Top Health Tests Every Man Needs in 2021

TOP health tests every man needs in 2021 | Gapin institute
men's health tests Gapin Institute

With medical advice constantly changing, it can be a real challenge to keep track of all the tests you should be getting. And you can’t always rely on your primary physician because they tend to only run rudimentary screenings like cholesterol and glucose. 

If you want to optimize your health in the coming year and regain your vitality, you’ll need to move beyond the basics. To help men safeguard their health, we’ve gathered a list of ten cutting-edge health tests every man should consider getting in 2021.

1. DNA

Top Health Tests Every Man Needs in 2021

Health is no longer a one-size-fits-all field. In order to improve your health, your energy, and your longevity, you need to take an individualized, systems-based approach. That means taking a peak at your body’s own blueprint and the best way to do that is through DNA testing.

DNA testing is conducted via a mouth swab, hair sample, or blood test. According to the National Institutes of Health, genetic testing can be used to predict your risk of developing up to 2,000 hereditary diseases and conditions.[1] Such testing enables people to detect hereditary diseases well ahead of the curve, before symptoms have even begun to develop.

When most people think about their genes, they think about factors that are beyond their control, but that is simply not the case. According to the concept of epigenetics, lifestyle factors can dramatically alter how your genes are expressed. Think of it like this—if your genes are the notes of a song, your lifestyle factors are the musicians who emphasize certain notes over others. Just like the same song can sound different when another musician does a cover, the expression of your genes can be significantly altered depending on your diet, health habits, and activity level.

The key thing to remember is that no two people are identical and so no two health plans should be identical either. Only DNA testing will allow you to follow a comprehensive, data-driven health plan (including nutritional guidance) designed for your specific needs. 

2. Epigenetic (Biologic) Age

They say age is just a number, and to some extent that is true. We’ve all heard stories of people in their 60’s and 70’s running marathons, swimming oceans, or hiking mountains. On the other hand, we’ve also heard of people who “prematurely aged” themselves because of bad habits like smoking, drinking, poor diet, poor sleep or a sedentary lifestyle. Clearly, when it comes to both types of people, the age on their driver’s license doesn’t tell the whole story.

What if you could take a test that told you where you stood age-wise in terms of your biology, not your chronology? Turns out, there is such a test.

Calculating someone’s biological age relies on that concept of epigenetics we just discussed. Your genes are turned on or off through the process of DNA methylation. Methylation simple means your DNA has been chemically modified—it doesn’t change your DNA sequence but it does alter how your genes are expressed. There are specific areas of your DNA sequence (or genome) that tend to show increased methylation with age and others that show decreased methylation. You can therefore detect someone’s biological (or epigenetic) age by testing the amount of methylation occurring at these thousands of sites across their genome. The result gives you a good idea of how old your body feels rather than how old it actually is.

Once you know your biological age, you will be better able to predict your susceptibility to certain diseases. In fact, a recent study found that, for some diseases, biological age is a better measure of a person’s health than chronological age.[2] Amongst a group of 70 year olds, the study found that those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease had a significantly lower biological age score. And another study conducted over the course of 20 years found that people with a higher biological age were more likely to die.[3]

3. Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)

In recent years, beloved morning news anchor Al Roker revealed that he had recently been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer for men and although prostate exams can help catch the cancer early, an even better approach is a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA). 

PSA is a protein produced by the prostate gland. Elevated PSA levels in the blood serve as an early warning signal of prostate cancer. In fact, it was a PSA test that enabled doctors to catch Al Roker’s cancer early, before it had time to produce symptoms.[4] For this reason, in 2018 the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended that all men over the age of 55 should discuss PSA testing with their doctor.[5]

4. Thyroid Hormones

Your thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland that does a lot of heavy lifting. Located near the bottom of your throat, the thyroid helps your body regulate many of its vital processes, including metabolism, heart rate, temperature and mood.

The thyroid accomplishes this job by producing two major hormones: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). If your thyroid isn’t producing enough of these hormones, you have hypothyroidism. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain, and depression. On the other hand, if your thyroid is producing too much of these hormones, you have hyperthyroidism. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include tremors, poor sleep, weight loss, and anxiety.

Although thyroid disorders are common, they often go undiagnosed. According to the American Thyroid Association, an estimated 20 million Americans suffer from some form of thyroid disorder.[6] Unfortunately, 60% are unaware they have a thyroid issue, or have been incorrectly diagnosed with another health condition that mimics hypo- or hyperthyroidism.

Most conventional doctors screen for thyroid issues via a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test. But a more accurate diagnosis is achieved when the test also measures Free T3 and Free T4. If you are suffering from symptoms of fatigue, unexplained weight gain/loss, and high anxiety or depression, it is time to get your thyroid hormones tested.

If a test does reveal you have a thyroid issue, treatment is fairly straightforward. Thyroid disorders are typically managed through a combination of medication, hormone replacement therapy and lifestyle changes, including the avoidance of caffeine, improved diet, and stress reduction.

Testosterone | Gapin Institute

5. Free Testosterone

Over the last three decades, low testosterone has become a global pandemic. Experts now estimate that 1 in 4 men over the age of 30 is low in this vital hormone.[7] 

Although low testosterone is associated with low sex drive and erectile dysfunction, it also produces a number of other health issues, including weight gain (especially around the midsection), loss of muscle mass, loss of bone mass, hair loss, fatigue, irritability, and poor mental focus.

Testosterone is assessed via a blood test. Once secreted, testosterone travels in your blood in two forms. The first type either binds with albumin (a type of blood protein) or molecules known as sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). The second type—called “free testosterone”—doesn’t bind to anything and remains bioavailable for your body’s use. 

Uninformed doctors often make the mistake of measuring total testosterone, but it is pretty worthless. What you want is a measure of “free testosterone.” Free testosterone is the bioavailable form of testosterone, meaning this test lets you know how much testosterone is currently available in your bloodstream. 

Conventional labs define the lower limit of “normal” testosterone to be anywhere from 250 to 350 ng/dL. But when it comes to testosterone, there is a VERY wide gap between normal and optimal levels. For this reason, many men who have testosterone levels that are low but still within the “normal” range would greatly benefit from testosterone treatment. 

If you are diagnosed with low testosterone, there are a variety of treatment plans available. These include hormone replacement therapy, identifying underlying health issues that may be causing the low testosterone, and lifestyle changes. Before starting any testosterone treatment, read this article to identify important questions you should discuss with your doctor.

vitamin d gapin institute

6. Vitamin D Level

Nearly every cell in your body uses vitamin D, making it a key factor in optimal health. Often called the “sunshine vitamin,” in truth it isn’t a vitamin at all. It’s actually a steroid hormone that either comes from your diet or is produced when your bare skin is exposed to ultraviolet B sunlight. 

It is estimated that a whopping 42% of Americans have a vitamin D deficiency! And this rate is even higher among African Americans and Latinos, those over the age of 65, and those who suffer from chronic health conditions like obesity, celiac disease, and chronic kidney or liver disease.[8]

In men, low levels of vitamin D are associated with a whole host of health issues, including erectile dysfunction, an enlarged prostate, weight gain, heart disease, bone weakness, low energy, and mood swings.[#] The good news is that if a vitamin D deficiency is detected, it is easily treated with diet and/or supplements (with a safe upper limit of 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily).[9]

7. Folate (Vitamin B9)

Vitamin B9, also called folate or folic acid, is another vital nutrient. B9 helps with cell division and growth and is necessary for the methylation process described earlier. As a result, it is essential for detoxification, hormone balance, the function of nerve cells and male/female fertility. 

Fatigue is the dominant symptom of too little B9. Pregnant women are highly susceptible to a B9 deficiency, but so too are people who suffer from digestive disorders like Celiac or Crohn’s disease, or those who have had gastrointestinal surgery.

Note that the terms “folate” and “folic acid” are often used interchangeably, but there are important differences. Folate is the natural, water-soluble version of B9, whereas folic acid is the manmade version.[11] Because the synthetic version is more shelf-stable, folic acid is often used in fortifying processed foods like cereals and breads. For most people, consuming folate and folic acid have the same effect. However, an estimated 15% of Caucasians and 25% of Latinos have a MTHFR gene mutation that prevents them from converting folic acid into usable folate.[12] 

If a blood test reveals you are low in vitamin B9, there are two routes of treatment. First is diet—when you think of folate, think foliage. Folate-rich foods include dark leafy greens like spinach, collard greens, and bok choy. Organ meats, especially the liver, is another good food source. 

The second option is a supplement, but because of the potential MTHFR gene mutation, it is best to use the most bioavailable form of folate, which is MTHF (or L-methylfolate). Your doctor will provide a recommended dose based on your tests results.

8. Advanced Lipid Panel

Chances are you’ve probably had your cholesterol checked by your primary physician at some point. If so, they likely ran a “standard lipid panel”—a fasting blood test that assesses your levels of HDL, LDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. However, more and more evidence now points to the importance of getting an “advanced lipid panel” to gain a deeper understanding of your cardiovascular risks.

Cholesterol refers to a yellow, waxy fat that travels through your bloodstream in tiny, protein-covered particles called lipoproteins. The high-density lipoproteins (HDL) are known as “good cholesterol” because they remove cholesterol from your arteries and dump it into your liver to be excreted. The low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are known as “bad cholesterol” because they deliver cholesterol to your arteries which can result in artery-clogging plaque. When too much plaque builds up in your arteries, you are at a greater risk for heart attacks and strokes.

An advanced lipid panel goes beyond the basics in two ways. First, it doesn’t just assess the amount of each cholesterol but also the lipid particle count and size. Think of lipoprotein particles as little taxis that shuttle fat through your arterial highway. A standard test would tell you how many fat passengers are in those taxis, but an advanced test also examines how many taxis there are and how big they are. This information is helpful because some people do not have a lot of overall LDL cholesterol, but they do have a lot of little lipid particles, with each particle carrying a small amount of cholesterol.[13] Consider this—you don’t need several big buses full of fat to cause a traffic jam, you can also get one with a bunch of half-filled taxis. Having a greater number of small lipid particles makes it easier for the cholesterol to attach to the arterial walls and form plaque, but a standard lipid panel would miss this red flag. 

Second, an advanced lipid panel typically includes an assessment of your apolipoprotein B (ApoB). The ApoB test assesses the concentration of sticky lipoproteins in your blood. The greater lipoprotein concentration you have, the more “sticky” your cholesterol is prone to be, which increases the risk of plaque development. As you might already suspect, ApoB tends to mirror the lipid particle count test mentioned above, but many experts believe ApoB is a better predictor of cardiovascular risk that particle count/size. It is also the case that each test is a better predictor for certain types of people. For these reasons, it’s a good idea to have both your particle count/size and ApoB tested, especially if heart disease runs in your family.

