Does BPA Cause Sexual Problems?


BPA, a chemical rampant in everyday American life, is directly linked to short-term and long-term sexual dysfunction.

But what is BPA and how is it linked to sexual disorders?

And what can you do about it?

What is sexual dysfunction?

Before we get into BPA, let’s first discuss the definition of sexual dysfunction.

“Sexual dysfunction” is an overarching term that encompasses a number of sexual problems that deviate from an individual’s personal norm. This means that a man’s sexual behaviors have changed in some way.

These dysfunctions can include:

  • Erectile dysfunction: inability to get or sustain an erection long enough to have satisfactory sex
  • Low libido: minimized interest in sex, often caused by low testosterone
  • Premature ejaculation: reaching orgasm too quickly for satisfaction
  • Delayed or inhibited ejaculation: reaching orgasm too slowly or not at all

The causes of sexual dysfunction are varied. Causes include:  low testosterone levels, prescription drugs, blood vessel or nerve disorders, depression, stress or anxiety, relationship concerns, performance anxiety, smoking, alcohol or drug abuse, and even a lack of sleep.

The cause of sexual dysfunction that we’re talking about today is chemicals in the environment—like BPA.


Chemicals impact your body’s natural and healthy functioning. In many cases, chemicals can mimic certain hormones, which disrupts the endocrine system.

These chemicals can also damage the cells in your body. This damage can create sexual problems as a result of decreased blood flow or blocked nerve impulses. Cellular damage is also a leading cause of disease, cancer, and aging.

What is BPA?

The chemical we’re going to focus on is BPA, aka bisphenol A. BPA is a chemical that mimics estrogen in the body. It’s a major component in hard plastics, like polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins.

You’ll find BPA in a number of plastics and canned food linings. This includes baby bottles and reusable plastic storage containers.


I’m focusing this discussion on BPA because it’s proven to damage sexual function…

But it’s also one of the most common chemicals in our society.

In fact, an EWG survey found that the four leading producers of liquid infant formula line their cans with BPA. They also found that 20 out of 28 brands of canned foods and drinks use BPA in their products.

BPA is so common that it’s been detected in 93% of the American population (through a urine test). Nearly all of Americans test positive for low-level BPA contamination.

Most Americans consume BPA through their food and drink. The chemicals are released from the plastics and cans by penetrating the food or drink, which humans then consume.  

Thus, people have started looking to the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the chemical.

But the FDA has still maintained that BPA is safe at certain levels—despite nearly 100 academic studies saying otherwise. This initial research has shown a variety of negative effects of BPA, including infertility, weight gain, behavioral changes, early-onset puberty, diabetes, and even cancer.

That’s right—they found a link between BPA and cancer.

However, the FDA stated that those studies, which were performed on animals, did not translate to a human population.

So one set of researchers set out to prove the results in humans.

What links BPA and sexual dysfunction?

The study followed 634 male workers across four factories in China. Researchers compared one group exposed to BPA in the air and one that had no exposure. The study persisted for five years.

Researchers found three shocking discoveries:

  1. Men exposed to BPA were 4x as likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction. They also had reduced sexual desire and diminished sexual satisfaction.
  2. Men exposed to BPA were 7x as likely to have difficulty with ejaculation, even if they didn’t have ED.
  3. The above two effects happened after just months on the job, not years.

How does BPA affect sexual dysfunction?

Researchers were not 100% sure that BPA was the cause of the sexual dysfunction. However, the way BPA interacts with the body can give us some ideas about the link between the two.

BPA is a synthetic form of estrogen. This means that it mimics estrogen in the body. When you consume BPA, your body’s estrogen receptors start ringing off the hook, so the body thinks it has more estrogen than it actually does.

When there’s an excess of estrogen, the body stops producing testosterone. This creates a dangerous imbalance of hormones.

Estrogen and testosterone are both necessary for proper functioning. You need an appropriate balance of E and T. But “balance” depends on your gender. For women, that balance means more estrogen, and for men, that balance means more testosterone.

In women, estrogen dominance can cause serious health problems, like endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and breast cancer.

In men, estrogen dominance can kill your interest in sex and overall motivation and drive. High E levels lead to low testosterone, low libido, erectile dysfunction, behavioral changes, anxiety, stress, weight gain, muscle loss, and a number of other side effects. It can even give you man-boobs.

Men need strong levels of testosterone in order to have all of those “manly” features, like lean muscle and hair growth. Testosterone is also necessary for a strong sex drive and fertility.

BPA functions like estrogen. When you consume BPA, you’re basically ingesting more estrogen, which suppresses the production of testosterone. This throws off the hormonal balance in the body and inhibits testosterone.

This can throw your body into a state of estrogen dominance, which leads to a number of sexual dysfunctions, including low testosterone, erectile dysfunction, low sperm motility, low sperm count, delayed ejaculation, and more. It can even lead to psychological concerns like stress, depression, and performance anxiety.

Is there a safe level of BPA?

Still, some experts are concerned that this human study doesn’t paint the whole picture of BPA and sexual dysfunction.


It’s important to note that researchers of the study were able to prove a correlational relationship—but not a causal one. 

Moreover, the study only looked at high levels of exposure in a factory setting. There could be a difference between intense periods of high exposure and continuous, low-level exposure, which is what the average American experiences.

Thus, some people still argue that low levels of BPA are not dangerous. Some of these people are unfortunately part of the FDA.

Nevertheless, groups are still fighting the use of BPA in our foods and drinks. The American Medical Association Board of Delegates, which is a highly credible group of academics, wrote:

“Even infinitesimally low levels of exposure—indeed, any level of exposure at all—[to BPA] may cause endocrine or reproductive abnormalities, particularly if exposure occurs during a critical developmental window. Surprisingly, low doses may even exert more potent effects than higher doses.”

My thoughts?

If we see such a heavy effect in high doses, there are likely effects in small doses as well.

Putting any sort of artificial chemical in your body is not ideal. Chemicals disrupt the endocrine system and damage cells, which can have long-term effects.

Anything that pretends to be a hormone and interrupts your natural hormone balance is a no-no for me. In these cases, chemical-induced low testosterone and erectile dysfunction can be avoided.

What about phthalates?

I’m glad you asked.

BPA is often used in hard plastics, but phthalates are a type of chemical used to soften plastics. You’ll often find these in toys, shower curtains, wallpaper, and personal care products. They’re also found in detergents and some food packaging.

Studies have shown similar concerns with phthalates as BPA. One study found that multiple types of phthalates were associated with reduced testosterone in both females and males. This was especially true for women ages 40-60 (menopausal age) and boys 6-12 years old (puberty age). There were significant reductions in T within adult men ages 40-60 as well.

This indicates that phthalates and BPA may have a more intense effect during critical hormonal periods, like puberty and menopause. It can also worsen with age, as testosterone levels naturally start to decline.

Not only do phthalates impact testosterone, but they alter fertility as well. Another study found phthalates in much higher concentrations in infertile men than fertile men. They concluded that exposure to phthalates may concern testicular and Leydig cell function, which is the basis of healthy fertility and virility.

What can you do about these chemicals?

Unfortunately, BPA doesn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon. While we wait for more studies (and the FDA), it’s time to take control of your own health.

You may not be able to completely get rid of BPA by yourself—but minimizing your exposure is a start.

1. Choose organic, whole foods.


The best way to avoid BPA is to reduce your consumption of foods in cans or plastics. If 20 out of 28 major canning companies use BPA, any consumption of canned foods is likely exposing you to this chemical.

Plus, canned foods are usually incredibly high in sodium. Sodium also packs on the pounds, lowers your testosterone, and kills your sex drive.

It’s best to avoid canned foods altogether if possible. Instead, opt for organic, whole foods. This reduces your exposure to environmental contaminants in general, from BPA to pesticides to GMOs.

2. Look for “BPA-free” labels.

Not all canned foods and plastics use BPA. There are a number of companies moving away from BPA to protect their customers (and to market to a health-conscious consumer).

You can look for “BPA-free” labels on your cans and plastics. They will usually display their health certifications as well.

However, it’s important to note that the FDA doesn’t regulate BPA, which means it doesn’t regulate the labeling of BPA-free. Not all labeled items will be 100% free of BPA.

3. Store your food in glass or ceramic.


Don’t store your foods in plastic containers. A number of plastic containers also have BPA. If you store your food in plastic, the BPA can seep out of the lining and into the food that you’ll consume. This is especially important to note for your kids’ lunch boxes.

Using glass and ceramic can help you avoid BPA. These are an environmentally friendly and health-conscious way to minimize exposure to contaminants—and reduce your waste and environmental impact!

4. Don’t heat plastic.

Never put plastic containers in the microwave. Don’t cook with plastic. Don’t even leave plastic out in the sun for too long.

Heating up plastic actually releases chemicals inside, including BPA and phthalates. The chemicals in the plastic then transfer to the food inside. 

5. Avoid bottled water.

Bottled water is often subjected to unstable environmental conditions. It can be stored in hot warehouses, which causes a release of chemicals into the water.

Water is the most essential aspect of health. You want your water to be pure and clear for optimal health. You don’t want to fill up on BPA in your hydration.

6. Detox.


Going through a detox helps your body get rid of any chemicals, pollutants, or gunk that may be hanging around. Frequent detoxes can help keep your organs and cells clean, clear, and functioning at their peak.

There are a number of different detox plans out there. Try a variety to see which works best for your body. You’ll know which one’s best based on how you feel.

I usually recommend a detox that includes a period of intermittent fasting in association with raw, organic foods. I also recommend you drink your body weight (in ounces) in water to help flush out those toxins. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds, you want 90 ounces of water.

7. Probiotics.

Now that you’ve detoxed, it’s time to fill your body with goodness. Probiotics are natural “good bacteria” that help fight off foreign bodies, including chemicals and disease.

Learn more about the amazing benefits of probiotics here.

Conclusion

Be aware of what you’re putting in your body and how it’s impacting your hormone levels.

BPA is directly linked to male sexual problems. Despite efforts to get it removed from our cans and plastics, BPA is still very much a part of our daily lives in America.

But you can preserve your sexual and overall health by acknowledging the concerns of BPA.

With prevention and detox, you can safeguard against BPA.

Looking for a proven method of detox and revitalization?

Check out our G1 Performance Health program!

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What Does A High PSA REALLY Mean?


PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, is often thought of as an immediate signal of prostate cancer—but is it really? Doctors have discovered that a high PSA level does not necessarily correlate to prostate cancer. There could be other health and lifestyle factors impacting your PSA test results.

What do PSA levels mean and what could cause an elevated level that isn’t prostate cancer?

What is PSA?

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the prostate cells. The PSA test is used as a simple blood test to screen for prostate cancer. It’s also used to monitor men who have previously undergone prostate cancer treatment to reevaluate where they stand.

At your yearly checkup after age 50, your doctor will likely run a PSA test in your blood panel. PSA is generally reported as nanograms of PSA per milliliter of blood (ng/mL). Often, a PSA test will be performed in conjunction with a digital rectal exam (DRE) to test for potential prostate cancer.


There seems to be a link between PSA level and incidence and aggressiveness of prostate cancer. However, there are still small amounts of PSA found in the blood of healthy men, and doctors don’t yet have evidence of what a “normal” PSA looks like.

If you have “high” PSA levels, your doctor may want to do a biopsy to check for cancer. However, elevated or rising PSA doesn’t necessarily mean prostate cancer—as we’ll explore further below.

Read: Does My Husband Have Prostate Cancer?

What is considered a “high” PSA level?

The average PSA level that is a “cause of possible concern” is above 3 ng/mL. Some studies have shown that biopsy-detected prostate cancer is “not rare” in men with PSA levels over 4.0 ng/mL. For younger men, PSA levels should be much lower.

However, an elevated PSA doesn’t automatically mean you have prostate cancer. In fact, 13% of men over 55 have a PSA level of greater than 4 ng/mL without necessarily having prostate cancer.

One study wanted to better understand what a “normal” PSA looks like. Researchers followed 4,383 healthy men for 28 years. They found the 10-year absolute risk for developing prostate cancer was 11-22% for men with PSA of 4.01-10.0 ng/mL and 37-79% for those with PSA of greater than 10.0 ng/mL.

In this case, 10.0 ng/mL seems to be the significant point at which PSA could prove a higher incidence of prostate cancer.

This study insinuated that PSA level is directly correlated to prostate cancer risk, especially at a higher PSA.

But does this always hold true?

This link between PSA and prostate cancer is good to keep in mind as you follow your health. Knowing that there’s a correlation between PSA and prostate cancer risk, aggression, and mortality rates can help you catch possible cancer while it’s small and less aggressive.

More importantly than even the PSA level is the PSA velocity. Your PSA levels shouldn’t rise more than 0.5 year to year. If so, this could indicate a change in the prostate—like prostate cancer.

Does PSA cause prostate cancer?

PSA doesn’t cause prostate cancer. PSA is simply a protein made in the prostate.

However, PSA could be a result of prostate cancer. Cancer might cause the prostate to create this protein at a higher rate, leading to higher PSA levels.

