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Welcome back to a research packed episode where I talk about all of the benefits and research surrounding Cold water therapy and full-body cryotherapy. Yes, I am talking about taking cold showers, taking polar plunges into freezing lakes and rivers and cryotherapy chambers. It is going to be a good episode and very detailed episode, so try and follow along as best as you can. We are going to jump into the wild world of cold therapy in just a second, but I first want to say just as I mentioned on my last episode, I have been working on a new coaching program that I am pretty excited about. It includes primal weight loss strategies, nutrition plans without counting stupid macros and calories, strength training methods and easy badass lifestyle methods that anyone can implement to get more energy into their life. If you are interested, we first start off with a free 45minute to 1-hour phone consult to find out your goals, needs and desires. Based off this call, we will formulate an extremely detailed plan tailored to your individual needs. With Over 15 years of experimentation of every diet and exercise regimen imaginable, I know what works for some and doesn't work for others. For instance… those people who have had their gallbladder removed will likely not do well on a ketogenic diet.. because breaking down fats efficiently requires a healthy gallbladder. Many so-called healthy diets will not work for everyone. Not even close. That's why you have not gotten the results you wanted or desired because it was not tailored to you. I have helped many people attain the life they deserve, so if you're ready to finally get that body or achieve your many health goals, Facebook message me at TJ Woodham and let's get started on making you a badass for the rest of your years. On today's episode we are going to be diving into the fascinating world of cold therapy aka cryotherapy and how you can benefit from doing many different forms of cold therapy. There are different methods such as the old school ice baths, taking cold showers or even doing seasonal cold plunges in frigid lakes, rivers, oceans, or pools. You might also want to engage in some of the newer forms of cold therapy such as going into cryochambers (which are full body) or cryo-saunas (which allow your head to peer over a ledge). MAKE SURE YOU STAY UNTIL THE END where I tell you the exact methods I have used and the methods you SHOULD use to implement cryotherapy into your life. We will be covering a lot of research first, so I want to make sure you listen until the end so that you can get some practical steps and tricks to utilize cryotherapy in your own life. Cold therapy has been used for years to help athletes and everyday people recover from ailments, injury's and improve performance and functionality in the human body. Cold therapy may help with things like: Pain management Osteoarthritis Neck pain Low back pain Joint pain Helps with swelling and inflammation Increase nerve conduction velocity (how fast your nerves send impulses to your body) Helps boost the Immune System.. in other words will help you from getting sick May help with hair loss and better for skin than warm to hot water Increases metabolism through thermogenesis which means weight loss (brown adipose) Potential treatment for depression (and before you get all huffy and puffy on the subject, I will go through some research hypothesizing cold showers being good for depression) Potential cardiovascular health Antioxidant like effects in reducing reactive oxygen species aka cancer causing entities known as free radicals. Cold bath immersion can also provide strength gains and muscle gains following workouts due to its healing properties in superficial muscle Before I begin, I must mention that cold water therapy and cryotherapy IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. If you have a serious condition or circulation disorders PLEASE DO NOT EVER DO CRYOTHERAPY. You MUST ALWAYS CONSULT your family doctor before doing such extreme modalities. The following conditions are severely restricted from cryotherapy: Raynaud's syndrome, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, history of frostbite, atherosclerosis aka cardiovascular disease, allergy to cold, history of heart attack, history of DVT aka deep vein thrombosis, acute or chronic kidney disease, history of seizures and bleeding disorders. For many people, cold weather and cold environments are their worst enemy and would rather suffer from 120-degree heat in the desert than to endure sub zero temperatures. Meanwhile, people in the state of Florida are freezing cold when it is 65 degrees outside in the middle of the winter. Believe me… I know. I lived in Florida for a good bit of my life. However, I now live in Wyoming which is a state that sees temperatures plummet to a bone chilling negative 30 degrees with 20 mph winds. So, I definitely have lived the dichotomy of worlds. This being said, humans are quite adaptable creatures if you are willing to stress your body every once in a while for the sake of health and science. Physical stress is actually more healthy than unhealthy if you don't exceed your threshold. In other words, your body needs occasional stress from the environmental around you in order to build a strong immune system. Just like when we played out in the mud, dirt, and sand as kids… we exposed ourselves to bacteria, fungus and molds to build our immunity… being exposed to harsh temperatures also drastically alters our immune system in ways you would not believe. There are multiple research studies showing that exposure to cold water and temperatures have phenomenal impacts on our immune systems… in other words we don't get sick as often and are protected from illness. This can be achieved through 3-4-minute cold showers, 10-15 min cold baths or even 10-minute cold plunges in bodies of water. With that being said lets jump into some studies showing how cold therapy increases healthy immune systems The first study is: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial By (BIHZH) Buijze et. all Between January and March 2015, 3018 participants between 18 and 65 years without severe comorbidity and no routine experience of cold showering were randomized to a (hot-to-) cold shower for 30, 60, 90 seconds or a control group during 30 consecutive days followed by 60 days of showering cold at their own discretion for the intervention groups. The primary outcome was illness days and related sickness absence from work. Secondary outcomes were quality of life, work productivity, anxiety, thermal sensation and adverse reactions. Results of the study showed in a 29% reduction of self-reported sick leave from work but not illness days at 90 days follow-up in adults without severe comorbidity. What was interesting however, is that the combination of routine (hot-to-) cold shower and regular physical activity resulted in an expected 54% reduction of sickness absence compared to people who don't do either. The duration of the cold shower did not influence outcome as there was no significant difference between intervention groups. Even though the vast majority of participants reported a variable degree of discomfort during cold exposure, the fact that 91% of participants reported they will to continue such routine. The most commonly reported beneficial effect was an increase in perceived energy levels (including many reported comparisons to the effect of caffeine). Cold therapy has also been shown to induce heat shock proteins and cytokines which are types of immune cells that are produced under stressful conditions to modulate our immune system and ramp up our defenses in times of perceived threat or attack from intruders. Another study on immunity is: Immune changes in humans during cold exposure: effects of prior heating and exercise. By Brenner Et. All Showing that Subsequent cold exposure induced increase of leukocytes, granulocytes, circulating levels of interleukin (IL)-6, and natural killer (NK) cells and its activity. Leukocytes, granulocyte, and monocyte responses were augmented by pretreatment with exercise in water (18°C or 64F) and thus acute-cold exposure has immune-stimulating effects. This study suggests that, despite popular beliefs that cold exposure can precipitate a viral infection, the innate component of the immune system is not adversely affected by a brief period of cold exposure. Indeed, the opposite seems the case. The fall in core body temperature resulting from cold exposure led to a consistent and statistically significant mobilization of circulating cells, an increase in NK cell activity, and elevations in circulating IL-6 concentrations Another study on immunity showed improved antioxidant protection in winter swimmers The study is called: Improved antioxidative protection in winter swimmers. By Siems et al. Whereby they measured how levels of Glutathione, which is our body's strongest antioxidant, increased in those exposed to cold winter swimming. The control group consisted of healthy people who had never participated in winter swimming. They drew blood samples to get a baseline of their Glutathione levels. What they found is that, in fact, the baseline concentration of GSH were higher in winter swimmers. They interpreted this as an adaptative response to repeated oxidative stress and postulate it as a new basic molecular mechanism of increased tolerance to environmental stress. Aka increased glutathione may help with increased immune system regulation if you can withstand the cold water. There is another study titled: Whole-Body Cryostimulation - Potential Beneficial Treatment for Improving Antioxidant Capacity in Healthy Men - Significance of the Number of Sessions In which Lubkowska et. Al placed 30 young healthy men into full-body cryotherapy chambers for 2 minutes at -230 degrees Fahrenheit and the results also significantly increased glutathione levels. So both cold water therapy and cryochamber therapy work similarly. Now Let's switch gears and get into some studies showing how cold therapy can help with weight loss: The first study is titled: Functional brown adipose tissue in healthy adults. By Vitanen Et. Al Using positron-emission tomography, they found that cold-induced glucose uptake was increased by a factor of 15 in paracervical and supraclavicular adipose tissue in five healthy subjects. They obtained biopsy specimens of the tissue from three consecutive participants and documented protein levels of a brown-adipose tissue marker named uncoupling protein 1. In other words, more of this uncoupling protein means more brown adipose tissue. After a biochemical analysis, they team found that cold therapies induced a substantial amount of metabolically active brown adipose tissue in healthy adult humans which is used to warm the body and to ramp up metabolism which then can be used for weight loss methods. The second study titled: Cold acclimation recruits human brown fat and increases nonshivering thermogenesis By Van Der Lans Et. Al Simply showed, again, how exposure to cold therapy will increase more brown fat which is known to ramp up heat production and metabolism, which can lead to weight loss overtime. As crazy as it sounds, cold therapy could also be a great therapy for those with mental fog, cognition dysfunction, dementia and possibly Alzheimer's. This is because cold therapy induces cold stress protein named RNA binding protein motif 3 which then increases neurons responsible for brain connections and also increases astrocytes which are brain cells that's control electrical impulses in the brain and nourish neurons. There are two studies that investigate neuro-plasticity from cold therapy: The first is titled: RBM3 mediates structural plasticity and protective effects of cooling in neurodegeneration By Peretti Et. Al They found in animals that cooling and hibernation induce a number of cold-shock proteins in the brain, including the RNA binding protein, RBM3. RNA binding protein is correlated to new nervous system tissue; thus the data supports that enhancing cold-shock pathways could be a potential protective therapy in neurodegenerative disorders. The second study is titled: Cold stress protein RBM3 responds to temperature change in an ultra-sensitive manner in young neurons By Jackson Et. Al They found that the cold stress protein RNA binding motif 3 (RBM3) increases in neuron and astrocyte cultures which then gives rise to more neurons to form new nerve connections. Now Let's switch gears to hormone health in relation to cold therapy. The first study is titled: Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures By Sramek et al They Showed the effect on cardiovascular and hormone health by using a group of young men in water temperatures of 89, 68- and 57-degrees Fahrenheit. They found that in water temperatures of 57 degrees, it increased metabolic rate by 350%, and heart rate and blood pressure by 8 percent. This is also a good reason as to why you can lose weight from cold therapy due to ramping of your metabolism. It was important to note that Dopamine (our feel-good hormone) increased by 250% and Cortisol (our stress hormone) did not increase, but rather stayed the same or decreased. Responses like increased heart rate and blood pressure due to cold water were because the sympathetic nervous system was temporarily stressed. The second study on hormone health tested the physiological difference between winter swimming and cryochamber therapy. It is titled: Effects of long‐term whole‐body cold exposures on plasma concentrations of ACTH, beta‐endorphin, cortisol, catecholamines and cytokines in healthy females By Leppaluoto Et. Al They studied the physiological reason for why cold therapy was good at alleviating pain. During the course of 12 weeks, 3 times a week, a group of 10 healthy females was exposed to winter swimming (water 32–35°F) for 20 second and another group of 10 healthy females to whole‐body cryotherapy (air −230°F) for 2 min in a special chamber. When Blood was drawn weeks 4-12 cortisol levels were significantly lower than in week 1. Plasma epinephrine was unchanged during both experiments, but norepinephrine showed significant 2‐fold to 3‐fold increases each time for 12 weeks after both cold exposures. The main finding was the sustained cold‐induced stimulation of norepinephrine, which was remarkably similar between exposures. The frequent increase in norepinephrine might have a role in pain alleviation in whole‐body cryotherapy and winter swimming. We are now going to switch gears over to cryotherapy in athletics, performance and recovery. It is no surprise that cold therapy is also amazing for athletic performance and recovery. Most people in some point of their life has used ice for an injury whatever the reason. There are many studies pointing to the efficacy of cold therapy on recovery times and strength and performance. The first study is titled Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signaling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training By Roberts et. Al The key findings were that cold water immersion (1) substantially attenuated long-term gains in muscle mass and strength, and (2) delayed and/or suppressed the activity of satellite cells and kinases in the mTOR pathway during recovery from strength exercise. mTOR standing for mammalian target of rapamycin but you don't need to know that. However, what you do need to know is that these satellite cells in the mTOR pathway are stimulated in response to injury. So by decreasing how much they proliferate can increase recovery time. The second study is titled: Effects of whole-body cryotherapy on serum mediators of inflammation and serum muscle enzymes in athletes By Banfi et. Al 10 top-level Italian National team rugby players underwent five sessions of…