9. Inflammation Markers

Over the past two decades, the health field has made substantial progress in the understanding of inflammation and its link to disease. Although short-term, acute inflammation that occurs because of an infection or injury is a good thing, chronic, low-grade inflammation underlies an exhaustive list of health threats, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, dementia, arthritis, cancer and diabetes, just to name a few.[14]

Two critical blood tests are used to assess low-grade inflammation: hsCRP and homocysteine.

CRP stands for C-reactive protein. This protein, which is made by the liver, increases in the blood whenever there is bodily inflammation. Although you can test for CRP, a more powerful approach is to conduct a high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) test. The hsCRP test assesses inflammation specifically in the blood vessels and coronary arteries. This test is useful for identifying those prone to cardiovascular disease and also to help identify flare-ups in people with chronic inflammatory diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

According to the American Heart Association, your risk of developing heart disease is related to your hsCRP as follows:

  • Low risk: hsCRP lower than 1.0 mg/L
  • Average risk: hsCRP between 1.0 mg/L and 3.0 mg/L
  • High risk: hsCRP than 3.0 mg/L

Homocysteine is another useful marker for inflammation. Homocysteine is an amino acid, which means it is a chemical your body uses to make protein. In a healthy individual, vitamins B12, B6 and folate are used to break down homocysteine and transform it into more useful chemicals. 

When this process works correctly, there should be little residual homocysteine left in your blood. But if a blood test reveals high levels of homocysteine remaining, it is an indication that something is wrong. It could just mean you have a deficiency in B12, B6 and/or folate. Or it might be a hint that you have that MTHFR gene mutation discussed earlier which is why you are low in folate. But it could also mean you are at a higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease, stroke, or Alzheimer’s disease. There are no clear symptoms associated with high homocysteine, which is why getting it tested is so crucial.

Although both hsCRP and homocysteine are inflammatory markers, they are not related. If your blood work suggests you are high in either of these, you should consult a cardiologist who may suggest more tests and possibly medication. You should also consider adopting lifestyle factors known to reduce inflammation. These include eating an anti-inflammatory diet (like Paleo), losing weight, increasing exercise, improving your sleep, and quitting smoking. For more tips on how to reduce inflammation and slow the aging process, check out this article.

The Bottom Line

The men’s health tests I’ve discussed here are critical health indicators, and yet most conventional doctors fail to routinely screen them. To get these tests, you will need to either actively request that your doctor run them or seek out a functional medicine doctor who is more knowledgeable about these indicators. We offer all these tests with our clients at the Gapin Institute and most within our G1 Performance Health program. The bright side is that all of these tests have fairly straightforward solutions. But in order to know what to do, you need to be armed with the right information.

50 Leaders Transforming Health & The Future of Medicine

Finding the best resources for upgrading your health can be a difficult task.  My goal is to help every man on the planet optimize his performance, testosterone, health, and life.   My passion is to help men thrive so they can be better fathers, husbands, leaders, and role models for future generations. 

To that end, I’ve launched the Male 2.0 Movement to tackle the testosterone epidemic and men’s health crisis we are experiencing. My goal is to help men overcome issues such as obesity, cognitive decline, metabolic syndrome, hormone imbalance, and aging. I’ve joined forces with other experts in the field to transform men’s lives and create long-term positive change for generations to come.

I want you to have access to everything you need to be the best man you can be, so I’ve gathered a list of the top 50 influencers who are optimizing men’s health.  These are thought leaders in the human optimization arena focused on transforming men’s lives. Listed alphabetically but not in any other order, each person addresses different challenges and has unique methodologies based in the latest research and science.  For those of you new to my blog, I’m also including how I’m contributing to this movement through my practice and unique Male 2.0 Method. 

About Tracy Gapin, MD

Dr. Tracy Gapin

Tracy Gapin, MD is a medical doctor and practicing surgeon tackling the Men’s health crisis and Testosterone epidemic. He is focused on helping men not just improve testosterone levels, but also upgrade energy level, focus, vitality, and performance, and actually reverse aging. In fact, he clearly believes men’s health is not just about testosterone optimization, but human optimization. 

His Male 2.0 method approaches health using epigenetic science and four key factors:  Mindset, Aging, Lifestyle, and Environment. Many men are challenged by symptoms caused from low testosterone.  However, you’ll have limited results if you are addressing testosterone without taking a more comprehensive approach, integrating solutions for other aspects of health as well, including sleep, mindset, nutrition, fitness, and detoxification. 

Using cutting-edge age management protocols, Dr. Gapin coaches Fortune 500 executives, entrepreneurs, and evolutionary leaders of business and high performance. He incorporates epigenetic coaching, hormone optimization, peptide therapy, state-of-the-art biometric monitoring, and nutrition and lifestyle intervention to provide men a personalized path to optimizing health & performance.

Hear more on Dr. Gapin’s men’s health podcast coming soon — Beyond Testosterone.

50 Health Optimization Leaders Transforming Men’s Health

Boomer Anderson is the founder of Decoding SuperHuman and a leader in genetic technology.  He thought he was in good health at 30— already using biohacking, working out and eating clean.  But then he was diagnosed with heart disease.  He decided to use his genetic code and data to optimize his health and performance— and now helps others achieve superhuman results.  The Decoding Superhuman methodology provides an individualized approach to performance backed by science and data. It utilizes behavior change, performance analysis, and data technology to help clients achieve and sustain a high-performance life.  You can also check out his podcast in which he discusses a variety of topics such as sleep, environment, nutrition and behavior. https://decodingsuperhuman.com/

Dr. Peter Attia

Dr. Peter Attia is the founder of Attia Medical, a medical practice with offices in San Diego and New York City, focusing on the applied science of longevity. He applies nutritional biochemistry, exercise & sleep physiology, pharmacology, and four-system endocrinology to delay the onset of chronic disease, while simultaneously improving quality of life.   A trained physician whose career started in general and oncological surgery, he has shifted his focus to the applied science of longevity, the extension of human life and well-being. Peter is the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of the fasting app Zero and hosts a popular weekly podcast, The Drive, with topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more.  https://peterattiamd.com/

Dave Asprey

Dave Asprey is Bulletproof founder, CEO and Father of Biohacking whose “aha moment” happened on a trek in Tibet when he experienced the rejuvenation of yak butter tea.  Bulletproof is built on the science that helped Dave lose 100 pounds and hack his own biology to become a stronger, healthier person. Bulletproof products are backed by the ancient knowledge from Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine that transformed Dave’s life.  The Bulletproof line started with a focus on coffee but now offers a wide range of research-backed supplements and nutrition. https://www.bulletproof.com/

Dr. Axe

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, doctor of chiropractic and clinical nutritionist with a passion to help people with their health. He operates one of the world’s largest natural health websites, DrAxe.com.  Dr. Axe is the best-selling author of the groundbreaking heath book Eat Dirt and Keto Diet. His latest book, The Collagen Diet, is now available in stores. He worked with U.S. athletes at the 2012 Olympic games and has been featured on The Dr. Oz Show and Today Showhttps://draxe.com/

Dr. Jeffrey S. Bland

Dr. Jeffrey S. Bland is known as the “father of functional medicine.” Over the past thirty-five years, Dr. Bland has traveled more than six million miles, teaching more than a hundred thousand health-care practitioners in the United States, Canada, and more than forty other countries about functional medicine. He has been a university biochemistry professor, a research director at the Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine, the co-founder of the Institute for Functional Medicine in 1991, and the founder/president of the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute. He has authored more than one hundred scientific publications and ten books for health professionals and consumers. https://jeffreybland.com/

Ben Brown

Ben Brown, is the owner of BSL Nutrition, an online nutrition & fitness consulting business specializing in individualized nutrition, lifestyle, and strength training programs for highly driven busy men. He has masters degrees in Clinical Nutrition and Exercise physiology, but it was his own personal journey with chronic fatigue and Epstein-Barr Virus that inspired him to support others in removing common immune suppressing habits.  He works with both individuals and businesses, as well as consulting professional sports teams, including the Arizona Diamondbacks and Golden State Warriors. Although these are cool opportunities, he finds it more rewarding to work with regular day “Joes”: those who are struggling to find the balance between business and family to optimize their health. https://www.bslnutrition.com/

Jay Campbell

Jay Campbell is the founder of the TOT Revolution site and podcast, a leading resource in men’s health with a focus on hormones and optimizing health.  When Jay was 29, he was kicked in the testicles and has been receiving therapeutic testosterone since. Jay’s ultimate mission is to create resources for men to get the real and honest truth about using therapeutic testosterone.  He also founded www.menshealthcare.com as the premier online destination for patients to find the best vetted physicians in the USA. Jay has experience working with thousands of men in optimizing their nutrition and fitness. https://www.totrevolution.com/

Dr. Michael A. Dempsy

Dr. Michael A. Dempsy, is a seasoned physician with a busy general endocrinology practice, with a special emphasis on diabetes.  He has been actively involved in more than 150 diabetes related clinical trials since 2000 with research focusing on rapid and long acting insulin analogues as well as new oral or injectable glucose lowering therapies.  As your go-to resource for research and education on diabetes, he provides a unique perspective on the underlying causes, prevention, and treatment. http://www.thediabetesdoc.com/

Dr. Geo Espinosa

Dr. Geo Espinosa is a naturopathic doctor, acupuncturist and functional medicine practitioner recognized as an authority in holistic urology and men’s health. His thriving clinical practice focuses on conditions such as prostate cancer, pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction.  Dr. Geo is the author of the best selling prostate cancer book: Thrive, Don’t Only Survive.  Dr. Geo created XY Wellness (https://www.xywellness.com/) as a resource offering integrative programs, supplements, and education for men living with prostate cancer.  https://drgeo.com/

William (Bill) Faloon

William (Bill) Faloon has been researching anti-aging since the 1960’s and compiled the 1,500 page medical reference book Disease Prevention and Treatment and his latest book is Pharmocracy.   He argues that aging is the greatest affliction of humanity and that if people had the opportunity to live longer, many of society’s problems would disappear.  Holding a controversial stand, the federal government raided his facilities twice, initiated an 11-year criminal investigation, and threw him in jail in 1991! After several lawsuits, all claims and charges were revoked.  However, with more media coverage, he has been able to spread his scientifically- supported message of optimal health to hundreds of thousands of members and subscribers of Life Extension Magazine.  https://www.lifeextension.com/

Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss is someone most of us have heard of, but we couldn’t leave him off the list.  Tim Ferriss has been listed as one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and one of Fortune’s “40 under 40.” His mission is to help people hack their lives for optimal performance and health.  An author, speaker, and podcast host, Tim tests and experiments with ways to become superhuman and accelerate results in the least amount of time.  Known best for his first book, The 4-Hour Workweek, he has gone on to apply this 4 hour technology to fitness and cooking in additional books.  If you no longer want to be ruled by the belief that having a life you love requires a lot of time and effort, follow Tim Ferriss!  https://tim.blog/

