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Beast

Ketosis – More Than A Diet

January 9, 2016 by Cathexis 8 Comments

ketosis ketogenic ketone

To some, Ketosis just means a life with minimal carbohydrates…

For others,  Ketosis is more than no carbs…

For others, Ketosis is a life giving fuel that can rapidly transform your body and change your life forever.

ketosis ketogenic ketone

Make the switch to ketosis.

My friend Cathexis is very passionate about ketosis and has had great success with it.

He is the one that introduced me to it and I am forever grateful for that!

Alright buddy, they are all yours!

-Matt


The Road To Ketosis

First things first, let me introduce myself; my name is “Cathexis” and I am 34 years old.

The past 10 years has been a journey that I could have never imagined in my younger days. I’ll try to make this brief, but this information is pertinent to my credentials.  It will also give you an understanding of why I so fervently went searching for all these new understandings.

When I was 23 years old I was in a car accident.

roadworkI was going about 85 mph down a highway in Jacksonville, Fl, and there was a maintenance vehicle driving in front of me about 3-4 car lengths ahead.  A ladder fell off of the top and was bouncing its way towards my windshield.

I over reacted and lost control of my vehicle and went into the guardrail at a 45 degree angle head on and worst of all; without a seat belt. I was thrown into the passenger side door with such force that it ripped my scapula off my back, broke my nose, shattered my glasses, and forced 3 of my ribs out of place.

I was alive though.

The shock and adrenaline made it so that I didn’t feel anything. I was unconscious till the police arrived and when I came to I was running around like a mad man trying to make sure my new car was okay.

It was not; and neither was I.

The doctors said there wasn’t much they could explicitly do for me because the types of surgeries needed to resolve the rib and scapula issues are extremely rare with low success rates, but my physical therapists and doctors at that facility assured me that it was possible for me to fix it naturally with the correct therapies.

They were partially right and my pain issues were not heavy at first.  I was also younger and more resilient, but as time went on and further injuries happened through working and living, things got progressively worse. I ended up having a specific injury when I was trying to lift a large 50lb bucket with my right arm where I tore my labrum and ripped a tendon, along with agitating my floating ribs.

This was around 2008 and I was living in Florida. During this time the doctors in the area were notoriously over prescribing pain killers and benzos and I fell victim to those offerings. I was able to stay away from narcotics for about 5 years before this secondary injury and I’m happy for that. Unfortunately this injury led me to go on hydrocodone and somas (a muscle relaxer) at first to numb the constant pain.

I then got the run around from the doctors about how to ‘fix’ my issue; their answer was always ‘just use the pain killers till we figure something out.’  Then they would just send me to get an MRI, send me to another doctor to read that, send me to back to the first one to then go over a therapy etc etc.  I wasn’t able to get any actual help from them.

They guided me down the path from hydrocodone, to oxycodone and then 3 years later to methadone for long term pain management and eventual ‘maintenance’ (the system’s way of weaning someone off pain killers that includes putting someone on the most addictive type of opiate).

During this time, while eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) of high carb, low fat; I ended up gaining 120lbs.

I was originally 160lbs most of my life, but through the process of going on pain killers for so long and eating this particular diet and not being able to move much, I was up to 280lbs in no time.

Also my doctor said my triglycerides were up to 300+ and I was in heart attack range. I had terrible acid reflux daily as well as 2 previous issues with ulcers.

I felt like death day in and day out.

This was my life at 32 years old: broken, dependent on pain medicine to function, and everything around me was falling apart.

I knew that I had to get off the pain medicine and I tried numerous times to either wean off of them or go cold turkey. The pain and agony you go through with pain killer withdrawal when you have a baseline pain issue is something that I wouldn’t even wish on all my worst enemies collectively.

Your body becomes a torture mechanism and you are utterly trapped in it. During this downward spiral I gained the 120lbs, I lost someone I cared about immensely after being with her for 6 years, I was living at my parent’s house out of necessity, and I lost my long standing, good paying job.

I was trapped, and trapped in a way that was so overwhelming that there just didn’t seem like there was a way out, ever.

In comes my younger brother, Jacob.helpinghands

He was a big guy all of his life and he had been doing a ton of research into the endocrine system and how weight loss actually works. New studies were found left and right and authors like Gary Taubes, Mark Sisson, Dave Asprey, Kristin Loberg, David Perlmutter, and scientists like Robert Lustig were going against the grain (pun intended) of the medical INDUSTRY to point out flawed old science that was being used regularly and was making America and the world VERY sick.

Going down this rabbit hole of studying the human body and the endocrine system was the beginning of a whole new life, it just required putting in the work to understand the science and implementing it effectively.

During my studies I found that not only could you effortlessly change one’s weight but you can fix a LOT of issues that are commonplace now a days.

My brother left his career in the airline industry to come down and take me out of the situation I was in. A family member agreed to let us house sit her house in south Florida while she was away and I was going there with a mission to change my life. After about a week of discussing our new understandings of the body we both decided to implement this new way of eating as drastically as possible.

The diet we were investigating was called a “Ketogenic Diet.”

The New Paradigm

Paradigm – a worldview underlying the theories and methodology of a particular scientific subject.

We’ve been told that weight loss is about eating less calories than you expend and that fitness equals weight loss. These axioms are not only incorrect and old science but they are harmful.

Weight loss is 100% HORMONAL and this is something that is not discussed in the current mainstream.

Insulin, Leptin, Ghrelin, and Glucagon are the main actors on the stage of how your body either stores or consumes fat.

We all know of insulin and we hear about it commonly but to be sure, it needs to be said what its function is; when you eat any carbohydrate, it is converted to glucose in the liver and insulin is produced in the pancreas in order to mitigate sugar in the blood.

At the bare bones of it; Carbohydrates are SUGAR; they end up as Glucose, all of them.

Bread, pasta, grains, rice, sugar, lactose, fructose, soy, potatoes and several starchy vegetables like carrots, are all carbohydrates.

The body converts that material into Glucose and uses it as energy immediately. Your pancreas then produces insulin to remove the deadly sugar from your blood and during this whole process these hormones are triggering your body to STORE all the fat you’ve consumed in the past 12 (or so) hours (S).

I know that these issues can start to get heavy so let me simplify it: Insulin is the hormonal trigger to store fat and Leptin is the hormonal trigger to eat from your fat stores (S).

Insulin is a result of carbohydrate and sugar consumption. When you suppress insulin, by eating less than 20 grams of carbs a day, your body creates leptin which signals to your body to eat from its fat stores (LOSE WEIGHT) while regulating hunger as an opposition to ghrelin (S).  During this process of suppressing insulin you go from using Glucose as your primary fuel to using what’s called ‘Ketones’ as a fuel.

Ketones are created in the liver as an alternative fuel and are synthesized from the fat that you eat and the fat in your body; but they are only created during the right circumstances and that is when your carb intake is lower than 20g a day (S).

When I was younger I was told that your body can eat fat from its fat stores but no one ever told me HOW.  Well, this is how.

I tried to grasp all of this when I was much younger, but I realized there was so much more I needed to understand about the endocrine system for me to really get it.  It was overwhelming, so I didn’t pursue the knowledge.  But honestly, I just didn’t know where to start.

The internet has changed everything.

Many people have now synthesized this information which allowed me to be where I am today by just starting.

This is a path.

If you care about yourself and you want to have a healthy and productive life, then you need to take these things very seriously.  The quicker the better.

I honestly wish I delved into all this at that young age, it really isn’t as difficult as people may think.

This information is far from difficult when explained right and that is what my goal is here. These are the mechanisms of weight loss that are hidden from us through jargon and authority either intentionally or not (that’s another topic in itself and I’ll save that for another day).

