A rather significant portion of men over 40 is on some form of anti-depressant medication…so let’s discuss in this article what you can do as an over 40 male to avoid this trap which is destroying many lives out there.
Pressure from family, work and life is ever rising in the race to make more and more money. Time is at a premium and the first thing sacrificed is nearly always looking after our bodies. Then add unhealthy eating and the use of alcohol/smoking to the mix and this becomes the perfect recipe for impending disaster waiting to go off like a time-bomb. The first signals we get about impending doom is when depression strikes. This is screaming at you that something is seriously wrong. But what do we do? We grab at pills just to medicate the symptom ignoring the fact that this was a signal screaming at full pitch at us. But our hectic 21 century lives have made us deaf to this voice of our body…we just throw down more and more pills to numb us more and more until the time-bomb eventually explodes and destroys everything in its path creating pain and suffering for all we loved and cared about. Sounds melodramatic? Maybe, but the sad part is that this is very true!
I’ve come very close to this point in my life. I’ve learned how to avoid it and thought I would share with you my approach on how to handle depression when you are an older guy.
They key to good mental health for the over 40 guy, starts with a fit body. This is the biggest single contributor to good mental health. We were not created to be sedentary beings and inactivity brings about a lack of all the hormones we require for a healthy mind. These feel-good and uplifting hormones are only released through physical activity and some only through intense physical activity. This can make us feel on top of this world! Without these hormones depression is a given. But the problem is that, when we are in that dark place of depression, the hardest thing is to gather the motivation to get ourselves to the gym. So, what do I do? This is something I have addressed in various of my videos. For me getting to gym and working out is elevated to the same priority as getting to work in the morning. If I do not have a sick certificate I get to work and I GET TO GYM. You do not have an option to not go to work if you’re depressed or not feeling like it! The exact (!) same apply to my gym. It is not a matter off whether I feel like it or whether I am down or not in the mood or not motivated! I just get in the car, drive to gym, put on my workout clothes and my headphones, select my Spotify playlist “GERTFITNESS WORKOUT #1” and start doing my first set. And then the next set and the next. And man, many times I have found that, that was one of my best workouts. And I ALWAYS walk out there positive and feeling great because I have done what I need to do to get my brain filled with the much needed hormones to lift my mood and give me a positive frame of mind. Off course I could have stayed at home feeling sorry for myself because of my depressive state but now I feel positive and uplifted. Nothing comes close to lifting your frame of mind to a positive state like a good intense workout. The key to it all is to elevate your training’s priority setting to the same as that of your job’s priority. It is NOT an option to bail out unless you have a sick certificate.
Note here: Inspiring tunes can make an incredible difference to help you endure an intense workout when you struggling with a depressive frame of mind. Do not underestimate the power of music. I have created my Spotify playlist specifically for this purpose. (You can find it on Spotify by just searching “GertFITNESS WORKOUT #1”. I have made it a collaborative playlist so if there is a rocking tune you think should belong in this playlist please feel free to add it!)
Now just to remind you, I have reason more than most to be depressed. Nearly died at 40 and given a bad prognosis for my future health. Then at 46 I nearly lost my business. And at 53 an even closer call with death with near complete liver failure as result of drinking dirty water, keeping me for long in hospital and out of gym for a full 12 months seeing all my hard work on my body of the past 13 years going to waste and pretty much had to start over at age 54. This is much reason to be depressed…believe me. But having a system in place where the priority I allocate to gym is non-negotiable and not depending on mood or frame of mind or whether I feel like it, means I get to gym for a great workout and every-time the resultant feel-good hormonal release prevents me from slipping into a depressive state. If it was not for this non-negotiable gym rule I would have been in a serious depressive state.
You don’t “need” motivation. You simply need to put in place this non-negotiable workout rule and elevate working out to the same priority level as rocking up for your job. EXACTLY THE SAME. You only miss your workout if you miss your job that day!
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Then off course there are other smaller things I put in place to keep the darkness of depression from engulfing me.