But cancer is not the only thing that causes the prostate to make this protein, thus raising PSA levels. Also, cancer doesn’t necessarily boost PSA levels.

This means that PSA and prostate cancer are not causal. Although prostate cancer and PSA are linked, there could be other factors going on that we don’t yet understand.

It’s important to note the difference between correlation and causality here because an elevated PSA does not always mean prostate cancer and prostate cancer will not always result in increased prostate levels.

Your PSA test can result in a false positive or a false negative.

A “high” PSA test is a good cancer warning sign, but it is not a death sentence.

So what other factors can cause an elevated PSA and what can you do about it?

What are the reasons for an elevated PSA?

There are only three reasons for an elevated PSA: BPH, prostate infection, or cancer.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common causes of an elevated PSA level. BPH is an enlarged prostate, and it’s a common concern for older men. This prostate enlargement causes the prostate to make more protein cells and raise PSA levels. There is no proven link between BPH and prostate cancer.

Learn more about BPH here.

Prostatitis, an infection in the prostate, can cause the prostate to create more PSA to help fight off the bad bacteria. Prostate infection also often leads to prostatitis, which is an inflammation of the prostate gland (similar to BPH).

Prostatitis is a common problem, especially for men under age 50. It is generally from an infection or bacteria that irritate the prostate. Symptoms include pain with urination, fever, pressure in rectum, difficulties ejaculating, and change in sexual function. Thankfully, prostatitis is usually treated with a round of antibiotics.

Read: Prostate Health Foods For Men – Add These 3 To Your Diet

And then there’s prostate cancer.

There may be other “influencers,” like trauma or medications, but these don’t typically raise the PSA enough to influence testing.

How do you know if it’s BPH, prostate infection, or cancer?

First, your doctor will try to figure out if you have BPH or a prostate infection. You can diagnose these much easier than prostate cancer. For example, you can usually tell from blood or a urine sample if there’s an infection in the system.

However, it’s not always easy to diagnose BPH. You could show up clean as a whistle with no sign of infection, and your doctor may not be able to determine if it’s BPH or cancer.

That’s when additional testing may be necessary.

Thankfully, “additional testing” isn’t as scary as it used to be. Learn more about our updated prostate cancer screening methods here.

Do I need a PSA test?


The PSA test won’t tell you why your levels are increased. Thus, a lot of men get unnecessarily worried or stressed after a “high” PSA result. A high PSA often calls for a biopsy, which can have unpleasant side effects.

To avoid this, the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) used to recommend against testing for PSA in healthy men. (“Healthy” men are those with no known risks, symptoms, or family history of prostate cancer.)  
However, the USPSTF made a few changes to this position in 2017. The new USPSTF screening draft encourages doctors to discuss the benefits and harms of the PSA test to allow men to determine whether or not they would like to include it in their workup.

If you are above 50, I recommend a PSA test on a yearly basis. I discuss with my patients how an elevated PSA does not necessarily mean cancer and there is no need to worry. Nevertheless, it can be a useful means of potential detection in the early stages of prostate cancer.

As Benjamin Franklin said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Testing your PSA levels is an ounce of prevention that can help stop prostate cancer in its tracks.

If you have an elevated PSA level, follow-up with a doctor but do not assume you have cancer.

When do I need a PSA test?

I recommend a PSA test for all men over age 50 at your yearly checkup. It’s a simple, minimally invasive blood test just like your other screenings.  

You should also get your PSA levels tested if you show any symptoms of prostate cancer:

However, it’s important to note that a lot of the symptoms of prostate cancer are also symptoms of BPH, urinary tract infection, or prostatitis.

If you’re showing the above symptoms, it’s time to see a doctor—but it’s not time to stress.

Did you know you can reduce your risk of prostate cancer with lifestyle changes and diet?

Bottom line

The PSA test is not 100% accurate in its ability to predict risk or aggression of prostate cancer. It can be a sign of infection or BPH, and it’s no use worrying about—yet.

Nevertheless, a PSA test is a harmless way to get an idea of where your sexual health stands. Don’t be afraid of a PSA test…and don’t be afraid of the results.

If you want support with a recent PSA result, check out our Male 90X program to learn how to handle stress and change your lifestyle for ultimate health and wellness!

It’s time to take control of your physical and mental wellbeing. Don’t wait to live— GET MALE 90X today!

 

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    

 

Epigenetics Series: Can Working Out Change Your Genes?


Professional athletes seem to have a special “something” that no one else has.

“It must be in his genes,” we say when we see Michael Phelps swimming or Michael Jordan shooting a three-pointer.

But is it actually in their genes? Is there a gene for athleticism?

Epigenetics says “maybe.” It’s not necessarily that professional athletes have a certain DNA sequence that no one else has. It’s that they have a unique DNA expression that the rest of us haven’t yet activated.

For example, elite Kenyan runners have dominated distance running events for the last two decades. Research is working to prove that a mixture of training regiments, high altitude, and diet create a certain type of genetic expression. If researchers can understand the unique interactions of these lifestyle factors, it could theoretically be replicated in any population.

So yes, I’m telling you that you can change your genes and finally be a pro baseball player or soccer player.

But epigenetics isn’t just relevant to professional athletes.

Your genes can impact your athletic ability…

But the reverse is true as well.

Your exercise routine can also impact your genes.

In fact, working out may change your genetic expression so drastically that it can deactivate the genes of disease and illness.

You’re shedding more than just pounds when you exercise. You’re shedding off methyl groups that impact the expression of your DNA.

Let me explain.

What is epigenetics?


Epigenetics looks at the expression of DNA genetic makeup. The DNA you’re born with is the DNA you’ll have until you die. It stays the same throughout your life.

However, the expression of those genes can change.

For example, your hair might change colors or textures based on how your genes are expressed—even though the gene for your hair hasn’t changed. This is because a certain gene is turned “on” or “off.”

In the same way, you can actually activate or deactivate your risk for disease and illness based on how these genes are expressed.

Science has proven that genetic expression has a direct impact on your risk of disease and illness.

Epigenetics looks at two key modifications that impact DNA expression: methylation and histone acetylation.

In this article, we’ll focus on the specific link between DNA methylation and exercise.

What is DNA methylation?

DNA methylation occurs when a methyl (CH3) group is added to a DNA strand. A reaction occurs on the DNA chain, likely between the methyl and the fifth carbon atom of a cytosine (which is one of the four nucleotides of DNA).

Basically, when a methyl group attaches to DNA, it changes the way that DNA is expressed.

Think of it like a light switch. When the methyl group is added to the strand, the light switch is turned into the “off” position. When the methyl group is removed, the light switch flips back to the “on” position.


Methylation usually slows down the expression of genes (although not always).

In some cases, this slowing of genetic expression is a good thing. For example, if you have a gene for Alzheimer’s, DNA methylation may help slow the onset.

In other cases, you don’t want DNA methylation to impact your genetic expression. For example, it could “turn off” the genes that help regulate your body weight. You could be putting on the pounds—even when dieting—simply because your metabolism genes are slowed down due to methylation.

How does exercise impact DNA methylation?

There hasn’t been a lot of conclusive research about the impact of exercise on overall epigenetics just yet. But there has been one significant finding that is completely changing the way researchers are looking at both exercise and epigenetics as a whole.

Yup, this finding is that important.

A Swedish study looked at muscle biopsies of 14 healthy men and women before and after physical exertion. They put them on an incremental treadmill test to exhaustion.

They found significant changes in the DNA in their muscles after an intense workout. The genes that were involved in metabolizing energy actually de-methylated after exercise.

This tells us three really important things:

  1. Working out changes our genes.
  2. The intensity of the workout matters.
  3. Working out even once can impact your epigenetics almost immediately.

  1. Working out changes our genes.

The most important takeaway? Overall, exercise impacts our genes.

The fact that working out can change our genetics is an incredible finding. This says that we are not victims of our DNA. We have control over our genetic expression based on certain lifestyle factors, like working out, diet, or even sleeping.

  1. The intensity of the workout matters.

Researchers pushed participants to the point of exhaustion. They have not yet studied what happens after a mild to moderate workout.

The researchers concluded, though, that methylation is dependent upon intensity. A leisurely walk likely isn’t changing your genetic expression like a sprinted marathon.

  1. Working out even once can impact your epigenetics.

Probably the most surprising result of this study was how quickly the genetic expression changed. The participants had de-methylated genes after just one exhausting workout.

This completely alters the former notion that genetic changes happen slowly (if at all).

This test showed that genetic changes don’t happen overnight… they can happen faster than that.

However, there’s a caveat to this. The researchers know that genetic expression changed after one workout. But we don’t know how long these changes lasted for.

We don’t know if methyl groups were added back to the genetic sequence immediately afterwards—when the participants went back home and started living their normal lives again.

So, change is fast… but we’re not sure if it’s lasting.

What does this mean for your workout?

  1. You need to workout.

If you want to avoid disease and illness, you need to exercise. Of course, working out is the best way to keep your muscles strong, your body fat low, and your arteries clean and clear. Beyond that, working out will help remove harmful methyl groups that could be slowing down your healthy genes.

Your genes can help prevent disease—but only if they’re healthy and clear themselves.

  1. You need intense workouts.

Harder exercise produces more de-methylation. This means that you need to boost the intensity of your workouts on a consistent basis.

I recommend high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This type of training exhausts your body with intense intervals, followed by periods of rest. These cycles of intensity and recovery may have the most influential impact on DNA methylation.

Plus, HIIT is the best way to burn fat, improve muscle mass, and raise your testosterone levels. Learn more about HIIT here.  

  1. You need both cardio and lifting.

In the study, researchers looked at the effects of cardio. This means that you need to get your heart pumping if you want to impact your genetics.


But this doesn’t mean cardio is the only exercise you should be doing. Lifting can also produce an intense exercise that could influence DNA.

In fact, researchers concluded that the reason for the de-methylation was due to muscle contraction. The muscle cells were contracting and releasing at high intensity during the cardio, which was likely what removed the methyl group.

I like to think of it that your muscle flexes “shook loose” the methyl groups from the DNA.

Thus, both cardio and lifting are important. Cardio contracts muscles throughout your body, while lifting concentrates the muscle contractions. These contracts lead to intense de-methylation in your genes.

Pairing cardio and lifting in an intense, sweaty workout may be able to improve your genes in just one session!

  1. You need to workout frequently.

We don’t yet know how or why DNA methylation occurs.

We know from this study that genetic expression can change quickly. This means that it’s possible that even one fatty, fried meal could add a methyl group back to your genes after an intense workout.

Just as quickly as exercise can de-methylate your genes, other lifestyle factors can reapply methyl groups to your genes.


We don’t yet have a clear understanding of what does and doesn’t impact methylation. All we know is that exercise can help de-methylate important genes. Thus, if you want to prevent harmful methylation, you need to workout often.

The more frequently you workout, the more opportunities you have to remove methyl groups from your genes—no matter where those methyl groups are coming from.

This frequent de-methylation can help speed up healthy, disease-preventing genetic expressions.

A note about caffeine…

If you read the study, you’ll find that the researchers found that caffeine has a similar effect as exercise.

They gave a culture of muscle cells a dose of caffeine. Caffeine releases calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, which mimics a muscle contraction.

This is how they realized that muscle contraction are the basis for de-methylation.

They were then able to conclude that calcium might create a cellular trigger that activates de-methylation.

But hold on for a second. Don’t start glugging coffee in place of your workout. You’d need about 50 cups a day to have the same de-methylation effect that one intense workout would have. (Yes, 50 cups of caffeine could be lethal. Don’t try that at home.)

However, you may want to try drinking a cup of black coffee before you workout.

Caffeine is a stimulant that can give your muscles a jolt of energy, pushing you further in your workout. With this added energy, you can lift more at a higher intensity—which encourages de-methylation.

Caffeine hits its peak stimulation between 30 and 75 minutes of consumption. So try drinking a cup about one hour before your workout.


Plus, research found that drinking caffeine before a workout can help keep cravings in check while reducing caloric intake for the day. This can help boost your weight loss efforts. Two-for-one!

Why black coffee? Milk and sugar create a temporary sugar high. When your body starts falling from this high, it will lose all its energy and start to crash. This creates low energy that can kill your workout.

If you need to cut the bitterness of your coffee, try almond or cashew milk. This helps you avoid dairy while giving you healthy fats that can help improve your workout.

Other benefits of working out:

Exercise makes you healthier, stronger, and trimmer.

I think it’s time to start working out.

Conclusion

You know that exercising is important for your health. But it goes beyond just body fat, calories, muscle, and even organ health. Working out has a direct impact on the health of your genes—which is the foundation of your overall wellbeing.

You could be a professional athlete if you wanted to—as long as you altered your genes appropriately.

But even if you have no interest in a Super Bowl ring, exercise can improve your genetic makeup to help resist disease and illness.

Healthy genes make a healthy person. And exercise makes for healthy genes.

Not sure how to workout for optimal health? Or how to impact your genes towards overall wellness?

No worries.

That’s why I’m here.

Check out our Male 90X program, a genetic-based report and analysis that will help you unlock and achieve your maximum potential.

You can change your health, your genes, and your life right now.

Learn How To Leverage Your Genetics with the MALE 90X program.