When I chose to go down the path listening to what mainstream science and media was telling me about weight loss the end result was 280lbs with a slew of health problems and I was more confused than ever…Just by eating (mostly) the standard recommended daily allotment of carbohydrates for years.

foodpyramid

The SAD – Standard American Diet

“LOW FAT, HIGH CARB, LOTS OF FITNESS, CALORIES IN / CALORIES OUT”

This is the mantra of the mainstream and it’s the only currently accepted way that fat loss occurs and is the ‘ideal’ diet for a healthy life (as they say).

It is completely wrong, completely backwards, and it is causing untold damage.

These ideas are based off of one scientist from the 70’s named Ancel Keys and he single-handedly made this country obese, diabetic, and filled with cancer; not to mention the early onset dementia and Alzheimer’s (S).  It’s dramatic what can happen to people who are given a diet based on broken science.

So much misinformation exists in this culture and diet is usually treated so personally, almost like a religion.  It’s hard to get the right information out to people because no one trusts anyone anymore.  Either everyone is trying to sell you something, or they are confused about how the body works themselves but proclaim to know the answers.

I’m here to tell you how this works and to simplify it in a way so you can make these drastic changes in your life. But it requires a paradigm shift. A new way of thinking about food.

When my brother and I went down to south Florida, we engaged this diet in the most direct and disciplined way that we’ve ever engaged anything and the results were astounding.

I lost 45 pounds (15 of that in water weight) in the first month and I was able to get away from the painkillers for the first time ever. The withdrawals and discomfort were still very difficult but the diet raised my constitution in a way that allowed me to finally step away from 3 years of constant opiate usage.

Because of the withered state I was in, a very large part of my muscles were atrophied.  It was during this time that I was seeing a doctor and doing my own version of physical therapy as well.

My version included pushups, pull-ups, and riding a bike about 2 miles every day or so. The fitness that I was engaging in was to rebuild my muscles and to improve my circulatory and respiratory system.  I do not attribute much of my weight loss to the exercise because the higher levels of fitness came several months after starting the diet.

After 3 months of the diet I had lost 75 lbs and fully recovered from a 3 year pain killer dependency.

Yes this took discipline, but I attribute most of my success to understanding the diet and implementing it the way that I did.

Switching your fuel source to ketones completely changes the game.

This is how it works:

HIGH FAT, NO CARB, LIGHT FITNESS, EAT AS MANY CALORIES AS YOU CAN (More the better)

This is the EXACT opposite of what we are told in the United States and I have had so many arguments with nutritionists, dietitians, and doctors who were schooled with old science and books written in the 70’s and 80’s (or even before). Insulin was discovered in 1921 by Frederick Banting but Leptin wasn’t discovered until 1994 by Jeffrey Friedman (S).

We’ve had a very long time to study an incomplete system and the understanding of insulin was implemented incorrectly into our mainstream science due to the lack of knowledge of the endocrine system.

You have to realize that glucose should be a secondary fuel and should not be our primary fuel as it is currently for 99% of the American population. Historically, we had always consumed a balanced natural diet with very few sugars, if any at all.  That was until production techniques and marketing allowed for industry to take over how we got our food (S).

Our body was not meant to consume those regularly and the older generations knew it. This issue of a high carb diet did not arise until the 70’s and we have been programmed to this false paradigm through advertising and lobbying (see Ancel Keys’ flawed science and how the food pyramid was constructed as our dietary guidelines (S)).

Just look around you! The amount of disease and sickness that surrounds us in America is overwhelming and the medical INDUSTRY is reaping the benefits from cycling you in and out and only “patching” you up.

Read this to see just how much money they are making.

Overall I have lost 120lbs.  I lost that in about 9 months, all with my doctor following my progress and hearing me out about what I was doing.

I was consuming 3500-5000 calories a day IN FAT and PROTEIN (mostly fat though).

But most importantly, I was restricting my carbohydrate intake to under 20g of carbs a day (and many days with zero).

There cannot be any sway on this issue, if you eat more than 20g of carbs then your body stops producing ketones and ejects the glucose as fast as possible. This is called “being kicked out of ketosis” (S).

This requires discipline, yes; but it becomes so much easier when you see carbs as what they are, a poison.  Something that we as humans are not supposed to eat in medium to large quantities (S).

I know this is a bold statement but I want to make clear that I am not talking about complex carbohydrates.  I am mainly speaking of sugar and also added sugars like: High Fructose Corn Syrup, enriched breads, rice, wheat and anything that is over 20 grams of carbs that does not include fiber.  Fiber is what makes a carbohydrate complex.

Eating a sweet potato or having broccoli is considered “slow-carb” in the ketogenic world.  A “slow-carb” has fiber that blunts the insulin spike that is associated with carbohydrates.

There are healthy functions of insulin.  It is still a hormone that balances weight, but we were never intended to spike that insulin 6 times a day.

You can stay in ketosis and have these complex carbs without being kicked out, but it’s the sugars and the enriched products that push those levels too high.

Type 2 Diabetes (to name 1 of many ailments), has been thrust on this world by the behavior of the sugar, the wheat, and the corn lobbies, to name a few.

We evolved our large brains over the past 150,000 years through a hunter/gatherer diet. Animal fat is the densest caloric material we can find and having that gave our cells the ability to be strong, fend off disease, and propagate a strong human with an ever-larger brain.

This diet allowed me to rapidly regenerate my body and correct all the issues that I’ve spoken of.

I know it’s controversial and my story is very revealing of a lot of private information, but I feel that it’s worth telling in order to show the dedication I have to this topic and to show that I have put in the work and received the results.

Now I just want to share it with as many people as possible.

I can also happily say that I’ve been present for some very large transformations from my family, who took the time to hear me out and explain what I know.  My results piqued their interest and both my parents who were Type 2 diabetics are completely cured from that affliction (among many other issues like pervasive heart burn and sleep apnea).

Their doctors took them off Metformin and declared that their blood sugar levels are within healthy ranges.  The doctors were astonished and said,  “Whatever you’re doing; keep it up!”  They also both have lost 30-45lbs each and they are the happiest that I’ve ever seen them in my life.

The first thing that a person has to do is recognize that something is not right with the way things are being presented; and recognize that what is happening in their life is not right.

Weight gain is a symptom of a larger problem.

It’s a distortion of the human body that is entirely created as a response to improper diet; not because you’ve ‘eaten too much fat.’ Fat is the healthiest substance you can put in your body (not trans fats or other industrially separated fats of course). I’m talking about the healthy fats that you are beginning to hear about nowadays (S).

I really hope that the information in this article isn’t too much. I feel that if the mechanisms of weight loss and gain are understood, then the discipline just comes naturally with the new paradigm.

Remove the poison and return to your perfect and natural state.

Look at every other creature in this world, how many obese deer do you see or type 2 diabetic tigers? This would only occur if there was a human hand involved.

It’s not something wrong with us or different about us, we still all have the same organs. What’s wrong is the paradigm. We have an incorrect understanding of how our body works and the misinformation that brought us here has to be uprooted and we need to form a different understanding.

A Ketogenic diet is as simple as to just stop eating carbohydrates and to start eating as much fat as you can.

This may be hard for some people because of all the junk we’ve been sold over the years but if you need to make changes in your life concerning your health, I cannot recommend a more effective path.


If you want to get started on ketosis, a sample meal looks like this (and is absurdly delicious):

steakysteak

Not a picture of the meal described.

1lb Hamburger meat made into 3-4 patties
1-2 Brats/Chorizo Sausage/Italian Sausage (your choice)
1-2 Cups broccoli cooked in butter
1     Cup portobello mushrooms sauteed in butter.
1/2 Avocado

I usually eat a meal like this mid way through my day and maybe snack on some pepperoni and cream cheese or something like that later.  More recently (the past year), I’ve been doing 24 hour intermittent fasting where I do not go into my ‘feeding state’ until as late as I can…usually around 10pm.

Being in a fasted state provides great benefits, but that is another issue I’ll be happy to discuss in future articles.  Also, fasting isn’t necessarily recommended to people just starting out anyways.

