When you think about health foods, how often do you consider chocolate?

Fortunately, dark chocolate is a superfood! When you consume the right type of dark chocolate, you can look forward to surprising benefits, like boosting your antioxidants, lowering blood pressure and even reducing your risk of cancer.

Read on to discover the surprising benefits of dark chocolate, as well as what type you should be eating.

Dark Chocolate: A Sacred Food with Healing Benefits

Throughout history, dark chocolate (or cacao, as it’s called before being made into a chocolate bar) has been hailed as a health tonic. This is especially true throughout Mesoamerican cultures, who held the belief that the cacao bean was a sacred food handed down by the gods to provide stamina, heal numerous diseases, and reduce fatigue (1).

In fact, the effects of cacao were thought to be so powerful that consumption was reserved specifically for priests, high government officials, military officers and great warriors. It was considered unsuitable for women, children, and the lower classes due to its potency.

What exactly is it about dark chocolate that makes it such a cherished health food? Let’s dive into the research-backed facts behind its benefits.

8 Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Many of dark chocolate’s surprising benefits stem from its potent antioxidant compounds epicatechin, catechin, and procyanidins, along with flavonoids and polyphenols. These antioxidants are responsible for putting a halt to DNA damage, reducing inflammation, regulating glucose levels, slowing aging, and more.

Read on to see just how powerful they are in dark chocolate.

1. Lowers Blood Pressure and Improves Heart Health

Not only does dark chocolate make you feel similar to being in love (okay, maybe not that good), but it has major benefits for your heart and blood pressure levels.

Studies show that the compound prostacyclin in dark chocolate is able to help lower blood pressure by increasing vasodilation, the opening and loosening of your arteries and blood vessels (2). In addition, another study revealed that higher chocolate intake is associated with a lower risk of future cardiovascular events (3).

The Kuna Indians of the San Blas islands of Panama, who drink roughly three cups of a cacao beverage daily and have a very low prevalence of hypertension, myocardial infarction and stroke compared to those on the mainland, are a good example of chocolate’s benefits at work. In addition, studies have found that their blood pressure doesn’t rise with age (4).

2. Fights Aging

As we mentioned earlier, dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidant compounds that help fight the DNA damage that causes aging symptoms like wrinkles, graying hair, and disease. In fact, research shows that just a single serving of cacao contains more phenolic antioxidants than most foods and more antioxidants than many Americans get on average per day (5).

Research also shows that the polyphenols and flavonoids in dark chocolate can help protect your skin from UV damage, which is a huge factor in preventing skin aging (6).

3. Reduces Cholesterol

Alongside lowering blood pressure and improving heart health, dark chocolate also has a few cholesterol-lowering tricks up its sleeve. Studies have shown that just one week of dark chocolate consumption was enough to improve lipid profiles and decrease platelet reactivity for both men and women (7). This may be due to the fact that the cocoa butter in dark chocolate contains some of the same heart-healthy fatty acids found in olive oil.

4. Improves Brain Function

Dark chocolate has been studied for its ability to boost cognitive function by improving cerebral blood flow, thanks in part to its high flavanol content. One study showed that the intake of flavonoid-rich foods, including chocolate, wine and tea, results in improved cognitive performance, especially in elderly participants.

Another study out of Italy also found that the flavanols in chocolate could prevent and even reverse age-related memory decline (8).

5. Anti-Diabetic Effects

Research has shown that dark chocolate improves glucose balance, insulin sensitivity and inflammation markers – all symptoms that contribute to the development of diabetes. In one particular study, scientists found these benefits occurred only when participants ate dark chocolate; those who consumed white chocolate received no benefits (9).

Interestingly, a study in Japan found that the risk of developing diabetes was reduced 35 percent among men who consumed “chocolate snack pieces” once per week or more versus those who never or almost never ate chocolate (10).

6. Potentially Reduce Risk of Developing Cancer

To date, studies have confirmed that chronic inflammation contribute to factors that increase your risk of developing cancer, including DNA mutations and cancer cell growth. Research has confirmed that the antioxidants in dark chocolate have a strong ability to fight the DNA damage that could lead to cancer development, as well as reduce certain inflammation enzymes that could encourage its growth (11).

7. Reduces Risk of Developing Neurological Diseases

Flavonoids have been shown to offer significant protection for neurons in your brain and nervous system. Specifically, they reduce neuroinflammation, which has been found to be a major cause of the development of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, their ability to increase cerebral blood flow encourages the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus, which processes memory (12).

8. Increases Satiety and Reduces Appetite

Just when you thought chocolate was banned from your diet while trying to lose weight, research shows it may actually help you keep cravings in check, which can help keep the pounds off. Studies have found that the smell of dark chocolate reduces appetite and improves satiety (13).

How to Choose the Best Dark Chocolate

Obviously, not all chocolate is created equal. To get the most benefits associated with dark chocolate, you want to steer clear of any of the candy bar varieties (even if they are “gluten-free” or “Paleo”) and be sure to choose a bar that contains at least a 75 percent cacao content. This will ensure there are minimal added sugars, so you get the bittersweet goodness without the damaging effects of sugar.

How Often Should You Indulge in Dark Chocolate?

While dark chocolate is loaded with benefits, more doesn’t necessarily equal better. Most of these studies used a moderate amount of dark chocolate consumption, which could be comparable to a square of dark chocolate per day, or a tablespoon or two of dark cacao made into a hot chocolate drink (just make sure you don’t add any sugar).

Even if you don’t eat it every day, try to get in a dose of dark chocolate at least three times a week to boost your antioxidant levels and cash in on the many benefits of this true superfood.

Our friends at Earth Echo Foods want to share this weight loss secret with you…

This Costa Rican chocolate known to melt extra LBs

Most Americans think eating sweets for breakfast is unhealthy…

But according to Stanford researchers, there’s one delicious “dessert” food Costa Ricans eat each morning that…

✅ Keeps them lean past 80…
✅ Slows blood sugar spikes…
✅ Even helps them live 7x longer than Japanese people…

So what’s the #1 “dessert” food that helps Costa Ricans live past 100?

Is it:

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(Original source article can be found here.)

The post 8 Surprising Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Some of these oils are healthy and some are VERY unhealthy — soybean oil, olive oil, coconut oil, corn oil, etc… Let’s take a closer look.

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author of best-sellers: The Fat Burning Kitchen & The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging

Today, I wanted to give you my take on a confusing subject to most people:

Why some oils and fats you may use in cooking, baking, or other food use are actually harmful to your body, and why some are healthful.

Here’s the deal…

A lot of people seem to think that anything labeled as “vegetable oil” is good for you. NOT A SHOT!

Most of what is labeled as “vegetable oil” is simply heavily refined soybean oil (processed under high heat, pressure, and industrial solvents, such as hexane)… sometimes perhaps it may also be heavily refined cottonseed, safflower, corn, grapeseed, or other oils too.

In most instances, almost all of these processed oils are NOT HEALTHY for you. I’ll explain why below…

If you buy processed food or deep fried food, you can usually be certain that these unhealthy oils are used to prepare your foods (or worse, it may use hydrogenated versions of these oils… aka – trans fats).

You may have even bought some of these oils for your own cooking or baking at home.

The problem with soybean oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, safflower oil, and other similar “vegetable oils” is that they are mostly composed of polyunsaturated fats (the most highly reactive type of fat) which leaves them prone to oxidation and free radical production when exposed to heat and light.

Processed polyunsaturated oils are the most inflammatory inside our bodies because of their high reactivity to heat and light. This inflammation is what causes many of our internal problems to develop such as heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Note: It’s ok if a polyunsaturated fat source isn’t processed such as in whole foods like various nuts and seeds… In that case it’s usually not inflammatory (as long as it’s not been exposed to high heat), and nuts are usually a great source of healthy polyunsaturated fats. By the way, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are both polyunsaturates, and a healthy balance of approx 1:1 to 3:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is considered healthiest.

Your best bet is to choose raw nuts and seeds whenever possible to avoid the oxidation of polyunsaturated fats that can occur during roasting of nuts and seeds. Keep in mind though that some nuts are mostly monounsaturated, (for example, macadamias), so the issue of roasted vs raw nuts is less of an issue for highly monounsaturated nuts.

However, all of the vegetable oils listed above are generally heavily refined during processing, so that makes them already inflammatory before you even cook with them (which does even more damage).

Here’s the actual order of stability of a type of fat under heat and light (from least stable to most stable):

1. polyunsaturated
2. monounsaturated
3. saturated

Here’s something that mainstream health professionals will never tell you…

Saturated fats are actually the healthiest oils to cook with!

Why? Because they are much more stable in cooking conditions and less inflammatory than polyunsaturated oils with cooking.

This is why tropical oils such as palm and coconut oils (and even animal fats such as lard and butter) are best for cooking… they have very little polyunsaturates and are mostly composed of natural saturated fats which are the least reactive to heat/light and therefore the least inflammatory in your body from cooking use.

That’s also why natural butter (NOT margarine) is one of the best fats for cooking. This all goes directly against what you hear in mainstream health talk… because most health professionals don’t truly understand the biochemistry of fats, and falsely believe that saturated fats are bad for you… when in fact, they are actually neutral in most instances… and saturated fats from tropical oils are actually good for you as they contain mostly medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) which are lacking in most people’s diets.

In fact, lauric acid is one of the abundant MCTs in tropical oils and is known to strengthen the immune system. Lauric acid is even being studied currently in medical studies for controlling contagious diseases.

To summarize… your best cooking or baking fats are generally butter or tropical oils such as palm or coconut oil.

Olive oil (extra virgin preferably) is okay for lower cooking temps as it’s mostly monounsaturated, so moderately stable. I also like avocado oil and macadamia nut oil for baking as they are mostly monounsaturated and relatively stable for baking, plus add great flavor!