Dr. Tracy Gapin

Dr. Tracy Gapin is a world renowned men’s health & performance expert, professional speaker, entrepreneur, and author of Male 2.0: Cracking the Code to Limitless Health and Vitality. He has over 20 years of experience focused on providing Fortune 500 executives, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and athletes a personalized path to optimizing their health and performance. Dr. Gapin incorporates precision hormone optimization, peptide therapy, state-of-the-art biometric tracking, epigenetic coaching, and cutting-edge age management protocols to help men not just optimize their testosterone levels but transform their health and vitality and reverse aging so they can be the most amazing version of themselves. As a renowned speaker, Dr. Gapin shares his signature talk with medical audiences and men’s health organizations: A Data-Driven Personalized Approach to Optimizing Men’s Health. Founder of the Gapin Institute for Men’s Health and the Male 2.0 Method, he is creating a meaningful impact for men’s health. https://drtracygapin.com/

Ben Greenfield

Ben Greenfield has been named one of the world’s top 100 most influential people in health and fitness, coaching the world’s top CEO’s and athletes.  A self-proclaimed science nerd, he built a brick-and-mortar fitness empire, wrote a bestselling book “Beyond Training” and now has an online blog and podcast that is top rated for his resources around biohacking, health, and fitness. As founder and CEO of Kion, Ben now creates step-by-step solutions for the world’s active, high-achievers to live a full life with optimized minds and bodies.  https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/

Dr. Jeffrey Gladden

Dr. Jeffrey Gladden is a board certified interventional cardiologist and founder of Apex Health, Human Performance & Longevity Optimization. Though interventional cardiology had been his calling and livelihood for the 25 years, Dr. Gladden knew he needed a change for the sake of his own health and that of his family when, in his mid-fifties, his health took a turn for the worse. When modern medicine couldn’t help him, he threw himself into learning everything he could about functional medicine, bio-identical hormone replacement and age management medicine. This led to diagnosing his own subclinical hypothyroidism.  With changes in diet based on genetics and gut biome data, he began to feel more youthful again. He is now committed to sharing his knowledge with others through consulting and as co-host of the podcast, “Living Beyond 120”. https://livingbeyond120.com/

David Goggins

David Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world’s top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events, inspiring Outside Magazine to name him “The Fittest (Real) Man in America.”  But David doesn’t care about metals and accolades, rather it is about achieving his personal best and pushing himself well past his comfort zone. For him, physical and mental suffering are a journey of self-discovery and no other experience makes him feel more clear, focused, and alive. In his book Can’t Hurt Me, he shares his astonishing life story and reveals that most of us only tap into 40% of our capabilities.  He illuminates a path that anyone can follow to push past pain, demolish fear, and reach their full potential. https://davidgoggins.com/

Aubrey de Grey

Aubrey de Grey is an English author and biomedical gerontologist.  As the Chief Science Officer of the SENS Research Foundation and VP of New Technology Discovery at AgeX Therapeutics, his mission is to reduce death from age-related causes through regenerative medicine.  Dr. Grey has identified seven types of molecular and cellular damage and provides access to therapies that can repair this damage. He has been interviewed as an expert on anti-aging in top media outlets like 60 Minutes, The New York Times, and TEDhttps://www.sens.org/

Dr. Mickra Hamilton

Dr. Mickra Hamilton is Co-Founder and CEO of Apeiron Zoh and the Apeiron Academy.  She is also a retired Colonel and Human Performance Subject Matter Expert in the United States Air Force Reserves.  As a “Human Systems Designer,” and creative disruptor in the field of Epigenetic Human Performance Coaching, she creates a new paradigm for what is possible for human flourishing through a personalized systems-based precision approach.  Dr. Hamiltons speaks internationally on topics such as epigenetics of the human environment, performance breathing, conscious leadership, peak psychophysiological performance and stress optimization. In Apeiron’s R & D division, her current developments focus on 3-D soundscape/naturescape virtual reality programming and breath/heart/brain entrainment to  create beneficial shifts in states of consciousness. https://www.apeironzoh.com/

Bill Hanks

Bill Hanks left his career in engineering to open Cryo Recovery (now Huemn) in Houston,Texas after a personal health transformation using cryotherapy to reduce an inflammatory disease.  Cryotherapy works with the body’s natural systems to reduce inflammation and increase metabolism. An avid learner and researcher, he gathers the latest science from doctors, therapists, and scientists from around the world to find the best ways to address the human system from an engineering perspective.  His team now offers a variety of services to support the human body in healing without surgery or medication, but modalities such as light therapy and lymphatic drainage, in addition to whole and local cryotherapy. https://behuemn.com

Dr. Bob Harding

Dr. Bob Harding is an innovative physician who believes food is the best medicine and that optimizing your lifestyle for your genetic blueprint can create a healthy vibrant life.  In his medical practice, he saw chronic illness in the lives of people his own age and recognized a major contributing factor not addressed in conventional medicine:  lifestyle. Once working long stressful shifts as an ER doctor, he transformed his body from one struggling with obesity, relentless heartburn and pre-diabetes, to a slim (losing 40 pounds) physique with no more symptoms.  Not only did Dr. Harding use low-carb eating, specific supplements, stress reduction, and hormone optimization to create these drastic shifts, he also addressed another missing component: mindset. Shifting the narrative of how he sees his own life has been key to success on his journey.  He now helps his clients reach their human potential by working with them to develop Personalized Human Optimization Programs to fit their goals.  https://drbobharding.com/

Sam Harris

Sam Harris is the author of five New York Times best sellers and has published work in top outlets like The New York Times, Time, Scientific American and The Economist. His writing and public lectures cover a wide range of topics—neuroscience, moral philosophy, religion, meditation practice, and human violence,—but generally focus on how a growing understanding of ourselves and the world is changing our sense of how we should live. He also hosts the Making Sense Podcast, in which he explores the most important questions about the human mind, society and current events.  As an avid meditation advocate, Sam has created the Waking Up Course for anyone who wants to learn to meditate in a modern, scientific context.  https://samharris.org/

Dr. Mark Hoch

Dr. Mark Hoch has a background in biological sciences, neurobiology and behavior. He instinctively knew that so much was missing in healthcare education and his mission has been to discover and master diagnosis and health optimization on all levels of human health.  This includes the physical (biochemistry, hormones and biomechanics), emotional, mental, social, environmental and spiritual aspects of what it means to be fully human. He is now bringing all that experience to health programs for you through the Apeiron Center for Human Potential.  There he offers an integrated model of modern medicine and the latest cutting edge genetic science to infinitely expand human capacity. https://www.apeironcenter.com/

Chad Howse

Chad Howse is the founder of Chad Howse Fitness and Average 2 Alpha with a mission to motivate and inspire men to be the best man they can be.  By incorporating what he has dubbed, “The Man Diet”, he is fighting the epidemic that leaves men impotent, unable to build muscle or burn fat, lethargic, and depressed: low testosterone.  His sites provide resources on relationships, health, and fitness addressing the common challenges the modern man faces. http://chadhowsefitness.com/

Dr. Mark Hyman

Dr. Mark Hyman, believes that we all deserve a life of vitality and is dedicated to tackling the root causes of chronic disease by harnessing the power of Functional Medicine to transform healthcare. Dr. Hyman is a practicing family physician, a ten-time #1 New York Times bestselling author, and an advocate in his local communities for better nutrition and health.  “Your fork is the most powerful tool to transform your health and change the world, ” he says. He is a contributor to The Huffington Post and has been featured as an expert on many media outlets such as the Today Show, Good Morning America and The Dr. Oz Show.  His podcast, “A Doctor’s Pharmacy” provides expert interviews and education on the latest trends and research in Functional Medicine.  He also provides various weight loss programs and supplements. https://drhyman.com/

Chris James

Chris James began his journey outdoors foraging medicinal and edible plants, hiking, hunting and camping in the woods as a child.  After a serious job accident that resulted in numerous traumatic injuries, he began to research ways to heal himself and make his body and mind operate at peak levels.   Soon thereafter, optimal health and performance through biohacking and ancestral health became his biggest passion and he founded PrimalHacker: a comprehensive resource for athletes, executives and entrepreneurs to perform better, feel better and live longer.  “Sitting is the new smoking,” Chris says. Since most people sit behind a desk for work, he’s helping people offset that with lifestyle changes involving technology, diet, movement and various other cutting edge therapies. https://primalhacker.com/

Dr. Anthony G. Jay

Dr. Anthony G. Jay, is the President and CEO of AJ Consulting Company. Dr. Jay has specialized in researching viruses and their inhibitors connected to fatal diseases such as HIV and Alzheimer’s disease. This has led him to his current work at Mayo Clinic in doing advanced research, epigenetics, and infrared light.  Dr. Jay is a bestselling author of Estrogeneration, a book that identifies specific artificial estrogens in our everyday environment and educates the reader on ways to take their health back.  His website provides resources and recommendations on how to reduce estrogenic exposure and optimize health with DNA analysis and biohacking. https://www.ajconsultingcompany.com/

Dr. David Jockers

Dr. David Jockers is a doctor of natural medicine, functional nutritionist, and corrective care chiropractor. His mission is to empower people with science based solutions to have a healthy and vibrant lifestyle.  He offers revolutionary online programs, recipe guides, meal plans and video instructions such as “The Sugar Detox,”  and “The Cancer Cleanse” to name a few.   Dr. Jockers speaks around the country on topics such as weight loss, brain health, functional exercise, natural detoxification and disease prevention.  He also sees patients from all over the world at his Georgia clinic, Exodus Health Center, where he helps customize specific lifestyle plans to improve performance and live with less pain and more energy.  https://drjockers.com

Dr. Isaac Jones

Dr. Isaac Jones has been named “the doctor of the future” and is a functional health expert and chiropractor who is passionate about helping executives and entrepreneurs access high performance through human potential healthcare. He and his wife, Erica, own one of the largest virtual health consulting companies in the world. He uses cutting-edge strategies such as lifestyle genetics, cellular detoxification and advanced customized nutrition solutions to create transformational results for his clients.  His clinically proven strategies create amazing results in his 6 month programs- with an average of 3x increase in energy, 2x of productivity, and an average of an 80% reversal of common disease promoting factors. https://elevays.com/

Dr. Sandra Kaufmann

Dr. Sandra Kaufmann has been recognized as “Best in Medicine” by the American Health Council.  She has an avid interest in the science of anti-aging and utilizes her knowledge in cell biology, human pharmacology and physiology to curb the effects of time on the human body.  She knows that while aging cannot be stopped entirely, with today’s science we can vastly decelerate the process with the Kaufmann Protocol. The Protocol organizes these various theories of cellular aging into seven tenets: DNA, Cellular Energy, Cellular Pathways, Quality Control, Immune System, Individual Cells, and Waste Management.  She offers both a book and now an app that allows the user to select from several pre-made, well tested regimens scientifically designed to address specific medical concerns. https://www.kaufmannprotocol.com/