Let me give you a quick rundown:
The first thing any guy suffering from depression should do is to get his blood testosterone levels checked by a Urologist. You must ensure that your levels are healthy. If not you MUST go on TRT therapy. Low test levels in males WILL result in severe depressive states and many other health risks. TRT therapy plays a definite role in a positive mindset in a man.
Alcohol is glue for depression! Thinking you need an unwinding glass of wine after a hectic day is only a good idea if you are faaaaar from a depressive state. Otherwise it will have the opposite effect and pull you much quicker into depression. Plus, that glass of alcohol will most certainly mean you will miss your workout session as well. Plus, the alcohol is not doing you any good with your body fat levels meaning more negative thought patterns because you are missing your goal with loosing body fat. Thus if red lights are flickering because of a lingering depression, steer CLEAR from alcohol. Any overuse of any stimulant (including caffeine), should be avoided because that will result in a “valley” mood (after the peak) which will elevate a depressive state.
You cannot expect your brain chemicals to be healthy when feeding your body junk! Your 2nd line of action after getting yourself regularly to gym is sorting out your diet. Lots of fresh veggies, fresh fruit, moderate carbs and fat free protein with some good oils (virgin olive, coconut, peanut butter, etc…) and no carbonated drinks! A good sample diet to start is here: https://gertlouw.com/2017/09/08/free-cutting-building-diets-for-a-ripped-muscled-physique/
Serious emotional issues are your worst enemy in your fight against depression. I know life is not easy. Divorce, death of a loved one, serious sickness, retrenchment, financial trouble, all is very real and all can destroys lives. But all of this can also bring out the best in you. It can let you rise up and become a hero and role model that many people can look up to and not just transform your life but even those around you. Or it can mean you become just another statistic of a person absorbed by severe depression. It is all in how you decide to handle what you are facing. This is your time now, to rise up and become that person you have dreamed off, to be the best version of you ever, to be the hero and role model everyone is looking at for inspiration. No, it is not easy. Nothing worth in life is EVER easy…but it is always a 1000 times over worth it.
Off course I use some basic supplements for a healthy and positive mind. They are:
Vitamin B12 injection once a month for optimal nerve system functioning (read this link on a vitamin B12 study regarding its use as an anti-depressant): American Journal of Psychiatry)
5-HTP – natural option for upping serotonin levels.
Vitamin D –a deficiency in vitamin D will feel very much like depression.
Last but not least…and I know many will shrug this off. But, I find my greatest comfort in my faith following Jesus Christ. If there ever was someone that walked this earth that was the epitome for living the great adventure of life positively, being kind and caring and depression free, then it was the example Jesus Christ showed us. So, you might think this is opium for the masses stuff…but boy what opium it is! This alone has the ability to transform many aspects of your life and keep you depression free with a lust for life. Ask me…I know!
So guys, whatever you are facing, there are always choices we can make on how we going to deal with this. In each of us there is greatness, that is the way God created us. This is your time to look into yourself and unlock that greatness. Depression is just an alarm bell…listen to the alarm clock and change what needs to be changed.
The number one reason why guys over 40 fail in their goals for shaping the body is simply because of excessive joint and tendons problems or pain. It becomes so bad that well, we either severely tone down our training or we stop all together. And there goes our dreams…
So, I’ve been faced with this dilemma as well…but man, I am NOT taking this lying down. I am a fighter that had to face death square in the eyes twice already. But I refuse to give up or go lie down and feel sorry for myself. I got up, faced life squarely in the eyes and then use my brain and wisdom to do research till my fingers were numb from typing. Through the wonder of internet I can trace the latest results-producing scientific research. Many of which is still in the final stages of approval with the FDA, which means it cannot yet be prescribed to you by your doctor. But the wonder is that most of these “grey” cutting edge products are easily available out there and not classified in the category of steroids which means it is fully legal at this stage.
