Remedy Rising

  • Email
  • Twitter

  • HOME
  • Who Am I?
  • Contact
  • My Books
  • Archive
  • Decentralized-Knowledge
  • Case Studies

5 Reasons Nitric Oxide is Important

May 12, 2015 by Matt 3 Comments

nitric oxide is important
nitric oxide is important

This is not actually what Nitric Oxide looks like.

Nitric Oxide? What’s That?

Is it what they use in their cars in Fast and the Furious?  Nope.

Is it the “laughing gas” they give you at the dentist? Sure isn’t.

Ok, so what is Nitric Oxide then?

Nitric Oxide is simply (NO).  It is one molecule of nitrogen attached to one molecule of oxygen.

Nitric Oxide is produced naturally inside the body and it is critical for optimal health.

The chemical used by Vin Diesel, dentists, and in aerosol cans is Nitrous Oxide (N2O).  The extra nitrogen molecule in Nitrous Oxide completely changes the gas.

Now that we have that cleared up, lets dive into the 5 reasons why nitric oxide is important!

nitric oxide important1. Cardiovascular Health

In your head, picture a river.

The water in the river represents your blood, and the channel that it flows through represents your vein.

Well what happens if a tree falls into the river and debris starts accumulating in that spot?

The river flow will slow down, and the water won’t be able to nourish the plants that are downstream as well as it did before the blockage.

This is essentially what happens to our veins as we age, and this is where Nitric Oxide steps in.

Nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator, which means that it widens the blood vessels and therefore improves blood flow.

This vasodilation lowers blood pressure and heart rate(S).  It is also responsible for the bulging veins you see in body builders and for the “pump” that all weight lifters know and love.

Just listen to what Arnold has to say about “the pump:”

Increased blood flow brings with it increased oxygen and nutrients to the cells that need it.  Increased blood flow also means better waste removal(lactic acid, etc).

Therefore, more NO = increased blood flow =  faster muscle growth and quicker recovery from exercise(S,S).

The discovery of how powerful NO is as a cardio-protective molecule actually led to these researchers receiving a Nobel Prize.

Evidence that Nitric Oxide is Cardio-Protective:

  • Impairment of NO is shown to be an independent risk factor for major adverse cardiovascular events(S).
  • “Atherosclerosis, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, thrombosis and stroke have all been linked to abnormalities in NO signaling(S).”
  • Low NO faciliates the process that causes arterial plaque and leads to the hardening of arteries(this is bad)(S).

In other words, Low NO = No Good.

nitric oxide naturally2. Better Immunity

  • Macrophages produce NO to kill invading bacteria(S).
  • NO also exhibits antitumor activity(S).

In this study they show that “plasma levels of nitrite and nitrates increased upon infection, suggesting an increase in endogenous production of NOs.”  What this means is that NO levels increase in order to fight off infections.

It also goes on to say “NO generated by macrophages could kill leukemia cells.”  Leukemia is a type of cancer by the way.

It’s pretty crazy that this molecule is able to both pump up your muscles and fight off infections.

Better blood flow, better immunity, ok what else?

ntiric oxide important3. Boosts Brain Function

Aside from the obvious boost that improved blood flow would mean for the brain; nitric oxide also acts as a neurotransmitter or more specifically, a gasotransmitter(S).

A) Mood Boost – NO appears to have a definite connection with neuronal serotonin levels, and as I’ve said before – serotonin is the happy chemical.

toldyaso

See, I told you I said it before.

  • This study shows the potential link between NO levels and serotonin levels.
  • Here they discuss the potential of NO as a novel treatment for mood disorders.  Hint:  it also suggests a serotonin connection.

-So increased levels of  nitric oxide can put you in a better mood?  That’s a first…usually gas puts people in a bad mood. 😛

B) Enhances memory – Nitric oxide enhances memory because it is necessary for Long-term potentiation(LTP) in the hippocampus(S,S).

LTP is considered a vital process in learning and memory and without it we really wouldn’t know much.

NO facilitates this learning process.

C) Activates Neuronal Development – This is pretty cool.  Nitric Oxide actually turns on the genes that promote neuron growth including dendritic growth and branching(S,S).

Dendrites are the root-like part of neurons that literally branch out and make connections with other neurons.