Daniel Kelly

Daniel Kelly is a writer and entrepreneur who is extremely passionate about men’s health and fitness. Daniel is a leading European authority for men under 35 on testosterone optimization therapy, fitness training, mindset and men‘s health. He believes that health is not something that‘s given to you – it’s something you have to work at.  With a shift in societal and environmental norms in the last few decades, he helps men transform their approach to health and fight against the factors that degrade their bodies. He is the author of “Optimized Under 35” and you can also find additional resources at Optimized Army DanielKelly.eu

Dr. Farhan Khawaja

Dr. Farhan Khawaja aka “Doc Testosterone” is a professionally trained neuroscientist and health fitness educator. He specializes in developing state-of-the-art diet, lifestyle and fitness programs to naturally boost testosterone levels in men.  He is the creator of Aphro-D: a 100% natural formula consisting of 4 organic ingredients with scientifically-proven effects on male vitality. His Aphro D Academy provide workshops, videos, and articles to help men reclaim their masculinity and achieve peak sexual performance.  https://aphro-dacademy.com/

Pete Koch

Pete Koch is a fitness expert, retired NFL defensive end (Bengals, Chiefs and Raiders), Hollywood actor and Youtube host. His passion for helping people has propelled his decades long career as a fitness and motivation coach to celebrities, athletes and regular folks who want to look, move and feel their very best. Pete is expert at melding scientifically proven training methodologies with clinical experience and motivational talk to yield maximize results. He trains people of all ages and levels of physical condition to help them achieve their fitness, weight loss and overall health goals.  http://www.petekoch.com/

Dr. James Leonette

Dr. James Leonette is an award winning chiropractic physician and has been named “2018 Winner Circle Doctor of the Year” and “2017 Chiropractor of the Year” by The Masters Circle. Dr. Leonette has extensive education and training in medical and alternative medicine fields such as functional healing, epigenetics coaching, and nutritional therapies.  He is the founder of Alpha Emerged- a platform founded on providing individualized wellness solutions through 100% personalized strategies and recommendations plus in-depth coaching. From weight loss, to sex drvie, to mental clarity, Alpha Emerged addresses your most pressing concerns through advanced lab testing and genetic interpretation for maximum health results!  https://alphaemerged.com/

Dr. Jeffry Life

Dr. Jeffry Life is one of the healthiest and athletically fit 78 year olds in the world.  But it wasn’t always that way. At 59 he found himself overweight with achy joints and poor health.  After seeking expert support he became the Grand Champion in Bill Phillip’s 1998 Body-for-LIFE contest. But he started losing ground as he edged toward 63, losing muscle mass, energy, and his libido.  After applying Anti-Aging Medicine, within a couple weeks he became a vibrant, healthy and happy man. This became the catalyst that moved him from Family Medicine to healthy aging medicine.  He currently has a thriving practice in Charleston, West Virginia and has authored three books. He believes it is never too late, nor too early, to start living a healthier lifestyle and empowers his clients to achieve their fitness and health goals through his cutting-edge high touch programs.  https://www.drlife.com/

Dr. Bruce H. Lipton

Dr. Bruce H. Lipton is an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirituality. Dr. Lipton began his scientific career as a cell biologist. His research on muscular dystrophy and cloning human stem cells focused upon the molecular mechanisms controlling cell behavior.  Dr. Lipton started examining the principles of quantum physics and his research revealed that the environment controlled the behavior and physiology of the cell, turning genes on and off. His discoveries were a foreshadow of the science of epigenetics. With his deepened understanding of how the mind controls bodily functions, he now educates on leading-edge science and its connection with mind-body medicine and spiritual principles.  He is the bestselling author of The Biology of Belief and a recipient of the 2009 Goi Peace Award.  https://www.brucelipton.com/

Dr Ben Lynch

Dr Ben Lynch is the best-selling author of Dirty Genes and President of Seeking Health, a company that helps educate both the public and health professionals on how to overcome genetic dysfunction. As a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine working in environmental medicine he discovered the gap that epigenetics could fill and made it his mission to bring that cutting-edge science right into the doctor’s office through education and supplementation. If you’ve gotten your genetic challenges from websites like 23andMe and are massively confused by the wildly contradictory information, his StrateGene system can help.  It zeroes in on the genetic abnormalities that pose the greatest challenges in people’s health and then provides comprehensive plans for overcoming those challenges. He has quickly become the go-to guy on treating genetic abnormalities through diet, supplements, and lifestyle. https://www.drbenlynch.com/

Aubrey Marcus

Aubrey Marcus is the founder and CEO of Onnit, a lifestyle brand based on a holistic health philosophy he calls Total Human Optimization.  As an author of a New York Times bestselling book, “Own the Day, Own Your Life” and host of the Aubrey Marcus Podcast, Aubrey leads with vulnerability and honesty about several areas of life, with a focus on health, mindset, relationships (he is an open relationship with his fiance) and spirituality.  Aubrey is most passionate about the healing effects of psychedelic medicine, and speaks openly about his experiences with Ayahuasca as a pathway to personal transformation.  https://www.aubreymarcus.com/

Mike Matthews

Mike Matthews wants to revolutionize the fitness industry by debunking myths and providing science-backed techniques to create a healthy physique.  Mike had spent years scoring fitness magazines and following ‘trends’ but it wasn’t until he researched and applied the latest science that he got the lean and strong body he wanted.  His strength skyrocketed and his energy was through the roof all by spending less time in the gym, doing less cardio, and eating foods he actually liked!  “The real science of getting into incredible shape is very simple—much simpler than the fitness industry wants us to believe,” he says.  As author of Bigger, Leaner, Stronger and founder of Legion Athletics, his mission is to fight mainstream health and fitness pseudoscience and reform the sports supplement industry.   https://legionathletics.com/

Dr. Emeran Mayer

Dr. Emeran Mayer is a professor and director of multiple medicine departments at UCLA.  He is a world renowned gastroenterologist and neuroscientist with 35 years of experience in the study of clinical and neurobiological aspects of how the digestive system and the nervous system interact in health and disease.   His current research is on the role of the gut microbiota and brain interactions in emotion regulation, chronic pain and in obesity. His best selling book, “The Mind Gut Connection”, is a culmination of his study, sharing about the connection of the mind to mood and health.  https://emeranmayer.com/

Ben Pakulski

Ben Pakulski is an IFBB body builder and founder of the #1 Best selling muscle building program, MI40.  He also hosts the popular Muscle Intelligence Podcast and is an international speaker who educates audiences on the practical, scientific, and mental aspects of living a healthy and fit life.  In the gym, he helps his clients create a personalized approach to their goals with clear steps on how to achieve them. Ultimately, Ben wants to change the paradigm of muscle building: to encourage fitness enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds to approach their goals with introspection, mindfulness, and strategic thinking.  https://www.benpakulski.com/

Dr. Kirk Parsley

Dr. Kirk Parsley creator of Sleep Remedy is most known for his expertise in sleep medicine.  As a former Navy SEAL and Naval Medical Officer he consults and lectures worldwide on sleep, wellness, and hormonal optimization.  He has discovered that the most under-used tool in the world for enhancing performance is quality sleep. Doc Parsley’s Sleep Remedy is designed to restore commonly deficient nutrients associated with sleep through a proprietary blend that provides the body what it needs to aid the natural sleep cycle.  http://www.docparsley.com/

Sachin Patel

Sachin Patel is a father, husband, philanthropist, coach, author and speaker. He founded The Living Proof Institute as part of his own personal health transformation. Sachin’s philosophy is that “The doctor of the future is the patient.” He’s actively doing whatever it takes to keep people out of the medical system by empowering them through education, self-care, and remapping their mindset. He believes health begins at home. Sachin now coaches functional medicine practitioners around the world. Learn more at www.thesachinpatel.com

Dr. Rhonda Patrick

Dr. Rhonda Patrick is a groundbreaking researcher and scientist who is dedicated to the pursuit of longevity and optimal health. She shares the latest research on nutrition, aging, and disease prevention with her audience. Some of her frequently used topics include micronutrient deficiencies and the diseases of ages as well as the role of genetics in a person’s health status. She advocates for the importance of mindfulness, stress reduction, and sleep. It is Dr. Patrick’s goal to challenge the status quo and encourage the wider public to think about health and longevity using a proactive, preventative approach. https://www.foundmyfitness.com/

Dr. Joseph Raffaele

Dr. Joseph Raffaele is a researcher and educator of Age Management Medicine which helps advance innovative, evidence-based approaches to extending “healthspan”.  This entails keeping the body young and vital whatever its chronological age. Dr. Raffaele has created software that gives an analysis of biomarkers of aging and physiological age for each organ system and the body as a whole.  He is the co-founder of PhysioAge Medical Group, a national clinical practice that uses bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, individualized nutritional supplement programs, diet, and fitness strategies targeting the aging process.  He has appeared on the Today show, National Public Radio (NPR) and several other media outlets sharing his breakthrough technology.  http://drraffaele.com/

James Schmachtenberger

James Schmachtenberger realized early that his calling was to solve big problems.  Starting as an advocate and business owner in the medicinal cannabis industry, he got introduced to the science of ‘biohacking’ and started the Neurohacker Collective in 2015.  The idea is simple: build a global movement to upgrade human capacity and empower individuals to make good choices for their health. Neurohacker Collective offers leading information and top-of-the-line products for self-directed neurological optimization based in complex systems science.  Neurohacker Collective’s scientific approach focuses on supporting the body’s ability to self-regulate, rather than overriding regulatory systems with chemicals. The company began with a focus on psycho-affective products with the launch of their Qualia nootropic line but now offers various supplements and resources such as a podcast and blog. https://neurohacker.com/

Dr. David Sinclair

Dr. David Sinclair, named one of TIME magazine’s “100 most influential people in the world”, is a Harvard Medical School professor in the Department of Genetics and co-Director of their Center for the Biology of Aging.

He is best known for his work on understanding why we age and how to slow its effects through genetic, biophysical, and pharmaceutical approaches.

