PR interval, and QRS duration.The QT interval refers to your heart rhythm, starting at ventricular depolarization (known as QRS complex) to ventricular repolarization (known as the T wave). In layman’s terms, it can be explained as the electrical pulses that govern the pumping action of your heart.Long or prolonged QT refers to fast, chaotic heartbeats that can trigger fainting, seizure, or even sudden death. According to the Food and Drug Administration, prolongation of the QTc interval (which is measured by the ECG machine) is an established risk factor for heart arrhythmias. Results confirm the energy drinks caused a prolongation of the QTc interval that remained sustained over a four-hour period, as opposed to being a transient effect. Both commonly available energy drinks had a similar effect on the electrocardiogram parameters.They contained a combination of caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, and B vitamins. The placebo drink contained lime juice, carbonated water, and cherry flavoring.The energy drinks also raised brachial and central blood pressure measurements. They recommended those with acquired or congenital long QT syndrome and/or those with high blood pressure should limit their intake of energy drinks as the beverages may worsen these conditions.Lead author Sachin Shah, Pharm. D., professor of pharmacy practice at the University of the Pacific’s Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy in Stockton, California, stated the effects went beyond what they might expect from caffeine alone. He warned:"We urgently need to investigate the particular ingredient or combination of ingredients in different types of energy drinks that might explain the findings seen in our clinical trial.”
Although not marketed as such, the first energy drink may have been Coca-Cola, launched in 1886, as it originally contained two strong stimulants — caffeine and cocaine.The company's name — Coca-Cola — was derived from the coca plant from which cocaine is derived and the kola nut, the source of caffeine. In 1960, Taisho Pharmaceuticals in Japan made the first drink specifically targeted at increasing energy. It contained essential vitamins, taurine, and niacin, metabolic agents proven to boost energy and concentration. Building on this, in 1987 Austrian Dietrich Mateschitz added caffeine and sugar and renamed the drink Red Bull. By 1997, Red Bull was introduced in the U.S., followed closely by Monster Energy drink and then 5-Hour Energy. An explosion of sales occurred by 2006 and while others have garnered part of the market, Red Bull remains the best known with annual sales near $2 billion globally.By 2012, 13 deaths had been reported over the past four years as the result of using 5-Hour Energy. The market value is predicted to reach $61 billion by 2021 and it's estimated 30% of teenagers from 12 to 17 years drink energy drinks on a regular basis. Recent research shows energy drinks significantly prolong electrocardiogram measurements and raise blood pressure. The goal of the research was to determine the impact energy drinks may have on electrocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters in healthy volunteers with no known heart disease risk. They gathered 34 participants with an average age of 22 years and enrolled them in a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled crossover study. The participants drank 32 ounces of energy drink A, energy drink B, or a placebo over 60 minutes on three study days. Between each study day, they underwent a six-day washout period. The primary end measurement was the assessment of various heart rhythms and electrical properties of the heart, referred to in medical terms as the QT and QTc (corrected QT) intervals, PR interval, and QRS duration.The QT interval refers to your heart rhythm, starting at ventricular depolarization (known as QRS complex) to ventricular repolarization (known as the T wave). In layman’s terms, it can be explained as the electrical pulses that govern the pumping action of your heart.Long or prolonged QT refers to fast, chaotic heartbeats that can trigger fainting, seizure, or even sudden death. According to the Food and Drug Administration, prolongation of the QTc interval (which is measured by the ECG machine) is an established risk factor for heart arrhythmias. Results confirm the energy drinks caused a prolongation of the QTc interval that remained sustained over a four-hour period, as opposed to being a transient effect. Both commonly available energy drinks had a similar effect on the electrocardiogram parameters.They contained a combination of caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, and B vitamins. The placebo drink contained lime juice, carbonated water, and cherry flavoring.The energy drinks also raised brachial and central blood pressure measurements. They recommended those with acquired or congenital long QT syndrome and/or those with high blood pressure should limit their intake of energy drinks as the beverages may worsen these conditions.Lead author Sachin Shah, Pharm. D., professor of pharmacy practice at the University of the Pacific’s Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy in Stockton, California, stated the effects went beyond what they might expect from caffeine alone. He warned:"We urgently need to investigate the particular ingredient or combination of ingredients in different types of energy drinks that might explain the findings seen in our clinical trial.” Dr. John Higgins, chief of cardiology at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, led a study looking at the effects of energy drinks on blood vessel function. He enlisted 44 nonsmoking, healthy medical students in their 20s and tested the students’ blood vessels before and 90 minutes after they drank a 24-ounce energy drink.The researchers found noticeably diminished function and diameter of blood vessels using an ultrasound measurement indicating overall blood vessel health. They found dilation was 5.1% in diameter before and fell to 2.8% after, suggesting an acute impairment of function.Higgins reports a lot of young people use energy drinks when they exercise, or in circumstances when the body requires top functioning arterial blood flow, so oxygen may get to the cells quickly. However, this reduction in vessel diameter effectively restricts blood flow and oxygen delivery. He commented:“It's more work for the heart and less oxygen supply for the heart. This could explain why there have been cases where kids have had a cardiac arrest after an energy drink.” Today, performance is the name of the game. From the gym to the office to the bedroom, more and more adults want to function at their best, mentally and physically. No matter your end goal... gain energy to push through fatigue, raise your metabolism to help burn body fat, maintain your blood flow, pump your muscles, or simply sharpen your mind... the drink you choose matters. The addition of hydrogen to water has these benefits in animal and human studies: -Demonstrated anti-fatigue effects on swimming mice -Pre-exercise hydration with hydrogen-rich water reduced lactate levels and improved exercise-induced decline of muscle function -A natural antioxidant to combat stress, and destroys free radicals without breaking down into new ones -May regulate immune responses and cardiometabolic disease There are a number of ways to administer hydrogen. For example, you can inhale hydrogen gas, and for this, there are inhalation machines you can buy. Caution is required, however. The gas produced at the cathode is hydrogen gas, but if the electrodes are impure or develop mineral buildup, and the water you're using has chloride in it, then chlorine gas can be produced, which you would then inhale.Other methods are drinking and/or bathing in hydrogen-rich water, and there are several ways to do that. For example, you could bubble it into the water from a tank of hydrogen gas and dissolve it under pressure. Just keep in mind that if you plan on storing it, you cannot use plastic containers, as the hydrogen molecules are so small