Longer dendrites are associated with easier learning, better recall, and higher computational power(S,S).

All of these benefits from such a simple molecule…

Better blood flow, better immunity, better brain function, ok what else?

nitric oxide important4. Better Sleep

“It is widely accepted that nitric oxide facilitates sleep(S).”

NO is intimately involved in non-rapid eye movement sleep(NREM sleep) and sleep homeostasis(S).

In this study they show that inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis(one of the pathways that creates NO) suppresses spontaneous sleep.

In other words, no “NO” = no zZz’s

Increased levels of NO results in increased levels of cGMP.  At night, levels of cGMP are higher which suggests an increase in NO.

It is through this relationship, that this study proposes NO and cGMP are involved in the circadian rhythm.

NO may also help with sleep apnea.  Sleep apnea is associated with lower levels of nitric oxide(S,S).

Learn what sleep apnea is here and consider taking the Sleep Apnea Quiz.

  • Nitric oxide makes blood vessels more elastic.  On the other hand, sleep apnea makes your blood vessels less elastic because it causes lower nitric oxide levels.  This implies that sleep apnea could be ameliorated by correcting a nitric oxide deficiency.

Snoring may also be a sign of sleep apnea:  “Loud frequent snoring is one of the indicators of OSA(obstructive sleep apnea), which is a chronic condition characterized by pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep(S).”

If you have sleep apnea  you more than likely have low levels of nitric oxide and are at risk for further vascular diseases(S).

But as always, consult a doctor.

Better blood flow, better immunity, better brain function, better sleep, ok what else?

nitric oxide important5. Better Sex 😮

Woop, Woop! There it is!

That’s right ladies and gentleman, increased nitric oxide levels results in better sexual function.

For men this means harder erections, since NO is directly responsible for flooding the corpus cavernosum with the blood that results in an erection.  Nitric Oxide is also the foundation which drugs like Viagra work upon(S).

For women this means increased blood flow to the vagina which leads to clitoral engorgement, enhanced sensitivity, and increased lubrication(S).

I don’t think this needs any further explanation…NO is no joke.


Let’s recap.

Increased NO results in:

  1. Better blood flow
  2. Better immunity
  3. Better brain function
  4. Better sleep, and
  5. Better sex!

Hopefully now you understand why Nitric Oxide is important.


What are some factors that put you at risk for low nitric oxide?

  • Smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, history of heart disease, poor diet, and sleep apnea are some common ones.

How do you test your Nitric Oxide levels?

  • Berkely Nitric Oxide Test Strips of course.

Where can you go to learn more about the power of Nitric Oxide?

  • The Nitric Oxide (NO) Solution.  I haven’t read this book yet but it is on my list of books to read.  There just isn’t enough time in a day!

How do I naturally boost my levels of Nitric Oxide?

  • I teach you this in my article “7 Ways to Boost Nitric Oxide Naturally”

I hope you enjoyed this article!  Let me know what you guys would like for me to post about next.

You can leave a comment below or email me directly at matt@remedyrising.com.

Give me some feedback people!

Until next time,

PEACE

-Matt

Photo Credit: Renjith Krishnan 2, Cool Design, Dream Designs, Apolonia, and Imagerymajestic

Filed Under: Beast, Diet, Exercise, Lifestyle

Best Diet and Best Exercise, Hands Down!

February 24, 2015 by Matt Leave a Comment

best diet and best exercise

Breaking News with Matt

Subject: The Best Diet and Best Exercise

———–

best diet and best exercise

The Best Diet and Best Exercise, Hands Down!

What is the Best Diet and Best Exercise?

In a land where we are bombarded with so many options and paths, deciding where to start can be very intimidating.  Everyone seems to be an expert and it is their way or the highway!

With so many choices – many of which contradict the others – one can easily get overwhelmed and likely choose to do nothing.  You would think having so many options would be a good thing, right?  Not quite…

Lucky for you, I’ve already tried the majority of diets and exercise routines that are out there.  I’ve discovered which ones are crap and which ones are worthwhile.

And now I am going to tell you the best diet and best exercise you could possibly do.

“PLEASE! Tell me the best diet and best exercise!”

Ok, ok.  It’s a simple answer, really.

Prepare to be shocked…

Drum roll please.