Dr. Sinclair is the co-founder of several biotechnology companies and his work is featured in five books, two documentary movies, and interviews like 60 Minutes. He is an inventor on 35 patents and has received more than 25 awards and honors for his cutting edge work. Check out what he is up to around genetics and anti-aging! https://genetics.med.harvard.edu/sinclair/people/sinclair.php

Dr. J. Richard Steadman

Dr. J. Richard Steadman is a retired sports medicine orthopaedic surgeon in Vail, Colorado, who specialized in knee injuries and disorders. He is the Founder of The Steadman Clinic, as well as the Founder of the Steadman Philippon Research Institute. Dr. Steadman is a renowned and award-winning innovator in the field of orthopaedic sports medicine. He is internationally known for the development of several advanced surgical procedures for the knee. His technique, the “package” is used to restore normal comfortable movement to a painful arthritic knee. He is also known for the “Microfracture” surgical procedure that can delay the need for more invasive procedures. As a result, Dr. Steadman and his clinic, have been sought out by professional athletes and public figures alike. https://www.thesteadmanclinic.com/

Dr. Daniel Stickler

Dr. Daniel Stickler is the Medical Director of Neurohacker Collective and cofounder of the Apeiron Zoh Inc. Disheartened by “sick care”, he believes the ideal solution for long term wellness is a holistic and allopathic approach.  After 10,000+ hours of research, he has found the answer to an optimal life:  the DNA code. But that doesn’t mean the solution is only genetic. Dr. Stickler says, “Only 20% of longevity is genetic. The rest is up to us. New research indicates the epigenetic clock can be impacted by what we do in our daily lives.” His latest research has informed the development of his Human Potential Medicine- an integrated, biospheric systems-approach that combines modern medicine with leading-edge genetic science.  https://www.apeironzoh.com/

Dr. Eric Topol

Dr. Eric Topol was voted “Most Influential Physician Executive in the US” in Modern Healthcare’s 2012 poll.  His specialty is in genomic and wireless digital innovative technologies that reshape the future of medicine. As a practicing cardiologist, he has led worldwide clinical trials to advance care for heart disease.  In the cardiac industry, his research has been the driving force behind a few discoveries. Those including how genes can increase susceptibility for heart attacks and how to use this knowledge to prevent blood clots. https://www.scripps.edu/faculty/topol/

Dr. Jean-François Tremblay

Dr. Jean-François Tremblay is one of the world’s leading experts on peptides. Jean-François studied Exercise Physiology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacy. Dr. Tremblay has been researching peptides and SARMS since the 90s. He is now a researcher at UQAM. His focus on peptides is on their practical applications in sports performance, anti-aging, and health in general. https://www.canlab.net/

Nelson Vergel

Nelson Vergel is a chemical engineer whose search for cutting-edge health resources started when he was diagnosed with HIV over 30 years ago during a time when HIV was a death sentence.  Through research, he quickly became a leading advocate in the health field as a long term survivor.  As an author, he has published multiple books on hormone management and healthy aging. His commitment is to provide integrative medicine education and resilience-building resources to as many men as possible. https://nelsonvergel.com/

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Anti-Aging Tips For Men

 

anti aging tips for menClose-up shot of a handsome young man with towel in his neck admiring looking at his face in the bathroom mirror.

Traditional doctors approach aging as something that is imminent, unavoidable, and uncontrollable. Their goal is to merely treat your age-related symptoms as they pop up, like a medical version of whack-a-mole. 

But I view aging VERY differently. 

Science has shown us that there’s a lot we can do to slow, and actually reverse, the course of your aging process. That’s because healthy aging is NOT about hitting the genetic jackpot. Instead, it’s about adopting preventative strategies that slow the cellular processes associated with aging, improve your immune system, prevent disease, and ultimately boost your sense of youth and vitality.

How Inflammation Impacts Aging

There’s one factor that dramatically speeds up the process of aging – inflammation. In fact, chronic inflammation underlies nearly every disease associated with aging, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, dementia, arthritis, cancer and diabetes, just to name a few.[1]

Chronic inflammation may not directly cause aging per se. Rather, it acts like gasoline, turning the normally smoldering embers of cellular degeneration into a raging fire that causes destruction throughout the body and brain. Inflammation wreaks havoc on your immune system, your gut health, your brain health and your mental wellbeing.

Unfortunately, our modern routines are riddled with factors that increase inflammation—from highly processed diets to a sedentary lifestyle to environmental toxins. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a few tweaks to your daily regimen, you can smother the flames of inflammation and be on your way to living a long, energetic, disease-free life.

How to Reduce Inflammation and Promote Healthy Aging

1. Eat for Life

If you are like most people, your major source of inflammation comes served on your dinner plate. Eating a typical American diet high in omega-6 poly-unsaturated fats (think canola oil, safflower oil, etc.) , highly-processed oils (think ‘partially hydrogenated’ anything), and refined sugars all directly promote inflammation and increases your risk of disease. Conversely, eating a healthy diet reduces inflammation, boosts your immune system, and protects you against both infectious and chronic diseases.

Let’s break down the three key pillars that form the basis of a healthy, anti-aging diet.

The first pillar involves choosing complex carbohydrates over simple ones.

Simple carbs are found in anything made with sugar, but they are also found in things we don’t consider sweet, like white bread, potatoes, pasta, white rice, pizza dough and pasta.

What makes simple (or refined) carbohydrates unique is that they’ve been stripped of all their fiber, bran, and nutrients. As a result, your body is able to quickly break them down into sugars, which sounds like a good thing but it isn’t. Eating simple carbs floods your system with sugar, resulting in body-wide inflammation

This sugar spike also triggers your pancreas to create a surge in insulin in order to clear the sugar from your bloodstream. But all that insulin makes you feel hungry again, which is why we tend to crave simple carbs rather than vegetables. 

Over time, this dramatic rise and fall in blood sugar causes you to overeat, gain weight (especially dangerous belly fat), and develop insulin resistance (i.e., type-2 diabetes). It also causes unhealthy fluctuations in your mood and energy levels. And if that isn’t bad enough, a diet high in simple carbs puts you at greater risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, depression and bipolar disorder.[2, 3]

Simple carbs are also dangerous because they produce a particularly nasty substance called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). AGEs are toxic molecules that form when protein or fat combines with the sugar in our bloodstream.[4

When AGEs accumulate, they form a sticky, inflexible substance that clogs our blood vessels and coats our major organs, sometimes resulting in organ failure. AGEs promote oxidative stress, which is a fancy way of saying they make our cells old before their time. Scientists are just starting to discover the ways in which AGEs drive age-related illnesses, but what is clear is that consuming a healthy diet is the main way to keep these toxic molecule levels low.[5]

Now trying to quit anything cold turkey is hard, so instead of just cutting out sugars and simple carbs, think about replacing them with complex carbs. 

  • Swap out sugary desserts with fresh fruit like strawberries or apples. 
  • Switch white bread with wheat or even better, a lettuce leaf. 
  • Opt for brown rice, lentils, or an ancient grain like amaranth or quinoa versus white rice.
  • Switch from regular pizza dough to a cauliflower crust. With a few creative tweaks to your diet, you are less likely to feel deprived and more likely to stick with your new eating habits.

The second pillar in an anti-aging diet is eliminating bad fats and incorporating good fats. In the 1980s, fat got a bad rap. Doctors argued that eating a diet high in fat skyrocketed cholesterol and caused heart disease. 

But experts now recognize this assumption was wrong. In truth, there are good fats and bad fats and a key to anti-aging is knowing the difference.

Generally, fats fall into these broad categories:

  • Trans fats: Trans fats are the worst kind of fats because they raise your LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides and lower your HDL (good cholesterol). For this reason, the FDA started banning trans fats in 2018, but they can still be found in some food sources, including vegetable shortening, fried fast foods, and some brands of microwave popcorn.
  • Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats: These are the fats found in oils such as safflower oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil, and most other oils that are used for cooking. Unfortunately, when you eat out at a restaurant, almost ALL of the foods are cooked using these oils. These fats stimulate your fat cells to produce cytokines, which are proteins that cause low-level, chronic inflammation. They have been linked to a number of age-related, inflammatory-based illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.
  • Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats: These are considered to be “heart-healthy” fats because they raise your HDL and lower your LDL, thereby protecting you against vascular diseases. These fats are found in fish, vegetables such as avocados, and healthy nuts.
  • Monounsaturated fats: These are also considered to be the most “heart-healthy” fats. They reduce inflammation, promote cellular efficiency, and protect you from vascular disease. These fats are found mostly in olive oil, and healthy nuts such as almonds and macadamia nuts.
  • Saturated fats: A diet high in saturated fats can increase your risk for developing heart disease and vascular disease, which is why most nutritionists recommend limiting saturated fats to no more than 10% of your daily fat intake.[6] Saturated fats are found in animal-based foods such as red meat, cheese, and dairy, as well as plant-based oils like coconut and palm oil. These oils are also commonly used in commercially produced baked goods like boxed cookies and crackers.

Both are types of the polyunsaturated fats (omega-3 and omega-6) are considered “essential fats” which means the body requires them for normal functioning. Our body doesn’t naturally produce these fats, which means the only way to get them is through our diet. But an important distinction is that omega-6s are pro-inflammatory and omega-3s are anti-inflammatory.

Omega-6 fats, like soybean oil, are far cheaper which means they are more likely to appear in processed foods. And since processed foods make up a significant proportion of the American diet, we as a nation are consuming too many omega-6s and not enough omega-3s. 

The recommended ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in 4:1, but the Western diet ratio is more like 10:1 or even 50:1![8] This imbalance increases body-wide inflammation and negatively alters cell-membrane health.

To correct this imbalance, try to reduce the amount of omega-6s in your diet and boost the omega-3s. An excellent way to do this is to follow the World Health Organization’s recommendation to consume two servings of oily fish per week. 

In fact, research shows people who eat seafood 1-4 times per week are less likely to die of heart disease or strokes.[9] You can also stock up on flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, avocados, and grass-fed beef, which are all high in omega-3s.

Excessive saturated fats also promote inflammation, weight gain, and ultimately aging. Depending on your genetics (remember how important ‘epigenetics’ is?), some people can tolerate more saturated fats than others. But for some, consuming more than 10% of your fat intake as saturated fat can dramatically increase your risk for early ALzheimer’s Disease and cardiovascular disease.

But here is the good news—the negative impact of these fats can easily and quickly be reversed. One study found that after just two weeks of swapping out saturated fats with monounsaturated fats, cytokines were reduced and as a result, brain functioning was significantly improved.[7] So by making just a few simple swaps to your diet, you can quickly reduce inflammation, prevent disease, and enable your body and brain to age healthier.

The third pillar of an anti-aging diet is to “eat the rainbow,” which means eating a wide range of vegetables and fruits to ensure a wide range of vitamins and minerals.

Focus on incorporating dark greens (broccoli, watercress, kale) and brightly colored vegetables and fruits (red bell peppers, carrots, blueberries).

Supplements can also help you incorporate important nutrients into your diet. Research supports the use of several anti-aging supplements, including CoQ10 and Vitamin C (to learn more, check out my article on the 7 supplements every man should be taking).

2.Keep Moving

What you put into your body is only half of the anti-aging equation; just as important is what you do with your body. Exercise isn’t just a solution for weight loss. It actually equips your body with the tools it needs to successfully navigate the aging process.

With the rise of wearable tech, there has been an emphasis on counting the number of daily steps to improve health, but there is no scientific evidence to support the well-known “10,000 steps a day” rule. Instead, what you should be focusing on are the minutes you spend each day in your target heart rate. 

Heart Rate Matters

Your target heart rate varies depending on your age. First, you need to calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR), which is 220 minus your age. So a 40-year old man would have a MHR of 180.

