Ladies, sorry but this is for the eyes of guys only! For guys under 30, not really applicable to you but then again to be educated will help you to deal with this problem swiftly whenever it ever arises.
So, you are over 40 (or like me, waaay over 40) and it does not do any positive things for your ego knowing you need that blue pills in the cupboard. Now, you might think that us “older” guys should in any case not be interested in sex and stuff. Well, I reckon there are many over 40 guys out there that, due to their totally unfit and unhealthy lifestyle, probably live a life unwillingly devoid of sex. But that is no fun at all! I am over 50 and well, I LOVE sex and all related kinky “things”. The fact that I am fit, healthy and active most probably play a big role in this. So as long as I am able I am going to have great fun with my wife deep into my old age and you youngsters can frown all you want!
But alas, the fact is we are not 18 anymore and no matter how fit or how healthy we live, when you are over 40 the need for the blue pill become an increasing reality.
Let’s look at the 3 levels of attack on how to deal with this “problem” and avoid that dreaded blue pill.
First level of attack.
No smoking
Little drinking
Changing unhealthy living and eating habits
Embark on a fit lifestyle
All these things have a massive impact on blood flow and a man’s ability to maintain a strong erection.
Second level of attack.
With above in place we now move on the 2nd level of attack.
Ensure your blood testosterone levels are healthy (if not get the doctor to prescribe TRT – don’t mess around with this. Low T levels have severe negative medical implications for your health).
Ensure cholesterol levels are healthy.
Ensure blood pressure levels healthy.
Third level of attack.
Ok, now for the magic. You’ve done all of the above, but eish…you are still not happy with your performance between the sheets. The memories of your rock-hard-ability during youth is now but just salt into a raw wound for you.
But not all are lost. You still can avoid the blue pill and get very close to that young man ability, even exceeding it. There is a stack out there that is not only great for your bodybuilding efforts but also have magical positive effects to make you feel like a young man again.
And no (!) it is NOT steroids and not hearsay either. It is not Facebook fake news and neither bro science. It is solid real science and I can personally vouch for it’s effectiveness…my wife too (although I would never tell her this secret…she thinks it is just my virile self)!
The stack works in the same way the blue pill works, by enhancing blood flow but goes much further than this. You will find sensations you never had before. Plus the size, especially the flaccid size, is impressive to say the least. None of this “shriveled up thing” anymore, but only impressively solid-looking, flaccid or not. And great news for some guys, this stack also stimulates libido. Yes, you actually want sex. So if this has been a problem in the past, then this stack might just be the solution you were looking for.
Any side effects or negative things about the stack? Apart from that you must get the approval of your healthcare provider since it might interact with certain medications, especially depression meds, there are only good news about this stack. The stack could even help lowering your blood pressure. Is great for vein health and a many other things.
Let’s look at some of the more obvious benefits of this stack:
improved cardiovascular endurance
can boost muscle mass
reduce fat levels
improve general health
stimulate release of growth hormone
lower blood pressure
increase sexual drive/libido, especially in older men
enhanced mood levels (treating depression)
increased metabolism
increase mental clarity
appetite suppression
improve sexual stamina
help control migraines and inflammation
So what is this magical “blue pill replacement” stack to make you spark again?
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BLUE PILL REPLACEMENT STACK
L-Arginine (4g upon waking up on empty stomach and 4g just before training on empty stomach) From the brand I use this is 6 pills morning and 6 pills before training.
L-Tyrosine (1.5g upon waking up on empty stomach and 1.5g just before training on empty stomach) From the brand I use this is 6 pills morning and 6 pills before training.
L-Ornithine (500mg upon waking up on empty stomach and 500mg just before training on empty stomach) From the brand I use this is 2 pills morning and 2 pills before training.
Citrulline Malate (1g upon waking up on empty stomach and 1g while training) From the brand I am using this is 1 standardized scoop in morning and 1 scoop I drink during training.
How soon does it start working? Some effects will be experienced within a few days but the full effect is experienced after a period of about 6 weeks. This is great for health (including sexual health), bodybuilding and many other positive things, so this is a stack you can and should be using non-stop. However, as stated earlier, you must get your healthcare providers approval for any supplement changes, just to be on the safe side.
Here is a photo of my stack.
I buy everything at my local pharmacy (Dischem) but most health shops should stock these goodies. Except maybe the Cutrilline Malate which you might get from a bodybuilding supplement store since it is considered a pre-workout supplement. There are many different brands, but one of the more trusted brands is always SOLAL.
So guys, let’s not take this lying down…hmmm, wrong words, let’s actually do take this lying down and recapture the virility of our youth. Just make sure wife is using a contraceptive though!
This is very familiar territory for every over 40 guy. We nearly all struggle with joint and tendon pains.
Some of us accept defeat and enter potbelly territory. Well if are you like me, then we refuse to accept even the word “defeat”. It is not in our vocabulary.
But we cannot ignore the aches and pains. So how do we deal with it?
First, the fact is, it IS good, very good, for the over 40 body to be involved in resistance training. That has been proven beyond any doubt by many science studies.
We must just find a way of dealing with the “problem” and not too simply, give up! Dealing with it involves wisdom and quite a few things that we need to do to effectively relief the pain.
Before we start discussing what must be done, remember – NEVER train through pain. You will make whatever the problem is MUCH worse. As you get older you will have to regularly change your exercises and even your whole workout approach and regimen to periodically side-step pains and aches in tendons, joints and back. This is a given. BUT…never, ever, stop training because of pain…adapt and change. Always keep training with what you can do, even if it means a total different temporary training approach.
Joint pain (and tendon pain) is not just simply a result of training heavy. MANY factors play a role.
Let’s go through the list of the things you need to do to relief/avoid tendon/joint pain:
TRAINING
You must have a cutting (lighter weights, higher reps per set) and building (lower reps with higher weights) phase in place to allow regular “rest” periods for the tendons/joints. Phase lengths should be roughly 3 months each.
Consider training lighter for a 6-month to a year period if you struggle with a serious tendon/joint issue.
Very important – never bend your hand upward or downward when lifting, but keep it all times in a straight line with the for-arm. Bending the hand during heavy lifting places undue strain on the elbow via strained tendons. Keeping the hand straight keep all tendons at equal strain.
Bench pressing should be performed with the overhand position with bar resting on the thumb area (bottom) of the palm so that there is no pressure on the wrist. (The place where the bar lies on the hand must be in a straight line with the whole arm to ensure that no strain is on wrist.)
Use special straps to relief strain on the wrist. I will show example in the video. A simple strap fastened around the wrist with a rubber palm grip which can be wrapped around heavy weights. This allows for near zero strain on the wrist joint. This is especially helpful with pull ups, shrugs and nearly all back and upper body exercises.
LIFESTYLE
Yip you guessed it…NO SMOKING! Smoking makes the whole body functioning less optimally. It affects nearly everything in the body from the brain to the skin to the lungs to pains and aches that get much worse because of the smoking.
The same goes for drinking. Light drinking (4 glasses wine per week) is max. But even for some this proves to be too much and result in joint pain. In quite a few cases people had to completely stop drinking alcohol in an attempt to get rid of the joint pains.
Too little sleeping. Your body needs time to heal and repair. Too little sleeping rob it of this time. A good (6-8hrs) night rest will go a long way to help the body function optimally.
EATING
Our eating habits have a much bigger role to play in joint pain than you might think.
Ensure that you drink enough filtered water per day (3L-6L). This helps washing out the toxins from the body. More toxins = more joint pain.
Enough good oils. Apart from the fact that good oils (omega 3 & 6: peanut butter, olive oil, avocado, coconut) are critical for a healthy functioning hormonal system, it is also very important to help ease joint pain. Cutting out all good oils/fat from your diet will aggravate joint pain and result in low testosterone levels.
You must ensure the body is in an alkaline environment with a PH of roughly 7. The more acidic the body gets, the more joint pain will be experienced, full stop. There are enough serious science studies to back this up. There are also many other advantages when you keep the body in an alkaline state. It has been proven to lessen your risk for cancer and supports a stronger immune system amongst others. On the next page there is a list of ALKALINE and ACIDIC foods to help you adjusting your diet. (A good starting point – lemon juice every morning and evening and cutting out wine and fizzy drinks. MANY people have gotten rid of their joints pains by simply changing their diet to a more alkaline one.)
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SUPPLEMENTS (natural)
CQ10 (Co-Enzyme Q10). This has been proven by various science studies to be a potent long term pain combatant. However, as with most natural approaches, this only starts working after more than 1 month of continuous usage. [I take 300mg in morning and 300mg at night.]
Even more potent than CQ10, MSM (METHYLSULPHONYLMETHANE) has helped many people changing their lives. It is not a wonder pill but with long term use can significantly ease joint pain. Effective results only achieved after about 3-4 months of continuous use. [I take 400mg morning and 400mg evening]
The 3rd one, eish…this took me some time to support it’s use – CANNABIS oil. I am old school and anything drug-related, even for medical reasons is pretty much “no-go” territory for me. This one took some serious mind changing for me. Eventually I just could not ignore study after study that supported various benefits of CANNABIS OIL. The oil, which contains a higher ratio CBD to THD, is rather harmless when compared to the psychotropic effects of smoking cannabis. It is the THD that result in all this bad effects and the oil has a CBD/THD blend of about 85/15 in most cases which make it mostly harmless. Even here in South Africa the studies are nearly concluded and it looks like we are mere months away from Cannabis Oil being available over the counter for medical purposes. Apart from lowering blood pressure, combating nausea, helping with sleep and fighting cancer, it is actually a potent pain relief substance. After about 3 weeks use the body reach a saturation point and then the real pain relieving properties kicks in. If you can get past the mind barrier of taking something that is closely drug related then this could have a drastic positive pain relief impact. And believe me it is not so easy getting past this “mind barrier” for us older folks…but it can be done…I took the plunge. The end result for me – less pain and drastic better sleeping at night. Also drastically lower blood pressure. [I take 1 drop morning, 1 drop afternoon and 5 drops before bed]. Cannabis oil (CBD/THD) has some very interesting medical applications. Some of the claims the cannabis groupies make is not backed up at all by science but some actually are, especially with the latest studies. I think this warrant a future article to give some more insight into this new emerging product (emerging…well at least in the medical mainstream community that is!).
MEDICATION
This is a territory you want to avoid. Yes, you can take anti-inflammatory meds, but this is hard on kidneys/liver/stomach and definitely NOT a long term solution.
The last resort and sometimes a necessary route is arthritis medication. There are various types depending on the severity and type of arthritis. A well know anabolic steroid, Deca-Durabolin, is known for its anti-arthritis / joint pain properties. But only your health care provider can do the necessary blood test to determine the problem and plan of action.
However most of the time if you take the points above about training, lifestyle, diet and supplementation seriously enough then you can have pain free over 40+ workouts.
As discussed in previous videos the Cutting and Building phases/diets are done in a 3 month cycle. Three months Cutting diet followed by 3 months Building diet. This is called a cycle. Then after each cycle repeat the cycle again, and again and so on.
The purpose of the Cutting diet is to drop body fat while keeping muscles safe. Typical targets in a 3 month Cutting diet period is to drop the body fat with roughly 6% – 8%.
The purpose of the Building diet is to increase both the body fat and muscle size. Reason for the body fat increase is simply to stimulate better muscle growth. Muscle growth happens most effectively in a caloric surplus environment. The aim with the Building diet is to add roughly 4% – 5% body fat to help muscle growth.
Both diets stick to a small frequent meal system. For the simple reason that a frequent meal system keeps the digestive track activated continuously and thus results in a significant higher metabolic rate for the body which equals better fat loss. It is MUCH better for fat loss to take 5-7 small meals instead of 1-2 huge meals. It results in better fat loss plus you never feel bloated or uncomfortable from big servings plus you crave food much less.