they'll dissipate right through the container.For clarification, hydrogen gas is simply two hydrogen atoms bound together. When you dissolve it into water, it will not attach to the water molecules, so there's no risk that you're going to create some other structure. There are also intravenous hydrogen-rich saline injections and hyperbaric hydrogen therapy, developed in Japan. Please refer to these resources for further reading of this event’s material: Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009 Aug 21;386(2):316-21 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23680032 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23475767 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1551534 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18820700 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9510246 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28669654 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22608009 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23400965 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4865993/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19789628 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21293445 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28098910 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23326534 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19083400 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1166304 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29142752 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4393812/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22146004 https://medicalgasresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2045-9912-2-12 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2018/2571269/ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-26388-3 https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/489737 https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajplung.00008.2011 https://m.health24.com/Diet-and-nutrition/News/a-single-energy-drink-might-harm-blood-vessels-study-20181105 https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-11/aha-joe102618.php https://www.heart.org/en/news/2018/11/30/energy-drinks-cramming-for-final-exams-could-be-unhealthy-mix https://www.heart.org/en/news/2019/05/29/energy-drinks-may-provide-jolt-to-heart-function-blood-pressure We’ve made it through our event, and I hope that each of you has gained some valuable information from our time together! I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and any other insight you’d like to share. Please feel free to converse in the comments or message me privately at [email] I’m here for all of you! [cta]
Other lifestyle factors to consider for minimizing your risk for heart disease include: -Reduce your net carbs and eliminate processed fructose. Replace the lost calories with higher amounts of healthy fats, not protein. -Normalize your omega-3-to-omega-6 ratio. Most get far too little omega-3, found in fatty fish such as wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, anchovies, fish oil and krill oil, and too much omega-6, as it is plentiful in processed vegetable oils and hence processed and fried foods. -Optimize your vitamin D level by getting regular, sensible sun exposure. Other nutrients of importance include magnesium and vitamins K2 and C. -Get eight hours of high quality sleep each night to normalize your hormonal system. -Get regular exercise and move your body as much as possible throughout the day.
Magnesium plays a vital role in biological function and mitochondrial health and is a culprit in the development of inflammation when your levels are low. It may also play a role in inhibiting the deposit of lipids on arterial walls and plaque formation.A century ago your diet provided nearly 500 milligrams (mg) of magnesium per day. Today, courtesy of nutrient-depleted soil, you may be getting only 150 mg per day. Your body flushes excess magnesium through your stool, so using magnesium citrate and monitoring stool consistency, consider starting with 200 mg of oral magnesium citrate and gradually increasing until you develop slightly loose stools. There are multiple factors affecting the inflammatory process in your body. Some of the more significant over which you have control, include:• Hyperinsulinemia — An excess of insulin in your blood triggered by a diet high in net carbohydrates. What you eat tends to be the deal-breaker in how much insulin your body secretes. However, there are other factors contributing to your insulin levels, such as smoking, sleep quality, exercise, and vitamin D level. • Unbalanced fatty acids — Your body needs a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Unfortunately, most diets have an overabundance of omega-6 fats leading to greater levels of inflammation. Strive for a 1-to-1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats to reduce inflammation and your risk of heart disease. The Minnesota Coronary Experiment was a study performed between 1968 and 1973 that examined the relationship between diet and heart health. The results were left unpublished until 2016 when they appeared in the BMJ. An analysis of the collected data revealed lowering your cholesterol levels through dietary intervention did not reduce your risk of death from coronary heart disease. The researchers found that for every 30-point drop in total cholesterol, there was a 22 percent increase in the risk of death from cardiac disease. Upon autopsy, the group eating vegetable oil and the group eating saturated fat had the same amount of atherosclerotic plaques in their arteries, but the group eating saturated fat experienced nearly half the number of heart attacks as the group eating vegetable oil.I know that we’ve covered a lot of information.
COVID and Keto
Let’s face it, COVID has been around since the dawn of time while this variation of COVID-19 appears to have been around for only a few years. With that being said, it is here to stay and will most likely remain on our planet for eternity. Are we going to cower and live in fear? Will you never leave your home again? Is life now a self inflicted prison of the innocent? For some, yes. There are stories of some who build bunkers in the 60’s to save themselves from a nuclear attack and never came up. After only a short period of time, the human mind begins to change and lose the ability to function in society. What may end up happening is a greatly enhanced desocialization effect when one combines the social media effect with the refusal to function. Perhaps this resonates with some. Unfortunately, it appears many minds are too far gone to understand real facts as opposed to fear and statements such as the previous are met with violent outrage. This aspect is terrifying. One has a greater chance of dying in a motor vehicle accident than from COVID-19. The chances of death by motor vehicle accident can be decreased or increased based on a variety of factors such as: air bags, seat belts, distracted driving, impaired driving, health of the vehicle, reaction time by the driver etc. The same goes for COVID-19. It’s apparent that if one has a metabolic condition and continues consumption of glucose laden foods, is elderly and lives in poor physical and mental conditions such as an assisted living home, their chances of contracting and dying from this disease (along with many other diseases) is increased. This means a senior citizen who lives in an assisted living facility and consumes a breakfast of coffee, juice and cereal, lunch of a sandwich of some sort with a piece of fruit and dinner of pasta (add a soda and some milk in for good measure) and perhaps a cookie or slice of pie/ cake for dessert; has a very habitable environment for disease to consume them. Yet what was described is the standard American diet (S.A.D.). Note there is no official one size fits all treatment for COVID-19. Many different therapies are being tested and tried. The best we can do is just that- our best. So what can be done to reduce the risks of this illness?