In this eBook, Dr. Tracy Gapin unlocks the secrets to naturally increase testosterone and how to optimize your performance in the bedroom, the boardroom and beyond – by leveraging YOUR unique genetic blueprint.

What’s The Deal With Weight Gain And Low Testosterone?


If you’re struggling to see the results you want in your weight loss program, you may be dealing with a testosterone imbalance.

Have you been noticing that the number on the scale keeps increasing recently?

Is your midsection growing at a faster rate than the rest of your body?

Are you struggling to lose those pesky pounds?

Are you dieting and exercising but still not seeing the results you want?

Weight gain is a primary symptom of low testosterone.

If you have low testosterone, you’re more likely to have increased body fat.

And if you have increased body fat, you’re more likely to suffer from low testosterone.

This becomes a vicious cycle that can cause weight gain and prevent weight loss—no matter how hard you diet and exercise. This cycle can also impact other areas of your health, including stress, libido, fertility, energy, and risk for disease.

Let’s go through the basics of testosterone, how T is related to weight, and what you can do about breaking the cycle this week.

What is testosterone?

Testosterone is the “male sex hormone.” It’s the primary hormone that makes a male “manly.” Testosterone is necessary for the initial development of the testes and prostate as well as the ongoing production of sperm and semen.

Along with its sexual function, testosterone has other important purposes in the body as well. It plays a role in everything from libido to muscle development and brain health. Check out these 10 crazy and surprising effects of testosterone here.

A number of factors can cause low testosterone. This includes lifestyle, diet, and exercise. Age also plays a role, as testosterone levels naturally decline with age especially after age 50.

Because testosterone is so critical for sexual and overall health, low levels of testosterone can cause serious health concerns. Symptoms of low testosterone include:

  • Weight gain
  • Minimized libido (sex drive)
  • Low fertility
  • Loss of muscle mass
  • Weak bones
  • Lowered energy
  • Brain fog
  • Moodiness
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Low self-esteem
  • Less body hair

In this post, we’re going to focus on the first symptom: weight gain.

Testosterone has a direct impact on your weight. Higher testosterone means less fat and more muscle. Lower testosterone means more fat and less muscle.

That means that testosterone not only impacts the way we look and feel, but it’s also an important aspect of overall health. Testosterone affects our weight, and weight is a proven indicator of future wellness. Being overweight is directly linked to a number of health problems, including high cholesterol, high blood sugar, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and more.

So how does this work?

What is the relationship between weight gain and low testosterone?

A number of studies have proven that weight and testosterone are intimately linked.

Research has shown that low testosterone can cause weight gain. Thus, improving testosterone levels can help with weight loss. A 2013 study found that men taking testosterone supplements saw weight loss as a side effect. Over five years, they each lost an average of 36 pounds and 3.5 inches off the waist. Similar results were iterated in a 2016 study as well.The reverse is also true. Obesity or holding extra weight can actually reduce testosterone levels. One study found that 75% of men who qualified as obese also had hypogonadism, which is when the body produces lower amounts of testosterone.

Losing weight, then, actually shows an increase in testosterone levels—even without testosterone replacement therapy.  

So where does this link between weight gain and testosterone come from?

Below are the five primary ways testosterone impacts your weight.

  1. Testosterone plays a role in metabolism.


Testosterone plays a key role in your metabolism, which is the process that turns your carbs, fats, and proteins into energy and fuel.

This is likely because testosterone interacts with insulin and glucose. High levels of testosterone can “eat up” extra glucose. Otherwise, that glucose would be stored as fat cells in the body.

Higher levels of testosterone eat up more of your free-floating sugar to prevent weight gain.

In fact, one study found that men undergoing testosterone treatment showed a significant increase in basal metabolic rate, which is associated with a decrease in lean body mass.

In opposition, fat cells actually metabolize testosterone at a fast rate. The more fat you carry around, the faster you burn through your free testosterone.

So low testosterone causes weight gain… and then that extra fat actually minimizes your free testosterone even more.

  1. Testosterone builds muscle.

Muscle is an important part of weight loss. Your body has to burn up its fat stores in order to build the muscle that you’re creating. Plus, muscle actually burns more calories throughout the day than fatty tissue does.

Having more muscle on your body puts you in a positive cycle of maintained weight.

And testosterone is a key hormone in the process of muscle construction and protein synthesis.


Studies show that testosterone levels increase muscle mass by boosting the body’s ability to produce protein.

This means that higher testosterone can help increase muscle, which minimizes fat storage.

Testosterone also boosts HGH, the human growth hormone. This hormone is used to build or “grow” your muscle.

Studies have shown that men with low testosterone are more likely to have less muscle mass than men with normal T levels. Similarly, men with less muscle mass are at a greater risk for low testosterone levels.

If you want healthy and attractive muscles, you need testosterone.

  1. Testosterone regulates fat-storing estrogen.

Body fat contains an enzyme called aromatase. Aromatase converts testosterone to estradiol, which is a type of estrogen. Aromatase turns T into estrogen, which increases estrogen levels. This then signals the endocrine system to slow the production of testosterone.

Basically, fat tissue creates estrogen. Estrogen stops the production of testosterone.

Thus, reducing fat tissue helps minimize the extra estrogen caused by stored belly fat.

The reverse is also true. When testosterone is low, it increases the production of estrogen.

Estrogen then signals your body to store fat. That’s why women tend to have “softer” features and extra weight, especially around their midsection. The goal of this in females is to store fat so women have extra reserves in case they need to care for a fetus or baby.

Estrogen works the same way in a male. It tells your body to hold on to your fat “in case of emergency.” But in most cases, you’re not all that interested in holding on to extra fat tissue in case the apocalypse hits.


Body fat increases estrogen and lowers T.

And low T increases body fat storage.

Talk about a cycle of weight gain!

Thus, boosting testosterone levels can help minimize fat-storing estrogen. And losing weight can help reduce estradiol, allowing for more free-floating testosterone.

Find out more about the relationship between testosterone and estrogen, especially with regards to the estrogen in your food.

  1. Testosterone reduces cortisol levels.

Cortisol, the “stress hormone,” is proven to increase weight gain. You’ve likely found that during stressful periods of your life, you hold on to a little more poundage than you typically would.

This is because cortisol is released in response to stress and low blood sugar. The goal of cortisol is to suppress inflammation and raise blood sugar levels. This increase in blood sugar actually promotes fat storage, especially around the abdomen.

Cortisol also causes gluconeogenesis, which is when your body transforms its protein reserves into glucose. This basically transforms the protein within your muscles into fatty tissue. You’ll start losing muscle mass and gaining fat—which links back to #2 on this list.  

Testosterone and cortisol have an inverse relationship. High cortisol levels cause low levels of testosterone, and high testosterone levels cause low levels of cortisol. Low testosterone allows cortisol to run free, causing an increase in fat storage and gluconeogenesis.


Raising your testosterone levels reduces cortisol, which then minimizes the risk of extra fat storage.

You want high T and low cortisol for optimal health.

  1. Testosterone impacts energy and stamina.

Low energy is a symptom of low testosterone. Fatigue and sluggishness are common indicators of a hormonal imbalance.

Energy is an important part of losing weight. Men with low testosterone often find they don’t have the energy or motivation to workout. When they do exercise, their stamina is so low that the workout isn’t as productive or effective as it could be.

Plus, low energy tends to lead to a more stagnant lifestyle. This means fewer calories burned throughout the day—often accompanied by an increase in the consumption of calories.

This creates a discouraging effect for men looking to lose weight. They can’t bring themselves to the gym no matter how much they want to lose the weight.

Stagnation causes a quick uptick in poundage.

How can you lose weight and increase testosterone?

Because the relationship between weight and testosterone goes both ways, it can be challenging to answer the chicken or the egg question:

Am I gaining weight because of low testosterone or do I have low testosterone because I’m gaining weight?

But the answer to this question ultimately doesn’t matter.

You don’t want weight gain or low testosterone.

So how can you break the cycle?

You have to start by boosting your testosterone.

Whether your weight gain was the cause or effect of low testosterone, losing weight starts by increasing testosterone.

Click here to discover the 13 ways to increase testosterone naturally. You’ll also want to learn about the 7 testosterone boosting myths, so you can make sure your training regimen is on the right track.

Testosterone replacement therapy might be a solution for some men, but it can also have a number of associated risks. There are other healthier ways to try increasing testosterone while losing fat.

Below are a few of the best ways to increase testosterone while losing weight—kill two birds with one stone!

  1. Lift weights. Resistance exercise builds muscle faster than cardio. As discussed, lean muscle burns fat faster and triggers testosterone production.
  2. Use high-intensity interval training. Studies show that interval training boosts testosterone better than steady endurance exercise. Interval workouts also tap into fat reserves to eat away at the pounds you’re struggling to lose.
  3. Stress less. The more you stress, the more cortisol you have in your body. More cortisol means less testosterone. Minimizing your stress is crucial to maintaining a healthy hormone balance. I recommend yoga, because it helps reduce stress while growing muscle mass.
  4. Maintain a consistent routine. You need to be exercising regularly in order to have a long-term impact on your testosterone levels. The most effective routines include both cardio and weightlifting to boost muscle mass and burn fat simultaneously.
  5. Don’t shy away from fats. Healthy fats are actually an important part of testosterone production. Study after study shows that low-fat, high-protein diets kill testosterone, minimize muscle mass, and increase fat storage. A balance of fats, carbs, and protein is critical for hormonal health and balance.

 

Learn more about the Carnivore Diet and Fat Loss here. 

Learn other testosterone boosting methods here.

Conclusion

If you’re struggling to get rid of those pesky pounds, low testosterone may have something to do with it. The intimate relationship between testosterone and weight gain can create a vicious cycle that can be hard to break.

But if you boost your testosterone, you’ll increase muscle mass and strength, encourage weight loss, improve energy and stamina… and enrich your overall health and vitality!

I have the ultimate solution to breaking the cycle.

Because I’ve done it myself.

During a routine physical exam, I found out I was 25 pounds overweight. My cholesterol was 245. My doctor showed me my life expectancy chart based on my medical history and health… and it scared the crap out of me.

So I decided to make a change.

I decided to break the cycle.

And I’ve been helping men lose weight and boost testosterone ever since.

Now it’s your turn.

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!

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

Epigenetics Series – Is Cancer Related To Your DNA?


Are we predisposed to cancer, based on our DNA?

Or do our lifestyles and choices primarily determine our health?

For years, doctors debated this question in a “black or white” fashion: either disease is predetermined in DNA or disease is determined by lifestyle.

Recently, though, doctors determined that the answer falls somewhere in the gray area between both sides.

Our risk of disease, especially cancer, is defined by the expression of our genes.  And the expression of our genes is defined by our lifestyle and environment.

This is where epigenetics has stepped in to answer questions about disease and illness that have stumped scientists for decades.

There is an intimate link between disease, genetics, and lifestyle that can’t be ignored.

These epigenetics findings declare resoundingly: you are not a slave to your genes.

You can take control of your own health and wellness, which can enable you to fight off disease and cancer at its root.

Let’s explore how epigenetics plays a role in cancer—and what you can do about it.

What is epigenetics?

In order to understand how epigenetics impacts cancer, we need to first understand the basics of epigenetics.

Epigenetics is the expression of your genetic sequence. You’re born with a certain DNA sequence, and that’s the same DNA you’ll have for life. However, the expression of those genes can change throughout the course of your life. This expression depends on which of your genes are active or inactive.

There are two primary epigenetic factors that impact the expression of your DNA sequence: DNA methylation and histone modifications. (There’s also RNA-associated silencing, which we won’t get into today.)

Methylation

DNA methylation occurs when a methyl group is added to DNA. Usually, it’s added to a specific part of the DNA sequence: on a cytosine nucleotide next to a guanine nucleotide linked to a phosphate.

This is called the CpG site. Keep this in mind, as we’ll be discussing the impact of methyl groups at the CpG site in our discussions of cancer and disease below.

Generally, methylation “turns off” or deactivates genes. More methylation equals greater silencing of the gene.


In some cases, this can be positive. For example, if you have a gene that puts you at high risk for disease, you would want it to be silenced with a methyl group.

However, you don’t want to silence genes that fight off disease or tumors. Silencing certain tumor-fighting genes is one of the key causes of cancer.

Histone modification

Histones are proteins that make up chromatin, which is the foundational component of DNA chromosomes. DNA wraps around histones, like thread around a spool. When these histones are modified, then the chromatin arrangement can be altered and misread.

There are two types of histone modification: acetylation and methylation.

When an acetyl is added to the histone (acetylation), it typically activates chromatin. Deacetylation, then, is associated with heterochromatin, which is a deactivated or suppressed expression of the gene.

Histone methylation also impacts the active and inactive regions of chromatin. For example, a methylation on lysine K9 with histone H3 is responsible for the inactivated X chromosome of females.

Any of these epigenetic factors, especially methylation, create abnormal activation or silencing of genes. This can put you at greater risk for cancer, disease, syndromes (especially chromosomal instabilities), and other serious illnesses.

So how do these epigenetic changes occur? What causes methylation or acetylation?

