Peptide Series: What are the Best Peptides for Weight Loss and Fat Loss? 

There’s a whole new way to add the icing on the cake when it comes to maximizing your fitness and nutrition, and it’s pretty exciting. What are we talking about? Peptides.  You might have even heard some buzz around Peptides for Weight loss.

If you’re looking to lose weight, burn fat, or upgrade your health to the next level, you’re probably starting to hear some discussion surrounding peptides, so let’s dive right in. 

We’re now developing a whole new understanding of exactly what peptides can do and how they can be used for strength, longevity and whole list of other benefits. In fact, it’s so recent that we are still on the frontier – and it’s worth learning even more. 

 Let’s take a look at what all the hype is about.

What are peptides?

Peptides are naturally occurring biological molecules, found in all living organisms. They play an essential role in all types of biological activity. Simply put, they’re a smaller version of protein. Peptides have different jobs within the cellular tissue, therefore we are able to pinpoint targeted uses for each type of peptide. 

There are 20 naturally-occurring amino acids which we can combine into an immense variety of different molecules – a lot like alphabet letters that then combine into various words. How many of these molecules create a particular chain determine whether it’s a peptide, a polypeptide, or a protein; all of which have their identifying properties. 

Peptides are molecules composed of 2-50 amino acids. Polypeptides are made of 50-100 amino acids and proteins are made of more than 100 amino acids. Peptides are signaling agents or hormones, and have very precise, specific functions. 

The way we apply those functions to supplement or amplify the body’s internal processes is what makes peptide therapy such an exciting new development throughout the course of optimizing health. 

Of the 7000 naturally occurring peptides, over 500 of them have therapeutic benefit. Scientist are identifying and developing more every month. Peptides have a wide range of functions, including:

  • Weight loss
  • Muscle building
  • Immune function
  • Wound healing
  • Cognitive function and memory
  • Gut health
  • Sexual performance and libido
  • Skin rejuvenation
  • Hair growth
  • Bone and joint health
  • Cancer
  • Longevity

Today we’ll focus on peptides that have the greatest effect on weight loss.

Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormones

Here is a bit more needed information about Growth Hormone (GH). The pituitary gland secretes GH. The hypothalamus makes GH Releasing Hormone (GHRH) that controls release. 

GH has a profound effect on fat breakdown, muscle building, blood sugar regulation, sleep, and immune function. It works directly, but also works through stimulating production of IGF-1. 

What makes it even more complicated is that GHRH has an effect on weight loss directly as well. It works peripherally just like GH to improve lipolysis (fat breakdown) and muscle development.

People previously took GH itself to achieve these benefits, but this actually suppresses GHRH release, thereby reducing its effect. So the new generation of peptides overcome that to have a much better effect.

As we age, the hypothalamus produces a hormone called somatostatin, which blocks the pituitary from releasing GH. As somatostatin levels rise, GH levels decrease. Anything we can do to reduce somatostatin levels will help GH levels.

GH-releasing peptides (GHRPs for short); also called ghrelin mimetics, which stimulate weight loss by directly improving your body’s process for breaking down fat (lipolysis). They also increase GH release which helps build muscle and burn fat through 2 mechanisms – direct stimulation of GH release as well as inhibition of somatostatin, which again blocks GH release.   

Are peptides similar to steroids?

Peptides have become the frontier of biohacking, with peptide supplements offered via injection, sprays, creams, and pills by medical professionals.  Although 100% legal, authorities have banned the use of peptides in competitive athletic sports due to the possibility of unfair advantage.  

To be clear, peptides are not steroids or testosterone.  

If you are interested in the relationship between testosterone and weight, read my article “How To Lose Weight For Healthy T Levels”.

Compared to steroids and testosterone, touted for their fast benefits (and potential side effects), peptides won’t turn you into the Hulk overnight. Peptides are more of a “slow burn” supplement to enhance your existing healthy lifestyle but not meant to replace time at the gym.  While peptides can help you burn fat while you eat, socialize and even sleep, you must combine them with other lifestyle factors over several months to see the best results. In other words, you still have to eat right and get proper exercise! 

Which Peptides for Weight Loss are the Best?

In the world of health and fitness, peptides have become a popular supplement for burning fat, building muscle, increasing energy and improving athletic ability.  The National Institute of Health is even recognizing peptides as a possible supplement therapy for obesity. 

Some peptide supplements (the ones considered performance-enhancing drugs, for example) are often more experimental than others.  Here are a few different peptide hormones that help with weight loss and enhance your performance. I’ve arranged them from most-studied to more experimental. 

CJC-1295

CJC 1295 is a synthetic GHRH chain constructed with 30 amino acids. Through increased protein synthesis, science has shown this peptide chain to have benefits including increased fat loss, increased cellular repair, cellular regeneration, and increased muscle growth. Interestingly, researchers have also shown it to promote the type of deep, slow-wave sleep that facilitates muscle growth and memory retention.  

As with any GHRH-based peptide, careful calculation of dosage and timing cycles – along with cycle breaks – stave off the body’s natural tendency to adapt or “get used to” the therapy, thus reducing its overall effect. One dose of CJC-1295 raises GH levels for 6 days, but in a nice pulsatile fashion, which is what you want. 

Tesamorelin (GHRH peptide)

Tesamorelin is another GHRH (Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone) peptide, that stimulates the pituitary gland to increase growth hormone secretion.  Tesamorelin is much more potent than CJC-1295 and can raise IGF-1 levels by as much as 150 points. 

This peptide is FDA-approved for lipodystrophy (when the body is unable to produce and maintain healthy fat tissue) and for men who have HIV who get lipodystrophy from some of the medicines that they take and that increases their abdominal fat.  Tesamorelin is the most highly researched peptide for fat loss, however it is not normally prescribed as a weight loss medication.

Ipamorelin  

Ipamorelin is a growth hormone releasing peptide (GHRP) that works a little bit differently than the GHRH peptides.  Ipamorelin works by inhibiting somatostatin, thus taking the ‘breaks’ off GH production. Unlike other GHRPs, Ipamorelin will not increase your sense of hunger. Peptides such as GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 do increase hunger, so they need to be administered at night right before bed otherwise you’d be raiding the fridge and have the opposite effect if you’re trying to lose weight!  

A lot of people have moved to Ipamorelin because it increases fat metabolism with less side effects and because it can be combined with other peptides as well.  Also known for its anti-aging properties and improvements in energy, this can be used long term, up to a year. In the past, many peptides required in-office or self-administered injections.  You can now take Ipamorelin as a sublingual tablet taken under the tongue, before bed to coincide with your body’s natural growth hormone spike. 

The combination of CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin (“CJC/IPA”) delivers a more powerful response than either one alone because Ipamorelin is blocking somatostatin.

The key is nighttime dosing to boost overnight GH release, and avoid carbs or fat intake within 2 hours of dosing to ensure max effect.

Amlexanox/TTA

Amlexanox is an anti-inflammatory compound that has the benefit of appetite suppression. Combined with Tetradecylthioacetic Acid (a fatty acid, TTA for short) can help regulate how much fat the body stores by influencing the genes that control metabolism. TTA can help people feel full more quickly while the fatty acid decreases overall hunger and burns fat. In addition to regulating fat metabolism, this fatty acid has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunity-enhancing properties. 

BPC-157  

First, a warning.  If you’re a competitive athlete, this compound is likely classed as a performance-enhancing drug, and you could get disqualified if you take it.

BPC stands for Body Protecting Compound, and it lives up to its name. 

It’s a newer peptide with less human research, but the studies using this on rats are pretty amazing.  Dubbed a ‘healing peptide’, the research has shown this peptide can heal Achilles tendons, torn knee ligaments and even repair leaky gut in our furry friends.  There were no discernible side effects in any of these studies, and anecdotal reports suggest that BPC-157 could help you heal like a Marvel mutant.  

Although its benefits are more focused on healing, when it comes to the life of an athlete, fast healing from injuries means shorter recovery times and less time for the weight to creep back on!

How Fast Can I See Results from Peptides?

 

Your results are dependent on many factors.  First, you truly only want to take peptides under the supervision of a medical practitioner as a part of a larger weight management plan. The number one thing to do is to really manage your diet and cook your own food so you can control what you’re eating. It’s been said that great abs are made in the kitchen, and the same is true of our overall health: it all starts with what’s on your fork. As exciting and effective as peptide therapy can be, it’s no magic wand.  

Balancing your other hormone levels is important, too.   When you optimize your testosterone and thyroid levels, you will experience a lot of synergistic effects. If you have all that dialed in, you’re eating well and you’re sleeping eight hours per night, you could see results within a few weeks, especially with Tesamorelin. Ipamorelin is a more gentle peptide that may take 3-6 months to begin to show its effect. 

Speak to your doctor about specific dosing and the right peptide for your goals.

We’ve discussed some of the benefits of peptides and some of them seem miraculous.  Outside of weight loss and muscle gain, studies show faster healing, more energy, improved sleep and even increased libido.  The growth hormone levels we produce decreases as we age (30% by age 50, and 50% by age 70), so peptides may even help with neurological function, possibly preventing Alzheimers.  

Used incorrectly though, peptides have the potential to cause side effects of varying degrees. 

Side Effects of Peptides

For healthy individuals, peptide supplements are unlikely to cause serious side effects because they are similar to the peptides present in everyday foods. That said, as with any treatment it’s always wise to exercise caution in tandem with your doctor. 

No studies have shown peptides to have any carcinogenic effects, however if you have any pre-existing medical conditions you could be at risk of adverse effects or interactions with other medications. 

How to Purchase Peptides

You may be wondering if you can just purchase peptides from a store or the internet.  

You can, but it’s really important to remember that there can be some questionable manufacturers that make it tough to sort out which are good and which are not. 

The purity of products is a critical aspect to peptide therapy – and that means that without knowing for sure, you could run the risk of sub-par or ineffective compounds. 

Quality control can be an issue for the every day buyer, therefore you could potentially purchase contaminated or dangerous compounds manufacturers have created without regulation.   

In the United States, only a few compound pharmacies actually create these peptide supplements due to state restrictions.  The FDA does not currently regulate supplements in the same way as with traditional medications, so it’s important that you apply awareness to that and exercise caution by running it past your doctor in advance. 

At the Gapin Institute we  prescribe peptide therapy and can create a well-balanced treatment plan for you. Remember, peptides are not a fix-all. They don’t replace good nutrition, sleep, stress management, fitness, etc.. In a sense, peptides are the icing on the cake.

Want the Ultimate Peptide Guide? Click HERE.

Conclusion

Peptides and peptide therapy are cutting-edge tools. You can use them to optimize your health, slow the aging process, and reduce inflammation. Learning new ways to target and use peptides, polypeptides and proteins helps you move away from disease and towards better health. 

If you’re interested in radically upgrading your health, you’ll want to keep a close eye on the power of peptides and consider adding these therapies to your regimen. After all, when it comes to living a better life for a longer span of time, we’re looking at brand new ways to do just that – and the sky’s the limit. 

The best place to start if you want a hormonal optimization or peptide program is by seeing a physician first.  

Gapin Institute is currently accepting new clients. If you are tired of being tired… or you have tried everything to lose that unwanted weight but nothing seems to be working, our Peptide therapy might be the piece to the puzzle that you are missing. Call us today to schedule your consultation. (941) 263-0212.

Upgrade to Male 2.0™– Schedule a Consult! 

You’ll get access to a genetic-based report and analysis, along with a private consultation that will put you on track to your ultimate health. 

With the Male 2.0 Method, I test your DNA, interpret the results, and create a customized strategy just for you. This plan is specific to YOUR individual genes and lifestyle.  It will improve every area of your life, from your health and professional productivity to your overall longevity and total wellbeing. 

Ready to take the next steps? 

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In Male 2.0™, Dr. Tracy Gapin has turned everything we once thought we knew about men’s health and performance upside down. The old model of how to be “a man” is broken. A man who works himself to death. A man who tries to NOT get sick but isn’t really healthy either. A man who takes a pill for every ill but is never really cured. That was Male 1.0. Now, imagine being THE MAN ─ owning your performance in the bedroom, the weight room, and the boardroom. Living a fully optimized life. Becoming limitless. This is Male 2.0!

Tracy Gapin, MD, FACS  is a board-certified Urologist, Men’s Health Expert, Author, and Professional Speaker. Using state-of-the-art biometric monitoring, nutrition and lifestyle intervention, Dr. Gapin coaches Fortune 500 executives and evolutionary leaders of business, sports medicine, and high performance. He specializes in cutting-edge precision medicine with an emphasis on epigenetics, providing men with a personalized path to optimizing health & performance.

Men’s Health: Reverse Aging with NAD+

Aging is inevitable – but there’s a whole new frontier for optimizing our health through the latest genetic science and biohacking that can help you to slow down the aging process and maybe even reverse aging with NAD+.  NAD (short for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and also known as NAD+) has recently been getting a lot of attention as a cutting-edge tool to promote longevity.  

We’re taking it all the way down the cellular level here.

Properly functioning cellular metabolism is essential to health. The sum of every chemical reaction that happens inside the body, along with its molecular interactions, keeps the body in a state of balance. This is all made possible by coenzymes (“helper molecules”) and specific proteins acting as metabolic sensors that respond to conditions in the cells and body. NAD is a tiny coenzyme that plays an important role in this delicate dance. As you age, NAD+ decreases and with it goes cellular function that prevents disease and maintains vitality.

What is NAD+ and why is it important?

NAD+ is vital to cellular metabolism because it turns nutrients into cellular energy. It also activates a set of proteins called sirtuins that regulate cellular health. NAD+ creates the cellular energy that helps us to retain our youthful function, muscle strength, and physical stamina. When sirtuins were discovered they were quickly nicknamed “the longevity genes.” 

A fascinating aspect of NAD+ is its dual role in protecting against the factors that age us. This includes inflammation, DNA damage, and failing mitochondria (cell respiration). NAD+ promotes longevity by facilitating DNA repair and protecting mitochondria from early death. As a result, NAD lowers the risks for age-related brain diseases like Alzheimers or Parkinson’s and cardiovascular diseases (a leading cause of death for men). 

NAD is the building block for ALL of our systems such as the lymphatic, cardiovascular and nervous systems. It is responsible for our immune function, insulin regulation, and fatty acid oxidation. Without it, we would literally die!

Improving Health Through NAD+ Boosting Photo Credit: The Sinclair Lab

NAD+ and Aging

A NAD+ molecule isn’t consumed alone to create energy like fuel in a car. Instead, it works with proteins to carry out essential biological processes like cellular energy creation and maintaining healthy DNA. Sirtuins are some of the proteins that play a key role in these processes. They only function in the presence of NAD+ and this means that the body needs to constantly synthesize it to maintain cellular function. However, NAD levels markedly decline with age, creating an energy deficit that decreases the body’s ability to retain optimal health.

Sirtuins and NAD+ work together to help promote overall health.