Full show notes at the publisherSunlight and Vitamin D What is going on beautiful people. I am finally back from a temporary hiatus. Yes, after hearing many of you and my friends giving me shit from not producing podcast episodes, I am finally back. I have been working on a new coaching program that I am pretty excited about. It includes primal weight loss strategies, nutrition plans without counting stupid macros and calories, strength training methods and easy badass lifestyle methods that anyone can implement to get more energy into their life. If you are interested, we first start off with a free 45minute to 1-hour phone consult to find out your goals, needs and desires. Based off this call, we will formulate an extremely detailed plan tailored to your individual needs. With Over 15 years of experimentation of every diet and exercise regimen imaginable, I know what works for some and doesn't work for others. For instance… those people who have had their gallbladder removed will likely not do well on a ketogenic diet.. because breaking down fats efficiently requires a healthy gallbladder. Many so-called healthy diets will not work for everyone. Not even close. That's why you have not gotten the results you wanted or desired because it was not tailored to you. I have helped many people attain the life they deserve, so if you're ready to finally get that body or achieve your many health goals, Facebook message me at TJ Woodham and let's get started on making you a badass for the rest of your years. On today's episode we are talking about the benefits of Sunlight and why it has been demonized over the years for fear of cancer. In fact, newer findings suggest that moderate amounts of sunshine does not lead to skin cancer, but rather moderate amounts of sunshine actually helps prevent several types of cancers, especially breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer. We are also going to talk about why vitamin D aka hormone D is so damn good for you. Oh and before we start, I wanted to let you know nearly 1 billion people world-wide are currently vitamin D deficient. Why do you ask? Well because we sit inside play video games, watch tv, play with our iPads, scroll through social media and the list goes on… Let's get into it. First lets discuss why humans must get sunlight (health benefits) The reason why sunlight is amazing for your health is the stimulation of vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D does many things for our body such as creating strong bones, strong immune system so you don't get sick, protection against dementia and Alzheimer's, increased mood and natural hormone cycles, increased energy, strong teeth, nails and hair, helps with absorption of food and those with digestive disorders. Vitamin D via the sun also helps with skin disorders like PSORIASIS and ECZEMA. I can 100% confirm this.. as I had a bad case of eczema and the sun did wonders for my skin. The light that comes from the sun is called ultra-violet light. However, there are three types of ultra-violet light. UVA, UVB and UVC. UVA has the longest wavelength and least energy, UVB has shorter wavelength and UVC has shortest wavelength and highest energy. In general, we as humans only want moderate exposures to UVA and refrain from UVB and UVC exposure if possible. However, we know that cancer and aging can still come from long term exposure to UVA. That is why sun exposure, in general, needs to be monitored by time out in the sun. When your skin receives enough sunlight without burning, your skin will exhibit what we call the browning affect aka getting a tan. This is because the UVA rays stimulate this cells called melanocytes which produce a skin pigment known as melanin. The more melanin you have, the more tan or dark you will be. So if you think about it this way… black people typically have more melanin than white people because their skin is darker than white people. The cool thing is that melanin actually protects the skin against harmful sun rays and will allow you to tolerate more exposure to sunlight. In essence, if you are tanner, it will take longer for your body to have any kind of harm done to it. This is also due to the skin becoming thicker and will disallow penetration of rays over time… this is of course if you are getting moderate sun exposure and not burning your skin. Now let's quickly talk about the burning effect of the skin. When your skin gets burnt it is because of the UVB rays attacking the immune cells in the skin and the release of histamine aka an inflammation molecule. This histamine causes tiny blood vessels to dilate which will promote a visible redness. Some of these cells will be injured by the sun and a flaking process will occur which causes the upper layer of your skin to peel. Two other things that can be acquired from poor sunlight control are basal cell carcinoma and melanoma. Basil cell carcinoma typically come from brown spots caused from both UVA and UVB rays. It looks like brown flaked or brown spots. Typically this cancer is harmless but can in fact become harmful. On the other hand overexaggerated UVA and UVB exposure can lead to malignant melanoma in which melanocytes have been transformed into cancer cells. Melanoma typically evolves from birthmarks. It can spread very rapidly and evolve into serious diseases. Typically melanoma can be identified as an abnormally shaped and abnormally colored birthmark. Those people who had serious exposure to sunlight as young children are at a higher risk for melanoma. This being said, you might want to check your skin for any strange spots. Have your spouse or family member help you. If you find something concerning, do not self-diagnose. Go see a dermatologist or skin specialist first. Here is the rub. The sun is not your enemy. You should be smart about how long you are exposed to the sun, however. The general rule of thumb is you first need to understand the color of your skin and how either dark or fair skinned you are to determine exposure time to sun. If you are fair skinned and it is the first time being exposed to the sun this year, then 10 minutes is likely the best to start with. As you gain more color and pigment, then you may go up to 15 minutes and possibly 20 minutes. These times are WITHOUT SUNSCREEN by the way. So this means 10 minutes for your front side and then flip on your stomach to get 10 minutes on the back without sunscreen. If you are darker skin toned, then you can start with 20 minutes up to 30 minutes without sunscreen. Okay so here is my beef with sunscreen. It does two things that really piss me off… It first blocks the sun… soooo that's counterproductive and second, so many sunscreens actually have carcinogens in them already aka cancer causing chemicals. So how does that make any sense? The lotion that is protect us from cancer, is actually promoting cancer. That is amazing. The only time I will advise sunscreen is if you are clearly outside for an extended period of time without long sleeves, long pants and a hat to cover your face. As a rule of thumb, you should still put on face sunscreen even with a hat on because of light reflecting up from the ground. Also our face is exposed much more than any other body part and more prone to skin cancers. There are many organic sunscreens you can purchase on amazon these days. Granted, they will likely need to be applied a little more frequently than commercial grade sunscreens… but wouldn't you rather keep applying organic sunscreens compared to placing sunscreens that literally have cancer causing chemicals in their formula? There are sunscreens that are free of parabens, free of amino benzoic acid, trolamine salicylate and oxybenzone (which has been known to be the most toxic chemical in sunscreens) As a side note: oxybenzone The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention routinely detect oxybenzone in more than 96 percent of Americans. Study participants who reported using sunscreen have higher oxybenzone exposures (Zamoiski 2015). Investigators at University of California, Berkeley, reported a dramatic drop in teen girls' exposure to oxybenzone in cosmetics when they switched from their usual products to replacements that did not contain this chemical (Harley 2016). In an evaluation of CDC-collected exposure data for American children, researchers found that adolescent boys with higher oxybenzone measurements had significantly lower total testosterone levels (Scinicariello 2016). The researchers cautioned that their results offer a single-day snapshot; they are not a controlled study of the effect of multiday exposures. The study did not find a similar hormone effect in younger boys or females. Three other studies reported statistically significant associations between oxybenzone exposure during pregnancy and birth outcomes. One reported shorter pregnancies in women carrying male fetuses; two reported higher birth weights in baby boys; and one found lower birth weights in baby girls (Ghazipura 2017). Intentional dosing studies of people are rare. In one, volunteers applied a lotion containing oxybenzone and two other sunscreen ingredients. Researchers reported a minor but statistically significant decrease in testosterone in men, accompanied by a minor increase in inhibin B, another male sex hormone (Janjua 2004). The researchers concluded these differences were normal variations and not attributable to sunscreen exposure. In any event, critics argue the exposures were too short to be conclusive (Krause 2012). With this being said you can find sunscreens like Two Peas Organics https://amzn.to/2YiHWYe All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter https://amzn.to/2LBcONA Miami Gorgeous Zinc Stick https://amzn.to/30RZnwp Links to these sunscreens will be posted in the show notes that will direct you to Amazon. Now let's switch gears onto the conversation of tanning beds. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization's International Agency of Research on Cancer Tanning beds and sun lamps are carcinogens (cancer-causing substance. Research indicates that even just ONE indoor tanning visit a year increases the likelihood of developing melanoma or the risk of a benign mole progressing to melanoma. The risk is even higher for younger tanners. Many young women have started tanning before the age of 16. Younger skin is more prone to severe sun damage. With tanning beds, the light is meant to be the same strength as the UV light from the sun, and in some cases it can be stronger. Melanoma is the second most common cancer in females ages 15 to 29. In addition to the increased cancer risks, indoor tanning creates oxidative damage and increases the visible signs of aging. Dark spots and a leathery skin texture are signs that there has been significant sun damage to the skin. Another premature aging sign is wrinkling of the skin. Frequent visits to a tanning bed forces collagen production to lessen and the skin become less elastic. In fact, Indoor tanning is estimated to cause more than 400,000 cases of skin cancer in the United States annually. Even on tanning session can increase your risk of melanoma by 20 percent. Many authorities will say both the sun and tanning beds increase your risk for cancer. But I absolutely disagree if you are smart with sun exposure times and refraining from tanning beds. Just to let you know, I personally know people who had melanomas removed in their early 20's. That to me in scary enough to not go into a tanning bed. I quickly want to touch on the vitamin D pathway and how it works exactly. 80% of our vitamin D comes from the sun and 20% comes from our diet. When sunlight first hits our skin in the epidermis it turns a molecule called 7-dehydrocholesterol into Vitamin D3 aka cholecalciferol. Vitamin D3 is then shuttled to the liver where it is converted to 25-hydroxyvitamin D aka Calcidiol. Calcidiol is then transported to our Kidneys and converts to Calcidiol into 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D aka Calcitriol which is the Biologically active form of Vitamin D that the body can actually use for bone health, digestive health, hair health, brain health, skin health and hormone health. So just a recap – Sunlight hits skin, skin converts sunlight into Vitamin D3, Vitamin D3 transported to Liver, Liver converts Vitamin D3 into Calcidiol, Calcidiol transported to Kidneys, Kidneys convert Calcidiol into Calcitriol, Calcitriol is now the active and useable form of Vitamin D which gives us unending health benefits. Here's the deal… sometimes of the year it is very difficult to get sunlight because of winter and geographical locations not allowing access to the sun. Places further away from the equator suffer from winter time blues because they lack adequate sunlight and vitamin D. These locations are also more likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases. Research is showing that many autoimmune diseases are now linked to lack of sunlight and vitamin D deficiencies. Deficiencies in vitamin D can lead to a variety of conditions and symptoms such as: Sleep disorders Depression Skin Disorders/Rashes Autoimmune Diseases Digestive Disorders Adrenal Fatigue and Lethargy Hair Loss Bone Loss/Osteopenia/Osteoporosis Joint Pains Hormone Dysregulation Mental Disorders Early Alzheimer's and Dementia Decreases Immune System/Getting Sick Often Delayed wound healing This being said, there are a ton of bad things that can happen to you by being vitamin D deficient… So its pretty dang important to have adequate amounts of vitamin D in your body. If you don't have access to natural sunlight then you will want to up your food intake of vitamin D rich foods. You can get vitamin D from a variety of food sources. Vitamin D3 is mostly found in animal proteins and Vitamin D2 is found in plant proteins. Sources of Vitamin D include: Pasture Raised Eggs By Eating The Entire Egg and Yolk Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon Liver from Grass-fed Cows Wild Caught Sardines and Herring Organic Cod Liver oil Oysters Maitake (my-talkee) and Portobello Mushrooms If you don't like any of the food choices above then I suggest you invest in getting a quality Vitamin D supplement. You can take anywhere from 5-10 thousand IU of Vitamin D a day. Make sure your kidneys and liver are in good condition before starting a regimen of vitamin D. Talk to your doctor about any new supplement regimen if warranted. It is certainly safe to take 5 thousand IU of vitamin D daily. Don't feed into the whole vitamin D toxicity myth unless you truly have some sort of pre-existing organ dysfunction. I recommend purchasing Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D3 because their purity levels and simplicity is the best in my opinion. I have zero affiliation with this company. I myself only order through them If I can because there are zero fillers of any kind. I will post an amazon link in the show notes for their Vitamin D supplement. https://amzn.to/2Y5iRM4 With that being said, that is all I wanted to cover regarding the benefits of sunlight and vitamin D. I hope you got something out of this episode and if you didn't feel free to yell at me or drop me a line and see what you liked or didn't like from the episode. I'm always open to feedback and criticism. As I mentioned earlier in the episode, I am accepting applications to work one on one with you. I have been working diligently on updating the unleashed human website to make it more accessible to schedule appointments and it will be up very soon. Again, I am no stranger to weight loss, weight gain, strength training, nutrition coaching and what it means to truly be healthy. I've been down the road of sickness and disease. Overcoming a severe case of Eczema and small intestine bacterial overgrowth was one of the hardest times of my life. But I learned so much about myself and how to help others overcome debilitating digestive disorders, self-image problem…
Full show notes at the publisherWhat's up Unleashed Humans! On this episode we will be discussing what creatine is, what it does, why people use it, what the risks are, some of the common myths surrounding creatine, how much you should take, when you should take it and what company I suggest you buy from. First off, most people don't know what creatine actually is… Creatine is naturally found in our body, specifically found in our muscle and brain tissue. 