Environment and lifestyle dynamics have a direct impact on these epigenetic factors, which I’ll discuss further below.

How does epigenetics affect cancer?


One of the most forceful diseases of our time is cancer. While there’s still so much we don’t know about the growth and treatment of cancer, there is one thing we know for sure: genetics and epigenetics play a significant role in the development and progression of cancer.

In fact, study after study has proven that there are links between certain types of cancers and certain epigenetic modifications.

Epigenetic factors can suppress cancer-fighting genes.

All humans are programmed with certain genes. These genes are meant to keep us healthy and functioning.

For example, there’s a gene that helps fight off diseased cells (aka cancer cells). There’s another gene that suppresses tumor growth.

You want these healthy “fighter” genes to be active, so they can minimize your risk for cancer.

But if methylation or acetylation impacts these genes, then they can be deactivated. So if cancer strikes, your body is unable to fight off the diseased cells or spread of cancer. This then would leave you susceptible to cancer, which you may have otherwise been able to fight off had your healthy genes been activated.

Studies have even shown a proportional link between methylation levels and severity and prognosis of cancer.

For example, the GSTP1 gene is methylated in over 90% of prostate cancers.

An early study found that diseased tissue affected by colorectal cancer had less DNA methylation than normal tissue. This is because the methylated genes “turned off” or deactivated the tumor suppressor genes.

Methylation deactivates genes that are necessary to fight off cancer.

Methylation impacts cancer cell growth.

Moreover, methylation itself plays a role in how cancer develops. Methylation is involved in cell divisions, DNA repair, apoptosis (cell death), metastasis, cell detox, and more.

High levels of methylation (hypermethylation) indicate that diseased cells aren’t dying off and healthy cells aren’t generating fast enough. Thus, high methylation is a predictor—and potentially a cause—of cancer.

For example, hypermethylation in APC and RASSF1A genes are used as epigenetic markers for early detection of cancer, especially breast cancer.

Methylation causes microsatellite instability.

Microsatellite instability is linked to a number of cancers, including colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, and gastric cancers.

Microsatellites are repetitive DNA, they have certain strands of DNA  that are repeated within the genome. They’re common in normal individuals without disease.

Instability of microsatellites, though, is linked to chromosomal instability. This upsets the genetic function, creating a dangerous mutation.

Microsatellite instability is a direct cause of DNA methylation, especially methylation of the gene MLH1, which is the gene that repairs DNA. If the gene is methylated, then it is unable to properly repair your DNA when it becomes damaged by disease and cancer.

Researchers have seen microsatellite instability in a number of cancers, even occurring in 15% of colorectal cancers.

How can I prevent cancer with epigenetics? 

Genes are inherited. This means that your risk for cancer could come from your ancestors—just like your genes that suppress tumor growth and cell division come from your ancestors. 

But just because you inherit certain genes does not direct the course of your fate.

In fact, nearly half of all inherited genes related to cancer can be impacted by methylation.

And methylation is not inherited. Methylation and other epigenetic factors are proven responses to environmental stimuli including diet, toxins, pollutants, and other stressors.

This means you can take control of your risk for cancer by directing your epigenetic expression.

In fact, some doctors have even started building cancer-fighting programs—like my EDGE Blueprint Consult—based on epigenetics as potential chemopreventative measures.

You can change your health with certain lifestyle and diet choices, many of which I go through below.

  1. Get your folic acid.

Folate or folic acid is a B vitamin (B-9) that plays an important role in cell growth and function. It’s actually the foundation of a number of prenatal vitamins as a means of reducing the risk of birth defects.

Folate can play an important role in gene expression and DNA integrity and stability. Studies have shown that folate can help modulate DNA methylation. On the other hand, a folate deficiency may cause DNA methylation.

Learn more about folate’s role in epigenetics in section 3.1 here.


You can get folate through both diet and supplementation. You can find folate in:

  • Garbanzo beans (100% of the required daily dose)
  • Liver (55% DV)
  • Lentils (45% DV)
  • Pinto beans (37% DV)
  • Asparagus (33% DV)
  • Black-eyed peas (28% DV)
  • Beets (17% DV)
  • Avocado (15% DV)
  • Spinach (14% DV)
  • Broccoli (14% DV)

You’ll also receive folate in oranges, lemons, bananas, melons, and strawberries.

You can also take folic acid vitamins. The recommended daily amount of folate is 400 micrograms (mcg).

  1. Consume polyphenols.

Polyphenols are antioxidants, which help reduce the damage of cancer-causing free radicals. They help minimize cell damage and regulate methylation. There are four types of polyphenols: flavonoids, phenolic acids, benzoic acids, and stilbenes.

Green tea polyphenols have been shown to decrease the risk of colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and oesophageal cancer. It’s been shown to suppress methylation or demethylate TSG promoters, which helps protect against the spread of cancer.


Resveratrol has been shown to modify histone acetylation, as it works as a Silent Information Regulator 1 (SIRT1). It helps fight off cancer while maintaining the structural integrity of DNA. You can find resveratrol in blueberries, dark chocolate, red wine, peanuts, cranberries, and pistachios.

 

  1. Drink coffee. 

Caffeic acid is a type of polyphenol. It affects the bioavailability of SAM, which is a methyl donor (and required for methylation).

Some studies have shown that coffee consumption may be able to reduce the risk of cancer, especially progressive prostate cancer. In fact, one study found that coffee was a better regulator of methylation than even tea.

As with anything, though, you want to regulate your caffeine intake. A cup or two a day may help with methylation, but too much can have the opposite effect.

  1. Get sleep.

Sleep has a direct impact on epigenetic factors of methylation and histone acetylation. Learn more about the link between sleep and epigenetics here.

Sleep can literally help your body fight cancer. Tonight’s “all-nighter” could put you at risk for serious disease down the line. Get your Zs for optimal health.

  1. Cut the alcohol.

Alcohol consumption is directly linked to DNA methylation.

Over 20 studies have found that heavy alcohol consumption creates epigenetic modifications that can lead to disease and cancer.

One study, in particular, found that low folate intake and high alcohol intake had a significantly greater prevalence of hypermethylation, which was especially linked to colorectal cancer.

This doesn’t mean you need to cut out alcohol altogether necessarily. A glass of red wine can give you a boost of resveratrol and heart-healthy benefits. As with coffee, it’s the excess of alcohol that can cause genetic concerns. Stick to one glass daily at maximum.

  1. Eat a balanced diet.


Like sleep, nutrition has a direct impact on your genetics. What you put into your body can be the strongest predictor of future health—especially in regards to cancer.

Eating phytonutrients and vitamins is the only way to fight against inflammation, oxidative damage, imbalanced hormones, and more.

Learn about the importance of a rainbow diet for your epigenetic health.

  1. Minimize your stress.

Stress is a proven cause of DNA methylation. The more stress you have, the more it impacts your genetic expression.

In fact, stress has even been linked to cancer—but until recently, the cause of this link was always fuzzy. Epigenetics might be the “missing link” in the DNA.

Stress creates harmful free radicals while also causing methylation that suppresses cancer-fighting genes. This creates a double whammy that can cause progression of cancer.

Find out about the link between stress, epigenetics, and cancer here.

  1. Get more vitamin D.

Studies show that Vitamin D can reverse abnormal epigenetic modifications. Vitamin D has especially been linked to the development of breast cancer due to the role that vitamin D plays with estrogen.

Vitamin D is also linked to the development of prostate cancer.

  1. Workout.


Working out directly impacts your genes. Studies have shown that intense workouts can eliminate methyl groups in just one session. Daily exercise regulates ongoing methylation at a greater rate than even diet or sleep.

This means that you may be able to reduce your risk of cancer with intense, frequent exercises.

If you want to have improved overall health and optimal epigenetic expression, you need an exercise routine. 

Conclusion

Cancer is directly related to epigenetic expressions of your genes. But you can control this expression with lifestyle changes that minimize methylation and acetylation.

It’s time to sign up for our G1 Performance Health program to start experiencing the health and vitality you’ve always dreamed of.

Disease doesn’t wait—so why are you?

Sign up now to start living.

Testosterone: 10 Crazy And Surprising Effects


Testosterone is a necessary hormone involved in health, reproduction, and behavior. Men and women both require testosterone (T) for sex drive, bone strength, muscle maintenance, and more. T levels drastically impact physical, emotional, and mental health.

So what are the effects of testosterone?

Below you’ll find the 10 ways the big T impacts your health, wellness, and even your psychology and behavior.

1. Testosterone increases sex drive

The most common effect of T is sex drive. Testosterone is the key hormone in controlling libido in both men and women. Men produce nearly ten times as much testosterone as women, which is why men generally have a stronger sex drive than women.

That’s also why low libido and low levels T often go hand-in-hand. If you aren’t interested in having sex like you used to, low testosterone levels could be to blame.


But having a strong sex drive and high T levels is actually a predictor of good health.

Our bodies are programmed to have sex. Our evolutionary biology tells us to have sex in order to procreate (to keep the human race alive). You’ve likely heard of the biological theory that men must “spread their seed.”

High levels of testosterone create that hormonal urge to “sow your wild seeds.”

So sex drive is an essential part of our biological processes.

But it’s not the most essential part. Your body first needs to survive in order for you to procreate. Thus, your body will take care of survival before focusing on sex.

Thus, if you don’t have a strong sex drive, it could be because your body is in a state of “survival mode.” Your body is focused on other, more essential processes before it can think about sex.

If you have a disease or illness, your body will shut down the baby-making process to first fend off the sickness. For example, think about the last time you had the flu. You likely had a lowered sex drive because your body was preoccupied with getting healthy.

So what does this all mean?

A low sex drive could be an indicator of low testosterone or another underlying health problem.

To raise your sex drive, you need to boost your testosterone. If you increase your T levels, you’ll feel more sexual and last longer in bed.

Keep in mind that “sex drive” is relative. Your low sex drive may be someone else’s high sex drive. If you feel you are less interested in sex than usual, you should get your levels checked.

2. Testosterone helps you attract women

Testosterone may actually make you more attractive to women (which can help quench that extensive sex drive).

This is partially because of the masculine-feminine dynamic. Estrogen gives women their feminine qualities, while testosterone causes more masculine qualities. An estrogenic woman is often attracted to a man with high T levels and vice versa. This makes for prime reproduction. In this case, opposites do attract.


However, the reason for this attraction actually goes beyond the masculine-feminine relationship. Researchers at Wayne State University studied two groups of men competing for the attention of an attractive woman. They found that men with higher levels of testosterone were more likely to “win the girl.” This was because men with higher T levels were more assertive, controlled the conversation, had more confidence and demonstrated a stronger self-image.

Basically, it can give you the confidence and suaveness you need to talk to a woman in a bar. Low T leads to low confidence and less luck with the ladies.

3. Testosterone makes you more competitive


Studies show that testosterone levels rise when partaking in any sort of competition. This isn’t just a slight rise in T levels. Competition causes such a spike in testosterone that it can actually result in aggressive and antisocial behaviors.

Have you ever met a guy who gets too intense about boys’ night poker? He may just have higher levels of competition-related testosterone!

Testosterone levels also increase after winning and decrease after losing. That may be an explanation for the gloating winner and a sore loser.

Interestingly, one study found that even watching competition impacts testosterone levels. Researchers compared men watching the Brazil-Italy World Cup match. After Brazil won, they found that Brazil fans’ testosterone levels increased and Italy fans’ levels fell.

4. Testosterone makes you more honest.

A 2012 study looked at how T impacts competition and honesty. They found something surprising—testosterone actually makes you more honest, even when in a competitive atmosphere.


They gave 46 men a testosterone gel and 45 a placebo. All participants rolled a dice in private and reported their numbers. They were told they would receive money based on their roll, with a higher roll paying out more cash.

The researchers found that men who received a testosterone gel actually self-reported the numbers more honestly.

They attributed this honesty to self-image. Testosterone increases one’s personal sense of pride. Cheating or lying could damage that self-image. Participants with higher testosterone were less willing to risk damaging their pride or to appear as a liar or cheat.

5. Testosterone makes you less fiscally responsible

In the previous study, men were more likely to value their pride over money. But the two may be linked.

Testosterone also makes men more interested in financial gain. It’s possible that testosterone makes men more interested in money because money contributes to a greater sense of pride.

In fact, this financial desire actually makes those with high testosterone levels more willing to take financial risks. One study found that men with higher levels had a greater willingness to invest more money and make riskier investment decisions. This might be a source of jealousy for those who have never quite managed to pluck up the courage to make their investment dreams come true, but there are plenty of resources available to help you trust in your own judgement, such as this Facebook page for Perpetual Assets which offers advice to those who lack confidence in investment.

6. Testosterone can make you more money


The reverse is true as well. Financial gain can actually increase your T levels.

One study looked at stock traders’ testosterone levels. Researchers found that the traders’ T levels increased on days where they made an above-average profit on their trades.

This implies that financial gain raises T levels. This may have something to do with a financial gain equating to a competitive win and a boost in self-image, as discussed above.

Interestingly, though, the reverse may be true as well. Higher testosterone may also make you more money.