My desserts were usually strawberries or blueberries with whipped cream made with splenda (which in my assessment is a fine sugar alternative, although not optimal).

I personally believe that Stevia is a far superior sugar replacement, but that is another article in itself.  There is a lot of conflicting information out there concerning if certain non-sugar sweeteners may raise insulin levels.

My rule is, if it doesn’t spike my insulin then I’m fine with it and I’ve seen first hand that splenda (sucrolose) and stevia reign supreme. I try to stay away from aspartame but I will have a diet soda here and there.

Another great dessert that I love to make (hell, I even eat it as a meal sometimes) is chunky peanut butter melted down with 90% cocoa, mixed with a decent amount of stevia.

This can be put onto wax paper and then in the fridge for amazing candies, or you can toss some almonds or macadamia nuts in and grab a spoon.  I do the latter, it’s a very quick setup.

Keep peanut butter on stock!  It is relatively carby but the fats that you obtain from eating it are a fair trade off, just don’t go overboard!  I’ve been kicked out of ketosis by eating a jar of peanut butter.

I sometimes like to add some coconut oil (or MCT Oil) in the mix to get some more fat out of it!

Plenty of options are out there for sugar/carb free living that allow you to still enjoy sweets.

I also love “No Sugar-Added” ice cream and there has been a nice push to have these options lately.  Just watch out for high sugar alcohols, some believe that they can kick you out of ketosis.  Just always have moderation in mind.  Less is More! < = >

But to start in the direction of ketosis, it’s as simple as removing sugar and carbs from your diet.  Push through any “keto flu” symptoms you may have and enjoy the rewards of using fat as your fuel as (I believe) was intended.

With mentioning that, I think it’s also appropriate to explain what the “Keto Flu” is because you may see those words while doing your research.

When your body makes the switch to Ketones, there is a short induction phase.  During this phase it is important to make an effort to consume more electrolytes than normal.  This prevents symptoms of the “Keto Flu.”

The “Keto Flu” is basically cold-like symptoms and lethargy as your body switches its fuel system from glucose to ketones.  Usually 3 days of observable lethargy is the worst you’ll feel.

The good news is that not everyone goes through this process.  If you do, it’s wise to supplement a large amount of magnesium and potassium (honestly, you should do that after the induction phase as well. A ketogenic diet requires more electrolytes than the Standard American Diet).

I love making bone broth to supplement these electrolytes.

I’ll buy a rotisserie chicken, eat it as my meal, then put all the bones in the pot.  Then I fill it with water, bring it to a boil, and simmer it for 24 hours.

Usually I’ll add a couple bullion cubes and there you have it…a healthy version of chicken stock!  All the potassium, magnesium, calcium etc that the chicken had in it’s bones will now be yours for the drinkin’.

Thank you for reading this article.

All I want to do in this world is share what I know and help as many people as I can.

This topic is certainly something you should do your own research on, but there are a ton of people who have come before me that have condensed this information in an effective way.

The book by Gary Taubes called “Good Calorie / Bad Calorie” really opened my eyes along with the Robert Lustig’s lecture on how sugar is treated in the body.  Those two resources will help you on your journey!

I’m now expanding my platform and am looking to help anyone grow and become the person they should be, so please feel free to contact me!
constant.cathexis@gmail.com

change-your-paradigm.com


If that story doesn’t inspire you, I don’t know what will…

I am now a big fan of ketosis and low carb/ low sugar.

What drew me towards ketosis wasn’t the weight loss aspect.  No, it was the claims of “consistent energy.”  It was the claims of increased focus and better sleep.

All of which I have experienced myself. Not only do I feel like my energy levels are now stabilized (No more dips in my energy levels since I’m not spiking insulin), but my sleep has been much better.

I wouldn’t say the change in my energy or sleep was dramatic, but it is definitely noticeable.  But keep in mind, I’ve been trying to keep my body in peak condition my whole life.

So for me, noticing any positive change at all really tells me that ketones are a force to be reckoned with.  

Thanks for the amazing story Cathexis!  You guys be sure to check out his website and show him some love.

Peace!

-Matt

*Names have been changed and pictures removed 


Photos By: Franky242 , Michael Illuchine,

USDA, and Keko64

Filed Under: Beast, Diet, Food, Lifestyle, Machine, Motivation

Mitochondrial Biogenesis – Fix Your ATP, Fix Your Life

December 28, 2015 by Matt 11 Comments

mitochondrial biogenesis
mitochondrial biogenesis

Mitochondrial biogenesis – Multiply your Mitochondria

Now that you’ve read Mitochondria – Fix Your ATP, Fix Your Life,  you should know that mitochondria put the “vital” in “vitality.”

If you didn’t know this, then I suggest you go back and try reading at a slower pace.

This article is going to focus on something called Mitochondrial Biogenesis.

Mitochondrial Biogenesis is the growth or division of pre-existing mitochondria(S).

It causes the mitochondria to either grow in mass or increase in numbers.

What Increases Mitochondrial Biogenesis?

Multiple systems are involved in this, but the one we are going to really be focused on increasing is…

PGC-1α

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC-1α) – say that 5 times fast – is a part of the family of transcription coactivators, where it plays a pivotal role in the regulation of cellular energy metabolism(S).

What does it do?

To name a few:

  • Increases mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration rates
  • Increases the uptake of nutrients
  • Increases the speed of which these nutrients are processed into ATP
  • Coactivates mutliple transciption factors that govern energy metabolism
  • Increases fat-burning
  • PGC-1 alpha overexpression promotes recovery from mitochondrial dysfunction and cell injury(S)
  • It is deeply involved in the Circadian Rhythm.

Most of us know that the Circadian Rhythm is our bodies 24 hour sleep and wake cycle, but there is much more to it than that.  PGC-1α is responsible for stimulating the expression of “clock genes(S).”  Clock genes are components of the circadian clock responsible for generating oscillations of gene expression(S).

PGC-1α is “a key component of the circadian oscillator that integrates the mammalian clock and energy metabolism(S).”

This means that problems in the Circadian Rhythm can lead to Metabolic problems, and Metabolic problems can lead to Circadian Rhythm problems(S).

Upon activation,  PGC-1α also induces the transcription of NRF-1 and NRF-2(S).

NRF-2 is specifically known for its role in increasing the genes that are responsible for increasing our bodies own antioxidant system.

***This is the reason why increasing mitochondrial number and mass does not equate to increased ROS and cell damage.***

The same factor (PGC-1α) that drives mitochondrial biogenesis also increases our bodies’ ability to control  ROS (NRF-2)(S).

Side note:  You can increase mitochondria without activating the PGC-1α pathway.  However, in mice that had this pathway silenced – the mitochondria showed a reduced resilience to stressful conditions.  In other words, mitochondria are stronger with PGC-1α.

Ok, now for the fun part!.


Mitochondrial Boosters

Free Methods:

pgc-1 mitochondrial biogenesis

Food – It does the body good.

1) DIET : Ok, so food isn’t exactly free, but you have to eat anyway – so it’s not exactly an added expense like adding a supplement would be…  The food you choose to eat can be directly responsible for stimulating PGC-1α and mitochondrial biogenesis.

However, the opposite is also true.  The food you choose to eat can be directly responsible for stifling PGC-1α and mitochondrial biogenesis.

The first dietary mean to improve your mitochondria is through…

A. Ketones/Ketosis/Ketogenic Diet –  Basically a ketogenic diet is one that restricts carbohydrates and forces your body to use fat-driven ketones as energy instead of carb-driven glucose.

The Ketogenic Diet is shown to increase mitochondrial respiration (energy production), increase the NRF-2 antioxidant pathway, decrease reactive oxygen species, decrease anxiety, decrease markers of brain atrophy, be neuroprotective, increase glutathione(the master antioxidant), decrease inflammation, upregulate stress response genes, and increase mitochondrial biogenesis(though maybe not through PGC-1α)(S)(S)(S).