…

…

…

The best diet and best exercise are ones that you will consistently follow.

best diet and best exercise

“No way!”

best diet and best exercise

“Like, I can’t even!!!”

That’s right.

The best diet and best exercise are simply the ones that you will stick with.

What’s the point in trying to improve your health with some crazy new diet fad if you are going to drop that habit and resort to your old ways shortly after?

Seems like a waste of time to me.

“Okay, so there is no best diet and best exercise…but that still doesn’t help me know where to start…”

How to Eat for Life, Fat Loss, and Muscle and Exercise: Strengthening the Beast are good places to start.

How do you choose the best diet and best exercise for YOU?

I don’t know about you, but time is very important to me.  I want to get the best results from the least amount of time.

Because my time is so important, I rely on using my time conveniently.  If a routine is very inconvenient for me, then I won’t do it.

Convenience can conveniently be broken down into a few subcategories:

  1. Time – Does preparing the food require a lot of time?  Am I going to have to purchase a lot of spices, etc so I can cook this food?  How often do I have to workout, and for how long?  Can I do this at home or do I need a gym membership?  All of these questions come to my mind as I can be very impatient.  Especially when I’m hungry.
  2. Social – If I have to eat out somewhere, will they have food that fits my “diet?”  If I’m invited to a cookout or dinner can I eat without requesting special accommodations?  Eating is such a social event – you will face challenges here constantly.  Unfortunately, it’s just something you’ll have to learn to deal with.  Don’t let anyone stand in your way.
  3. Price – Am I going to have to break the bank to stick with this plan?  Are there cheaper alternative?  What are my options?  The price is always something to consider.

For me, convenience is a big factor in deciding upon the best diet and best exercise.

What’s convenient for me, may not be convenient for you.  This is something that only you know and that you will have to take into account.


Going 100 is a detailed compilation of my whole life’s worth of research and experience condensed into an easy-to-follow guide.  I include what I have found to be the most effective ways to gain marked results with minimal time expended.

I include options for people with either “money to blow” or “money no-go.”

I encourage you to read it, apply it, and work it into your schedule in a way that best conveniences you.  The most important thing is to stay dedicated, persistent, and never give up.


Why did I even bother writing this article on the “best diet and best exercise?”

Because most people, myself included, only want the very best.  During this search, we often miss out on golden opportunities because we are too busy looking for the “best” one.

If all of the time we wasted searching, was spent APPLYING, we would have already achieved our goals.

 The Takeaway: You should always be working towards something – even if you aren’t using the so called “best method.”

Let’s be honest:

The only type of diet you will follow is one that includes foods that you enjoy eating.  

The only type of exercises you will do are ones that don’t require you to be in the gym for hours at a time.

Just in case you completely missed it, I am going to tell you the secret again:

Almost every diet and exercise routine is going to work as long as you fully commit to it and stick with it.  If your eating habits and exercising habits aren’t sustainable, then what’s the point?

Make conscious eating and exercising a LIFESTYLE, not a trend.

It takes 21 days to create a new habit.  Start today and push through the pain.  Tackle any obstacles that may come your way.

Trust me when I say that once these things become a habit and are integrated into your core being, sticking with them will be a breeze.

You will start feeling “off” if you miss a workout or when you let unhealthy food fork you over.

So quit making excuses and make the decision to better yourself RIGHT NOW!

Make a convenience plan, stick with it, set goals, and crush them.

Oh yeah, and one more time:

The best diet and best exercise are ones you will follow.

Peace,

-Matt

Photos by: Stuart Miles 1, 2, David Dominici, and Photostock

Filed Under: Boss, Diet, Exercise, Lifestyle, Motivation, Self-Help

Exercise: Strengthening the Beast

February 9, 2015 by Matt 3 Comments

exercise beast

Don’t Wait, Lift Weights: Matt

Subject: Exercise

———–

Exercise and diet go hand-in-hand.

Some professionals actually place more importance on diet than on training.  They claim that diet is responsible for 85% of your physique.  Personally, if I am not exercising, then I have no desire to eat healthy.  As long as I maintain a consistent workout schedule, eating healthy is a piece of cake. 😉

There are many different workout routines and exercises available.  The type you should do depends on your goal:exercise muscle beast

  1. If you are an athlete, then you will need sport-specific training.
  2. If you are a body builder, then you will be working out to gain size and symmetry.
  3. If you are a weightlifter, then you will be working out to gain strength.
  4. If you are the average person, then you are working out to live longer, look better, and feel great.