The study also found that men with higher T levels in the morning had above average profits in the afternoon. They were more likely to make more money on days they had higher testosterone levels.

The reason for this isn’t completely clear. It’s likely because testosterone makes you more competitive and willing to take risks, both of which are important traits for stock traders.

Nevertheless, this can be risky business. After making a good trade, testosterone levels rise. But this testosterone can cause men to make riskier financial decisions. These hormones create a “gambling feedback”: a good trade occurs, testosterone rises, and testosterone creates poorer decision-making skills.

Basically, testosterone is more likely to make you willing to “risk it all”—which can make you lose it all or win it all.

7. Testosterone makes you think you’re right

“No honey, I’m right because I have more testosterone than you.”

That’s not necessarily the best way to win an argument—but it’s how testosterone affects the brain. A study of 243 men found that higher levels lead to greater confidence in answers—even when incorrect.

The men were either given a testosterone gel or placebo and then they were instructed to do a cognitive reflection test. Researchers found that those men given testosterone answered 20% fewer questions correctly—but were more likely to be convinced they were right. These men also gave their incorrect answers quicker and their correct answers slower than the placebo group.


This implies that T has two effects. It slows down cognitive processing and increases confidence levels.

If you have high testosterone, you’re more likely to think you’re right. If you have low T, you may have greater uncertainty and anxiety with decision-making skills.

8. Testosterone makes you less emotional

Women are generally more emotional and empathetic than men—and that may be because of their high levels of estrogen. Testosterone, on the other hand, may reduce emotional behaviors and processing.

Research at Utrecht University looked at how testosterone impacted the brain. They showed female participants a series of photographs of eyes, and they were asked to identify the emotion. Researchers found that women given testosterone took longer to identify emotions and made more mistakes than those not given the hormone.

In fact, they found that even just one dose of the hormone was enough to alter the connections between the “emotion processing” parts of the brain.

Elevated levels minimized the ability of the brain to process and relate to emotional cues.

9. Testosterone makes you immortal

No, it doesn’t actually make you immortal. But it may help you live longer. Strong T levels improve health to help avoid serious health concerns and early death. For example, testosterone can help you lose weight, which minimizes obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Low testosterone, on the other hand, is linked to weight gain, loss of muscle mass, loss of bone density, heart disease, and even early death.


Testosterone is especially necessary to regulate insulin and glucose. Low T levels create an imbalance in glucose and insulin, which can lead to the accumulation of fat tissue. This fat increases estrogen and decreases testosterone, creating a negative cycle of low T and weight gain. Testosterone also plays an important role in combating metabolic syndrome.

Low T is also linked to chronic inflammation. This body-wide inflammation weakens the immune system and may be linked to asthma, allergies, diabetes, respiratory disease, Parkinson’s, ADD, Lupus, MS, migraines, and more. Raising testosterone can help minimize harmful inflammation.

Healthy levels of testosterone may:

Plus, testosterone boosts libido and sexual function. And more sex is linked to a longer lifespan! (This is likely because sex is a great form of physical exercise while helping to minimize stress and cortisol levels.)

10. Testosterone isn’t just a male hormone

Men have ten times more testosterone than women, but it’s an important hormone for females as well. Testosterone has the same health benefits for women as it does for men, like weight loss, improved bone density, and greater sex life.

In fact, women with higher T levels have more positive sexual experiences and are more likely to achieve orgasm. Too much testosterone, though, can become a health concern for women. It can lead to “manly” features like deeper voice, hair growth on body and face, and hair loss from the head.

Did you know that kissing actually transfers small amounts of T from the man to the woman? This helps excite the woman in preparation for sex. So, yes, kissing is an important part of foreplay, helping to increase your partner’s sex drive!

Bottom Line

Testosterone plays an important role in overall health and wellness—both inside and outside the bedroom. It’s linked to libido, muscle mass, mental clarity, cognitive ability, energy levels, and more.

Do you want to boost your testosterone andimprove your health? Check out our Male 90X program.

Click below to get started on boosting your T levels for ULTIMATE health and MAXIMUM potential!

Epigenetics Series: What Should You Eat For Your Body Type?


Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”  In other words, eat for your body type.

Do you have trouble losing weight?

Are your blood tests consistently coming back with high cholesterol, adrenal concerns, low testosterone, and other risk factors?

Do you have an increased risk of disease?

Are you currently suffering from an illness?

All of these concerns may be a result of an incorrect or poor diet or failing to eat for your body type.  

What you eat has a direct impact on your genetic expression, which proportionally influences your health and wellness.

This intimate relationship between nutrition and epigenetics has a direct result on your body’s health, energy, and immunity.

Healthy, nutrient-rich foods strengthen your DNA expression to minimize illness, pains, and risk of disease. In reverse, the wrong foods can activate DNA markers that make you susceptible to obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other ailments.

Food is so much more than calories and energy. The vitamins and nutrients you put in your body have a direct impact on your health at a molecular and genetic level.

Let’s take a quick look at what epigenetics is and how it’s related to your diet. Then I’ll give you a list of the best foods you should eat for your body type to activate strong genes and deactivate harmful ones.

What is epigenetics?


Epigenetics is the means of “controlling” your genes. Your DNA pattern will always remain the same. The DNA you were born with will be the DNA structure you die with.

Though your genes don’t change, the expression of those genes can alter over time. For example, you could have blonde hair as a child and now you naturally have brown hair. Your gene didn’t change, but the expression of that hair color gene changed.

This change in genetic expression occurs through activation or deactivation of epigenetic factors. “Epigenetics” looks at those processes that “turn off” or “turn on” certain genes.

Read: What Is Epigenetics & Why Do You Care?

The two most common types of activators are DNA methylation and histone acetylation.

DNA methylation occurs when methyl molecules attach to the end of genetic sequences to tighten or loosen the DNA’s double helix. This process plays a significant role in aging, cancer, and other inflammatory diseases. Methylation has been especially linked to cancer production by silencing those genes that repair cells and fight against tumors.

Histone acetylation occurs when acetyl enzymes alter the body’s histone proteins. This has been shown to control the repression of certain chromatin domains in the DNA process.

Both DNA methylation and histone acetylation impact the way your genes are expressed. If an environmental or lifestyle trigger causes either process, your genes can be silenced or activated.

Just as easily as high-risk genes can be flipped “on,” they can be reversed into the “off” position as well.

The easiest way to reverse or prevent the process of negative genetic expression is with healthy lifestyle influencers—like nutrition and diet.

How are epigenetics and diet linked?

DNA methylation and histone acetylation occur as a result of certain lifestyle and environmental triggers. These triggers can include physical exercise, stress, sleep, addiction, pollution, and diet.

Every day, our body handles oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs naturally whenever we metabolize oxygen in our bodies. When we exercise, move, or even breathe, we metabolize oxygen to create more energy. This is a natural, low-impact oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress also occurs from our environment, like pollution, radiation, pesticides, and chemicals. It can also be a result of high stress or lack of sleep.

Although we deal with oxidative stress daily, high stress can create a serious health problem. This stress, also called “uncontrolled free-radical production,” alters your genetic expression. It minimizes the body’s immunity and damages your body’s natural self-healing properties.


This leads to disease and cancer because the body doesn’t have the immune strength to prevent or fight against illness. Oxidative stress also promotes inflammation, which progresses conditions like cancer, premature aging, and heart disease.

We can’t prevent our bodies from dealing with oxidative stress. However, we can minimize the impact of oxidative stress on our genes and health—through a healthy diet and by ensuring you eat for your body type.

Eating certain vitamins and nutrients actually helps defend against oxidative stress in the body. In fact, diet is the number one way to fight against cancer and disease caused by oxidative stress.

What are phytonutrients?

Certain nutrients and compounds, like phytonutrients, are proven defense mechanisms against free radicals. These nutrients promote the gene expression of protective immunity genes while silencing those genes that initiate high-risk disease.

Phytonutrients are plant-based compounds that impact our bodies at the genetic level. They’re antioxidants, meaning that they fight against (“anti”) oxidative stress (“oxidants”). They’re also anti-inflammatory, meaning they defend against inflammatory triggers. These phytonutrients have healing qualities that are proven to activate healthy genes while silencing adverse ones.


There are nearly 25,000 known phytonutrients. Each plant has its own makeup of phytonutrients, which are usually found in the pigment of the plant. For example, red plants like tomatoes and watermelon contain lycopene, while yellow plants like pineapple and lemon contain flavonoids. Both lycopene and flavonoids are phytonutrients, but they impact genetic expression in unique ways.

Thus, you want to have a “rainbow diet.” A variety of plant colors helps ensure you get an array of phytonutrients in your system. For optimal body function, you need a diversity of nutrients and vitamins.

What should I eat for healthy genes?

You want to incorporate more phytonutrients into your diet in order to eat for your body type and activate immune-boosting genes and deactivate disease-risk ones. This is a process that everyone should add to eat right for his/her body type.

But what specific phytonutrients should you eat for ultimate gene health?

Below I’ll go through some of the most impactful phytonutrients that will boost your overall health—and your sexual health.

Ultimately, though, you want to focus on choosing healthy, whole foods that come in a variety of colors. Whether on this list or not, most fruits and veggies contain nutrients that can assist your body’s healthy genetic expression.

  1. Lycopene

Phytonutrient: lycopene

Foods: tomatoes, watermelon, red cabbage, grapefruit, papaya


Lycopene is a type of carotenoid that gives a reddish color to fruit. It’s a powerful antioxidant that may help decrease the risk of chronic diseases and cancers.

Some researchers have looked at a link between lycopene and prostate cancer prevention and treatment. The general consensus is that lycopene may have an impact on prostate cancer due to its strong antioxidant effect. Lycopene is found in high concentrations in prostate cells, so it may be the fastest acting antioxidant due to proximity. Lycopene has also been linked to slower tumor growth and reduced levels of an insulin growth factor.

The lycopene antioxidant is especially related to the deactivation of “aging” genes. Basically, lycopene may help minimize the natural effects of aging!

  1. Beta-carotene

Phytonutrient: beta-carotene

Foods: carrots, mangos, oranges, sweet potato, winter squash, cantaloupe, spinach, lettuce


Beta-carotene (BC) is most often found in orange fruits and vegetables. It may be proangiogenic, meaning it promotes angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is the creation of new blood vessels from pre-existing blood vessels. One study found that BC decreased DNA methylation and promoted vascular endothelial growth.

Strong blood vessels are critical to a healthy body. Your blood vessels transport oxygen throughout your body, delivering energy to your muscles and organs. Without a strong process of angiogenesis, you’re at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. This vascular process also plays an important role in erectile dysfunction, which is often the result of weak blood vessels or other vascular disorders.

  1. Flavonoids

Phytonutrient: flavonoids

Foods: lemons, citrus, pineapple, berries, apples, legumes, red wine


Flavonoids are linked to anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, and anti-thrombogenic mechanisms. They seem to be able to module cell-signaling cascades.

Flavonoids are associated with a significantly reduced risk of stroke and cardiovascular events. This is likely because of their anti-inflammatory effects on markers of oxidative stress.

Learn more about flavonoids here.

  1. Glucosinolate  

Phytonutrient: glucosinolate

Foods: kale, arugula, watercress


Glucosinolate is a phytonutrient that suppresses cancer cell growth. These cruciferous vegetables tend to be bitter due to the high levels of glucosinolate. For years, this bitter taste was associated with plant “toxins.” In fact, the reverse has been proven true. That bitterness actually plays an important role in genetic biosynthetic pathways.

Cruciferous vegetables also contain isothiocyanates, which increase histone acetylation and activate immune-boosting genes.

Want to get the most out of your vegetables? Cut your cruciferous veggies and let them sit for five to ten minutes before cooking. This helps activate the glucosinolate enzyme to release the nutrients for digestion and absorption.

  1. Anthocyanins

Phytonutrient: anthocyanins

Foods: pomegranates, blueberries, plums, raspberry, black rice, corn


Anthocyanins are one of the greatest phytonutrient powerhouses. In fact, the flavonoid anthocyanin plays a significant role in minimizing free radicals, decreasing inflammation, minimizing blood sugar concentrations, and preventing age-related neural declines. There are endless proven benefits of anthocyanins that your DNA expression loves.  

This compound gives foods a reddish-purple pigment, so be on the lookout for dark-colored fruits like pomegranates and blueberries.

In fact, pomegranates are proven to be one of the best foods for your sexual and overall health!

  1. Quercetin

Phytonutrient: quercetin

Foods: apples, peppers, blueberries, tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens, cocoa, red onion, black and green tea


Quercetin is a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound. It’s a type of polyphenolic antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress and free-radical genetic changes. Quercetin has been shown to fight inflammatory conditions like high cholesterol, heart disease, ulcers, diabetes, allergies, cognitive impairment, prostate inflammation (BPH), cancer, and skin disorders.

This anti-inflammatory effect helps activate a strong expression of your immune genes.

Apples are especially chock full of quercetin and other necessary phytonutrients. If you learn only one thing from this article, let it be this: An apple a day keeps the healthy genes at play!  