For example, at age 50 a typical person may have only half the NAD+ they did in their younger years but by age 80, NAD+ levels drop to only 1-10 percent of the levels measured in youth. But recent studies have now shown that increasing NAD+ in the body can restore the body’s cellular function as though turning back time – actually slowing down the aging process. Essentially, men can reverse aging by restoring healthy levels of NAD+.

One study done on mice, showed an average 5 percent increase in their lifespan —even though supplementation did not begin until the mice were nearing the end of their natural lifespan of 24 months. That would be the equivalent of gaining nearly an additional four years of life to today’s average human expectancy of 79 years!

Another side effect of decreased NAD+ is that muscles begin to shrivel and grow weaker due to vascular aging (thinning and aging of blood vessels, reducing cellular health). Vascular aging is responsible for many disorders for men.  These may include cardiac and neurologic conditions, muscle loss, and impaired wound healing. The process can be slowed down with regular exercise, but gradually even exercise becomes less effective at holding off this weakening.  In further research findings, mice with NAD+ supplementation showed between 56 and 80 percent greater exercise capacity. This points to a reversal in vascular aging and an ability to maintain a youthful physical stamina. 

Furthermore, in two different animal models of neurodegenerative disease, increasing cellular NAD+ reduced the severity of the disorder, normalized neuromuscular function, and delayed memory loss.  Most studies started on mice, but more recently clinical studies have shown positive effects on humans. You can begin to see how crucial NAD+ is to a vital life – and how its depletion can rob you of this vitality as you age.

Reversing Aging with NAD+ Precursors

Most of the ways of increasing NAD+ do not include supplementing with NAD+ itself, but rather precursors to NAD+. There are 5 precursors to NAD+:

  • tryptophan
  • nicotinic acid (pyridine-3-carboxylic acid)
  • nicotinamide (nicotinic acid amide)
  • nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN)
  • and nicotinamide riboside (NR).

We can get NAD+ in our bodies through diet.  This is done by consuming foods with NAD+ precursors in them – like fish, crimini mushrooms, and raw green vegetables. However, you can’t really eat enough of anything to significantly boost NAD+ levels. Taking a NAD+ precursor supplement can help mitigate the decline, improve cellular health, and even mitigate loss of telomeres.

NMN and NR are the most popular precursors found in the latest anti-aging supplements. However, NR (a unique member of the vitamin B3 family) has been found to be the most efficient. If you’re a wine fan, you may be familiar with another famous anti-aging compound: resveratrol. NR is 4x more bioavailable than resveratrol, quickly kicking the red-wine derivative to the curb.

It has a positive impact on Metabolism

NR doesn’t just have anti-aging effects, it has a positive impact on metabolism. Mice on high-fat diets with NR supplementation gained 60 percent less weight than they did on the same diet without NR. In addition, none of the mice on NR showed signs of diabetes. Instead, their energy levels improved. 

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an important target to extend lifespan and health span.

NAD+ Supplements

Renowned Harvard University geneticist David Sinclair is the pioneer in the supplementation business of NAD+ with Elysium Health. Although his anti-aging claims were first met with controversy because most studies had been done on mice (https://khn.org/news/a-fountain-of-youth-pill-sure-if-youre-a-mouse/), the study arena has since been expanded to human trials done at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Washington.  Gaining support of researchers at the top of their field, these human studies point to the same benefits found in our small furry friends.

Dr. Sinclair has conducted a study to show the effectiveness of his supported supplement, Basis.  Previous studies had shown an increase in NAD+ over a 24 hour period. His study sought to determine whether cellular NAD+ levels could be sustained over the entire study period of eight weeks, and it did.

In a placebo-controlled trial of 120 healthy adults between the ages of 60-80, participants taking the recommended dose of Basis saw cellular NAD+ levels increase by an average of 40 percent over baseline after 30 days, sustained at this number to 60 days. Participants taking twice the recommended dose saw those levels increase by 90 percent after 30 days and 55 percent at 60 days. 

ChromaDex, another leading anti-aging company has taken the running lead in scientific support for their supplement TruNiagen. With over 100 preclinical trials, 5 published studies and 3 FDA safety reviews, the evidence surrounding NAD+ supplementation is overwhelming.

It was previously thought that NAD+ could not be given in oral form and only intravenously due to poor bioavailability and low intestinal absorption.  Newer research shows that oral forms of NAD+ supplementation do have positive effects.  NADOVIM is one of the first and earliest supplements on the market to contain actual NAD+ instead of NAD+ precursors in its formulation. https://nadovim.com/top-5-reasons-to-take-nadovim-a-doctors-perspective/

Researchers are still willing to explore the value of IV infusions of NAD+. This is a new area for further, detailed study and could potentially be an effective delivery method in some ways. Preliminary animal study evidence suggests that intravenously administered NAD+ may hold some interesting promise. Currently, there are no pre-clinical or clinical human studies, but this is a fast-moving advancement in what we are learning about the way NAD+ and NAD+ precursors are processed in tissues and across the blood-brain barrier. Stay tuned.

How to Increase NAD+ Levels Naturally

Before you go out and buy a Vitamin B3 or NR supplement, remember that reversing aging requires a systems-based, holistic approach. There is no such thing as a magic anti-aging pill. NAD+ treatment in addition to other lifestyle changes and structures is what ultimately adds more years to your life. It is important to take a high quality NAD+ supplement.  Also, here are additional recommendations to ensure you increase NAD+ and its anti-aging effects.

Fasting

Fasting, or reducing your calorie intake for extended periods, is an excellent method for indirectly boosting the body’s NAD+ levels. It has been shown that, fasting is effective in increasing NAD+ levels.  However, a drastic reduction in calorie intake or fasting long term can have a counterproductive effect. Consider intermittent fasting or adopting a low carb-ketogenic diet to provide similar positive results.

Exercise

Exercise is one of the easiest and most cost-effective methods for boosting NAD+ levels. In a nutshell, exercise forces our body muscles to produce more mitochondria. The increased production of mitochondria results in a natural boost in NAD+ levels in the body.

Sunscreen

Research has shown that too much direct sunlight exposure can deplete the body of NAD+ because our body uses NAD+ to repair sun damaged cells from over exposure to UV rays. Reduce exposure to strong sunlight and wear sunscreen.

Healthy Diet

Eating a well balanced whole foods diet full of NAD+ precursor rich foods is a one-way ticket to reversing aging. Be sure to add more of the following into your diet: 

  • Fish – Varieties of fish like tuna, salmon and sardines are rich sources of NAD+ for the body. Be sure to source your fish from sustainable, wild-caught sources.
  • Green Vegetables – green vegetables contain all sorts of nutrients in them which are beneficial in a variety of ways including NAD+ precursors. Of these vegetables peas and asparagus have the highest amount.
  • Whole Grains – high in Vitamin B3 which also contains RN. Remember that vegetables and grains that are cooked or processed lose their nutrition as well as the vitamin source. Therefore, it is recommended that you should also eat raw vegetables and choose whole grains (rice, quinoa, etc) over processed foods such as chips and cereals.
Reduce Alcohol Intake

Alcohol interferes with healthy cellular processes and reduces the efficacy of NAD+. In fact, alcohol consumption has been shown to directly reduce levels of NAD+ (and testosterone) in the body. 

NAD+ precursors, exercise and caloric restriction can increase NAD+ levels.
NAD+ helps you get energy out of the food you eat, it protects cells from stress, it maintains healthy sleep cycles and it helps your cells repair damaged DNA.

Conclusion 

If you are looking for supplements that reverse aging, the NAD+ research is very promising.  It should be considered as a part of a holistic health plan for every aging male.  Without exercise and a whole foods diet, NAD+ supplementation will have minimal effects. For men who are looking to take their performance and health to the next level, NAD+ can give you that extra edge.

Upgrade to Male™ 2.0 – Schedule a Consult! 

You’ll get access to a genetic-based report and analysis, along with a private consultation that will put you on track to your ultimate health. 

With the Male 2.0 Method, I test your DNA, interpret the results, and create a customized strategy just for you. This plan is specific to YOUR individual genes and lifestyle.  It will improve every area of your life, from your health and professional productivity to your overall longevity and total wellbeing. Male 2.0 gives you the actionable tools you need right now.  It reveals what you need to customize and design your future limitless self.

Click here to learn more about the lifelong benefits of a personalized genetics consultation and epigenetic coaching program. 

Want more tips to optimize your health?  Listen to the latest podcasts. Click HERE 

I look forward to working with you to take your health goals to the next level. 

Ready to take the steps to the next level?

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COMING SOON TO AMAZON

In Male 2.0™, Dr. Tracy Gapin has turned everything we once thought we knew about men’s health and performance upside down. The old model of how to be “a man” is broken. A man who works himself to death. A man who tries to NOT get sick but isn’t really healthy either. A man who takes a pill for every ill but is never really cured. That was Male 1.0. Now, imagine being THE MAN ─ owning your performance in the bedroom, the weight room, and the boardroom. Living a fully optimized life. Becoming limitless. This is Male 2.0!

Tracy Gapin, MD, FACS  is a board-certified Urologist, Men’s Health Expert, Author, and Professional Speaker. Using state-of-the-art biometric monitoring, nutrition and lifestyle intervention, Dr. Gapin coaches Fortune 500 executives and evolutionary leaders of business, sports medicine, and high performance. He specializes in cutting-edge precision medicine with an emphasis on epigenetics, providing men with a personalized path to optimizing health & performance. www.SmartMensHealth.com 

Fad Diets: Why They May (Not) Be Working For You

It’s pretty likely that words like Keto, Paleo, Whole30, and juice cleanses are a part of your consciousness at this point – and you may even have tried a few (or more) of these diet trends to varying degrees of success. 

To say they’re a fad is not an understatement. Although diet and nutrition trends have come and gone since what seems like the beginning of time, some of them become so trendy that the buzz alone makes them a fad. 

The Atkins Diet of the 90’s morphed into the Paleo diet of the 2000’s, and now it’s all about Keto. What’s next? Who knows. The point is that at any given time, diet fads are part of the landscape. 

They’re popular, they’re current, and they’re everywhere. There’s an endless supply of relevant apps for your phone to learn, track, or otherwise engage with the fad. Meal kits and various accessories or equipment round it out with a whole set of gadgets that help you feel like you’ve really taken ownership of the new regimen. 

If you want to lose weight, build muscle, get better sleep, or increase endurance and performance, there’s little doubt that you’ve taken a look at how you can do that through diet. Managing larger issues like chronic inflammation, stress, and mental health might also have you reaching for diet tips to implement. After all, what goes into your body can really make or break you. 

The real question: Just because it’s popular, does that mean it’s for you?  

Diets – Especially of the Fad Variety – Are Not One-Size-Fits-All.  

“Why am I not losing weight?” 

“What is disrupting my sleep?” 

“I am now eating a lot of meat and fats – is this going to hurt me in the long run?” 

“How do I diet properly?”

These are all valid questions. 

What works for your co-worker, your brother or your neighbor may not necessarily work for you, and vice-versa. He might have turned out lean and defined, while you ended up with a new level of fatigue and restlessness. Or you might’ve gotten great results, but he developed increased blood pressure rates and dizziness. 

But why? 

The efficacy of any nutritional regimen is entirely dependent on your own unique genetic composition and lifestyle. The answer lies in your own unique DNA. In short, we have to look at it through the lens of Epigenetics to know whether or not the latest diet fad is actually going to help YOUR body. 

Let’s take a closer look at diet fads and why they may (or may not) be working for you. 

Three Current Fad Diets 

  • The Ketogenic Diet:  High-fat, low-carb keto diet has brought on some dramatic weight loss in some people. The basis for ‘Keto’ is a substantial cut in your carb intake, which forces your body into a state of ketosis so that it burns fat (rather than carbohydrates) for energy. With the keto diet, about 80% of your daily caloric intake comes from fat, like nuts, oil, avocado and 10% of your calories will come from carbs. This means that bread, pasta, fruits, oats, and starchy vegetables are off-limits. 
  • The Paleo Diet: Similar to Keto, the “caveman diet” does have some key differences. Paleo fans extol the virtues of eliminating gluten to reduce the inflammation that has been linked to such diseases as cancer, diabetes, arthritis and more. Processed foods (like refined carbs and soda) have been linked to damaging inflammation too, so those are also out. 
  • Whole30: This particular diet was developed as an elimination technique in order to discover which foods cause you problems. For 30 days, eat nothing but fruits, vegetables, nuts and meat. After those 30 days, you’re supposed to notice a major difference. Re-introducing foods one at a time to uncover what works and what doesn’t is a gamble, but it does bring a lot of direct awareness to the impact of what goes into the body. 

Why Fad Diets are so Tempting 

Taking interest in a diet fad is, in and of itself, not an entirely bad thing. 

It shows that you’re ready to own your health, and a willingness to be in the driver’s seat to make true change. If you’ve managed to adhere to a new regimen – like keto – you’ve had to make deliberate choices that eliminate favorites from your meals (bye bye, pasta!) that require clear discipline. 

Those are good qualities. 

Assuming control of your health through nutrition is a very tangible way to feel like you’re doing something constructive to bring about change. These adjustments indicate that you’re willing and able to apply an idea and bring it into your daily life. 

Science, nutrition, and exercise are constantly evolving as technology improves and we have new ways to visualize or study the body and brain. On the surface, the fact that a diet fad might be on the tip of everyone’s tongue does not immediately mean that it’s bad. 

But is it right for YOU? 

Whether the latest diet craze works for you has less to do with what’s popular and everything to do with your own unique genetic blueprint. 

How Your DNA Impacts the Way Diets Work (Or Not) 

Would you get on a boat and simply sail east, with no map, no account for the weather, and a random assortment of equipment that may or may not be what you need? Probably not! 

Setting yourself up for success means having a map, and interpreting the map to actively navigate to your destination. Otherwise, you’re just sailing into the dark and hoping for the best. Maybe you make it, maybe you don’t. Sound smart? Not really. 

The map is found in the specific information found in your DNA. 

Every part of your genetic function is embedded in the genetic codes contained in DNA strands. 

Epigenetics is the science of how DNA interacts with our lifestyle – how we eat, breathe, move, even how we think. It involves changing the expression of the code, through chemical modifications as a result of lifestyle. Because lifestyle alterations like diet, exercise, sleep, and mindset are controllable, we actually have the power to turn genes on and off to influence health, vitality and longevity. 

In turn, the genetic codes contained in DNA can also indicate markers for potential illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease and multiple forms of cancer. And, one gene does not equal one outcome.

Nutrition can have a Tremendous Influence on the Expression of these Genetic Codes.

A Ketogenic diet – high in fats, low in carbs – can pose an increased risk of disease for people who carry a certain mix of genetic code. Increased saturated fat intake can be very problematic, and the state of ketosis can be unnecessarily taxing on the internal organs in some individuals. 

In addition, the Ketogenic diet is both high in saturated animal fats and low in protective antioxidants from plant sources.  These antioxidants protect organs such as the heart, further increasing an individual’s risk of developing this disease.