The same following rules apply to both diets:
NEVER exceed your daily calories.
You MUST perform EVERY 14 DAYS a body monitoring with fat calipers, weighing scale and tape measurements to determine how your body responded to the previous 14 days daily calories.
Never increase or decrease your diets calories with more than 10% in a 14 day period.
The body monitoring process is the CRITICAL part of the diet. If you do not do this thoroughly your diet will NEVER be correctly aligned for your body. You must remember that no 2 people’s metabolic rates are exactly the same. There are a magnitude of factors determine each of us metabolic rates. So if you do not align the diet for YOUR metabolic rate…the diet WILL FAIL!
Now the next step is to interpret the results from the 14 day body monitoring intelligently.
For the CUTTING DIET you do it as follows:
RESULT: lost muscle, ANALYSIS: very bad, ACTION REQUIRED: increase daily calories across the board with 10%
RESULT: lost muscle & fat, ANALYSIS: very bad, ACTION REQUIRED: increase daily calories across the board with 10%
RESULT: lost fat but muscle stayed the same, ANALYSIS: good, ACTION REQUIRED: this is where you want to be during your cutting diet. No change, but redo monitoring every 14 days to ensure you stay in this sweet spot.
RESULT: gain fat & muscle, ANALYSIS: very bad, ACTION REQUIRED: decrease daily calories across the board with 10%.
For the BUILDING DIET you do it as follows:
RESULT: lost muscle, ANALYSIS: very bad, ACTION REQUIRED: increase daily calories across the board with 10%
RESULT: lost muscle & fat, ANALYSIS: very bad, ACTION REQUIRED: increase daily calories across the board with 10%
RESULT: lost fat but muscle stayed the same, ANALYSIS: bad, ACTION REQUIRED: increase daily calories across the board with 10%
RESULT: gain fat & muscle, ANALYSIS: good, ACTION REQUIRED: this is where you want to be in the building diet. But be careful that you do not add too much fat so do the body monitoring every 14 days to ensure you do not pick up too much fat.
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Right now on to the actual diets. Both have a complete breakdown with detailed caloric values and protein/carb/fat content. This enable you to exchange food easily to spice up the diet. But be warned! Do NOT exceed the calories when exchanging food and ensure you stick to the protein/carb/fat ratios.
You will see there are 3 days provided for each diet. The Monday and Tuesday you must shuffle between all the weekdays except for Saturday. The Saturday menu plan must ONLY be followed for Saturday. It is meant to be a more relaxed menu plan that will enable you to socialize a bit. You can also squeeze two meals in one or even 3 into one ONLY on Saturday. Again…do NOT exceed calories.
THE CUTTING DIET
THE BUILDING DIET
Now you got all the diet tools to go and get shredded and add muscle.
In this article I want to take you through the process of how to acquire an extreme dedication to your training and body transformation goals.
As you know MANY set out on this journey, nearly on a yearly basis. But close to 99% fail.
The simple reason for this failure is dedication to training. The smallest stumbling block and the grand hope of transforming the body to superhero looks, fail dead in its tracks.
Now I know what I am talking about. Before the age 40 I had more-than-I-can-count failures in my body transformation goals. For this simple reason – lack of dedication. After 40 I got my act together and things really start changing. How and why did I got my act together? Well that will become evident later on.
For now, let’s discuss the process on how to get this EXTREME DEDICATION to training.
There are two parts.
PART I – Stop with the shallow and superficial aims and reasons to transform the body!
When you decide to transform your body, what are your reasons? Too look sexy, to look nice or better, to attract more girls? Well sorry, but I am gonna burst your bubble here. That will NEVER hold. Superficial reasons carry no weight and with the first obstacle in the road, your dreams is going to come tumbling down.
Now everything change when these reasons are not superficial anymore. The more weight a reason carry the better your chance of pushing through! This must not be about the outside of the body but about the whole you! Change from the inside out. Become a better man, a better father, a better husband and a better friend. Start caring, start having compassion for others, start helping others. A natural outflow of this process to become the best YOU will be to change the outside of the body for the better. You will want to be fit, healthy and muscled because you want to be the best you on all levels. Simply put – the more weight your reason for change carry, the better your chances of success.
PART II – Training time is NOT optional!
Let me put it to you like this. Why do you get up and go to your job everyday? Because it is not optional but a requirement. If you are sick you get a doctor’s certificate. But as soon as this certificate expires you have to get back to work. No matter whether you want to or not. This is just the way it works. Now this exact same rules that hold for your job holds for your training time. It is NOT optional. The only time you miss gym is when you are sick with a doctor’s certificate. If that certificate is expired and you get back to work well, then you get back to gym. There is no but’s or why not’s…the training rules is equal to your job rules.
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I’ve been through this. AT age 40, training was not optional anymore for me. My life depended on it due to serious medical issues. There was no choices. I simply had to train 4-5 days a week. Then success came and it dawn on me why it was different this time. It was because I apply the same dedication level that one apply to your job to my training and diet regime. No “optional” anymore, no excuses. This is the mindset that must happen. Only when part I and part II become part of your aims and mindset, will there be success. Otherwise chances are very high for failure.
Let this sink in. It comes from someone who has failed many times and then one-day it all changed. Learn from this and make the dreams that dance in your head reality!
Most of us know that the key to controlling fat-loss lies in our bodies metabolic rate.
Now as already proven by science there are quite a few things we can do to manipulate the metabolic rate of our bodies. And by applying all these WILL have a massive impact on our fat-loss journeys to obtain ripped physiques’.
But one thing stands apart from all these. There is one thing we can do that head and shoulders stands above the rest to elevate your metabolic tempo of the body.
Before I name this golden trick, let me take you back a bit.
When we eat a meal our digestive system is activated for 2-3 hours to process the food. This has been scientifically proven to be a very high energy requirement process. So for 2-3 hours after eating a meal (small or big) the body will have a significant raised metabolic rate.
For those that eat 1 large meal a day, it means their metabolic rate is raised for a max 3 hours per day
Those eating 2 biggish meals a day has raised metabolic rates of maximum 6 hours per day.
However those that divide the same amount of food into 5-7 small meals a day will have a raised metabolic rate for about 15 hours and longer per day spanning well into sleeping time. They will eat the same amount of food but just in much smaller meal portions and they will have a significant raised metabolic rate for the major part of a 24 hour cycle. This will have a dramatic impact on fat-loss efforts.
Sure this will result in insulin spiking much more frequently…but insulin spiking is not at all that bad. Insulin is the most potent muscle-building hormone in the body by far and this eating habit will result in a huge advantage to increase muscle size when combined with resistance training.
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But what about the fat gaining aspects of regular insulin spiking? Well, the benefits of a raised metabolic rate by consuming small frequent meals by far offset the negative aspects of spiking insulin multiple times during the day and on top of this the muscle-building benefits of the insulin spiking further add significant benefits to body shape, muscle size and achieving fat-loss.
The bottom line is – when in search for a great looking body, a small frequent meal system can have a drastic positive impact.
But this is not all you can do to fire up the metabolism…look at the following tricks that can further be applied in an effort to raise the bodies metabolic tempo:
TEN Easy Ways to Boost Your Metabolism (Backed by Science)
Metabolism is the term for all the chemical reactions in your body.
These chemical reactions keep your body alive and functioning.
However, the word metabolism is often used interchangeably with metabolic rate, or the amount of calories you burn.
The higher it is, the more calories you burn and the easier it is to lose weight and keep it off.
Having a high metabolism can also give you energy and make you feel better.
Here are 10 easy ways to increase your metabolism.
1. Eat Plenty of Protein at Every Meal
Eating food can increase your metabolism for a few hours.
This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF). It’s caused by the extra calories required to digest, absorb and process the nutrients in your meal.
Protein causes the largest rise in TEF. It increases your metabolic rate by 15–30%, compared to 5–10% for carbs and 0–3% for fats.
Eating protein has also been shown to help you feel more full and prevent you from overeating.
One small study found that people were likely to eat around 441 fewer calories per day when protein made up 30% of their diet.
Eating more protein can also reduce the drop in metabolism often associated with losing fat. This is because it helps prevent you from losing muscle, a common side effect of dieting.
BOTTOM LINE:Eating more protein can boost your metabolism so that you burn more calories. It can also help you eat less.
2. Drink More Cold Water
People who drink water instead of sugary drinks are more successful at losing weight and keeping it off.
This is because sugary drinks contain calories, so replacing them with water automatically reduces your calorie intake.
However, drinking water may also speed up your metabolism temporarily.
Studies have shown that drinking 17 oz (0.5 liters) of water increases resting metabolism by 10–30% for about an hour.
This calorie-burning effect may be even greater if you drink cold water, as your body uses energy to heat it up to body temperature.
Water can also help fill you up. Studies show that drinking water a half an hour before you eat can help you eat less.
One study of overweight adults found that those who drank half a liter of water before their meals lost 44% more weight than those who didn’t.
BOTTOM LINE:Water can help you lose weight and keep it off. It increases your metabolism and helps fill you up before meals.
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3. Do a High-Intensity Workout
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves quick and very intense bursts of activity.
It can help you burn more fat by increasing your metabolic rate, even after your workout has finished.
This effect is believed to be greater for HIIT than for other types of exercise. What’s more, HIIT has also been shown to help you burn fat.
One study in overweight young men found that 12 weeks of high-intensity exercise reduced fat mass by 4.4 lbs (2 kg) and belly fat by 17%.
BOTTOM LINE:Mixing up your exercise routine, and adding in a few high-intensity workouts, can boost your metabolism and help you burn fat.
4. Lift Heavy Things
Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, and building muscle can help increase your metabolism.
This means you will burn more calories each day, even at rest.
Lifting weights will also help you retain muscle and combat the drop in metabolism that can occur during weight loss.
In one study, 48 overweight women were placed on a diet of 800 calories per day, along with either no exercise, aerobic exercise or resistance training.
After the diet, the women who did the resistance training maintained their muscle mass, metabolism and strength. The others lost weight, but also lost muscle mass and experienced a decrease in metabolism.
BOTTOM LINE:Lifting weights is important for building and retaining muscle. Higher amounts of muscle will result in a higher metabolism.
5. Stand up More
Sitting too much is bad for your health.
Some health commentators have even dubbed it “the new smoking.” This is partly because long periods of sitting burn fewer calories and can lead to weight gain.
In fact, compared with sitting, an afternoon of standing up at work can burn an extra 174 calories. If you have a desk job, try standing up for short periods to break up the length of time you spend sitting down. You can also invest in a standing desk.
BOTTOM LINE:Sitting for a long time burns few calories and is bad for your health. Try to stand up regularly or invest in a standing desk.
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6. Drink Green Tea or Oolong Tea
Green tea and oolong tea have been shown to increase metabolism by 4–5%.
These teas help convert some of the fat stored in your body into free fatty acids, which may increase fat burning by 10–17%.
As they are low in calories, drinking these teas may be good for both weight loss and weight maintenance.
It’s thought their metabolism-boosting properties may help prevent the dreaded weight loss plateau that occurs due to a decrease in metabolism.
However, some studies find that these teas do not affect metabolism. Therefore, their effect may be small or only apply to some people.
BOTTOM LINE:Drinking green tea or oolong tea can increase your metabolism. These teas may also help you lose weight and keep it off.
7. Eat Spicy Foods
Peppers contain capsaicin, a substance that can boost your metabolism.
However, many people can’t tolerate these spices at the doses required to have a significant effect.
One study of capsaicin, at acceptable doses, predicted that eating peppers would burn around 10 additional calories per meal. Over 6.5 years, this could account for 1 lb (0.5 kg) of weight loss for an average-weight male.