  1. Butyrate

Phytonutrient: butyrate

Foods: sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, pickled beets


Butyrate blocks inflammation in the body, especially in the digestive system. It plays an important role in the fermentation of dietary fibers in the gut. This gut-brain link is critical to overall health—as well as genetic health. If you have a strong gut, you are less likely to be susceptible to adverse DNA methylation.

Learn more about butyrate and probiotic microbiome health here.

Have you noticed that some of the strongest phytonutrients reduce both oxidative stress and inflammation?

Find out more about the concerns of chronic inflammation and its impact on genetic expression.

What should you avoid?

All of the above phytonutrients come from fruits and vegetables.

But does this mean to eat for your body type, you have to avoid all non-plant products?

Not necessarily. You can still eat animal products in moderation. Animal products themselves have not yet been linked to epigenetic methylation concerns. However, animal products and packaged, processed foods do have higher levels of chemicals and additives. These antibiotics and preservatives are proven environmental triggers for epigenetic changes.

Moreover, certain foods drastically impact your health at a genetic and cellular level. Take a look at our list of 7 foods that cause erectile dysfunction as an example.

You don’t need to drastically change your diet and lifestyle in order to be healthy.

But you need a diverse diet to maintain genetic health. Eating the same foods day after day make it challenging for your genes to function properly. You need a variety of nutrients and vitamins to maintain all processes in the body, including those that regulate gene expression.


Remember: when you eat for your body type by eating a salad, you won’t instantly change your genes. But healthy, strong choices on a consistent basis can impact your weight, energy, and genetic expression. With the right vitamins, you can reduce your risk of disease—while having the most energy you’ve ever had in your life!  

Bottom Line

Your health is in your hands—and on your plate! It’s imperative for your wellness to eat for your body type. The food you eat has a direct impact on your genetic expression and risk for disease.

Do you know how to incorporate a variety of phytonutrients into your diet?

Do you know how to minimize oxidative stress and control your genetic expression?

No? Then you need an easy, step-by-step plan to get you on the path to ULTIMATE health.

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

Ready to take the next steps?

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

 

Epigenetics Series: How To Sleep For Better Health


Even one night of sleep deprivation can alter your genes. The epigenetic change of poor sleep can result in reduced immunity, poor memory, lowered cognitive processes, enhanced risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and even higher risk for cancer and early death.

1 in 3 American adults doesn’t get enough sleep on a regular basis. That means nearly 70 to 80 million Americans are being subjected to reduced health and quality of life simply because they aren’t sleeping enough.

But understanding the epigenetics of sleep could help treat sleep disorders and their associated health risks.

How is sleep related to our genes? How do these epigenetic changes impact our health? And what can we do to reverse these genetic changes, sleep more, and stay healthy?

Epigenetics Recap

Let’s quickly recap the basics of epigenetics so we’re on the same page to discuss sleep genes.

Epigenetics looks at how changes in lifestyle and environmental factors can influence genetic expression.

We can’t change our genes. But certain environmental and lifestyle factors—like sleep— can activate or deactivate the expression of those genes.


DNA methylation is the most important and common epigenetic change. Methylation occurs when proteins attach to the methyl groups on the DNA bases. This attachment either “turns on” or “turns off” the expression of those genes. Think of methylation like a light switch that can flip the genetic expression one way or the other. We’ll also discuss histone acetylation below, which also plays a role in epigenetic expression.

Learn more about epigenetics here: What is Epigenetics and Why Do You Care?

The Importance Of Sleep

Sleep is critical for almost every aspect of our health. From learning and memory building to maintaining a healthy weight to reducing risk for chronic diseases, a number of studies have linked proper sleep to overall health and wellness.

The reverse is true as well. Studies have proven a correlation between lack of sleep and health problems, like metabolic disorders, heart disease, and even early death.


But the reason we need sleep for health isn’t fully understood. It could be because a lack of sleep increases cortisol (“stress hormone”) levels, which is linked to health problems. Or it could be that your cells need sleep to “reset” and regenerate. It could also be that sleep gives our body the necessary energy to use during the day.

Epigenetics is making some headway in understanding why we truly need sleep. Epigenetics suggests that sleep impacts DNA methylation, which can activate or deactivate certain cells in the body.

A lack of sleep may increase DNA methylation, which can suddenly activate the expression of risky genes, like cancer-causing tumor growth genes.

“It is becoming clear that epigenetic factors are highly integrated into networks [of clock genes and circadian gene expression],” wrote Qureshi and Mehler.

Epigenetics Control Sleep Patterns

Recent studies have proven that maternal and paternal imprinted genes control REM sleep.

One study looked at two syndromes, Prader-Willi syndrome and Angelman syndrome.

Prader-Willi syndrome comes from maternal additions (and paternal deletions) on chromosome 15. It results in inactive and sleepy children who tend towards the psychotic spectrum disorder.

Angelman syndrome has paternal additions and maternal deletions on chromosome 15. This syndrome results in hyperactive children who tend towards the autism spectrum.

This says something interesting about the link between genes and these syndromes’ symptoms. The difference comes from an opposite pattern of imprinting, which is the expression of the gene of one parental copy over another (Prader-Willi favors the maternal and Angelman favors the paternal).

When the maternal is stronger with Prader-Willi, children are inactive and sleeping. When the paternal gene is stronger with Angelman, children are hyperactive and sleepless.

The gene is the same, but the expression on wakefulness and sleepiness is different.


This same study also found that these genes can even control dreams. When paternal genes were predominantly expressed, the dreamer showed more aggressive impulses. When maternal genes were expressed, the dreamer showed more pro-social behaviors.

The expressed maternal or paternal gene has a direct correlation to energy levels, sleep capacity, and even dreaming.

This proves, at the very least, that our genetic expression has a direct link to our sleep patterns.

Sleep Patterns Control Epigenetics

But the opposite is true too. Genes control our sleep, but sleep also controls how our genes are expressed.

Research has proven that sleep controls the REM cycle. In fact, nearly 15% of our total genes oscillate along the sleep-wake cycles. This means that the genetic expression is dependent upon sleep patterns. A loss of sleep that disrupts our natural circadian rhythm can actually affect 20% of the genes in our brain.

These genes are called “clock” genes. These clock genes are key components of our circadian clock. How they interact with one another is entirely dependent upon genetic expression. The clock genes control when we are awake and when we are asleep, aka our nocturnal and diurnal cycles.

Yes, whether you are a “night owl” or “morning lark” is actually a factor of your genetic expression!

Some of the core clock genes include BMAL1, CRY 1,2 and PER 1,2. You can learn more about clock genes here.

Sleep and DNA methylation 

One of the most significant studies looked at the DNA methylation after just one night of sleep deprivation. 15 healthy men stayed in the lab for two nights. They slept during one session and were kept awake the entire night for the other.

They found after just one night of sleep deprivation:

  • Complete methylation of CRY1
  • Methylation changes in two regions of PER 2
  • Reduced genetic expression of BMAL1

That means almost all of the clock genes were instantly changed in just one night.  Researchers wrote, “Our current results indicate that changes in our clock genes may be linked to such negative effects caused by sleep loss.”

The study also looked at cortisol and blood glucose levels with sleep loss. They found that one night of sleep deprivation changed the genome of fat and muscle tissue. This demonstrates a direct link to increased risk factors of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

The researchers weren’t actually surprised that sleep impacted DNA methylation. They were more surprised how abruptly this change occurred. Cedernaes said, “It was interesting that the methylation of these genes could be altered so quickly, and that it could occur for these metabolically important clock genes.”

But what’s the problem? Why do we care about these clock genes?

These clock genes determine not only our patterns of sleep but also other key impacts of health, including cognitive function, metabolic health, and immunity.

Key Epigenetic Changes Dependent Upon Sleep

  1. Sleep improves immunity

There is a direct link between sleep and the immune system. A loss of sleep reduces the ability of the body to fight infection and diseases.

One study found an increase in DNA methylation in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Increased methylation occurred primarily on the FOXP3 (Forkhead Box P3) gene. This gene is known for regulating the body’s immune response.

Methylation of this gene increased levels of two key proteins:

  • High sensitivity C reactive protein: linked to cardiovascular disease and inflammation in blood
  • Myeloid-related protein 8/14 complex: has a role in the body’s inflammatory process

Overall, researchers concluded that increased methylation levels increased the systematic inflammatory response. This chronic inflammation reduces the immune system while damaging organs and body functioning over time.

Learn more about the serious adverse health effects of chronic inflammation here.

  1. Sleep enhances memory and cognitive functioning


Memories are stored while we sleep. If we aren’t sleeping, our brain doesn’t have time to “record” these memories.

Like methylation, histone acetylation is another epigenetic mechanism. This occurs when acetyl groups are added to histones (histones help order the structure of DNA). An addition of acetyl relaxes the DNA chromatin structure, which increases the expression of that gene.

While DNA methylation “turns off” or “turns on” a specific gene, histone acetylation enhances the “on” of a gene. If DNA methylation is a light switch, acetylation is the dimmer function.

Studies have proven a link between reverse histone acetylation and brain function. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are especially implicated in learning and memory.

A lack of sleep can actually cause histone acetylation, and thus impact the brain’s ability to form memories and apply new learnings.

One study looked at rats with three days of sleep deprivation. They found that sleep loss decreased histone acetylation levels and increased HDAC2 expression.

They also found a reduction in BDNF (brain-derived neurotropic factor) promoters. These proteins are critical for the creation of neuron synapses and associated memory formation.

The sleep deprivation reduced BDNF expression, which can interfere with the process of building neurons. Without these neurons, the brain starts to slow down, especially with regards to memory formation.

That’s why a night without sleep can make you so foggy and forgetful.

The researchers then administered an HDAC inhibitor to reverse this process, which was able to restorer spatial memory function.

  1. Sleep minimizes cancer risk

Studies have shown a link between a desynchronized circadian clock and tumor development. Not getting enough sleep can alter genes that are linked to immunity and tumor growth. This leaves your body exposed to cancer progression without the immunity to fight it off.

This likely occurs due to the decrease in melatonin with lack of sleep. Melatonin is the hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness.

One study found that melatonin can actually reverse tumor growth. In reverse, a lack of melatonin enables tumor growth progression. If we don’t sleep enough, our bodies don’t release the necessary melatonin. Moreover, light at night inhibits the release of melatonin. This melatonin deficiency has been linked to global DNA methylation, which impacts genes that regulate the immune system and inflammation.  

In essence, melatonin is necessary to prevent and reduce tumor growth.

  1. Sleep impacts stress (in a cycle)

Sleeping more can actually reduce your stress. Sleep helps lower your cortisol levels and increase your other hormones, like testosterone. A reduction in the stress-hormone cortisol can help your body feel less anxious and stressed.

But the reverse is true too. You need to reduce your stress if you want to get better sleep.


DNA methylation plays an important role in our body’s response to stress. DNA methylation can “turn on” stress genes. Stress causes histone modifications in the hippocampus, which can make the brain too active to get a good night’s sleep.

And many scientists believe that stress causes insomnia.

So DNA methylation might increase stress, which causes insomnia.

Insomnia and disrupted sleep then itself can become a chronic “stressor.” This stressor causes the DNA methylation that then causes insomnia.

It becomes a negative feedback loop of sleeplessness, stress, and unhealthy DNA methylation of genetic expression. This can literally perpetuate and sustain insomnia and associated health concerns indefinitely.

But we can actually break this cycle of epigenetics… by sleeping more.

How To Sleep

Can you “bank” your sleep?

This is always the first question people ask. Is it okay if I don’t sleep during the week and I sleep a lot on the weekend?

Well, no… but maybe.

Scientists are still looking at the impact of sleep accumulation.

However, as we saw with the above study, just one night of sleep deprivation can impact DNA methylation. Chronic sleep loss may have irreversible effects on genetic expression.

But, that doesn’t mean you should start losing sleep over your lost sleep. You want quality sleep every night, but one rough night won’t kill you. It’s generally accepted that it’s better to make up lost time the following day or weekend than to consistently tire yourself out running on no sleep.

So what does a healthy sleep look like?

In all honesty, the jury is still out on the answer to this question. So I’ll give you two key tips to follow that everyone can agree on.

  1. You want to sleep in full REM cycles when possible.

One REM cycle is about 90 minutes long. This means you generally want to wake up in intervals of an hour and a half. For example, you want to set your alarm for 6 hours, 7.5 hours, or 9 hours. Waking up after 8 hours interrupts a REM cycle, which will not only leave you tired and grouchy, but it could also impact DNA methylation and epigenetic expression.

The number of hours you should shoot for each night is still up in the air. I generally recommend 7-9 hours each night depending on your own energy levels. You can sometimes get by with 6 hours depending upon your own body’s needs.

However, with regards to epigenetic expression, the number of hours seems to be less important than when you sleep. You want to follow the natural light-dark cycle of the earth—and of your body. Sleeping during the day may actually impact your chromatin remodeling and cellular metabolism.  

  1. Go to sleep when it’s dark. Wake with the sun.

Learn more about sleep and increasing your energy here.

The Bottom Line

Sleep affects our “clock genes.” These genes are linked to key health factors like the immune system, inflammation regulation, cancer progression, stress, and chronic disease.