But that’s just one small example – any restrictive diet needs to be analyzed with respect to your own DNA coding in order to evaluate its benefits and risks. Any time a particular food group is either added or removed, it creates a situation where nutrients are being depleted, some of which are going to have a prominent effect on your entire system. 

You can’t just guess and hope it’s going to be good, because it could have negative effects. 

Genetics play a huge role in determining your individual response to fats in your diet. For example, your APOA5 gene indicates how well your body responds to polyunsaturated fats. And knowing your APOE4 gene is critical to understand your risk of vascular disease and Alzheimers Disease with intake of saturated fats. And, these are just a few gene examples.

Bottom Line 

If you want to achieve your diet goals without inadvertently increasing your risk for disease, gastrointestinal discomfort, weight gain – or other issues – you need to take the guesswork out of the equation.

If you want to hit your target when adopting a new diet, it’s time to get it right from the start by looking at the very building blocks that make you who you are in the first place. 

Don’t wait to make your efforts count. Find out how to leverage your genetic blueprint for total optimization of your human potential today.

Upgrade to Male 2.0. 

MALE 2.0 is for any man who is tired of settling for subpar energy and performance…who is ready to optimize his brain function, maximize energy, increase vitality, and tap into limitless, ageless health!

MALE 2.0 gives you the actionable tools you need right now and reveals what you need to customize and design your future limitless self.

Tracy Gapin, MD is a board-certified Urologist, Men’s Health Expert, Author, and Professional Speaker. Using state-of-the-art biometric monitoring, nutrition and lifestyle intervention, Dr. Gapin coaches Fortune 500 executives and evolutionary leaders of business, sports medicine, and high performance. He specializes in cutting-edge precision medicine with an emphasis on epigenetics, providing men with a personalized path to optimizing health & performance.

Click here to learn more about the lifelong benefits of a personalized genetics consultation and epigenetic coaching program. 

Want more tips to optimize your health? 

Listen to the latest podcasts. Click HERE 

I look forward to hearing from you.  I would enjoy working together with you to take your diet goals to the next level so that you can get it right from the start. 

www.SmartMensHealth.com 

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How to Prevent Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer prevention - Dr Tracy Gapin

Did you know that September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month? Organizations such as the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) promote awareness and testing during the month of September, encouraging preventive testing and raising funds toward developing new treatments. (https://www.pcf.org/blue/) However, prostate health education is an important topic for men year round.

Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer diagnosed in men. The PCF estimates that 1 in 9 men in the United States will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. It’s important to undergo routine screening and do everything you can to avoid prostate cancer. 

Routine screening consists of an annual PSA blood test and prostate exam. Screening should begin at the age of 50, unless you are African American or have a first degree relative with prostate cancer.  In these previously mentioned cases, testing should start at the age of 40.

Today we’re going to talk about some steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing prostate cancer. Remember that small decisions you make every day can go a long way!  

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Topics:

Sex is Fun!

A study by the National Institutes of Health in 2004 initially suggested that frequent sexual activity might reduce the incidence of prostate cancer.

The Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which followed 32,000 men for 18 years, also supports this. Men with frequent sexual activity showed a 20% lower risk of prostate cancer. Jennifer Rider, the study’s lead author, suggests, “Safe sexual activity could be good for prostate health.” Studies also show that regular sexual activity reduces stress and improves mood.

Sex and prostate cancer prevention - Dr Tracy Gapin and Smart Men's Health Blog
 

How can exercise prevent prostate cancer?

Evidence is mounting that inflammation and oxidation both play key roles in the development of prostate cancers and other conditions. Fortunately, research from the prevention side suggests that regular exercise may be one of the best natural antioxidants.

A study published recently in the Journal of Clinical Oncology specifically evaluated the effects of exercise in prostate cancer patients. They studied men who exercised vigorously for at least 3 hours per week. 49% showed reduced overall mortality, and 61% reduced prostate cancer mortality, compared to men having less than 1 hour per week of vigorous activity.

Other studies show that exercise is effective at reducing risks of prostate cancer development, possibly decreasing prostate cancer development, and diminishing the side effects that may be caused by treatment medications. A recent Swedish study supported these findings, concluding that both resistance training and aerobic exercise clearly improve prostate cancer-specific and overall survival.

And, don’t forget that intense exercise can actually alter your DNA. A period of intense exercise can positively change your gene regulation.

Medications – Proscar and Avodart

Proscar and Avodart are prescriptions that men use to “shrink” the prostate by lowering the number of male sex hormones. The drugs block an enzyme that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a much more potent hormone.

The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) studied whether finasteride (Proscar) reduced the incidence of prostate cancer. The trial found that men who had taken finasteride developed fewer prostate cancers than in men who had not. However, the men who had taken finasteride and developed prostate cancer had more aggressive tumors. The number of deaths from prostate cancer was the same in both groups.

The Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events Study (REDUCE) studied whether the drug dutasteride (Avodart) reduced the risk of prostate cancer. This study also showed that there were fewer prostate cancer diagnoses in men who took dutasteride compared with the men who did not. Overall, Avodart did not significantly reduce the number of aggressive cancers though.

What about testosterone replacement therapy?

The news media has fueled concerns that there may be an adverse connection between testosterone replacement therapy and increased prostate cancer risk, but studies have not borne this out.

A recent study looked at over 1,000 men who were receiving testosterone therapy. Over the 5 years the researchers conducted the study, only eleven (or 1%) of the men’s doctors diagnosed them with prostate cancer. This is well below the historically-expected 7% incidence. These men did not appear to experience any increased prostate cancer risk with their testosterone replacement.

Another study assessed almost 150,000 men who had previously undergone treatment for prostate cancer and were currently receiving testosterone replacement therapy. Researchers found no increase in prostate cancer mortality or overall mortality in the men receiving testosterone.

A recent study actively monitored men with low grade prostate cancer. These men’s doctors were also treating them with testosterone therapy. The study concluded there was no significant progression of disease in these men either.

In fact, a recent report suggests that testosterone therapy may actually be therapeutic in men with hormone-refractory advanced prostate cancer.

Studies show that low testosterone levels correlate with an increased risk of prostate cancer. This finding is somewhat counter-intuitive given the scientific community’s longstanding notion that hormone therapy “pours gas on the fire” of prostate cancer. But the literature clearly shows that testosterone therapy does NOT increase your risk of prostate cancer.

Will statins help or hinder?

 Researchers have been interested in the possible connection of cholesterol-reducing medications and prostate cancer. Several of the 18 trials researchers conducted, revealed a reduced risk of cancer recurrence after both surgery and radiation therapy. These trials suggest that statins may reduce the progression of prostate cancer.

Ongoing research continues to look into this possibility, as well as to determine whether statins may also reduce the incidence of prostate cancer.

Metformin and Men's Health - Dr Tracy Gapin

How about Metformin?

Metformin is a prescription medication used primarily to manage diabetes. Studies suggest Metformin may have a protective effect on the progression of prostate cancer. A study of nearly 4,000 diabetic men found those men taking Metformin, when diagnosed with prostate cancer, were less likely to die from cancer or other causes than men taking other diabetes drugs.

Prior research looking at whether metformin might reduce the risk of prostate cancer development did not show a benefit. More studies are currently underway to look at both prevention and management.

What about taking aspirin?

The jury is still out on how or whether aspirin might help reduce the risk of prostate cancer. After extensive studies on aspirin’s effects, researchers found many of the studies demonstrated it had a protective effect and others did not.

If your doctor has you on an aspirin regimen after a heart attack or stroke, follow their current recommendations.

Are there other things I can do?

Absolutely! There are many lifestyle choices that will not only help you prevent prostate cancer, but also boost overall health and well-being, reduce stress, and improve fitness. Many of the dietary recommendations experts have already proven as successful for weight loss, will also reduce your risk of developing prostate cancer.
 

Your Diet Matters!

Start by adopting a diet lower in saturated fats and higher in plant-based fats. Your body and brain need fat to thrive, but studies have shown that a diet high in animal fats was more likely to be associated with an increased risk for prostate cancer.

A number of studies have shown that men who ate the most dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt on a daily basis had a higher risk of prostate cancer. Studies are conflicting, but the mechanism could be because of the presence of saturated fat, insulin-like growth factor (IGF), or elevated hormone levels.

Some fats are superstars, however. Studies have linked the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish such as salmon, tuna, and herring to reduced prostate cancer risk. If fish isn’t your favorite, try a good quality fish oil supplement. Avoid trans-fatty acids, though, as numerous studies proved they promote cancer. The most common foods containing trans-fatty acids are butter and processed or fried foods.

BBQ’s are fun – but charred meat, not so much

Overcooking or charring meat creates carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines. Animal studies have shown that these can cause prostate cancer. In addition, charbroiling red meat or chicken with skin produces another set of carcinogens called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). 

Research shows that intake of PAHs triggers mutations in prostate cell DNA, leading to a chronic inflammatory response in the prostate. We’ve already discussed that inflammation leads to an increased risk of development of prostate cancer. It appears that the combination of mutation and inflammation appear to be a key in this development. 

Steaming or baking meats, thereby avoiding overcooking meats, can significantly reduce the amount of carcinogens present.

The bitter truth about sugar

Cutting the amount of simple sugars and carbohydrates you intake may slow prostate cancer growth. Studies have linked excess sugar intake to prostate cancer growth through increased insulin levels. 

Compounding the problem, insulin resistance has been shown to reduce levels of proteins that are important for stimulating prostate cancer cell death. Numerous studies have shown that sugar “feeds” cancer cells. 

ANOTHER reason not to eat gluten

Doctors typically recommended adopting a gluten-free diet to aid patients with celiac disease, an inflammatory bowel condition. By reducing inflammation, a gluten-free diet may have a role in cancer prevention as well. Foods with no gluten include all fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, and eggs.

Many believe the vitamins and minerals present in fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Although, studies have yet to prove any specific nutrient guarantees to reduce your risk. Cruciferous vegetables have unique antioxidant properties that seem to enable them to counteract some of the damage caused by carcinogens. A well-rounded selection of fruits and vegetables introduces necessary enzymes and tends to make you feel fuller, so you have less room for other high-fat, high-calorie foods.

A tomato a day keeps cancer away? Well, it’s a pretty good start! Kudos for Prostate Cancer Awareness!

Several animal studies have suggested that lycopenes, present mostly in tomatoes, may reduce prostate tumor growth. Some human studies have shown that a diet high in lycopene may be linked to a decreased risk of prostate cancer.  Other studies are inconclusive.

Note that these studies utilize the whole, fresh tomato, not the sugar-laden spaghetti sauce. There is no data showing a benefit to taking lycopene supplements in lieu of the real food.

To reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer, men should reach for foods rich in antioxidants and nutrients and low in pro-inflammatory and carcinogenic substances.  Colorful fruits and vegetables, fresh herbs, leafy and pungent greens, seeds, nuts, and berries all contain powerful anti-cancer nutrients. 

The Mediterranean isn’t just a great place to vacation

Consider adopting the Mediterranean diet, loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables, tomatoes, garlic, fish, red wine, and olive oil. This heart-healthy diet may be very beneficial for prostate cancer prevention, and will keep the whole family fit and well!

30-Day Health Challenge for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Whether it’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Month or any time during the year, check out the 30-Day Health Challenge for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. It was developed specifically to increase your knowledge around reducing your risk for prostate cancer, yet it is an excellent all-around way to rethink your lifestyle.

I designed the challenges to help you look at your current situation and consider areas of change and improvement. Many of the daily challenges will benefit women as well, especially Day 24, Day 28, and all of the other non-prostate-specific days!  

Regardless of your diet or lifestyle, knowledge is one of the biggest and best ways to reduce prostate cancer risk. By staying informed on the latest research and developments regarding prostate cancer research, men can make small changes that can lead to big improvements.

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Tracy Gapin, MD, FACS  is a board-certified Urologist,  world renowned Men’s Health & Performance Expert, Author, and Professional Speaker. Using state-of-the-art biometric monitoring, nutrition and lifestyle intervention, Dr. Gapin coaches Fortune 500 executives and evolutionary leaders of business, sports medicine, and high performance. He specializes in cutting-edge precision medicine with an emphasis on epigenetics, providing men with a personalized path to optimizing health & performance. www.GapinInstitute.com

Want more tips to optimize your health?  Listen to the latest podcasts. Click HERE
 

The Top Sleep Gadgets To Improve Your Health

Does your brain automatically go to “sleep gadgets” when you think about optimizing your health? Most, often, when we think about optimizing our health we often go to diet and exercise first. But there is another very important (and often neglected) factor that, if left unchecked, can negate any progress you may be making in other areas of your health. Getting your zzzz’s!

This is where sleep gadgets and tools come in. We now have access to sleep activity trackers and apps that are like having a sleep technologist right in your room!

So if you want to uplevel your health, start with your sleep. If you’re not sleeping enough or well enough, your quality of life can be impacted. Quality sleep is critical for physical, mental, and emotional health—both in the short term and the long term.

Your body needs sleep to reset, restore, and repair. It takes this time to form neural pathways that are critical for information retention, memories, critical thinking, cognitive function and regulation of emotions and behavior.

Your body also needs sleep to keep your blood, hormones, and organs healthy. For example, sleep is necessary to heal and repair your blood vessels; failing to do so can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, and increased risk of stroke. A lack of sleep is also linked to a risk of obesity and weight-related health problems.

Sleep interacts with your daily life as well. Without rest, you’ll be unproductive, unfocused, and unmotivated, which can quickly disrupt every area of your life, from your career to your personal relationships.

Studies show that just ONE night of poor sleep can alter your DNA, change genetic expression and negatively impact your health. You can read more about the importance and role of sleep here.

With the accessibility of new tech at your fingertips, you can now find all the sleep help you need. Let’s explore some of the latest and cutting edge sleep gadgets to optimize your health.

Track your sleep

Most men think they are getting good sleep. But sleep doesn’t just mean ‘8 hours’.

It’s not all about the number of hours slept, but the quality and depth of that sleep as well. Understanding the quality of sleep is critical to improving your health. So how do you know you’re actually getting good sleep if you aren’t tracking it?

In order to make adjustments that will improve your sleep, you need to first understand how you’re currently sleeping. And this is why tracking your sleep is so critical. Did you know one week of “poor sleep” can decrease testosterone levels by as much as 15%?!!

Tracking your sleep helps you understand not just how long you sleep, but also the quality of your sleep. It helps you analyze your sleep patterns to improve your sleep schedule and environment.


The best sleep trackers will monitor how much deep sleep versus light sleep you’re getting, how long it takes you to fall asleep (“sleep latency”), and how often you wake up throughout the night.

You want a sleep tracker that will take into account your movements alongside the external environment of your bedroom to best optimize your nights.