If you don’t feel like switching up your diet, evidence suggests that you can still receive the benefits of ketosis through supplementing with MCT Oil, Butyrate, or something like KetoForce (S).

The other type of food that can add some fight to your mitochondria is…

B. Resistant Starch – I’ve discussed Resistant Starch in my “Gut Health”  article, but I did not mention that Resistant Starch can increase mitochondrial biogenesis and the expression of PGC-1α!

When your gut bacteria digest the resistant starch, they produce Short Chain Fatty Acids(SCFA) and Medium Chain Fatty Acids(MCFA or MCT).

Mitochondria gobble these fats up like candy.

This SCFA and MCFA consumption increases mitochondrial respiratory capacity and mitochondria biogenesis(S).  In this rat study, they showed that PGC-1α expression was increased, yet they weren’t sure of the exact mechanism(S).

So you can consume foods that I mention in “Gut Health” like: “cooked then cooled potatoes and rice, green bananas, plantains aka macho bananas, chickpeas, etc.”

Or you can consider eating tiger nuts…

No, I’m not talking about eating a tiger’s testicles…I’m talking about Tiger Nuts.

“Tiger nuts” are not actually nuts at all, they are a tuber and they are really high in resistant starch.

I am a HUGE fan of tiger nuts.  Hey, at least I have the balls to say it 😉 ! 

They have a unique taste that kind of reminds me of Corn Pops cereal.


pgc-1 alpha mitochondrial biogenesis

Nope, can’t eat any of this on a fast!

2) FASTING – Fasting, as well as “caloric restriction,” triggers your metabolic energy sensor which in turn robustly induces PGC-1α(S)!

Lack of food is a situation that requires huge energy from the body.  When consuming little to no food, your liver sends a nutrient-signal response to activate SIRT1.

SIRT1 then activates PGC-1α and increases liver gluconeogenesis (the production of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources) and fatty acid oxidative metabolism (burning of fat for fuel)(S)(S).

Intermittent fasting is great for fat loss, and works very well on a ketogenic diet.  Combine all of these and you will be well on your way to superior mitochondria.

The easiest way to Intermittently Fast is to not eat food for 16 hrs after your last meal.  So if your last meal is at 8pm, then you will eat “breakfast” at 12pm the next day. Boom.

You can still bulk while practicing intermittent fasting, you just have to make sure you consume enough calories during the feeding window.


pgc-1 mitochondrial biogenesis

Eggxactly what you needed to hear!

3) LOSING WEIGHT – The relationship between excess weight and mitochondrial function is clear-cut:  Obesity results in poor mitochondrial function, which results in metabolic dysfunction(diabetes, cardiovascular issues, inflammation, etc)(S)!

  • “Both obesity and mitochondrial dysfunction are risk factors for the development of insulin resistance…
  • Obese individuals have been reported to have smaller mitochondria that exhibit a compromised bioenergetic capacity”
  • “It has been hypothesized that a close relationship exists among PGC-1α function, insulin sensitivity, and Type 2 diabetes, which is most likely related to the essential roles of PGC-1α in mitochondria biogenesis and glucose/fatty acid metabolism. Evidence supporting this hypothesis has been found in a number of studies.”
  • “Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondrial stress, with the consequent oxidative stress, are immediate consequences of attempts to store excess food energy“
  • “Mitochondrial defects, systemic inflammation, and oxidative stress are at the root of most noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, other neurodegenerative diseases, heart and lung disturbances, diabetes, obesity, and autoimmune diseases. Obesity and obesity-related complications as well as impairment of mitochondrial function are universally associated with these conditions(S).“
  • “PGC-1α expression is restored by treatments known to normalize body weight and/or glucose homeostasis(S).”

So clean up your diet -read “Eat for Life…” – or try a Ketogenic Diet (which will be discussed early next year).

Do whatever it takes to lose that extra weight and reclaim your health!


pgc-1 mitochondrial biogenesis

Don’t wait, lift weights!

4) EXERCISE – It is well established that exercise increases mitochondrial biogenesis(S).

Exercise of any kind is shown to boost mitochondrial biogenesis and also PGC-1α.

Exercise activates something called AMPK – an energy sensor responsible for increased glucose uptake, fatty acid oxidation, and mitochondrial biogenesis.  When AMPK is activated it then induces the expression of PGC-1α.

We all know what happens next…HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER MITOCHONDRIA(S)!

Exercise those thighs and get your mitochondria moving to a new groove.

Or else you are  just rude…


pgc-1 alpha mitochondrial biogenesis

“Brr baby, very brr!”

5) COLD EXPOSURE – PGC-1α is STRONGLY induced by cold exposure(S)!

This form of adaptive thermogenesis dissipates energy as heat!  This keeps your body warm when its cold outside.

Brown Aditpose Tissue (BAT) and Muscle Tissue are the tissues responsible for this thermogenic response.

There are two types of adipose(fat) tissues.  One is White Adipose Tissue(WAT) and the other is Brown Adipose Tissue(BAT).

The primary function of WAT is energy storage, white the primary function of BAT is energy dissipation – mostly in the form of heat.

“In fact, BAT produces ∼60% of the heat generated by nonshivering, adaptive thermogenesis.”  Humans typically have more WAT than BAT.  Having a higher BAT to WAT ratio should make someone more metabolically active.  This is why increasing BAT is being pursued as a method to prevent obesity.

As it turns out,  PGC-1α is responsible for stimulating the genes involved in developing brown adipose tissues(s)!  Imagine that…

So when someone tells you to “chill out” you should thank them, because they really just want you to optimize your BAT to WAT ratio… Duh.

The way I incorporate this is by setting the water as cold as I can at the end of my shower.  Then, I tough it out for at least 30 seconds, sometimes longer than a minute.

It is quite invigorating.


pgc-1 alpha mitochondrial biogenesis

“Hold your nose ’cause here goes the cold water” – Eminem

6) BREATH HOLDING – This one I created based off of the idea that holding your breath can create a hypoxic condition in the body.

Hypoxia – a condition in which the body or a region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply(S).

Hypoxic conditions are shown to increase PGC-1α through activation of AMPK(S)(S).

Different methods for breath holding and hypoxic training exist.  This one HERE is catered to swimmers.

Experiment at your own risk.


One-Time Purchase

pgc-1 alpha mitochondrial biogenesis

1) High Altitude Mask – The Elevation 2.0 Training Mask works under the same principle as breath holding does…it causes a hypoxic state in the body.

From above: “Hypoxic conditions are shown to increase PGC-1α through activation of AMPK(S)(S).”


pgc-1 alpha mitochondrial biogenesis

2) LLLT – Near-infrared Lights, such as this 96LED IR Security Camera, are shown to improve mitochondrial biogenesis(S)!

“Transcranial low-level light/laser therapy (LLLT) has emerged as an intervention with potential to modulate neuroprotective and cognitive functions.

Transcranial LLLT is the use of light from lasers or lightemitting diodes (LEDs) in the red to near-infrared wavelengths (l = 600–1100 nm) to modulate a neurobiological function or induce a neurotherapeutic effect via stimulation of the respiratory enzyme cytochrome oxidase(S).”

The light I mention above is specified to a wavelength 850nm, which is acceptable.

Our mitochondria contain the photoacceptor –photoacceptors convert light(photons) into signals that stimulate biological processes – cytochrome oxidase whose electrons become excited when it accepts light in the 600-1,100 nm range.  This causes the electron to jump from a low energy state to a high-energy state where it then works it magic(S).

LLLT “acts as an exogenous source of highly energized electrons to the respiratory chain.

Thus, LLLT facilitates the activity of cytochrome oxidase, accelerates the electron transfer in the inner mitochondrial membrane and boosts cell respiration and energy production(S).”

LLLT works on any part of the body, but much of whats being discussed here is for cognitive mitochondrial enhancement.