Even one night of sleep deprivation can impact the epigenetic profile. Sleep alters the expression of our genes. This means that sleep can literally control our behavioral and physiological functions.

Further understanding of the epigenetics of sleep could help treat sleep-wake disorders as well as reduce risks of neuro-degeneration, metabolic disease, cancer, diseases, and aging.

It’s critical to sleep in appropriate circadian rhythms to improve the immune system, boost cognitive function, reduce cancer risk, and more.

Do you love learning about how you can control your genes and health?

Sign up for G1 High Performance Health now to take control of your health this week!

I look forward to seeing you there.

What Is Epigenetics And Why Do You Care


Epigenetics is making a splash in science and healthcare as the medical community is deepening understanding of the link between gene expression and lifestyle factors. Epigenetics is the study of those processes or variables that activate or deactivate the expression of certain genes. These genes make up our entire lives—from the way we look to the way we act to the way our bodies respond to disease.

Epigenetics is showing that we can “turn off” and “turn on” our genes through certain lifestyle variables, like diet, environment, exercise, stress, and sleep. If we have control over the activation of our genes, we may also have control over the way our bodies behave and respond to illness.

What are genes?


To understand epigenetics, we first have to understand the basics of genetics. Our “genes,” or DNA, are what make us who we are. Over 3 billion nucleotide bases that appear in a specific and unique sequence make up our DNA. This sequence of genes provides the cells of the body with information. There are four fundamental types of DNA bases, adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T).

DNA directs the activity of the cells (which are the fundamental units of human life). The genes tell the cells how to build proteins and how to interact with one another. From hair and eye color to risk for disease and immune response, our DNA controls what we look, act, sound, and live like.

Every person has a unique DNA sequence. Only half of our genetics pass on to our children, while the other half comes from our spouse. No two people have the same genetic makeup—it’s what makes you unique!

But our DNA is just the sequence and this sequence remains unchanged unless afflicted by a rare (and sometimes damaging) mutation.

Our DNA is the instruction manual, but the cells are the builders and doers.

The body’s cells read this sequence. How the cells read the DNA will determine our genetic expression.

Genetic Expression:

Genotype: the genetic makeup or sequence of your cells

Phenotype: the observable characteristics that stem from the genotype

The genotype is the actual sequence of your DNA. The phenotype is how that genotype is manifested in your body in observable traits, like development, physiology, or behavior.

For example, your genotype would be the sequence of DNA bases that determine your eye color. The phenotype is the observable color, like blue.

Eye color doesn’t usually change, but not all genotypes and phenotypes are as cut and dry as eye color. Most DNA genotypes can be read in multiple ways.

The phenotype is the interpretation of the genotype… and there can be multiple interpretations.

Where do the different interpretations come from?

They stem from those parts of the genes that are “turned on” (active) or “turned off” (inactive).

This is where epigenetics comes into play.

What are epigenetics?

Epigenetics looks at how external and lifestyle factors can active or deactivate certain gene expressions.

For decades, we thought that our genetics were our genetics. They were unchangeable—or at least changeable very, very slowly. We thought that mutations in genes took multiple generations to be expressed, and these mutations were usually by random.

Recent years of research is disproving this. We’re finding now that our genes can be modified in our lifetime and then passed down to our children. This means your gene expression can literally be different as a child versus as an adult.

For example, you may not be at risk for cancer as a child but you’re at risk for cancer when you turn 30 because that cancer gene has suddenly been “turned on” from years of exposure to environmental factors, like smoking and pollution.  

Factors that affect genes

Epigenetics looks at how certain genes can be silenced (dormant) or expressed (active) over time and what factors influence this. Research is proving that what you eat, where you live, when you sleep, how you exercise, and even with whom you interact can all modify your genes.

Genes don’t just create an order in the womb and stay the same forever. The expression of those genes can change over the course of your life based on your lifestyle and other environmental factors.

Epigenetics doesn’t change the genotype or actual sequence of DNA, but it affects how the cells in the gene are read (the phenotype).

If we could understand exactly which factors turn off and turn on certain genes, we could, in essence, eradicate a number of diseases and cancers.

These changes in genetic expression can occur at any point in your life. They can also occur in previous generations and be passed down through decedents. For example, one study proved the influence of environmental factors on developing infants both in the prenatal and early postnatal stages. In one specific example, children born to mothers who suffered the Dutch famine (1944-145) had increased rates of coronary heart disease and obesity compared to those not exposed to the famine.

Living healthier not only impacts you and your genes. It impacts your children and your children’s children as well.

DNA Methylation

The most studied and understood factor of epigenetics is DNA methylation. DNA methylation controls gene expression. Basically, high methylation turns genes into the “off” position.

Methylation refers to the addition of a methyl (CH3) to the DNA strand. This addition, in essence, turns the DNA strand into the “off” position, as if the methyl addition were flipping a switch.

Whether methylation is a default state or a target on certain genes is still being studied.

DNA methylation is important to ensuring that dangerous sequences of DNA are “turned off.” For example, you want an increase in methylation on sequences that control cancerous cells. In most studies, the genomes in cancer cells are hypomethylated (low in methyls).

Certain lifestyle factors will cause DNA methylation of certain types of cells.

What factors affect health?

Diet, lifestyle choices, stress, and behaviors can all impact the expression of your genes. For example, smoking is proven to mutate your cells and impact the DNA expression of those cells. The chemicals found in cigarettes literally morph your cells, activating the “cancer” genes that were otherwise turned off.

Environment

Your environment directly impacts your health and wellness.

Air pollution especially has a direct link to epigenetics. Studies show that pollution might alter the methyl tags on DNA, which can increase the risk for neurodegenerative disease. Moreover, air pollution can cause or exacerbate asthma, which can be passed down to children.

This pollution also gets into the bloodstream, leading to chronic inflammation in the body. This inflammation has been associated with heart attacks, strokes, cancers, and other diseases.

But changing your environment can also change your genes. Removing yourself from a harmful or polluted environment is the first step. If you need to stay in that environment, regular detoxes and healthy eating is crucial. Certain supplements can also counteract the effects of the environment. For example, B vitamins may protect against epigenetic changes due to pollution.

The environment and air your cells take in has a direct impact on your health and genetic expression.

Diet

What you put into your body also directly feeds into your cells. For example, polyunsaturated fatty acids can promote free radicals and oxidative stress, which can cause your genes to be expressed in a different (mutated) way.

On the other hand, “antioxidants” can help deactivate cancer cell expression. Antioxidants help fight off oxidative damage and free radicals caused by environmental factors like UV ray damage or pollution. Foods like blueberries and kale are known antioxidants.

So, if you undergo some sort of environmental stress, your diet can actually help reverse the damage to your cells.


Some dietary compounds are now accepted to defend against tumors and act as “epigenetic modulators.” These consist of teas, garlic, herbs, grapes, and cruciferous vegetables. For example, one study showed that the diallyl-disulfide in garlic may help minimize colon tumor cells.

Polyphenols are a compound that also impacts an epigenetic expression. Some studies have shown that polyphenols can actually reverse malignant transformation of cancer cells. Soybeans are especially rich in polyphenols that inhibit DNA methylation of cancer cells. In fact, some data suggests that soy consumption is associated with a reduced risk of hormone-related cancers because of the impact of polyphenols on epigenetic expression.

The supplements you add to your diet also have an impact on your cells. Vitamin deficiencies can activate certain cell expressions.

Read: Why You Should Never Eat A High-Protein Diet If You Want To Build Muscle

Keep an eye on the Dr. Gapin blog for more about diet, supplements, and epigenetic expression coming soon!

Drugs & Alcohol

Addiction is hereditary, but how?

There may be a gene for addiction, but the reading or phenotypic expression is what actually manifests in addiction.

This means that addiction can be “turned off” and “turned on.” This is why addicts are often considered addicts “for life”—because it’s in their genes. But it’s also why these “for life” addicts can go 20 years without using.

An addict has the gene for addiction, but certain lifestyle changes can deactivate its manifestation.

Researchers are still studying to see whether genetics creates a predisposing factor to addiction or the expression of the addiction is a response to the use of drugs and alcohols. Ultimately, though, most scientists agree that if you don’t use drugs and alcohol, you are less likely to “turn on” that addiction gene, even if it runs in your family. They also believe that if you are already showing the phenotype (you already have an addiction problem), certain healthy lifestyle changes can deactivate this expression.

Exercise

Some research suggests that exercise can influence gene expression by manipulating the chromatin structure. Basically, exercise can minimize inflammation in the body by impacting DNA methylation. When exercise minimizes chronic inflammation, it helps “turn off” the bad cells and promote good cells.

Other studies have found a link between exercise and genes through the chemical beta-hydroxybutryate (DBHB). DBHB is a ketone that increases the BDNF gene—which is used for healthy production of protein. DBHB builds up in the brain due to exercise, creating an alternative source of energy and “turning on” strong genes in the sequence. It has also been shown to act as a class I HDAC inhibitor in other parts of the body. Basically, exercise increases DBHB, which helps keep the brain and body healthy.


Need more proof? One study had participants bicycle using only with one leg. That leg was obviously more powerful in the muscles, but the cells’ DNA showed an even more interesting finding. Researchers discovered that the genome of those muscle cells had new methylation patterns compared to the unexercised leg. Gene expression noticeably increased in the muscle-cell genes; this can impact energy metabolism, insulin response, and muscle inflammation.

The link of exercise and epigenetics is still being studied, but more and more research is proving that even light or moderate exercise can improve gene expression.

Stress

Your working environment and stress levels can also impact your cells and genetic expression. When we’re stressed, we release hormones called glucocorticoids. These travel throughout the body and impact the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis—which affects the brain, the hormones, and the adrenals. This is what makes you feel physiologically anxious.

Some studies have found that glucocorticoids can actually change DNA expression. Chronic exposure to corticosterone and glucocorticoids actually changes genetic variations, creating a “permanent” state of anxiety or even PTSD.

The reason this happens is interesting—and makes a lot of sense. If you have chronic stress, your body thinks that it’s living in a stressful situation.

Think back to original biological processes. Living in the wild, you’d likely experience chronic stress if you were living in bad weather, in a bear den, or you were low on food. Your body acknowledges that you’re in a stressful situation. So it literally changes its genetic expression so you are more equipped to handle stress. So if you live in a bear cave, you’re likely met with stress on a daily basis. Your body changes so that it becomes more adept at the fight or flight response to meet those daily struggles with the bear.

Now, though, we don’t have this same sort immediate need for fight or flight (on an everyday basis). Thus, it’s not useful or productive for our bodies to genetically express stress.

In fact, this genetic expression of stress can actually “turn off” healthy cells. This leaves room for disease-ridden or cancer-ridden cells to grow, because your body is so focused on the stress response.

Sleep


Studies have shown that sleep can increase DNA methylation levels. This can increase immunity and reduce risk of cancer. Moreover, sleep is necessary for our cells to have time to rest, relax, and rebuild. You need sleep in order for your RNA process to function; RNA methylation determines the speed of your circadian clock.

Basically, studies are finding that an imbalanced or desynchronized circadian clock leads to cancer progression because of the relationship between sleep and DNA methylation.

We’ll discuss this more in upcoming articles in the Epigenetic Series!

Read: 11 Ways To Increase Your Energy After Age 50

Aging

Even how you age can impact your genetic expression. Diseases become more prevalent with age, but why? It’s not because of the number of candles on your birthday cake… it’s because your cells start to change. Some studies are looking at how age can alter DNA methylation and RNA expression. As cells age, the chromatin landscape and DNA accessibility change, which can stop the natural progression of the cell cycle.

But epigenetic mechanisms like changes in lifestyle and environment may actually be able to restore or reverse genetic phenotypes to a more youthful expression.

That’s right—you might be able to reverse the process of aging with epigenetics!

Good news! We will be discussing these environmental factors at length in the Epigenetic Series! Stay tuned with the DRG blog for more info!

The Bottom Line

Epigenetics is showing us that genetic changes happen much faster than we expect. The type of lifestyle and health we choose today doesn’t have some distant, far-off consequences. Our choices impact our near future and the health and wellness of our children.

he way our genes are expressed determines our health and wellness.


Epigenetic factors, like lifestyle habits and environment, influence the way our genetic expression. Certain variables can alter the marks on DNA, determining certain health outcomes.

But if environmental factors can “turn on” the disease and cancer portion of cells… these same factors can “turn off” disease and cancer.

Epigenetics tells us that disease can be reversed with certain lifestyle choices and behaviors.

What if you could make a decision to change one thing about your life and drastically reduce your risk for cancer?

What if you could change one thing and never again worry about the Alzheimer’s or addiction that runs in your family?

In my Epigenetic Series, we will explore the different epigenetic factors that may activate or deactivate cells and certain genetic expressions.

Stay tuned on the DRG blog for more on epigenetic health and wellness! Learn more about how Epigenetics affects YOU with The G1 Performance Health Consult, a genetic-based report and private consultation that will give you the tools you need to achieve your maximum potential. Sign up today! 

5 Healthy, Productive Habits You Can Start This Week


“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle

You’ve heard it before. “Get more sleep. Stop stressing. Eat healthy foods.”