Alone, the effects of adding spices to your food may be quite small. However, it may be slightly useful when combined with other metabolism-boosting strategies.
BOTTOM LINE:Eating spicy food could be beneficial for boosting your metabolism and help you maintain a healthy weight.
8. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Lack of sleep is linked to a major increase in the risk of obesity.
This may partly be caused by the negative effects of sleep deprivation on metabolism.
Lack of sleep has also been linked with increased blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, which are both linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
It’s also been shown to boost the hunger hormone ghrelin, and decrease the fullness hormone.
This could explain why many people who are sleep deprived feel hungry and struggle to lose weight.
BOTTOM LINE:Lack of sleep can decrease the amount of calories you burn, change the way you process sugar and disrupt your appetite-regulating hormones.
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9. Drink Coffee
Studies have shown that the caffeine in coffee can boost metabolism by 3–11%. Like green tea, it also promotes fat burning.
However, this seems to affect lean people more. In one study, coffee increased fat burning by 29% for lean women, but only 10% for obese women.
Coffee’s effects on metabolism and fat burning may also contribute to successful weight loss and maintenance.
BOTTOM LINE:Drinking coffee can significantly increase your metabolism and help you lose weight.
10. Replace Cooking Fats with Coconut Oil
Unlike other saturated fats, coconut oil contains a lot of medium-chain fats.
Medium-chain fats can increase your metabolism more than the long-chain fats found in foods like.
In one study, researchers found that medium-chain fats increased metabolism by 12%, compared to long-chain fats, which raised it by just 4%.
Due to the unique fatty acid profile of coconut oil, replacing some of your other cooking fats with it may have modest benefits for weight loss.
BOTTOM LINE:Replacing other cooking fats with coconut oil may help boost your metabolism slightly.
Take Home Message
Making small lifestyle changes and incorporating these tips into your routine can increase your metabolism.
Having a higher metabolism can help you lose weight and keep it off, while giving you more energy.
Other ways to manipulate metabolism
“I have a fast metabolism; I can eat and eat and stay skinny.” Most of us have heard someone say this, and a majority of us have responded with annoyance and envy. But what is metabolism, and can we make ours run a bit faster? Taylor Newhouse, a registered dietitian with the Texas A&M School of Public Health, helps break down what you should know about your metabolism.
What is metabolism?
Your metabolism isn’t just what keeps your bragging friend lean, it’s the constant process that your body is using to keep everything functioning. Your metabolism is always running, even when you’re sleeping.
“Your metabolism is kind of the engine that keeps your body going,” Newhouse said. “It’s the drive that allows your body to utilize the food and nutrients you put into it.”
Some people do have faster metabolism than others, and that is the work of genetics and someone’s lifestyle. Although there’s nothing you can do about your genetics, there are ways to impact the lifestyle side and give your metabolism a boost to keep it running in high gear.
How can you improve your metabolism?
Because the metabolism’s base rate is set by genetics, there’s no quick way to rev it up; it cannot be changed without making some long-term lifestyle changes.
“We can manipulate our metabolism to a degree,” Newhouse said. “It’s like a campfire: just like we need to give a fire tinder and pieces of wood in order to keep it from slowing down and burning out, we need to fuel our metabolism as well.”
If you’re looking to boost your metabolism, then there are a few changes you can make throughout the day. Working out, hydrating and eating right can help with your overall health, but there are also specific habits you can foster in order to give it a boost.
“Eating your leafy vegetables and working out can definitely help your metabolism,” Newhouse said. “Muscle burns more energy than fat, so lifting weights or anything else that builds muscle — along with eating correctly — can play a large role in how our body processes nutrients.”
Apart from getting in more muscle-building workouts and eating better, another important habit to kick your metabolism into gear is not ignoring the most important meal of the day: breakfast.
“People tend to overlook how important breakfast is,” Newhouse said. “We go all night without food, and our body can approach a fasting state, an episode where our body will withhold calories, if we wait too long to eat after waking up.”
What can slow your metabolism?
If it’s possible to speed up your metabolism, then it’s equally possible — and far easier — to slow it down. There are many habits that are easy to fall into that can make your metabolism run at a slower pace. One of these happens in the late hours of night, and involves what you’re not doing: getting enough shut-eye.
Sleep deprivation is one of the biggest epidemics in American society, with more than one-third of adults getting less than the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Sleep is not only crucial for your metabolism, but skimping on sleep can also lead to long-term conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
“Sleep is one of the biggest factors that people seem to forget about,” Newhouse said. “Even if someone eats well and exercises, if they don’t get adequate sleep, then their metabolism won’t run as efficiently.”
Although snacks often have a bad reputation for being unhealthy, they are very important to keep you fueled and nourish your body throughout the day. Snacks should have some protein, fiber and carbohydrates and should not have too much salt or sodium.
“Eating snacks won’t slow down your metabolism if you’re eating the right foods,” Newhouse said. “Healthy snacks — such as nuts, fruit or vegetables — have the nutrients to slow the rate of digestion, keep you feeling fuller longer and keep your body working to process the nutrients.”
Stress can also indirectly lead to problems with your metabolism. People with high amounts of cortisol, a stress hormone, tend to be overweight, and being overweight can slow your metabolism. Lowering your cortisol levels can start a chain-reaction that can help your metabolism run more efficiently.
What does your metabolism do over time?
Believe it or not, metabolism — just like the rest of our body — goes through the aging process. As your metabolism slows, your continuous diet and exercise choices become more important.
While the cause for this is unclear, women entering menopause will experience a slower metabolism and can find it more difficult to stay at a healthy weight, which makes diet and exercise vital to healthy aging.
“Nothing changes overnight,” Newhouse said. “It’s a matter of making the small choices that can add up to try and negate the effects that are naturally slowing down your metabolism.”
If you’re worried about how your metabolism is affecting your lifestyle, contact your health care provider or sit down with a registered dietician to set up a plan for a healthier daily life.
So everyone, fire-up that metabolism and train hard!
Texas A&M University. “Metabolism: What is it and can it be controlled?.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 October 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161019154842.htm>.
When one reaches over 40 and especially over 50 then there are two major concerns that becomes reality for many, constant daily pain and for some the dreaded cancer!
All is not lost. Well for some it is…when one continue on an unhealthy living path (smoking, drinking, and no exercise) well, then the future unfortunately looks a bit bleak.
But just the other day I met a 92 y/o guy, fit, very mobile, with it! So certain things can be done to limit your risks and enhance your quality life.
However even if you do that, constant pain in joints/muscles seems to be part of any person over 40’s life. And so does the possibility of getting cancer.
We use to think it is just by the “throw of a dice” luck that we do not get cancer. But alas, there might just be a way out! Yes you hear right there just might be a very (!) powerful tool in your arsenal that limits your risk for cancer DRASTICALLY.
The same goes for the constant pain. There are 2 weapons in your arsenal to fight this rather effectively.
But first, let’s lay the basic groundwork.
Alpha Lipoic Acid & Potent Multi Vitamin
Two health supplements that form the basis of good health is a good/potent multi vitamin and ALPHA LIPOIC ACID. The best two choices for a potent multi vitamin is OPTIMEN or ANIMAL PAK.
Take the multi vit as directed on the container (must be after meal).
Why the multi vit – well simple you need to ensure that all the basis are covered concerning vitamins and minerals. Just short of one of these can have real bad consequences. This is very important for the older individual. You CANNOT rely on your food to get everything in.
Alpha Lipoic Acid must be taken at 200mg after morning meal and after evening meal.
Why Alpha Lipoic Acid?
Based on evidence from animal and human studies, lipoic acid offers the following essential health benefits:
Reduces oxidative stress in the body via powerful antioxidant activity
Improves several components of the metabolic syndrome—a combination of risk factors that increases one’s risk for diabetes
Reduces blood pressure
Reduces insulin resistance
Improves the lipid profile
Reduces weight
Increases insulin sensitivity
Improves diabetic neuropathy
Protects against cataract formation
Improves visual function in glaucoma
Helps prevents retinal cell death when combined with vitamin E in retinitis pigmentosa
Reduces brain damage after a stroke
Prevents bone loss, possibly through an anti-inflammatory effect
Removes toxic metals from the body
Reduces frequency and intensity of migraines
Improves skin texture
Now on to powerful pain relievers (although Alpha Lipoic Acid also play a role to relief pain).
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)
The first one is MSM. Now you might have heard about it. But the truth is, IT DOES WORK. But, not immediately. It is not like popping a pain-pill. It is more like reprogramming your body first before it takes effect.
Some of the most common uses for MSM include treating:
Three uses that MSM has gained the most notoriety for include: acting like an anti-atherosclerotic (preventing the hardening/thickening of arteries), chemo-preventative compound and natural anti-inflammatory. MSM seems to help the body’s natural free radical-scavenging, which means it lowers oxidative stress as the many ailments that come along with it. It’s an effective anti-inflammatory because it blocks the release of pro-inflammatory mediators and down regulates certain harmful signals sent from the immune system that can affect the entire body.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, based on the most reputable studies conducted so far on MSM — such as a 2006 pilot study that analysed the effects of 6,000 milligrams of MSM taken daily by patients with osteoarthritis — it effectively helps improve symptoms of pain and physical function without any major side effects.
That being said, MSM is capable of causing mild side effects for some people, including indigestion, upset stomach or diarrhoea. It’s also not suitable for people taking blood-thinner medications. If you’re pregnant, you’ll want to speak with a doctor before taking it regularly.
Lastly, MSM does NOT start working immediately. It takes up to 3 months for it to start working effectively. For some up to 6 months. So although there is a considerable lead time…it really is worth investing in the long term in using MSM because it IS a powerful pain suppressant with many other health benefits.
Co Enzyme Q10
Now an even more interesting product, Co Enzyme Q10. [Suggested: 150mg after morning and evening meal]
I have written about this wonder supplement in the past and I consider it the “mother of all supplements”. None comes close to it in effectiveness and health boosting ability. And to top it off, it is a significant pain suppressant. To such an extent that many doctors are now at long last starting to subscribe CQ10 to their migraine patients.
Coenzyme Q10 is a mitochondrial energizer that has shown remarkable effects against common heart ailments and neurological disorders. In just the past year, scientists have uncovered specific mechanisms indicating that CoQ10 may have a role in fighting certain cancers. Most surprising, however, are new studies that show how CoQ10 guards against a wide array of common age-related disorders. In this article, we summarize recent discoveries that significantly broaden the clinical utility of CoQ10.
Guarding the Brain After Cardiac Arrest
People who survive cardiac arrest often suffer irreversible brain damage as a result of the disruption of oxygen to the brain. European researchers recently investigated whether combining CoQ10 with mild hypothermia—a technique proven to reduce neuronal damage and increase survival—might enhance the effects of that treatment.
Forty-nine patients who had suffered cardiac arrest and then received cardiopulmonary resuscitation were randomly selected to receive hypothermia (reduction of body temperature) treatment plus CoQ10 or hypothermia plus placebo. The hypothermia treatment involved the patients being placed on a body-surface-cooling mattress.
The patients were then administered either liquid CoQ10 (250 mg followed by 150 mg three times daily for five days) or a placebo through a nasogastric tube. The remarkable findings showed that three-month survival in the CoQ10 group was 68%, compared to only 29% in the placebo group. Coenzyme Q10 thus helped reduce the death rate from cardiac arrest by an astounding 57%. The researchers also found that 36% of patients in the CoQ10 group had a good neurological outcome at three months, versus only 20% in the placebo group.
Preventing the Onset of Migraine
Migraine headaches are a debilitating, all-too-common affliction. Because mitochondrial dysfunction may play a role in migraines by limiting oxygen metabolism, researchers recently explored the use of CoQ10 in preventing these headaches. Published in the February 2005 issue of Neurology, the research describes a placebo-controlled trial of 42 patients in Switzerland.