The mostly polyunsaturated oils such as soybean, corn, grapeseed, cottonseed, safflower, etc, are the least healthy for cooking or baking.

My choices for top healthy cooking oils that I use:

• Virgin Coconut Oil (very stable at med-high temps and healthy fats)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (only for low temp cooking)
• Real Butter (grass fed butter is actually healthy and contains important nutrients like vitamin K2, omega-3’s, and CLA. Kerry gold is a popular brand of Irish butter that’s grass-fed and readily available in most grocery stores)

Of course, with all of that said… we should keep in mind that trying minimize our cooking with oils can help to reduce overall calories. Cooking with oils in moderation is okay and can actually help satisfy your appetite more, but be careful not to overdo it as the calories can add up fast.

Also, please don’t be fooled by deceptive marketing claiming that canola oil is healthy for you — it’s NOT!

So enjoy your coconut oil, grass-fed butter, and delicious extra-virgin olive oils knowing that you’re doing your body GOOD! But just make sure to stay FAR AWAY from dangerous inflammatory vegetable oils like soybean oil, corn oil, and cottonseed oils which are used in so many processed foods these days.

Also remember that most salad dressings you find at the store are loaded with unhealthy soybean or canola oils usually, so make your own with healthy olive oil instead.

But BEWARE…

Although using real butter, coconut oil, & extra virgin olive oil can be a super-healthy choice for a lean, healthy, & strong body as well as fighting the aging process, if you follow the tips you just learned…

Did you know THIS Popular Cooking Oil May Erase Brain Cells?

If you cook with this popular oil

You could be ingesting a toxic substance that slips past the brain’s blood barrier…

Clogging blood vessels and starving your brain cells of the fuel it needs.

Day by day… worsening brain fog, slowing down activity in your brain, and completely deleting memory banks…

👉 Click here to see if this brain-killing oil is in your pantry right now

The post Which of these cooking oils are destroying your health? (the truth may surprise you!) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author of the best sellers: The Fat Burning Kitchen & The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging

I’ve noticed in my travels and with working with clients that a large majority of people in today’s fast-paced stressful world are struggling at least part of the time with falling asleep at night.

Over the years, I’ve also struggled on occasion with insomnia because of the stress placed on me by running a large publishing business. And I’ve researched and learned quite a few tips and tricks over the years to help fight insomnia and fall asleep faster.

Without diving into every single technique I’ve learned over the years, I’ll just touch on a few really simple, but powerful tips, foods, drinks, etc. that I think can help you to fall asleep easier and faster too!

Here goes:

The most important sleep tip to start with:

This one isn’t a specific food or drink, but rather probably THE most important tip I can give you… if you don’t follow this one, your chances of being able to wind down at night and fall asleep fast are unlikely…

You NEED to eliminate use of devices, computers, emails, and any other work related to your job (or other stressful things) at least 3 hours before you plan to go to sleep. Using devices or computers for casual reading at night is fine, but don’t do any work that gets your mind overly activated, such as anything dealing with work or other stressful things in life. Also, even for casual reading, it’s best to turn off devices at least 1 hour before bed as keeping your eyes focused on the light from devices is one thing that some researchers are saying could interfere with getting quality sleep.

An overly active mind late at night is one of the BIGGEST things keeping many people from falling asleep. As a success-driven entrepreneur myself, I used to work really late at night and then I’d find that my mind was always too active to actually be able to fall asleep, so I’d lay there for hours sometimes until I could get my mind to slow down so I could fall asleep.

This may sound weird, but one trick that’s worked for me is to grab a book while I lay in bed on something that I find sort of boring and try to read the book in bed. Because the topic is “boring” to me personally, it keeps my mind away from things that I find more interesting, and it allows me to fall right to sleep. So for example, if you find health and fitness interesting (I hope you do!), but you find economics boring, try reading an economics book as you lay in bed. I bet you’ll get sleepy and fall asleep much faster than if you laid in bed letting all your thoughts about daily life race through your mind.

No caffeine after mid-day:

You’ve probably heard this tip many times, so I’ll keep this one short… It takes about 6 hours for caffeine to be fully processed and eliminated by your body, so make sure your last caffeinated drink of the day (coffee, black tea, mate, etc.) is at LEAST 6 hours or more before your planned bedtime. And if you’ve been showing any adrenal fatigue from lab hormone tests, you should also consider reducing your daily caffeine intake if you currently use it.

Tart cherries or tart cherry juice:

Tart cherries (Montmorency) actually contain a natural form of melatonin that can help you to naturally get sleepy and more easily fall asleep. I’ve found frozen tart cherries a few times in specialty grocery stores and I use them for a late night smoothie occasionally.

I’ve also found a tart cherry concentrate in Whole Foods and other health food stores that you can add to a drink or caffeine-free tea at night to help get you that low dose natural melatonin. I use 1 spoonful of this tart cherry concentrate in a cup of chamomile or mint tea late at night. This helps immensely for calming down and falling asleep at night.

A side benefit is that tart cherry also contains powerful antioxidants that fight joint pain, gout, and other inflammation related problems.

DON’T overdose on melatonin supplements (most contain TOO MUCH)

Did you know that MOST people overdose on melatonin supplements. Most melatonin supplements come in either 3 mg or even 5 mg doses. However, according to some researchers, anything more than 1 mg might be too high of a dose, which can disrupt your sleep cycle the following day, making it hard to wake up in the morning, and harder to fall asleep the following night, disrupting your overall sleep cycle.

The proper dose seems to be something less than 1 mg from most experts on this topic (this was even discussed on the Dr. Oz show too), which is why I choose to NEVER use melatonin supplements, and only get the small natural quantities found in tart cherries or tart cherry juice.

Night time teas:

Try “night time teas” that have relaxing qualities such as chamomile tea, mint tea, lemongrass tea, or all of them mixed. A side benefit of chamomile tea, and another reason that I try to include it in my weekly night tea repertoire is that chamomile tea contains unique phytonutrients that can help fight estrogenic overload from all of the xenoestrogens that we are exposed to from chemicals, pesticides, etc. in today’s chemical laden world.

Also remember that you can add a spoonful of the tart cherry concentrate and you’ll get a double-whammy of sleep aid! This works well about 1-2 hours before bedtime to help your body and mind relax.

One more tip…

If you still have troubles falling asleep even after implementing all of these tips, make sure to pay attention to fixing any hormonal issues you might have, including any possible adrenal fatigue, since being overly stressed out during the day can cause imbalances in your natural cortisol cycle which can make you more awake at night and more tired in the morning (obviously the opposite of what you want).

Eliminate any stressors from your life that you can, and also trying other relaxation techniques including meditation as a way to deal with stress if you still feel that you’re too stressed out each day.

Here’s one more reason to pay attention to this advice and make sure to do everything possible to get better sleep…

Did you know that a lack of sleep can actually make you GAIN weight?

A proper hormone balance is very important not only for losing fat, but keeping it off, and lack of sleep (including restless sleep, going to bed too late, getting up too early, and any other types of sleep deprivation), can throw your body’s hormones out of balance.

This means that regardless of how much you exercise or what type of diet you go on, you will still struggle to lose your unwanted fat, especially from your stomach.

So you can see how important sleep really is, as it touches multiple aspects of your health.

And one more thing to note, if you are still having trouble falling asleep, our friends from YuSleep have this special message for you…

Do You Wake Up At 3 AM Too?

If you fall asleep just fine but you wake up around 3 am almost every night, mind racing and you can’t fall back asleep for hours…

You lie there staring at the ceiling, watching the clock tick toward 5 AM… 6 AM…

Then drag yourself through another zombie day…

You should do this 30-second cherry trick this evening before going to bed.

A sleep expert with 18 years of sleep research says it quiets your racing mind and relaxes your body so your brain can enter deep stages of sleep.

Many people over 50 have already tried it and they sleep through the night like a baby with NO MORE 3 am wake-ups and wake up refreshed!

Here’s the simple cherry trick to try tonight…

👉 Click here to see how to do it!

The post Drink this 2 hours before bed to sleep better (plus 5 tips for insomnia) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

The lifestyle that has helped Bernando achieve a healthy, long life

LaPallo says he has not been sick one day in his life and accredits this to eating all organic fruits and vegetables, walking every morning, and avoiding red meat, fried foods and fast food at all costs. He says his father instructed him at an early age to stay away from red meat and he has always believed this to be best for good health.

So what are the five foods he eats to stay healthy and age well?

Garlic, chocolate, cinnamon, olive oil, and honey. That’s right, LaPallo eats these foods daily in addition to organic fruits and vegetables and accredits these five special foods to his success.

Garlic is a powerful immunity enhancer, cancer fighter and liver detoxifier. Chocolate has been known to help many people live a long life. It has incredible anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and immune-boosting properties. Cinnamon is a fantastic spice for anti-aging, immunity, blood sugar and heart health. Olive oil is another powerful anti-inflammatory food, as well as a great source of Vitamin E, healthy monounsaturated fats for your heart, and contains high levels of cancer-fighting properties. And finally, honey is a powerful miracle food that has been used for hundreds of years for its anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and heart health benefits.

Bernando also loves whole grains, broth and healthy dishes like soups and salads. You can get his recipes on his blog for barley soup, fresh fruit salad and more.

Bernando’s father was a doctor who also lived to 98 years old. Bernando not only took his father’s advice on how to eat well, but also how to live well. Bernando likes to read, do crossword puzzles and other life-enhancing activities daily. He says he has learned and seen so much throughout his life, and always wanted to live healthily so he could age well.

In LaPallo’s words, “As the old saying goes, you are what you eat. And that’s very true.”

Bernando LaPallo lived to 114 years young, his life and vitality maintained through a regiment that he followed for his entire life. He exercised and ate foods that he knew would protect his body and lengthen his life.