The key to heart-benefiting exercise is to work out at the proper intensity and duration. In terms of intensity, you want to exercise hard enough to raise your heart rate, but not so much that it reaches all the way up to your MHR. 

Moderate aerobic activity is generally defined as 50-70 percent of your MHR. So in the case of our 40-year old man, that would be a heart rate range of 90-126. 

Vigorous aerobic activity is defined as 70-85 percent of your MHR, which for a 40-year old man would be 126-153. Either way, you should always avoid going over the 85 percent upper limit since it offers no health benefits and can actually strain your heart.

In terms of duration, the Mayo clinic recommends you strive for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity—brisk walking, swimming, yard work and household chores—per week, but you could go all the way up to 300 minutes for maximum benefit.[10] If instead you prefer vigorous aerobic activity—running, aerobic dancing—strive for at least 75 minutes per week.

Keep in mind that exercise doesn’t just keep your heart young, it keeps your brain young too. Once study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that a lack of exercise in older adults raised their risk of developing dementia to a level that was equivalent to people who were genetically predisposed to the disease.[11]  

Studies like this prove that despite what your genes say, you have a great amount of control over your aging process. This is just one reason why I’m so passionate about epigenetics—the idea that your external environment affects the way our genes behave. And to clarify, your environment is not just chemicals or toxins in your environment, but also what you eat, how you move, how you breathe, how you sleep, etc.. 

In addition to aerobic exercise, the other essential component to an anti-aging workout is strength training. As we age, muscles lose their flexibility and shrink. 

In fact, after the age of 30, you lose 3-5 percent of your muscle mass every decade, and men on average lose 30 percent of their muscle mass over their lifetime.[12] On top of that, ligaments, tendons and connective tissues dehydrate and degrade as we age, further reducing our mobility and increasing risk of injury. 

But as exercise physiologist Dr. Thomas Storer makes clear, “Older men can indeed increase muscle mass lost as a consequence of aging. It takes work, dedication, and a plan, but it is never too late to rebuild muscle and maintain it.”[12]

To kick start muscle gain, focus on high rep workouts rather than heavy weights. A typical program might include 8-10 different exercises that target all major muscle groups, with 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps, performed 2-3 times per week. Once this program is established, you can increase the weights, drop the number of reps down to 10, then eventually work your way up to 15 and repeat the process. 

And don’t forget that muscle building requires protein. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, men engaging in strength training should consume 0.5-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight.[13] That means a 165-pound man generally needs around 80-135 grams per day, although remember that your genetics direct specifically how much protein your body needs (epigenetics!!).

Lastly, consider supplementing with things known to prevent muscle loss, including fish oil, vitamin D, and hormone replacement therapy. And don’t forget to fortify your bones too, with calcium and vitamin D (take these together for maximum absorption), as well as vitamin C, B12, and magnesium.[14]

3. Build a Better Brain

Our body isn’t the only thing that degrades as we age. The older we get, the longer our brains have been exposed to inflammatory triggers like toxins, chronic stress, and unhealthy foods. Only now are scientists discovering that conditions we assumed were inevitable as we age, like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, are actually caused by brain-wide inflammation.[15]

The good news is that most of the things we’ve discussed that prevent the body from age-based decline benefit the brain as well. Exercising, avoiding sugar, keeping your cholesterol in check and maintaining a healthy diet are all excellent ways to protect your brain against aging. Additional strategies include getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night, limiting alcohol, quitting smoking, and reducing stress.

Certain supplements have also been shown to preserve cognitive functioning and prevent neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkison’s disease.[16] For example, vitamin D and B12 play vital roles in memory formation and cognitive functioning, which is why a deficiency in these vitamin has been linked to cognitive impairments, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease in older adults.

Fat is another important factor when it comes to brain health. Omega-3s account for 40 percent of the fatty acids found in our brains cells and they are especially concentrated at the synaptic connections where all communication between brains cells occurs.[17] Research shows higher intake of omega-3s is associated with larger brain volume and a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, so consider adding a fish oil supplement to your daily routine.

Putting it All Together

Aging isn’t something you have to take lying down. With just a few tweaks to your routine and the addition of a few foods and supplements, you can actively slow down or even reverse the effects of aging. 

To see the power of lifestyle changes in action, look no further than a study published in The Lancet Oncology.[18] In this study, researchers had a group of men start a plant-focused diet, exercise for 30 minutes six days a week, and practice yoga or meditation for three months. After the three months, the researchers examined the men’s telomeres. 

Telomeres are a lot like those plastic endcaps on shoelaces that stop the laces from fraying and falling apart. In each of our cells, we have telomeres that cap off the ends of our chromosomes and keep the DNA strands intact. 

Cells replenish by copying themselves and each time they do, these telomeres get shorter and shorter. Eventually, they become too short to do their job, the DNA becomes damaged and the cell stops working. 

For this reason, the length of our telomeres is considered an indicator of our biological (rather than chronically) age. The shorter our telomeres, the “older” our cells are and the more likely we are to succumb to age-related illnesses.

So what did the study find? After just twelve weeks of adopting these simple lifestyle changes, the men’s telomeres grew by a whopping 10 percent. As lead researcher Dr. Dean Ornish stated, “This study is the first of its kind that scientifically proves you can reverse aging at a cellular level through lifestyle changes.”[19

With some adjustments in your lifestyle, you can turn the clock back on your cells too. If you want to take control of the aging process and feel better, schedule a consultation.  You’ll learn how a personalized health strategy can let you live your life to the fullest.

Stop ED in its Tracks

Man on couch disappointed Stop Erectile dysfunction in its tracks

Erectile dysfunction, or ED, occurs when a man has difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection for sexual intercourse. It can be awkward and cause feelings of inadequacy. While ED can be a very distressing health issue, it can also be embarrassing to discuss with your health provider or physician. 

ED is very common, with some research estimating that it affects about one in two American men over 40. (1) It’s up there with hair loss, weight gain, and low testosterone for the most popular men’s health concerns.

The good news is that there are several safe and effective ways to increase male libido and improve symptoms of ED. In this article, I’ll review some of the research on ED and provide some effective options for guys to improve their sexual performance and stop ED in its tracks.

What Causes Erectile Dysfunction?

To begin with, let’s take a bit of a look at what causes ED. 

Erections occur when sexual stimulation causes the body to send out neurochemicals that relax muscles and increase blood flow to the penis. This causes the penis to enlarge and harden. 

Because this process involves a complex combination of psychological input and biological mechanisms, there are a number of ways it can go wrong. Both psychological and physical factors, as well as lifestyle factors, can cause or contribute to ED. (1, 2, 3) Here are some of the most common causes of ED:

Psychological factors:

  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Depression

Physical factors:

  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Nerve damage
  • Neurological disorders
  • Stroke
  • Blood clots
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Spinal disease

Lifestyle factors:

  • Smoking
  • Alcohol
  • Drug abuse
  • Inactivity
  • Other medications like antidepressants

Each of these may be enough to cause symptoms of ED on their own, but they can also occur together. So what can a guy do to prevent or treat ED?

Diet and Erectile Dysfunction

Several studies have shown that good nutrition can actually help prevent ED. If you put garbage into your body, you’re not going to get your best out of it. You want to make sure you’re fueling yourself with high-quality, nutritious foods so you can maximize your performance in all respects, including in the bedroom.

Healthy breakfast in a bowl fresh fruit and nuts prevent ED

Foods to choose

In general, aim for non-processed, fresh foods and a diet rich in vegetables, healthy fats, and fish (6). The Mediterranean diet seems to be particularly effective for preventing ED. (4) 

Some particular foods may be especially useful for protecting against ED. These include:

  • Pistachios (5)
  • Watermelon
  • Leafy greens
  • Beets
  • Dark chocolate
  • Oysters
  • Shellfish
  • Tomatoes
  • Pink Grapefruit
  • Onions and garlic
  • Cranberries
  • Tea
  • Peanuts

Foods to avoid

Some foods are known to contribute to ED symptoms, so try to avoid them. Common ones include (6):

  • Excessive Alcohol 
  • Red meat
  • Full fat dairy
  • Sugary foods and drinks (7)
  • Foods that are high in saturated and trans fats
  • White bread and processed foods (8)

Supplements

Can supplements help ED? It appears that some can be effective erectile dysfunction remedies. Here are some of the better-known supplements that can help improve ED:

  • Panax ginseng (9)
  • Rhodiola Rosea (10)
  • Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) (11)
  • L-arginine (12)

Exercises to Help Erectile Dysfunction

Exercise is probably the best natural remedy for erectile dysfunction. Improving cardiovascular fitness together with maintaining a healthy weight have both been shown to be especially effective at helping men achieve satisfying erections.

Cardiovascular fitness

One of the causes of ED is inadequate or impeded blood flow to the penis. Studies have shown that people with ED typically have lower heart-rate variability (HRV), which suggests reduced vascular efficiency and poor overall health. (13) And research has found that moderate and high physical activity are associated with a lower risk of developing ED (6). 

When a guy exercises, and especially when he challenges his cardiovascular system, he is training his body to pump his blood more efficiently. Cardiovascular exercise can also reduce hypertension and prevent cardiovascular disease, both of which are associated with ED. 

More than that, exercise also has beneficial effects on a person’s self-esteem and mental health, each of which can positively impact the psychological factors associated with sexual dysfunction. (6)

Try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week. (14) Common aerobic exercises are:

  • Running
  • Cycling
  • Swimming
  • Playing tennis

Man running cardio helps to fight Erectile dysfunction

Strength training

Strength training exercises can also help address ED. Strength training and muscle building can build self-esteem and confidence in bed. And, as a nice side-effect, a firmer physique may be more attractive to your partner. 

Try to do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. (14) You can get this by working out at the gym, or you can try a body-weight training exercise program. 

Weight loss

Being overweight is actually one of the biggest causes of ED (6). Excess fat seems to change body chemistry and lower testosterone which lowers men’s libido. Several studies have found that when overweight guys experience healthy weight loss, their erectile function improves. (15) 

Combining a healthy diet and regular exercise is a good start for guys with a bit extra belly fat to lose some weight. 

Additional lifestyle changes 

Besides exercising and eating well, there are a number of lifestyle changes that can help you improve your health and sexual performance. 

Reduce stress

Stress is known to reduce libido and is an erection killer. It also contributes to other poor health habits like excessive drinking and smoking. If you find ways to cope with your stress, you’ll remove one possible cause of ED.

There are lots of things you can do to combat stress. Consider strategies like starting a meditation routine, connecting regularly with friends, or even seeing a therapist.

Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important factors in health, especially as we age. Research shows that individuals who do not get adequate sleep—around 7 to 8 hours a night—are more likely to suffer from ED. Sleep apnea, a condition that keeps people from getting enough air as they sleep, which in turn causes them to continually wake up throughout the night, is an especially potent cause of ED. (16)

The solution? Get enough sleep. 