This is the standard routine – Courtesy of LostFalco (whom I consider to be the founder):

“Laser Dosing Recommendations:
1. Remove glass cover and place LEDs directly on skin. They get a little warm, but nothing to worry about.
2. Laser whole brain, before bed
3. Start with 30 seconds per location. You can always increase. Minimum effective dosing is VERY important with LLLT.
4. 2 days on/1 day off OR every other day. DO NOT use every day. =)
5. 850nm, 96 LED, 9 individual “regions” on sides, top, and back of head AND 850nm, 48 LED, 5 individual spots on forehead along hairline (roughly).
Total Time: 7 minutes. Try this for 1 to 2 weeks before increasing dose time. (Note: ALL is currently provisional.)”

LLLT is an exciting biohack with lots of studies that back it’s effectiveness.  There is a lot to cover with LLLT so I will likely have an article discussing it in the future.

The Vielight-Neuro is top dog in the LLLT-derived cognitive enhancement field.  Hopefully the price drops and becomes more accessible to us peasants.

Light is the future and our future is Bright!


Supplements

mitochondrial biogenesis pgc-1 alpha1) Methylene Blue – Methylene Blue is also very interesting.  Of course it stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis…or else I wouldn’t have put it in here 😛 !

Methylene Blue(MB) activates SIRT1 and AMPK which activates PGC-1α and results in an increase in mitochondrial biogenesis(S)(S).

MB is unique because it functions as an antioxidant, reduces ROS production, AND upregulates NRF-2 (the bodies antioxidant system)! A triple defense mechanism(S)…

  • “MB has high bioavailability to the mitochondria!
  • MB is an FDA-approved drug routinely prescribed as an antidote for the treatment of poison-induced methemoglobinemia(Wiki) due to its powerful antioxidant properties.
  • MB readily crosses the blood–brain barrier and has great affinity for mitochondria
  • MB is an electron cycler in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, with unparalleled antioxidant and cell respiration-enhancing properties(S).”

Low doses are recommended, as high doses can have the complete opposite effect.

The dosing range is: 0.5–4 mg/kg

I consider 4 mg/kg to be pretty high.  In fact, I have had a lot of success with using a 0.5 mg/kg dose.

I currently weight 165 lbs which is about 75 kg.

So, 0.5 x 75 = 37.5 mg dose.

To dose this low, you will need an accurate scale.  I use the GEMINI-20.  Cheap, effective, and classy.

Warning – MB is great for mitochondria, yet it is also great for STAINING.  It will make your urine a nice blue color.  It’s intensity is directly related to how much you consumed and how many consecutive days you took it.

Therefore, I only recommend using MB as a mitochondrial enhancer at the lowest effect dose 2-3 times a week with at least a day break in between uses.


pgc-1 alpha mitochondrial biogenesis2) Baking Soda – Baking soda, also known as Sodium Bicarbonate, can increase the expression of PGC-1α after exercise(S)!

In This Study, baking soda increased the muscle glycogen utilization and blood lactate accumulation significantly more than the placebo group.  The baking soda fed group displayed higher levels of PGC-1α.

The exact mechanism that baking soda works through isn’t completely known.

Some evidence suggests that “baking soda induced chronic alkalosis promotes up-regulation of PGC-1α and its downstream targets COX-2, COX-4, Cytochrome-c and MCT1(S).”

All that really matters to me is that it works, and it is cheap.  So why not utilize it’s power?

The dose of baking soda used in the first study was quite high(0.4g/kg = 30 grams for me, YIKES!).  That’s high enough to make me vomit.

Luckily the blogger over at Suppversity discovered you can take chronic (daily) low doses and achieve a similar effect.

This low-dosing range is a much better – 0.133g/kg.

So for me that is 0.133 x 75 = 10 grams of Baking soda everyday.

10 Grams = 2 Teaspoons…Not too bad.

1 teaspoon before my workout, 1 teaspoon after my workout, and 1 for my homies.


pgc-1 alpha3) Curcumin – The active component of Turmeric, Curcumin, is potent spice that is also shown to increase PGC-1α levels(S)!

The best form of curcumin is a topic of hot debate.  However, I always use one that is high potency(>95% curcuminoids) and uses Piperine.

Piperine is needed because curcumin is not that bioavailable by itself…

After adding piperine to the mix, bioavailability increases 200%(S).

Doctor’s Best Curcumin fits the bill.

  • Curcumin is “is a potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-hepatotoxic agent(S)(S).”
  • It also functions as an antioxidant AND increases the antioxidant NRF-2 pathway(S)!
  • It also has dual functions in fat cells:  first, it destroys White Adipose Tissue by initiating apoptosis.  Second, it increases the expression of Brown Adipose Tissue(S)!  This is pretty remarkable and would work synergistically with Cold exposure as explained above.  I learned about these cunning curcumin cheats over at Ben Greenfield‘s blog.

Curcumin is another must-have supplement!


pgc-1 alpha mitochondrial biogenesis4) Fish Oil & Krill Oil – Fish Oil, and now Krill Oil, are well-known for their many benefits.  One of which – of course – includes increasing mitochondrial biogenesis(S)(S)(S).

Nordic Brand Fish Oil and Viva Labs Krill Oil are good brands to test out the benefits of omega-3’s.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids are shown to beneficially alter the mitochondrial membrane composition and respiration kinetics.

In This Study, fish oil consumption was shown to rapidly displace omega-6 fatty acids in the phospholipid bilayer and improve the emission of ROS from inside the cell, thus preventing oxidative damage.

“Alterations in dietary fatty acid composition are therefore thought to alter the thickness, stiffness and fluidity of the lipid bilayer, impacting metabolism.”

Aside from boosting your mitochondrial function,  omega-3’s have a a slew of health benefits.  Google it.

Omega-3’s are another must-have supplement – Alternatively,  you could eat fish like sardines(to avoid mercury) and salmon(if you like mercury)…That would work too.


boost nitric oxide naturally5) Nitric Oxide – My favorite, Nitric Oxide, is also shown to increase mitochondrial biogenesis(S)!

I did not know this when I wrote my article “5 Reasons Nitric Oxide is Important” so let’s make that 6 reasons!

The way nitric oxide works to increase mitochondrial biogenesis is by acting as a key messenger in cells and stimulating the PGC-1α pathway(S)(S)(S).

However, the exact mechanism that NO activates PGC-1α isn’t too clear…

You should be trying to boost your nitric oxide levels anyways though, so increasing mitochondria should be a welcome side effect!

Remember to look at my article “7 Ways to Boost Nitric Oxide Naturally” for a refresher on how to boost NO.


pgc-1 alpha mitochondrial biogenesis6) Nicotinamide Riboside – This is a cool supplement and one of the few that actually gave me noticeable effects.  It also increases mitochondrial biogensis(S).

Niagen Brand Nicotinamide Riboside is the brand I used.

Nicotinamide Riboside works its magic by converting to NAD+ in the body.  NAD+ is shown to directly increase sirtuin(SIRT) activity(S).

” The dependence of sirtuins on NAD links their enzymatic activity directly to the energy status of the cell via the cellular NAD:NADH ratio, the absolute levels of NAD, NADH or nicotinamide or a combination of these variables(S).”

This Study says:

  • “NAD+plays a key role in regulating metabolism and circadian rhythm through sirtuins.
  • NAD+becomes limiting during aging, affecting sirtuin’s activities.
  • NAD+likely declines due to an NAD +biosynthesis defect and increased depletion.
  • Supplementing key NAD+ intermediates (Nicotinamide Riboside) can restore NAD+ levels and ameliorate age-associated pathophysiologies.”

I know Nicotinamide Riboside sounds pretty exotic, but it is actually just a variant of regular old vitamin b3.

In fact, Vitamin B3 – otherwise known as niacin – can also increase NAD+ levels(S).  However, Nicotinamide Riboside raises NAD+ levels to a higher level than any other available substance.