Salmon vs Tuna vs Tilapia vs… (The #1 Worst Fish for Your Heart)

Eating wild-caught fish is good for your heart… right? WRONG.

According to Dr. Sam Walters – one of America’s #1 heart specialists – there’s ONE fish you should avoid like the plague.

This so-called “healthy fish” is contaminated with toxic chemicals… that are literally DEADLY for your heart. Yet 97% of Americans eat it at least once a week.

Try to guess which one it is:

1. Tilapia
2. Tuna
3. Atlantic Salmon
4. Sardines

So click on your guess…

Or tap below to get the correct answer from Dr. Sam Walters himself:

>> Never eat THIS fish (it’s DEADLY for your heart).

Original Article by Heather McClees can be found here

Editor’s Note: Bernando LaPallo passed away on December 19, 2015.

The post 114-Year-Old Man Attributed Good Health To These 5 Foods appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

Your body is a host to many types of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi. Some good, some not so good. One of the most common types of fungi in the body is candida albicans.

Perhaps you’ve heard of candida before, maybe in passing conversation or reading a health magazine, and dismissed it as another health buzzword. However, it may be time to pay attention because this opportunistic fungus could be quietly taking over your body! Candida, specifically candida albicans, is a yeast fungus that naturally resides in your body, usually without causing any harm.

Don’t let its benign presence fool you, though. When left unchecked—or when the conditions are right, this crafty organism can quickly overgrow, leading to a condition known as candidiasis, or candida overgrowth. This can wreak havoc on your health, causing symptoms ranging from digestive issues to depression. It’s not fun, and can be serious at times—especially those with a compromised or weakened immune system.

Candida has a unique ability to adapt and thrive in various areas of your body, including your mouth, digestive tract, skin or nails, vagina, and even your bloodstream. Its versatility and opportunistic ability to grow in dark moist places is what allows it to cause such a wide array of health problems.

Our immune system and healthy gut bacteria generally keep candida in check. However, candida is a very opportunistic type of yeast, so when conditions are optimal, it can turn into an uncomfortable overgrowth almost overnight. Conditions that encourage candida growth include:

• High carb, high sugar diet
• Broad spectrum antibiotics
• Corticosteroids
• Food sensitivities/food allergies
• Alcohol—especially wine and beer
• Environmental allergies
• Weakened immune system
• Inflammation
• Stress
• Fighting off another illness
• Vegan diet
• Anemia and other nutritional deficiencies
• Pregnancy
• Diabetes/pre-diabetes
• Oral contraceptives/the ‘Pill’
• Smoking
• Immunosuppressive drugs
• Cancer
• Being in warm, humid weather
• Mold infestation in home
• HIV/AIDS
• Artificial nails

Like a stealthy invader, Candida often slips under the radar because its symptoms are wide ranging and frequently mistaken for other health issues. In fact, many people live with candida overgrowth without even realizing it. How can you tell if this unpleasant guest has taken over your body?

Candida naturally ‘lives’ in the vagina and the digestive system. When one—or more of the conditions listed above are present, candida can quickly start multiplying—often in the gut and the vagina (for women).

Candida overgrowth affects energy levels, brain function, skin, digestion, and moods. Sufferers often report severe brain fog, fatigue, dizziness, joint pain, sinus infections, rashes and weakened immunity. None of this is surprising really, when you consider how closely your gut health is linked to every part of your body.

What Happens if I Have Candida Overgrowth?

1. Yeast Infections–For women, recurring vaginal yeast infections are a sign of candida overgrowth that often starts in the gut and spreads to the vaginal area. Symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection typically include redness, intense itching, pain during intercourse, thick white discharge, and ‘yeasty’ odor. Yeast infections in the vagina can be transmitted to your partner (men or women) as well. Yeast overgrowth can also occur in the mouth, causing thrush. Thrush causes painful red, raw patches in sensitive mouth tissues, as well as white patches of fungus, making it painful to eat or drink certain foods.

2. Extreme Fatigue–Candida can interfere with the way your body absorbs nutrients. Healthy bacteria in the gut help break down and metabolize food. Candida overgrowth slows this process down, and causes additional gut inflammation, leading to nutrient deficiencies. Candida overgrowth has been linked to low magnesium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin B6. Low levels of these nutrients often lead to poor energy. People who have chronic fatigue syndrome may be suffering with a candida overgrowth.

3. Brain fog–Candida produces a toxin called acetaldehyde. This is the same toxin that comes from drinking alcohol (ethanol). Acetaldehyde is a known neurotoxin and carcinogenic as well. The toxic chemical that contributes to bad hangovers is the very same toxin released by the candida living in the gut. With a candida infection, you may feel like you have a bad hangover: foggy head, headache, can’t concentrate, extreme fatigue, difficulty concentrating. Acetaldehyde also overloads the liver, making it work overtime. Candida infections can also cause moodiness, depression, and irritability.

4. Food sensitivities and digestive disorder–Yeast infections in the gut can cause leaky gut. Once candida is able to root down into your gut lining, it can create a “leaky gut” situation. Partially digested food particles then leak into the bloodstream, causing inflammation and a weakened immune system. This leaky gut condition then creates increased reactions to many foods, nutrient deficiencies, bloating, gas, indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea.

5. Cravings for starchy sugary foods–Candida living in the gut can influence the body to send signals to the brain and cause you to crave the very foods that candida yeasts feed on—sugary, starchy foods. The best thing to do is to avoid all foods with any added sugar, all grains and grain products, fruit, wine, and beer until the overgrowth clears.

6. Skin Problem–Many people suffering from candida overgrowth have skin problems—itchy, peeling skin, dry patches, acne, or rashes. Candida can grow in the folds of your skin as well, such as under the breast area, the buttocks, or in the groin. This dark moist environment is the perfect place for candida to flourish and is difficult to eradicate.

7. Sinusitis– Chronic sinus problems are often the result of fungal infections like candida or mold. These little organisms like to hang out in dark, moist areas inside the nose. Your sinuses are the perfect place for them to multiply, causing you to have a stuffy nose, red, raw patches inside the nose, and sinus headaches.

8. Hormonal imbalances– can be a symptom of candida as well. It is important to recognize that a candida infection can cause worsened menopause/perimenopause symptoms, PMS, low sex drive, migraines, endometriosis, water retention, mood swings, and an inability to lose unwanted pounds. Candida overgrowth causes your body to become inflamed, as the yeast spreads beyond the digestive tract. One of the byproducts of candida can mimic estrogen, leading to a serious hormonal imbalance.

Getting and Keeping Candida Under Control

While it can be nearly impossible to fully eradicate this sneaky fungus, you can take steps to get it—and keep it—under control. Candida generally always lives in your gut—and in small amounts, as it is beneficial. The important thing is to keep it under control.

There are medications that can help kill off candida, but these antifungals often have harsh side effects such as liver toxicity, and candida ‘die-off’. What is candida die-off? Candida die-off may cause symptoms of your yeast infection to temporarily worsen, or it may even cause new symptoms, such as a fever or stomach pain. It is often called the “Herxheimer reaction.” Scientists do not fully understand what causes candida die-off, but it is thought that as the candida cells break open and die, they release harmful substances that temporarily make the symptoms worse.

While medication may temporarily kill of candida, without the necessary lifestyle and dietary changes to keep candida in check, it will just return.

Making dietary, nutritional, and lifestyle changes to keep candida levels low and in balance with the other friendly gut bacteria is the best way to reduce the overgrowth and get candida in check. Preventing candida overgrowth means supporting a healthy immune system in the gut, religiously avoiding sugars and refined carbohydrates, and taking specific probiotics and nutritional supplements.

Here are some simple rules to follow on a Candida Cleanse diet:

1. Avoid all added sugars—sucrose, fructose, cane sugar, beet sugar, glucose syrup, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, agave, etc.
2. Avoid processed foods—they are almost always high in carbohydrates, inflammatory seed oils, processed starches and grains, and sugar.
3. Eat non-starchy vegetables—avoid carrots, beets, potatoes, parsnips, squash, corn, etc.
4. Eat low-sugar fruits—strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and blueberries okay in very small amounts. Avoid bananas, mangoes, pineapple, watermelon, apples, peaches, plums.
5. Enjoy healthy proteins—grass fed meat, organic free-range poultry, wild caught fish, pastured eggs.
6. Use healthy fats and oils—Avoid all omega 6 processed vegetable oils.
7. Avoid all grains.
8. Fermented foods are ok to eat: plain yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchee, cheeses.
9. Avoid alcohol—especially wine and beer or sugary mixed drinks.

It is most important to avoid all types of sugar. Candida albicans uses the sugar in your diet for fuel and to multiply. It also uses sugar to create biofilms that disguise it from your immune system.

Where possible, you should also avoid inflammatory foods like processed foods, alcohol, and caffeine as much as possible while on your anti-candida diet. By doing this, you can lower inflammation, boost gut health, and speed up your recovery.

You can also help your immune function by getting regular sleep of 7-8 hours nightly, getting outside, and getting 30-60 minutes of exercise daily.

Supplements that Help Fight Candida

Any supplements that help boost the immune system are also helpful in regaining control of candida. Over the last decade, common fungi like candida albicans are beginning to develop resistance against prescription antifungal medications. Many people are resorting to natural antifungals instead. These tend to be well-tolerated, have fewer side effects, and are highly effective.

Caprylic acid–Coconut oil is made up of three fatty acids: caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid. Of these, caprylic acid is the most important. Taking caprylic acid during your treatment can get your gut health back in balance and help to prevent candida overgrowth again. Studies have shown caprylic acid’s potency to be similar to prescription antifungals.