95% of creatine is found in skeletal muscle as fast twitch type 2 muscles which are known for explosive and fast movements like punching, jumping, kicking and heavy weight training. Creatine's primary function is to recycle ATP aka Adenosine Triphosphate which is the molecule that gives our cells energy. The way that Creatine creates energy is it converts ADP aka adenosine diphosphate into ATP, which again is energy for our cells and tissues. In order to convert ADP to ATP, creatine is in the form of phosphocreatine, which gives ADP one more phosphate group to great Tri-phosphate aka energy. Creatine is endogenously created in the body via the liver and kidneys at about 1 gram per day. Most of the creatine in our bodies is stored inside skeletal muscle and the rest inside blood, the brain and other tissues. You can increase your creatine by taking exogenous creatine in the form of supplements or you can eat more meats, as animal proteins have the most creatine content. Foods like milk, red and white meat, fish and mollusks typically have the most creatine. Thus, it is important to note that typically vegetarians have less muscle creatine than non-vegetarians, but vegetarians can always up their creatine via supplementation. It is also important to note that cooking time, type of meat and muscle site influence the amount of creatine someone can consume after ingestion. For example, to retain the most creatine, do not overcook your meats but rather leave some of the meat tender and somewhat pink. If you make sure you know your source of meat, undercooking your meat will be just fine. Now let's move on to what it is used for… Creatine is mostly used as an athletic performance supplement. It has been the most popular dietary supplement in the sports world and has over $400 million in sales each year. Its primary purpose is to increase phosphocreatine levels in muscle and to increase free creatine which will postpone muscle fatigue and soreness. It has been shown to increase maximum power and performance in weight lifting. Thus, it is usually best in the setting of high intensity exercises and power movements. So it can be said that it isn't as great for endurance-based exercises or long-distance activities. What is interesting is that athletes report to use it for improving performance and non-athletes report using it to improve appearance of their bodies. Creatine has been known to increase size of muscles and improve muscle contractions. Just as an anecdotal example from my own life…. I recently started taking creatine again and I dramatically increases strength and size by consistently taking it each day I worked out. From December 2018 to now which is May 4th of this recording, I have gained 20 pounds of lean muscle mass. But remember, I also trained and ate appropriately to gain weight. Studies have shown that creatine's affects are magnified by increasing your glycemic load.. In other words by adding a little carbohydrates to your diet, it will help in the absorption of creatine. Now the other benefits of creatine that most people don't talk about are things like: Enhancing cognitive performance in the form of a nootropic to aid in neuro-protection. Studies have proposed that oral creatine may improve short-term memory and intelligence in healthy individuals. A study in young volunteers had participants consume oral creatine monohydrate for 4 weeks. In these participants, they found a significant increase in creatine content in their brains. What was interesting is not only that it crossed the blood brain barrier quite easily, but also, the creatine concentrated mostly in the thalamus of the brain responsible for motor and sensory input of the body. You see… Creatine protects from lack of oxygen by making sure brain tissues are adequately supplied with energy in the form of ATP to prevent structural damage to brain tissues. Another study in young adult females investigated the impact of creatine supplementation on cognitive functions in both vegetarians and omnivores. Compared to the placebo group, 5 days of supplementation with creatine led to significant improvements in memory. This improvement in brain function was more pronounced in vegetarians. Another study investigated the effects of 6-week-long creatine supplementation in young vegetarians. In comparison with placebo, creatine-induced significant improvements in intelligence and working memory, with both functions depending on the speed of information processing. This study showed that brain performance is dependent on the level of energy available in the brain, which can be beneficially influenced by creatine supplementation. Creatine supplementation has also been shown to be beneficial in treatment-resistant PTSD patients in relief from symptoms and improved sleep quality. studies of creatine functions in the central nervous system underline creatine's therapeutic potential in neurodegenerative diseases, since creatine supplementation can reduce the loss of neuronal cells. Also, animal model studies have demonstrated that the size of creatine stores in the brain play an important role in Alzheimer's disease, and creatine supplementation was found to be beneficial in animal models of Parkinson's disease as well, a rationale for using creatine in these conditions. Now I just mentioned what the benefits were of creatine.. but just as something as healthy as water can be toxic to us… creatine can be as well. So I'm now going to cover the potential risks and dangers. Now, I will say that creatine monohydrate has been shown to be extremely safe in normal healthy populations and the chance of serious complications is very low unless you are inappropriately dosing creatine, or you have a serious kidney or liver condition. So let's dive into the possible side effects. One of the first side effects of creatine, which will almost 100% occur is weight gain.. so it is either a positive or negative depending on your goals. This is because creatine naturally retains a lot of water inside of your muscles so don't worry.. it is muscle mass, along with water that you are gaining.. not fat. So really.. this is a good thing.. it's also one of the main reasons people take creatine. One claim suggests that creatine can dehydrate you because your body is retaining so much water.. which intuitively makes sense.. however researchers have since then disproved this theory. A three-year study of college athletes found that those taking creatine had fewer cases of dehydration, muscle cramps, or muscle injuries than those not taking it. They also missed fewer sessions due to illness or injury One study examined creatine use during exercise in hot weather, which can accelerate cramping and dehydration. During a 35-minute cycling session in 99°F (37°C) heat, creatine had no adverse effects compared to a placebo Further examination via blood tests also confirmed no difference in hydration or electrolyte levels, which play a key role in muscle cramps The most conclusive research has been conducted in individuals undergoing hemodialysis, a medical treatment that may cause muscle cramps. Researchers noted that creatine reduced cramping incidents by 60% Another side effect or theory suggests kidney and liver dysfunction. The reason why this was thought an issue is that when creatine breaks down it is formed Into a compound called creatinine which occurs from normal muscle catabolism aka cleaning up old muscle cells. Creatinine is naturally elevated in the blood when there is more creatine intake or after a workout. Well, most kidney and liver problems are diagnosed based off high levels of creatinine in the blood because to eliminate creatinine it must pass thru the kidneys. However, just because your blood creatinine levels are high, does not mean your liver or kidneys are being harmed. A long-term study of college athletes found no side effects related to liver or kidney function. Other studies measuring biological markers in the urine also found no difference after creatine ingestion One of the longest studies to date — lasting for four years — similarly concluded that creatine has no negative side effects However, if you have a known kidney or liver condition, I would stay away from creatine for the time being, unless told by your doctor or practitioner that it is okay to supplement creatine. Next.. if you are taking certain medications or over the counter medications you may want to be careful when taking creatine. These are typically medications for liver and kidney conditions. So if you are taking medications like cyclosporine, aminoglycosides, gentamicin, tobramycin, anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and many other drugs… then you will want to avoid creatine regularly. You should also be careful supplementing creatine if you are pregnant, have heart disease, cancer, breastfeeding or any other serious condition. Another claim has proposed that creatine leads to compartment syndrome in which either your arm or leg starts to generate too much pressure inside the muscles, tissues or from the blood stream. Although one study found an increase in muscle pressure during two hours of heat training, it resulted mainly from heat and exercise-induced dehydration — not from creatine Another claim is that creatine might increase your risk for rhabdomyolysis a condition in which muscle breaks down and leaks proteins into your bloodstream. However, this idea is not supported by any evidence. The myth originated because a marker in your blood called creatine kinase increases with creatine supplements However, this slight increase is quite different from the large amounts of creatine kinase associated with rhabdomyolysis. Interestingly, some experts even suggest creatine may protect against this condition There is also a misconception that creatine is only meant for adult men. Thus… stating that children, adolescents and women should avoid it. However, this is far from the truth. There is zero research suggesting that creatine is dangerous for younger populations and women. In fact, there are numerous medical interventions in which doctors gave both kids and adults creatine who were suffering with neuromuscular diseases and muscle loss. Studies have shown that creatine is extremely valuable in people with muscle wasting diseases and apparent systemic muscle weakness disorders. With all of those quote on quote side effects being stated… creatine has been used for over a century with over 500 studies to support its safety and efficacy. It is also the one of the cheapest, most effective and safest supplements available on the market. However.. again. Just remember, make sure you aren't mixing it with any drugs or taking it if you have a serious illness, kidney and liver disorders, cancer, heart disease and pregnancy. Okay… so before I tell you which creatine supplement and how much I am going to first tell you the different types of creatine and why most of them are unnecessary. Before I list them off, I will tell you most of them are marketing ploys to make you think absorption and efficacy is more advanced than predecessors. However, I'll tell you right now creatine monohydrate is the most researched supplement in history and works just as well as it ever has. It has been PROVEN safe, effective and is the gold standard in which creatine is judged and is usually the cheapest form of creatine by far. So the different Kinds of creatine supplements are as follows…. 1st is Effervescent Creatine.. Which is made up of creatine monohydrate, citric acid and bicarbonate which is supposed to increase retention however.. research shows it is no greater than creatine monohydrate. 2nd is Creatine Nitrate… which is creatine bound to a nitrate group and has been said to be 10x more soluble than creatine monohydrate which can help people who have stomach issues when they take creatine monohydrate.. which isn't too often. So if for some reason you have stomach issues when taking creatine monohydrate.. try creatine nitrate. Creatine Nitrate will not outperform creatine monohydrate in power or strength, however. 3rd is Creatine Citrate… Which is bonded with citric acid and claims that it makes it more absorbable… total bullshit again. Research shows it is no greater than creatine monohydrate. 4th is Creatine Ethyl Ester.. This might be the worst form of creatine.. as it almost completely degrades as creatinine in the intestines making it far inferior than creatine monohydrate. The funny thing is that Creatine Ethyl Ester is touted as the most advanced creatine and it drastically increase uptake.. when in fact it is totally the opposite. 5th is Buffered Creatine aka Kre-Alkalyn… This creatine is paired with sodium bicarbonate aka baking soda. Its claim is that since it is paired with baking soda, it will make the creatine more basic so that it can pass through the stomach acid unscathed and thus you won't need to take as much creatine, and it will increase the amount of creatine in your body. However, studies show this to be false.. Creatine monohydrate is actually much better because stomach acid slows its conversion to creatinine which is what we want from a creatine supplement aka slow the process of creatine degradation. Also.. this creatine is still less affective for growth and strength compared to creatine monohydrate. 6th is Magnesium Creatine Chelate.. This is one of the newer forms of creatine.. Some studies show this form might enhance uptake of creatine.. but performance studies have yet to show it being better than creatine monohydrate. 7th is Creatine Pyruvate… Some research shows that Creatine Pyruvate was more effective than creatine citrate… which from other research creatine citrate is close to creatine monohydrate in performance. This is likely because creatine pyruvate has shown to increase plasma creatine levels more than monohydrate but did not show evidence for better absorption compared to monohydrate. 8th is Creatine Malate… This creatine is bound to malic acid… not too much research has been shown that this creatine is superior to monohydrate.. but malic acid has been shown to have performance enhancing properties on its own. 9th and last is Creatine Hydrochloride aka Con-Crete… Hydrochloride supplements are always touted to have better absorption in the GI tract… Most hydrochlorides bond well with amines, however. But Creatine Hydrochloride at the moment doesn't show enough research to override creatine monohydrate in the realm of both performance and absorption. In a nutshell, you should just stick to what has worked for a hundred years.. Just get Creatine Monohydrate. It works. It is cheap. There are no gimmicks. No shiny whistles. Just Results. Now let's move onto how much creatine you can take daily and in which form should you take creatine? As a common myth… for the longest time, people said you need to do a loading phase of creatine. Meaning that you should take 20 grams of creatine a day in the first week. I'm going to tell you.. this is absolutely false. It is totally unnecessary to do this. I have never done this in my entire life, and I would very much advise against it just because it is a waste of creatine and is too much to intake at one given moment even if creatine is very safe its unneeded. Therefore, I myself take 5 grams of creatine daily and I typically take it 5 times out of the week even on non-training days. You don…
Full show notes at the publisherWhat's up Unleashed Humans! On this episode we talk about SEX. Yes, sex. We talk about the benefits of sex and also why it has been demonized in recent years. We also discuss birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and the world of porn. It is an episode packed with information and ideas. I'd love to hear what you guys think. First off, why has sex been demonized? Why have we been sheltered from truly understanding sex? … after all… sex is one of the most healthy and natural things we can do as humans. Well for starters… Sex has been thought of dangerous due to the spread of many sexually transmitted diseases. Which, to be honest, is something that is actually a real thing. However, I think the numbers that many organizations are promoting are a little high. Don't get me wrong, I think STDS are spreading like wild fire, but not by as much as we are being led to believe. It is, however, still very important to wear protection if you are going to have sexual relations with someone you just met or someone you are hooking up with for one night…. I'm just being realistic here. Here are a couple numbers reported from the World health organization this year 2019: More than 1 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are acquired every day worldwide. Each year, there are an estimated 357 million new infections with 1 of 4 STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis. More than 500 million people are estimated to have genital infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV). More than 290 million women have a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection (1). The majority of STIs have no symptoms or only mild symptoms that may not be recognized as an STI. STIs such as HSV type 2 and syphilis can increase the risk of HIV acquisition. 988 000 pregnant women were infected with syphilis in 2016, resulting in over 200 000 stillbirths and newborn deaths. In some cases, STIs can have serious reproductive health consequences beyond the immediate impact of the infection itself (e.g., infertility or mother-to-child transmission) Drug resistance, especially for gonorrhea, is a major threat to reducing the impact of STIs worldwide Now the second reason why sex is demonized is due to unplanned pregnancies and teenage mothers having to carry the burden of taking care of children at such a young age. I'm going to be completely blunt about this… This problem is chalked up to two major reasons… Poor parenting of these teenagers and poor sex education in schools. HERES THE RUB: Sex Education DOES NOT NEED TO BE AWKWARD. It is literally how humans are able to repopulate and keep our species alive. All other animals on the planet do the exact same thing. So why does sex have to be a weird topic to talk about? People forget that we used to walk around naked with our tribes women and tribesmen. It was totally natural to see each other naked, but now as we have become more modernized a civilized we started wearing clothing which has created a more closed-off culture and civilization. If you're still thinking TJ you are crazy.. We couldn't revert back to wearing no clothes or it would be totally out of line to live nude together… yes I agree, I'm not trying to get anyone to strip naked and live that way because yes… It would be inappropriate and weird but… its only weird because we've been living this way for a very long time now. Think about this… does any animal in nature wear clothing that it made itself or hide its private parts from their opposite or same sex? NO. We are the only animals on Earth that cover our private parts and entire body. Now, I will say, the early Neanderthals would wear animal fur during extreme winters or cold bouts but would wear less to no clothing during the summer. It seems as if clothing for these tribes were merely for survival in the early years of our ancestors. Eventually clothing turned into a fashion or status driven entity. But tribes that were closer to the equator typically required no clothing, as these parts of the world stay warm almost year-round. I'm sure you've seen shows on discovery channel showing indigenous tribes who still walk amongst the land nude and is a great example of our past in present time. Now, this entire digression that I just went on was to explain how our society has become so reserved when it comes to human sexuality. I don't know if you've noticed, but teenage girls these days are wearing quite provocative clothing which is clearly luring young boys into their web. Although it is hiding what is underneath, it is open invitation for