So technically you could use a flush-inducing Niacin supplement or the flush-free Nicotinamide(wiki) and MAYBE, just MAYBE –if you keep your fingers crossed – you can raise NAD+ to appreciable levels.  Of course that is assuming that you don’t have any obstructed pathways in your body that would prevent the natural conversion…Just saying…

Whether you choose the JET (Niagen) or the BICYCLE (Niacin), it is definitely worth optimizing NAD+.


pgc-1 alpha mitochondrial biogenesis7) Astaxanthin – Now for the grand finale, I am proud to present to you ASTAXANTHIN!

This is my new favorite supplement.

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid that is naturally found in shrimp, salmon, algae, lobster, crab, flamingos, krill, and more!

Astaxanthin boasts an EXTREMELY HIGH antioxidant capacity:

“The ROS-scavenging capacity is 6000 times that of Vitamin C, 800 times that of coenzyme Q10, 550 times that of Vitamin E, 200 times that of polyphenols, 150 times that of anthocyanins, and 75 times that of α-Lipoic acid”  (O_O)  Woah.

Astaxanthin also:

  • “Plays a role in preventing atherosclerosis(wiki) by raising good cholesterol (HDL) while lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and by reducing the oxidation of apolipoprotein – which are responsible for binding and transporting fats.
  • Maintains eye and central nervous system health.  It is one of the few antioxidants that can enter the retina and prevent oxidative damage!  It is also prevent and treat macular degeneration.
  • Is a potent anti-inflammatory and pain-reliever.  It does this by inhibiting cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) enzyme activities, which are related with many diseases, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, dysmenorrhea, and acute pain.
  • Affects multiple cytokines, like nitric oxide, interleukin 1-β, prostaglandin E2, C-Reactive Protein (CRP), NF-κB, and TNFα.
  • Activates T-cell and inhibits autoimmune reactions.
  • Is synergistic with water-soluble antioxidants. “When combining lipid-soluble antioxidants (such as astaxanthin) with water-soluble ones (such as ascorbic acid) in lower concentrations, higher efficiency on ROS removal may be expected.
  • Is anti-cancer!

Astaxanthin has a 5 step plan for dealing with cancer(S):

  1. It prevents cancer initiation by alleviating DNA oxidative-damage.
  2. Then it promotes early check and elimination of cells undergoing malignant transformation by activating immune surveillance.
  3. Next it prevents cancer cell growth in cells by boosting immune detection.
  4. Then it inhibits rapid tumor cell growth by blocking tumor cell reproductive cycle and inducing tumor cell apoptosis.
  5. Finally it prevents tumor cell spreading by decreasing tumor cell’s tissue-melting proteins.

It also increases mitochondria biogenesis through – can you guess it???- PGC-1α(S)(S)!

To top it all off, Astaxanthin shows NO SIDE EFFECTS or NEGATIVE RESULTS(S)!!!”

Wow.

What else is Astaxanthin capable of??

Well..

Do you remember, in “Mitochondria – Fix your ATP, Fix your Life,” when I promised that in Part II, which is this article, I would show you guys a key antioxidant that is able to mitigate sun exposure and fit in quite nicely with enhancing mitochondria?

mitochondrial biogenesis pgc-1 alpha

                                                                                                                                

See, I did say that…

Well this is it!  Astaxanthin protects the skin from the harmful effects UV-rays(S)(S)(S)

Believe it or not, this is just the tip of the iceberg folks.

To sum it up,

Astaxanthin kicks Ass!


You now have many options to increase your Mitochondrial Biogenesis!

Combine a few, or combine them all!  Just be sure to DO SOMETHING!

That concludes this article!

I hope you guys enjoyed it.  If you have any questions be sure to leave a comment below.

Yours truly,

-Matt

P.S.  I alluded to Austin Powers 3 times in this article.  Let me know if you caught all of them!


Photo Credits: Miguel Ugalde, Amenic181, Eyup Salman,

Bugtiger, Feelart, Graur Codrin,

Think4photop

Filed Under: Beast, Diet, Exercise, Food

Mitochondria – Fix your ATP, Fix your Life

December 7, 2015 by Matt 9 Comments

atp mitochondria
mitochondria atp

Mitochondria are the batteries of your cells.

Mitochondria, ATP, what does it all mean?

Mitochondria…so you want to find out what they are, huh?  Well you’ll find out soon enough.

But first, we are going to talk about ATP.

As you may or may not know, ATP is the currency of life.

It is THE energy molecule responsible for fueling life as we know it.

Without ATP, life is not possible.

In case you haven’t got the picture yet…

atp mitochondria

Thanks Ron.

So where does this omnipotent energy source come from?  Mitochondria.

Mitochondria are the powerhouses located in every cell in the body.  The number of mitochondria in a single cell can range from 0 to over 2,000(S).  You can imagine the mitochondria to be tiny batteries that provide energy(ATP) for the cells, and ultimately the organism, in which they reside.

Where did they come from?

The Endosymbiotic Theory suggests that mitochondria were once their own organism, likely a bacteria, that was then consumed by a larger organism.  Somehow the mitochondria survived digestion and became a part of the larger organism.

  • Symbiosis is when two organisms live and work together and help each other equally.  It is a relationship that benefits both partners.  Much like the one I have with my wife, right honey? :mrgreen:
  • Endosymbiosis is the same thing, except that one organism lives inside of the other – like the mitochondria living inside of the cell.

So the mitochondria benefited because they gained protection and nutrients, while the larger organism benefits because of the specialized ATP production.  That’s the gist of it anyways, and it’s pretty awesome.

It is awesome because in the grand scheme of things, everything boils down to SURVIVAL.  Anything that can increase an organism’s chances of survival is favorable.

Survival of the fittest.

Survival of the strongest.

Survival of the smartest.

Humans are social creatures.  To help our species live, we create communities.  Whether it is the familial, agricultural, or technological community, we depend on the existence of these to increase our survival.  Few of us are truly self sufficient, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing…

Look at it this way:  If you raise your own livestock and grow your own crops, then you are investing a lot of time into this.  This is time that you can’t take back.

However, if you go to the grocery store to buy your food, you are saving a lot of time.  This saved time can devoted towards exercising, researching, learning a new hobby, a business venture, or anything.

This is sort of how the mitochondria benefit the host.  They produce energy so your cells can spend its time performing other functions.

mitochondria atp

“You hear that baby? You have MY mitochondria!”

Now, back to mitochondria.

Mitochondria are unique because they have their own mitochondrial DNA and because they are only inherited from your mother(S).

So you can thank your mom – and your mom’s mom, and your mom’s mom’s mom, and her mom’s mom’s mom’s mom – for your sluggish mitochondria 😛 .

But don’t be fooled: this doesn’t mean you are “stuck” with bad mitochondria.

Many physical and dietary stimuli are capable of positively influencing mitochondria.  I will delve into these methods in Mitochondrial Biogenisis – Fix your ATP, Fix your Life.

What are Mitochondria Responsible for?

  • Energy Production – “Their primary role is to produce 90% of a cell’s energy in the form of ATP through a process called oxidative phosphorylation(S).”
  • Cellular Signalling – Mitochondria mainly send signals to the rest of the body through mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species.  These mROS are a natural by-product of ATP creation, but they can also accumulate from cellular insults.

Too much mROS is bad and leads to cellular damage and cell death.  However, too little mROS is also bad because it keeps your body from correctly adapting to stimuli.

Much like anything else in life, you want a balance.

mitochondria atp

Too much mROS is harmful.

Proper levels of mROS are vital for:

  1. Adaptation to hypoxia(countering low oxygen)
  2. Regulation of autophagy(cellular recycling)
  3. Regulation of immunity(pathogen removal)
  4. Regulation of differentiation(stem cells)
  5. Regulation of longevity(length of life)(S).