Caprylic acid damages the cell walls of Candida yeast cells. The short chain fatty acids penetrate the cell wall, where it enters the cell membrane and ruptures it, destroying the entire yeast cell. Multiple studies have found caprylic acid to be effective at killing Candida albicans yeast cells, as well as reducing symptoms in those with chronic Candida infections.

Oregano Oil– Oregano oil capsules may improve gut health in several ways due to its anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antibacterial properties. Research shows that the compounds in oregano oil, carvacrol and thymol, can help to treat small intestine bacterial overgrowth, as well as candida overgrowth. Oregano oil is especially effective in killing off candida albicans in the gut. Yeasts and fungi do not develop a tolerance to oregano oil.

Probiotics—Adding healthy bacteria to your gut can help crowd out the unwelcome guests, and protect your digestive system from further invasions. A high-quality probiotic helps restore the healthy diversity of good bacteria in your intestine. There are also several fermented foods that are also very beneficial, if they do not contain any added sugars. Those foods include plain unsweetened yogurt, kimchee, sauerkraut, and some cheeses.

While probiotic supplements can be an individual fit, the best probiotics to battle candida include:

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus
• L. acidophilus
• L. casei
• L. fermentum
• L. paracasei
• B. lactis
• Bifidobacterium

Berberine—This popular blood sugar-lowering natural supplement is also powerful as an antifungal agent. Berberine is the active ingredient found in barberry, Oregon grape and goldenseal.

A 2016 study found that berberine has antifungal activity against several types of yeast, including antifungal-resistant Candida. Berberine killed off the yeast cells by breaking down the yeast’s membranes. Berberine can also be used alongside antifungal medications to enhance its overall antifungal activity.

Berberine can also be used as an immune stimulant. Its ability to activate macrophages (white blood cells) has been shown to enhance the body’s overall defense system, allowing it to fight not only Candida infection but other invading pathogens.

After your symptoms have subsided, you should continue eating a diet that is high in protein and low starch vegetables, while limiting or avoid grains, fruits, sugar, and high-starch vegetables like white potatoes. Continue to consume fermented foods to help keep your gut in balance and prevent any more candida invasions. Prevention is the key to good gut health.

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References
https://www.mygenefood.com/blog/which-probiotic-strains-get-rid-of-candida/
https://draxe.com/health/candida-symptoms/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21513811/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3667795/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4860025/
https://www.apathtonaturalhealth.com/blog/is-your-sugar-addiction-feeding-your-intestinal-candida
https://www.thecandidadiet.com/why-does-candida-need-sugar/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/candida-die-off#causes

The post Candida overgrowth – This Sneaky Fungus Can Take Over Your Body appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Today’s blog is republished from my friends at TheAlternativeDaily, a leading publisher of daily alternative health tips that I personally read every day… The original article can be found here:

You’re probably getting a little tired of people telling you that the things you’ve been eating or using for years are bad for your health. Some you’ve accepted; you do your best to stay away from gluten and you eat organic when you can. Some you’ve strategically chosen to ignore; your favorite dairy-based ice cream, for example, or that supposedly toxic non-stick frypan which makes the best pancakes.

But here’s one you should probably avoid like the plague: aluminum foil. Believe it or not, every time you use aluminum foil in the kitchen, it’s seriously harming your health. Here are three reasons to keep aluminum foil out of your kitchen, and some healthier alternatives to use instead.

1. Aluminum foil is a neurotoxin

Aluminum has long been scrutinized by the scientific community for its potential role as a neurotoxin. Researchers maintain that, due to the fact that aluminum has no physiological role in the human body, it has the potential to cause significant detrimental effects when consumed.

This theory was unequivocally proven when a 2014 study showed that a 66-year-old man who died with Alzheimer’s disease had significantly elevated aluminum content in his brain, following eight years of occupational exposure. While the study noted that it was the respiratory system that was exposed to aluminum dust, we now know that there is a direct link between aluminum ingestion and Alzheimer’s disease, a debilitating neurological disorder.

The fact also remains that aluminum foil is not fully inert; food cooked or prepared in it has been shown to have significantly higher levels of aluminum than if they were prepared in another medium. The takeaway is simple: aluminum foil has the potential to cause neurotoxic effects, including Alzheimer’s disease.

2. Aluminum foil can contribute to bone disease

Research shows that aluminum from sources like foil can increase a person’s risk of developing bone disease. A study that examined the effect of hemodialysis, which causes buildup of aluminum in the blood, found that 37 percent of dialysis patients had developed aluminum-associated bone disease. The study proponents concluded that “long-term oral aluminum intake in hemodialysis patients results in a high prevalence of aluminum-associated bone disease.” It was theorized that aluminum either directly or indirectly impacts osteoblast production, which in turn leads to bone wasting.

The key here is that little statement about “long-term oral aluminum intake.” Many would argue that using aluminum foil regularly for years would equate to long-term oral aluminum intake. This means that using aluminum foil in the kitchen can contribute to bone disease.

3. Aluminum foil can promote pulmonary fibrosis

Using aluminum foil to prepare, store or cook food can increase a person’s risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis, a form of lung disease. A study that performed lung tissue analysis of nine workers exposed to aluminum oxide found alarmingly high levels of aluminum in the lung tissue, suggesting that aluminum exposure contributed to their development of pulmonary fibrosis.

While aluminum foil might not contribute to lung disease at the same rate as breathing in aluminum oxides, there is still a very real risk that cooking with aluminum foil may cause pulmonary fibrosis and other diseases of the lung.

Why aluminum may be leaching into the food you eat

In a 2012 study, a faculty of engineering team from the University of Ain Shams in Cairo examined the different ways in which aluminum foil and other cookware interacts with food. Leaching of harmful aluminum compounds was by far the highest when acidic foods like lemon juice or tomatoes were coming into contact with aluminum foil, and this was often further exacerbated by the use of spices.

In essence, aluminum foil is not inert. When exposed to certain foods, it has been shown to leach a portion of its metallic compounds into the food, whereupon people ingest it. From here, it can build up in the blood, muscles and organs and contribute to all manner of health problems. Science is only just starting to understand just how negative these consequences may be.

The onus is simple: keep aluminum foil out of the kitchen, and well away from the food you eat. Here are some healthier alternatives for cooking and storing your food that won’t have any ill health effects.

Healthier alternatives to aluminum foil

Personally, I’ve never been much of a fan of aluminum foil and aluminum cookware anyway. If I want to store food in the fridge or pantry, I’ll almost always use glass storage containers. Glass is completely inert and doesn’t transfer any harmful chemicals or metals into food, no matter how acidic they are. This way, we’re also minimizing waste, as the glass can be used over and over again… unlike aluminum foil!

For cooking, where one might use foil to enclose baked potatoes or fish, I simply used a ceramic dish with a lid. The effect is exactly the same, it’s just that ceramic doesn’t leach compounds into our food! And for baking, I either use glassware or high-quality silicone bakeware that doesn’t require any sort of lining. These materials are much nicer to use, usually produce higher quality dishes and don’t create excess waste. That’s a win-win, if you ask me!

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The post 3 Scary Reasons To Ditch Aluminum Foil (And What To Use Instead) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Today’s blog is republished from my friends at TheAlternativeDaily, a leading publisher of daily alternative health tips that I personally read every day… The original article can be found here:

They say your eyes are the window to your soul. Well then, shouldn’t we give them a little TLC? If you stare at a computer screen all day, like the majority of Americans, then this article is for you. Here’s how to do eye yoga to reduce eyestrain, keep eye muscles sharp, promote better eyesight and more.

Why your tired eyes need eye yoga

If you spend eight or more hours staring at a computer screen every day, your eyes might be in trouble — and you might not even know it! Over time, you could develop a condition called Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), which is characterized by several signs:

• Squinting
• Blurred vision
• Dry, red eyes
• Itchy eyes
• Watery eyes
• Double vision
• Headaches
• Neck or back pain

If this sounds like you, you might want to give eye yoga a try. It’s been in use for centuries, helping to combat eye strain, vision issues and more. Try these strengthening exercises for improved eye health:

1. Practice palming

Our eyes are used to staring at lights all the time. From the moment we wake up, we’re taking in the blue light emission on our phone, artificial lights in our office and blinking lights in traffic. That’s a lot of stimulation for the eyes! This simple palming exercise can give them a rest, any time of day.

Rub your palms together to create some heat in your hands, then gently set them over your eyes in a “cupping” position. Allow your eyes to rest in the darkness. Relax and breathe here for a few minutes, enjoying the peace and solitude this brings.

2. Blink rapidly

Blinking helps to nourish the eyes while relaxing the muscles and preventing dryness. Ideally, we would all blink 25 times per minute. However, when we’re intensely focused on something — like a detailed Excel spreadsheet or a shocking YouTube video, we may blink less. Here is an exercise to help you balance out intense staring sessions.

In your comfortable seated position, relax and breathe deeply using your diaphragm — you’ll see pranayama (breathing) come up over and over again. Now loosen your jaw, separating your lips from one another, releasing any tension in your face or forehead. Find a point of focus, then blink rapidly 10 times in a row. Close your eyes for 20 seconds, then repeat this exercise three more times.

3. Gaze up and down

Now that your eyes are warmed up, use this simple up and down movement from Yoga Journal. Make sure to relax and check in with your breath again. Next, imagine a clock in front of you. Shift your gaze up towards 12:00 then down towards 6:00. Be careful not to move your neck; this exercise is for your eyes only. Do this up-and-down eye stretch 10 times, slowly back and forth. After your done, try the same exercise looking left to right.

4. Do eye circles, both directions

Think of this as flexibility training for your beautiful eyes. Yoga International recommends moving your eye gaze around in as big a circle as possible, without using any help from your neck or spine. Start by remembering to breathe deeply. Send your eye gaze up towards the ceiling, and slowly work your way around in a clockwise circle. Try to squeeze in at least three deep breaths per circle. When you’ve reached the top, rest your eyes with the “palming” method. Try the same sequence again, moving counterclockwise this time.