Exercise for the average person.

If you follow my plan, exercising for health and aesthetics is the least time demanding approach.  But this does not take away from its effectiveness.

A simple exercise plan that I recommend is a mere THREE workouts a week.  The best part is that I don’t spend more than 20-30 minutes per workout…and I still have a body that my wife fawns over.

Exercise #1:

One of the exercises is HIIT(high-intensity interval training).  In this exercise you are required to sprint at ~80-90% speed for 20-30 seconds, 6 times.

In other words you will be doing 6 sets of sprints.  Each sprint lasts 20 seconds(for beginners).  After each sprint, you rest for 1 full minute.  This exercise goes as follows:

  1. Warm-up – 10 minutes
  2. Sprint – 20 seconds
  3. Rest- 1 minute
  4. Repeat 2 & 3 -Five more times
  5. Cooldown  
  6. Finish.  Congratulations, give yourself a high five because you are awesome.

You can also do a variation of this on a treadmill, an elliptical machine, or a stair climber.  Just follow the same guidelines illustrated above.

I prefer doing sprints outside due to the benefits of increased oxygen(from plants) and beneficial sunlight(vitamin D), but I still do sprints on my elliptical machine as well.

Sometimes I like to switch it up and do my sprint workout on the steepest hill I can find.  It is so much fun…and painful.

Now, let me give you a run-down on the benefits of sprinting:

  • Vastly increases HGH – Growth Hormone(coming soon), and as we learned in Eat for Life, Fat Loss, and Muscle, HGH is responsible for blasting fat cells, building muscle, and improving recovery.  It is the Youth Hormone.  Do you remember what else increased HGH? Hint: It rhymes with “Fasting.”  Which is why I recommend doing sprints in a fasted state, such as upon waking, and then doing a long cooldown of walking to amplify this HGH release.  Carbohydrates can interfere with HGH release, so they should be avoided until later in the day.  I highly recommend drinking a KeVita  post-sprints, the feeling is amazing.
  • Fat loss.  Sprinting sends fat cells straight to the incinerator and burns those little globs right off your body.  Sprints are arguably the best way to lose fat. Period.
  • Improves resting metabolic rate for 24 hours after the exercise.  What this means is that after sprinting you get to enjoy the benefits of your hard work the whole next day as well.
  • Improves insulin sensitivity – send those carbs where they belong – into your muscles!
  • Improves cardiovascular fitness  better than slower, longer distance running.

Sprints vs.  Regular Distance Running

First, I want you to envision a side-by-side comparison of a distance runner and a sprinter.  What do you think of when you see that distance runner?  Do you see somebody who is  just skin and bones?   Now lets think about the sprinter. The sprinter is much more muscular.

This happens for various reasons but one of the major ones is that chronic distance running results in high levels of cortisol, the stress hormone(coming soon).  High levels of cortisol cause so many problems that it has an article dedicated to it.  For now,  just know that it interferes with fat loss and muscle growth.

One of the main reasons that I never had a body like I do now is because I was always doing some kind of long distance running.  I ran track and cross country all throughout high school, and then even later I was still guilty of doing long runs because it was all I knew.

I was not aware that my chronic cardio was preventing me from achieving the results I desired.  The whole time I thought I was doing good, but in reality I wasn’t.

Live and learn, right?

Exercises # 2 and 3:

The other two exercises will be the same.  A full-body routine.  These exercises involve doing 2 sets of pull ups, push ups, and squats until failure.  What is failure?  Failure is when you could not possibly do another repetition, even if you were given one million dollars to do so.

  1. Pull ups.  To do these at home, you’ll probably need a Pull-Up Bar.  If you are unable to do a pull up, then don’t worry.  You can use a chair to stand on and then you can use your legs to gently assist your arms in pulling yourself up. You can also do what is called a “negative” rep.  This is where you only focus on doing the lowering portion of the pull up instead of the pulling up portion.  This is beneficial because you are stronger during the “negative” phase and this will kick start your way to being strong enough to do pull ups unassisted.  This was the same thing I did when I was unable to do a pull up by myself.  Now-a-days I am able to do pull ups while wearing my weighted vest.
  2. Push ups.   I don’t think I need to explain push ups.
  3. Squats. These will hurt the most but give you the greatest benefit.