sexual activity. Thus, making teenagers more curious to experiment, which is totally fine, but these teens lack clear understanding as to what sex is meant for. Most people know that females mature much faster than males sexually and physically. This is no secret. These young girls know exactly what they are doing.. Allowing young girls to dress the way they are is a reflection of poor parenting. And the way young girls are going about engaging in unsafe sex and unplanned pregnancies is a reelection of poor educational guidance in school. Here's the deal.. We as parents and as teachers should tell our kids sex is okay. We shouldn't tell them NOT to have sex. The mere fact that we are telling teenagers to not have sex is going to make them want to do it more. Did we not learn anything from Freud's psychosexual analysis? Sex between creatures is innately driven into us and by depriving us of our natural instincts will only drive us to crave it more. Instead, we should be teaching our kids about what sex is meant for and that it is also meant for pleasure and for health. In our society today, we deprive children of knowledge they should know a couple years earlier. I personally think sex education should be taught by the age of 10 which is about the 4th and 5th grade. By this time, children have a clear delineation between male and female and have clear hormonal attraction towards either the same or opposite sex much earlier than parents want to admit. Most schools have one day where they cover sex education. I remember I was 11 years old In 5th grade when we first had sex education. It was pathetic. It maybe lasted for 40 minutes and the teachers were so awkward about it. Poor sex education is why we have so many unplanned pregnancies and the apparent rampage of sexual transmitted diseases. This why sex education should be a semester long course in the line of an ongoing course. We can't expect to adequately cover all that goes into sex and child birth in a 40minute session. We think we are protecting our children by hiding them from reality, but we are actually sabotaging them just like when they find out Santa Claus isn't real. Pregnancy and birth are significant contributors to high school dropout rates among girls. Only about 50% of teen mothers receive a high school diploma by 22 years of age, whereas approximately 90% of women who do not give birth during adolescence graduate from high school. The children of teenage mothers are more likely to have lower school achievement and to drop out of high school, have more health problems, be incarcerated at some time during adolescence, give birth as a teenager, and face unemployment as a young adult In 2017, a total of 194,377 babies were born to women aged 15–19 years, for a birth rate of 18.8 per 1,000 women in this age group. Although reasons for the declines are not totally clear, evidence suggests these declines are due to more teens abstaining from sexual activity, and more teens who are sexually active using birth control than in previous years.3, 4 Still, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate is substantially higher than in other western industrialized nations5, and racial/ethnic and geographic disparities in teen birth rates persist.6 WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT TOPIC BIRTH CONTROL: Birth control for women in the form of pills and even IUD's might be one of the worst things we could have brought to the market. What is so wrong with using a condom or pulling out at the last second? Birth control is so harmful for a female, yet women flock by the millions to get birth control. Even the so-called safest form of female birth control aka IUD which stands for intra uterine device, has serious consequences. Doctors today always make new birth control products sound so fluffy and without side effects. They also say that you may feel side effects, or they promise that birth control with eliminate cramps, heavy bleeding, acne and supposedly help women with endometriosis. They funny thing is… IUD's actually increase symptomatology in many women. But wait.. I thought it was supposed to eliminate pain and discomfort? I'm confused? Yea… and so are many other females. I personally know a handful of women who had worsening side effects after implanting an IUD into their uterus. Things like low back pain, increased acne, increased headaches, irregular bleeding, increased cramping, unable to sleep, depression, moodiness oh and get this… LOSS OF SEX DRIVE. IUDs are literally decreasing women's drive to have sex… A device meant to allow you more freedom during sex is actually making women not want to have sex… Yea that makes sense. Here is a list of symptoms you can experience from IUDs And By The Way.. IUDs are supposed to be the safest form of birth control: Irregular bleeding for months Irregular Periods Dizziness Headaches Low Blood Count Painful Sex Vaginal Discharge Fever Weight Gain Low Back Pain Pelvic Pain Painful Periods Nausea Tender Breasts ACNE and Skin Rashes Uterus Perforation Where The IUD Punctures The Uterine Wall Leading To Severe Bleeding and Infection Pelvic Inflammatory Disease With Bacterial Infection Ovarian Cysts Unplanned Pregnancy In The Form Of Ectopic Pregnancy Where The Egg Implants Outside OF The uterus Yea no shit IUDs and birth control pills are going to cause symptoms… they are blocking women's natural ability to implant an egg in the uterine wall. It also alters the cervical mucus which inhibits male sperm from passing through the cervix. This makes zero sense to me as a man…. However, I am also much more informed than most people because most people still believe their medical doctor is their savior and people will do anything their medical doctor tell them to do. Look people.. do your homework before you start taking a new drug. If you have to inject something into your uterus or take a pill to unnaturally stop your innately driven human physiological processes.. then it is clearly not healthy for you.. especially if you have worsening of symptoms or your previous symptoms don't go away even when your medical doctor promised they would go away. This should be an immediate red flag. The simple fact is that sex doesn't have to be so complicated. If you are taking birth control to diminish painful cramping and heavy bleeding, I understand. However, there is a larger problem at hand and by taking a pill or implanting an IUD isn't addressing the underlying reason for your painful periods. I personally know women who have had endometriosis their entire life. Endometriosis is a condition is which women have heavy bleeding and heavy cramping. These women went through the gauntlet of medical procedures and birth control methods until they realized there was a reason for their painful cycles. It has been as simple as eliminating certain foods, drinks and activities from their daily life. I am not even kidding you when I say that the foods you are eating are likely contributing to your painful periods. Try getting a blood draw for food sensitivity panel to see which foods may be making your periods worse. It might change your life. If you are interested in ordering a food allergy panel through me, please let me know and I will be happy do a professional read for you. The bottom line for women is… you don't need birth control. If your partner uses a condom or practices safe sex by pulling out effectively, you will be just fine. People make sex way too complicated. It is supposed to be both fun and pleasurable. Now onto the health advantages of sex… Sex is one of the healthiest and pleasurable activities humans can engage in on a daily basis for both physical and mental health. Regular healthy sexual activity has been shown to increase your immune system and helps boost your body's ability to make protective antibodies against bacteria, viruses and other invaders. Interestingly enough… having regular sex actually increases sex drive. Sex increases desire and increases blood flow to reproductive organs which creates more pleasurable sex For women, regular sex will strengthen women's pelvic floor muscles which will make their bladder control much stronger and will decrease incontinence. These are the same muscles used during Kegel exercises. Studies have also shown that sex will help decrease blood pressure, specifically systolic blood pressure but should not be used as a replacement for medication in those people who have serious blood pressure issues. Sex is very health in the fact that it engages almost all the muscles in your body. It is a full body exercise that burns a ton of calories. Sex has been shown on average to burn about 5 calories per minute depending and depending on how vigorous, it can be more. Studies have shown that sex will increase heart health and cardiovascular performance. Sex also keeps hormone levels in check like estrogen and testosterone. These levels are very important to keep regulated because if they are out of balance they can lead to osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. One study in men showed that those who had sex at least 2 times a week were 50% less likely to die of heart disease than their less sexually active peers. Also - Men who had sex at least twice per week reduced their risk of a fatal heart attack by 50% compared to guys who had sex less than once a month. Sex can help you fall asleep and stay asleep because during organism a hormone called prolactin is released. Prolactin is a natural sleep aid and promotes relaxation and sleepiness. This goes without saying.. but sex also relives stress. Touching, hugging and sexual intimacy releases a ton of feel good hormones that come from reward and pleasure centers in our brain. Intimacy and touch relieves anxiety and can dramatically increase overall health. Being sexually active will dramatically alter your happiness and mood not only with your partner but relationships with family and friends. It promotes a sense of well-being and prosperity. Observational studies have shown that regular sex will actually make people look younger. This is because regular sex stimulates estrogen and testosterone that keep people looking young. Estrogen in women has shown to keep skin lush and hair lustrous. In one study, judges viewed participants through a one-way mirror and guessed their ages. People who had sex at least 4 times per week with a regular partner were perceived to be 7 to 12 years younger than they actually were. Recent studies of the brain during sex might suggest that it leads to better brain performance as it uses the analytical brain. Animal studies suggest that sex enhances areas of the brain involved in memory. Lastly, frequent sex can actually allow men to create more viable sperm in order to make pregnancy easier. A study performed at a fertility center found that men who had daily ejaculations for a week had higher-quality sperm than those who did not ejaculate daily. Men in the daily ejaculation group had sperm with DNA that was less fragmented than the DNA from sperm of men who ejaculated less frequently. Less fragmented DNA implies healthier DNA. And hearty sperm that have healthy DNA are more likely to fertilize an egg. As far as the disadvantages of sex: Unwanted Pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Diseases are the only disadv…
Full show notes at the publisherWhat's up Unleashed Humans! On this episode I had the amazing pleasure to interview Jennifer Fugo who is helping hundreds to thousands of people eliminate poor skin and poor digestion. Not only is she one of the most intelligent guests I've had, but she truly understands the human boy better than most medical doctors, as she treats each of her clients as an individual with specific needs.
She covers how she takes a person from sickness to wellness by first understanding each person's history on an extremely detailed level and by ordering specific tests to precisely determine what is causing a person's gut dysfunction leading to skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. If you didn't know, skin issues are some of the hardest conditions to mitigate because most people think that it is either caused by an external irritant in our environment or from food allergies. Now, these can both lead to chronic skin issues and gut dysfunction, but you will learn from Jennifer, that it isn't that simple and that fixing your skin and gut is much deeper than what you've been told.
It was an absolute treat to have Jennifer on the show as I learned some things myself and I am sure you will benefit greatly from listening to this episode. Jennifer is an amazing resource to have and I am thankful to call her a colleague and friend. Without further ado, lets jump right into the show!
Jennifer Fugo, MS, CNS:
1:50 - Jennifer talks about her battle with Eczema and Gut Dysfunction. For the longest time she thought that having bathroom issues was normal. She had developed circular rashes on her legs with chronic fatigue, headaches and couldn't get out of bed. She realized that a lot of her issues were stemming from Gluten. She also quickly noticed that her Eczema was coming from large amounts of stress during her professional nutritional training. She went through the gauntlet of seeing doctors for her skin and nothing seemed to help.
8:36 – Jennifer talks about the things from inside the body are the real reason why people have poor skin. She talks about both physical and emotional stress that creates inflammation of the skin. Skin conditions can stem from 15 different reasons. Things like having thyroid dysfunction, low functioning liver detoxification, general stress, exposure to environmental allergens and food sensitivities. Jennifer believes that food allergies is not the major cause of skin inflammation. She says that gut issues, thyroid conditions and vitamin deficiencies come way before food sensitivities. Jennifer really thinks that testing is important
13:39 – Jennifer talks about lab testing and the mindset of why you should get lab tests. Jennifer likes having her clients go back to their primary care doctor to order fairly standard tests through Quest or LabCorp. Things like a CBC panel, fasted CMP panel to look at the kidney values and liver values. If someone is very itchy then maybe a plasma histamine is a good test to see how much inflammation you might have. She orders tests like Vitamin B12 + Folate, Vitamin D, Serum Vitamin A (for skin, eyes and thyroid) and a full thyroid panel (free t3, free t4, TSH, reverse t3 and thyroid antibodies). She also orders red blood cell magnesium aka erythrocyte magnesium which is not the same as serum magnesium… We want to know how much magnesium is inside our red blood cells which we need to power our cells for the creation of ATP. She likes to order Red blood cell zinc because zinc is important for healing. She also likes to order homocysteine panels.
17:30 – Jennifer talks about how she breaks down her clients as an individual like a cube. She looks at all the angles to a person's life, health, history, drug usage, illness history and based off that, she decides how to test them and which route of care to go. She talks about how the current medical model is not conducive for health but in their defense medical doctors are under a very stringent watch. Medical doctors are under a tight radar to practice within their scope of care and are dinged if they order too many lab tests. Jennifer says it isn't too late and that you should never give up.
24:20 – Jennifer talks about having health NOW is vitally important. Preventative care starts NOW not later. People wait too long to be healthy. There is a window for a person to return to maximum health. When certain things go wrong, it isn't always possible to return to full health.
26:45 – Jennifer talks about the foods that people with Eczema, digestion issues and autoimmune diseases should stay away from. HOWEVER, people need to stop being fearful of foods. She does not put people on elimination diets unless a food absolutely creates a poor response like running to the bathroom right after eating it. She does not like taking foods away from someone because it perpetuates the fear of food in people. She would rather remove the issue at hand, rather than the foods. She talks about how gluten, however, is the only food that has been clinically shown to increase gut permeability.. meaning it creates leaky gut. Jennifer is more interested in getting to the reason or weakness in your body that is creating the issue first.
34:12 – Your gut microbiome directly communicates to your skin microbiome through short chain fatty acids (butyrate) which helps to acidify the microbiome. Butyrate in the gut communicates with the skin and when there are not adequate amounts of Butyrate.
36:10 – Jennifer talks about what she does with someone with SIBO and Candida Overgrowth. Jennifer talks about how SIBO can be a long and complicated road that might need to be co-managed with a doctor. She helps people with Candida by making sure they have enough water, possibly implementing S. Boulardii, reducing sugars and making sure that they are pooping a lot. Jennifer stresses how getting the bowels moving is the most important part in eliminating Candida. Being stopped up and constipated will hinder someone's ability to eliminate Candida. She says how the Candida diet doesn't actually work. She speaks about how SIBO is directly related to Rosacea.