5. Shift your focus

We’re not meant to look at up-close materials all the time, and yet we do! This simple exercise of shifting your focus will help retrain your eyes to see detail at different perspectives.

First, hold your right arm out one full length in front of you and stick the thumb straight up. Focus your eye gaze on your thumb. Slowly move your thumb towards your face until it appears blurry. Pause, then slowly move your thumb away from you back to the starting position. Repeat this a few more times, being mindful of your pace and breathing.

6. Try trataka (fixed gazing at a candle)

Obviously, don’t do this at work if you shouldn’t be lighting candles, but feel free to give this a try the next time you’re relaxing at home. This meditation exercise will help sharpen the focus of your eyes and send energy to your third eye — the point between the eyes on the forehead that guides intuition. Trataka is also said to enhance concentration, improve memory and quiet the restless mind.

Here’s how to try the ancient practice of trataka: set up a candle three feet away from you. Find a comfortable seated position, where you can keep your spine erect and the flame is level with the eyes. Next, using a fixed gaze, stare into the flame and focus only on your breathing. Listen to the thoughts that enter your mind, without judgment. Simply let them float by like clouds. When your eyes begin to water, close them and rest in the darkness. Some yoga practitioners recommend this exercise for up to 40 minutes, but do what makes sense for you.

Always give your eyes a break

In addition to doing eye yoga regularly, there are a number of things you can do to reduce eye strain. When you’re at work, make sure to follow the 20-20-20 rule. This means every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Also, make sure to complete the following tips from the American Optometric Association:

• Reduce the glare on your screen by angling your computer away from the window or adding a glare filter to your monitor.
• Rearrange your monitor so that it is 20 to 28 inches from your face and 15 to 20 degrees below eye level. You shouldn’t have to stretch your neck like a turtle or squint your eyes to see what’s on the screen.
• Adjust the brightness on your monitor away from factory settings, particularly if you’re working after dark. The blue light emitted from screens interrupts natural melatonin production, the hormone that lets you know it’s time to sleep. In other words, if your screen is too bright, it’ll interrupt your natural circadian rhythm and ability to get deep, healing sleep.

In yoga, there’s a stretch for just about everything — and the eyes are no exception. After all, they work just as hard as any other muscle in the body. Practice eye yoga every day to keep your eyes sharp while giving them the break they deserve.

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The post Tired, Strained Eyes? Here Are 6 Eye Yoga Exercises You Need NOW appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Today’s blog is republished from my friends at TheAlternativeDaily, a leading publisher of daily alternative health tips that I personally read every day… The original article can be found here:

There are certain combinations that for some reason just click. Natural ingredients that work well on their own, but when combined create something only just short of miraculous. One such combination, in my opinion at least, is used coffee grounds and turmeric.

The health benefits of coffee and turmeric

The benefits of both these ingredients are well established. Particularly in India and other parts of Asia, turmeric has a long and fruitful history of both therapeutic and superficial use. In literature, turmeric has demonstrated time and again it’s ability to lower inflammation in the body, fight cancer, ease joint pain and swelling associated with arthritis, moderate the symptoms of diabetes, regulate cholesterol, and so much more.

In the beauty world, the efficacy of turmeric is validated more by anecdotal evidence than scientific findings, but the results are no less miraculous. It can be used to speed the healing of wounds and allow your skin to heal faster, it slows signs of aging on skin and hair, it improves skin elasticity, fights acne, balances dry or oily skin, and lightens stretch marks. The studies that have been conducted in this area verify most of these claims. Turmeric reduces UV-induced skin damage and prevents skin carcinogenesis, so why shouldn’t it also improve elasticity or fight the signs of aging?

Turmeric might be at the forefront of the health food industry, but coffee isn’t too far behind. Beyond conventional fears of the high caffeine content in coffee, whole or fresh-ground coffee beans are absolutely loaded with antioxidants and health-supporting compounds. And, in many cases, the caffeine contained within actually helps our bodies utilize these compounds more effectively. Drinking or supplementing with high-quality coffee beans can alleviate pain, increase fiber intake, lower risk of type 2 diabetes, fight depression and anxiety, and protect against neurological disorders.

And the coffee benefits don’t stop there. Coffee is now a familiar face in many holistic beauty treatments. It can reduce puffy eyes, minimize cellulite, exfoliate and freshen the skin, increase circulation to the skin and hair follicles and plenty more.

As you can see, the healing and beauty-promoting benefits of both turmeric and coffee are almost legendary. But combine the two, and you’ve got yourself something quite extraordinary. Here’s how to make an awesome coffee ground and turmeric scrub to promote healthy, supple skin.

Easy coffee and turmeric scrub recipe

This is one of those recipes that you can adjust to suit your needs. Got super dry skin? Why not add in a little milk or aloe vera for an ultra-moisturizing effect. Suffer from infections or icky skin overgrowths like athlete’s foot? You might want to add in a little raw honey for an antibacterial component. Feel free to experiment with what works for you, because everybody’s skin is different!

Before we begin, a slight word of caution: if you’ve ever cooked with turmeric before, you’ll know that it’s amazingly hard to wash out of clothing and even skin — there’s a reason why many cultures continue to use turmeric to dye their fabrics a rich orange color! With this in mind, those of you with particularly fair skin should take care. Smearing a whole lot of this amazing ground coffee and turmeric scrub onto your face may leave your skin looking a little on the orange side for a few hours afterward (don’t worry, it’s not permanent!), so you might want to hold off on using it until after work. And if you apply the scrub just before bed, consider putting an old towel down on your pillow so you don’t stain your pillowslip and unsightly color!

With those cautions out of the way, it’s time to get down to business.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup coffee grounds (fresher is better!)
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil (optional)
• 1 Tbsp honey (optional)

Instructions

1. First, you need to have some coffee grounds on hand. Next time you go to the supermarket, buy some whole coffee beans and the next morning, grind up the beans and make yourself a delicious fresh cuppa. Pour the coffee grounds that are left behind into a jar and place in the fridge, to be used in your scrub within the next couple of days.
2. Next, pour two cups of water into a saucepan and add in half a cup of ground turmeric. Simmer the mixture over medium heat, stirring regularly, until a thick paste begins to form. This may take a while, so be patient!
3. After your turmeric paste has formed, transfer the paste into a wide-mouthed jar or bowl and add in your coffee grounds. Stir thoroughly to ensure it is evenly mixed through, and at this point you can add in your coconut oil or honey. The coconut oil adds more of a moisturizing element to the scrub, while the honey adds an antibacterial element. Keep in mind that both these additions can cause the scrub to turn semi-solid below room temperature, so you’ll need to keep it in a warm spot of the house or put it in the sun for a while before you use it.

How to use the coffee and turmeric scrub

Now that your coffee and turmeric scrub is ready, it’s time to use it! Scoop a dollop out with your hand and apply it to your face, like you would a face mask. You can also apply it to any other area of your body you like! Leave the coffee and turmeric scrub on for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove it with a hot facecloth or in the shower. If your skin looks a little stained afterward, simply apply some coconut oil and gently rub the area with a cotton pad to remove it.

Because the coffee grounds are a strong exfoliant, it’s best not to use this coffee and turmeric scrub more than once a week. Even at this low application rate, you’ll likely see excellent results almost immediately.

Scrub away and enjoy!

The post Try This Coffee Ground And Turmeric Scrub For Better Skin appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

Men today face an uncomfortable fate that seems to be happening at younger and younger ages—at alarming rates.

Men’s testosterone levels have been declining for several decades. The average modern man has testosterone levels far below levels from even 50 years ago and most likely drastically lower than men hundreds of years ago.

While it is somewhat normal for testosterone levels to decline with age, there has been a generational drop, with every generation, since the 70’s or before. On average, our Gen Z men and millennials have significantly lower levels of testosterone when compared to their fathers and grandfathers—and probably farther back in the family tree.

Measuring testosterone levels in men only dates to the mid 20th century, and obtaining accurate measurement of testosterone in blood has only been possible since the development of radio immunoassay techniques in the 1960’s, otherwise, we would most certainly see a serious decline in testosterone going back several generations.

Average total testosterone level of a 60-year-old man in the late 80’s was approximately 17.5nmol/L or 504.32ng/dL, according to this 2007 study. However, a 60-year-old man in 2002 had an approximate total testosterone level of 432.28ng/dL. And this is 2023, with testosterone levels dropping even further. Based on this, average testosterone levels in men are declining by approximately 10-15% every year, but could be as high as a 25% drop in testosterone.

Research carried out on Finnish and Danish populations are showing similar trends. More recently, another large-scale study of Israeli men has shown average testosterone levels dropping between 2006 and 2019, by more than 10% across every age category.

This Finnish study also shows free testosterone levels declining, combined with higher levels of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), a substance that binds up free testosterone, making it unusable in the body.

What is the Difference Between Free Testosterone and Bound Testosterone?

Total testosterone levels include both bound and unbound portions of testosterone. These are calculated in a simple blood test that measures testosterone levels.

Total testosterone levels have been a primary indicator of men’s health and fertility for many years. But when measuring testosterone, it’s important to look at both bound and unbound levels of this hormone.

Free testosterone is considered “unbound testosterone” and can attach to receptors on any cell in the body. Free testosterone can freely execute functions such as regulate metabolism and execute cellular functions.

There are proteins in the body called Sex Hormone Binding Globulins. SHBG is made mostly in your liver. It binds (attaches) to testosterone. SHBG controls the amount of sex hormones that are actively working in your body. When testosterone is bound to SHBG, the body cannot access or utilize testosterone that is bound. Body tissues can only use free testosterone.