 

 

 

Check out these tools that offer comprehensive sleep tracking:

Oura Ring

The Oura Ring is a small wearable ring looks sleek and unobtrusive on your finger but packs a punch with its wide range of technology. During the day it tracks your activity and calories. At night, it monitors temperature, movement, and heart rate so that you can understand the areas you need to focus on to improve sleep.

Every day you’ll have access to data on your sleep cycle types, the quality of your sleep and the quantity. This ring gives you access to wellbeing trends with daily, weekly, and monthly views of all contributing factors to your sleep, including stress and workout recovery!

Garmin Fenix Watch

The Garmin Fenix Watch is a rugged accessory made for outdoor adventures and also for your indoor rest time. It does a lot of what other smart watches does: tracking heart rate and movement. But it also has GPS, satellite reception and advanced biomechanical measuring for athletic performance.

When it is time to wind down, this watch also has the ability to the ability to track and provide data for light and deep sleep, REM (rapid eye movement), and awake time throughout your cycle. And, many stylish options!

Other Wearables


Of course other wearable watches such as Fitbit and Apple Watch have the capacity to track your sleep cycles as well, however you want to research whether or not it is meeting your needs as each wearable is different. If you have a health and fitness tracker, check to see if it will also track and analyze the quality of your sleep. The more your activity tracker can do, the better the picture of your overall health.

If you’re someone who is nervous about uploading your biometric data to an unknown server and don’t want to use a wearable sleep tracker, you can still benefit from tracking your sleep the old school way – with a journal. Keeping a physical sleep journal or log in a sleep tracker app on your phone can help you recognize you have a problem. Start by tracking when you go to bed, when you thought you fell asleep and any awakenings during the night.

What if your challenge isn’t staying asleep, but falling asleep in the first place? There are a number of factors that might make it challenging for you to fall asleep, from the external environment of your bedroom to your internal mental monologue. Tracking can help you determine where to focus. Let’s now discuss how to improve your bedroom environment to help you sleep better. (See the best wearable tech options here: How Wearable Tech Is Revolutionizing and Personalizing Healthcare)

Fall asleep faster

For a strong majority of us, the trouble with falling asleep comes from the incessant train of thoughts running through our heads. Whether you’re stressed about work, thinking about your to-do list, or wondering if there are aliens on other planets, we all fall into the endless loop of thoughts that make it hard to fall asleep.

So here are some sleep tech tools that can help soothe anxiety and quiet thoughts.

Headspace

A lot of people are finding success with the Headspace App to meditate and drift to sleep. You simply throw in your headphones, turn on the app, and listen to gentle sleep music and guided meditations to help you raise your mindfulness and drift into a calm, deep slumber. What distinguishes Headspace from other apps is the clinically-validated research that informs their product, so you know that they are always using the best health and meditation technology. This sleep app helps you create a customized plan and makes recommendations based on your personal settings. It’s free (or you can buy a premium subscription for expanded access) so why not try it out tonight?

For suggestions on other sleep gadgets that can help you fall asleep, read about Men’s Health Top 13 best gadgets. (https://www.menshealth.com/technology-gear/g23397130/best-sleep-tech/)

Get deeper, high-quality sleep

As I’ve mentioned, the quality of your sleep matters even more than the quantity. Too many of us may “sleep’ for 8 hours, but the majority of that is “light” sleep. If you’re not getting deep REM sleep, your body isn’t fully rejuvenating and resting. The main reasons you’re not getting deep sleep is because of your bedroom environment or not getting enough oxygen (which causes snoring).

Snoring

Are you a snorer? Snoring doesn’t just drive your partner crazy—it actually worsens your sleep quality as well! Snoring occurs when you’re not getting enough oxygen while sleeping, so your body overcompensates. Your body requires more oxygen during sleep to assist in the recovery and restoration process. Without good breathing, you aren’t inhaling the necessary oxygen, so you won’t get a good quality of sleep.

There are a lot of snoring devices out there that you can try. But most men don’t want to put a loud, cumbersome device on their faces to try and get rid of snoring.

SmartNora is a no-contact anti-snoring device that’s showing a lot of awesome results. You place an Expander device insert in your pillow and a Nora sensor on your nightstand. When the sensor hears you snoring, it activates the Expander. This gently moves your pillow to stimulate the throat muscles, which minimizes or stops snoring altogether.

Some men say the Nora is a little obtrusive the first few days when you feel the motion, but most men quickly get used to it. It’s a much better solution than nose strips, mouth guards, and muzzles.

Improve your bedroom environment

There are four key environmental factors that impact your sleep: light, noise, temperature, and air quality. What can you do about these?

Light

There are two aspects of light that impact your sleep: blue light and light pollution.

Blue Light vs. Red Light

Blue light is the light emitted from electronics, like phones, laptops, and even some light bulbs. Research has proven that blue light suppresses melatonin production and circadian rhythm about twice as long as other wavelengths, which can drastically impact both sleep quality and quantity. Those who have to spend lengthy periods of time in front of screens, perhaps for work, may wish to source prescription glasses which block blue light.

Red light on the other hand, is known to boost melatonin production and soothe you into sleep (amongst other benefits like activating the lymphatic system and reducing inflammation). But you don’t necessarily need your bedroom to have a Moulin Rouge glow. You can buy red spectrum bulbs, which minimize blue light wavelengths and maximize red ones without leaving your room rosy-colored. Try Lighting Science’s Good Night Biological LED Lamp (lsgc.com). Originally developed for NASA astronauts on the International Space Station, it looks like a regular white light but with all the sleep inducing benefits of red.

In addition, you’ll want to reduce and remove blue light in the evening. This can be done with just a few simple shifts:

  • Turn on “night shift” on your electronic devices. This reduces blue light by utilizing orange light instead.
  • Better yet, don’t use your electronics 2-3 hours before bed. This ensures you’re not subjecting your eyes and brain to any unnecessary light.
  • Invest in blue-light blocking glasses. You can choose yellow tinted ones like TrueDarks or newer generation “clear” lenses that reduce 90% of blue light.
  • Use Philips Hue ambiance color lights in your bedroom. If you find you respond best to color changes, you can use a setting that mimics a sunset. You can also program it to turn orange/red at night and blue in the morning to naturally promote your circadian rhythm.

Light pollution

Your brain is biologically programmed to be “on” when it sees light and “off” when the sun goes down. So even the smallest stream of light pouring into your bedroom could keep your brain in active mode, even while you’re sleeping. This can make it hard to fall asleep, or it might keep you in a lighter sleep cycle throughout the night.

The best way to do this is with blackout curtains, which block any and all light coming from your backyard or neighbors’ houses. You can also purchase blackout liners for your existing curtains.

Sleep masks are another option, if you don’t mind something on your face. These can make it challenging to wake up in the morning, though, since your brain isn’t exposed to light first thing.

Noise

Any background noise can be distracting and disturbing for your brain, even if you’re not conscious of it. A lot of people prefer to sleep with white noise makers or fans to drown out any external noise and drift into a deeper sleep.

There are a lot of different options to block or adjust the noise you hear at night, based on your preferences. Some popular choices include: CozyPhones, Nightingale Sleep System, and Dreampad.

CozyPhones

These sleep headphones are made for comfort. CozyPhones wear like a head band with breathable material so you can put on your music, books, or meditation without disturbing your partner. This works especially well if you don’t want to keep earplugs in all night.

You can also check out other headphones like Bose SleepBuds or QuietOn.

Nightingale Sleep System

The Nightgale sleep system works if you and your partner both want white noise. This system creates a blanket of sound throughout your room using a stereo effect, which masks environmental noises and lulls you into a gentle sleep. You can even connect it to a smart device to get weather, traffic, and other alerts built in to help wake you up in the morning.

Dreampad

The Dreampad relaxation pillow plays soothing music and sounds to help you sleep right through your pillow, traveling through your entire body. This helps you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. It uses gentle vibrations so it won’t wake up your partner, and it’s been backed by a number of studies as one of the best ways to minimize pre-sleep stress.

Note: If you want to listen to music but don’t want the music to stimulate your brain, consider listening to binaural beats. Theta waves initiate drowsy, light sleep while delta waves keep you in a deep sleep. You can find these sorts of binaural beats on meditation apps like Insight Timer or even on YouTube videos! (Check out this video of 8 hours of theta waves.)

sleep tracking Dr Tracy Gapin men's health optimization

Temperature

Studies show that sleeping in a cold room is actually better for your health than sleeping in a warm one. Our body temperature naturally drops while we sleep, so a cooler bedroom can reinforce the body’s instinct to sleep. Temperatures between 60 and 68 degrees have been shown to stimulate the production of melatonin, which is the “sleep hormone.”

You can sleep with a fan, like a Dyson cool air purifier, to cool down your room. However, moving air may actually make it harder to sleep for some people. If you’re not too fond of the idea of a fan it may be worth looking at an air filter from somewhere like air purifier first may be a better option, as there will be less of a direct flow of air compared to a dyson fan.

Instead, I recommend a Nest thermostat. You can program your smart thermostat to make your A.C. cooler at night to help you fall asleep, but then it can get warmer in the morning to help you wake up easier. (No one likes to leave their comfy bed if it’s too cold in the morning.) Plus, you can save money on your energy bill by programming your thermostat to cool and heat your house in accordance with your routines and lifestyle.

You can also try out cooling sheets. These promote air flow and minimize perspiration, so you can stay covered while staying cool. Sheex is a popular option thanks to their Sleep-Fit Technology with advanced thermoregulation. Plus, their sheets are super soft and quick drying.

Natural solution: sleep naked! Doesn’t hurt, right?

Air quality

Poor air quality in your bedroom may actually play the biggest role in your ability to sleep soundly through the night. Our bodies require high levels of oxygen at night. If your bedroom doesn’t have clean, pure oxygen available, your body can’t fall into that restful state it needs for restoring balance.

See what your air quality looks like with a monitor like Awair. This analyzes and tracks toxins, chemicals, dust, humidity, and carbon dioxide to determine what your bedroom environment is like. It will even learn your routines, habits, and lifestyle to determine how your living impacts your air quality. Awair even interacts with other smart home devices to offer personalized recommendations that can improve your air quality.

To purify your air, I recommend the Pure Cool Link Air Purifier by Dyson. This two-in-one fan purifies 99.97% of allergens and pollutants, even those as small as 0.3 microns. It also keeps you cool while purifying, so you can have a chillier bedroom at night as well (and save on you’re HVAC bill).

You also want to keep the air humid, which helps keep your sinuses lubricated and your skin soft. Plus, humidity helps you sleep better. You can purchase a humidifier, or you can even use an essential oil diffuser. This will add a bit of moisture to the air while also making your room smell incredible. Add lavender, bergamot, and eucalyptus essential oils to induce superior sleep.

Natural air quality solution: succulents! Succulents continue to intake carbon dioxide and release oxygen at night (other plants stop releasing oxygen at night). So putting a few succulent plants in your bedroom can purify the air and add in more oxygen.

Wake up energized

Waking up is part of the sleep process as well. If you wake up in the middle of a dream, you’re waking up from deep REM sleep—the sleep that is used to restore your body back to healthy homeostasis. Interrupting this pattern stops your body in the middle of its work, which will leave you feeling groggy, tired, and unrested the whole day.

You want to wake up naturally, so you feel energetic and vital to take on the day. That’s why I recommend using a sunrise alarm clock. These gadgets will wake you up gently in accordance with your tracked sleep rhythm, using light that mimics the rise of the sun. Your brain will slowly start to acknowledge the rising light, so it will wake up naturally without the shock of an alarm clock.

Popular sun alarm clocks are the Nox Sleep Light and Philips Wake-Up Light.

Nox Sleep Light

This Nox sleep light will monitor your sleep quality, help you fall asleep, and wake you up naturally. I love that it adjusts according to your personal body clock. So, it will send off a red wavelength when you’re falling asleep to raise your production of melatonin. Then, it will wake you up at the lightest part of your sleep so you’ll feel awake and energized. It can also track your bedroom environment like temperature, humidity, light, and noise to optimize your sleep moving forward.

Philips Wake-up Light

Philips lights offers several versions of their sunrise lamp. These offer natural wake up sounds and sunrise simulation, but they also include simulated sunsets and sleep music. This is a great starter option if you already have a sleep tracker.

Can sleep gadgets really help me sleep?

The good news is that in this age of technology, many sleep problems can be resolved through access to these cool gadgets. Instead of being prescribed a pharmaceutical medication, learning to reduce blue light and listening to a meditation at bedtime may be the alternative you need. You’ll have to experiment to find the best sleep aid for your personal challenges. However, these sleeping tips aren’t meant to replace professional sleep therapy.

If you’re having a hard time falling or staying asleep, just buying up all of these bedroom gadgets isn’t necessarily going to help (and if your problems are chronic, you should really seek assistance from a medical professional, not an app or tech product). If you’re doing everything you can for your sleep and still aren’t seeing results, it may be in your genes. Yup, our sleep schedule is actually part of our genetic expression!

But you can hack your genetic expression, so you can sleep better and healthier. It starts with a consultation to see where your health is now… and where it can be in just a few short months or weeks.

Let’s get you sleeping right, waking well, and living awesome.

It’s time for you to get in the driver’s seat of your health. With elite men’s optimization program, we’ll put you at the peak of your human potential.

Click here to learn more about the lifelong benefits of a personalized genetics consultation and epigenetic coaching program.

I look forward to hearing from you to revolutionize and revitalize your life and vitality. Let’s taking your health to the next level.

Are Endocrine Disruptors In Drinking Water Causing A Health Risk?

We all know that water is a basic necessity for living.  Although we can go without food for 3 weeks or more, we cannot survive longer than a week without water. 

Those of us living in modern countries have access to clean drinking water, but how clean is it really? 

If prime health is a concern for you, you will want to know the facts about the water you consume and some of the hidden dangers for men.   Let’s focus on one sneaky culprit: endocrine disruptors in drinking water.

What is an endocrine disruptor, what are the dangers, and more importantly, how can you protect yourself from its negative impacts?

What are Endocrine Disruptors?

The endocrine system maintains homeostasis of the bodily systems through a delicate balance of hormones.  Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are substances that change the course of endocrine systems in a way that adversely affects the body.  These chemicals can produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in humans and animals. Both natural and man-made substances can cause endocrine disruption and can be found in many everyday products.  These everyday products include plastic bottles, metal food cans, detergents, flame retardants, food, toys, and cosmetics.  

Endocrine disruptors can mimic naturally occurring hormones in the body like estrogens (the female sex hormone), androgens (the male sex hormone), and even thyroid hormones, potentially producing overstimulation.  They can also bind to a receptor within a cell and block a hormone from binding which impacts the body’s ability to respond properly. Endocrine disruptors may interfere with the way the body makes or controls natural hormones or their receptors.  Thus it affects other organs like metabolism in the liver and kidneys.

What are examples of Endocrine Disruptors?