The purpose of this research is to really hone in and understand on number five. It is interesting that it appears by optimizing your metabolic health may be an effective way to mitigate the severity of a COVID-19 infection. This is because when you're metabolically flexible, you're not insulin resistant, and insulin resistance and diabetes are significant risk factors. A ketogenic diet was developed as a very powerful treatment for pediatric epilepsy (1920’s). The dawn of anti-seizure drugs (1930’s) put a keto lifestyle on the shelves. In 2020, we face a growing epidemic of insulin resistance including it’s effects such as diabetes, heart disease and increased susceptibility to viral infections. As of 2018, 34.2 million Americans have a diagnosis of diabetes. This is 1 in 10 Americans!!! 88 million have pre-diabetes and could be part of the increasing diagnosis any moment. In 2017, diabetes was mentioned as a cause of death in a total of 270,702 certificates. Diabetes may be underreported as a cause of death. Studies have found that only about 35% to 40% of people with diabetes who died had diabetes listed anywhere on the death certificate and about 10% to 15% had it listed as the underlying cause of death”. This means that just two years ago, 28 million more Americans contracted diabetes, which is preventable, than have COVID-19 thus far. As of 2017, more have died of diabetes than have COVID-19. Yet it’s being shown that those with insulin resistance are far greater at risk to contract diseases such as COVID-19. To better understand how this happens, let’s delve into some science for a moment. The four fuels your body utilizes on a daily basis are carbohydrates, fats, proteins and ketones. Each has it’s purpose and can be both manipulated either consciously or subconsciously to be positive or negative for your entire body (brain included). Carbs and fat are your two main sources of fuel. Carbs are your instant fuel while fats take longer to break down and can be more of that long slow burn. Protein is broken down into amino acids as your building blocks to repair and recover. Protein can be converted into glucose through gluconeogenic pathways and be used as fuel. However, the ideal fasted fuel is ketones. Protein can also be converted back into glucose through gluconeogenic pathways. When you fast, protein can be used as an alternative fuel, but the ideal fuel is ketones. Our bodies were designed to utilize glucose as the primary fuel of choice. Once a carbohydrate is consumed, it is broken down in what is known as a glycolytic pathway and either is burned or processed through 10 steps before reaching a molecular state known as Acetyl-CoA. This then enters the citric acid cycle and it’s substrates enter the electron transport chain to produce ATP (useable fuel). The consumption of carbohydrates releases insulin into the blood stream. With the release of insulin, you turn off the processing of fat (beta oxidation) as fuel and begin lipogenesis (build and store fat). On the flip side, when insulin is low as is during a state of ketosis (brought on by fasting, a ketogenic lifestyle and/ or exogenous ketones), beta-oxidation ensues and your body will use fat for fuel. Remember that while there’s 4 calories per gram of carbs and protein, there’s 9 calories per gram of fat. What does this mean? More energy can be released with less grams of fat than carbs or protein! Remember that fat burning is turned off by a high level of carbohydrates (specific to the individual). With low levels of carbohydrates, you burn fat and generate ketones to burn as fuel. Levels of insulin are low at this point and will signal to your adipose cells (fat cells) to release body fat stored at triglycerides. This occurs for the most part in the liver. For those with an unhealthy liver, this process can be inhibited. With increased beta-oxidation, oxaloacetate is pulled out of the mitochondria. As Acetyl-CoA can no longer combine with oxaloacetate, there’s a build up of Acetyl-CoA and then converts instead to acetoacetate. This then gets converted into beta-hydroxybutyrate. Beta-hydroxybutyrate enters the blood stream as fuel. With today’s Standard American Diet, most individuals never reach the ability to allow their bodies to experience fuel by ketones. The constant consumption of high glycemic foods keeps insulin raised and eventually leads to weight gain and worse yet, insulin resistance. Without the ability to shuttle glucose into cells as insulin does, excess glucose is allowed to float freely. Glucose is very rigid and therefore damages both the epithelial lining (blood vessels) as well as nerves. When it comes to a ketogenic lifestyle and viruses such as COVID-19, the keto bread is in the keto pudding. Many health officials talk about social distancing and mask wearing but do not address an issue that puts so many at risk and that is metabolic dysfunction. The virus exposes this risk and is capitalizing on individuals lack of desire to be well. There is extreme bias in the thinking of humans and how we react. The fact that human decision making is done out of fear as opposed to a full accounting of fact proves disproportionate. A true balance in our lives as individuals must be realized in order to achieve a true balance as a world that must either come together or fall apart. We spend an absurd amount of money each year in sick care as opposed to health care and watch the numbers of the sick rise higher and higher. Instead we have a free installation of health care in our bodies called ketones. This is extremely potent and powerful and ready to be accessed to those who are ready to step out of fear and into a reality where false evidence appearing real does not exist! Remember, in life we cannot control things but merely increase or decrease odds of an occurrence. Staying locked up in a prison without proper sunlight, proper nutrition and exercise while we gain weight and become insulin resistance is a method to contract disease. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and forever wish you only the best. Zevia can Living With