Patients who had suffered migraines for a year or more, with two to eight attacks per month, were randomly assigned to receive either 100 mg of CoQ10 or placebo, three times daily. At the end of the three-month trial, the CoQ10-treated group had lower attack frequency and fewer headache days and days with nausea than did the placebo group. The mean number of monthly migraine attacks dropped from 4.4 to 3.2 in the CoQ10 group, compared to a negligible decrease from 4.4 to 4.3 in the placebo group.
In this study, supplemental CoQ10 reduced migraine frequency by 27%.
Slowing Early Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of vision loss in people over 60. With the deterioration of the macula (a tiny cluster of highly specialized cells in the retina) central vision progressively begins to blur. As the disease worsens, central vision loss may increase until it becomes impossible to perform tasks that require detailed vision, such as driving and reading.
In recent years, researchers have focused on how oxidative damage affects age-related macular degeneration. The eye, one of the body’s most metabolically active organs, not only generates an enormous amount of free radicals through normal function, but also incurs additional oxidative damage from ultraviolet radiation and air pollution. In recent trials, the use of antioxidants has been shown to counter age-related macular degeneration. For example, in an 11-center, double-blind clinical trial conducted by the National Eye Institute (a division of the National Institutes of Health), a combination of antioxidants plus zinc slowed macular degeneration progression in people with intermediate or advanced disease by about 25%.
Hungarian scientists are now exploring a metabolic rather than an antioxidant approach to managing macular degeneration. Citing findings that mitochondrial dysfunction might also play a role in the development of the disease, the researchers designed a clinical trial to evaluate intervention in early age-related macular degeneration with a combination of compounds—including CoQ10—that have demonstrated the ability to improve mitochondrial metabolism. The researchers reported results of their double-blind, placebo-controlled trial last year in the journal Opthalmologica. More than 100 patients with early age-related macular degeneration were randomly assigned to receive either two capsules per day containing 200 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine, 780 mg of omega-3 fatty acids, and 20 mg of CoQ10, or capsules containing an equal quantity of soy oil.
At the end of the 12-month treatment period, the researchers found statistically significant improvement in the treatment group as measured by all four parameters of visual function studied. In addition, only one of the 48 patients (2%) in the treatment group showed clinically significant worsening in visual field mean defect (blind spots in the visual field), the primary study endpoint, compared to 9 of 53 patients (17%) in the placebo group. The decrease in drusen—tiny yellow retinal deposits associated with macular degeneration—of the treated eyes was also statistically significant compared to placebo when either the most-affected eyes or the less-affected eyes were considered. In the less-affected eyes, the drusen-covered area decreased by 23% in the treated group, but increased by 13% in the placebo group. These findings suggest that intervention with an appropriate combination of nutrients that affect mitochondrial lipid metabolism may stabilize and even improve visual functions in early age-related macular degeneration.
New Applications in Fighting Cancer
Research on CoQ10 and cancer has focused on two lines of inquiry: CoQ10’s ability to improve immune response and its ability to decrease the cardiotoxicity caused by a common class of anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agents.
Patients with cancer often exhibit low levels of CoQ10,6,7 and researchers have shown that CoQ10 can increase immune response in humans.
Based on these findings, Danish researchers investigated CoQ10’s effects alone and in combination with other nutrients as an adjunctive therapy for breast cancer.
In one case report, the researchers describe three breast cancer patients with metastasized cancer. The women underwent conventional cancer treatment and supplemented with a daily dose of 390 mg of CoQ10. All three women demonstrated tumor regression and decreased incidence of metastasis.
In another study, the same research team investigated 32 high-risk breast cancer patients whose malignancy had spread to the lymph nodes. In addition to conventional therapeutic interventions, this group of patients received a daily combination of nutrients (vitamin C: 2850 mg; vitamin E: 2500 IU; beta-carotene: 32.5 IU; selenium: 387 mcg; and secondary vitamins and minerals), essential fatty acids (1.2 grams of gamma linolenic acid and 3.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids), and 90 mg of CoQ10. At the end of the 18-month trial, six patients showed apparent partial remission, none of the patients showed signs of additional metastases, and their quality of life improved. None of the patients died during the study period, though four deaths were expected based on the patients’ disease stage. In one of the six patients with partial remission, the dose of CoQ10 in the nutritional protocol was increased to 390 mg. After two months, that patient’s tumor had disappeared completely, as confirmed by a mammogram.
While chemotherapy drugs can be highly effective, their use can also be limited by toxic side effects. This has been noted in the case of anthracyclines, a class of drugs widely used in cancer chemotherapy. These drugs have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of leukemia, lymphomas, and solid malignancies, and are often used to treat breast cancer, with higher doses yielding greater clinical responses. These higher doses of anthracyclines, however, can produce toxic effects on heart tissue, possibly leading to cardiomyopathy and heart failure that are not responsive to conventional pharmacological interventions. In fact, anthracyclines selectively damage mitochondria in the heart, but not in other organs. Since coenzyme Q10 supports both heart tissue and mitochondria, researchers conducted human trials to determine whether CoQ10 might prevent cardiotoxicity during the administration of anthracyclines.
Two recent review articles addressed CoQ10’s potential as an adjunctive therapy during chemotherapy with anthracyclines. Writing in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers summarized five reviewed studies in which CoQ10 was given along with anthracyclines. They report that in three of the studies that measured heart rhythm, patients who received CoQ10 showed favorable changes suggesting that CoQ10 might have a stabilizing effect on the heart. They also note that supplementation did not interfere with anthracycline treatment, and that no adverse effects were reported in any of the trials. The authors concluded that although coenzyme Q10 demonstrates potential for reducing cardiotoxicity, larger and more rigorous investigations are needed.
Slowing Neurodegenerative Disease Progression
Many investigators have conducted preclinical studies examining how oxidative stress and impaired mitochondrial function may contribute to neuronal cell death, a characteristic of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases. For example, a recent journal article in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology reported on the effects of the herbicide paraquat on neuronal cell death in the laboratory. The researchers found that this toxic chemical damaged mitochondria and increased free radical production, eventually resulting in the death of neuronal cells. Pretreatment of the cell cultures with CoQ10, however, inhibited both mitochondrial dysfunction and free radical generation. The researchers postulated that coenzyme Q10 may prove useful in preventing and treating neurodegenerative conditions related to environmental toxins.
While published research on the use of CoQ10 in slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease has been limited to preclinical studies, investigations of CoQ10 and Parkinson’s disease have moved into clinical trials, including randomized controlled studies. This work has been led by Clifford Shults, MD, professor of neurosciences at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine. In Parkinson’s disease, brain cells that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine progressively die. Research in animals has shown that CoQ10 can protect the substantia nigra, the area of the brain where these cells reside. Studies by Dr. Shults and others have shown that mitochondrial dysfunction and diminished mitochondrial CoQ10 levels frequently occur in Parkinson’s sufferers.
With funding from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders (a division of the National Institutes of Health), Dr. Shults and his colleagues undertook the first double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial of CoQ10 in patients with early untreated Parkinson’s disease. In this phase II, dose-finding study, 80 patients were randomly assigned to receive one of three different CoQ10 doses (300 mg/day, 600 mg/day, or 1200 mg/day) with vitamin E, or a placebo containing vitamin E alone. The patients were followed for 16 months or until the participants required levodopa, a standard drug treatment for managing disease symptoms.
The results, reported in the Archives of Neurology, showed that patients who received the largest dose of CoQ10 (1200 mg/day) had 44% less decline in mental function, movement, and ability to carry out activities of daily living than those who received the placebo.19 Patients who received CoQ10 doses of 300 mg/day and 600 mg/day also showed some slowing in decline compared to the placebo group, but not as much as those who took the highest dose. The authors concluded that CoQ10 was safe and well tolerated at doses up to 1200 mg/day.
A clinical trial has also been undertaken in patients with Huntington’s disease, a neurodegenerative genetic disorder. This trial, conducted by the Huntington Study Group, randomly assigned 347 patients with Huntington’s disease to receive CoQ10 at 600 mg/day, remacemide hydrochloride at 600 mg/day, a combination of both, or placebo. Over the 30-month trial, the CoQ10 treated patients showed a 13% decrease in overall functional decline and beneficial trends in some secondary measures. However, the difference between the CoQ10 group and the other groups did not reach statistical significance.
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METFORMIN
Now on to the last miracle supplement. Metformin [suggested 500mg daily]
This is actually not a supplement but a prescribed medicine for diabetics. However it seems to do much more than just treating diabetics and all of it is good, very good news!
Let me give you the rundown…
[From the US National cancer institute]
“In 1957, the first results from a clinical trial of the diabetes drug metformin in patients were published. Yet, it would take nearly 40 years for the drug to be approved in the United States as a treatment for type 2 diabetes.
Now researchers want to know whether this decades-old drug may have additional uses in another disease—cancer. Based on findings from a number of large epidemiologic studies and extensive laboratory research, metformin is being tested in clinical trials not only as a treatment for cancer, but as a way to prevent it in people at increased risk, including cancer survivors who have a higher risk of a second primary cancer.
Some of the early-phase prevention trials of metformin are enrolling participants who are at increased risk for cancer and who are obese, have elevated glucose or insulin levels, or have other conditions that put them at risk for diabetes.
“With the obesity epidemic, these studies are applicable to a substantial portion of the U.S. population and, increasingly, of the world population,” said Brandy Heckman-Stoddard, PhD, MPH, of NCI’s Division of Cancer Prevention.
Expanding the Data Pool
Much of the human data on metformin and cancer has come from epidemiologic studies of people with diabetes. In many, though not all, of these studies, people with diabetes who were assigned to take metformin had a lower incidence of cancer than those taking other diabetes drugs.
Completed in 2002, the original DPP enrolled more than 3,200 people at increased risk of developing diabetes and randomly assigned them to one of three groups: one group received metformin, one took part in an intensive diet and physical activity program, and one received a placebo. Participants in the metformin arm had a substantially lower risk of developing diabetes than the general population; participants in the exercise and diet regimen fared even better.
With NCI’s involvement, the program’s extension, called the DPP Outcomes Study, will allow investigators to document cancer incidence and death among study participants. Those observations should provide some of the strongest data available to date on metformin’s anticancer effects in people without diabetes, explained Dr. Heckman-Stoddard. The first data on cancer outcomes in study participants, which will be based on 15 years of follow-up, should be available in 2014.
“Once we have that data, there are a host of other questions we can ask,” she said. For example, Dr. Heckman-Stoddard and her colleagues plan to study metformin’s impact on certain blood biomarkers that studies have suggested are associated with cancer risk. They will also study the drug’s mechanism of action—that is, how metformin may work to prevent changes in cells that can lead to cancer.
For Prevention, Small Biomarker-Driven Trials
The smaller prevention trials being conducted are very different from the DPP Outcomes Study. These trials are not designed to determine whether metformin prevents cancer. Prevention trials must generally have a large number of participants and span many years to show whether a drug or some other intervention reduces the risk of cancer.
Instead, these short, 3- to 6-month trials are investigating whether the drug has an effect on specific proteins and/or signaling pathways that have been implicated in cancer development and that laboratory studies have shown are affected by metformin.
At the University of California, Irvine Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, for example, Jason Zell, DO, MPH, is leading an early-phase clinical trial that is testing metformin’s effect on the mTOR signaling pathway in obese people who have previously had precancerous growths removed from their colons.
Numerous studies have implicated the mTOR pathway as an integral hub in cancer development and progression, and laboratory studies have consistently shown that metformin can blunt mTOR signaling.