Some chemical endocrine disruptors which directly impact male health include BPA, Phthalates, Altazine, and Estradiol.  And the sad truth is that many of these endocrine disruptors are in drinking water. We can also find Endocrine Disruptors in our natural environment, phytoestrogens being the most common culprit. Let’s go into greater detail about these endocrine disruptor chemicals, and where you can find them.  Below is a common endocrine disruptor list:

Bisphenol A (BPA)

Bisphenol A (BPA) is the most commonly known endocrine disruptor that has recently gotten a lot of focus recently but is a problem far from resolved.  Manufacturers produce the chemical called BPA, primarily in the production of polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins, and food can linings. Studies show that testosterone becomes reduced within just 3 days of BPA exposure and that those consuming BPA are 4 times more likely to develop sexual disorders such as low libido and ejaculatory disorders.  Furthermore, exposure during gestation puts a child at more risk for adult testosterone imbalances.

In their September 2008 BPA review, The National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) expressed “some concern for effects on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures to BPA.” Although adopting a BPA-free process, some companies are simply replacing BPA with another compound called BPS.  Studies have shown BPS to be just as dangerous as BPA.  For more information on the invasiveness of BPA see my article, “Does BPA Cause Sexual Problems?” 

Phthalates

Manufacturers use chemicals called Phthalates to manufacture a wide variety of consumer food packaging, some children’s products, pharmaceuticals, household items and body care products like shampoo. I consider phthalates the worse anti-androgen.  Studies show the presence of phthalates cause low testosterone and male infertility as well as male congenital defects such as testicular dysgenesis, cryptorchidism (undescended testicles), and hypospadias (abnormal urethra growth).   In 2006, NTP found that phthalates may pose a risk to human development, especially critically ill male infants which further indicates its correlation to male health.

Atrazine

In agriculture, farmers world-wide commonly use Atrazine, a toxic herbacide, especially for corn and grains.  Interestingly, Europe has banned its use, but companies in the U.S. still heavily use Atrazine.   A study done on frogs exposed to this herbicide showed that Atrazine inhibits testosterone synthesis so much that 10% off the frogs became feminized, meaning the males become females who reproduced and laid eggs after exposure.  Read that again, the males actually became females and laid eggs.

Phytoestrogens & Estradiol

Phytoestrogens & Estradiol are substances that have estrogen hormone-like activity that reduces androgen activity.  Contraception companies use Estradiol, a synthetic form of estrogen, as a key ingredient in birth control pills. You may not think that men are at risk because women are the ones who normally take birth control. But, contraceptives are just one of many pharmaceuticals that find their way into our water and food through off waste.  Eye opening, right?

One study showed a dramatic effect on fish whose testosterone levels fell due to estradiol exposure. Similarly, phytoestrogens are naturally occurring substances in plants that have hormone-like activity. Soy-derived products, hemp and flax seed are examples of phytoestrogens.  Soy, now 90% GMO, is the worst offender, decreasing testosterone and sperm production.  

The Concerns Around Endocrine Disruptors in Water and Other Products

Manufacturers use these endocrine disruptors in numerous consumer goods and personal care products. This exposes humans to the harmful effects of these substances in a variety of ways.  When our bodies absorb these toxic chemicals, transmitted through our food and our water without our knowledge, it can create deadly complications. Once exposed, many of these chemicals remain in the body for a long time, causing health challenges by cumulative effect. 

In a study of 20 biopsies, they found 19 different endocrine disruptors in all 20 bodies! Furthermore, pregnant women can pass these endocrine disruptors to their babies through the womb, having a transgenerational effect (Wang et al, 2015). This means that even if you have avoided exposure as much as possible, your health could be at risk due to any exposure from your parents.  Experts report that if tested, 90% of us will show detectable BPA in our urine and 98% of us will show phthalates in our system. This is scary!

As mentioned above, studies show these endocrine disruptors decrease testosterone leading to infertility, testicular and prostate cancers.  The rise of endocrine receptors in the environment as well as the simultaneous rise of male reproductive disorders calls attention to the idea that endocrine disruptors may be responsible for the decline in male reproductive health (more in this article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6043754/).  Other negative impacts of endocrine disruptors include:

  • insulin resistance
  • obesity
  • ADD
  • depression
  • and immune dysfunction such as allergies and skin conditions.

Because manufacturers use them so predominantly, experts are finding these chemicals in our shampoos, clothes, toothpastes, soaps, utensils, and deodorant! Now, more than ever, we need to carefully choose the items we purchase and put into our body.

Regulations to Remove Endocrine Disruptors

In order to tackle this issue, some countries have already established regulations to remove endocrine disruptor chemicals from everyday products.  France has outlawed BPA in food containers and DEHP in child-related products. In the United States, legislation such as the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Food Quality Protection Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the power to control regulations upon chemicals that are endocrine disruptors.  The Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program introduced by the EPA in 1998 has allowed for the testing of over 85,000 chemicals but has yet to be implemented. Although we have seen some legal change, we still need more countries to adopt these regulations. And for the potential enactment of new legislation to happen, we need the proper agencies to screen a wider range of chemicals.

Furthermore, most of this change was the result of public outcry and pressure, not company integrity.  And in underdeveloped countries, the proper authorities have made limited efforts to warn people about these serious issues.  Companies that create these chemicals do not openly explain the methods of minimizing exposure.  Nor do they develop efficient mitigation strategies in the environment.  These same companies could use a wide diversity of estrogen-degrading microorganisms to develop biological filters in the post-treatment of wastewater.

Endocrine Disruptors in Drinking Water

In many highly populated countries, authorities source the country’s drinking water from the same rivers and lakes that contain sewage and industrial discharge.   For example, the River Thames which flows through London, has passed through drinking water and sewage discharge 5 times.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology

“Under these types of circumstances, any accumulation of endocrine disrupting compounds from sewage or industry potentially affects the quality of drinking water. Neither basic wastewater treatment nor basic drinking water treatment will eliminate the estrogens, androgens or detergent breakdown products from water, due to the chemical stability of the structures. Hence a potential risk to health exists.”  

As a result of this concern, authorities have turned their attention toward enhanced wastewater treatment and are implementing advanced techniques. This treatment employs particle removal, ozone oxidation and activated charcoal filters.  That being said, recent studies showed that 94% of lakes in the midwest, our biggest supplier of corn, were positive for Atrazine and 29% of drinking water samples across the U.S. contained phthalates.    

We can all agree that water is fundamental for human health and well-being.  Paradoxically, the loose regulations have contributed to the alteration and deterioration of water supply sources causing risks for the population in the past.  Since the end of the 19th century, the role of drinking water in exposing populations to pathogens, and improvements in its quality in order to prevent illness, has been widely documented and debated.   Furthermore, what is ‘healthy’ to be in your water, such as Fluoride and Chlorine, has recently become challenged.

  

How can I drink better water?

My intention is not to scare you out of drinking water, however I hope it will inspire better choices around the sources of your water.   Not all bottled water is in BPA-free bottles . Due to the lack of screening, you can’t be sure what other endocrine disruptors are leaking into your water through the plastic.  Bottled water is a much safer choice when you are in countries with poor water regulations. However, we have no proof that bottled water is healthier than tap water.  The FDA only regulates bottled water if  it crosses state lines. So authorities are not testing 70% of bottled water for contaminants!

Even distilled water does not remove endocrine disruptors.  On the other hand, the United States highly regulates its drinking water systems (tap).  The U.S. also frequently tests its water systems for harmful pollutants. Your most cost efficient and healthy option is to filter your own tap water beyond what your city is already doing.

What about water filters?

Of the vast array of water filter products you can choose from, pitcher/faucet filters such as the Brita filter are the most common.  Although this can reduce chlorine and improve taste, because the carbon in the filter is not solid, they are not effective in removing endocrine disruptors in water, fluoride, or heavy metals.  You can check your local water quality report (through your local water company’s website) to see what contaminants are in your water.  Then you can determine how much to invest in your filtration. 

No matter which you choose, if you want to remove endocrine disruptors in water, you want to ensure your filter is solid block carbon. These units may cost you more upfront. However, in the long run, they are your least expensive option because they require less filter replacements.  A solid filtration system can last you years before changing your filters!

The most common and highly rated of these filters is the Berkey brand.  Berkey filters come in many sizes for different uses.  You can even use them to filter river water for drinking! This can be bulky however, as it is a counter-top filter that can take up quite a lot of space. Sometimes it makes the most sense to invest in an under-counter multi-stage water filter system for your household.  Overall, the Berkey brand is a fabulous filter for removing endocrine disruptors in drinking water.

It’s not just about Endocrine Disruptors in Drinking Water

With a deeper understanding of endocrine disruptor compounds, you now have new knowledge to inform better choices for your health.  My recommendation is for a balance of mitigating exposure and detoxification.  

  1. Reduce Exposure To Plastics.  You want to avoid plastics used for storing and cooking.  Never use plastic to microwave or hold hot drinks or food.  Even your plastic coffee makers can leak endocrine disruptors into the water that becomes your morning cup of joe. Reading labels in addition to choosing natural body products and eliminate fragrances from personal care items, especially laundry can help.  One of my favorite apps is Healthy Living. Simply scan the product in the grocery store.  Then, this nifty software will tell you what endocrine disruptors are in those products!
  2. Build Your Immune System.  Eliminate highly processed foods avoiding those with ingredients that start with ‘benz’ or ‘phen’.  Limit grains (especially corn and wheat) as well as dairy. Eliminate soy products and check labels because food companies often use soy lecithin to bind products.   Eating wild caught fish and filling your plate organic produce will strengthen your immune system.  It will also prevent the dangerous build up of toxins in your system.
  3. Support Through Detox.   Given the cumulative effect of endocrine disruptors, I recommend using herbs to gently detox your body from these toxic chemicals.  Some herbs that are especially helpful for endocrine disruptors specifically are green tea, holy basil, pau darco, and curcumin (turmeric).  Research shows DIM and quercetin supplements also support in detox.

Conclusion

It is clear that endocrine disruptors in drinking water is a concern.  Not only does it effect male health but also human lifespan and longevity.  We can’t rely on the EPA and water companies to ensure that our drinking water is free of endocrine disruptors in drinking water.  So it is important to take your health into your own hands through the above recommendations.  You can reduce the negative impacts of BPA, endocrine disruptors in water and other toxins through conscious consumer choices and lifestyle changes.

As a powerful man looking to optimize your life, you should be on the path of lifestyle health program. With my suite, I test your DNA, interpret the results, and come up with a customized plan.  This customized plan is specific to YOUR individual genes and lifestyle. It will improve every area of your life from your health and energy to your professional productivity to your personal relationships.

It’s time for you to get in the driver’s seat of your health. With elite men’s optimization program, we’ll put you at the peak of your human potential.

Schedule a consultation to learn how to personalized health advice so you can live your life to the fullest.

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Tracy Gapin, MD, FACS  is a board-certified Urologist,  world renowned Men’s Health & Performance Expert, Author, and Professional Speaker. Using state-of-the-art biometric monitoring, nutrition and lifestyle intervention, Dr. Gapin coaches Fortune 500 executives and evolutionary leaders of business, sports medicine, and high performance. He specializes in cutting-edge precision medicine with an emphasis on epigenetics, providing men with a personalized path to optimizing health & performance. www.GapinInstitute.com

 

What is Heart Rate Variability and Why Does It Matter To You?

Fit man working out

Heart rate variability (HRV) has stormed into the mainstream health and fitness world as one of the best indicators of daily and overall well-being. It’s an effective marker for sleep, recovery, performance, and health of the heart and autonomic system. 

Studies also show that a higher HRV has been linked to a lower risk of mortality, especially for sudden cardiac death. 

HRV might be one of the best tools to tracking acute and chronic health concerns. So what is HRV and why does it matter to you? 

What is heart rate variability? 

Heart rate variability (HRV) is the variation that occurs in the intervals between consecutive heartbeats. 

Okay, but what does that actually mean? 

Let’s start with understanding your heart rate, which is not the same as heart rate variability. Your heart rate (HR) is the amount of times your heart beats in a minute. If you take your pulse on your wrist, your heart rate is the number of pulses you feel in a 60-second timeframe. 

Heart rate variability is actually referring to the silent period in between those beats or pulses. Your heart doesn’t actually beat at a steady rate. If you have a heart rate of 60 beats per minute, your heart isn’t actually beating every second consistently. There are slight millisecond variations between each heartbeat. 

We’re not like the Tin Man. Our hearts aren’t machines that beat at the same rate consistently. Our hearts are gentle, sensitive organs that have slight (but healthy) irregularities.

Although measured in milliseconds, you can actually feel the difference in the “silent” intervals between your heartbeats. Right now, put your fingers on your wrist and search for your pulse. Take a few deep breaths in and out. You’ll probably notice that the time between beats gets longer while you’re exhaling—that’s because your heart rate is slowing down. You’ll notice the interval gets shorter when you’re inhaling because of an increase in heart rate. Referred to as sinus arrhythmia, this is the most basic way that our heart rate varies. 

I’ll reiterate that you actually want variation in your heart rate intervals, because that shows that you’re healthy! 

How does heart rate variability change? 

Your heart rate variability isn’t a static number. It’s constantly changing based on different events and scenarios, both internally and externally. 

Keep in mind that heart rate variability refers to the variation of the intervals between heartbeats. It’s not a number or time period itself. 

So a “low” HRV means that the intervals between your heartbeats are more consistent and steady. There is low or less variability. For example, if your heart rate were 60 beats per minute, the majority of your intervals might be precisely 1 second. 

A “high” HRV means that there is a lot more variation in the intervals between your heartbeats. With a 60 beats/minute HR, you might have one beat after 1.03 seconds, another after 1.06 seconds, then 1.05 seconds, then 1.01 seconds. There is more variation in the time between the beats. 

How does heart rate variability work? 

Heart rate variability is directly linked to, and controlled by, the autonomic nervous system. HRV actually is an indicator of how well your nervous system is functioning. 

There are two sides to the autonomic nervous system: the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. 

The sympathetic system is what triggers the stress-induced fight or flight response. It raises your adrenaline and cortisol, and it prepares your body to take action against some stressor. The sympathetic system should be activated as a short-term response to certain stressful events, but it can be seriously unhealthy for your mental and physical state to live in a high sympathetic state. 

The parasympathetic system is what helps restore homeostasis (balance) in your body by pulling down the response of the sympathetic system. This controls the rest, recovery, and digestion processes. 

When your body is stressed, the sympathetic system kicks into gear. This releases stress hormones and increases your cardiac output. Basically, it tells your heart to pump out more blood, so the blood can transport oxygen to the muscles and tissues—which will help you in the fight or flight response. When the sympathetic system is engaged, your heart rate variability decreases. Your heart is generally beating faster and more consistently. 

After the stressful situation is gone, the parasympathetic system activates to slow your heart rate back down to resting. This increases your heart rate variability to restore homeostasis. 

In general, you want a higher HRV. This is because a higher HRV, or more variability between heartbeats, indicates that your body has a strong ability to tolerate stress.