LUPUS Thank you for joining us! We understand health-related issues can be challenging to talk about but know that we’re here to help. To begin, let’s get on the same page about lupus as a condition. Lupus is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases cause the immune system to attack healthy cells by mistake, damaging many parts of the body, leading to chronic inflammation. There is no known cause or cure for lupus, and 9 out of 10 people with lupus are women. Additionally, 1 in 3 lupus patients suffer from multiple autoimmune diseases. Lupus most commonly affects your: - Skin - Joints - Internal organs, like your kidneys and heart According to the Lupus Foundation of America, six years is the average time from the onset of symptoms to obtaining a diagnosis of lupus. This is due to the many challenges associated with the disease. Symptoms can be unclear, can come and go, and can change, as well as mimic many other illnesses. While lupus is a widespread disease, awareness of the disease lags behind many other illnesses. There are four different forms of lupus: SYSTEMIC LUPUS is the most common, accounting for approximately 70 percent of all cases of lupus. In approximately half of these cases, a major organ or tissue in the body, such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, or brain, will be affected. CUTANEOUS LUPUS (affecting only the skin) accounts for approximately 10 percent of all lupus cases. DRUG-INDUCED LUPUS accounts for about 10 percent of all lupus cases and is caused by high doses of certain medications. The symptoms of drug-induced lupus are similar to systemic lupus; however, symptoms usually subside when the medications are discontinued. NEONATAL LUPUS is a rare condition in which the mother's antibodies affect the fetus. At birth, the baby may have a skin rash, liver problems, or low blood cell counts, but these symptoms typically disappear completely after six months with no lasting effects. If you’re living with lupus, here are some statistics you may relate to: 65% of people with lupus say chronic pain is the most difficult part of having lupus. 76% of lupus patients say fatigue caused by lupus has forced them to cut back on social activities. 9% of people with lupus say they can no longer work full-time due to lupus complications. Patients report pain, lifestyle changes, and emotional problems associated with lupus as the most difficult parts of coping with lupus. Living with lupus is all about managing symptoms. To do this, it’s important to identify your lupus flares, aka the times your symptoms get worse. Flares can come and go. Common triggers include: - Overwork and not enough rest - Stress - Being out in the sun or having close exposure to fluorescent or halogen light - Infection - Injury - Stopping your lupus medicines - Other types of medicines Before a flare, your symptoms might get worse, or you might get new signs and symptoms, such as: - Feeling more tired - Pain - Rash - Fever - Stomach ache - Severe headache - Dizziness One of the most important and first steps for managing your symptoms is to follow your treatment plan closely and keep your healthcare providers up to date with how you’re feeling. Open communication with your doctor is key. Only you can feel what’s going on in your body. Let your doctor know immediately if you think you are not tolerating treatments. According to research, patients with lupus who see their rheumatologist regularly have better health outcomes. Many effects of lupus can be silent, such as the onset of kidney disease. This is why it’s crucial to keep up with routine check-ups and doctor visits, even if you are feeling well. Learn about lupus. The more you know about your condition, the more you’ll feel more in control. It’s also important to know as much as you can about what triggers a flare for you. Take note of what you were doing or experiencing when your flare developed, and what you think your particular triggers may be. Get the right amount of exercise. Your mental health, bone health, and cardiovascular health all benefit from exercise. Exercise will also help with weight control. The type of activity isn’t as important as getting daily exercise. If you’re of childbearing age, do plan for pregnancy. This is especially important if you are taking medication to manage your lupus. When planning to conceive, working with your doctor is key for a healthy pregnancy. It’s important to create a schedule that allows plenty of time for rest. This means 7-8 hours of restful sleep each night and time to take breaks throughout the day. The goal is to avoid becoming overtired. Meditation, yoga, reading a good book—practice activities regularly that help you reduce stress. Nothing will zap your energy faster than stress and negativity. Surround yourself with positive people and participate in activities you enjoy regularly. Sun protection is important all year round. Ultraviolet radiation can cause a flare or skin rashes, and some medications increase your sensitivity to UV. Opt for a mineral-based sunscreen for the best coverage. There are plenty of reasons to quit smoking, but if you have lupus, here’s one more: Various studies report smoking possibly could trigger lupus flares. Studies have confirmed that smoking worsens many aspects of lupus. Not everyone needs to go on a special diet when diagnosed with lupus. However, there are certain foods that may trigger flares. Replace soda and sugary beverages with water. You can make water more exciting by flavoring it with fresh fruits and herbs. Replace chicken with end grass fed red meat and fish. Fish and end grass fed beef is a lean protein that is high in omega 3 fatty acids as compared to the high amount of omega-6 arachadonic acid that is found in chicken. Avoid refined carbohydrates. This includes processed bread, pasta, rice, and snacks. Widespread and chronic inflammation is common with autoimmune diseases such as lupus. You can help your body fight against the harmful effects of inflammation with the following foods: - flax seeds - avocados - walnuts - berries - leafy green vegetables - carrots - squash - lean protein Imagine understanding the cause of your symptoms instead of masking them with medications. Functional medicine does exactly that! Functional medicine is used as a tool to address the underlying causes of disease. It’s ideal for chronic conditions such as lupus. Using a system-oriented approach, the patient and practitioner work together to develop a therapeutic partnership. This means you play a significant role in your treatment. Conventionally trained physicians are mostly taught to diagnose disease by symptoms, NOT by their underlying cause. Functional medicine techniques have identified five common hidden causes of chronic conditions. These include: - Allergens - Microbes or imbalance of the bugs in your gut - Toxins - Poor diet - Stress We’re here to help you address these hidden causes of flares and customize a treatment plan for you. We have a few minutes left. Please post your questions in the comments section. Please continue to share your questions. If you need help with any of the lifestyle changes we discussed, feel free to schedule a consultation with our office by calling [phone]. We’re here to help you live better with lupus! Thanks AGAIN!