42:40 – Jennifer talks about why having enough stomach acid is vitally crucial. Having low stomach acid can lead to SIBO and malabsorption of foods. Having low and high stomach acid actually show the same symptoms. Jennifer talks about The low stomach acid test – Mix baking soda with water and drink on an empty stomach. If you get small burbs or no burps at all, this can mean that you have low stomach acid.
45:55 – Why ant-acids were never meant to be used long term and are extremely unhealthy for your body. They can severely affect your b-vitamins. Chewing your food enough and slowing down while you eat will allow you to generate enough digestive enzymes and acid for healthy digestion. Listen to your body for symptoms that are sending you red flags that you are not digesting food like you should. Things like brain fog, memory issues, gastric distress, diarrhea, skin inflammation, depression, lethargy and social isolation.
52:02 – Jennifer speaks to the emotional, psychosocial and traumatic turmoil that adds to skin issues. She speaks about how both her and I are supposed to be poster kids for what it means to be healthy. During our professional training we both hid from people and our colleagues to avoid embarrassment. We both found that it completely consumed our life and likely made us worse for not being more open about it. She talks about how you need to learn to love yourself, no matter how bad it has gotten. Jennifer speaks to how severe emotions can run with skin conditions. There are people who threaten to kill themselves due to the emotional turmoil they put themselves through.
59:20 – Jennifer talks about the cost of skin medications and how absurd it is. How these people have to stay on these medications the rest of their lives. She speaks to how health care should be better for chronic skin conditions and the causes for skin issues rather than giving band aids like steroid creams. "Nobody has a steroid cream insufficiency."
1:02:10 – Jennifer talks about how there are some serious side effects to using steroid creams which can affect your adrenal glands. People's skin can become addicted to corticosteroid creams and most of the time can lead to worsening of your skin issues.
1:03:54 – Jennifer talks about the top 3 things someone should do for Eczema. First She says not to use coconut oil and use Jojoba oil instead. Second she says to get enough protein in your diet with 70-80 grams of protein daily. Thirdly she says to listen to the natural skin show to learn more. Fourthly she says to check out your stomach acid levels.
1:06:21 – Jennifer's last meal would be homemade fettucine with Bolognese sauce from Italy
1:07:15 – Jennifer's last week of life would be a trip to Florence Italy
1:07:45 – Jennifer's one piece of advice – hug the people in your life because we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Love and give thanks for those in your life. Freak accidents happen every day. You should tell them you love them. Tell people how you feel because it might be the last chance you get.
Thank you for listening to this episode, I hope you got a lot out of it. If you haven't already head over to www.theunleashedhuman.com/unleashed to get your free copy of my book to supercharge your life. That's it from me. Have an amazing day Unleashed Humans. Speak soon!
Jennifer's Contact Information:
Websites: http://www.skinterrupt.com, https://www.jenniferfugo.com
Healthy Skin Show Podcast: http://skinterrupt.com/podcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlutenFreeSchool
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gfreeschool
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/follow/gfreeschool
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gfreeschool
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=jenfugo
Low Stomach Acid At-Home Test → https://gfschool.clickfunnels.com/low-stomach-acid-test-optin
Having appropriate levels of stomach acid is key to a healthy gut. Unfortunately, 95% of my clients have low stomach acid (even though they have heartburn or no symptoms at all!). Low stomach acid can make a mess out of your digestion, and in turn, wreck your gut and your skin. Here's how to do this free test at home to discover whether you've got low stomach acid and what to do about it.
Dr. TJ Woodham:
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LinkedIn: TJ Woodham
What's up Unleashed Humans! This episode is going to be fantastic because everyone is always asking me which tests and labs they should get to be their healthiest self and what kind of lifestyle they should live as a preventative measure. I am also going to talk about why you should know exactly what your spine should look like and how to make sure your spine and posture is healthy into old age. People also ask me which tests they should get to assess a current condition they have and what they should to alleviate their current condition. Now, If you know me, I am extremely big on running lab tests on myself. I do this to check my blood chemistry which looks at my hormones, red blood cell metabolism, vitamin metabolism and blood sugar regulation. We will also be looking at genetic testing and which ones to do for best results and understanding. I am also very big on testing my gut on a regular basis to make sure I am properly digesting my foods and absorbing nutrients for the health of my brain and nervous system. I also look to see how well my gut microbiome is performing and if my beneficial bacteria are doing their job. That is why on this episode I am covering all of the lab tests that I believe any human on planet earth should get done. These are labs you will want to get done at least once a year and are some of the baseline or foundational lab tests. If you have never had any of these tests done before, then you should get on it now! It is never too early or too late to understand the health of your body and harness your knowledge of your health to live beyond what it means to be an Unleashed Human. So we will cover blood tests, saliva tests, genetic tests and digestion tests which covers just about everything. Now as I mentioned, I will cover all the lab tests that I recommend you start out doing. Here's the cool thing… If you have a condition that is bothering you and would like me to order tests for you and do a professional read for you, please let me know. Being a healthcare provider allows me to order you tests that have extremely high reliability and gives me the ability to make clinical decisions and treatment plans specifically for you. Even if you don't have a condition that you are concerned about and just want to be the healthiest human possible, then I can order any test you would like and do a professional read on those as well! I get lab tests all the time even though I don't have any serious illnesses… If I didn't order lab tests myself then this show wouldn't be called The Unleashed Human right? You can personally message me on my Instagram @theunleashedhuman or message me on my personal Facebook at TJ Woodham and I will love to get something started for you! Before we start, I want to mention that all of the lab tests and companies I mention today will be in the show notes below so you can check them out for yourself! With that out of the way let's get onto the tests… Now First and foremost, we are going to start with the generic BLOOD tests that you should have at the very minimum of once a year: First thing first.. get a yearly Complete blood count with differential aka CBC with differential: You can usually get this done by your general practitioner or family doctor. A complete blood count (CBC) is a blood test used to evaluate your overall health and detect a wide range of disorders, including anemia, infection and leukemia. It measures Red blood cells, which carry oxygen… and White blood cells, which fight infection. It tests for Hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. It tests for Hematocrit, the proportion of red blood cells to the fluid component, or plasma, in your blood. And it also tests for Platelets, which help with blood clotting or we would bleed to death. This is a standard test for most people but can be used to assess why you might have unusual bleeding or bruising, why you get infections often and why you feel weak and tired all the time which are usually signs of anemia. Having a healthy CBC with differential can be changed by living a healthy lifestyle and making sure you are eating a balanced diet that supports your cardiovascular system and cells. If you have a rare or congenital blood disorder then this changes things and you should always advise with your medical doctor as to which route of care you should follow based on your condition. Hopefully they are conservative and try to treat your condition with natural methods like diet and lifestyle modifications. Next is getting a Vitamin D assay You can get a Vitamin D panel from your General Practitioner Vitamin D is extremely important to have normal levels of. By having lower levels of vitamin D you are at risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive diseases, autoimmune diseases and some cancers. Vitamin D is created by the foods we eat and by the sunlight we receive on our skin. Those at risk for vitamin D deficiency are those who don't get adequate sunlight and who adhere to a strict vegan and even vegetation diets. High levels of vitamin D are found in fish like salmon, liver oils, egg yolks and cheeses. Vitamin D is extremely important for strong bones, the health of our cell membranes, the health of our nerves, our digestive health and the health of our brain. At the time of this recording I live in Wyoming during the winter and I am not getting too much sunlight due to subzero temperatures. So I supplement with 10,000 IU of vitamin D every other day and try to eat foods higher in vitamin D. Normal levels of vitamin D should be between 30 to 100 nanograms per milliliter. But you should shoot between 60-80 in my opinion. Hemoglobin A1C You can get a Hemoglobin A1C from your General Practitioner The hemoglobin A1c test tells you your average level of blood sugar over the past 2 to 3 months. People who have diabetes need this test regularly to see if their levels are staying within range. It can tell if you need to adjust your diabetes medicines. The A1c test is also used to diagnose diabetes. The sugar in your blood is called glucose. When glucose builds up in your blood, it binds to the hemoglobin in your red blood cells. The A1c test measures how much glucose is bound. The normal range for the hemoglobin A1c level is between 1% and 5.6%. Hemoglobin A1c levels between 5.7% and 6.4% mean you have a higher chance of getting diabetes. Levels of 6.5% or higher likely means you have diabetes. Limit your risk for diabetes by eliminating processed foods, sugars, and fats. Stop drinking sodas and eating candy. Don't consume so much refined grains and breads. Maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly. If you stick to a paleo or keto type lifestyle of eating and having occasional cheat meals on the weekends you will be just fine. Vitamin B12 and Folate You can get a B12 and Folate panel from your General Practitioner This test is helpful to diagnose someone with anemia or neuropathy aka having nerve pain, nerve weakness, and possibly numbness and tingling in the arms, hands, legs, feet. It is also used to assess nutritional deficiencies in people because vitamin B12 is extremely important in digesting and absorbing nutrients in the large intestine and colon. B12 and folate are necessary for normal red blood cell (RBC) formation, repair of tissues and cells, nerve tissue in our spinal cord and brain and synthesis of DNA, which is the genetic material in cells. Both are nutrients that cannot be produced in the body and must be supplied by the diet from food. B12 deficiency might be more common than you think. Found mostly in vegans and vegetarians who lack B12 from animal meats and products. Foods like fish, meat, eggs, and poultry. Those with poor digestive capability also can lack B12 and folate. Testosterone You can get a Testosterone and panel from your General Practitioner I recommend getting both total testosterone and free testosterone tests. Total testosterone measures testosterone that is bound to proteins in the blood like albumin and sex-hormone binding globulin [SHBG]. 96 percent of the testosterone in our body is bound to proteins which makes the Total Testosterone test usually sufficient enough. However, on the other hand.. Free testosterone test measures testosterone that is not bound aka free testosterone and accounts for less than 4% of our body's testosterone Testosterone is the main sex hormone in men, produced mainly by the testicles, and is responsible for male physical characteristics. Although it is considered to be a "male" sex hormone, it is present in the blood of both males and females, so it is actually very important for the functioning of women as well. In men: hair loss(including on the body and face) reduced muscle tone fragile skin a reduced sex drive and erectile dysfunction disturbed mood memory or concentration problems Men feeling more sensitive or emotional than they normally do Testicular tumors in men Symptoms in women can be: irregular or missed periods low sex drive vaginal dryness weak bones fertility problems aka can't have a baby If testosterone levels show to be abnormal, other panels should be tested to follow up on contributing factors. Other hormone panels may want to be looked at. Panels such as: Sex hormone binding globulin Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone Estrogen Panel DHEA Panel Prolactin Panel Progesterone Panel And Andro-Steen-Dione For men ages 19 and up Testosterone levels should range from 400-1000 nanograms per deciliter For women ages 19 and up testosterone levels should be 10 to 60 nanograms per deciliter As we age, testosterone naturally declines.. so your testosterone levels should be at their highest in your twenties. To increase testosterone naturally you can try a few things: Take 5mg of creatine a day Take DHEA supplement Take Zinc Supplement Take Omega-3 Fish oil Daily Take Magnesium Supplement Daily Take Vitamin D supplement daily Get high quality sleep Get Sunlight Daily Eat adequate protein, fats and carbs Minimize stress by doing yoga and meditation Exercise and lift weights Stop eating all sugar.. even from fruits and stop drinking all alcohols Genova Comprehensive Thyroid Assessment Most thyroid panels are done separately.. but I like that Genova tests the entire functioning of your thyroid in one swoop. It includes central thyroid gland regulation and activity, thyroid production and secretion, peripheral thyroid conversion, and thyroid autoimmunity. This test analyzes serum levels of TSH, free T4, free T3, reverse T3, anti-TG antibodies, and anti-TPO antibodies to assess central and peripheral thyroid function, as well as thyroid auto-immunity. Symptoms of thyroid hormone imbalances can include: Fatigue Depression Coldness Constipation Poor skin Headaches PMS Dysmenorrhea Fluid retention Weight gain Anxiety/Panic attacks Decreased memory and concentration Muscle and joint pain Low sex drive Optimal thyroid function may help safeguard against the pathogenesis of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and depression. Thyroid hormones also play central metabolic roles in healthy sexual and reproductive function in both women and men. So if you have been having a hard time having baby… this may be a test you will want to consider. Now lets move onto GENETIC testing: 23andMe I mainly got 23 and me genetic testing done to see my risk for conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. But the cool thing is that you can also do 23 and me to see your heritage and family lineage, so I did them both together. Turns out that I am 63 percent British and Irish. 18 percent Northwestern European and 14 percent French and German. It comes to no surprise that I am mostly British because my last name is Woodham for crying out loud. But I always thought I was Scottish not Irish. 23 and me goes super deep into family lineage so if you're into this, totally get this testing done. I highly recommend you invest in 23 and me genetic testing not just because it will give incredible insight to your heritage and health but, because it opens doors for you to see your genes in much greater detail by allowing you to upload your raw genetic data to DNAfit.com and go.strategene.com That being said, 23 and me is AN ABSOLUTE MUST. So, if you've been on the fence, JUMP OFF the fence and just buy a damn 23 and me kit. All you have to do is order it online and they send a kit right to your door. You spit your saliva into a tube and then send it back. Simple as that! Then you can learn all about where your ancestors came from in super deep detail and simultaneously harness your genes to make you a super human. What could be better than that? DNAfit By taking your RAW data from 23 and Me.com you can upload your DNA to DNAfit.com and they will tell you a whole bunch of things regarding your athletic performance and ability. They will also give you a nutrition plan based off the foods you should eat or foods to stay away from based on your genes. They give you are really badass infographic giving you an overview of your athletic ability and wellness potential. Like I said DNAfit will tell you what diet, workout plan and lifestyle will fit you best based off your genes. It is actually extremely impressive how detailed DNAfit is and you will get to hear all of my athletic performance and nutrition markers from DNAfit. And to be honest Its almost overwhelming how much info they give you. It is amazing. Here are the things they test for athletic performance: If you are an endurance athlete or strength athletes They test your VO2 max aka how much oxygen you effectively use during exercise They test your post exercise recovery performance They test your risk for injury On the diet side of things they test: Carbohydrate metabolism Saturated fat metabolism Dairy and lactose metabolism Celiac disease susceptibility Caffeine tolerance and sensitivity Salt and sodium sensitivity Antioxidant and free radical performance Omega-3 metabolism and efficiency Immune system functioning and ability to respond to inflammation The efficiency to metabolize vitamin B12 and need for B12 The efficiency to metabolize Vitamin D and need for Vitamin D Last they test your ability to detoxify and fight off free radicals It is, in my opinion an amazing option to use DNAfit's services to boost your athletic performance based off your genes Last genetic testing is utilizing Strategene If you want to nerd out and learn about your single nucleotide polymorphisms aka genetic variants associated with a certain gene, then go to go.strategene.org and enter your raw data. Dr. Ben Lynch will send you a report breaking down your genes and what they mean in a super detailed fashion. Now let's get into the food allergy and digestion realm of lab tests. Which in my opinion are some of the most important tests you can invest in by far. First test is Genova Diagnostics IgG4 Food Antibodies Before discussing this test, it is important to note that the incidence of food sensitivities has increased dramatically over the years. It is estimated that up to 20% of the population have adverse reactions to foods IgG4 antibody is related to delayed or non–atopic food reactions that exacerbate or contribute to many different health problems. This antibody food sensitivity test is ideal for patients who may suffer from delayed reactions/sensitivities to specific foods. IgG4 food sensitivity reactions are more difficult to notice since they can occur hours or even days after consumption of an offending food. In some cases, a person's reaction to a food may occur several days after eating the offending food and the link between the food and their symptoms may not be connected. These hidden food "allergies" are actually food "sensitivities" and are caused by increasing blood levels of IgG4 antibodies in reaction to specific foods. This profile measures the IgG4 levels in s…
Full show notes at the publisherToday's episode is likely going to be an eye-opener for most people, as you may find out that you could possibly have a problem with your jaw.. also known as temporomandibular joint dysfunction which is TMD or TMJD for short.