For various reasons, SHBG levels can be overly high, causing more bound testosterone that cannot be utilized. So even if testosterone levels are normal, a man can have symptoms of low T, if there is too much SHBG attached to testosterone. High levels of SHBG combined with normal T levels, also contribute to the low testosterone epidemic.

However, the problem is not just bound or unbound testosterone levels in men. Sperm counts are dropping, along with other reproductive disorders, like ED, impotence, and testicular and prostate cancer.

Testosterone is an important hormone. Testosterone is not only considered a man’s sex hormone—the thing that makes a man a man—but testosterone also has to do with a man’s overall health and wellness. Testosterone helps with mood, motivation, drive, a sense of wellbeing, hair growth, bone density, weight management, muscle size, and more.

Why are testosterone levels falling?

That’s a complicated question. The truth is, it’s not entirely clear, but it most likely boils down to a combination of factors that exist in the modern world. These things were not present in earlier times—or at least not to the degree that they are now in modern industrialized societies. So, it’s no surprise testosterone levels seem to be plummeting overall.

High Levels of Xenoestrogens Everywhere

It becomes more and more difficult to avoid encountering hormone-disrupting chemicals in our food and water supply, personal care products, cookware, sunscreens, lawn care products, household cleaners, and even pharmaceutical products.

Many of these chemical-based endocrine disrupters are dangerous because they mimic estrogen in the body. These synthetic estrogen-like compounds are called ‘xenoestrogens’. Xenoestrogens attach to estrogen receptors and amplify harmful effects of estrogen, causing natural hormones to go askew.

Xenoestrogens can contribute to unnatural early puberty, hormone imbalances, reduced testosterone and fertility, reproductive problems, and a higher risk of certain types of cancers. Xenoestrogens are also responsible for weight gain, erectile dysfunction, and ‘man boobs’.

Xenoestrogens cause an unnatural increase in estrogen in men, block the natural production of testosterone, and lower sperm count and decrease fertility.

Obviously, xenoestrogens sound like something people should avoid at all costs. But how do we avoid them when they are everywhere? It may be difficult to totally avoid them, but there are definite ways to reduce exposure to xenoestrogens. Let’s look at where xenoestrogens are found:

Xenoestrogens can be found in pesticides, plastics, fuels, foods, preservatives, and drugs. Many xenoestrogens are present in processed, packaged foods and conventionally grown produce—as either preservatives or pesticides.

There are also xenoestrogens in conventional dairy, meat, and eggs. Commercial dairy and egg farmers often feed estrogenic chemicals to dairy cows and chickens because it will increase production of their milk or eggs. This makes conventional dairy, eggs, and meat major sources of xenoestrogens. Growth hormones given to commercial livestock have estrogen-like qualities as well.

Plastics contain a lot of xenoestrogens, particularly in softer plastics like water bottles, soft drink containers, and storage containers. Worst of all are the plastic food containers that are used to heat up leftovers in the microwave. Microwaving sends a large dose of the xenoestrogens from the plastic into food.

High Cortisol and Testosterone

Life has become very competitive and very stressful. Jobs, money, family, climate change, pandemics, wars, and on and on. More people than ever are dealing with unprecedented levels of chronic stress today. While you probably already know that stress can impact moods, sleep, and immune function—it also can affect your testosterone levels as well.

High stress levels cause higher cortisol levels. According to research from University of Texas at Austin, chronically elevated cortisol levels will lower testosterone, increase the occurrence of impotence, and lower libido by inhibiting testosterone production in men.

Stress and cortisol can come from physical stress like exercise, or mental and emotional stress. Male athletes who are training hard tend to have lowered levels of testosterone as well. Athletes who overtrain, and don’t take enough time off for their bodies to recover, tend to have lower levels of testosterone than average. Reductions in testosterone at the low end of ‘clinically normal’ is generally true particularly with excessive endurance training.

The problem with stress and testosterone is that it can turn into a vicious cycle. Low testosterone levels lead to more stress, which raises cortisol and causes testosterone levels to drop even lower.

Researchers are still learning more about the direct physiological connection between stress and low testosterone. In addition to the physical response other side effects of stress like poor sleep, and low energy also contribute to lower testosterone levels.

Excess Alcohol

Men’s bodies contain three glands responsible for production of testosterone in men: The hypothalamus, the anterior pituitary gland, and the testes. The hypothalamus releases a hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which acts on the pituitary gland.

1. The pituitary gland releases luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).
2. In response to circulating LH and FSH levels, your testes will begin to make more testosterone.

Alcohol disrupts testosterone production by interfering with the signals of all three glands. This results in the usual low testosterone symptoms: erectile dysfunction, infertility, and reduced male sexual characteristics. Alcohol also impairs the function of the testicular Sertoli cells that play an important role in sperm maturation.

Disruptions to these LH and FSH can lead a complete stoppage of sperm production. Studies have found that 50 percent of heavy drinkers had spermatogenic arrest compared to only 20 percent of men who were not heavy drinkers. They also found that men who drank heavily had significantly smaller testicles than men who don’t drink.

Alcohol is also a substance that can cause the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. When alcohol is consumed, alcohol stimulates an enzyme called aromatase, which initiates the process of converting testosterone into estrogen. So, testosterone levels decrease, and estrogen increases in response to drinking.

Overweight, Obesity and Testosterone

We all have body fat, but some of us have more than others. One of the biggest health issues in modern society is the prevalence of excess body fat and obesity. There are many reasons for this including, a poor diet high in carbohydrates and sugar, stress, lack of exercise, and sleep issues that can pile on the pounds.

Unfortunately, being a man and being overweight can cause free testosterone levels to drop drastically. There is a ton of evidence that shows obesity as being a primary factor in low testosterone levels. Obesity, in fact, is the number one most effective predictor of low testosterone in men—out of all possible risk factors.

The key reason is that fat cells contain aromatase. As with alcohol, aromatase converts testosterone and its ‘parent’ hormones into estrogen. What happens is this—when a man starts gaining extra fat, aromatase levels go up. This converts existing testosterone into estrogen. And by the way, abdominal fat contains the highest levels of aromatase.

Here’s an all-too-frequent-scenario of today’s modern man: Our modern guy is carrying around excess chronic stress from work, his home life, kids, and more. This causes him to have high cortisol levels which in turn begins to lower testosterone, and probably affects his sleep as well.

Cortisol also increases blood sugar and causes this guy to get the munchies and gain weight—especially around the midsection. Aromatase starts to increase.

To combat the excess stress, our guy goes out and throws back a couple pints every evening after work with his buddies, instead of heading to the gym to work out. The alcohol raises his cortisol levels and his aromatase levels. More testosterone is converted to estrogen and testosterone production also slows down. The excess alcohol, combined with the higher-than-normal cortisol levels begin to cause a ‘beer belly’ in our guy.

All these things increase aromatase, raising levels of estrogen, and lowering testosterone. Lower testosterone makes managing stress more difficult. In addition, low testosterone levels decrease muscle mass, instead of increasing it, meaning more body fat as well. Low T also means low motivation, so instead our guy feeling like he can ‘take on the world,’ he’d much rather sit on his couch with a cold one in his hand.

The result for our poor guy is a vicious cycle of low testosterone, high estrogen, low motivation, low energy, low libido, erectile dysfunction, ‘man boobs’, more body fat, loss of lean muscle tissue, along with irritability and depression. This is today’s man stuck in a downward spiral of stress, excess fat, and consuming too much alcohol and junk food. This happens every day, all the time, with too many men. No wonder average testosterone levels are way lower than the past!

Contrast that with a primitive man, who spent most of his day laboring or tracking animals. he was lean and muscular. Stress was short-lived, and not chronically present in his everyday life. Alcohol was not readily available, food was completely natural and void of excess sugars, and there were no processed vegetable oils and refined carbohydrates. And no xenoestrogens in his environment. This guy had plenty of testosterone, along with motivation, drive, high libido and energy.

How to Regain Control of Testosterone Levels

1. Cut out sugar, starches, carbs, and processed vegetable oils, and, if necessary, get a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to monitor blood sugar levels.
2. Eat REAL meat, especially grass-fed meat. Eat organic, grass fed dairy. Sorry vegans.
3. Cut way back on alcohol or quit all together. One drink per day should be maximum. Hint: sometimes it’s easier to quit totally then trying to reduce alcohol intake.
4. Remove or reduce xenoestrogens in your environment. Switch to natural, organic personal care products including shave cream, soaps, deodorant, shampoos, lotions, sunscreen, laundry soap, and cleaning products. Stop the cologne and body sprays. Avoid all plastic, especially if it is in contact with your food. Stop microwaving your food. Avoid other chemicals, solvents, and paints.
5. Get back to the gym! Lift heavy weights, sprint, and do intense exercise. Lifting weights and other intense exercise not only helps to increase testosterone levels but also burns fat, and increases lean muscle mass. Working out also decreases stress and cortisol.