Bring Balance to your home
Today we’ll be discussing ways to create balance in the home. For this discussion, we’ll be drawing from the philosophy of feng shui. Feng shui is a Chinese system of laws considered to govern special arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy. Historically, feng shui has been used to orient spiritually significant structures like tombs, but also home dwellings and other structures, in an auspicious manner. In feng shui, energy is referred to as chi or qi, but there are many terms that can be used to describe this aspect of universal energy. Today we’ll be using the term “energy” as an all-encompassing phrase. To picture the energy in your home, visualize water entering through your front door. Look around the space that you’re in right now. Would water flow smoothly and nourish all areas, or would it become blocked and stagnant? Creating a home free from blocked energy will create space for your mind to become unblocked as well. After all, you can tell a lot about a person from the way they keep their home! In the world of feng shui, removing clutter is more so about creating space. When you create space in your home, you create space in your life, and you’re able to welcome new things. Start by finding a physical spot in your home and clearing it out—a drawer, a table, your refrigerator—size doesn’t matter, just take some time to clear it out and let go of whatever isn’t necessary. Life is not static, but continually changing. Open spaces get filled, then emptied, then filled again. Play with the space you have, and don’t be afraid to let things go! Take a look around your space. Do you see anything that doesn’t serve a specific function? What about something that looks displeasing to the eye? We’re all guilty of bringing things into our home that we don’t really “need,” but having this clutter in our living space can distract us and weigh us down emotionally. To mend this, have a designated space for everything, from your keys to your mail, and make use of the organizational systems you create! When there’s a direct line-of-sight between the front and back doors, the energy is shooting through the house too fast. Slow down the movement of energy by breaking up the space with an area rug, artwork on the walls, or a round entry table to help energy move more gracefully. The front door is essential in feng shui because it’s the leading portal from which energy enters your home. Make sure that you don’t block it with shoes or other clutter, instead, create a landing space for sunglasses, keys, shoes, jackets, and anything else you might shed or grab as you walk through the door. If you face a wall as you walk through the door, put something between you and that wall to avoid feeling like you’re cornered in as you enter your space. Slow down the energy in your home, and especially around your doorway by adding artwork or other aesthetically pleasing objects that make you stop and reflect. If you’re lucky enough to live in a space with many windows, take advantage of it! Natural light makes us feel happier and more positive. If you don’t have a lot of natural light, strategically install mirrors to reflect light, create the illusion of a more expansive space, and bring more light into your home. Dirty windows mean that less sunlight can enter. When we don’t have a well-lit space, things seem less vibrant, and our energy can decline. Make a habit of cleaning your windows to help see the world around you with more color, clarity, and precision. Plants are energy sources; they’re living things that bring freshness, health, and vitality into our spaces! When picking out plants, make sure you choose plants that you’re able to care for. Understand how much attention they need and consider the light you have in your home versus the light they need to thrive. Even in low-lit spaces, there are plenty of plants that can flourish and grow. Make sure that all your doors can open to at least 90 degrees. If the doors in your house can’t open all the way, every time you use them you’re subtly reminded that you’re only able to receive a portion of the opportunities that life has to offer. While you’re at it, make sure that hinges aren’t squeaking and that all the hardware is working correctly. The inability to open doors in your living space with ease can affect how energy finds its way to you. There are three positions in particular that you want to bring attention to - your bed, your desk, and your stove. The bed represents you. The desk represents your career. The stove represents your wealth. When you’re in any of these positions, make sure that you can see the door without being in direct line of it. Often, this means that you set your bed and desk up in a diagonal position from the door. Usually, your stove will be up against a wall anyway, so when standing at it, you won’t be facing a door. Ideally, when sleeping, your head (or the head of the bed) should be facing North. North represents quieting of the mind and promotes the warm, restorative, safe feeling that comes from a deep sleep or hibernation. Next time you’re in your bedroom, pull out the compass app on your phone to see which way you’ve been sleeping! Hallways are like the arteries where energy moves and circulates through our home. Be mindful that hallways are kept clear of clutter, but don’t hesitate to pepper the walls with photographs and artwork, especially for long hallways. Too much empty space can make energy move too quickly. When you get dressed for the day and open up your closet only to see all the clothes that don’t fit you anymore, that affects your mood! Make time to go through your closet and get rid of clothes that you haven’t worn in a while, don’t fit you anymore, or just generally don’t make you feel good. Be kind to yourself in this process, and know that you’ll come across many more items that will bring you joy, so it’s alright to let go of a few right now. When we no longer have use for a belonging, it’s best to thank that item for the use it has provided us, then allow it to reach someone new, who can make more use of it than you can. Each season, or more often if you wish, go through your belongings and compile a box of items to donate. If you have trouble parting with items, take some time to find a donation that you feel good about contributing to. A quick online search will surely provide you with more options than you’re likely aware of. From women’s shelters to thrift stores that donate their funds to animal shelters, knowing that your cherished items are helping a cause you care about can make the process much easier. In each room, begin with the largest piece of furniture (bed, sofa, desk) and move it as far away from the door as possible, while still facing that direction. This way, while you use the furniture, you’ll be in a position of increased power and decreased vulnerability. TIP: Think like a cat. Generally, cats will back up against a corner so they can have the best view of the room and don’t leave space for anything to sneak up behind