But why would anyone want to put something into their body that is not yet FDA approved? Let me put it to you like this. Taking risks brings rewards. When no risks are taken then no rewards are to be had. You have to decide on the data at your disposal…are you prepared to take the risk to reach your goal or not and is it an acceptable risk? For me it is an easy answer with acceptable risks because I am NOT stopping my training. Although there are many products I believe ARE too dangerous, the one’s in this discussion are life changing for the over 40 guy and will allow him to reach his training goals and keeping his body, joints and tendons in optimal health. So for me…it is a go! If you have any concerns…best to always talk to your doctor.
Ok, now that that is behind us let’s move on to the wonder approach.
Attack Tier ONE
Ever heard of dry needling? It is a fairly new development that has only truly gained ground in the last 5 years or so. Sure it can be very painful, but it produce incredible fast results that can transform you tendons, tennis or golfers elbow problems plus allow you to lift drastically heavier due to muscles functioning better.
Let me explain…As we keep training harder and more intense, the muscles naturally start getting spasms and knots. These knots when left untreated over periods can develop in a “stringy” type knot which is so tight, that the fibres literally push out the blood of the muscle. This means you cannot use that part of the muscle for contraction anymore. The more and more you get these type of knots (and believe me we all get it as time progress) the effected muscle become more and more painful and less operational. Because the muscle is not functioning correctly it will now exert too much tension on the tendon or joint and as a result you will start to develop tendonitis or joint problems and tennis/golfers elbow. Left untreated these stringy knots will completely derail your training and eventually render the muscle out of action. Old school solution was applying extreme pressure on such muscles via specific massage methods, but these proved to be rather unsuccessful. Luckily science have evolved and a MUCH more effective solution has surfaced. It is called dry needling. A process of literally sticking in needles of 3-5cm length into the muscle affected multiple times to stimulate bloodflow again by irritating or “damaging” the muscle slightly. It is all about the bloodflow, when that is restored the muscle relax and heal itself naturally and quickly. This means that a partially operational muscle can be restored to full operation rather quickly. And a fully operational muscle means NO PAIN and no pressure on tendons and joints. Magic hey! …and the best is it WORKS. I’ve been for multiple sessions and can personally vouch for this. Dry needling is done by a Physiotherapist, but I recommend get one who works regulary with athletes.
For the active athlete a visit to the Physiotherapist should be minimum every 3 months even if you feel healthy.
However this goes hand in hand with specific stretches which must be performed on problematic target muscles EVERY DAY! Ask your Physio about these stretches.
Attack Tier TWO
Now that we have covered the physical side of things we move on to other magic things we can do to prevent or limit any muscle, tendon or joint problems.
That “magic” pill is a peptide. More precise it is BPC 157 (Pentadecapeptide (PL 14736))
BPC-157 stands for Body Protection Compound, which reflects its healing process benefits that are getting so much attention. The “157” is a nod to the fact that the compound is a peptide chain built of 15 amino acids.
While amino acids are natural, the particular sequence of BPC 157 is not, which is why you’ll often hear it referred to as a synthetic supplement. Don’t let this scare you off though as the benefits of this compound are potentially incredible. Why “potentially”? Well test results on rats were incredibly impressive to say the least, but to date no human studies have been completed. So we are still waiting for the final verdict. But simply on the basis of the overwhelming positive rats testing results this is a compound worth considering, at least until we are told differently. Feedback from users (me included) is that this compound hold GREAT promise.
Although it is available as an oral it is highly recommended that one go the injection route (similar to insulin type injections) which result in far greater absorption.
Among many other things BPC 157 will repair torn muscle, tendons and joints and also act as anti-inflammatory.
But although BPC 157 is the nuclear bomb, the basis still needs to be covered. This means you must take
Omega 3 and 6,
Glucosamine Sulphate
MSM
Now obviously you want to know more about this BPC 157, so here goes:
BPC 157 was first discovered in the gastric juices inside the human stomach that promote the breakdown of food, liquids, and supplements. In particular, one protein was isolated from these stomach acids in its unique 15-amino acid chain. Available as both an oral and an injection-based supplement (similar to insulin injections), BPC 157 via injection is far more popular and effective.