As the article mentions testosterone is dropping at an alarming rate for men all over the world,  so if you’re a man over the age of 40, then pay attention…

If you’re a woman who loves her man, and is afraid of his increasing lack of masculinity, then please take a moment to read this very important message…

Today’s man, that’s you, is under attack from multiple angles – you’re being told that being a MAN is no longer allowed, and the foods and drinks you’re eating are slowly, and effectively stripping away your manhood, leaving you with…

An increasing amount of jiggly belly fat that will NOT go away, decreased sex-drive and E.D. problems, trouble sleeping, depression, lack of confidence, joint and muscle pain, risk of an early, and painful death…

…And just not feeling like a man anymore

But the good news is it’s NOT your fault – you’ve been lied to and deceived…

Click here to discover 1 simple trick, you can start doing today, to reclaim your manhood (more sex, less belly fat, more confidence, more strength, and…)

References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3880087/
Ori Hofmekler, “The Anti-Estrogenic Diet, How Estrogenic Foods and Chemicals Are Making You Fat and Sick”, North Atlantic Books, 2007.
Joseph Mercola, “12 Food Additives to Remove from Your Diet’, Mercola.com,
July 14, 2009
Elizabeth Smith, MD, “Xenoestrogens interfere with Normal Hormones.” Endo101.com
https://ltmensclinic.com/how-stressful-times-can-impact-your-testosterone/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3880087/
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-alcohol-affects-testosterone#effect-on-sperm
Fui MN, Dupuis P, Grossmann M. Lowered testosterone in male obesity: mechanisms, morbidity and management. Asian J Androl. 2014;16(2):223-231. doi:10.4103/1008-682X.122365
Corona G, Rastrelli G, Monami M, et al. Body weight loss reverts obesity-associated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Endocrinol. 2013;168(6):829-843. Published 2013 May 2. doi:10.1530/EJE-12-0955
Cabler S, Agarwal A, Flint M, du Plessis SS. Obesity: modern man’s fertility nemesis. Asian J Androl. 2010;12(4):480-489. doi:10.1038/aja.2010.38T
Saad F, Aversa A, Isidori AM, Gooren LJ. Testosterone as potential effective therapy in treatment of obesity in men with testosterone deficiency: a review. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2012;8(2):131-143. doi:10.2174/157339912799424573
Vingren JL, Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA, Anderson JM, Volek JS, Maresh CM. Testosterone physiology in resistance exercise and training: the up-stream regulatory elements. Sports Med. 2010;40(12):1037-1053. doi:10.2165/11536910-000000000-00000
Grossmann M, Matsumoto AM. A Perspective on Middle-Aged and Older Men with Functional Hypogonadism: Focus on Holistic Management. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2017;102(3):1067-1075. doi:10.1210/jc.2016-3580
https://www.everlywell.com/blog/testosterone/testosterone-weight-loss/
https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/shbg-blood-test/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3955331/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323085#high-levels
https://www.medichecks.com/blogs/testosterone/why-do-gen-z-and-millennial-men-have-lower-testosterone

The post The Great Testosterone Reset appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

We all want to stay young and healthy forever. But unfortunately, that isn’t entirely possible. Longevity is a hot topic these days, and there are many lifestyle habits, dietary habits, and natural and pharmaceutically based supplements and treatments on the horizon that can be used as powerful tools to slow down the aging process.

The antiaging industry is a hugely popular growing industry. Successful aging is one of the most important areas of health with our fast-aging population. There are currently 671 million people who are over the age of 60, worldwide.

What is Longevity?

While we all would like to live long, productive lives, many struggle just managing chronic disease that seems to arrive with aging. Longevity is not just about living as long as possible, but living the longest, healthiest life possible—free of chronic diseases.

This is where the term “health span” comes in. Many may agree that a person’s health span is far more important than the life span. However, being “healthy” means different things to different people. A better definition of longevity might include being free from serious disease, having energy and cognitive processes, as well as physical mobility and strength.

Successful aging means having a healthy physical body and good mental health. What’s interesting however, is that when we do things that are healthy for our physical bodies, these actions benefit our brain health as well. And vice versa.

We die not of old age, but of the cumulative failures within our cells. These failures are not inevitable breakdowns, but instead are the reversible elements of aging.

Lifestyle habits accumulate, and those habits can either have a negative effect on health or a positive one. Small daily habits can be cumulative and build up to big things over a lifetime. The best habits to include in your day-to-day life right now are, regular exercise, maintaining your steady blood sugar and a healthy diet, regular social contact, and good sleep on a regular basis.

Building on top of this foundational healthy habits are some ground-breaking scientific treatments worth mentioning that all point towards increased health and longevity.

1. Exercise

Exercise, for example, is one of the best ways to help protect both our physical health AND our mental health. While you probably already know that exercise can contribute to a longer healthier life, more and more research points to how and why exercise is so beneficial.

Research from Harvard Medical School indicates that regular physical activity is linked to a longer lifespan. According to the study, people who exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes a day have a 20% lower risk of death than sedentary folks.

Another study from the Mayo Clinic finds similar results, showing that people who exercise regularly had a 25% lower risk of dying early compared to those who were inactive.

Ok, so what types of exercise affect longevity? Turns out, basically all kinds—although some forms of exercise are more beneficial than others.

Research shows that aerobic exercise, especially including interval training, such as HIIT (high intensity interval training), along with running and cycling, have serious longevity benefits. Aerobic exercise not only strengthens the heart and lungs but also reduces blood pressure, and increases circulation.

Strength training—or resistance training as it is often called, is associated with stronger muscles, better balance, stronger bones, and better mobility. Muscle mass and strength will naturally decline with aging, and it accelerates after the age of 60, if we don’t try to counteract that. These changes can have dramatically negative effects on our health.

If we do not prioritize muscle strength maintaining muscle mass as we age, the risks of muscle loss multiply and are harder to overcome as we age. With loss of muscle, we lose balance, and eventually we lose mobility.

Muscle mass correlates with a decrease in all-cause mortality. In other words, the more muscle mass you have, the lower your risk of dying from any chronic disease than some of your peers. It only takes an hour of resistance exercise each week leads to decrease your mortality risk, but the ideal is 75-150 minutes a week is even better. That’s working out 3-5 times a week for only a half an hour.

One of the most significant benefits of exercise, is that it promotes neurogenesis, which is the birth of new brain cells. This is astounding new research. If you want to prevent cognitive decline, exercise is an essential element to improving cognitive function.

Researchers have shown in animal studies that exercise actually increases the creation of new brain cells in the hippocampus, which is a small seahorse-shaped part of the brain that forms memories and storage.

Exercise also can improve the health and function of the synapses between neurons in this region, allowing you to think more quickly and more clearly as the brain cells communicate better.

Regular exercise, according to longitudinal studies in humans can increase the size of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, both of which are susceptible to cognitive decline such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Regular exercise helps your body and your brain to stay younger and the results can be dramatic.

2. Diet

Diet is the second most controllable factor in aging and longevity. Diet is key to a healthier and longer lifespan. Mounds of research point to the fact that diet has everything to do with whether you end up with a chronic disease or not—especially diseases like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and cancer. Even contributing inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, autoimmune disease, dementia, and more are all controllable by diet–wholly or partially.

The most recent research looks at blood sugar, metabolism, and AMPK pathways. AMPK is adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, otherwise known as “AMPK”.

AMPK is found in every living cell of your body. And if you want to avoid the primary symptoms of aging, you will need to maintain optimal AMPK activity. How do we do that?

AMPK controls a wide variety of metabolic pathways help us metabolize and utilize energy from food and how we store that energy. AMPK manages our cell’s energy in order for it to function efficiently.

When activated, AMPK in turn, releases additional energy from sources (fats and sugars) in our bodies. So activated AMPK helps keep us lean, energetic, and active while renewing our cells. AMPK activity declines rapidly with aging, and when excess calories are available, the end result is accelerated aging.

You CAN boost AMPK activity through exercise, fasting or overall calorie restriction. There are also supplements that boost AMPK activity as well, such as Berberine. Boosting AMPK helps to keep your cells younger to slow down aging.

The problem is that our sedentary lifestyles and overabundance of calories ages us much faster. High caloric intake drastically decreases AMPK. This is like eating yourself to death. Growing masses of fat in our bodies reduce insulin sensitivity and increase systemwide inflammation, leading to the chronic diseases that come with aging, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Blood sugar levels also affect the brain and are implicated as being a major player in Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia and neurodegeneration, according to this study.

Research recently published in the Journal, Neurology, have new data that suggests modest increases in blood sugar among people in their 50s, 60s and 70s can have negative effects on memory.

Researchers found that if a person’s A1C measurement (A1C is a common blood test that shows an average blood sugar levels over a -three month period) goes from 5 percent, which is in the normal range, to just 5.6 percent, was associated with worsening memory recall.

Increases in blood sugar or chronically elevated blood sugar also leads to increased inflammation, which as mentioned before, increases one’s susceptibility to chronic disease and autoimmune disease.

Bottom line, keep blood sugar in the low end of a healthy range with diet, exercise, and intermittent fasting.

One other thing worth mentioning is the influx of ‘Continuous Glucose Monitors’ on the market. These are tiny devices that attach to the skin of the arm or abdomen. A small sensor inside monitors glucose, and an app in your phone can read glucose measurements. It also tracks glucose patterns over the course of a 24-hour period.

While these are available only through a prescription in the U.S., they are excellent methods of monitoring blood sugar, and discovering which foods raise blood sugar. The day is soon coming when these monitors will be available to the general public and will be an excellent to help people lose weight and increase longevity.

3. Peptide Therapy

Peptides are another area of cutting-edge anti-aging therapy. What are peptides? Peptides are short chains of amino acids which form a protein. Peptides work at the cellular level and can have a massive effect on aging, disease, and general health. Peptides have been shown to impact many health issues including arthritis, diabetes, autoimmune disease, inflammation, the healing process, and cellular DNA.

Peptides are being used as a form of treatment for many different types of health conditions. Some peptides can encourage production of growth hormone in the body, which can help reduce inflammation and autoimmune disease.

Other peptides can be effective in the treatment of obesity, as certain types can encourage the death of excess fat cells. Some peptides are used to decrease wrinkles and make skin look younger. Another type of peptide is known to encourage the production of melanin which can then decreasing risk of skin cancer. Others are therapeutic for different types of sexual dysfunctions.

Longevity medicine offers peptide treatments such as human growth hormone compounds like CJC 1295 + Ipamorelin, MK-677 Ibutamoren, IGF-1 LR3 + CJC 1295 + Ipamorelin, Sermorelin, IGF-1 LR3, and Ipamorelin, among others.