The best way to get enough sleep is to create habits and routines that contribute to sleep hygiene. That includes going to bed at the same time every night, making your sleep environment comfortable, and removing distractions. If you suffer from sleep apnea, discuss treatment options with your doctor.

Communicate with your partner

Open, honest communication with your partner can help build a stronger relationship and enhance emotional closeness. And emotional closeness can lead to better sex. By expressing yourself, and especially expressing your sexual desires, you can increase sexual intimacy and improve your sexual experiences.  

Couple talking and communicating

Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction

Sometimes even with the best care of your body, erectile dysfunction can occur. Luckily, there are lots of erectile dysfunction remedies. 

Pills

You’re probably already familiar with sildenafil, or its trade name “Viagra”. Tadalafil, more commonly known as Cialis, is another oral treatment for ED. Both work by helping the blood vessels in the penis relax, allowing them to let more blood in. Both require sexual stimulation to work, and erections go away after sex. They are often effective treatments, but they may not work for everyone.

Medication injections

Medicated injections into the penis immediately before intercourse is an effective ED treatment. (17) There are several possible injections, including papaverine, phentolamine, prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), or alprostadil (Caverject, Edex, MUSE). Each of these work by causing smooth muscle in the penis to relax and blood to enter.   

The Priapus P shot

The priapus p shot, also known simply as p-shots or the “P-shot”, is a different kind of injection. This form of therapy essentially involves taking plasma from a person’s own blood that is rich in platelets. That plasma is then injected into the penis. So rather than medicine, this injection uses material from a person’s own body.

Vacuum therapy

With vacuum therapy, a suction device is placed around the penis. It creates a difference in air pressure that draws blood into the penis. A ring placed at the base of the penis keeps the blood in and helps maintain the erection. The device can create an effective erection for about 30 minutes, after which the ring must be removed. 

Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy, also known as hormone replacement therapy or HRT, is another potential way to beat ED. Testosterone plays a role in normal libido as well as in the erectile process. Men who have lower than normal testosterone may benefit from testosterone replacement therapy. This is especially the case for hypogonadal men with an ED diagnosis. (19) 

Ultrasound therapy

It’s also possible to get ultrasound therapy for erectile dysfunction. This therapy involves sending low-intensity shockwaves, which causes microtraumas. The body then repairs the tissue and generates new blood vessels as it does so. Several studies have found that ultrasound therapy can result in improved blood flow for men with ED. (20)

Penile implant surgery

For stubborn cases of ED that fail other more conservative measures, guys can get a  surgically-implanted penile prosthesis. This can either be semi-rigid or inflatable, and provide an ‘immediate’ erection when desired. 

Using Precision Medicine

In addition to the general advice that’s good for everyone, there may be some specific ways that an individual can address their ED and increase libido.

Precision medicine is effective because it takes into account a person’s own specific genetic make-up. They complete a DNA test, which gives them insight into how their particular body chemistry works. This allows their doctor to tailor a health program directly to how their body is set up. Some providers, myself included, offer VIP lifestyle coaching that can be an effective way to address erectile dysfunction. 

Conclusion: Don’t Let ED Get You Down

Sexual health isn’t just a nice to have—it’s incredibly important to our overall health. Sex can help us stay physically active, lower blood pressure, improve closeness with our partners, and even boost our immune systems. A healthy sex life is essential for our psychological well-being, too. 

Man and woman smiling and jumping on mountain sexual health
ED can be a major impediment to a man’s sexual health, but it doesn’t have to be. Guys can make changes to their lifestyle to help prevent ED, and there are a number of effective medical options to treat it. 

It’s time to get empowered to take control of your health. Unlock the code to peak performance with the Male MethodTM to regain your energy, focus and confidence and feel like a man again. 

We take a whole-body, epigenetic approach to health, focusing on all inputs and how they affect the human system. With the Male 2.0 Method, we utilize science-based precision medicine, personalizing your health based on your unique genetic blueprint. No more guessing!

We utilize cutting-edge age management protocols to reverse the aging process and expand longevity. And we track and leverage your biometric data using state-of-the-art wearable technology to truly optimize your health.

Ready to take the next steps?

Schedule a Call

**************************

 

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! Available on Amazon.

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.DrTracyGapin.com

Want more tips to optimize your health?  

Listen to the latest podcasts. Click HERE 

References

  1. Feldman, H. A., Goldstein, I., Hatzichristou, D. G., Krane, R. J., & McKinlay, J. B. (1994). Impotence and its medical and psychosocial correlates: Results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. The Journal of Urology, 151(1), 54-61.
  2. Çayan, S., Kendirci, M., Yaman, Ö., Aşçı, R., Orhan, İ., Usta, M. F., … & Kadıoğlu, A. (2017). Prevalence of erectile dysfunction in men over 40 years of age in Turkey: Results from the Turkish Society of Andrology Male Sexual Health Study Group. Turkish Journal of Urology, 43(2), 122.
  3. Quilter, M., Hodges, L., von Hurst, P., Borman, B., & Coad, J. (2017). Male sexual function in New Zealand: a population-based cross-sectional survey of the prevalence of erectile dysfunction in men aged 40–70 years. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 14(7), 928-936.
  4. Giugliano, F., Maiorino, M. I., Bellastella, G., Autorino, R., De Sio, M., Giugliano, D., & Esposito, K. (2010). Erectile dysfunction: adherence to Mediterranean diet and erectile dysfunction in men with type 2 diabetes. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 7(5), 1911-1917.
  5. Aldemir, M., Okulu, E., Neşelioğlu, S., Erel, O., & Kayıgil, Ö. (2011). Pistachio diet improves erectile function parameters and serum lipid profiles in patients with erectile dysfunction. International Journal of Impotence Research, 23(1), 32-38.
  6. Maiorino, M. I., Bellastella, G., & Esposito, K. (2015). Lifestyle modifications and erectile dysfunction: what can be expected?. Asian Journal of Andrology, 17(1), 5.
  7. Adamowicz, J., & Drewa, T. (2011). Is there a link between soft drinks and erectile dysfunction?. Central European Journal of Urology, 64(3), 140.
  8. Dhindsa, S., Miller, M. G., McWhirter, C. L., Mager, D. E., Ghanim, H., Chaudhuri, A., & Dandona, P. (2010). Testosterone concentrations in diabetic and nondiabetic obese men. Diabetes Care, 33(6), 1186-1192.
  9. Jang, D. J., Lee, M. S., Shin, B. C., Lee, Y. C., & Ernst, E. (2008). Red ginseng for treating erectile dysfunction: A systematic review. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 66(4), 444-450.
  10. Brown, R. P., Gerbarg, P. L., & Ramazanov, Z. (2002). Rhodiola rosea: A phytomedicinal overview. HerbalGram, 56, 40-52.
  11. Reiter, W. J., Pycha, A., Schatzl, G., Pokorny, A., Gruber, D. M., Huber, J. C., & Marberger, M. (1999). Dehydroepiandrosterone in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Urology, 53(3), 590-594.
  12. Chen, J., Wollman, Y., Chernichovsky, T., Iaina, A., Sofer, M., & Matzkin, H. (1999). Effect of oral administration of high-dose nitric oxide donor L-arginine in men with organic erectile dysfunction: results of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. BJU International, 83(3), 269-273.
  13. Harte, C. B. (2013). The relationship between resting heart rate variability and erectile tumescence among men with normal erectile function. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 10(8), 1961-1968.
  14. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). How much physical activity do adults need? https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm
  15. Dallal, R. M., Chernoff, A., O’Leary, M. P., Smith, J. A., Braverman, J. D., & Quebbemann, B. B. (2008). Sexual dysfunction is common in the morbidly obese male and improves after gastric bypass surgery. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 207(6), 859-864.
  16. Zias, N., Bezwada, V., Gilman, S., & Chroneou, A. (2009). Obstructive sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction: still a neglected risk factor?. Sleep and Breathing, 13(1), 3-10.
  17. Duncan, C., Omran, G. J., Teh, J., Davis, N. F., Bolton, D. M., & Lawrentschuk, N. (2019). Erectile dysfunction: A global review of intracavernosal injectables. World Journal of Urology, 37(6), 1007-1014.
  18. Scott, S., Roberts, M., & Chung, E. (2019). Platelet-rich plasma and treatment of erectile dysfunction: Critical review of literature and global trends in platelet-rich plasma clinics. Sexual Medicine Reviews, 7(2), 306-312.
  19. Jacob, B. C. (2011). Testosterone replacement therapy in males with erectile dysfunction. Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 24(3), 298-306.
  20. Gruenwald, I., Appel, B., Kitrey, N. D., & Vardi, Y. (2013). Shockwave treatment of erectile dysfunction. Therapeutic Advances in Urology, 5(2), 95-99.

What Your Wearable Tech And Biometric Data Are Telling You About Your Health

Wearable tech devices have been around for a few years now, and with each update, they get more advanced. These these cutting-edge tools are incredibly useful whether you’re a trained athlete, a workout enthusiast, or simply want to increase your awareness around your overall physical activity. 

Now we can use the data from these devices to track our stress levels for optimizing our immune system.  We can do this by removing triggers that can have a negative effect on our body’s natural ability to fend off disease. 

Wearable devices have certainly evolved from their humbler beginnings as basic step counters, heart rate/activity trackers or reminder systems.  Now they offer an immense amount of specific biometric data that can be actively interpreted for optimum performance. 

This means you’ll have access to a slew of detailed metrics.  These metrics can be analyzed in order to bring some precision into your decisions about your body’s function during both exercise, rest periods, and sleep. You can actually optimize your health in a much more precise way. 

In fact, you can track and manage another key aspect of health: your stress level. Stress and immunity are intertwined. Using the information provided by wearable tech devices through direct awareness of your body’s function means that can offer real-time cues into stress triggers.  And as we all know these stress triggers have a huge impact on your immune system, positive and negative. The more you know about how your body is performing, the sooner you can pivot away from the stress negatives that can have a serious impact on your immune system.

Track Your Physiological Data On A Wearable Tech Device

You no longer have to guess what’s happening inside your body or how to improve your performance. Tracking your physiological data on a wearable tech device, and use it as a tool for specific modifications to your behaviors, diet, or environmental factors, 

Biomarkers – such as Heart Rate Variability (HRV), blood volume pulse, blood and muscle oxygenation, are accessible through wearable tech devices.  These biomarkers add a whole new dimension to your awareness (and adjustment) of your body’s performance. 

The coolest part? Many devices are also hard at work while you sleep, busily detecting important metrics. These devices give you fascinating and useful details about sleep quality and patterns. Both sleep quality and patterns have an incredible impact on your body’s overall performance day or night. What’s more, this information speaks volumes about your overall stress level. All the while, your immune system could be really struggling as a result. 

Let’s take a closer look at biomarkers and the way we can learn extensive detail through current wearable tech devices. 