No prescription is required and it is completely legal. Not a single side effect was reported in any of the studies. It is easy available online from various suppliers. You will not find it through your doctor or local pharmacy. If you from South Africa just email me and I can give you the local supplier online details (gertlouwljc@hotmail.com)
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Recommended BCP 157 dosages:
100-pound person: 75 micrograms (μg)
150 lb. person: 110 μg
200 lb. person: 145 μg
250 lb. person: 180 μg
300 lb. person: 215 μg
There are reports of users supplementing with up to 700 μg per day, split between two or three doses.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PBC 157
1.Repairs The Brain
BPC-157 can help induce healing of the brain and nerves after atraumatic brain injury.
BPC-157 repairs the brain after a hemorrhagic stroke and can reduce swelling.
BPC-157 can protect the brain against hypoglycemic seizures (induced by insulin overdose).
2.Protects Against Drug-Induced Damage
BPC-157 can protect the gut, the brain, and liver against damage induced from from NSAIDs.
BPC-157 can prevent aspirin-prolonged bleeding and thrombocytopenia as well as may prevent and rescue adjuvant arthritis.
It can protect the gut from ulceration from chemotherapy drugs.
Cuprizone-induced demyelination is an accepted way to study multiple sclerosis in animal models.
BPC-157 can counteract the demylenation of cuprizone.
3.Restores The Serotogenic Transport System
BPC-157 works on the serotogenic system.
BPC-157 significantly reduces the rate of serotonin synthesis in the:
Dorsal thalamus
Hippocampus
Hypothalamus
Lateral geniculate body
BPC-157 increases serotonin synthesis in the nigrostriatal regions:
Accumbens nucleus
Lateral caudate
Substantia nigra
Superior olive
BPC-157 may improve depression and anxiety by its action on serotonin, similar to that of antidepressant drugs (such as imipramine or nialamide).
For example, in chronically stress rats BPC-157 could improve their mobility.
It can also protect the brain against serotonin toxicity as seen in serotonin syndrome via inhibition of 5-HT2A receptor binding.
4.Protects Dopaminergic System
BPC-157 also works on the dopaminergic system (increasing release of dopamine in nigrostriatal regions).
It can protect dopamine neurons from toxin-induced damage in models of Parkinson’s Disease (PD).
It may also protect against dopamine depletion (from stimulant use).
For example, BPC157 can reduce repetitive OCD symptoms from amphetamine usage.
It can also prevent haloperidol-induced supersensitivity from amphetamine usage.
5.Enhances The GABAergic System
BPC-157 acts in favor of natural homeostasis of the GABA receptors as well as enhancing the GABAergic transmission.
It can help with anxiety by enhancing GABA neurotransmission.
It can also help with withdrawals and tolerance from GABA-based drugs, such as diazepam, making them more effective.
It also antagonizes alcohols effects, including acute and chronic intoxication.
6.Reverses Opioid Tolerance
BPC-157 inhibits action on the opioid system.
For example, it can counteract the effects of naloxone and thiopental-induced anaesthesia.
BPC 157 may also act as an effective paracetamol antidote even against advanced damaging processes induced by extreme overdoses.
7.Protects The Heart
BPC-157 can protect the vascular system.
It protects cells against toxin induced damage.
It can protect blood vessels from oxidative stress.
It normalizes both high and low blood pressure.
It also promotes formation of new blood via angiogenesis and vasculogenesis.
BPC 157 is can also counteract a prolonged QT interval (time between Q and T) from antipsychotic use.
It can prevent death from high potassium levels (hyperkalemia), and magnesium overdose (hypermagnesemia).
BPC 157 successfully prevents and counteracts bupivacaine cardiotoxicity.
It can also help with arrhythmias from electrolyte imbalances.
8.Accelerates Body Repair
BPC-157 can accelerate healing of wounds.
It improves the rate of healing of:
Burns
Eye (corneal injuries)
Fistulas (colon, vagina)
Intestinal anastomosis
Ligaments
Liver (from chronic alcohol intake or tylenol/acetaminophen)
MuscleR
Nerve Damage
Scar Tissue
Spinal Cord Injury
Tendons
Ulcers (Diabetic Ulcers, esophageal)
One way it does this is by its ability to increase activity of the growth hormone receptor.