“The key point of the trial is to get at the mechanisms of action … to see if metformin is behaving in the expected manner” based on the lab findings, Dr. Zell explained.
Numerous early-stage clinical trials are currently under way to investigate metformin’s potential to prevent an array of cancers, including colorectal, prostate, endometrial, and breast cancer.
Dr. Zell and his colleagues chose to study obese patients “because of the interesting side-effect profile of metformin, which can include weight loss,” meaning it may not be suitable for underweight, nondiabetic individuals, he continued.
If this first trial shows that metformin is having the expected effects on mTOR signaling, the next trial would be similar but would measure a clinical outcome, such as whether metformin decreases the number of colorectal polyps that return.
A phase II trial at the University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center is testing metformin’s effects on a host of biomarkers in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors who are obese.
Funded by NCI’s Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC) program, the trial, called Reach for HealthExit Disclaimer, will involve treatment with metformin alone and in combination with an exercise program. The study will examine the effect of 6 months of metformin treatment, with or without exercise, on a host of biomarkers associated with cancer risk. The change in biomarker measurements before and after treatment will be compiled into a score that predicts the risk of dying from breast cancer.
This is all part of the trial’s novel “biomarker bridge” design, the lead investigator, Ruth Patterson, PhD, explained. The biomarkers and the risk score are being derived from an analysis of tissue samples collected as part of an NCI-supported phase III trial called the Women’s Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) study. This study found that a diet low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables did not reduce the risk of cancer returning in survivors of early-stage breast cancer compared with survivors who maintained their normal diet. Researchers have continued to follow the health of WHEL participants to document their health outcomes, including death from breast cancer.
“The WHEL trial is over, and we have a freezer full of blood samples, and we know participants’ breast cancer recurrences, mortality, and other outcomes,” Dr. Patterson said. “So we’re hooking together a short-term trial with a long-term cohort study by means of blood biomarkers.”
The Dose Is the Question
Most of the cancer clinical trials of metformin use the same doses typically used to treat diabetes. That makes sense, because all of the epidemiologic data suggesting a cancer benefit came from studies that used those doses, said Michael Pollak, MD, of McGill University in Montreal, who has extensively studied metformin and its anticancer potential.
“We already know that those doses are safe, so why not study them?” Dr. Pollak continued. “But then you have to realize that virtually all of the lab studies [of metformin] have been done using drug concentrations that are as much as 100-fold higher than those found in the serum of diabetic patients. So the lab studies do not directly justify the clinical trials that are using conventional antidiabetic doses.”
With the obesity epidemic, these studies are applicable to a substantial portion of the U.S. population and, increasingly, of the world population.
—Dr. Brandy Heckman-Stoddard
Although laboratory studies suggest that larger doses of metformin “deserve study” for cancer treatment, Dr. Pollak noted that “for cancer prevention, we can only consider the hypothesis that the antidiabetic dose, or even lower doses, will be clinically useful.”
Dr. Zell agreed. “In the realm of cancer prevention, where side effects are less acceptable than they are in the realm of cancer treatment, the conventional dose for treating diabetes or something close to it may be the limit.
“I don’t imagine that prevention researchers will be looking to use [significantly larger] doses of metformin,” he continued. “In a healthy population, even a low risk of side effects could be extraordinary when applied to a larger population…. That’s why trials like ours are important. At the end of this 12-week intervention, we’ll have a good idea of whether the standard dose of metformin can affect cancer signaling pathways.”
Early Days
It’s still far too early to tell whether there is any future for metformin as a means of preventing or treating cancer, several researchers said.
Despite the very strong epidemiological evidence, there’s a chance that, even if metformin has some ability to prevent cancer, its efficacy may be limited to just several cancer types, Dr. Pollak noted. For example, metformin is not absorbed very well by the body and is absorbed differently by different tissues, he explained, which could limit how effective it might be against particular cancers.
Although the drug in its current form has certain limitations, some investigators are working on developing more potent derivatives of metformin. At the 2012 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, for example, Italian and U.S. researchers reported that several metformin derivatives they had developed potently blocked the growth of breast cancer cells in the laboratory, including cell lines of triple-negative breast cancer, and caused the cells to die.
To be used for cancer prevention, any metformin derivative would have to be safe, with few side effects, Dr. Heckman-Stoddard stressed. As for the original metformin formulation, she added, current trials should help to map the way forward for its use in prevention.
“It’s important that we identify the right populations in which this is most likely to be an effective agent,” said Dr. Heckman-Stoddard. “We need to look at the evidence from all of these early-phase trials as a whole,” she continued, including examining the population groups exhibiting the strongest suggestions of efficacy “so we can design efficient phase III trials.”
Examples of Clinical Trials Testing Metformin for Cancer Prevention
WANT A HOLISTIC TRANSFORMATION SYSTEM FULLY CUSTOMIZED? The program I am following for the past 6 years (age 46 to 52), available now fully customised on all levels. Every little secret, every hard-earned practical fact, every scientific study that actually support the (very) few supplements between all the thousand ridiculous advertisement claims have been filtered en incorporated into one system that MAKES A DIFFERENCE click here:
Metformin has been proven to be very safe even for non-diabetics. But since it is a prescription drug you will have to twist your doctor’s finger to get a prescription. Ask him to look at the anti-cancer and weight-loss properties of Metformin…this might change his mind.
So here you have it – 5 powerfull tools in your arsenal for good health, anti pain and anti cancer. As the Vulcan say “Life long and prosper!”
I get many guys asking me about “intermittent fasting” and “carb cycling” and similar “tricks” in the search to drop body fat.
Let’s look at this objectively.
I am not going to shoot any of these methods down, I think there are enough counter-proof that at least for some it is working.
However the people contacting me is never advanced athletes but Joe average who plays around with bodybuilding and want to get a quick road to loosing fat.
This is where the problem comes in.
The advanced athletes employing these diet tricks are already at very low body fat and are preparing for a show or event. In their toolbox which they use constantly, are their fat-callipers, tape measure and weighing scale and caloric counter. They approach this very scientifically and got the whole process down to a tee. They hardly ever make a mistake. But even then some do make a mistake and the consequences are close to disastrous. The truth is that with these tricks they are walking a thin line and it is very easy to make a mistake. You really need to know what you are doing and monitor the body extremely closely. You need to be very scientific about it to the extreme!
But Joe average is not a guy who will put in the time and effort these guys do with these tricks. He will not daily pull out the fat calipers, the tape measurement and scale and double-check calories etc. He just wants a simple to follow solution that will allow him to shed fat. And this is NEVER a simple solution. This is a hardcore solution. And nearly 99% of Joe average who have tried these hardcore solutions have badly burned their fingers. By burned fingers I mean training derailed, getting sick (due to immune system dropping as a result of too much required from the body) or losing all the hard-earned muscle in the process.
The risks simply outweight the benefits for Joe average …by far.
It is not worth it.
For Joe average and most advanced athletes it makes sense to follow a proven sensible approach.
Such a sensible approach is to monitor the body every 14 days with fat calipers and a weighing scale. Then to interpret the results with wisdom and make the necessary caloric adjustments to reach your goal.
In the cutting phase you want to lose fat and keep muscles safe (not necessarily build muscle but definitely not losing muscle!).
In the building phase the goal is adding a little body fat (2%-4%) and built muscle. Whenever you have to adjust calories, never do it with more than 10% in 14 day period up or down. The body need time to adjust and by adjusting calories with more than 10% will throw the body’s normal responses off for up to 1 month which makes the 14 day monitoring very difficult to interpret correctly.
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Now I hope this let’s you think twice about venturing these risky paths. If you want to use me as an example…I have never done these diet tricks, simply because they are too risky! I am not about to sacrifice my hard-worked by slipping up once.
Here is my latest video I just finished. It discuss the best FREE body transformation system out there available. Those of you that dreamed of that new body…well, now is your chance! MAKE THIS HAPPEN!
This video will take you step by step through the 4 major detailed aspects that must be in place:
Quite a few of my followers have requested that I must clarify some of the basic training terms I refer too in my videos. I can fully understand their confusion. Some of them has never seen the inside of the gym. After watching some of my videos they are so inspired and then want to embark on this new adventure but alas everything is soooo confusing! It is similar when a nuclear physicist is trying to explain cold fusion in the most basic terms, but you still have no clue as to what he/she is talking about because you do not grasp the meaning of the most basic terms.
So although many of you will find this boring, let me lay the ground work and give some clarification for those newbies to the basic training terms I refer to in my videos.
Ok, let start at the big term: “training program”. This refers to the training aspect and does not include nutrition or supplements. It refers to everything where muscles are involved while you exercise.
By the way, I support a 4 or 5 day workout schedule.
Workout is the specific routine you will be following on a specific day.
There are total body workouts, which refers to a workout where all muscles groups are trained/exercised during a single session.
Then there are more goal orientated split routine workouts where one only focusses on 2-3 muscle groups per training session/day – this is the kind of training I support.
You will hear I talk a lot about sets and reps.
Reps are the time it takes to lift a weight to the maximum position and dropping it back to the original starting position. This will be a single rep. If you lift and drop the weight 8 times, that will be 8 reps performed.
Sets are slightly more complicated. This is a method of grouping the reps together for a specific goal. For example if one wants to build muscle you will typically group the reps in sets of 8 (and reach muscle failure on the last rep). When you want to lose body fat one typically group the reps together with more reps, about 15 in a set (and just stop short of complete muscle failure).
Muscle failure is the point where one cannot perform another rep with the weight, meaning the muscle is literally failing.
Between sets one typically rest long enough to allow the muscles to recover enough to be able to do the next set effectively. This is usually 2-3 min but when one really training very heavy this might be slightly longer.
A muscle group refers to a single muscle like biceps for example. For effectivity one strings 2-3 logical muscle groups together in a training session. (For example: Pecs, Biceps and abs)
Warm ups is the process by which one perform light exercises before the training session to get the blood flowing and make sure the target muscles are sufficiently warmed up before you start training intensely.
Stretching is the process after each set which you use to lightly stretch the muscle which was just trained.
You will hear I will also refer to training concepts and things like supersets.
Training concepts is any activity that you add to your training session to perform your normal reps and sets in a different fashion to stimulate the muscle for growth.
The way the body works is that anything that become repetitive over time stop stimulating the muscles for a response. The muscles learn to handle that type of training/attack without further increasing in shape or size.
So training need always be fresh and changing to allow for effective muscle stimulation.
A training concept I regularly refer to is supersets. That is where you string two different muscle group’s sets together without resting in between. You only do this for 2 sets at a time. It is good tool to help burn more body fat and stimulate muscles for growth.
Dumbbells refers to the weights showing on the screen now.
This is how a EZ barbell look.
Then one also get barbells with straight bars.
This is a flat bench.
This is an incline bench.
This is a seated bench.
This is an exercise ball.
When I talk about technique, I refer to the specific way and form in which one performs an exercise or lift a weight.
I also regularly refer to Cutting Phase and Building Phase. Cutting phase is the process by which one train and diet with the focus on preserving muscles mass while losing body fat. Building Phase is the process and diet which focus on building muscles with adding a little more body fat to allow the body to build muscles effectively.
Lastly, you will hear I refer to health supplements and bodybuilding supplements.
Health supplements is anything (like a multi vit) you take to ensure optimal health. Bodybuilding supplements is something one takes in a specific way and timeframe to assist the body with certain aspects of the bodybuilding process (could be fat loss, muscle building, tissue repair, etc…)
Hope this give some better understanding for those newbie’s that want to start the great adventure.
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Now this is probably what everyone wants to hear – lol! BUT, the truth is, there are methods to cheat and still get to the top!
Life is not meant to be without a dessert once on a while…and I am talking Baked Chocolate Fondant with oozing real sweet chocolate out if it’s center with ice cream (real ! ice cream) liberally used. The same goes for the odd glass of wine/whiskey or beer or whatever blows your skirt up, even a chocolate!