A high HRV indicates that your parasympathetic system is working. A low HRV indicates that your sympathetic system is engaged, which means you’re body is being stressed out (mentally or physically). 

Why is this important? Your body needs to be able to respond to stressors, so you don’t get eaten by a bear (for example). But you can’t live in that stressed state or it would do damage to your heart. Essentially, the autonomic system and heart rate variability enable your heart to respond to different needs and situations. 

Key point: If you have a low variation in heart rate variability compared to your baseline, something is likely stressing out your body. 

Why do we need to track heart rate variability? 

Heart rate variability is the biggest marker we have to the health and wellness of our autonomic nervous system. And the nervous system is tied to every automatic process in the body like regulation of blood sugar, blood pressure, body temperature, sweat, digestion, and more.

When we understand how our autonomic nervous system is functioning, we can better understand how almost every process in our body is operating. 

HRV is especially used as an indicator of fitness, our body’s ability to handle and recover after stress, and our heart health. A high HRV is an indication of a healthy cardiovascular system. A lower heart rate with a high HRV means that your parasympathetic system and heart are working effectively to bring your body back to homeostasis after stress or exercise. 

HRV is one of the most sensitive changes in the body. The interval between your heartbeats is one of the first indicators that something is wrong. Watching for these fluctuations can alert you to changes in your health well before other symptoms show up. 

What are some examples of when HRV might change? 

  • Stress or lack of sleep: Your HRV will likely drop when you’re stressed or sleep deprived, and you’ll need more time for recovery. 
  • Intense endurance exercise: Working out acutely lowers your HRV because your body is stressed out. But during recovery, your HRV will jump back up. If it doesn’t increase, you may be training too hard or too often. This is important to track if you’re on a fitness or training plan. 
  • Substances: Drugs, alcohol, and smoking all lower your HRV. You may notice that you’ll have a lower HRV after a night out because your body is stressed while trying to detox. 
  • Dehydration: Your HRV will lower quickly when dehydrated, because it doesn’t have the water it needs to function properly. When you re-hydrate, it should increase again. 

One of my favorites uses of the HRV is that you can use it to tell if you’re about to get sick. If your HRV goes down but you’re not stressed out in any way (mental or physical), you might be on your way to getting sick. In fact, HRV usually lowers even before you develop symptoms of sickness. So if you notice your HRV is lowering, you may want to take some time to rest and recover to combat any illness about to set in. 


What affects heart rate variability? 

Our heart rate variability actually changes every day based on activity, stress, and health. It’s constantly changing in response to different situations—and that’s a good thing! Heart rate variability can be affected by age, hormones, body functions, lifestyle, external events, and more. 

About 30% of our heart rate variability boils down to genetics. But the other 70% is completely controllable. You can actually improve your HRV based on your health, fitness, recovery skills, and stress resilience. 

In the last section, I’ll talk more about how you can direct your HRV to improve your overall health and wellness. 

How do you measure HRV? 

There are a few different methods to measure heart rate variability. One of the most popular ways is the ECG-based (electrocardiogram) method, which calculates the time between R waves in the QRS complex. These are referred to as R-R intervals. Some trackers use PPG, which measures interbeat intervals (IBI). 

Different trackers use different measurement methods. There isn’t really one “right” way to do it. So you can choose a wearable that’s best for your lifestyle and look. 

Which wearable trackers are best? Get all the info you need here: How Wearable Tech Is Revolutionizing and Personalizing Healthcare.  

How can I get started tracking HRV? 

Everyone has a unique heart rate variability based on genetics and lifestyle. There are also a lot of different ways to measure and track HRV, so it’s hard to compare different variations. So you’ll have to track your own HRV to understand what your baseline looks like in order to utilize HRV as an indicator of your personal health. 

First, you’ll want to find your HRV baseline. Note when you’re feeling “average”—not great, not bad— because that’s usually your baseline. You’ll want to keep track of this for a week or two to get a good idea of what your HRV is. If you have a tracker, it will usually help analyze your baseline for you. 

Once you have your baseline, it’s easier to see how your body is reacting. If your HRV goes down and you have a low HRV, your body might be stressed, overworked, or overwhelmed for some reason. You could have mental stress, you could be getting sick, or you might not be recovering effectively. If your HRV goes up with a high HRV, then you might be doing something healthy for you—like meditating or being creative. 

I recommend keeping a log of your HRV, whether or not you have a wearable that tracks it for you. This helps you understand all of the different variables going on in your life that could be affecting your HRV. For example, your HRV might decrease when you’re driving. If you log this several days in a row, you might start to notice that your HRV only drops in traffic—because traffic stresses you out! 

There’s a lot that can go into HRV tracking, so keeping a log is the best way to manage and analyze all of the factors at once. Learn more about how to keep a biohacking log here.  

How can I improve my HRV? 

Here’s what will decrease your HRV in the short term: 

  • Stress
  • Poor quality and quantity of sleep
  • Food intolerances, especially lactose
  • Alcohol and/or drugs
  • Sickness
  • Medications (antihistamines, antidepressants
  • Hot therapy 

Even exercise will decrease your HRV because you’re stressing out your body. Then, your HRV will start to increase as your body starts to recover. 

Here’s what will decrease your HRV long-term, which is a major indicator of poor health: 

  • Age (your HRV will likely change as you age)
  • Chronic stress or burnout
  • Poor diet 
  • Chronic inflammation 
  • Lack of fitness
  • Chronic disease
  • Lack of sleep
  • Overtraining
  • Unhealthy environment 

If your body is stressed out in any way for an extended period of time, it will show up in a decreased HRV. This means you’ll start to notice a downward trend in your HRV over time, and your “baseline” actually starts to get lower and lower. 

A low HRV over an extended period of time isn’t a problem on its own… It’s just an indicator that there’s something wrong. So if you notice this downward trend, it’s time to chat with a medical professional! 

But there are actually lifestyle changes you can make that will increase your heart rate variability by improving your recovery and improving your health. 

So what can you do to increase your HRV, in the short and long term? 

The awesome news is that these lifestyle changes also impact your epigenetics. Learn more about epigenetics and the impact on health with the following resources:

HRV is a tracker of your health, but not a health condition on its own. If you want to improve your health, it starts with hacking your genes. 

Are you ready to get your health on track? Want to know exactly how your body and heart rate variability will respond to certain situations based on your genes and lifestyle? Want greater control over your health and wellness? 

Then you need to check out my performance coaching. We’ll work together to unlock your genetic code and come up with a specific plan for your lifestyle choices and environmental factors so you can be on the path towards energy, health, vitality, and life! 

Take your life to the next level here. 

Want more tips to optimize your health and testosterone?

Listen to the latest podcasts. Click HERE

Tracy Gapin, MD, FACS  is a board-certified Urologist,  world renowned Men’s Health & Performance Expert, Author, and Professional Speaker. Using state-of-the-art biometric monitoring, nutrition and lifestyle intervention, Dr. Gapin coaches Fortune 500 executives and evolutionary leaders of business, sports medicine, and high performance. He specializes in cutting-edge precision medicine with an emphasis on epigenetics, providing men with a personalized path to optimizing health & performance. www.GapinInstitute.com  

Transform Your Health With Your DNA

Transform Your Health with Your DNA - Dr Tracy Gapin

Your DNA tells a story and can transform your health. We celebrate DNA Day on April 25 every year to commemorate the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 and the discovery of the double helix of DNA in 1953.

But DNA Day (and every subsequent day) is more than just a nod at the incredible scientists advancing research in health and medicine. It’s the perfect opportunity for YOU to take control of your own wellbeing by taking time to understand how your DNA impacts your life—and how you can hack your genes for improved health and vitality.

Let’s take a dive into how advancements in DNA research impact you, and what you can do to take your wellness to the next level.

What is the Human Genome Project?

DNA Day is the celebration of the completion of the Human Genome Project. The Human Genome Project was an international, collaborative research project that identified and mapped all of the known human genes. It specified where these genes are in the sequence and their purpose from a physical and functional standpoint. This project has completely revolutionized the way we understand genes, health, and medicine.

Francis Collins, the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, stated: “The genome is a history book—a narrative of the journey of our species through time. It’s a shop manual, with an incredibly detailed blueprint for building every human cell. And it’s a transformative textbook of medicine, with insights that will give health care providers immense new powers to treat, prevent, and cure disease.”

The Human Genome Project set in motion a new wave of studies looking at how individual genes play a role in physical traits, behaviors, and risk of disease. More researchers began to realize the impact that genetics has on health, especially with regards to risk of chronic illness.

Without this project, I likely wouldn’t be able to help my clients in the profound way I am able to currently through my genetics coaching. Now that we have more information about genetics and epigenetics, and now that we have more researchers participating in genetic studies, advancements are ever deepening our understanding of hacking our genes to improve wellness, lengthen lifespans, and taking health to a new dimension. I owe my work and the success of my clients to the Human Genome Project!

What is DNA?

Most people have a basic understanding of DNA, but genetics is a complicated subject that necessitates a little extra explanation. So let’s get into it just a little.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is essentially your hereditary material. Almost every cell in your body has your unique DNA sequence tucked away in its cells. There are over 3 billion bases in human DNA, and 99% of those bases are the same for all humans. It’s the sequence of that last 1% that makes us all unique and inimitable!

Genes are made up of DNA. Each gene has its own function. For example, some genes code for proteins like muscles and tissues, while others determine physical or behavioral traits. The Human Genome Project estimates that humans have between 20,000 and 25,000 genes. You have two copies from each gene, one inherited from each parent.
Genes make up chromosomes. Most people have 23 chromosomes. The chromosome is basically the structure of DNA, which is tightly coiled around histone proteins.

You don’t really need to remember all of this. What you really need to take is this: your genes are complicated. Little DNA strands make up genes that coil together into a chromosome, which sits in every cell nucleus. Different cells activate different genes, which is how your cells can have different functions (like hair proteins versus blood cells) while keeping in alignment with your basic genetic structure.

And your DNA is just the start. Your genetic sequence is the blueprint for your body and health, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. That’s where your epigenetics comes in.

What is epigenetics?

Epigenetics is how your genes are expressed, controlled by the activation or deactivation by certain lifestyle factors.

For years, people thought that genetics were unchangeable or that it took multiple generations and random mutations to change your genes. More research on epigenetics tells us that’s not the case, though. The genetic blueprint is passed down, but the expression of those genes can change throughout the course of your life. You could actually have a different genetic expression at different points in your life!

Here’s how it works. Certain external factors can turn your genes “off” or “on,” usually through DNA methylation. Methylation refers to the addition of a methyl group to a DNA strand, basically flipping a switch that turns it into the “off” position (usually). Methylation can be positive on some genes, and it can have a negative effect on others. For example, you’ll want an increase in methylation (deactivation) on those genes that cause tumor growth. But you’d want a decrease in methylation (activation) on genes that suppress tumor growth. So a risk of cancer can be programmed into your DNA, but epigenetics tell your DNA whether to express that risk or not.

Where do methylation and other epigenetic changes come from? Diet, stress, sleep, exercise, thought patterns, behaviors, and other lifestyle factors can all impact the expression of your genes.

There is a lot that goes into epigenetics. It’s an entire field of research with a lot of moving parts. You can start delving in a little deeper to learn more here: What Is Epigenetics And Why Do You Care?

More epigenetics resources to check out:

What can I do about my genes?

The Human Genome Project gave us the foundation we need to understand how genes and sequences impact health. It told us which genes need to be activated in order to protect us from disease, and which need to be deactivated in order to ward off potential health complications.

Research on epigenetics has furthered this understanding to tell us that our genes are never static. We can actually control how we activate and deactivate these genes.

That means YOU are in control of your health.

Your genetic sequence tells you where you came from, and your epigenetics tells you where you’re going. So let’s use that to our advantage! What can you do about your genes to bring you the health and life you crave?

hormone hunger ghrelin men's health

1. Acknowledge any harmful habits.

We all have bad habits. Maybe you sit on the couch all day Saturday and do nothing. Maybe you smoke when you’re anxious. Maybe you stress about little things. Maybe you pull an all-nighter when you have a project at work.

These small habits can and do add up, and they can appear in the form of negative gene expression.

Before you start making any lifestyle changes to hack your DNA, I want you to take a look at how you’re living your life now. Don’t be hard on yourself. Don’t beat yourself up. The goal is simply to understand where your current level of health is coming from.

If you want to make a change, you have to be honest with yourself about your lifestyle. Only you can make the change.

2. Discover your genetic sequence.

Your genes are uniquely yours. That means no two health plans are going to be the same. When you go into a doctor’s office, they usually only have the ability to give you a cookie-cutter plan based on your general health as it stands. But you need more than that in order to be healthy. You need a deep understanding of your health on a genetic level to ensure you’re making the right lifestyle choices for your body.

I recommend getting a professional genetics test accompanied by a comprehensive consultation with a genetics coach. This gives you data of your test results, but it also takes it one step further to understand exactly what that data is trying to tell you about your health.

Understanding is the first step to resolution and growth!

The best part about professional genetics coaching is that your data is secure. No leaks or sold data, like some of these genetic tests! The other best part? You get a customized plan built just for you, and you can track and analyze results accordingly.

3. Start hacking.

Now that you know your genes and what that means for your health… you can take massive action to improve. It’s not actually that hard to hack your genetic expression once you know what it looks like. You might need to tweak your nutrition, adjust your workouts, and bump up your sleep—but it comes down to unassuming lifestyle changes that can make a huge difference in your short-term and long-term health.

Talk to a genetics coach about designing an effective plan to hack your genes and unlock your wellness.

There’s no better time to take your genes to the next level than DNA day!

Work With Me

Going deeper into DNA

DNA is cool. I think it’s awesome that you’ve read this article, and you’re eager to take control of your health. It’s the men that equip themselves with knowledge and then take action on that knowledge that live healthy, long, vital lives. I’m excited that you’re part of that determined group of men taking your life, energy, and vitality to the next level.

Want more participation? Of course you do. Because you’re always striving or more. You want to delve deeper and start hacking your genes, so you can prevent risk of disease, revitalize your energy, and renew your vitality.

If you’re one of those powerful men looking to renew and restore your life, you should be on the path of lifestyle health program. With my suite, I test your DNA, interpret the results, and come up with a customized plan that’s specific to YOUR individual genes and lifestyle. We’ll work together to come up with a health strategy that will improve every area of your life from your health and energy to your professional productivity to your personal relationships.

It’s time for you to get in the driver’s seat of your health. With my genetics coaching plan, we’ll gas up your car, rev the engine, and zoom off.

Click here to learn more about the lifelong benefits of a personalized genetics consultation and epigenetic coaching program.

I look forward to hearing from you to revolutionize and revitalize your life and vitality. Let’s celebrate DNA day the best way by hacking your DNA and taking your health to the next level.

Schedule a consultation to learn how  understanding your DNA can help you lose weight, gain energy and even have a better sex life.

Ready to take the next steps?