  • Apoptosis Regulation – Apoptosis is programmed cell death.  Mitochondria are involved the release of caspase activators(S).  These caspases are aptly named the “executioner” proteins(S).  The main trigger of apoptosis is DNA damage, which makes sense because you don’t want cells with damaged DNA to replicate and form new cells that also contain the damaged code, right(S)?

-It is also shown that a malfunctioning apoptosis pathway leads to uncontrolled tumor growth and also autoimmune diseases(S).

  • Steroid Synthesis –  In the steroidogenic cells of the adrenal, gonad, placenta and brain, mitochondria convert cholesterol into steroid hormones(S).  One of these hormones includes pregnenolone.  Pregnenolone is called the “mother” hormone because it can be converted into many other hormones(S).  It is also a neurosteroid.

-It should be known that alcohol can entirely stop this process(S).

  • Mitochondria are also responsible for regulating the membrane potential, calcium signalling, and regulating cell metabolism(S).

As you can see, the mitochondria are pretty damn important.

So important that many cell biologists support the theory that mitochondrial number and function determines human longevity(S).

This makes sense, because having a small amount of poor functioning mitochondria would mean that your body would have a severely limited amount of energy, ATP, for survival.

An organism with a poor ability to manufacture the vital life energy would surely have a decreased life-span.

How Do Mitochondria Make Energy?

Long story short, they use food and oxygen to produce the ATP molecule.

Click here to see what it looks like.

Understanding the process isn’t as important as knowing that it makes ATP.

We truly owe the mitochondria our life, but there is one problem…

The process of creating ATP also creates Reactive Oxygen Species.  As stated earlier, normal amounts of ROS are needed for good health, but when it gets out of hand – problems occur.

You see, the mitochondria have few mechanisms to protect them from damage.  This makes them dependent on the cell they resides in to quell these free radicals.

However…

If you are consuming a nutrient-poor diet that’s filled with processed junk foods, then you probably don’t have enough antioxidants to help out the poor mitochondria.

When ROS are left unchecked, they can break proteins, and damage DNA in the cells.  This progressive increase in mitochondrial damage is strongly associated with aging.  This is also known as the “Free Radical Theory of Aging(S,S).”

It is the same reason that many believe mitochondrial dysfunction to be behind major health issues.

These health issues include, but are not limited to: autoimmune diseases, Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), autism, cancer, Huntington’s disease, schizophrenia, bipolar disease, dementia, epilepsy, migraine headaches, strokes, neuropathic pain, ataxia, transient ischemic attack, cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, retinitis pigmentosa, diabetes, hepatitis C, and primary biliary cirrhosis to name a few(S)(S)(S)(S)(S)(S)(S).

If you have any kind of health issue, there is a good chance that mitochondria are involved in some way, shape, or form…

What Else Damages Mitochondria?

  • Poor Diet – Fried foods, processed foods, sugar, white flour, high fructose corn syrup, etc all cause inflammation – along with nutrient deficiencies.  Read my article “Gut Health: Is Your Stomach in Jeopardy?” for more information on the link between diet and inflammation.

It works like this:

Crap food leads to inflammation ->  Chronic inflammation leads to oxidative damage ->  Oxidative damage leads to reduced antioxidant capacity -> Reduced antioxidant capacity leads to even more damage(S).

It’s a vicious cycle folks, literally.

As Hippocrates said, “LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE…”

  • Chronic Sun Exposure –  The UV radiation that the sun emits enables a cascade of events that can lead to DNA damage.  UV rays are the same band of light responsible for giving you that nice summer tan.  This tanning process is actually a self-defense mechanism that aims to prevent cell damage from occurring.

-However, too much sun can be a bad thing.  Over-exposure to UV rays creates Radical Oxygen Species – there it is again – that persist even after you leave the beach.

You know the drill:  Too much ROS leads to cell damage, which can lead to mutations and cell death.  This is the equation for skin cancer development(S).

-What can you do to avoid this?

Well for one you build up your tolerance to the sun in the same way you ease into a new exercise routine. Start out low, then work your way up.

If you go from no sun exposure all year to staying out on the beach in Cancún for a whole day – you will be one sorry amigo rojo.

-Secondly, In Part II I will show you guys a key antioxidant that is able to mitigate sun exposure…and it fits in quite nicely with enhancing mitochondria 🙂 .

  • Over-excitement of NMDA Receptors – What the what? These receptors are like an “on and off” switch for your cells.

-Artificial sweeteners like aspartme and MSG, as well as environmental toxins, infections, allergens, and stress can trigger an overexcited state in the cells.

– This state stimulates the NMDA receptors to flood the cells with too much calcium and causes a cascade of signals that produce free radicals(ROS), damage the mitochondria, and lead to their demise.

  • Pollutants, chemicals, cigarettes, and alcohol – These all can cause increased ROS production(The UltraMind Solution – a great book).
  • Medications – The list of medications that interfere with proper mitochondria function is quite lengthy.  Therefore,

I HIGHLY recommend you open this page: DRUGS WITH MITOCHONDRIAL TOXICITY and use “Ctrl+F” on your keyboard to search for drugs that you might be consuming.


 Congratulations!

You made it through the tough part.

Now you can relax.

Go ahead, take a deep breath.

Feeling better now?   Good.

That’s what I wanted to hear.

Let’s continue…


Press “Play” to be taken on a journey narrated by yours truly.

https://remedyrising.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/FINALMITO-MP.mp3

As you can see, the odds are stacked against us.

Despite the constant daily assaults each and every single cell fights to survive.

Your cells fight to survive despite the fact that you keep shoveling garbage down your throat and clouding your cells with noxious cigarette fumes.

Your cells fight to survive despite your aptitude for severe sendentarism and total disregard for your current condition.

Your cells fight to survive… Why don’t YOU join them in this fight?

This war is happening right now inside of you.

You need to be fighting every day if you wish to come out on top.

Join your cellular comrades in this brutal war and feel the satisfaction in declaring victory with each passing day.

If you haven’t been fighting in this battle, then there is no better time to start than NOW.

Neglecting to do so goes against the natural order of life, and in case you forgot what that is – it’s SURVIVAL.

If you aren’t fighting, then you are dying.

If you aren’t trying, then your life is winding-

down.  The hands on your clock tick and tock-

faster and faster. Until your time is up, and your body turns Casper.

Your body is a tight-knit group of cells that miraculously work together to keep you alive and well.

Why wouldn’t you help them win this fight?

Be a part of your battalion of cells and take care of the only fucking body you will ever have, and BE DAMN PROUD of your accomplishments.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Don’t stand by and watch your life fade to dust.

Grab life by the horns, before you rust.

But maybe… I’m being too harsh…

Maybe you weren’t aware of the compounding damage that these factors have on your body.

Well,

NOW YOU ARE.

So, any further decisions to neglect these risks…

To neglect your OBLIGATION as a human being…

Means that you are willfully and knowingly killing yourself.

Slowly, but surely you will be greeting death.

Sooner rather than later…

And that’s the cold, hard truth.

Now that you KNOW BETTER, I hope you take the action to DO BETTER.

mitochondria atp

THE POWER IS YOURS.

The end.

Keep your eyes peeled for Part II.

And as always:

mitochondria atp

Stay Classy

 -Matt


Photos By: Sumetho, Cinema Blend, Nenetus, and Marin

Songs: Neal Acree- Nightsong and Thomas Bergersen – Cry

Filed Under: Beast, Lifestyle

7 Ways to Boost Nitric Oxide Naturally

May 18, 2015 by Matt 7 Comments

boost nitric oxide naturally

boost nitric oxide naturally

Before I tell you how to boost nitric oxide naturally, make sure you read “5 Reasons Why Nitric Oxide is Important.”

Ok, welcome back.

Boosting nitric oxide naturally can be a breeze, but in order to accurately gauge your nitric oxide levels I recommend using Berkely Nitric Oxide Test Strips.