them. This gives them a position of power or a “commanding position.” Water, metal, earth, fire, and wood are the five elements that make up the world. If a room still doesn’t feel quite right, assess to see if any elements are missing. Here’s a quick breakdown of how to represent the elements into objects: Wood – fresh or silk flowers; plants; cotton or other natural fibers/fabric; wooden furniture. Fire – candles; incandescent lights; sunlight, any shade of red, pink or purple; electronic equipment; animal print. Earth – anything in earth tones (brown, green, or sand); square and rectangular shapes; low and flat surfaces; images of landscapes. Metal – round or oval shapes; anything made of metal, aluminum, gold, or silver; rocks and stones; white, gray, silver, or pastel colors. Water – the color black; reflective surfaces like mirrors; wavy, free-form, or asymmetrical shapes; water or water features like fountains or aquariums. Now that you’re ready to start tackling the rooms in your house, what will you start with? Do you have any questions that you’d like to clear up before you roll up your sleeves? The following resources have been referred to in the making of today’s presentation: Feng Shui Rules: https://www.thespruce.com/feng-shui-rules-for-every-room-4118349 https://www.invaluable.com/blog/what-is-feng-shui/ https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-universal-energy-in-feng-shui-1275045 https://www.mydomaine.com/feng-shui-home-tips Five Elements: https://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/design-101/the-elements-of-feng-shui Thank you all so much for joining me for this event! I hope that you all learned something valuable and can put it to use to make your living space a little bit brighter. Please share any questions you have in the comments below, OR feel free to message me privately as well. I’m here to help! [cta] Share your plans! While many people have heard of fasting, few understand the process and benefits. For many, the idea of fasting may seem daunting and a challenge.
Fasting is one of the oldest dietary interventions in the world, and modern science confirms it can have a profoundly beneficial influence on your health. Intermittent fasting is a powerful approach that facilitates weight loss and helps reduce your risk of chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Research overwhelmingly supports the notion that ditching the "three square meals a day" approach in favor of intermittent fasting can do wonders for your health, as your body simply isn't designed to be continuously fed. Intermittent fasting typically refers to not eating for at least 14 consecutive hours a day. However, not eating for 16 to 18 hours is likely closer to a metabolic ideal. This means you are only eating your food within a six to eight-hour window. The cycling of feasting (feeding) and famine (fasting) mimics the eating habits of our ancestors and restores your body to a more natural state that allows a whole host of biochemical benefits to occur. In recent years, it's become increasingly clear that your body cannot run optimally when there's a continuous supply of calories coming in. For starters, when you eat throughout the day and never skip a meal, your body adapts to burning sugar as its primary fuel, which downregulates enzymes that utilize and burn stored fat. As a result, you start becoming progressively more insulin resistant and start gaining weight, and most efforts to lose weight become ineffective. It's important to realize that in order to lose body fat, your body must first be able to actually burn fat. Let’s clear up some myths about fasting. One common myth is that fasting will lead to loss of muscle mass. During fasting, you start by burning off all the glycogen in the liver, which is all the sugar. There's a point there where some of the excess amino acids in your body need to get burnt as well. That's where people say, 'That's where you're burning muscle.' That's not actually what happens. The body never upregulates its protein catabolism. Never is it burning muscle; there's a normal turnover that goes on. There is a certain amount of protein that you need for a regular turnover. When you start fasting, that starts to go down and then fat oxidation goes way up. In essence, what you've done is you switched over from burning sugar to burning fat. Another common fear is that fasting equals starvation, which is not true. First of all, starvation is a forced situation that you have no control over whereas fasting is optional. You have complete control. Many also believe they cannot or should not fast because it will send their body into "starvation mode" — a situation where the body starts holding on to fat rather than burning it off. What they're talking about is where the body's metabolism starts to slow down so significantly that instead of burning 2,000 calories a day, your body might burn 1,000 calories a day. In that case, even if you're eating only 1,500 calories a day, for example, you're going to gain your weight back. That's actually what happens when you reduce your calories. We know that ... as you cut your calorie intake, your calorie expenditure goes down as well. Starvation mode actually is guaranteed if you just try and cut your calories. But what's interesting is that fasting doesn't do that. What happens during fasting is that ... after four days of fasting, the basal metabolic rate is actually 10 percent higher than when you started. While 80 percent of the population would likely benefit from water fasting, there are several absolute contraindications. If any of the following apply to you, you should NOT do extended types of fasting: -Underweight, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 or less. -Malnourished (in which case you need to eat healthier, more nutritious food). -Children should not fast for longer than 24 hours, as they need nutrients for continued growth. If your child needs to lose weight, a far safer and more appropriate approach is to cut out refined sugars and grains. Fasting is risky for children as it cuts out ALL nutrients, including those they need a steady supply of. -Pregnant and/or breastfeeding women. The mother needs a steady supply of nutrients in order to assure the baby's healthy growth and development, so fasting during pregnancy or while breastfeeding is simply too risky for the child. There are many ways to do an extended fast. Following are some of the most common variations: Water fasting — This is exactly what it sounds like: You don't eat; you only drink water, for several days in a row (typically no less than 24 hours). Water plus non-caloric beverages — A slight variation on the water fast is to include other non-caloric beverages, such as herbal tea and coffee (without milk, sugar, or other sweeteners, including artificial non-caloric sweeteners). Bone broth variation — Another variation Fung often recommends for longer fasts is to allow the use of bone broth. In addition to healthy fats, bone broth also contains lots of protein, so it's