Download the Blueprint

Schedule a Call

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In Male 2.0™, Dr. Tracy Gapin has turned everything we once thought we knew about men’s health and performance upside down. The old model of how to be “a man” is broken. A man who works himself to death.  Unfortunately, a man who tries to NOT get sick but isn’t really healthy either.  And a man who takes a pill for every ill but is never really cured. That was Male 1.0. Now, imagine being THE MAN ─ owning your performance in the bedroom, the weight room, and the boardroom. Living a fully optimized life. Becoming limitless. This is Male 2.0!

Tracy Gapin, MD, FACS  is a board-certified Urologist,  world renowned Men’s Health & Performance Expert, Author, and Professional Speaker. Using state-of-the-art biometric monitoring, nutrition and lifestyle intervention, Dr. Gapin coaches Fortune 500 executives and evolutionary leaders of business, sports medicine, and high performance. He specializes in cutting-edge precision medicine with an emphasis on epigenetics, providing men with a personalized path to optimizing health & performance. www.GapinInstitute.com

Want more tips to optimize your health?  Listen to the latest podcasts. Click HERE

How Wearable Tech is Revolutionizing and Personalizing Healthcare

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Wearable technology isn’t new to the medical field, but emerging advancements have revolutionized the way users can control and monitor their health. Daily heart monitors and pedometers have been helping users track their own health and fitness for almost a decade. Coming into 2019, though, we’ve seen an unprecedented influx of wearable medical devices and associated smartphone apps that are taking health to a new level. From sleep tracker apps to heart rate variability trackers to blood sugar monitors, tech companies are transforming annual physician visits into daily health habits.

Medicine is moving into the hands of the patient, ushering healthcare towards personalization and accessibility for all. Let’s take a look at the basics about what wearable health tech is and does, and then we’ll go through some of the popular and exciting technologies that are changing wellness, vitality, and longevity.

What is wearable health tech?

Wearable health technologies are, as the name suggests, tech advancements made to improve health—that you wear on your body. You put some sort of monitor around your wrist, finger, head, or chest. The monitor tracks your movement during the day or during your workout, and then it sends biofeedback (reports about your health) to a centralized system, like a phone app or cloud storage.

You have nearly instantaneous access to your health reports and biofeedback. You can refresh your phone app to see your heart rate up to a minute ago. And you can wake up in the morning and see exactly how you slept the night before, down to the minutes, movement, and quality.

Wearable health technology lets your body tell you what’s going on. As you grow accustomed to the equipment and feedback, you’ll be able to become more attuned to your health and wellness.

What are the benefits of wearable health tech?

  1. It makes you proactive about your health: Wearable tech allows users to keep up with their health before something goes wrong. You’re not thinking about your health once a year when it comes time for your annual physician visit (or less frequently, if you’re like some patients I know). You’re aware of and focused on your health every single day. This enhances understanding of health and makes people more proactive about their lifestyle decisions. Proactivity is the best way to keep disease away.
  2. It gives you control of your health: Wearable tech gives the user more control of their experience of health. These equipment increase understanding of different health measures, making users more mindful about their health every single day. For those individuals who want to live a healthy and vital life, this level of control over their own health can be relieving.
  3. It helps your doctor do their job. But you’re not alone in your health journey. Most technology will allow you to share health reports with family and doctors. This means your doctors can keep up with you and your health on a regular basis. More healthcare practitioners are moving to this one-on-one relationship-based approach to medicine, especially as healthcare gets more complex.
  4. It detects problems faster: You’re getting biofeedback down to the minute. This allows for earlier detection of concerns. Since the majority of diseases are progressive, swift detection can help minimize symptoms and treat the disease more fully and effectively. These techs can help kill the monster when it’s small.
  5. It provides more data for improved treatment: You’re tracking your health every single day. You’re creating a strong set of data about you and your body. If something does go wrong with your health, you already have weeks or months of data for your doctor to look at. This massive data set helps you and your doctor better understand your symptoms for more accurate and effective treatment—at a faster pace.
  6. It helps you live better, longer: You’re proactive about your health. You’re more aware of what’s going on with your body. You can catch things early, and you and your doctor have more data to better understand what’s going on. Altogether, you have a better hold on your health, so you can make better decisions for your life. This leads you to improved health, vitality, and longevity.
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What should my wearable technology track?

Different technologies offer different sorts of tracking and analysis options. Some of the monitoring capabilities of wearable tech includes:

  • Heart Rate Variability: the interval between heartbeats; a clue into health of autonomic nervous system (learn more about HRV here)
  • Heart rate: moving and resting rate determines overall health of body and heart
  • Blood oxygen saturation: amount of oxygen in blood, needed to keep organs and body healthy and energetic
  • Body temperature: tracks baseline versus temp due to disease, infection, or stress
  • Respiratory rate: how many breaths a person takes while at rest; abnormal can be clue into illness, infection, disease, or dehydration
  • Sleep stages: REM, light, deep to measure quality of sleep
  • Workout metrics: performance and endurance during activity
  • Step count: amount of steps taken during day, demonstrates basic level of activity
  • Calories burned: calories burned at rest and with activity

When selecting wearable tech, you also want to consider the usability of the software, the ease of wearing, and the different tracking and reporting features. Ideally, you want to be able to keep your doctor aligned with your health reports. Some tech equipment includes a community feature as well so you can include your friends and family to keep you accountable and healthy.

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What are some of the wearable tech options that are personalizing health?

1. Garmin Fenix Watch

The Fenix watch by Garmin was originally made for runners, athletes, and adventurers, but it’s become a staple for in the wearable tech world. It offers some of the clearest technology in an easy-to-use, unobtrusive way.

You just put your watch on (or keep it on all the time), and you have your health on you at all times. It has Elevate ™ wrist heart rate technology, so it can track your heart rate and heart rate variability down to the second. Your watch will count your steps, track your sleep, measure calories burned, and even quantify the intensity of your activities. The watch even shows biomechanical measurements like cadence, stride length, ground contact time, vertical oscillation, and vertical ratio while working out. It gives you insights into your anaerobic training metrics and tells you how to train productively based on your recent exercise history and performance.

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https://explore.garmin.com/en-US/fenix/

The watch also includes outdoor sensors with GPS and GLONASS satellite reception, so it can tell how far you’ve run/biked, your altitude changes, and even the barometric pressure you’re in. Wear it while swimming to track distance, pace, stroke, and count. Wear it skiing or snowboarding to track speed, distance, vertical drop, and run. Go into golf mode for yardage on your course, autoshot detection, and stat tracking.

Plus, it has a great design, especially for men. If you’re going to be wearing your health monitors all day, you want it to look cool. The Fenix has a rugged design with durable sport band and stainless steel fittings, so you’ll look as awesome as you feel. And you can even link your phone to your watch to get messages and calls, like you would with any other smart watch.

There’s also a community aspect. You can connect with friends and neighbors who also have the watch, so you can compare activity and goals. Push each other to live healthier. If you’re competitive, this feature is a must to take your life to the next level.

If you’re not a serious athlete, the Fenix might be an unnecessary cost. However, a lot of my patients love the daily performance metrics, smart notifications, and advanced tracking features. It really is the most comprehensive, adaptable, and usable watch on the market currently. As a doctor, I love the readability and breadth of reports to get an idea of how your workouts and daily movement is impacting your lifestyle.

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2. Biostrap

https://shop.biostrap.com/products/biostrap-set

Biostrap is similar to the Garmin watch, but it’s more for the every-man who doesn’t necessarily need GPS tracking for runs or cycling.

The Biostrap also helps you track your workouts by capturing your full body movement. The wristband and shoe-pod work together to understand how your body is moving, especially during workouts. It tracks blood oxygen saturation, heart rate variability, heart rate, respiratory rate, sleep analytics (sleep stages)—all day and night. During exercise, it tracks cadence, velocity, reps, and more. Not only does it track the data, but it also gives personalized insights to understand how you’re performing and how you can improve your health.

A unique aspect of the Biostrap is how it follows your heart. It doesn’t just check your pulse, but it captures specific waveforms that doctors use to monitor patients in-house. This gives more precise heartbeat data and analysis to ensure your heart is always beating strong.

The app is minimalistic and easy to use. You can set daily and long-term goals, look at your exercise library, and monitor your health with just a few taps. Biostrap is a great option to look into if you want in-depth tracking but you’re new to wearable tech or looking for a more approachable platform.

3. Oura Ring

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https://ouraring.com/

I can’t stress it enough: sleep is critical. A poor quality and quantity of sleep is directly linked to low testosterone, low energy, obesity, and increased risk of disease like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Poor sleep may even be linked to an increased rate of mortality (aka death)!

That’s where Oura Ring steps in. This is one of the best sleep trackers on the market (although there are a few). This ring is packed with sensors to help you understand different areas of your health, from sleep to workouts and beyond. It uses a body temperature sensor to get your temperature baselines and variations, infrared LEDs to measure blood volume pulse, and 3D accelerometers and gyroscopes to detect the amplitude and intensity of your body movement. It tracks you 24/7 so you can understand your movement and energy from wakefulness through sleep.

Some of its features include:

  • Bedtime guidance
  • Sleep quality measurements
  • Sleep stage tracking (REM, deep, light)
  • Quality and quantity sleep trends
  • Daily recovery optimization
  • Resting heart rate
  • Heart rate variability (HRV)
  • Body temperature trends
  • Respiratory rate
  • Steps and calories
  • Activity tracking and inactive alerts

Users also love the minimalistic design and integration with Apple Health app. You can import your workouts automatically to track your activity, calories, and fitness in your Health app.

So Oura isn’t just about sleep. It’s about understanding the basics of your health, so you can see just how your body is working to stay strong and vital. It also helps you set goals for your health and wellness, so you always feel incredible.

4. Heartmath Inner Balance

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https://store.heartmath.com/innerbalance

Training your emotional wellbeing is one of the best ways to handle your hormones, be more productive, and get the most out of life. Reducing stress is one of the best things you can do for your health to reduce your risk of diseases like cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and others. Stress is America’s silent epidemic, but HeartMath helps you take control of what you’re feeling.

The Heartmath Inner balance app and sensor actually focus on your mental wellbeing along with your physical. Its goal is to help you find balance, release stress, and reduce anxiety. Research shows that our heart rhythm actually reflects our inner state. Your heartbeat is erratic when you’re stressed or frustrated, but it’s consistent and even when you’re in a calm, collected state. So this tech actually helps you connect your emotions with your heart on a physiological level.

Research has shown that stress resiliency is a strong predictor of health. Being able to stay calm in periods of stress can help minimize the strain on your heart and head, while on the other hand getting anxious or stress drastically increases your risk of health complications. There’s a reason it’s called disease– because there is dis-ease in your body and brain.

It will observe your heart rhythm variability, which gives insights into your emotional state. It then offers HeartMath techniques to guide you to a more stress-free state. Coherence feedback can tell when you’ve made an emotional shift and then trains you to sustain that consistent heart-rate and mental state.

5. Halo headset

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https://www.haloneuro.com

The Halo Sport headsetstimulates your brain and increases neuroplasticity, which basically puts you into a state of hyper-learning. It uses small electrical currents to make the brain “pliable”, so it’s ready to learn and work harder. This can make you more productive, accelerate your recovery time, enhance your workouts, and improve your learning.

Throw on the headset for 20 minutes before working out or taking a piano lesson, and you’ll see marked improvements in how productive you are during the next hour. There are a number of studies proving that neuroplasticity works to put your brain into optimal over-drive. In fact, Olympians saw 45% faster results in training with Halo Sport than without!

The purpose of the Halo headset is to take your brain up a notch to make time-usage more efficient, whether working out, working at your desk, or learning something new. The headset connects to an app that tracks brain data, sends notification reminders, and provides tips to hack your brain and productivity.

Imagine what you could do if every hour was spent at peak capacity.

6. Apple Watch

Of course, we can’t forget the popular smart watch by Apple. Some of the newer watches are comparable to other tech wearables, offering a number of health and wellness components. Below are some of the uses of the Apple Watch:

  • It will constantly monitor your heart rate with the ECG app using just a fingerprint, giving a physician-worthy ECG waveform in 30 seconds.
  • The Breathe app keeps you calm and reminds you to relax throughout the day, putting your heart and mind back in alignment.
  • It can sense if you’ve fallen down, and the instant SOS alert sends help immediately.
  • It tracks your workouts and daily activity, and it will alert you when you need to get up and move.
  • You can pair your watch with compatible gym equipment to stay in sync with metrics like heart rate, speed, and calories burned. It can also automatically detect your workout, and you can input workouts based on type of activity.
  • It’s waterproof up to 50m, so you can take it in the water and work up a serious sweat.

People like using the Apple Watch because all of the information is centralized in your Health app, where it’s easy to find reports and share them with your doctor. Additionally, you can customize your watch completely to your needs. You can download different health apps for tracking and data input, like Dexcom G6 for diabetes glucose alerts or Lifesum to keep you moving with your food and workout goals. You can even see weather conditions, play your music, get messages, and other Apple app uses. Plus, there’s a strong community (and competition) aspect, so you can connect and share health data with friends.

The Apple Watch also offers many choices for customization, with https://mobilemob.com.au/ selling a variation of bands to accessorize your watch. It may not be as accurate as the other choices, but the customization that Mobile Mob makes up for it!

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Other interesting wearables

AlivCor KardiaMobile: This helps track heart health, especially irregular heartbeats. It links to the Apple’s heart rate sensor for continuous monitoring, and it has a small ECG pad on the watchband to determine irregularities.

Motiv: A smart ring that tracks sleep, activity, and heart rate. It’s one of the more simple designs and usage for the beginner tracker.

SleepScore Labs: SleepScore offers a non-contact sleep tracker using artificial intelligence. This sits on your bedside table to detect sleep movements as well as snoring, teeth grinding, and sleep apnea patterns.

L’Oreal UV sense: This battery-free sensor is so small it fits on the thumbnail for two weeks. It measures UV exposures to determine how to best protect your skin. After two weeks, you download the info into your smartphone and the sensor can be reused for ongoing data collection. This is usually used more for data collection purposes.

Air Louisville: Tracks the environment around you including the air quality and pollution of your city. It was made especially for patients who suffer from asthma. This collects data from individuals to assess long-term health risks for the overall public.

There are hundreds of health tech equipment on the market. Do your research to see which will best suit your health and lifestyle needs.

Conclusion

Technology is constantly changing, which in turn ushers in unprecedented advancements in the healthcare and medical world. Wearable tech is putting control in the hands of the individual to maintain their own health, wellness, and longevity.

It’s never been easier to stay healthy.

Wearable tech helps you understand the ins and outs of your own unique health. Each person has a unique blueprint and lifestyle that determines your wellness. That’s what The Edge Blueprint ebook dives into. You learn how to leverage your unique genetic blueprint to maximize your testosterone, boost energy, and climb to the next level of health– in a way that works best for you. Download The Edge Blueprint For Men

Are YOU ready to transform your health?