It can also increase collagen synthesis.
BPC-157 has also shown to improve walking post-injury.
9.Helps With Allergies And Viruses
BPC-157 may help allergies by preventing anaphylactoid (unrelated to IgE responses) reactions.
BPC-157 has viral activity on:
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Dengue types 1-4
Feline leukemia virus
Hepatitis A
Herpes
Influenza A and ARBO
LCM virus
Tick borne encephalitis
West Nile fever
10.May Help Irritable Bowel Disease
Similar to cholestryamine, BPC-157 may help with esophageal reflux.
One way it does this is by rescuing sphincter dysfunction.
In rats, higher doses can help with swelling in the gut.
By repairing ulcers, BPC-157 can help with ulcerative colitis.
11.Helps With Ocular Dysfunction
By modulating nitric oxide and cholinergic mechanisms, BPC 157 can counteract atropine-induced mydriasis and L-arginine-induced miosis of the pupil.
12.May Help Oral Cavity
BPC-157’s anti-inflammatory effects may be a useful alternative for periodontitis.
13.May Help With Urinary Incontinence
BPC-157 may help reduce stress-induced urinary incontinence.
Darn! Now, is this all possible? It just sounds waaaay to good to be true? Only time will tell, but above is facts that came from rats studies. Pure science. Whether all or just some of above hold true for humans, no one knows at this stage, but I for one, is a believer simply by the results I am already getting after just a short period of using BPC 157.
But as I’ve put it many times…there are NO magic pill out there. Sure this might help greatly and might be close to a magic pill, we as older individuals need to apply wisdom to our training methods to always lesson joint and tendon problems.
With all this info now at your disposal, age becomes just another number. You can feel young, energetic and muscles, joints and tendons are now being able to fullfill their intended function without holding you back with pain and injury. Wow man, what a bonus!
So, what do I do to LIMIT the “damage” to the fit looking body during a holiday break for cross-continent adventures?
First, the breaks I preach here should never be done more than twice a year…perfect time would be when you take a break between the phases (building/cutting).
And never longer than 14 days at a time (absolute max, preferably only 7 days if you want to limit “damage”).
This is definitely not applicable to competing athletes. For them such breaks would be way to long and inflicting waaaay to much damage.
So, I am talking here to guys that do a fitness lifestyle simply for the benefit of looking great and being healthy…aka “me”.
So, for guys like us, a break is exactly what it says…a break. This means no weightlifting or intense training. Remember…that body is not young anymore and you have been punishing the tendons and joints during the previous months. For us older folks this is time to recover, strengthen and get a new lust for life.
But this does NOT mean lying with your feet in the water the whole day. This means you must keep up activity – lots of walking, diving, snorkeling, volleyball, tennis, golf and the likes. Keep activity levels high during break periods. This is critical to help keeping tendons supple and help speed up joint repair.
Not what about the eating/drinking habits during such a break?
Well, for that break period I am going to tell you to put the lid on the diet book…but don’t lock it away!
The few rules you must apply:
No more than 2 glasses wine or two beers per day!
No soft drinks containing sugar.
Try and cut out carbs as best as you can (bread, rice, pasta).
Eating no more than 3 times a day.
NEVER EVER stuff yourself at a meal.
BUT (!) if you want to treat yourself to something (talking here about a dessert or something similar)…do it! Once every day is max!.
This is meant to be a break that helps the body heal and to give you vigor and lust for life again. Thus a few rules must be broken. You don’t have (!) too, but believe me having a balance in the whole fitness/living life approach would bring many dividends and allow you to keep climbing the transformation ladder for life rather than being too focussed and falling down and having te restart from scratch over and over. Doing something balanced means you will stand a much better change of reaching eventual success and beyond. For all your hard work the previous months/years…this is the price. So, you are meant to enjoy it!