Why do you need to do full-body exercises?

To build muscle.  Having more muscle means you burn more calories at a resting state.  So more muscles means an easier time staying lean.  These muscle-building exercises also increase HGH and raise testosterone.


exercise muscle beast

Full-body exercises will give you that tight and toned beach-ready physique.

Don’t worry ladies, testosterone isn’t a bad thing.  To be healthy, Women need a certain amount of testosterone, just like Men need a certain amount of estrogen.

Many girls shy away from weights because they are worried they will look like those manly muscle woMEN in body building competitions.  Well you won’t look like that.  It takes injecting testosterone and steroids for a girl to reach that level of manliness.  Jamie Eason is a perfect example of a female that lifts weights and doesn’t look like a dude.


 Extra Credit Activities:

On days that you don’t workout you are encouraged to engage in some kind of activity.  You can choose to walk, play a sport,  chase the kids around the park, do some lawn work, hike, bike, do yoga, stretch, or play hide and seek.  The possibilities are endless.

•If you want to jump start your weight loss, you can do 20-30 minutes of cardio(running) on two of your non-workout days.  Once you reach your desired weight, definitely switch over to walking.

•The best activity you could do is to use a Sauna(coming soon).  I am very excited about the benefits of sauna usage, which I just recently learned.  

Oh and more importantly, we can’t forget about my favorite extra credit activity:  sex.  😉

Be sure to read my book Going 100. I go into more detail and even provide synergistic twists to these exercises among much more.

Exercise: Why Should I?

Anybody that is looking to add years to their life, not have to worry about the “pains of aging,” and avoid costly doctor bills along with the poisonous prescription drugs should immediately make exercise and diet a high priority.

You really have no excuse.

Don’t watch TV, don’t smoke that joint, and don’t say you’ll do it tomorrow.  Get up off of your lazy ass, suck it up, and just do it.  The only regret you’ll have is that you didn’t start sooner.  Don’t wait.  Your body is a temple, and you need to worship that shit day-in and day-out.

«“People don’t slow down because they grow older, they grow older because they slow down.“ – Me»

What do I mean by this?

I put a little twist on the common belief that most people hold.  Most aging people suffer from joint problems, weakness, weight gain, and all of the other “pangs of aging.”  They blame this on the aging process.  They believe that growing old means you must suffer these common things.

I don’t believe this.  I firmly believe that people suffering from these problems at some point gave up on themselves and decided to “slow down.”

Think about it…

I know many people who at one point in their lives were very fit.  What made them fit?  Sure, hormones have a part, but more importantly they were active.  Very active.  Engaging in weight lifting routines, sports, and play daily.

As these people get older, they abandon their high activity lifestyle and begin consuming terrible foods with no remorse.  They become sedentary.  Overtime their bodies begin to reflect their lifestyle choices.

But for most of these people it isn’t because of their lifestyle choices that they look that way and have those problems…nope.  It is because they are aging.  Age is the terrible thing that is bringing them down.  Of course it has nothing to do with the fact that they don’t exercise or eat healthy anymore, right? – Obviously I’m being sarcastic.

Health has everything to do with your daily activities and dietary choices.

There are two types of aging.  

  1. Chronological Age – This you have no control over.  As time passes, your chronological age goes up.  This is your “age number.”  This is your answer when people ask “Hey, how old are you?”  Chronological aging has marginal impact on your …(wait for it…)
  2. Biological Age –  This you have control over.  This term refers to the health of your cells, which is a direct result of your lifestyle.  Person “A” who exercises and eats right will have a lower biological age than Person “B” who does neither of these.  Person “A” will appear to be younger than Person “B,” even if both of these people are the same Chronological Age.

In case that was confusing, let’s take a look at Mr. Sam Bryant Jr.  Sam is 71 years old(chronological age), but he looks MUCH younger(biological age).  He uses no steroids.  He started working out at the ripe age of 44 and hasn’t stopped since.  He is a true inspiration.

“Age is just a number.” – Sam Bryant Jr.