On this episode I interview Dr. Steven Schluentz who is one of the most elite Doctors in the United States when it comes to TMJD and TMD related issues. Things like clicking in the jaw, grinding your teeth, painful jaws, neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, poor sleep, sleep apnea, restricted breathing, difficulty swallowing and even having frequent cavities could mean you have TMJD.
We discuss how Chiropractors and Dentists work very close with each other to make sure people get the best care possible. This is because we know poor neck curvatures and posture can affect jaw function and vice versa.
This and so much more will be covered in the show today. Now on this episode, there are things you likely have never heard before and won't hear anywhere else, but hey that's what this show is about right? So Get ready to lock in for the next hour because Dr. Schluentz is going to rock your world with his wealth of knowledge and clinical expertise.
Dr. Steven Schluentz:
2:23 - Dr. Schluentz discusses what Temporomandibular Joint and Temporomandibular Dysfunction. Which is TMJ/TMD for short.
3:38 – Dr. Schluentz talks about how to treat jaw pain and TMD. He speaks about how many of the current treatments of TMD aren't really addressing the issue. He recommends using a customized orthotic. He also speaks to how these orthotics even help with headaches, neck pain and shoulder pain.
8:52 – Dr. Schluentz and I discuss how Chiropractors and Dentists work together and refer patients to each other for many conditions like headaches, jaw pain, neck pain, shoulder pain because we know the neck and jaw are very interrelated.
10:15 – Dr. Schluentz touches on how Chiropractors are his go-to providers because the medical model is not conducive to true health. He discusses how the disease model of medicine is all that anyone knows. Drugs and surgery are not something that is always necessary. Health is something someone must understand as a lifestyle, not just the absence of disease. Dr. Schluentz speaks
15:00 – Dr. Schluentz talks about hidden symptoms that someone may not know are directly related to having a dysfunctional jaw. Things like not breathing properly, lethargy, poor sleep and even tooth wearing. He talks about the shape of your teeth can be indicative of an unhealthy jaw. As we age our teeth are not meant to wear out, despite popular belief. He speaks about trying out the laughing test to see if your muscles are too weak to support your jaw.
21:22 – Dr. Schluentz talks about how processed foods and diet has radically changed the shape of our jaws and teeth. He talks about how mal-occlusions have been created due to the poor health choices we have created. Orthotropics was created to study the change of peoples oral hygiene based off lifestyle choices.
25:20 – Dr. Schluentz talks about how dairy from USA is not allowed into Ireland because it is considered toxic. He discusses how he felt after eating foods in Ireland compared to eating foods inside the USA. It opened his mind to hidden symptoms that he did not know was going on inside his body.
28:30 – Dr. Schluentz speaks about how your teeth should never hurt. If it does, then that means this is a really bad sign. He discusses how a lot of the time a patient won't have pain or discomfort in their jaw, but they have an obvious misalignment. However, Dr. Schluentz will see that after he fixes their alignment, they will have better eyesight, sleep, breathing, swallowing and decrease in tension through the entire face and neck.
31:55- Dr. Schluentz talks about how he uses a Cone Beam CT scan of the sinuses, jaw, face and neck to objectively measure why someone is likely having jaw pain and dysfunction.
34:45 – Dr. Schluentz talks about how to help Dentists and patients understand why having healthy jaws and teeth is huge. He also explains how many Dentists and patients fail to communicate properly so both parties can get the best care possible.
38:20 – Dr. Schluentz advises you to go find someone who specializes in TMJD and that everyone should get a sleep study done even if you don't have symptoms right now. Dentists are now at the forefront of sleep apnea because they are the physicians looking for these pathologies.
41:02 – Dr. Schluentz covers who is more likely to get TMJD and what leads to getting TMJD. He covers that people who have been in car accidents or any kind of traumatic injury are likely to have TMJD. Those who get cavities easier than most are likely at risk for TMD or already have it. Stress can lead to a person having a higher risk of TMD, but it isn't the cause of it. If you have an airway issue, then you are likely to have TMD.
45:00 – Dr. Schluentz gives advice for those looking to get into dentistry and covers the model of care that a future physician resonates with. He talks about by getting into a specialty of dentistry will determine which path you will likely choose. Dr. Schluentz loves occlusion care and helping people with TMJD, while most dentists hate it. So find your space inside of dentistry.
49:40 – Dr. Schluentz talks about how he helps other business owners become successful and stay successful through creating relationships. He talks about how he always interviews patients before he accepts them for care which is very unlike any other new patient experience. The person and patient should be treated like a human, not like another number. The patient should feel like they belong. Dr. Schluentz talks about what the most successful people on the planet do and how they think.
56:00 – I talk about how our office makes sure that the new patient experience is the foundation for creating amazing patients from the first day they walk into the office. Dr. Schluentz adds to why creating an amazing environment for patients is vitally important to be successful and to establishing lasting relationships. He says that the more profitable you can be by creating great relationships, the more people you can serve and help. It is not about volume, it is always about service first.
1:00:56 – If he could eat anything for his last meal: Bacon Cheeseburger, Beer and Loaded Cherry NOS.
1:01:50 – If he could travel anywhere in the world in last week of life: Go to parents place and family for 1 day, would try to find a way to go to the moon and spend final 6 days on the moon.
1:02:52 – One piece of advice for anyone who wants to live a better life would be: Be very clear and intentional on your purpose for being on this planet. Don't work for money, work for your passion. Find out what makes you happy and make money doing that.
Dr. Steven Schluentz:
Dentists Go Listen To His Podcast:
Dental Practice Freedom Radio
Patients or Dentists Looking For Help:
https://www.mountainskydental.com
admin@mountainskycoaching.com
Dr. TJ Woodham:
Grab your FREE copy of The Unleashed Human Book: www.theunleashedhuman.com/unleashed
Follow me on:
Instagram: @theunleashedhuman
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Facebook: TJ Woodham
Twitter: @Unleashed_Human
LinkedIn: TJ Woodham
On today's episode we ask the question.. Is coffee good or bad for me? Well, to answer that question we must take an entire person into consideration. Things such as your current digestive health, current blood pressure, anxiety levels, your genetics, caffeine sensitivity, your current state of health and a whole gambit of other contributing factors. We must also first break down coffee and explain exactly what it is and what it does. Most people don't know that coffee is actually a seed from a coffee cherry. The seed is separated from the fruit. Depending on if the fruit is dried before separating the seed or if the seed is removed earlier will change the flavor of the coffee. When the coffee seeds aka coffee beans are dried but have not been roasted yet, they are labeled as green coffee. Which you can see in the ingredients on the back of some energy drinks and is normally labeled as green coffee bean extract. Then the coffee is roasted which turns the color into a brown color and creates that aromatic smell that we have come to love. They are sold as either ground or full bean. My personal opinion is to always buy coffee as the full bean and grind it yourself since it will still contain all of its natural properties at the time of consumption. When you buy ground up coffee there is a higher and faster chance of spoiling and mold accumulation. The less amount of processing, the better. Also, If you didn't know, Caffeine from Coffee in the most consumed psychoactive drug on the planet and an astonishing 90% of the united states consumes some form of caffeine every day. Yes, caffeine is a drug, but obviously not the negative connotation we normally associate when we think of drugs. In fact, caffeine has profound benefits on health for most of the world. If you have ever consumed caffeine, you know the feeling you get. You feel happy, focused, energized and ready to take on the day. Now, when we break it down, coffee has two things going for it: Anti-oxidants and Caffeine as I just mentioned. I'm sure you are no stranger to anti-oxidants, as they are used to fight free-radicals aka cancer causing molecules. Coffee boasts a ton of anti-oxidants that all provide various health benefits for our bodies. For instance in coffee there are compounds called Diterpenes. Terpenes for short. One terpene is called Cafestol, which helps with cholesterol regulation in the liver and is a strong anti-inflammatory substance for our brain which may help with memory. Recent research is showing Cafestol as a promising prevention and treatment for type 2 diabetics who are unable to transport sugar into cells because insulin cannot bind at receptor sites to bring sugar inside. However, using Cafestol they found is that Cafestol increased insulin secretion and binding ability when glucose was present. They found that glucose uptake was increased in muscle cells which did the exact thing as an already existing anti-diabetic drug. Pretty amazing stuff. Now, The second, and more likely reason people chose to drink coffee is the natural caffeine it has, which will usually transform a zombie into a fully functioning human. You coffee drinkers out there know what I am talking about. However, most people don't really know the physiological effects of caffeine and what it is actually doing inside your body. So with that lets quickly talk about what caffeine actually does. When you take your first sip of coffee, it passes through your gut lining directly into your blood stream. Once in the blood stream, caffeine molecules are directed to your brain where they attach to receptor sites for a neurotransmitter called Adenosine. Adenosine is responsible for helping us wind down at night. As the day progresses, we create more and more Adenosine until the point where receptors on our brain have been completely exhausted and then we fall asleep. Of importance is that Adenosine actually stimulates GABA aka gamma-aminobutyric acid, which is another neurotransmitter responsible for healthy relaxation and sleep, which I'm sure a lot of you guys have heard of before. However, here is the plot -twist, Caffeine has a very similar structure as Adenosine. So caffeine molecules actually hi-jack Adenosine receptor sites on the brain, thus kicking adenosine to the curb. When our brain absorbs caffeine, this gives us that initial jolt of energy and focus. And at the same time, Caffeine increases activity of Dopamine (aka Confidence, optimism and happiness) and also increases Norepinephrine (aka Adrenaline to increase focus and attention). This is why you feel so good after drinking coffee. What is better than being happy, confident and focused? I don't think much. Here is the really cool thing about caffeine.. When it is consumed, it triggers adrenaline as mentioned a second ago.. but here's the thing… it will self-select where to send blood flow based on demand. So for instance, if you were running from a bear your body would flood your muscles, lung and heart with blood so that your body can survive. At the same time, during a bear attack, your body cuts off blood flow to your less vital tissues like your digestive tract so it can allocate all resources to staying alive. The same thing goes for in the gym, when you are lifting heavy weight, your body shuttles a rush of blood to your muscles for maximum contraction. For maximum contraction of skeletal muscle.. muscles like your biceps, triceps and quadriceps, we need calcium and the cool thing is caffeine will stimulate calcium out of our cells to be pushed into our blood stream to produce nitric oxide responsible for having a quote-un-quote SICK PUMP in the gym. This pump you feel in the gym is from nitric oxide production, which creates vasodilation of your blood vessels. Vasodilation is when your blood vessels expand to create more blood in the area, where as Vasoconstriction does the opposite and narrows your blood vessels like in people with hypertension or atherosclerotic arteries. Caffeine initially increases blood pressure and vasoconstricts blood vessels. This is why you may notice a slight increase of heart rate. But as it settles in, caffeine will vasodilate arteries. This vasoconstriction property of caffeine is the reason why some people with chronic headaches may see relief with caffeine consumption. The onset of headaches comes from vasodilation of your brain vessels, in other words your brain vessels expand. When you drink caffeine, it causes the brain vessels to vasoconstrict and shrink which will give some people relief from their headaches. However, I will advise that you not use caffeine as a treatment but rather find out why you have headaches to begin with. Headaches can stem from a ton of different reasons. You weren't just born with vasodilated brain vessels. Headaches can come from the following issues: Having a poor neck curve… so having a straight neck or a military neck or having a head that projects forward too much from texting or being hunched over can create a ton of head and neck tension leading to headaches. Headaches can also come from temporomandibular joint dysfunction aka jaw dysfunction, getting poor sleep, chronic anxiety/stress, poor dietary choices, having dysfunctional digestion and even from chronic electrolyte imbalance or dehydration. I will advise you to go back to episode 10 where I talk all about headaches and how to eliminate them. Now you're probably thinking TJ, all that is cool, but what does this mean? What is caffeine really doing for us? This tells us that caffeine is a huge regulator of cardiovascular health and blood flow. This is HUGE for Alzheimer's disease because we know blood flow is very important in those dealing with cognitive decline and dementia. This also means that those with heart disease or atherosclerotic plaquing of blood vessels will get increased circulation to distal extremities and venous return to the heart and lungs. Coffee and caffeine has also shown to help with certain heart arrhythmias. Uhm hellllooooo…. Greater