These compounds have been found to be safe and effective for things like hair growth, recovering from injuries, increasing cognitive function, stimulating the libido, and improving athletic performance. Other people report peptides aid in sleep, reduce muscle and joint inflammation and increase mental clarity and energy.

Peptide therapy will certainly become one of the preferred longevity treatments as it becomes more and more available.

4. Sleep

Many people view sleep as a luxury and only catch up on it on weekends when their exhausted bodies can get the rest they truly need. However, sleep is an absolute necessity when it comes to health and longevity.

People often overlook the potential long-term health consequences of insufficient sleep, and the impact that health problems can have on a person’s overall time and productivity.

Getting insufficient sleep is cumulative and over time, medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other inflammatory diseases can develop. Several studies have linked insufficient sleep and weight gain. For example, one study found that people who slept less than six hours a night on a consistent basis were more likely be overweight, while those who slept an average of seven to eight hours a night had the lower body fat.

Other studies have shown that people who sleep five hours or less a night were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Insufficient sleep is often accompanied by blood sugar fluctuations and cravings for carbohydrates and sweet—possibly due to the rise in cortisol and increase in inflammation that occurs with those who do not get enough sleep.

Even modestly reduced sleep is associated with a much greater risk of heart disease and risk of death from heart disease.

Sleep also plays a big role in immune function and increases the levels of many inflammatory factors. People who are sleep deprived are much more likely to catch viruses like colds and the flu.

Both rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep have crucial roles in our physical, behavioral, metabolic, and cognitive function. Poor sleep can also reduce life expectancy solely because it can raise the risk of accidents and injuries. An analysis of data from three separate studies suggests that sleeping five or fewer hours per night can raise one’s mortality risk by as much as 15 percent.

Sleep quality is also tied into skin cell function, and reduced sleep can make the skin more vulnerable to environmental damage and more prone to visible signs of aging such as wrinkles and sagging skin. Our bodies produce hormones during sleep such as human growth hormone that contribute to our youthful appearance, energy, and strength. In fact, research has shown that just a single night of sleep deprivation can speed up cellular aging.

Sleep helps us store memories, and organize information in our brains, and helps with cognitive function like problem solving and attention to details. Sleep also protects the overall health of the brain. During the night, the brain works to clear out toxins in the brain which can build up during the waking hours. This includes proteins that can damage brain tissue and impair healthy cognition.

5. Heat Therapy

Saunas, red light therapy and cold plunges have become a tool for increased longevity. Heating or cooling the body can have major health benefits that contribute to healthier aging.

Saunas have been around for many years, and the Scandinavians are still big users of saunas. Much of the research from heat saunas comes from the Scandinavians.

Many studies have been published showing that regular sauna use improves health and longevity. Health benefits from saunas include better insulin sensitivity, which helps lower blood sugar, faster recovery from injuries, release of growth hormone, and increased neurogenesis, which is the creation of new brain cells.

Sauna bathing has been found to induce profound physiological effects on the body that increases longevity. The high temperatures from a sauna cause the blood vessels to dilate which improves circulation, lowers blood pressure, and helps the body to remove toxins.

Sauna heat reduces inflammation which is a primary cause of aging and chronic disease. The heat of the sauna relaxes muscles and promotes relaxation, reducing stress levels, and cortisol. Chronic stress has been linked to higher levels of inflammation and increased aging.

6. Red Light Therapy

Red light therapy is emerging as another type of longevity therapy.

Red light therapy has been shown to have antiaging health benefits including reducing inflammation, increasing collagen in the skin, promoting wound healing, and improving skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis.

It has also been found to be effective in reducing pain and stiffness associated with conditions such as arthritis, as well as increasing muscle strength and endurance. Other studies have shown that red light therapy can help improve mood and cognitive function, and may be beneficial for treating conditions such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and depression.

Antiaging effects of red light therapy include:

• Increased Mitochondrial function: red light therapy has been found to increase the activity of mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cells, which are known to play a role in aging.
• Sirtuins activation: Red light therapy has been found to activate the Sirtuins family of proteins, which are known to play a role in aging and longevity.
• Increased NAD+ levels: red light therapy has been found to increase NAD+ levels, which is a molecule that is known to play a role in aging.
• Increased Autophagy: Red light therapy has been found to increase autophagy, a process of cell self-cleaning, which is known to be beneficial for longevity.

7. Cold Plunge Therapy

Cold exposure and ice baths are ‘the’ thing right now to increase metabolism, cure your depression and reduce inflammation. From enhanced longevity to better moods and improved focus, to improved metabolism, cold water seems to be the new cure-all.

Cold therapy seems to have the greatest benefits to the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system, and the immune system, rather than just muscles.

Cold therapy fans believe benefits that include:

• Boosting immune function
• Improved circulation
• Lowered heart rate
• Deeper sleep
• Better focus
• Boosting energy levels
• Lowered inflammation
• Improve metabolic function
• Reduced depression, improves mood
• Increase in confidence

Like saunas, cold exposure is a way of shocking the body—in a good way. This shock stimulates the ‘fight or flight’ response, which causes an adaptive response because the stressor is brief, compared to long term stress which wears the body down, mentally, and physically.

Cold exposure is considered a hormetic stressor. A hormetic stressor is a type of natural stress, that creates a positive response in the body. As your heart rate and respiration increase to help keep you warm, blood flow and oxygen increase throughout the body. Norepinephrine floods the brain, which boosts focus, attention, and mood, while reducing pain and inflammation. This also creates a nice endorphin rush.

8. Bioidentical Hormone Therapy Treatments

A foundational part of antiaging practice is hormone replacement. While bioidentical and conventional hormone therapy treatments have been around for a long time, there is greater attention and acceptance of hormone therapy treatments in terms of longevity. Aging skin, as decreases in muscle mass, decreasing levels of bone mineral density (BMD), loss of sexual desire and erectile dysfunction, slowed intellectual activity, and depressed mood have all been related to this decrease in hormone production with age.

Hormone therapy treatments have traditionally been used to correct sex hormone deficiencies in men and women. Women often begin hormone therapy during perimenopause or menopause to treat symptoms of declining hormones. These symptoms include insomnia, hot flashes, memory lapses, brain fog, depression, anxiety, loss of libido and more. Women’s hormone replacement generally consists of estrogen, progesterone, and sometimes testosterone.

Additionally, women who are postmenopausal and not on hormone therapy are at a much higher risk for heart disease, osteoporosis, and some forms of cancer, including colorectal cancer.

Many men receive testosterone replacement therapy to boost testosterone, often due to declining testosterone levels that go with aging. For men, testosterone deficiency can cause erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, loss of motivation and drive, reduced muscle mass, and lowered response to exercise, depression, insomnia, and lowered bone mass.

In both men and women, hormone replacement therapy—especially bioidentical hormone replacement therapy has been used not only to diminish symptoms of low hormones but also to prevent or slow the potential for chronic diseases of aging, including osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, muscle loss/sarcopenia and even cognitive decline.

Both men and women on HRT report feeling younger, having less aches, and pains, sleeping more soundly at night, more interest in sex, smoother, less wrinkled skin, and improved response to exercise with increased lean body mass and loss of fat.

In addition to sex hormone replacement therapy, doctors are also including DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) which is a master hormone from which sex hormones are made, and growth hormone for added longevity benefits.

9. Other Longevity Practices

IV therapy treatment centers have sprung up across the country. While many health fanatics are flocking to these centers to get intravenous vitamins and other nutrients, these centers have an appeal for those seeking to slow aging and fight disease as well.

IV treatments include vitamin, antioxidants and mineral infusions, glutathione (a powerful antioxidant), and Ultraviolet blood irradiation. UBI was regularly used during the 1940’s and 1950’s to treat medical conditions including pneumonia, tuberculosis, infections, and cancer, and is becoming popular again. Other therapies include phospholipid IV therapy which removes stored toxins from heavy metals in the body’s fat cells.

10. Young blood plasma

Young blood plasma is a newer treatment for aging, in which young blood donors’ blood is transfused in people wishing to slow aging. Young blood infusions cost upwards of $8-10,000 per liter, and have been shown in animal studies to slow aging. Young blood plasma is generally considered to come from donors who are 20 years old or younger.

Blood plasma does contain many proteins, enzymes and other nutrients that control aging, slow disease processes, and increase health and wellbeing. While human studies are still limited, and ongoing, one study done on Alzheimer’s patients transfused with young plasma showed very promising results.

Conclusion

New treatments for longevity, slowing aging, and preventing diseases that go with aging are flooding the horizon. This article covers but a few of the more common antiaging procedures available to the general public today.

With the aging population here in the U.S. and in Europe, I am certain that we will be seeing many, many more innovative longevity practices—and many that are truly effective in slowing the aging process. Some of these may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

More importantly—and much less expensive–maintaining healthy lifestyle habits such as regular cardio and weight resistance exercise, getting 7-8 hours sleep each night, eating a diet high in antioxidants and high-quality proteins and fats, and maintaining close social contacts, are the foundational habits that will sustain one’s life, longevity, and good health for a long, long time—without spending thousands and thousands of dollars.

References
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/exercising-more-than-recommended-could-lengthen-life-study-suggests/
https://www.alzforum.org/news/research-news/44-year-study-ties-midlife-fitness-lower-dementia-risk
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/22/neuroscientist-shares-the-brain-health-benefits-of-exercise-and-how-much-she-does-a-week.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8415959/
https://www.livescience.com/7304-exercise-grows-brain-cells.html
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23924004/
https://boulderlongevity.com/service-peptides/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2783720
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2759081/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4116364/
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2016/06/can-you-lengthen-your-life

The post Top Ten Longevity Practices You Can Follow to Live Beyond 100 appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.