So what is the easiest way to boost nitric oxide levels naturally?

1. Eat Foods that are High in Nitratesboost nitric oxide naturally

Nitrates are involved in nitric oxide production.

Nitrates work like this:  while you chew nitrate rich food in your mouth, friendly bacteria breaks it down into nitrite.

Then, you swallow the nitrite where it is converted into nitric oxide by the acidic environment in the gut(S,S,S,S).

Just another reason why it is important to have optimal gut health!

Since this nitric oxide pathway is dependent on bacteria, you should avoid anti-bacterial mouthwash like the plague.

  • This study shows that using mouthwash completely eliminated the effects of dietary nitrates.

Which foods are high in nitrates?

  1. Arugula lettuce is the absolute best source.
  2. Beetroot juice is in second with half as many nitrates as Arugula.
  3. Then it’s your typical vegetables:  carrots, celery, iceberg, romaine, spinach, kale, chard, etc.
  • Click here for a more in-depth chart of nitrate rich foods.

Why else are nitrates/nitrites beneficial?

According to this study, nitrite even performs as a signalling molecule of gene expression.

  • “We further find that nitrite readily affects cyclic GMP production, cytochrome P450 activities, and heat shock protein 70 and heme oxygenase-1 expression in a variety of tissues.”
  • This is a substantial discovery.  Things that change gene expression fall under the research of epigenetics.  Epigenetics are the future of health.

Click here for more information about nitrates and nitrites.

2. ExerciseBoost nitric oxide naturally

We all know that exercise is good for the body.  As it turns out, exercise is also a great way to boost nitric oxide levels.

It isn’t just weight-lifting either.  All forms of exercise increase nitric oxide levels: walking, running, climbing, biking, weight-lifting…everything(S,S,S,S,S)!   

In fact, this study shows that exercise boosts levels of the enzymes that create nitric oxide, and that these enzymes remain elevated up to a week later!

So NO excuses people.  Be active and stay attractive.

boost nitric oxide naturally3. Sunlight

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you’ve surely heard of the importance of Sunlight and Vitamin D.

What you probably don’t know is that sunlight is also responsible for triggering the production of Nitric Oxide.

How does sunlight increase nitric oxide?

Well, your skin stores nitric oxide metabolites(nitrate/nitrite).  When UV rays from the sun touch your skin they change these metabolites into the more active form – nitric oxide – which is then released into your bloodstream(S).

“Sun exposure can improve health and even prolong life, because the benefits of reducing blood pressure, cutting heart attacks and strokes, far outweigh the risk of getting skin cancer(S).”

So sunlight raises levels of the all-important vitamin d, increases the amazing nitric oxide, and makes me tan?  Say no more.

boost nitric oxide naturally

4. L-Citrulline

Citrulline is an amino acid that is naturally found in watermelon.  It also happens to significantly raise nitric oxide, even more so than l-arginine.

The reason for this is that l-citrulline is better absorbed by the gut.

Because of this fact, l-citrulline is better at raising levels of l-arginine than arginine itself!

  • It is able to raise arginine levels through the arginine/ornithine/citrulline cycle(S).

Raising plasma arginine levels is important because arginine is directly used by Nitric Oxide Synthases(NOS) to produce Nitric Oxide.

How do I recommend getting more citrulline in your diet?

The best way to consume adequate citrulline is through supplementation.

You could try eating watermelons all day, but that would be a huge waste of time…then again, I sure love me some watermelon.

These guys have the right idea:

 Bulk Supplements Pure L-Citrulline DL-Malate is the best way to consume citrulline.

  • For dosing, it is acceptable to use between 3,000mg – 8,000mg per day – with or without meals.

boost nitric oxide naturally5. Niacin

Being one of the 80 essential human nutrients, Niacin(vitamin b3) is very important.

Niacin has numerous benefits, but to stay on topic:  niacin is beneficial for its ability to raise good HDL cholesterol levels, while lowering bad LDL cholesterol.

This study shows that the niacin-induced increase in HDL resulted in higher levels of Nitric Oxide Synthase expression in endothelial cells.

In other words:

Niacin ⇒ More HDL ⇒ More Nitric Oxide Synthase  ⇒ More Nitric Oxide.

The dosage for Niacin varies greatly, but I recommend starting off with a low amount like Carlson Lab’s 50 mg Niacin.

  • This way you can work up to a higher dose, while minimizing the annoying “niacin flush” that most of us are familiar with.
  • Low-dose niacin(50mg) is still effective at raising HDL levels(S).

boost nitric oxide naturally

6. Ginseng

Behold, the almighty ginseng.

Ginseng belongs to a powerful class of plants known as “adaptogenic herbs.”

Ginseng is very popular, and even the great Bruce Lee was known to consume it(Source: “The Art of Expressing the Human Body“).

I love Bruce Lee, so don’t get me started on him.

Anyways there are many different kinds of ginseng, but the one we care about is very specific.

  • Panax Ginseng, Korean Ginseng, and Red Ginseng are all names for the type we want.

How does Ginseng boost Nitric Oxide?

Ginseng directly stimulates Nitric Oxide Synthase, and as I’ve said before:  More Nitric Oxide Synthase activity ⇒ More NO.

  • It is believed that the ginsenosides in ginseng are responsible for increasing Nitric Oxide Synthase activity(S,S).

There is also some evidence that ginseng can raise testosterone levels…but whether or not that is true, I think it is still worth it for the nitric oxide boost alone(S,S).

Since ginseng is such a popular herb, there are many products to choose from; however, according to Consumer Labs, most of them don’t quite live up to their claims.

Therefore, it is recommended to stick with a high-potency brand that did pass their test.

One of these trusted brands is Solgar Full Potency Korean Ginseng.    Try it, you won’t be disappointed.

boost nitric oxide naturally

7. Nitroxyl

If you are like me, then you likely don’t want to take a bunch of different supplements and you’d rather just take one that “has them all.”

Well, Nitroxyl is just that.

Nitroxyl is the most comprehensive nitric oxide boosting formulation I have seen to-date!

On top of that, they don’t hide behind a”proprietary blend” – which I discussed the dangers of in “Is Cellucor C4 Preworkout Safe?”

What is in Nitroxyl? 

  • Vitamin C 8.4mg
  • L-citrulline 250mg
  • Hawthorn Berry Powder 150mg
  • Beet Root Powder 100mg
  • Alpha GPC 25mg
  • N-Acetyl L-Carnitine 25mg
  • Pomegranate Fruit Extract 20mg
  • Theobromine(from Cocoa Powder) 20mg
  • Vinpocetine 10mg
  • Huperzine A 50mcg

All of these ingredients are proven to work synergistically to raise Nitric Oxide levels in the body.  You’ll notice that some ingredients are even ones that I mentioned in this article.

Nitroxyl is your one stop shop for nitric oxide boosting compounds.  Hop on or get left behind.

NOTE:  The only competition Nitroxyl has is Neo40.  Neo40 seems to be marketed towards the 40+ year old crowd, under the assumption that older people have poor functioning nitric oxide pathways.

Even though Neo40 will also work, it is much more expensive when compared to Nitroxyl.  It also has less ingredients and hides behind a proprietary blend.  However, the cool thing about Neo40 is that it is sold in the form of lozenges which are designed to dissolve in the mouth.  As we learned earlier, food-based nitric oxide production begins in the mouth.

The moral of the story is that you can try either – they both will work.  However, Nitroxyl is by-far the better bang for your buck.


That concludes the “7 Ways to Boost Nitric Oxide Naturally.”

It should be noted that this list is by no means complete and it is only designed to help you get started on your path to boosting nitric oxide naturally.

Remember to test your nitric oxide levels with Berkely’s Nitric Oxide Test Strips.

PEACE!

-Matt

 Photos by: Domdeen, Arztsamui, Naito8, and Keira

Filed Under: Beast, Diet, Exercise, Food, Lifestyle

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