A certain balance needs to be applied to stay sane with anything in life. I’ve just done a 3 weeks severe cutting diet, sticking 100% to it…and, it’s was hell! The more you are going to disallow yourself a treat once in a while, the bigger the chance that your diet will fail completely in the end. You would just say…”I had enough”. And you know what? I have big compassion for that…so let’s have a look here how (!) you can cheat regularly without crashing your diet and keep yourself sane and focused to stick 98% to your diet.
Sundays to Fridays – sorry that (!) is where you stick 100% to your diet.
Get yourself some sugarless, carb less, fat free sweets. Do some searching and buy those that have as little calories as possible…like below 10! Then during the Sunday to Friday period…pop a few (3-4) of those during the day when you feel the urge to treat yourself a bit. Apart from that – nothing else.
The key is always to eat all your regular meals and drink all your water (2L-4L)…THAT is what keeps you full and keep the urges to eat wrong away.
Obviously, if you are at your target body fat then some different rules apply. Then you are allowed 2 -3 cheats evenly spaced out during the week. But for this documents purpose, let’s assume we are dealing with all those that are still far from the target body fat levels.
Your cheat should be left for a weekend day…when you are less stressed, more relaxed and doing something you like. This cheat will go to great lengths to make you not feeling deprived of some great things and food in life. Even if you don’t feel like a cheat, maybe it is a good idea…simply to help you stay balanced and not feeling deprived later on in the week.
Now, “HOW?” should you cheat?
There can only be one cheat and that cheat can only be once per day per week on just 1 day of the week!
First you eat the diet as normal for that day as specified.
Let’s look at the next cheat scenario’s:
1. Ice Cream cheat / Soft drink / dessert cheat / potato crisps – once anytime during day. Then for 2 of your meals for the day cut out carbs completely. One small meals carbs and one larger meals carbs.
2. Chocolate cheat 150g – anytime during day. The same as above: For 2 of your meals for the day cut out carbs completely. One small meals carbs and one larger meals carbs.
3. Alcohol cheat (500ml equivalent wine) – anytime during day. Usually late afternoon or evening you will use this cheat. So for the evening meal cut out carbs completely and ONLY clean fatless meat and salad…no sauces, no carbs, nothing else! And definitely no dessert. If you want dessert, then no wine! One or the other… [Note: be very careful with alcohol. It is the key reason why men, especially older men, struggle to loose fat around the tummy and have a bloated look to the tummy. Best is to cut alcohol COMPLETELY out and have other types of cheats.]
Remember that with any of the above cheats it will set you back 24 to 48 hours before your body reverted to the level before you cheated and only then will it be able to start losing fat again. So even though you have cheated it is STILL very much possible to loose fat for the week, but only within above rules.
I strongly believe that the only winning approach is a balanced approach. That keeps you focused and you feel like “life” is not deprived of you. Part of this balance is to cheat on a weekly basis with your diet by applying above wisdom!
Wish you all happy dieting and a great training week!
Gert Louw
In all my coaching systems and many articles on my site, I regularly refer to the process of transforming into a wow physique by “climbing a ladder step by step”.
Here I want to explain as to WHAT exactly I mean by that.
Now, many people think they are starting to climb the ladder and start transforming, and they actually start doing rather great, but then stuff starts happening…things like: getting sick regularly, tendon/joint injury or other serious injury or they lose hope because they just cannot put on muscle no matter how hard they train and some just cannot lose fat no matter how hard they diet.
This is when the train stops and they get off the ladder.
Not because it was not possible but because they LACK knowledge.
KNOWLEDGE in terms off:
You CANNOT lose fat if the calories are too low…then your body enters famine mode and you WILL lose all your hard earned muscle first before it uses the fat – no matter how HARD you train! There is a sweet spot with calories where the body use fat for energy and keep muscles safe. You need to find it. (In my SYSTEMS I and II this is covered).
You CANNOT build muscle if: caloric intake too low, body fat too low or you do too much cardio!
You WILL get sick regularly if you continue pounding your body week after week, month after month, in the wrong fashion and you do not use certain basic health supporting supplements.
You WILL run into serious tendon and joint issues if you do not alternate every 3 months between BUILDING and CUTTING phases to allow healing and strengthening.
All of these are covered in detail in my COACHING SYSTEMS (https://gertlouw.com/contact-me), but the bottom line which brings all these together are a continuous alternating between a 3 month CUTTING PHASE and a 3 monthly BUILDING phase.
Each Phase has its own specific training methodology and specific type diet.
The two phases are vastly different and by continuously alternating between them, you allow your body every 3 months to go through a process off:
Loosing max fat while protecting muscles in Cutting Phase.
Building max muscle at slightly higher body fat levels in the Building Phase.
Allowing your body to be fed correctly for your exact goal and training methodology for each phase.
Allowing tendons and joints to strengthen and recover regularly in Cutting Phase.
Allowing the body a balanced and healthy approach preventing sickness and injury by not overtraining and stressing the body and immune system.
These 2 phases hold the KEY to climbing the ladder. One step on the ladder = 1 BP (Building phase) + 1 CP (Cutting Phase). After each step you will be able to see a significant difference in shape and size. THIS is how you climb up the ladder.
Look at the following graph showing the BODY FAT variation during the phases
This is what your body fat will do when sticking to my SYSTEM I or II training that incorporates these principles (BP = Building Phase, CP = Cutting Phase):
Every BP1 + CP1 covers a 6 month period. At the end of each of the cutting phases your body fat is lower and lower till typically after a 3 year period you reach crazy levels like 5% body fat.
Let’s look what your muscle size will do when alternating between the phases:
At the end of each of the cutting phases your body weight is higher than after the previous cutting phase. That COUPLED with the fact that the body fat is lower after each Cutting Phase compared to the previous cutting phase makes a HUGE difference on how the body looks and the amount of lean mass you are carrying.
THIS (!) is how you climb the ladder…not after one cutting phase or one building phase but after various of these phases. Stopping with the process simply mean you stop climbing the ladder.
Simply put – After each Building Phase your muscle weight is higher at lower body fat levels, and during the Cutting Phase you show your results, keeping that muscles safe and dropping the body fat on each Cutting Phase lower and lower than in the previous Cutting Phases until after a few years you look back and say…”WOW!”
For some or other reason the banting crowd is the most aggressive crowd I have ever come across. The steroid junkie bodybuilding crowd does not even come close to them in terms of aggression!
From my experience, less than 1 in every 100 banters seems to have the ability to disagree with me in a decent way. I am sorry to say this, but I have never come across so many plain nasty people in my life. I suspect it has something to do with the high fat consumption that makes them jittery…any case, I don’t know but in all honestly they need to learn to communicate in a decent way. They stand out like a sore thumb between all the people I have ever met on forums and the likes…and there’s been some bad ones. And off course they will mark this article and video down as far as they can because ANYTHING opposing their viewpoint is just not tolerated!
To clear up any “misunderstanding”…my gripe ( and the gripe 99% of doctors and nutritionists have) with banting is the fact that the amount of carbs (simple and complex) you consume on banting is too low to stimulate a healthy insulin response from the body. Doing this over time will harm the insulin sensitivity response the body has to carb consumption, you cannot get away from it. It could theoretically even result in permanent metabolic damage. That’s why if you do banting, you don’t do it long-term. And banting for anyone trying to build a muscled physique, is a very bad (!) idea. A very healthy insulin response is required to effectively build muscles. Insulin is the most potent muscle-building hormone in the human body.
But you do NOT have to agree with me or the billions of other people out there. You are entitled to your own opinion. In any case if you believe in what you are doing why do you care what I or other people say?
And if you do care, all I ask is that you do it in a decent way like a normal human being.
Any person leaving a nasty comment on any of my videos, blog posts and websites will be deleted and blocked immediately. If you cannot communicate with me in a decent way, I do NOT talk to you, full stop. And unfortunately it seems that more than 9 out of 10 of those people are banters.
This is probably the single most confusing area for anyone want to venture the road of fitness/bodybuilding or just to transform their body for a “wow” look.
The first question is, “Do I need to take supplements at all”?
Now those of you that have followed me for a while know that I am very (!) outspoken against supplements. My photos have been stolen and abused with fake stories by supplement companies more than 80 times now (those are the one’s I actually busted, let alone the one’s I don’t know about).
So the bottom line is EVERY advert you read about how great this or that product is, is hugely inflated and chances are very high the photos produced as proof are stolen and the stories as proof are fake. There is NO (!) magic pill out there. Not even anabolic steroids can do what some of these supplement companies claim, ie: “complete body transformations in 14 days or 3 weeks”!
So lesson one – NEVER read supplements advertisements. It has 90% lies and 10% truth. Very few real advances have been made in the last decade or so about supplements for bodybuilding. I am not talking about hollow claims, but I am talking about real scientific independent studies and proof.
Those that is going to believe me and listen to what I say will save THOUSANDS of dollars!
Bodybuilding and fat loss supplements contribute a miniscule 2.5% to your overall results. Thus, you CANNOT waste your money on any supplement that is not highly effective and focused.
Now all that being said, truth is, there are a core group of supplements for both your general health (very important for those putting their body under strain due to heavy training and dieting) and for creating and environment for muscle-building and fatloss and increase your repair ability of your body.
Anything outside these groups of supplements you need to question and REALLY do your homework before parting with your hard-earned money.
Now generally anyone knowing me, knows that I am steering clear here because I do not like promoting brands and shooting others down. BUT, I had so many people ask me about safer brand options. So here is my opinion:
Experience and knowledge leads here. Let me explain. NO supplement out there, with little to no scientific studies to back it up, can make any significant difference no matter what the marketing or claims are.
The are MANY, MANY scam supplements out there that are totally worthless and it cost and arm and leg.
So the first rule is, it MUST be backed up by various independent scientific studies and control groups. This immediately cancel 95% of supplements!
The rest well, there are various degrees of success. Even if it is backed up by solid studies, if the effect is minimal, one is wasting your time and money.
The supplement must have a significant effect to be even considered.
Now, filtering through everything with the above rules and the supps I suggest are the ones that can and will make an ever so slight but important difference (see section below). The only one outside of this group is creatine…for about 90% of people it can have solid advantages (even to the degree of the most potent supp this side of anabolic steroids)…but that should only be used while on a building phase and not cutting phases. Just a note on creatine – anyone with kidney issues should steer clear…creatine is placing some strain (albeit moderate) on the kidneys. So drink LOTS of water while on it.
When buying the “approved” supplements…stick only to highly reputable BIG brands, EAS, On Nutrition, Animal and Muscletech.
That does not mean all the supplements these companies sell, is working…they sell whatever the public has been brainwashed to buy! So tread carefully!
Which brand I use? A local, South African brand – HMT, but you will only have access to it if you are in South Africa and the range is designed specifically for competing athletes.
First, let’s look at GENERAL HEALTH supplements (supported by science and real world trials)
CQ10 (Co-Enzyme Q10) – the number ONE potent health supplement out there. [150mg – 300mg daily]
“Coenzymes are substances that help the activities of enzymes. Evidence shows that Coenzyme Q10 plays a very important role in the production of energy throughout the body. It also has been found to have powerful antioxidant effects, destroying free radicals in the body.
Improved energy production is of particular importance to athletes and bodybuilders.
Coenzyme Q10 helps the body convert food into energy in the form of ATP. Nearly every cell in the body contains at least some Coenzyme Q10, with mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of cells, containing the most. The heart and liver, due to their high content of mitochondria, contain the most Coenzyme Q10 out of any organs in the body.