With my genetics coaching, I use testing and analysis to look at your genetic makeup and epigenetic expression to understand exactly how your body is working today. Together, we then create a personalized lifestyle plan, one variable at a time, to bring your body into its peak state.

Want to learn more? Download my FREE Edge Blueprint for Men eBook. You’ll learn how to leverage your genetics to maximize testosterone, optimize performance, and take your life to the next level!

Want more tips to optimize your health and testosterone?

Listen to the latest podcasts. Click HERE

Tracy Gapin, MD, FACS – Board Certified Urologist in Sarasota, Men’s Health Optimization Expert and Medical Director of Sarasota Apeiron Center for Human Potential. Founder of www.SmartMensHealth.com

Your Stress Resiliency and Management May Predict How Long You Live

Everyone deals with stress. But the way you respond to that stress can either grow you or kill you. That’s not an exaggeration. Your “stress resiliency”—how well you cope with short- and long-term stress—is actually a consistent predictor for health, wellness, and mortality.

Research has shown that the response to stress has a greater impact on health and longevity than the stressor itself.

Let’s take a look at why stress is unhealthy, what stress resiliency is, and how you can enhance your stress resiliency to effectively handle stressors to maintain your health now and for many, many vital years to come.

Health problems of stress

Stress takes a toll on your health. There’s no question about it. You’ve likely felt the physical effects of stress before.

You’re dealing with a stressful project at work, but that stress doesn’t stay at work. You start to get anxious, and your mind is racing a million miles a minute. Your heartbeat is faster and your blood pressure is higher. You wake up in the morning exhausted and you’re tired all day, but you still have trouble sleeping at night. Your stomach hurts, your muscles are weak, and your brain is foggy. And that motivation to finish that project has flown out the window.

We often think of stress as a mental thing associated with anxiety and depression. It is, in part, mental. But it’s also entirely physical as well. Stress shows up in your body in a lot of serious physical manifestations. Trying different treatment plans could be the way forward to help you get this stress under control. 

When faced with a stressor, your sympathetic nervous system activates and releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This sets off the “fight or flight” response, used as a survival technique against the stressor. Physical signs of this response include:

  • Rapid heart beat and breathing
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Pale or flushed skin
  • Dilated pupils
  • Enlarged blood vessels
  • Digestion stops (blood rushes to muscles, away from stomach)

The fight or flight response can be incredibly useful when the stressor is an immediate threat to life, like if you run into a bear in the woods or your child is choking. Your body senses the stress and physically prepares to run or act. Your body actually has this response to help you react; for example, your pupils dilate so you can see more of the environment to respond to any incoming bear attacks.

But the fight or flight response was meant to be acute (short-term). It’s not supposed to last for more than 60 minutes. These hormones put your body into overdrive, literally changing how your breathing, blood, and organs function. After the stressor is gone, the parasympathetic system takes over to pull down the response and bring your body back to homeostasis.

The modern-day man is facing a unique biological challenge, though. Most of our stressors aren’t acute or life threatening. Oftentimes, in fact, our greatest stressors are fabricated in our heads. We’re stressed about being embarrassed or rejected. We’re stressed about things that are over and done with or things that haven’t happened (and may not happen).

We stress in a long-term, less tangible way. Stress is no longer: see bear, run or fight bear. Now, stress is: I have to do a presentation, but I don’t have all the information I need because Joe didn’t get it to me, and what if I pick the wrong slides, or what if I sweat through my shirt, and what if they don’t like me or I fail, and what if we lose the entire account because my ideas are no good, oh and by the way, I’ll have to run to my son’s soccer game but I forgot to pack his team snack, and my wife and I aren’t on the same page about saving our finances, and dang, I really want to go on vacation.

Did that inner monologue sound familiar? Maybe you even got stressed out reading it.

We all have stressful thoughts. But spiraling into a “stress monologue” can actually alert your sympathetic nervous system and put you into a perpetual fight or flight response. So, you put your mind and body into overdrive long-term, which is can cause serious health concerns.

Short-term impacts of stress include:

  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Anxiety
  • Sadness or depression
  • Restlessness
  • Lack of motivation or focus
  • Muscle tension
  • Irritability or anger
  • Appetite changes (overeating or under-eating)

Long-term health impacts of stress are linked to:

There’s no doubt that stress is a serious health problem. Stress can even alter the expression of your genes, putting you at risk for disease and illness.

But it’s not actually the stressor that’s causing your health problems. Stress is completely internal. We can either let stress seep in and impact our health… or we can choose not to. If we don’t spiral into that stress monologue, our bodies won’t have that physical response.

Introducing “stress resiliency.”

What is stress resiliency?

Stress resiliency refers to how well you can respond to and cope with stress. It says whether you freak out or laugh it off. It determines how long you feel stressed, what you think about the stress, and how you handle people and situations around you.

Stress resiliency is the top predictor for mortality. Basically, if you stress more, your risk of dying early increases drastically. If you acknowledge stress and let it go, you’re more likely to live a healthier, longer life.

“Stress resiliency” has four main factors:

  1. The stressful event
  2. The external coping resources available to us
  3. The inner coping resources we’ve learned
  4. How we mentally mold the stress

(Psst… The final two factors are the greatest predictors for mortality and longevity. You’ll see why.)

  1. Stress event: Some stressors are more “stressful” than others. For example, the loss of a spouse is probably more stressful than running late for a work meeting. In general, long-term, “heavier” stress generally puts the individual at a higher risk for health complications.

Regardless, no matter the type of stress, the impact on health comes down to your personal coping mechanisms to respond to that stressor. If you easily get stressed every day, you’ll have worse health than someone who can grieve or stress in an effective way.

  1. External coping resources: Research shows that having strong social support can enhance stress resiliency. In opposition, poor social support can actually worsen your response to stress. In fact, a lack of social support may even modify the epigenetic expression of your genes! The feeling of loneliness can actually enhance stress and worsen the ability to respond to everyday stressors, often leading to psychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and Alzheimer’s disease.
  2. Internal coping resources: However, stress resiliency is not really about what others can do for you. Studies show that how you internally manage your stress is more important. Typically, these internal resources are learned mechanisms that you’ve gathered throughout your life.

For example, Joe sees his parents handle financial stress by fighting about it. Alex sees his parents handle stress by going on vacation for the weekend (leaving Alex with the grandparents). Joe is taught that arguing is the only way to cope with stress, but Alex sees a weekend away as the solution. They’ll likely take these coping mechanisms into their adult years as well.

But it’s not all about your childhood and parents, either. Throughout your life, you’ve handled stress in different ways. Some ways have worked for you. Others haven’t. The coping mechanisms you’ve been “rewarded for” start to get engrained in your brain.

A lot of us don’t have strong internal coping resources. That’s where a major part of the problem comes in. We’ve been (accidentally) taught that we should respond to stress with anger, frustration, sadness, or other negative emotions. We’re taught that stress is evil, so we have to respond by curling into a ball to protect ourselves from it.

That’s where the fourth factor comes in. Changing the way we view stress can improve and enhance our internal coping mechanisms.

  1. Mental molding: This is my favorite part about stress resiliency. The way you view stress is actually the most important factor in how you’ll respond.

Everyone experiences stress. But the people who embrace it, rather than ignore it or let it overcome them, actually see the greatest response. Individuals who see stress as a challenge, not a threat, are actually more productive and motivated.

Here’s the proof that this matters:

  • A study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that people who believed stress had a negative impact on their health had a 43% increased risk of death. Those who experienced stress but didn’t see the effects as negative were least likely to die compared to others in the study.
  • A study published in the European Heart Journal found an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in participants who perceived stress as negative. Repeated results in another study.
  • A two-part study looked at adults’ “affect reactivity” to stress (how they respond to stress). The results showed that negative affective reactivity—an inability to respond positively to stress—had a significant association with mortality risk, more so than even experiencing the stress itself.

Where does this link come from?

Researchers aren’t exactly sure yet why a negative response to stress increases mortality risk while a positive response to stress may actually decrease it.

The two theories to answer this question involve sleep and energy movement.

First, people who don’t know how to handle their stress generally have a worsened quality and quantity of sleep. The brain is consciously and subconsciously worrying and stressing, which interrupts the calmness that’s required for sleep. When sleep goes awry, so does everything else. Your body uses sleep to reset everything including the immune, endocrine, and nervous systems.

But people who know how to handle stress are more likely to have effective coping mechanisms. They might meditate or workout or indulge in fun hobbies to release some of the stress. These healthy stress relievers can improve calmness, regulate hormones, and encourage quality sleep—all of which contribute to improved health and wellbeing. Certain coping mechanisms, like working out, actually make you healthier too!

The second theory is the way energy is translated. Stress creates a buildup of energy in your body. That agitated, restless feeling you get when stressed because your hormones are surging and your blood is racing. This physical response of energy can actually be productive if channeled effectively.

If you think this energy is negative, it will have nowhere to go—so it’ll start to eat away at your health. But if you see this energy is positive, you can actually use it to be more productive, creative, and action-oriented. You can utilize that energy for work or exercise, for example, to actually enhance your results.

Basically, stress can be incredibly useful and can even improve your health—when you think it’s useful.

How to enhance stress resiliency

Let’s go backwards through the four factors of stress resiliency to deepen and develop your response to stress from the inside out.

1. Train your brain.

Stress resiliency is about embracing and managing stress, not about avoiding or reducing it. So step one is training your brain to view stress as healthy.

Every time you have a stress response, it leaves an imprint on your brain so you can handle that stress in the future. This is called “stress inoculation,” where you get a mental vaccine to that stressor. Your brain actually grows and changes from the experience.

That’s why astronauts, athletes, emergency responders, and Navy SEALs all have to go through rigorous stress training. They’re put through physical and mental stress, because it hardens them to other stressors they might see in the field.

It’s time to recognize that stress isn’t against you. It’s there to help you grow. So when you start to feel that anxious, stressed out feeling, take control of your thinking. Follow this mindset process:

  • Where is the stress coming from? What is the stressor?
  • Why are you feeling so stressed out? Are you anxious about the past or future?
  • Where is the stress in your body? Do you feel it in your head, your heart, your stomach? (This brings you into the physical sensation of the stress.)
  • What can you do right now to calm those nerves? Think about your coping mechanisms.
  • Consider what you could learn from this stressor. Why is this challenge put in front of you, and how can you grow from it?

Remember- the only people without stress are under ground!

2. Develop healthy stress management habits.

Now that you’re training your brain to see stress as positive, it’s time to update your internal coping mechanisms. It’s important to develop healthy reactions to stress, so you can have easy go-to methods to calm your brain and body when amidst the chaos.

For example, you may have built up resiliency to the daily stress of your job, but you don’t know how to mentally handle the death of your beloved pet. You want to stress management tools in your belt that you can utilize when new, unexpected stressors arise.

Remember that stress is still physical. So even if you’ve got the mental side down to a science by embracing stress, you’ll still want an arsenal of healthy internal coping mechanisms that can help regulate your stress hormones.

The best internal coping resource is actually laughter. Social studies show that people who can “laugh off” tension generally have a higher resiliency to stress. This isn’t always easy to do, and it often requires a major mindset shift. When you run into a traffic jam, look for the silver lining (like you’ll miss the first five minutes of that super boring meeting). When you and your partner are in a fight, drop the anger and get a little playful. Focusing on fun can help you redirect how your brain naturally responds to stress.

By the way, throwing a smile on your face actually makes you happier. Even if you’re not feeling amazing, smiling signals your brain to release “feel good” chemicals, so you’ll actually start to feel better!

Other ways to manage stress include:

If you are struggling to figure out your internal coping mechanisms, consider talking to a professional. Therapists are trained to figure out what makes you tick, so you can find stress management tools that will work for you.

3. Get social support.

You want to surround yourself with people who care about you, support you, and love you. Interestingly, though, “social support” isn’t actually what it might sound like. You shouldn’t surround yourself with people who are just there to make you feel better or let you wallow in your stress. You want “support” in that they push you and challenge you. Your social support should give you tough love and encourage you to channel your stress into something positive.

There’s another type of social support that works well: giving social support. One study looked at the link between stressful events and assisting others. They found that going through a major stress event increased a participant’s risk of death by 30%. But there was no increase risk of death in participants who frequently helped others or gave to their community—even if they dealt with high levels of stress. The researchers concluded that helping others could actually reduce stress and mortality rates.

The goal here is to get out of your own mind and into the beauty of relationships. You want to surround yourself with people who will comfort and challenge you, while being grateful for the people you have in your life. You also want to channel your stress to become a beacon of light for others. Giving is the best way to receive.

4. Know your stressors.

The first factor of stress resiliency is just the stressor itself. Different people have different stressors that elicit different reactions. For example, you might get really stressed by traffic but not by being late. Or you might be constantly stressed about your kid or your boss or your weight, but your wife is always stressed about money.

It’s important to acknowledge what makes you stressed, so you can learn to embrace these moments. It’s not about avoiding traffic or quitting your job. You just want to understand where your stress comes from, so you can start to focus your energy on how to better embrace those areas of your life. You can then direct your internal coping mechanisms effectively.

5. Focus on your health.

There’s a fifth method to consider… your health! Stress can worsen your health—but poor health can also stress out your body. If your hormones are out of whack, it’s easier to let stress seep in.

For example, low testosterone can actually worsen stress. The symptoms of low testosterone include fatigue, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, depression, weight gain, and a loss of muscle mass. These symptoms can all make your mind and body more stressed, which can send you into a “stress spiral.”

For example, if you’re not sleeping, your body doesn’t have time to produce testosterone and clear our cortisol—so you end up with an even worse imbalance of low T and high cortisol. The higher your cortisol, the more you’ll feel those physical effects of stress. Check out these 5 easy ways to balance your hormones.

Pregnenolone is the “building block” hormone. It’s the hormone used to create all other hormones—including both testosterone and cortisol. When the pregnenolone isn’t being used to create testosterone, there’s more available to create cortisol. So keeping your testosterone high is also a great way to keep your cortisol to a minimum. Oh, and by the way, some research shows that strong testosterone levels are linked to longer lifespans. Get more info about testosterone here.

You are resilient

Stress resilience is a direct predictor of mortality. How you respond to stressful situations has a greater impact on your health and mortality than even exposure to stress on its own. A negative view of stress can lead to a number of health problems in both the short- and long-term, eventually leading to early death. But seeing stress as an exciting challenge to overcome may actually improve your mental and physical health.

So how do YOU see stress?

Is your stress going to make you or break you? Are you going to grow or perish?

Are YOU ready to transform your health?

With our high performance health program, I use testing and analysis to look at your genetic makeup and epigenetic expression to understand exactly how your body is working today. Together, we then create a personalized lifestyle plan, one variable at a time, to bring your body into its peak state.

Want more tips to optimize your health and testosterone?

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Tracy Gapin, MD, FACS – Board Certified Urologist in Sarasota, High Performance Health Expert and Founder of www.GapinInstitute.com