Now off course there will be damage to the body. You will NOT come back looking better than when you left…although this might actually happen if you had a very strict cutting phase and this break happened directly after you ended with the cutting and do not go away for more than 7 days…then you might actually look better than before you went! But believe me that does NOT happen often. So, accept that there will be damage. But so, what! You know the recipe to success. You have done it and when back you will pick up rope and start climbing to the next level of success again – this time with more vigor and lust for life than ever. Never work so hard that you forget to LIVE!
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So, this was my break…yip just a tad too long according to the rule but mind you I paid the penalty! But what a break and what new lust for life I have. Every moment worth it and now fully back at gym and training harder than ever!
Here a rundown of my break…Phuket, Phi Phi islands and Dubai.
So, what I was looking forward to the most
Thai curries
Exotic scenery
Dubai architecture
Exotic cars abundance Dubai
My dream watch
Let’s see if the trip made the grade.
First you need to realize being from South Africa mean that you will be limited by the weak Rand. Thus, unless you are very, very rich some of the experiences would just not be possible to do. So, I know there might be MUCH more, but this is what we chose.
Of course, I am also limited due to family obligations. Adventurous wife and 12 y/o son.
The flight was good albeit long! We flew Emirates. Love the headrests, entertainment systems and the food were good. Tried to upgrade our tickets to business class just for one flight but the upgrade price was that of a good 2ndhand motor vehicle. Just simply crazy. So, we made due with good old economy class. 15 hours flight total from Cape Town to Thailand with connecting flight at Dubai.
It is winter in Cape Town and we know we going to suffer with the warm weather at our destinations.
Arriving in Phuket…people, people and people. A total culture shock. South Africa is open spaces. In Phuket…crazy! Immediately off to our hotel to get book in. Centara Karon, 4 star hotel. Neat and clean and functional but not impressive. Food and service good though. Just be prepared, few people in Thailand understand English even in the touristy regions…you are going to struggle!
First night we immediately venture into the streets. Directly from the hotel all the small side streets are buzzing with bars, restaurants, massage parlors and clothing and craft type stores. They have secret rooms in some shops where they sell all the biggest brand name clothing illegally (I think, why would they be hidden?) and for very cheap. But even in many of the normal clothing stores you can find great clothing for very cheap. I made use of every opportunity to get as many Thai curries as possible. It really, really is good. Obviously some better than other…I had about 2 that blew me away!
Just don’t think you going to get a glass of wine anywhere…it is only for the very rich. Wine is crazy expensive in Thailand. But their local beer is abound and not to bad either – CHANG. Pity I am not a beer drinker. Had a few though, especially in the middle of the days when it was crazy hot! Just be careful of the scams. We lost a 1000 baht in one scam. Do not use just any money machine to pull cash from your credit card – choose safe ones in up class shops. Some of them has been altered to just deduct the money from your account but not to give out any money. The money lid has actually been welded shut. So, using one of them you will lose all the money you pull. Alas, lesson quickly learned!
Wife and son did the Thai massage…very popular. They like it although wife said they hurt her. I refused to let a Thai girl touch me. I am waaay to private. Me and wife did the fish foot massage where you put your feet into a fish tank and small fish nibble your feet clean. Wonder how many dirty feet was in that tank!
We did 2 excursions in Phuket. One was too FANTASIA and the other John Gray sea adventures.
First Fantasia – hmmm, well-advertised and I believe the local and Eastern people enjoy it. We did not. Too many people and well, not up the standard we are used to with shows. It consists of a fairly large theme park (games, shopping, elephant rides), buffet dinner and huge theater show with seats on top of each other! These people leave no space for nothing! Darn I lost my “Jesus Culture” sweatshirt there! Anyway…it was an experience and that was what we came for…I will just not recommend the show for westerners.
Then the John Gray sea adventures. Now guys and girls this was simply outstanding and REALLY worth the money. You go on a fairly big and stable boat for about a 2-hour ride in the direction of the magnitude of small islands around the south of Phuket. Then you climb into inflatable canoes (max 2 people). But you just relax and take photos, you have a 3rdperson doing the paddling and everything. You enter a few different small islands via the canoe through caves. Some of the caves are so tight that I had to lie down in the boat and even then, my nose still scratches the roof off the cave. They had to deflate my wife’s canoe a little because her boobs were too big to pass into the cave…she made it after they deflated a bit. These caves lead to incredible still water bodies in the middle of the small islands…totally secluded, beautiful and very interesting.