Sam holds the same belief that I do about aging.  He believes that it is all in your head.

If you think you’re old, then you will be.  If you think you’re young, then you will be.

Where the mind goes, the body follows.

In an interview Sam said that people come up to him and say “Oh, just wait till your my age” lol.  He then proceeds to tell them his age and the person walks away embarrassed.

The only way that time is the enemy is in the form of toxin and waste accumulation.  It is possible that we slow down on a cellular level if our body can not keep up with the removal of wastes that begins from the moment we are born.

This is where I believe fasting(coming soon) plays an important role.  When we fast, our body finally has a chance to direct its energies towards healing and removing toxins through a process known as autophagy.

In the experiment where a biologist was able to keep a cultured chicken heart alive for 34 years, he attributed cellular aging to waste accumulation(cellular age = biological age).

By maintaining proper nutrition and waste removal, he was able to keep the chicken heart alive indefinitely.  He only ended the experiment so he could publish the results. This brought about the theory of cell immortality(source)

Living a long, healthy life is an overarching goal of mine.  I am constantly exploring exercises, ideas, nutrition, supplements, lifestyle choices, and anything else that will make longevity possible.

This brings me to my next topic, which is almost always neglected in mainstream health advice:  internal energy(coming soon).

Internal Energy

exercise beast

Feel the energy!

What the hell is internal energy?

Internal energy(coming soon) is essentially your life-force.  Different cultures give this energy different names:  Qi, Chi, Prana, etc.  For the most part, they are referring to the same thing.  This may seem like a mystical topic, but it does hold logical implications.

It is easier to understand if you view internal energy as your internal electricity.  It is well established that we produce electricity within the body.  I mean..what do you think electrolytes are?  Hint:

“Electrolytes are minerals in your blood and other body fluids that carry an electric charge(source).”

Ok big whoop, our body has electricity in it.  Who cares?

You should.

Kirlian photography shows that living things produce an electrical aura.  The size of the aura represents the health of the organism.  This energy field that surrounds living things is used by traditional chinese medicine to heal people.  Problem areas will show up with lower energy fields, or smaller auras.

Physical exercise and good food increase your internal energy levels, but a direct way to power up your energy levels is through Chi Kung Training.

You’ve probably heard of Tai-Chi.  Tai-Chi is a form of active meditation that uses different poses to strengthen and circulate this internal energy throughout the body.  It is pretty moderate and a good place for beginners.  You can find courses for Tai-Chi for free on Youtube.

I have tried both free and paid-for programs that are designed to raise your internal power, but there is only one that I recommend.  It is very effective and produces results quicker than any other program I have found to date.

You will have to wait for my internal energy(coming soon) article to find out which program it is. 😛

What can you expect from chi training?

You can expect more energy, better focus, stronger will power,  a calm sense of clarity, increased confidence, and better immunity to name a few.

That concludes today’s article.  Now you know how to exercise.

Be sure to read “Best Diet and Best Exercise, Hands Down!“ as a follow up to this article.


Also, as of 2/6/15, I started a new bulking protocol.  My beginning weight was 158 lbs and my ultimate goal is 190 lbs.


Thanks for reading.

Love, Peace, and Lift

-Matt

Filed Under: Beast, Exercise, Lifestyle

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
Join other subscribers now, and get FREE updates on becoming the best, FAST! It's Easy. Just enter your e-mail address below, and hit GO! We will never sell or share your e-mail address with anyone...

Popular Posts

  • Is Cellucor C4 Preworkout Safe?
  • 7 Ways to Boost Nitric Oxide Naturally
  • Mitochondrial Biogenesis – Fix Your ATP, Fix Your Life
  • 5 Reasons Nitric Oxide is Important
  • Ketosis – More Than A Diet

Recent Comments

  • life schedule leave on Mitochondrial Biogenesis – Fix Your ATP, Fix Your Life
  • borgata Casino online download on Powerful Pre-Workout Drink, Outperform the Rest.
  • Powerful Pre-Workout Drink, Outperform the Rest. - Remedy Rising on Ketosis – More Than A Diet
Join other subscribers now, and get FREE updates on becoming the best, FAST! It's Easy. Just enter your e-mail address below, and hit GO! We will never sell or share your e-mail address with anyone...
Copyright © 2015