We all know the ways to live a healthy life…

But how many of us actually follow these health rules?

Did you know that 97% of Americans live an unhealthy lifestyle in some way?

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m in that 97% sometimes. I’ve found myself skipping a workout here and there or delving into one too many bites of a chocolate cake. That’s part of life.

But I used to be heavily situated in an unhealthy lifestyle, like so many Americans today.

At one point I was 25 pounds overweight and my cholesterol was 245. I was constantly fatigued, irritable, sluggish, and unhappy, which made me feel fat, idle, and old. My doctor reviewed my life expectancy charts, and I instantly came face to face with my own mortality.

I left my doctor’s office ready for a drastic change.

But being ready for a change and making a change are two different things.

We all know what we should do to be healthier.

Today, it’s time to turn those “shoulds” into “musts.”

I’m sick of reading about “the 10 things you need to do to be healthier.” It’s time to provide actionable steps and habits towards achieving a higher level of health.

I am going to give you specific, small habits to implement this week that will make you feel better and perform at the top of your game. They’re easy to do but have big impacts!

Why do you need healthy habits?

You need your health in order to be productive in any area of your life. If you want to be a good husband, boyfriend, father, uncle, or friend, you need to be healthy. If you want to be successful at work, you need to have your health. When you’re not feeling well, you can’t function at your best for your family and your career.


If you don’t have your health, you can’t have anything else.

When you feel healthy, productivity and happiness fall into place.

It’s time to prioritize your health if you want other parts of your life to be fruitful as well.

So how do we get healthy?

Habits.

Habits are regular, consistent practices that become a part of our identity and routine.

There are good habits… and then there are bad habits.

Brushing your teeth before bed is a good habit instilled in many of us from a young age. Putting on your seat belt when you get in the car is an automatic practice you don’t even think about anymore.

A bad habit is eating a bowl of ice cream every night before bed. But it’s become a habit, so it’s hard to give up even if we acknowledge that it’s bad for us.

If you want to be a high performer in life, you need to fill your days with productive and healthy habits. These are consistent actions that make you better and stronger.

How do you implement healthy habits?

There’s a saying that it takes 3 weeks to make a habit and 3 days to break it. In fact, it’s usually more like 2 months (66 days) for an action to become a habitual behavior.


If two months seems like a long time, you’re in the wrong mindset.

Two months is a very short period of time when you’re building a habit for life.

Living a healthy life takes dedication.

But that’s why I’m here to give you specific steps that can help you stay disciplined and strong starting right now.

By the way, I’ve found that after two weeks, it’s a lot easier to keep up with a behavior. You’ve proven you can do it for two weeks, and you’ve felt the benefits of your health in that time period. If you can stay strong for two weeks, you’re more likely to keep up these positive behaviors until it’s ingrained as a habit.

So let’s get into the 5 healthy habits to make you happier, fitter, and more productive.

  1. Take a warm then cold shower.

Showering early in the morning is a great way to wake up and start your day on a clean, fresh foot. A morning rinse can help you shake off the sleepies by invigorating the senses and clearing your mind.

A morning shower cuts a small chunk out of your day dedicated solely to mindfulness. You can think about your to-do list, which gets you in a productive state of mind for the rest of the day. You can think about all the people and things you’re grateful for, which has been shown to increase happiness levels. Or you can even think about what it would be like to be a rock star—which makes you feel like a rock star the rest of the day.

Use your morning shower to meditate and regroup before you start your day. You’re alone with your thoughts in the shower, so use this time to for some positive, productive thinking.

Plus, shaving is healthier in the morning. You have more blood platelets or “cloggers” in the morning, so you’re less likely to bleed or scab if you accidentally nick yourself. But you’re less likely to nick yourself because you’re more alert in the morning.

There have been studies that show showering at night is also important, which I’ll discuss more in #3. Nevertheless, a morning shower is one of the best ways to regroup, meditate, and prepare for an energetic day.

Should your shower be hot or cold?

Both.

Warm water works like heat therapy to relax muscles and ease tension. Warmth can help your body and mind de-stress, which can lower your high morning cortisol levels.

One study found that warmth encourages the brain to release oxytocin, which is the hormone that improves happiness and fights against stress and anxiety. Warm water can also help treat headaches, relieve coughs and cold, minimize pain, and reduce high blood pressure.

Warm water also helps you get a deeper clean. It opens your pores, which helps your soap penetrate further into your skin. You’ll get a deeper clean, getting rid of toxins and gunk that can seep into your body.

Plus, you want to shave with warm water. The warmth helps open pores and soften hairs for a comfortable, close shave.

Note that hot water may feel good, but it’s highly drying. A hot shower can actually dehydrate you, which can lower energy levels and cause brain fog throughout the day.

After taking a warm shower, end with a cold rinse, around 68 degrees, for 2-5 minutes. The change in temperature will instantly increase your mental alertness and awaken your cells.

You’ve likely heard of athletes like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James taking ice baths for muscle recovery and inflammation reduction post-workout or post-game. A number of people swear by the benefits of cold water.


Moreover, cold hydrotherapy has proven health benefits that you can’t ignore.

Benefits of cold hydrotherapy:

Some experts even suggest that cold water can help fight against cancer. The temperature shock kills off “weak” cells, like cancer or infection.

Struggling to turn the knob to blue? I get it. I love my hot showers. But think of all the health benefits. Two minutes of cold equals 24 hours of health.

And consider this. Wim Hof “The Iceman” swam under ice for 120 meters with one breath and climbed all of the highest mountains in only shorts. You’d be shocked what the human body can handle.

The greater you “stress” your body, the stronger it becomes.

Learn more about the immense benefits of warm and cold hydrotherapy here.

Wake up every morning with a warm then cold shower to start your day with a refreshed mind and energetic body.

  1. Drink half your body weight (in ounces) of water.

75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Our bodies need water to function properly. About 60% of the male human body is made of water. Without this water, cells, organs, and tissues dry out and stop operating.

You need water for digestion, joint health, waste systems, cell survival, body temperature regulation, shock absorption, hormone production, and brain health. Without water, your body can’t survive.

Chronic dehydration puts your body into “survival mode.” You don’t have the water you need to survive, so your body starts to shut down to conserve this water. This leads to low energy, low function, and low productivity.

Not drinking enough water is killing your performance.

Daily dehydration leads to:

  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Brain fog
  • Irritability
  • Anxiety
  • Weight gain
  • Joint pain
  • High blood pressure
  • Lowered immune system

You also need water for daily detoxification. We’re bombarded with pollutants and toxins every day. When we are dehydrated, our body retains water. This bloating “holds on” to old water and toxins.

When you drink more water, though, your body will flush out the pollutants that this old water is holding. When you urinate, you get rid of waste that is making your body sluggish and unhealthy.


You should be drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces. If you weigh160 pounds, you need at least 80 ounces of water daily to stay hydrated.

Hydration tips:

  • Carry a reusable, refillable water bottle. This reduces plastic waste and cuts costs.
  • Drink a glass of water every hour on the hour.
  • Infuse your water with fruit for a delicious, healthy drink.
  • Drink one glass of water before eating. Most people confuse thirst with hunger and overeat in response—when really they’re just thirsty!
  • Eat hydrating foods like watermelon, strawberries, lettuce, and zucchini.

I also recommend drinking alkaline water whenever possible. Alkaline water is less acidic than tap water, which can help regulate your body’s pH and neutralize the acids in your body. A healthy body pH is critical to immune health.

Drinking enough water is the easiest way to improve your body’s performance, increase your energy, and enhance mental alertness.

  1. Create a bedtime routine.

1 in 3 Americans doesn’t get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is linked to increased risk of obesity, heart disease, blood pressure, stroke, anxiety, depression, diabetes, and more.

Lack of sleep is also linked to weight gain. When you don’t sleep enough, your body looks to food to gain its energy. You’ll find you have a greater appetite—and a desire for sugar—because your body is craving energy. Often, this leads to chronic overeating, which causes significant weight gain.

Plus, you need sleep in order to regulate cortisol. High levels of cortisol cause weight gain, anxiety, stress, and lowered testosterone. High levels of cortisol can also interrupt your sleep patterns, creating a negative cycle of sleep deprivation.

To break this cycle, you need healthy sleeping habits. The easiest way to get better quality sleep is with a bedtime routine. When you start your routine, it signals your brain and body that you’re getting ready to sleep.


Everyone’s bedtime routine looks a little different. You need to find what works for you. Spend the next two months experimenting what will help you wind down. Here are some sample activities for a healthy bedtime routine.

Tips for a better bedtime routine

  • Have a healthy snack two hours before bed. This makes sure you’re not hungry, which can prevent you from falling asleep.
  • Turn off your phone or switch it to “night mode.” The blue screen has been shown to interrupt sleep, and the EMF radiation from the phone can potentially cause other health problems. You can find ways to check for other EMF sources Here. (Read more how Blue Light Affects your Eyes https://anrri.com/blogs/education/blue-light-affects)
  • Take a warm shower. This will remove pollutants you’ve accumulated on skin and hair throughout the day, so you go to bed clean and detoxed. It’s also a great time to wind down from the day and let go of daily stressors. (You can shower both in the morning and night, but be sure to moisturize your body in the evening to avoid skin dehydration.)
  • Do a mindfulness or gratefulness meditation. Gratitude is directly linked to inner happiness.
  • Have sex. Orgasm releases the hormone prolactin, which suppresses dopamine levels. Dopamine keeps your body and brain awake—without it, you fall asleep. Moreover, sex releases oxytocin, the “feel-good” hormone; oxytocin releases stress and anxiety, which can help your body fall into a restful sleep. You could even consider incoperating something like penis rings for men for extra pleasure, for a better nights sleep!

Check out these 9 exercises to have better sex.

Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every day. This will start to discipline your circadian rhythms. If you go to bed every night at 11pm for two months straight, your body will start to naturally get sleepy at 11pm.

This is true for the weekends as well. Sleeping in over the weekend interrupts your sleep cycle and makes you less productive and energetic. That’s why you can’t wake up on Monday mornings!

Find a nightly routine that works for you to start naturally signaling your body when it’s time to get ready for bed.

  1. Wake up at least two hours before work.

Just like you should go to bed at the same time every night, you should also wake up at the same time every morning.

And the time you wake up should be early.

Studies show that the early bird really does get the worm. Some of the world’s top CEOs wake up before the sun rises.

Waking up early sets a positive, productive tone for the rest of the day. Not only does it give you more time to check things off on your to-do list, it also discourages procrastination. You’re making the active decision to get up and get moving, which tells your brain it’s time to be energetic. When you hit the snooze button, you’re instantly putting your head in procrastination mood.

Plus, you have extra hours to focus on your health. You have extra hours of movement and calorie burning. This helps improve your anti-stagnant energy throughout the day.

I recommend waking up at least two hours before you have to leave for work. This gives you a good chunk of time to be productive and improve your health.

But if you’re like me, you set your alarm for 5:00am, and the morning comes around and you don’t even hear the alarm! How can you force yourself to wake up early?

Tips for waking up early

  • Sleep with the blinds open. This will help you wake up with natural light, which has been shown to increase alertness and energy. This can also help reduce vitamin D deficiency. If you don’t get a lot of natural light, consider a dawn simulator alarm clock.
  • Put your alarm clock on the other side of the room, so you have to put your feet on the ground to turn it off. Once you’re up and moving, you’re less likely to hop back in bed.
  • Make your bed. This will instantly make you feel more productive, and it discourages you from crawling back under the covers.
  • Write a to-do list. Knowing exactly what you need to get done first thing in the morning is a great way to frame your mindset for productivity.
  • Turn off the “snooze capacity.” The law of inertia says a body in motion will stay in motion, and a body at rest will stay at rest. A body that snoozes will snooze indefinitely.
  • Do something fun in the morning. Do you like painting? Take fifteen minutes to paint. Are you a huge fan of kale smoothies? Wake up and make a kale smoothie. Having something to look forward to will help you pop out of bed.

Waking up early pushes you on the path of productivity and encourages daily movement.

  1. Write down every sugary food or drink you consume.

This is my favorite habit because it feeds on guilt.


A lot of experts recommend writing down all of the food you eat to monitor of the fuel you’re putting in your body. While this is a good tracking system, especially for weight loss, I find it a bit cumbersome and challenging. Instead, I only write down those items that aren’t healthy.

Make the commitment that every time you consume something with sugar, you write it down in your “sugar book.” This will help keep you honest and see just how much sugar you’re consuming.

How many times have you grabbed a cookie out of the pantry on your way to work? Those calories don’t count because you ate it on the way out of the house, right?

Forcing yourself to write down every “cheat” like this can help you spot exactly where you’re wasting your calories. It’s okay to have treats here and there, but your sugar book helps you see just how often you’re treating yourself.

Recommended Reading: Transform Your Body In 24 Hours With Intermittent Fasting

The Bottom Line

Healthy habits make healthy people. You are a summation of your actions. So make those actions productive.

Implement these 5 habits for the next two months and you’re guaranteed to see a change in your wellness, productivity, and happiness.

Do you like these actionable steps towards health?

Imagine revamping your life like this in just one month!

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!

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

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