In a placebo-controlled study, Coenzyme Q10 supplementation was shown to help people with congestive heart failure. People with congestive heart failure may not see any results for a few months, but should not quit taking it immediately without consulting a doctor. People with angina have been able to exercise for longer periods of time and with more energy when supplementing with Coenzyme Q10. It has also been shown to lower blood pressure and improve the pumping function of the heart.
Coenzyme Q10 may even help facilitate weight loss due to its stimulating effects on the body’s metabolism. Evidence suggests that Coenzyme Q10 can help in a number of ailments and diseases including: diabetes, angina, give support with chemotherapy, male infertility, mitral valve prolapse, give support with HIV, gingivitis, and congestive heart failure. The assimilation of Coenzyme Q10 may be better if taken with a fatty substance such as oil, peanut butter, olive oil, etc.”
CQ10 has also shown to have highly effective pain treatment properties, especially for migraine sufferers.
ALA(Alpha lipoic Acid) [200mg – 400mg daily]
“In addition to the anti-oxidant effects that ALA produces the list below shows why it is such an important supplement. The list of benefits includes:
Improving of physique
Combats free radicals
Protects our genetic material
Slows aging
Protects against heart disease
Protects against cancer
Improves skin and helps erase wrinkles
Regulates blood sugar in diabetics
Protects the liver
May be used as a treatment for Stroke
If Alpha-Lipoic Acid were just another antioxidant, then its value would be far less. After all, there are dozens of ingredients on the market that have powerful antioxidant functions. However, the unique qualities possessed by Alpha-Lipoic Acid, functioning as both a water- and fat-soluble antioxidant make it an intriguing ingredient and a supplement worthy of serious consideration.”
Omega 3+6 [2g to 6g per day]
“Omega-3 fats are essential fats your body needs for brain development that may also help limit your risk for heart disease. Good sources include flaxseeds, walnuts, salmon, herring, tuna, mackerel, sardines and other fatty fish. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends getting at least 500 milligrams per day of EPA and DHA, the main omega-3 fats found in seafood.
Getting plenty of omega-3 fats in your diet may help increase your feelings of fullness, making it easier to lose weight and keep it off, according to a study published in Appetite in November 2008. A review article published in Nutrients in 2010 noted that omega-3 fats may help with weight loss by reducing appetite and increasing fat burning, especially when combined with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise.
Omega-6 fats are essential as well, but most people get more of these than they need in their diets. A high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, such as that found in the typical American diet, may increase inflammation and your risk of cancer, heart disease and arthritis. If you’re trying to lose weight, it may be best to limit your omega-6 consumption, which can cause you to retain water. Aim for a 3-1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, recommends Unity Health System. These fats should make up between 5 and 10 percent of your total calories for the day. Some of the main sources of omega-6 fats include soybean oil, safflower oil and corn oil.”
Consumption of Omega 3 + 6 will actually help you to lose fat!
Potent Multi Vitamin [as directed on container]
When the body is under strain due to serious training and dieting, then you need larger amounts of trace minerals/vitamins to ensure that the body stays healthy. Some doctors lately actually support the notion that one does not need a multi-vitamin at all. However, I oppose this notion, especially when it comes to a body under strain. Potent type multivitamins contains higher dosages of all vit/min combinations than those used by non-active people. Just a note here: Never use anti-oxidants or Multi Vit in near to the time you train. It has been shown by recent science studies that this limits your body’s ability to lose fat. Use it as far removed from your training session. Good examples: Optimen, Optiwomen, Animal Pak, Nano Pack by Nuskin, etc…
Now, about supplements that can make a real difference in the bodybuilding/fat-loss environment:
BCAA – branched chained amino acids [use as directed on container – buy shake and not pill form]
BCAA shake while training has been proven scientifically to “force” your body’s energy requirements to come from the fat reserves and not the muscles. You NEVER want energy to come from the muscles, when that happens, you enter a catabolic state = smaller muscles! BCAA goes a long way to help stop this process and encourage energy to come from fat reserves. It is a critical component when you train heavy and intense and is best use while training in shake form.
L-Glutamine [5g before and 5g after training]
L-Glutamine has been proven through various science studies to be a miracle bodybuilding supplement.
Glutamine has been linked to protein synthesis. It prevents your muscle from being catabolic (eaten up) in order to provide Glutamine for other cells in the body.
Glutamine helps maintain cell volume and hydration, speeding up wound and burn healing and recovery.
Glutamine benefits you by replenishing declining Glutamine levels during intense workouts.
Research has shown Glutamine can help you produce growth hormone levels. A study has shown 2 grams of L-Glutamine increased growth hormones by over 400%.
Glutamine may serve to boost your immune system. For bodybuilders, this is important since heavy workouts tend to greatly deplete Glutamine levels. (Glutamine is a primary energy source for your immune system.)
Glutamine is one of the most important nutrients for your intestines. It has the ability to ‘repair a leaky gut’ by maintaining the structural integrity of the bowels.
Bet you didn’t know this: It can even cure ulcers! Studies have found that 1.6 grams of Glutamine a day had a 92% cure rate in 4 weeks.
Researchers are suggesting that Glutamine is the most important amino acid to the bodybuilder. It provides a component in muscle metabolism and cellular support not shared by any other single amino acid, making the benefits of L-Glutamine supplementation a realistic venture.
Glutamine has also various benefits for hiv+ people.
Whey protein [40g immediately after training]
Immediately after training you need to spike the insulin. This is to create a potent environment for growth. Insulin is the most powerful muscle-building hormone in the body. To do this, one consume 40g of whey protein (without added carbs or fats) and eat a banana or apple. This is a key aspect for anyone serious about building muscle and loosing fat. This will also feed the muscles very much-needed nutrients.
Creatine – optional [use as directed on container and pre load if necessary]
Creatine will work for some and for some not. For those that it does work, it can be the most potent muscle-building supplement this side of anabolic steroids. So it might be worthwhile to test out. Just be carefull, creatine places strain on kidneys and only use if you have healthy kidneys. Creatine must always be use together with grape juice or Vitargo for best absorption.
Ok, now you have some guidance about what to choose between all these 1000’s of supplements.
But just some food for thought about your plans to transform that body this year…
Everyone experience failure along the adventure of transforming their body, but those that get to the goal post are those that got up EVERY time after they failed on diet or training for a day or a week and kept going…THAT is the single biggest and most important ingredient for EVERYONE who reach the goal post of a “wow” transformation. Like a well-known slogan says: “JUST DO IT.” Don’t think about it…DO IT! The more you think about it, the more reasons you will find not too. Because it is an effort. It is not easy and it will take a lot of sweat and pain. But the adventure is incredible and will change your life forever. The return on your investment will be unbelievable! Reach for the stars, nothing less…
But to make it worthwhile, change everything…inside and out. become the best person you can be, with integrity, kindness and compassion, otherwise it is a hollow aim that will let you just become a more well-known jerk instead of a guy people look up to and admire for more than just their body. A role model that can change the world!
Here are 3 incredible transformation photos – look at them and burn them in your mind…GET TO THAT GOAL POST!
It can be done…but YOU will have to do it and MAKE IT HAPPEN.
For those that want complete customised transformation systems and diets to get you to the goal post, follow this link for some of the most comprehensive systems in the business: https://gertlouw.com/contact-me/
And lastly, here is my transformation pic (age 50 on the right):
Make 2016 the year you become the best you can be…from the inside and outside!
How to spike your insulin naturally to ignite growth and shed fat…this will tell you how.
The whole idea of immediate after training nutrition is three-fold:
To flood your system with muscle-building amino acids.
To create environment for repair, healing and recovery.
To get your insulin levels spiked to ignite growth and speed up fat-loss.
Let’s look at each point individually.
FLOODING THE SYSTEM WITH MUSCLE BUILDING AMINO ACIDS.
After training your body needs protein (amino acids) to feed the muscles and help with the growth/healing process. The key here is NO FAT. If you take in even the least amount of fat it will slow down the process of replenishing the body to such a degree that the feeding after training becomes near worthless. After training your body requires amino acids that are quickly absorbed. The best way to achieve this is to take a couple scoops of whey protein in water (not milk = fat!). The whey protein got all the required amino acids and will give the body with all the protein it requires to grow/heal. Make sure the brand you are using have no carbs added and that it is only pure whey protein.
CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR REPAIR, HEALING and RECOVERY.
It has been proven in various scientific studies that supplementing with L-Glutamine during and immediately after training adds significantly in providing the environment for recovery. Simply put, you will recover faster when you supplement with L-Glutamine.
TO GET THE INSULIN LEVELS SPIKED.
Insulin is the MOST powerful anabolic hormone in the body. Nothing comes close to it, not even testosterone or HGH. When insulin levels are spiked in the right way, the result is increased muscle growth and increased fat loss. Now how do one get insulin levels spiked after training? Well, Whey protein will already add to this effect but a compounded effect will happen when you consume the RIGHT type of carbs. Low-GI carbs cannot spike the insulin for any type of significant effect. That is the job of High-GI carbs. But don’t think chocolate here! ZERO fat must be in the carb. Plus it is highly advisable to use a natural, healthy high-GI carb with added fibre like a banana or apple to do the job. Vitargo is also a good choice.
This type of spiking is only effective immediately after training. Do not try it outside this window of training.
Summary
So after immediately training you need to consume the following:
L-Glutamine – 5g
Whey protein powder – about 40g
High-GI carb – Banana/apple or Vitargo
It is believed that this is an absolute key aspect of obtaining a “wow” physique and can be seriously beneficial in helping gaining muscle and shredding fat.
Now, we all wish there was this magic pill that would melt the fat away while we sit on the coach drinking our beer…
Reality is, there are a few “dirty” tricks one can apply to melt the fat away. Some of it will work by sitting on the coach and some of them would need a caloric restricted diet and training to work effectively. So either way there is hope for the coach potatoes wishing for a fat melting pill although it is a bit of a “dirty” road!
Dirty trick 2, 3, 4 and 6 will work for the coach potatoes.
Dirty trick 1 and 5 must have a caloric restricted frequent meal plan in place and a training system.
But ALL dirty tricks will work much more effective when they have a caloric restricted frequent meal plan in and a moderate to intense training system in place.
Please note – the fact that I discuss these “dirty” methods, does not mean I approve of any of it. Neither does it mean I am using it or have ever used it in the past!
This article is meant as an informational study into what last alternatives there are legal and otherwise to control weight for those not prepared to put in the effort with a healthy living and lifestyle. Knowledge is power and to suppress it simply because you disagree with what is being said is not a healthy road to enhance your knowledge base and understanding.
Now as you all know, I am not sponsored by any supplement company or brand out there and regularly shoot down overrated/worthless supplements so what I am saying here is unbiased and cutting to the bone.
On the subject of supplement companies, just about ALL the supplements claiming magical fat-loss and other fantastical claims are close to worthless. You will spend a lot of money for something that will make a very, very small difference. You should either just focus on your diet/training/core supplements to reach your goals and if you WANT to spend money on fat loss products then choose something that actually works and steer clear from marketing hype.
Those that think the golden path to fat loss is via cardio, well, in a caloric restricted environment the body very easily go into a catabolic state when doing cardio and such will burn more muscles away than fat! Even under the best scenarios cardio will ALWAYS limit muscle growth/size. So for those wanting some size, cardio is not a weapon but an enemy. With that said, if size is not at all on your agenda then cardio can be beneficial. But one thing you must understand is that losing muscle will mean less shape to your body, especially without clothes. If you want to look great you must have muscles – that IS what gives your body shape and nothing else.
The reason why I call these tricks “dirty”, is because with every one of these there are certain potential health drawbacks. So anyone considering them needs to educate themselves and apply the necessary wisdom to monitor their health and do it under a medical doctor’s supervision.
