Wednesday, December 31, 2014
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Thursday, December 18, 2014
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Low Cholesterol Diet
High cholesterol is a common affliction in the Western world today. The vast majority of us eat too much fast food and do too little exercise. Increased cholesterol levels can lead to cardiovascular problems; it can cause the build up of plaque in your arteries and eventually lead to atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction (heart attack).
Having low cholesterol can make your heart healthier and help you live longer! There are a few types of cholesterol:
Having low cholesterol can make your heart healthier and help you live longer! There are a few types of cholesterol:
- LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein - the bad cholesterol
- VLDL or Very Low Density Lipoprotein - another type of bad cholesterol, too much VLDL puts you at risk of coronary heart disease
- HDL or High Density Lipoprotein - the good cholesterol
Increased levels of LDL and VLDL put you at risk of coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis can lead to the formation of a thrombus (blood clot), which, if dislodged can cause a stroke or heart attack. Lowering LDL alone may not be enough for those at high risk of a heart attack and thus HDL must be increased.
- The Effects of High Cholesterol
Increased levels of HDL is cardio-protective, meaning it lowers your risk of a heart attack or atherosclerosis. It acts by, simply put, pulling the plaque off of the hardened vessel walls. It also binds to the bad cholesterol and carries it to the liver to be disposed.
At Risk Levels:
- Men - Less than 40mg/dL (1mmol/L)
- Women - Less than 50mg/dL (1.3nmol/L)
Optimal Levels of HDL:
- Men and Women - 16mg/dL (16mmol/L) or more
Total Cholesterol - the sum of your HDL, LDL and VLDL levels (not always VLDL). This is the level that needs to be altered in order to have low cholesterol. High total cholesterol can indicate your risk of having a heart attack but it's not the best indicator; low cholesterol is also not a good indicator. Knowing the levels of each lipoprotein is far better.
Increasing HDL and Lowering LDL
There are many ways to alter your diet to tip the scale in your favour when it comes to cholesterol:
- Lower your saturated fat in-take. Not all saturated fats cause an increase in cholesterol - only fats with 12 carbons (C12), 14 carbons (C14) and 16 carbons (C16). That means you should avoid: lauric acid, myristic acid and palmitic acid. As a general rule, saturated fat intake should be lowered.
- Eat more grass-fed meat and less grain-fed meat. This point is linked to the first; grass fed meat has a higher concentration of C18 fatty acids (stearic acid) which DOES NOT increase cholesterol. Stearic acid is found in abundance in cocoa butter!
- Incorporate olives and olive oil into your diet. Olives contain Oleic Acid which is a mono-unsaturated fatty acid capable of reducing LDL and is resistant to lipoperoxidation. It is also found in rape seed oil.
- Avoid trans fats - they contribute towards cardiovascular disease.
- Increase intake of Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids - BUT, ensure your diet contains more Omega 3 than Omega 6. While Omega 6 reduces cholesterol, it also has inflammatory effects. Omega 3 has anti-inflammatory properties amongst a myriad of other benefits.
- Supplement with Chromium (250mg a day) - it helps the body process sugars and fats thus leading to less chance of type II Diabetes and higher HDL function.
- Supplement with Niacin (200mg three times a day) - niacin has shown it's ability to increase HDL levels and reduce total triglyceride levels in clinical studies. If you are prone to Niacin Flush, you can use Inositol Hexanicotinate also known as "No Flush Niacin," it's as safe and possibly more effective!
- Supplement with circumin (found in turmeric) (500mg a day) - it is a very powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. In one clinical study it was shown to increase HDL levels by 29% in one week.
- Supplement with red yeast rice (two 600mg doses per day) - red yeast rice has been shown to cause a 25% - 40% decrease in total cholesterol levels and increase HDL levels! Red Yeast Rice inhibits the enzyme responsible for cholesterol production in the liver.
- Other supplements to note: Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba, Dong Quai, Evening Primrose Oil, Starflower Oil, St John's Wort
There are a lot of options out there to lower cholesterol and support healthy HDL levels.
As society progresses and fast food/junk food becomes more and more prevalent it becomes more important to supplement correctly and watch your blood cholesterol levels. I would recommend everyone get their cholesterol checked at least once every six months to make sure that nothing's going wrong. I would also suggest that people begin supplementing with niacin or a vitamin B complex for the purposes of safety.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Increase Testosterone Naturally Using Supplements
Testosterone is a male sex hormone created primarily in the testicles, although small amounts are also produced in women. Throughout life testosterone levels change; they increase from birth until the age of 25 and then they slowly begin to dwindle.
There are a lot of over-the-counter testoterone boosting supplements that claim to naturally increase testosterone levels, yet for the most part they consistently fail clinical trials.
- Testosterone
There are, however, some tried and tested methods to increase testosterone levels naturally by either direct stimulation of the Leydig cells in the testicles or by increasing the sensitivity of the pituitary gland to GnRH (Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone -released from the hypothalamus).
- D-Aspartic Acid (DAA) - has been shown in a clinical study to increase testosterone levels by 40% in just 12 days! Fantastic supplement for increasing natural testosterone levels. Works by stimulating additional LH (luteinizing hormone) production and thus increase testosterone production from the testicles.
- Diindolylmethane (DIM) - a powerful, naturally occuring supplement that is capable of increasing estrogen metabolism. Estrogen is the product of testosterone aromatization (from the aromatase enzyme). Estrogen has two forms, the 16-hydroxy and 2-hydroxy. The 2-hydroxy form is regarded as the "good estrogen" and as anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. DIM has the ability to enhance 2-hydroxy production and lower 16-hydroxy production. The increased metabolism of estrogen also leads to a lack of stimulation in the hypothalamic chemoreceptors and thus leads to a great release of LH and FSH and a net increase in testosterone.
- Holy Basil (AKA Tulsi) - a herb used in rural villages in India as a contraceptive (if women have too much testosterone they cannot get pregnant). In one study a small administration of Tulsi caused testosterone levels to become unmeasurably high. This study was done in animals though, yet it's use a contraceptive has been successful and spanned centuries.
- Bulbine Natalensis - a South African herb that has been used in clincal studies (again animal studies) and has shown to markedly increase testosterone levels.
- 3 - 5g of D Aspartic Acid.
- 400mg of Diindolylmethane - split into two servings; morning and night.
There are also supplements that have continuously failed to increase testosterone, yet are touted as being some of the best for natural hormone increase:
- Tribulus Terrestris has failed continuously in three very high profile studies conducted in humans. The claim is that it can cause a dramatic increase in testosterone and some bodybuilders use it to restart their natural hormone function after using performance enhancing drugs. However, it does not work.
- ZMA - Zinc and Magnesium Aspartate (a combination or Zinc, Magnesium and B6) is a very good supplement for overall health and helping you sleep. However, it has also failed in two high profile studies in humans to increase testosterone at all.
Benefits of Increasing Testosterone
- Enhanced feeling of well-being.
- Stronger bones, tendons and muscles.
- Improved general health.
- Improved sexual function.
- Improved libido.
- Increase in overall strength.
- Improved athletic performance.
- Reduced chance of a heart attack.
- Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Improved emotional and mental health.
- More optimal body composition - less bodyfat, more lean tissue.
Testosterone is a very powerful hormone and has applications in medical science beyond increasing athletic performance or creating "mass monsters" in the bodybuilding world.
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