not really a true fast. Fat fasting — Here, you allow healthy fats during the fast in addition to water and/or non-caloric beverages. While you probably would not eat a stick of butter, you could have bulletproof coffee (black coffee with butter, coconut oil or MCT oil), for example. Alternatively, you could add the fat to your tea. Your body is a marvel of ingenuity, and the more you can work WITH it rather than against it, the healthier you're likely to be. Consider the following: Intermittent fasting involves scheduling your meals in such a way that you get a period of fasting each day. Typically, you'll eat all of your meals within a six- or seven-hour window. Many people when they first start intermittent fasting, they decide to skip breakfast. However, in studying mitochondrial function, it can be concluded that it's not a good idea to eat late at night, because that's when your body is readying for rest, regeneration, and repair. Eating in the evening creates surplus ATP, which will simply generate excessive amounts of damaging reactive oxygen species. While intermittent fasting is likely to be beneficial for most people, here are some points to consider: -Intermittent fasting does not have to be a form of calorie restriction — It's a practice that should make you feel good. If your fasting strategy is making you feel weak and lethargic, you need to reevaluate your approach. -Sugar cravings are temporary — Your hunger and craving for sugar will slowly dissipate as your body starts burning fat as its primary fuel. Once your body has successfully shifted into fat-burning mode, it will be easier for you to fast for as long as 18 hours and still feel satiated. -It is not advisable to practice intermittent fasting if your daily diet is filled with processed foods — While intermittent fasting may sound like a panacea against ill health and excess weight, it alone may not provide you with all of these benefits. The quality of your diet plays an important role if you're looking for more than mere weight loss. It's critical to avoid refined carbohydrates, sugar/fructose, and grains. Focus your diet on vegetable carbohydrates, healthy protein in moderate amounts, and healthy fats such as butter, eggs, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, and raw nuts. While the idea of fasting for several days may seem daunting, there are ways to ease into it that will minimize any discomfort. One way to graduate into four-day fasting was by increasing your intermittent daily fasting from 16 hours to 21 hours, leaving only a three-hour window in which you eat all your food for the day. After two months of that, try a four-day fast where your only sustenance is water and a multimineral supplement. You don’t necessarily need to do intermittent fasting for 18 months before trying water-only fasts, but doing it for a few months would radically decrease any negative side effects. So, if you want to try a multiday fast, consider extending your intermittent fasting first, then work your way into 24-, 48-, 72-hour and even longer fasts. And remember, you are in complete control and can break your fast any time you want. I would encourage you to increase your daily intermittent fasting toward the 18- to 21-hour range, which will enable you to transition into more extended fasts without significant struggle. If you are on medication or have a chronic health condition, work with your doctor to make sure you don't complicate your situation. For example, you need to make sure you're taking a high-quality multimineral supplement daily. Before you jump into days-long water-only fasting, start with intermittent fasting. I believe it will significantly ease the process and raise your chances of success. Research has confirmed that many biological repair and rejuvenation processes take place when there's an absence of food, and this is another reason why all-day grazing triggers disease. Your body never has the time to clean out the garbage and regenerate. When you go without food for a period of time, the resulting metabolic changes stimulate a natural cleansing process known as autophagy, or mitophagy in the case of mitochondrial autophagy, in which your body detoxifies and rids itself of damaged cells. When you're in constant "feast mode," your body forgoes many of these benefits. That does not mean you need to (or should) starve yourself for extended periods of time though. Simply cycling between periods of eating and fasting on a daily or weekly schedule has been shown to provide many of the same benefits as complete fasting, where you don't eat for several days. While some intermittent fasting programs claim you can binge on whatever you want on non-fasting days, I strongly recommend paying attention to the quality of your food regardless of the program you choose. Since you're eating less, you'll want to make sure you're getting high-quality nutrients from your food. Healthy fats are especially important, as intermittent fasting pushes your body to switch over into fat-burning mode. If you feel tired and sluggish, it may be a sign you need to increase the amount of healthy fat in your diet. Cutting net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) is equally important. Fructose is particularly troublesome as it activates a key enzyme, fructokinase, which in turn activates another enzyme that causes your cells to accumulate fat and resist letting any of it go. If you're overweight, insulin-resistant, or diabetic, reducing sugar consumption is really key. As a general rule — whether you're fasting or not, and regardless of the fasting schedule you're on — it's important to eat a diet that is: -High in healthy fats. Many will benefit from 50 to 85 percent of their daily calories in the form of healthy fat from avocados, organic grass-fed butter, pastured egg yolks, coconut oil, and raw nuts such as macadamia, pecans, and pine nuts. -Moderate amounts of high-quality protein from organically raised, grass-fed, or pastured animals. Most will likely not need more than 40 to 80 grams of protein per day. (It is recommended to limit protein to one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass.) -Unrestricted amounts of fresh low net carb vegetables, ideally organic. Besides when and what to eat, another common question relates to duration. Just how long must you continue intermittently fasting? While some embrace it as a lifestyle (and this tends to be particularly true of those who restrict their daily eating to a specific window of time), it's not something you have to do for the rest of your life. Peak Fasting is done every day rather than a few days a week. However, you can certainly cycle in off days due to schedule or social commitments. The key is flexibility. But if circumstances allow, seek to do it every day. The process is simple. The toughest part of any intermittent fasting plan is getting through the initial transition, which can take anywhere from 7 to 10 days. Maybe even longer for some people, depending on how insulin-resistant you are, and other factors, like your weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, and if you are not consistent with the fasting and wind up cheating. About 10 percent of people will report headaches as a side effect when they first start fasting, but the biggest complaint is hunger. It may be helpful to remember that part of why you're craving food is because your body has not yet made the switch from burning sugar to burning fat as its primary fuel. As long as you're running on sugar, which is a fast-burning fuel, frequent hunger pangs will be the norm. Fat is far more satisfying, as it's a much slower-burning fuel. Remember, a diet high in carbohydrates severely inhibits your body's ability to produce lipase and use fat as an energy source. Lipase is inhibited because of high insulin levels, and your insulin rises in response to eating foods high in carbohydrates, so it's important to replace carbs with healthy fat in order to successfully make that metabolic switch-over and become an efficient fat burner. Another factor that can trip you up during the transition period is purely psychological. If you're used to grazing throughout the day, it may take some time to break the habit. One trick is to drink more water. Oftentimes people mistake thirst for hunger. Intermittent fasting has a long list of confirmed health benefits. -Releasing ketones into your bloodstream, which help preserve brain function and protect against epileptic seizures, cognitive impairment, and other neurodegenerative diseases -Boosting production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which stimulates the creation of new brain cells and triggers brain chemicals that protect against brain changes associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease -Increasing growth hormone by as much as 1,300 percent in women and 2,000 percent in men, thereby promoting muscle development and vitality -Lowering insulin and improving your insulin sensitivity; studies have shown intermittent fasting can both prevent and reverse Type 2 diabetes, which is rooted in insulin resistance -Increasing levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which helps your body break down fat to be used as fuel and benefits your metabolism -Upregulating autophagy and mitophagy, which will help protect against most disease, including cancer and neurodegeneration -Lowering oxidative stress and inflammation -Improving circulating glucose and lipid levels -Reducing blood pressure -Reproducing some of the cardiovascular benefits associated with exercise -Protecting against cardiovascular disease -Reducing low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol Besides normalizing your weight, intermittent fasting is also one of the ways by which you can significantly boost mitochondrial health and energy efficiency, which is important for chronic disease prevention, thereby cutting your risk for health problems like heart disease and cancer. Intermittent fasting can also have a very beneficial impact on your brain function, and may even hold help aid in preventing Alzheimer's disease. Like other studies before it, recent research finds fasting may improve insulin sensitivity, reverse diabetes and supports your weight management efforts when combined with exercise. The research, presented at Digestive Disease Week 2019, was based on the fasting prayer practices of Muslims during Ramadan. The pilot study enlisted 14 healthy individuals who routinely fasted for 15 hours a day from dawn to dusk over 30 days. Researchers collected blood samples before the individuals began their religious fast and at the end of the fourth week of fasting. An additional blood panel was drawn one week post fasting. The research work was partially supported by a National Institutes of Health Public Health Service grant. Fasting for 30 days raised the levels of tropomyosin (TPM) proteins that in turn improved insulin resistance and reduced the adverse effects of a diet rich in sugar. Higher levels of TPM 1, 3 and 4 were found in the blood samples of the participants. TPM is a key factor in maintaining the health of cells important to insulin resistance. Another recent study evaluating the effectiveness of omitting a meal before an early workout was published in the Journal of Nutrition. The researchers wanted to see if skipping breakfast before working out would affect the relationship to food for the remainder of the day. While exercise plays an important role in weight management and overall health, past studies have demonstrated that people who begin a new exercise program often compensate for energy burned during exercise by eating more later in the day, or by moving less. The researchers enrolled healthy, physically active young men who all completed three stages in a randomized order separated by over one week. During the one stage, the participants ate a breakfast of oats and milk followed by rest. In another, they had the same breakfast and then exercised for 60 minutes. During another stage, the participants fasted overnight and then exercised in the morning before eating. The following 24 hours of caloric intake was monitored and calculated. The researchers found those who fasted and then exercised had a negative 400 calorie intake during the day as compared to those who ate and rested or who ate breakfast before exercising.
Health is more than simply focused on the body. There are many aspects of life one must be healthy in. One of those aspects is relationships. Is your relationship a healthy relationship? Many individuals have found themselves alone and single and in the world of dating and cannot figure out why they cannot find the man/ woman of their dreams. In this weeks Healthy Happy Hour by Functionised @Jim Goetz Fitness and Chantea Goetz PhDs, MS, CES Health & Fitness Coach delve into how to land the person of your dreams and have a healthier relationship in your life. Plus the recipe for this weeks keto angel food cake will be posted!!!!
functionised.com/hhh.html FB: @Functionised IG: @Functionised Athena's Keto Angel Food Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Recipe NotesTo line the cake pan, you will need a 9-inch circle of parchment paper. Fold the paper in half and then in half again to create a cone. Cut enough out of the tip so that when it is opened, it first over the center of the tube pan. It does not need to be perfect. Nutrition Facts Keto Angel Food Cake Amount Per Serving (1 serving = 1/12th of cake) Calories 128 Calories from Fat 84 Fat 9.3g Carbohydrates 4.2g Fiber 1.8g Protein 9.3g |
Hosts
Jim and Chantea Goetz host Healthy Happy Hour, an hour long event each week where they take you into their world to become a better version of yourself. Learn new topics on your health and fitness, enjoy new recipes of organic, ketogenic and paleo dishes. Understand at times controversial topics and learn a new exercise each week to keep you moving towards greatness! Get on your couch to get off your couch and Live Functionised! Archives
October 2020
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