blood flow also means that athletic performance and strength is strongly correlated with coffee and caffeine intake. Who wouldn't want maximum contraction of muscles while in the gym and while playing sports? Everyone should want that! And the best thing is that coffee and caffeine isn't illegal so try it out for yourself! Now, this is just the tip of the iceberg for what coffee does for the human body.. but don't get too excited because just like with anything… there is such as a thing of having too much of something good. Just like you can die from drinking too much water and you can become allergic to salmon or avocados by eating them too much. When I say this, I mean that coffee and caffeine is NOT for everyone. For the general population and average human who is in good health… which, good health is so subjective these days because everyone thinks they are healthy for their age or compared to their friends but is that how health should be measured? I think not. Here's the reality…. people will immediately know if coffee and caffeine is either good for them or bad for them based on their physical and emotional response to it. Physical and emotional responses could come in many forms. Physical responses are things like getting stomach aches, heart burn, acid reflux getting muscle twitches, rapid heartbeat, sweating and uncomfortable increase in body temperature. Emotional responses could be anxiety, difficulty focusing and insomnia. However, these symptoms are not that common. You either have to have pre-existing medical conditions, have a genetic sensitivity to caffeine or drank way too much coffee and caffeine. I will say; however, caffeine is not created equal and the form caffeine is presented in will create different responses. For instance, some people won't do well drinking coffee, but they will do great drinking green tea. This is for a couple reasons… First reason is that a cup of coffee which is normally 6-10 ounces of water, will have anywhere from 150-200mg of caffeine which might be too much caffeine for those with caffeine sensitivities and green tea will be a better option because green tea has 30-50mg of caffeine which is substantially less. If you are wondering if you are sensitive to caffeine, symptoms are usually getting jittery, feeling very anxious, feeling stressed out, having an unnaturally fast heartbeat, sweating profusely, finding it hard to focus, having confused thoughts and tripping over words and having issues winding down or going to sleep. This sensitivity could also be coming from a preexisting condition like having high blood pressure and anxiety disorders. The second reason people do better with tea over coffee is that tea has something called l-theanine which has a calming affect which works synergistically with caffeine and decreases the jittery and ramped up feeling. Whereas coffee has an alkaloid called trigon-elline which creates coffee's strong aromatic smell and has been shown to reduce the incidence of dental cavities do to its prevention from bacteria adhering to teeth enamel. Wow, who would've thought coffee could actually protect teeth? Here is the other thing.. ALL COFFEE IS NOT THE SAME!! Let me say that again for clarity. ALL COFFEE… How much? ALL COFFEE is not the same. This means types of roasts (light, medium and dark) are different. Light roast has the most caffeine, medium roast has less caffeine and dark roast has the least caffeine. This also means brands of coffee (such as your local Walmart brand compared to an organic and mold free coffee brand is WAYYY different. Coffee beans from bulletproof.com and beans from purity coffee are beans that are mold free. If you have been out of the loop nearly 95% of coffee found inside the united states has mold toxins inside of them known as mycotoxins. If you have been sensitive to coffee in the past, been exposed to toxic mold or you have coffee crashes, it could be from the mold inside the coffee you are drinking. Mold naturally forms on and in coffee beans if they are poorly stored or processed. One of those mold toxins is known as Ochratoxin A produced by mold that can be found on coffee beans when stored in humid conditions. The European Union has long known about Ochratoxin A and has been extremely strict on coffee bean processing. Meanwhile, the United States has been lagging behind and has just now seen this as a potential health threat. Ochratoxin A can lead to acute kidney disorders, brain fog, confusion and lethargy. So choose your coffee wisely! Next.. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!! The location of where your coffee bean comes from is wayyy different. This means the country, altitude, temperature, rainfall and sunlight ALLLL affect the taste and quality of coffee. It is just like the difference between a $1000-dollar bottle of wine compared to a 10-dollar bottle of wine from your local store. WAYY DIFFERENT TASTES and AROMAS. In general, the best coffee comes from South America and Africa. Now There are two types of coffee beans.. Ah-ra-bica and Robusta. Arabica are sweeter, fruitier with higher acidity but are of higher quality and are more expensive. Robusta on the other hand has a harsh and peanuty taste and is considered low quality but with twice the amount of caffeine. Most coffee in the US is Arabica, however. Here's the other thing… there is differences in coffee preparation. Fresh pressed hot coffee versus cold brewed coffee. The chemical composition and physiological effect of coffee changes between these two. If you notice that you have digestion issues like stomach pain, heart burn and a general dislike when drinking regular hot coffee due to bitterness.. switch over to cold brew coffee. Because cold brew coffee has less acid and less bitterness. This is because different temperatures of liquids will pull out different chemicals and compounds. For instance… water temperature for brewing hot coffee should be at 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit.. if you brew at 210 degrees and higher, this can result in a bitter tasting coffee because hotter water will cause acids to decay into very bitter compounds. On the other hand.. Temperatures at or around 185 degrees will create sour tasting flavor because the water didn't dissolve enough non-acidic compounds to balance flavors. Now cold-brewing on the other hand is wayyy different. Cold water slows down the extraction of the compounds that normally taste bitter and don't actually get extracted at all. And the acids that normally oxidize in hot water don't react. Which results in smoother and less acidic coffee. Cold brew has been shown to decrease acidity and bitterness by 65 to 70 percent. Cold brew also lasts much longer, doesn't spoil and can last up to 2 weeks in a large vat that you can make yourself at home. All you do to make it is grinding beans until they are course. Then put them into a container with water. Let them sit for 12-24 hours inside your refrigerator. When ready, strain the coffee using a cheese cloth or a strainer. Now, don't worry, I will post a link in the show notes for the directions on how to do this step by step. I will also post all the other coffee companies and resources I mention in the show notes. With that out of the way, I'm first going to cover the badass benefits of coffee and then I will discuss the potential downsides for certain people drinking coffee. All of the health benefits associated with coffee are from consuming 1-5 cups of BLACK coffee per day. AGAIN BLACK COFFEE. None of that cream and sugar shit. That completely destroys the purpose of coffee from a health benefits standpoint. If you want to put butter, mct oil or coconut oil into it that is okay. But anything else is not doing you any favors. Now, in my opinion, anything over 5 cups of coffee day might push into caffeine overlo…
Full show notes at the publisherWhat's up unleashed humans! On today's episode I have the privilege to interview Wendy Laidlaw who has helped hundreds to thousands of women overcome endometriosis naturally. Ladies listen up! If you have painful periods and have accepted them as normal, then this episode is for you!
Endometriosis can be a severely debilitating condition in women, and I will explain what endometriosis is in just a second Because I first want to say this episode isn't just for women! Guys this episode is for you too! If your girl-friend, fiancé or wife is going through this process, it also affects you too. As the psychological battle these women deal with is extremely difficult, with mood swings, depression, anger and anxiety. Guys, this is something we will never truly know the feeling of, but if you know what these women are going through you can start to understand the emotional and physical roller coaster these women are experiencing.
For those of you who don't know, endometriosis is a condition in women in which their uterine tissues grow and spread outside of the normal uterine area. This can lead to heavy bleeding, heavy cramping, severe pain, irregular cycles and a severely limited quality of life. The pain we are talking about is equivalent to having appendicitis, which if you have had it, it is brutally painful.
Women who go the medical route typically see no real change in their endometriosis because medical treatments don't attack the problem at hand which is usually a dietary, lifestyle and hormone issue that needs careful tending to. This is why Wendy Laidlaw is your go-to person for everything endometriosis related, as she suffered for 30 years until she finally found the magic bullet for endometriosis
Now the best part is that Wendy heals endometriosis without drugs, surgery or any other invasive measure. She simply utilizes amazing and super easy nutrition protocols, she helps women create healthy head spaces and cleans up their daily environment.. If you know someone suffering with endometriosis, painful periods, irregular cycles, heavy bleeding and cramping please share this episode with someone you care for. It will likely change their life forever. As I said earlier, this episode is not just for women but for men too. Because when Wendy's women start this protocol, the whole family typically gets on board and the men of the families end up losing a lot of weight, get better sleep and feel better! So don't just think this is for women. It is for men too!
What's even better is that Wendy has a FREE book detailing her experiences and how to crush endometriosis naturally. I will add a link to her FREE BOOK in the show notes so you guys can click right on over to her website to get your FREE copy of Healing Endometriosis Naturally.
1:10 – Wendy describes what endometriosis is. She explains that it is a condition in which the inside of woman's uterus finds its way into the abdominal cavity. During a woman's natural monthly period, the uterus normally sheds itself and is released outside of the vagina. However, in endometriosis, these sheds of blood can find their way into areas they shouldn't be and lead to painful periods and decreased quality of life.
2:10 – Wendy talks about the signs and symptoms someone might have with endometriosis. A diagnosis for endometriosis typically doesn't occur until an average of 8 years into the condition. Wendy says that significant pain with a period is actually not normal. She describes the pain that would someone would experience would be as if they had appendicitis.
5:35 – Wendy talks about the struggle with finally being diagnosed with endometriosis and how women do not get the treatment and attention they need from the medical community. Often they are under-diagnosed and misdiagnosed. Most women are shewed out the door with medicine and are given band-aid treatments not targeting the true cause.
9:20 – Wendy talks about her history with endometriosis and how long she was taken down the medical route. For 33 years she put up with her endometriosis and learned how to re-navigate her life around her condition. Wendy's mother had also suffered from endometriosis and so she has known endometriosis her whole life.
12:00 – Wendy talks about her symptoms and what the medical treatment was for the 3 decades of her life. She talks about intense bleeding and unbearable pain. She tells a story about being in a meeting when she had a massive episode of bleeding.
15:05 – Wendy talks about the causes of endometriosis whether that is through Epigenetics and/or lifestyle factors that creates it to come out of its nasty shell. Wendy explains endometriosis typically stems from massive inflammation and hormone dysregulation.
17:03 – Wendy talks about Foods, Environment and Emotions and how using these can make a massive change in endometriosis. She talks about how most women with endometriosis have poor digestion and she talks about how starting her women on a liquid meal plan initially to reset their gut. She talks about the major food offenders such as wheat and has seen massive changes in her women.
23:44 – Wendy talks about the hidden benefits of helping her women conquer endometriosis. She sees her women lose a ton of weight, their energy gets better, they sleep better, their happiness is better, bowel movements are better, they finally become pregnant their vision gets better and that is just to name a few.
27:00 – We talk about how community is paramount for people to get their health back. Family members, spouses and kids should all be on board if people want to get the best results. Accountability is huge when it comes to health success.
31:05 – Wendy talks about the hardest part women have transitioning into her protocol and how Wendy grabs them by the hand to let them know it is going to be okay. These women have been through the gambit of failed treatments. Wendy does an amazing job getting them to make a mindset shift and change their current vehicle onto a new path. Wendy works with each woman individually and peels back the layers of years of toxic buildup.
35:45 – Wendy talks about the 5 P's. She talks about emotional health and environment being a major contributor to helping a woman overcome endometriosis. Wendy talks about the whole body and whole person approach to healing endometriosis.
38:22 – Wendy talks about meditation for headspace and the different types of clearing headspace. She believes everyone is different, so picking the best meditation for you is the best option.
39:46 – Wendy talks about when her endometriosis started to get better and how she figured out the best way to achieve eliminating endometriosis. She talks about the power of having strong mitochondria health. This is when she knew food was the answer and which foods were the major contributors to her endometriosis.
42:05 - Wendy talks about her take on eating meat. She talks about how all meats are not created equally and that meat has been given a bad name. She talks about how meats have extremely important amino acids and that we have eaten meats for thousands of years. Wendy stresses how important it is to chew your food and chew slowly.