Learn Your Levels: Establish Your Biometrics Baseline 

The more you know about your body’s performance during activity, rest, and sleep, the more you’ll be able to exert control over improvements that will get you closer to your peak performance.  You can be leverage data that points to excessive stress levels or stress-relieving activities or routines that will strengthen your immune system, too. 

The actionable insights that come from the data on your wearable tech device put the power in your hands. 

Biomarkers related to heart activity, in particular, are some of the most essential data collected from a wearable tech device. This can effectively allow you to see what’s happening within your cardiovascular system. 

You can then monitor new activity to compare values when this baseline activity has been established. Plus, you can locate points of stress that can be reduced thanks to this monitoring process. 

Wearable tech devices that measure your body temperature (even while you sleep, such as the Oura Ring) deliver data related to your sleep performance. By comparing that value to values from earlier nights, it indicates your body temperature baseline and any variations from it. That means that you can use that data to make precise adjustments as needed.

Simply put: remove a lot of guesswork by learning your levels and establishing a baseline. Now you can paint a far more complete picture of your body’s performance. Using this data, then, provides actionable insight to make strategic adjustments in your behaviors, diet, or environment. All of that can improve your physiological performance. 

Wearable Tech Results: What We Can Learn From Heart Rate Variability Data

A person with a healthy heart – and without a pacemaker – has variability in their heart rate, both in the pace of beats and in the interval between the beats. For example, if your resting heart rate is 60 beats per minute, your heart isn’t beating every second on the second. The interval varies just slightly between each beat. 

If you’ve ever seen an electrocardiogram (ECG) reading, you’ve noticed subtle differences in the distance between the beat measurements. This indicates that both branches of the autonomic nervous system are working well in a healthy heart. 

A well-functioning parasympathetic nervous system assists the heart to slow down during rest. If the heart rate and HRV are still elevated while at rest, this may be an indicator that the autonomic nervous system is not functioning properly, creating more stress on your system. Locating and modifying these points of stress is a great way to use the data gleaned from your wearable tech.  It puts a bit more control into your hands. As a result, you can make real-time changes that will impact you right away. 

I’ll give you a great example of how this data can be used. I wear a tech device to regularly track my biomarkers, and I saw a change in my HRV and stress levels that made me look twice. My wife and I like to enjoy date nights twice a week, and I noticed that the next day, my HRV and stress levels were way up.  It took me a minute, but I realized that it was the glass of red wine that I was having with dinner that was causing this effect. So now I opt out of the glass of wine and removed that negative effect.  

Can your Garmin Smart Watch detect coronavirus?

Garmin and scientists from top universities and institutes around the world are actively researching whether wearable devices can help identify early indications of coronavirus.

“The premise is actually quite simple. (1) An elevated heart rate is an early sign of a common cold, the flu or coronavirus. (2) Garmin smartwatches have built-in heart rate monitoring at the wrist. Put the two together and society could have an extremely helpful tool for early indications of the virus on a mass scale.” REF

We are just at the forefront of what we can do with wearable tech and all of the data provided to us.

Wearable Tech Results: What Sleep Data Can Tell You About Your Body 


In the dark ages (or probably even a lot more recently) we used to head to bed and hope for the best, shooting for about eight hours if we were lucky. Perhaps we knew we weren’t sleeping well because we felt like total garbage the next day.  And we had a hard time concentrating on pretty much anything. Or maybe we slept great one night, and not-so-great for the next two nights, and had no idea why. 

It was a pretty good mix of guessing, making assumptions, and blindly trying different things to figure it out. I’ve even heard of some people just kind of resigning themselves to the idea that well, they’re just “not a very good sleeper.” So untrue! 

With wearable tech devices hard at work even while we sleep, sensors that track body temperature, heart rate, blood and muscle oxygenation (among other things) deliver a lot of valuable information. This incredible information can uncover clues for helpful insight that you can then use to troubleshoot. 

The Oura Ring and Garmin Watches are high-performing devices that collect biometric data about your body’s sleep performance.  This is hugely valuable.  You can uncover otherwise hidden patterns that have a serious impact on your waking hours and overall health. 

SLEEP STAGE TRACKING (REM, DEEP, LIGHT)

Tracking your nightly sleep cycle delivers huge insight as your brain makes its way through the three individual stages of sleep. Interruptions within these cycles, plus the actual timing of deep, REM, light sleep, and possible awake time during the night can point to areas that can be corrected. 

Here are a few other key ways that the wearable tech can deliver important data about you. 

  • RECOVERY OPTIMIZATION
  • RESTING HEART RATE
  • HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV)
  • STRESS LEVELS
  • CALORIES
  • BODY TEMPERATURE TRENDS
  • RESPIRATORY RATE
  • DAILY ACTIVITY GOAL
  • ALWAYS ON – DAYTIME ACTIVITY TRACKING
  • STEPS AND CALORIES
  • INACTIVITY ALERTS
  • ACTIVITY BALANCE

SLEEP RESULTS:  WHAT TO DO WITH THEM

When it comes to sleep data, any patterns that demonstrate a problem can be used to troubleshoot your way towards a better night’s sleep.  You can make precise adjustments to behaviors, diet, and environmental factors. 

For example, if your device reports a rise body temperature around 2 am for about two hours, this might point to some easy-fix issues in the room. Try wearing lighter clothes to bed but adding an extra blanket, which is easily removable without much effort. Or, add a fan to the equation. Track your new results for the next few days. 

The point is this: listen to what your body is telling you with the help of data collected while you’re asleep. It’s a key step to making the kinds of adjustments that will improve both the quality and the duration of your sleep. 

The human immune system is remarkably flexible and resilient – but as we age, as with everything else, our bodies’ ability to cope with stressors can lead to changes in immune response. That means that what worked for us in our 20’s and 30’s might require additional adjustments. Quite frankly, no matter what the age, sleep is incredibly important for total body health.

Sleep data provides us with real-time information to alert and inform us of both the cause and the effect of sleep issues and the cascading effects on health. It’s in the sleep data these wearable tech devices really shine.

You can read more about using wearable tech devices to improve your sleep quality and quantity here. 

Wearable Tech Results:

How To Use Your Muscle Ox % (or SmOx%) Data

If you work out a lot and you’re using a wearable tech device, take a look at versions that measure another important biomarker: Muscle Ox %. 

Muscle Oxygenation Percentage is essentially the balance between oxygen delivery and oxygen consumption within the muscle tissue. To simplify, oxygen delivery is the amount of oxygen available for use within the system. It’s the oxygen you’re taking in while you work out. Oxygen consumption describes the efficiency of the muscle as it uses that available oxygen. Muscle Ox % varies, but most people will exhibit levels between 50% to 70% when at rest.

Moxy Monitor 

The Moxy Monitor was designed for anyone who wants to maximize their exercise performance. This smart device measures the Muscle Ox % while muscles are under exercise or athletic stress. 

The Moxy Sensor (within the Moxy Monitor System) utilizes light-emitting diodes and photodetectors, creating a spectrometer that measures muscle oxygen. It’s totally portable, water-resistant, and weighs less than a sports watch. The internal data recording allows Moxy to be used even where radio transmission of data is difficult (like underwater). It’s designed to measure muscle tissue through up to 12mm of fat layer thickness.  

So how do you use this information? Glad you asked.  As you’re working out, the Muscle Ox % being monitored is guiding your training process by knowing exactly how your muscles are handling the workout. If the Muscle Ox % is balanced, you’re training at a level that’s steady and sustainable. 

Rising Muscle Ox % levels  mean that your muscles are consuming more oxygen than what’s being delivered by your blood flow, and that means that you’re reaching capacity on muscle activity. 

Avoid Injury Risks With Precision Data

You won’t need to guess if you’re in the danger zone with your workout. Your wearable tech device sends you data that indicates that your muscles are consuming a lot more oxygen than what’s being delivered. This means that you’re training at a pace that’s not sustainable – you’re burning out and risking injury.

You can avoid that by paying close attention to the recovery phase. 

You entered the recovery phase once your tracker reflected lowering levels. Your device is tracking data that points to less oxygen use by the muscles and more available oxygen within the blood flow. This is the safe zone after a training period. 

Tracking this Muscle Ox % data in real-time makes it possible to adjust your athletic training by operating from a place of knowledge rather than a feeling. It means that you can now build peak performance with precision thanks to biomarkers. You can also lower the risk of painful or damaging muscle fatigue that could take you out for a few days (or worse). 

WHAT TO DO WITH THE MOXY MONITOR DATA

You can make precise changes, thanks to the wide range of real-time data about your muscle performance. For example, some athletes discovered that they were lacking in the warmup process, which actually decreased their performance and increases the chance for injury. The physiological data was visible, trackable, and actionable. 

Having your hands on this level of specific biometric detail provides insights on the overall intensity and fatigue level during any workout. Here’s a visual summary of this information.

If you want to learn your levels and establish a baseline for your typical Muscle Ox % during workouts, get started with a basic workout. Choose one that you’re already really accustomed to doing from start to finish, including recovery time. Maybe it’s one of your easier sessions that you can then use as a performance guide to measuring your general muscle and blood flow biomarkers. Pay attention to your sleep factors, Heart Rate Variability and heart rate patterns across the next few days to see how and when your workout routine shows its effects in those areas.

If there’s a data spike that is leading to a negative (such as disrupted sleep, increased HRV the following day, and so forth), adjust the time of day for your workout if that’s an option for you and note the effects of that change. 

Wearable Tech is Just A Start

Wearable tech devices deliver fascinating physiological data, and it can be eye-opening.

What to do if you uncover concerning patterns from your wearable tech device? Consult with your physician – no two bodies are the same. Don’t delay bringing this data to the doctor’s office if you see something that may point to a larger issue. A specific factor could be present, which requires medical attention. 

Today’s technology provides fantastic actionable insights a day-to-day level. 

Hopefully you’re feeling good about your wearable tech device and enjoying the hands-on approach to biomarker data.  However, it may feel like the data is kind of daunting to interpret. I’m happy to work with you in tandem with your new technology. 

Now more than ever, we are looking for ways to improve our health and our immunity, which means that wearable tech devices fit right into this discussion. This physiological data gives us clear insight into what our bodies are doing even during sleep. You might be surprised to find a few unknown spikes or triggers that, once removed, will result in a more optimized immune system.  Which of course means an overall greater sense of well-being.

THE POWER OF WEARABLE TECH, PRECISION PERFORMANCE DATA INTERPRETATION, AND APPLICATION WITH AN EXPERT

Put the power in your hands with wearable tech devices and Precision Performance Data Interpretation and Application with me.  Get started here. 

Together, we can develop your action plan based on the information that your tech device is giving you, and we can get you to peak performance for optimized health.  

Upgrade to Male™ 2.0 – Schedule a Consult!

You’ll get access to a genetic-based report and analysis, along with a private consultation.  This private consultation 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.

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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.  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, 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. 

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.

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