So back to the “dirty” tricks, here is the list:
1. Captopril – prescription required
Health risk level: low, Fat Loss ability: meduim
Dan Duchaine first wrote about the fat loss side effects of Capropril ( a cheap blood pressure medication) and brought the notion to the bodybuilding fraternity. The fat loss effects of Captorpril is well documented by medical studies.
The medical studies also show that Captopril had a slight anabolic effect on muscles with no virilization in women
The wonder about Captopril is that it seems to help one to lose fat in areas where one traditionally struggles to lose fat. However Captopril is not a short-term approach. It take months before it starts showing it’s true colors and usage should be longterm for optimal results.
How to take it?
If you suffer from hypotension (low blood pressure) you cannot take it.
25mg before bedtime (Mild diuretic and also makes one slightly sleepy.)
After you established that you are fine with the 25mg, dosages can be increased to 50mg before bedtime.
It is prescription medication so you must get it from your doctor.
A good stack with Capropril is Yohimbe at 10mg per day. It will increase the fat loss effects of Captopril.
2. ECA stack – The ECA stack combines ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin in a predetermined ratio.
Health risk level: medium, Fat Loss ability: medium
It causes your body to target specific fat cells to be burned for energy, all the while raising your overall metabolic rate and suppressing appetite. Each ingredient in an ECA stack works with the next. Ephedrine works as a beta agonist and stimulates production of norepinephrine, as well as circulating it through adipose tissue. The caffeine and aspirin function to inhibit the body’s natural response to halt this cAMP production, thus prolonging the effects. If you want to take an ECA stack, review your medical situation with your health care provider before you begin. (It can raise your heart rate and blood pressure)
How to use ECA?
Consume ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin doses up to three times a day, and no more than four, in equal intervals. Slowly taper the dose upward as your tolerance increases. Begin at one dose each day, and add in the next dose every two to four days until you reach the full amount. Take the first dose immediately upon waking. Take each subsequent dose on an empty stomach, at least four hours after the previous one. Avoid taking too close to bedtime as it may interfere with sleep.
Repeat this process for up to eight weeks. Do not exceed this time without taking a break, as your body will gradually build up a tolerance to the ECA stack, and it will stop to work. To maximize the effects of ECA for both fat loss and energy, it is advised to take one to two days off each week to allow your receptors to recover and avoid adrenal fatigue.
Things You’ll Need
25 mg ephedrine
200 mg caffeine
80 mg aspirin
3. Glucophage – also know as Metformin ER – prescription required (available on black market)
Health risk level: low, Fat Loss ability: low – medium
This is a very interesting medication. It is prescribed for type II diabetics.
Metformin works by promoting AMPK, which acts like an energy sensor in the body. When activated, AMPK does promote greater fat oxidation, but it also blunts muscle protein synthesis. In addition, some studies show that metformin in high doses many interfere with testosteronesynthesis. On the flip side, animals provided with metformin live longer, thought to be due to better glucose control. Also, emerging studies show that metformin provides a significant protective effect against cancer onset, particularly lung and pancreatic cancers.The way it does this is by interfering with the activity of mTOR, which also happens to be a key player in muscle protein synthesis. – Jerry Brainum
Metformin seems to be only truly effective at dosages of about 2000mg per day. Less than that and the fat loss effects dissipate. The problem however is that not many people can stomach dosages above 1000mg a day. Upset stomach, runny tummy and feeling nausea’s.
It also seems to be less effective for fat loss purposes the more healthier the person is. The closer the person is to being diabetic (insulin resistant) the better fat loss effect metformin has.
However all considered it might be beneficial taking metformin simply for it’s amazing anti-cancer properties. This has been proven in a massive study including more than 180 000 people with significant reduced risk for cancer.
How to use Metformin
Start with 250mg tablet morning and evening after meals.
If no side effects increase to 500mg tablets morning and evening after meals.
This can be increased eventually to a max of 2 x 500mg tablets morning and evening after meals.
4. Clenbuterol – prescription required (available on black market)
Health risk level: medium-high, Fat Loss ability: medium
Clenburerol has been around for a long time and many Hollywood actors have used this as a trick to get body fat levels down.
Clenbuterol Hydrochloride is a powerful bronchodilator that is used to treat breathing disorders like asthma. Beyond treating breathing disorders, Clenbuterol is commonly used as a thermogenic. In fact, you will more than likely find more Clenbuterol use in fat loss plans than anywhere else. It is a very common fat burning tool used by many. It is a long-standing favorite among competitive bodybuilders and other physique athletes during contest preparation.
Clenbuterol should not be taken for long durations – it can harden the heart and also increase heart rate rather dramatically which makes it dangerous for anyone taking part in extreme fitness activities. But for short durations it can be a very effective fat burning tool. It is available as prescription in most countries, except the USA.
How to use Clenbuterol?
The preferred method of Clenbuterol is as follows: will last for 4-6 weeks and can be an excellent way to use it for the person who is only using it the last few weeks leading up to competition. The individual will start with 40mcg per day and increase periodically until he reaches the maximum desired or needed dose and will hold at the maximum dose the final 7-14 days of the plan. The increases in dosing will not be as dramatic as the two-week rotation schedule but stronger than the continuous plan. At this stage, if more Clen is still needed, the person will need to wait 4-6 weeks before beginning a new phase. This makes this type of use best for those who only need a short period of metabolic enhancement.
The maximum Clenbuterol dose will normally be 120mcg per day. Some may find 140mcg per day to be acceptable, especially some men, but no one should for any reason surpass the 140mcg per day mark if they are going to avoid cardiac damage. Regardless of the total dosing or plan of use you use, Clenbuterol use should be kept at no more than 16 weeks of total use. 16 weeks of total use per year should be your guide. For the person competing in more than one show per year at different stages of the year, we can make exceptions. However, this person should try to keep the total use as close to a 16 week total every 12 months as possible for safety reasons.
5. Primobolan (Methenolone Acetate) – prescription (available on black market)
Health risk level: low, Fat Loss ability: high (with very low caloric diet)
Although Primobolan (injections) will not in its own result in fat loss, the magic of it lies in the fact that it has an uncanny ability to protect muscle mass under very (!) low daily caloric intakes. So for those wishing to go on an extreme diet, Primobolan can protect the precious muscle mass while you melt the fat away. It is a prescribed drug for hiv+ patients experience severe muscle wasting which usually also occur during long bouts of very low caloric intake due to frequent diarrhea. It protects and even to some degree restore muscle mass under very low daily caloric intakes.
It is considered a banned substance, so be careful athletes!
However it is extremely mild compound with very little side effects.
How to use Primobolan?
The acetate version It must be injected once a day in the glutes – not for the faint hearted! (upper outside corner of the bum). But you want to fat to melt away, then you have to suffer the pain!
Recommended dosages:
MALES – standard male Primobolan doses will fall in the 100-150mg per day range, max 12 weeks.
FEMALES – the standard female Primobolan dosing range will be at 25mg per day, max 6 weeks. [However this is one of such compounds better left to men. Virilization risks are low for women but still a risk.]
Not to be used for longer than 3 months in men. It could have a suppressing effect on your natural testosterone levels and men could experience erection problems.
6. Somatropin/IGF/IGF1 LR3 – prescription (available on black market)
Health risk level: low, Fat Loss ability: high
Ok now we are straight into the territory of banned substances. But of all, nothing really comes close to the fat burning effect of HGH and related variants – IGF and IGF1 LR3.
Somatropin (pure HGH) is so effective in fat burning that it is the only considered medical approach to attempt to treat Lipodystrophy (fat accumulation at certain areas and around the organs) in HIV+ people.
Even as a banned substance HGH is remarkably safe to use. The biggest drawback is that it can increase growth rate of tumors. It does not increase your risk of tumors but if you have cancer growth it can increase the rate of growth dramatically. Apart from that it is actually very safe at recommended dosages.
By supplementing with Somatropin the benefits in-which may be obtained are truly great. Largely the benefits provided by Somatropin include but are not limited to (in order of max to min benefit):
Main benefits
Increased Fat Burning
A Leaner and Tighter Physique
Increase Recovery Time
Muscle, Joint and Bone Repair
Increased Energy
Other “claimed” benefits (no study have clearly proven any of this)
Healthier Skin (only after long periods of use)
Age Reduction (staving off the effects of age – only after long periods of use)
Decreases Stress slightly
Improved Focus & Clarity of Thought
Based on the benefits that are in almost all cases guaranteed to occur the most obvious question is why wouldn’t you supplement with this amazing hormone? When we begin to look at the aspects revolving around side-effects then the question becomes obvious yet again, as side-effects are in almost all cases non-existent when Somatropin is used responsibly.
Somatropin is not only side-effect friendly it is in almost all cases very well-tolerated in both men and women; a claim not too many hormonal compounds can make and a claim no hormonal compound can make to the extent of Somatropin. Nevertheless, there can be negative adverse side-effects; although rare they will be highly dose dependent, meaning, those who take too much will be more susceptible to such affects. Such side-effects may include:
Water Retention
Bone Growth
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Tingling of the Hands & Feet
Unwanted Intestinal growth
While slight water retention is the most common and tingling is very common in performance enhancing level doses, bone growth and carpal tunnel are only concerns when such doses far exceed personal responsibility.
Somatropin and all its variants are VERY expensive. Black market options are drastically cheaper but can be counterfeited, so be carefull and know your brands. In any case this seems to be the playground of the Hollywood stars!
How to use Somatropin
For women a dosing of 1 to 2iu per day is all they need for optimal results. For the average man, 4iu per day will prove to be the perfect dose, providing all the metabolic benefits and muscularity and healing attributes associated with it. Somatropin should be used 1 month on followed by one month off and repeat if necessary. Do not use on a continuous basis since this can increase the risk of unwanted intestinal growth.
Other options
DNP – If you ever hear of DNP – skip that page…you play Russian roulette with your life by using it!
Nolvadex – (and other anti-estrogen drugs) are temporary measures to get water levels down but do not have real fat loss abilities.
Insulin doping – this is downright dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Yes, some bodybuilders reach massive success by performing this successfully but the risks by FAR outweight the potential fatloss and muscle growth benefits…in any case in a sane person’s mind! This is the quickest way in becoming a Diabetic I (insulin dependant for the rest of your life, plus one wrong move calculating the injection protocols and the bodybuilder can be dead within 24 hours)
Thyroid hormones (T3 and other related hormone treatments) – have proven to be mildly effective at best.
Conclusion
Well as you see this article hold true to the ‘dirty” side of fat loss. The next step beyond these “dirty” tricks is an operation removing some of your intestines to limit food absorption. So if you want to stay out of hospital, this approach is probably your last call in getting the fat down in a dirty way!
These may seem extreme but can produce real results unlike all the hundreds of fat loss supplements with all their fantastical claims which are close to worthless and will cost you and arm and leg.
Of course there is a simple solution to all – a balanced caloric controlled diet (based on a frequent meal system) combined with a moderate to serious training regime. We are not created sedentary beings. God made us active beings and the moment we become coach potatoes the fat will (!) come rolling in!
After about 3 weeks use the body reach a saturation point and then the real pain relieving properties kicks in. If you can get past the mind barrier of taking something that is closely drug related then this could have a drastic positive pain relief impact. And believe me it is not so easy getting past this “mind barrier” for us older folks…but it can be done…I took the plunge. The end result for me – less pain and drastic better sleeping at night. Also drastically lower blood pressure. [I take 1 drop morning, 1 drop afternoon and 5 drops before bed]. Cannabis oil (CBD/THD) has some very interesting medical applications. Some of the claims the cannabis groupies make is not backed up at all by science but some actually are, especially with the latest studies. I think this warrant a future article to give some more insight into this new emerging product (emerging…well at least in the medical mainstream community that is!).
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