46:00 - We talk about how vegans and vegetarians get the meat theory wrong and their arguments lie mostly around conventional meats that everyone knows are unhealthy. They do not talk about grass-fed and pasture raised meats.
48:15- Wendy talks about her morning rituals and how it primes her for the day ahead. She journals, has her power shake and yoga.
50:44 – Wendy talks about her 12-week foundation program for women who are ready and want to support to figure out her root-cause of their endometriosis. She has a ton of educational videos and downloads giving you step by step approaches. It is a well-tested protocol to help a woman and even men achieve amazing health. Wendy is alongside women every step of the way.
54:00 – Anything for her last meal? She would have her power shake consisting of her Amino acids, multivitamin, micro-greens, juice cucumber, celery, carrots, apple
54:41 – Where would she travel? She wants to visit more of Europe. Places like Prague, Budapest, Italy
55:20 – Advice for anyone wanting to live their best life? Trust your instincts. Go against what everyone else is telling you. The answers to your health and life decisions are already inside you. Trust your gut and go with what makes you your best self-every day. Never doubt yourself.
EPSIODE RESOURCES:
Wendy K Laidlaw:
Heal Endometriosis Naturally Without Painkiller, Drugs or Surgery FREE BOOK:
https://healendometriosisnaturallybook.com/order36212215lbqnh89?affiliate_id=1455555
Wendy's Healing Endometriosis Naturally Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/HealEndometriosisNaturally/
Dr. TJ Woodham:
Grab your FREE copy of The Unleashed Human Book: www.theunleashedhuman.com/unleashed
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What's up Unleashed Humans! On this episode I discuss my results from 23 and me genetic testing and why you should without a doubt get your 23 and me testing done ASAP. Now Before we jump in I wanted to again let you know about my FREE book you can get by going to www.theunleashedhuman.com/unleashed. I know you've probably heard me talk about my book like a million times but if you haven't it has the cheat codes for health, happiness, having a killer digestion, amazing bio hacks, becoming stronger, smarter, getting better sleep and unlocking what you've been missing in your life. Just go to www.theunleashedhuman.com/unleashed to get a copy of my FREE book. No shipping, no payment. Totally free straight to your email. Check it out while it is still up for grabs! So, I just did my 23 and me genetic testing and I am so freaking pumped to tell you the results. I have been waiting nearly a month for my results and finally got them back. I mainly got 23 and me genetic testing done to see my risk for conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. But the cool thing is that you can also do 23 and me to see your heritage and family lineage, so I did them both together. Turns out that I am 63 percent British and Irish. 18 percent Northwestern European and 14 percent French and German. It comes to no surprise that I am mostly British because my last name is Woodham for crying out loud. But I always thought I was Scottish not Irish. 23 and me goes super deep into family lineage so if you're into this, totally get this testing done. Now, like I said, On this episode I discuss my results from 23 and me genetic testing and why you should without a doubt get your 23 and me testing done ASAP. I will talk about the top 8 conditions relating to health predisposition and the genetic variants associated with them. I will also cover the are risk factors for each of these conditions and I will share how you can prevent these through lifestyle alone. Like I said, I highly recommend you invest in 23 and me genetic testing not just because it will give incredible insight to your heritage and health but, because it opens doors for you to see your genes in much greater detail. For instance, I uploaded my raw data from 23 and me uploaded it both DNAfit.com and go.strategene.org. DNAfit will tell you what diet, workout plan and lifestyle will fit you best based off your genes. It is actually extremely impressive how detailed DNAfit is and you will get to hear all of my athletic performance and nutrition markers from DNAfit. And to be honest Its almost overwhelming how much info they give you. It is amazing. Secondly, if you want to nerd out and learn about your single nucleotide polymorphisms aka genetic variants associated with a certain gene, then go to go.strategene.org and enter your raw data. Dr. Ben Lynch will send you a report breaking down your genes and what they mean in a super detailed fashion. That being said, 23 and me is AN ABSOLUTE MUST. So, if you've been on the fence, JUMP OFF the fence and just buy a damn 23 and me kit. All you have to do is order it online and they send a kit right to your door. You spit your saliva into a tube and then send it back. Simple as that! Then you can learn all about where your ancestors came from in super deep detail and simultaneously harness your genes to make you a super human. What could be better than that? Now before we begin, understand that genetic testing does not diagnose or give treatment Recommendations for any condition what so ever. So please do not think you are going to get Alzheimer's or Parkinson's of you get genetic variant for these conditions. Genes only mean you have a predisposition to certain conditions if you chose to live an unhealthy lifestyle. Do not go overboard on supplementation or nutritional advices given by these websites because they are not designed to be treatment routes for any serious illness or disease. They are merely suggestions and supplemental info to help prevent certain diseases. Remember, you chose to live your best life every day. As a general rule of thumb, if you eat healthy, workout regularly and stay away from harmful substances, you are likely to live a long and rewarding life. Don't overthink or stress out about your genes. They are not your fate. Your lifestyle, however, is your fate, so live accordingly. With that being said, lets jump in! So first I am going to go over the 9 most common health conditions tested on 23 and me. They are as follows: Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Celiac Disease, Hereditary Hemochromatosis, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, BRCA1/BRCA2, G6PD Deficiency, Hereditary Thrombophilia, Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. Remember, these are only 9 of the most common conditions. 23 and me also tests like 50 more conditions and they get super detailed. I'm not going to go over those because we would be here forever, and I didn't haven't any genetic variants for those anyway. Now, from my results, out of those 9 conditions, I only had 3 genetic variations. 2 of them were unlikely to cause risk, while one of them slightly increased my risk. The two that were unlikely to put me at risk were Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Hereditary Hemochromatosis. The one that puts me slightly at risk was Celiac Disease, which doesn't surprise me because I have always had a sensitive digestive tract. Now, I am going to first talk to you about the three conditions I mentioned, what they are, how they manifest and how to avoid them. The first one is Age-Related Macular Degeneration Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. I have one of the two genetic variants tested in the CFH Gene However, I am not likely at increased risk of developing AMD based on my genetic result. Lifestyle and other factors may also influence my risk. About 2% of people over the age of 50 develop AMD. Smoking is associated with higher risk of developing AMD. If you smoke, quitting is one of the easiest ways to reduce your risk. The risk of developing AMD increases greatly as a person ages. This condition is rarely diagnosed in people under the age of 50. Over the age of 80, 2-14% of people have AMD, depending on ethnicity. Parents, siblings, and children of an individual with AMD have a higher chance of developing AMD themselves People of European descent are more likely to develop AMD than people of African, Hispanic, and Asian descent. Eating a healthy diet has been associated with a reduced risk of developing AMD. A healthy diet that benefits the eyes emphasizes the consumption of dark green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, nuts, and whole grains. Consuming healthy fats — found in fish, nuts, and olive oil — and minimizing saturated and trans fats are also important. When does it develop? AMD is rarely diagnosed in people under the age of 50. Vision loss related to AMD usually becomes noticeable in a person's 60s or 70s and tends to worsen over time. How common is the condition? The prevalence of AMD reports to affect about 2% of individuals over the age of 50 in the U.S. Approximately 2 million Americans are currently living with AMD. Typical signs and symptoms are Blurred or distorted vision Vision loss Yellow fatty deposits in the retina called "drusen" Blood or fluid leakage in the retina There is currently no known prevention or cure for AMD. Having regular eye exams can help detect early signs of the condition. Progression of AMD can be slowed with the use of certain treatments and medications. That is it for AMD… now onto Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease Now, Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the consumption of gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye) can result in damage to the small intestine. Celiac disease can lead to both digestive and non-digestive problems. This test includes two common variants associated with an increased risk of developing this condition. I have one of the two genetic variants we tested in the HLA-DQB1 gene I have a variant linked to the HLA-DQ8 haplotype. People with this result have a slightly increased risk of developing celiac disease. Lifestyle and other factors can also affect a person's risk. However, studies estimate that only about 3% of people with one or more copies of the HLA-DQ2.5 or HLA-DQ8 haplotypes develop celiac disease. Gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye) is the main non-genetic factor that triggers the development of celiac disease in people with increased genetic risk. Parents, siblings, and children of an individual diagnosed with celiac disease have a higher chance of developing the condition themselves. People with certain health conditions, such as Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, or type 1 diabetes, are more likely to develop celiac disease. Celiac Disease is Also known as: celiac sprue, CD, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, non-tropical sprue Celiac disease can develop anytime from infancy to adulthood, most commonly between the ages of 10 and 40. In people with celiac disease, symptoms occur after consuming gluten. Typical signs and symptoms are Diarrhea, gas, and bloating Poor appetite Skin rashes Fatigue Anemia Headache Celiac disease affects people of all ethnicities. About 1 in 100 people worldwide have celiac disease. Celiac disease can be effectively treated by removing all sources of gluten from the diet. This includes foods and drinks made with wheat, barley, and rye. And that is it for Celiac Disease.. not too bad, unless you are obsessed with grains, like most people, then it can certainly destroy someone's quality of life…as I am sure some listeners suffer with celiac disease regularly. Now.. onto the next condition which is.. Hereditary Hemochromatosis Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HFE‑Related) Hereditary hemochromatosis is a genetic condition characterized by absorption of too much dietary iron. This may lead to iron overload, which can cause damage to the joints and certain organs, such as the liver, skin, heart, and pancreas. This test includes the two most common variants linked to this condition. I have one of the two genetic variants tested in the HFE Gene Hereditary hemochromatosis is caused by certain combinations of genetic variants. People with only this variant are not likely at risk of developing iron overload related to hereditary hemochromatosis. the H63D variant in the HFE gene was detected in my sample As I said before, Hereditary hemochromatosis is caused by certain combinations of genetic variants, and only some combinations increase risk for iron overload. Although developing symptoms of iron overload related to hereditary hemochromatosis is rare in younger people, the risk increases as a person ages. Symptoms of iron overload are most often diagnosed in men between the ages of 40 and 60, and in women after the age of 60. Men with hemochromatosis are at higher risk than women for developing symptoms of iron overload, mostly because women lose iron through menstruation. In people with hemochromatosis, the liver is at risk of damage from iron overload. Consuming large amounts of alcohol can lead to further liver damage. Consuming foods high in iron or taking certain supplements can increase the amount of iron stored in the body. For people with hemochromatosis, this may increase the chances of developing symptoms of iron overload. About Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HFE‑Related) Also known as: HFE-HH, primary hemochromatosis, hemochromatosis type I Now, Because it is a genetic condition, hereditary hemochromatosis is present at birth. Many people with this condition never develop iron overload. Of those who do develop iron overload, only a small number develop symptoms. If men develop symptoms, they typically appear between 40 and 60 years of age. Women rarely develop symptoms, and when they do it tends to be after menopause. Typical signs and symptoms of iron overload are Joint and abdominal pain Fatigue and weakness Darkening of the skin Liver disease Heart disease Diabetes Hereditary hemochromatosis is most common in people of Northern European descent. Around 1 in 250 people of European descent has the genotype most commonly associated with hereditary hemochromatosis. However, only some of those people will go on to develop symptoms of iron overload related to hereditary hemochromatosis. People with hereditary hemochromatosis are typically monitored for symptoms or complications. Iron overload related to hereditary hemochromatosis is a treatable condition. In some patients, having blood drawn on a regular basis can help lower iron levels. People with iron overload are encouraged to avoid drinking alcohol to minimize liver damage and to limit intake of iron-rich food. And those were the three conditions that I had with genetic variation.. I'm going to quickly fly through the rest of the conditions that were tested then we are going to dive right into my DNA fit results which you are not going to want to miss. They are so damn cool. I get so excited talking about them. First is Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency AAT deficiency is a genetic condition that can lead to lung and liver disease. It is caused by decreased levels of the alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) protein. This test includes the two most common variants linked to this deficiency. Because it is a genetic condition, AAT deficiency is present at birth. Symptoms of lung disease usually appear later in life, and age of onset is strongly affected by smoking. Some people may never have symptoms of lung disease, especially if they don't smoke. Liver problems may develop anytime from infancy to adulthood. Potential signs and symptoms are Shortness of breath and wheezing Chronic cough Recurrent lung infections Lung disease, including emphysema Liver disease, including cirrhosis Second Condition is BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) Specific genetic variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are associated with an increased risk of developing certain cancers, including breast cancer (in women and men) and ovarian cancer. These variants may also be associated with an increased risk for prostate cancer and certain other cancers. This test includes three genetic variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that are most common in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. However, more than 1,000 variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are known to increase cancer risk, so I could still have a variant not included in this test. In addition, most cases of male breast cancer and prostate cancer are not caused by inherited variants, so men without a variant are still at risk of developing these cancers. In the general population, about 1 in 9 men develops prostate cancer during his lifetime, and about 1 in 800 men develops male breast cancer Men with a BRCA1variant have a 1-2% chance of developing male breast cancer. They may also have an increased risk for prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer. Men with a BRCA2variant have a 7-8% chance of developing male breast cancer and an increased risk for prostate cancer. They may also have an increased risk for pancreatic cancer and melanoma. Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 variant have a greatly increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer and may have an increased risk for pancreatic cancer and melanoma. In general, the chances of developing cancer increase as a person gets older. However, men with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 variant may develop earlier and more aggressive prostate cancer. Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 variant have an increased risk for early-onset breast cancer (before age 45) and multiple breast cancers. In addition, women with a BRCA1 variant may develop ovarian cancer at an earlier age. About 1 in 400 people in the gen…
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