Some of the caves are filled with bats and some has a specific plankton organism in the dark waters that lights up as the canoe move through them or if you stir the water…yes, it is as incredible as it sounds. You are welcome to swim in the ocean around the boat. A good seafood meal is served on boat…would have loved it if it was served on land at one of the small islands. But this trip, although not cheap, comes highly recommended. This is a must to when in Phuket.
Our last day in Thailand we visited one of the big markets. Wow guys and girls…this another MUST do. Apart from many amazing cheap stuff (especially clothing) that you can buy, the food section of the market is simply crazy! Was a bit too scared to eat just anything there…think we ended up eating just coconut pancakes, which was VERY good. I was very sick in 2017 and nearly died when drinking dirty water…much more careful now.
Ok so off to Phi-Phi islands.
Took one of their standard charter tourist boats. While on boat we heard the previous day one of these boats turned over in rough seas and more than 20 tourists died because they could not get out of the boat. Then I realized what they mean…the inside of the boat is a deathtrap…no windows that open just seats upon seats…we immediately upgraded to First Class where there is at least one window that open. I sat next to it – lol! The ride was not pleasant. The sea was rough! But we had some great views along the way with some good photo opportunities.
Off course we were in Thailand in the middle of monsoon season…so we had some bad weather moments and a lot of rain! At Phi-Phi islands we stayed at the ZEVEOLA resort. This time a 5-star resort. Hmmm…the 5-star was evident in all the prices. Anything you want to do or eat or drink, dude that is going to cost you money. The resort was nice though. Old school traditional Thai cottages in between a tropical forest on a beautiful warm water island. Cannot ask for much more. But dude…the mosquitos! They chowed me and son…like crazy. Son had to even get antibiotics. The mosquitoes are foreign to us and each bite resulted in a bad infection. There is one that bites during day and a different one biting during night. Even on the mainland in Phuket this started to be a problem. Any we came prepared…DEET and everything we could use to deter mosquitos. It is just as if nothing worked! The mosquito part of Thailand and Phi-Phi islands I did NOT enjoy. Anyway, at the resort we did some snorkeling…not the best but we saw some nice fish. Little bit of swimming also. The food was good but expensive compared to Phuket. Had some good breakfasts though!
Again, wine is crazy, crazy expensive. One wine they had on their list is about $3 US in South Africa and at Zaevola resort it cost more than $100 US. Just for the rich. Luckily me and wife brought 4 bottles wine in our suitcases, so we saved some money with that. Even the corkage for you own wine was about $20 US. One of the nicest experiences at Zaevela was sitting at the bar drinking a beer with your feet in the sand and the waves next to you.
The off we went to Dubai. The boat ride from Phi-Phi islands was BAD. Rough (!) seas had a few people throwing up! I took a pill to prevent seasick but even with that it was challenging. Again, making sure I was sitting at the First-Class section next to the window. You can upgrade in the boat to first class. It cost and extra 300 Baht per person…acceptable amount for your safety and a bit more luxury.
Again, flying Emirates from Phuket to Dubai.
It was HOT in Thailand but man o man…it was crazy HOT in Dubai!
Nobody there is on the street…. everyone is either in an aircon Toyota or building. Yes Toyota! I was so disappointed. I was expecting Bugatti’s, Ferrari’s, Lambo’s and Bentley’s and brother everywhere and I mean everywhere it was just Toyota, Toyota and more Toyota’s I think I saw one Porsche and that was it. Man, even in Cape Town we have waaaaay more exotic cars. So, this was a BIG downer for me. I spoke to some locals and they said we should have visited a certain street in Dubai where all the vehicles were. But I was in main city center quite a few times and for me that is where you should see them. Anyway, Cape Town with the car scene beats Dubai hands down!
But I must admit, I was in awe of the architecture. Even our 4-star hotel, Grand Excelsior was an impressive building. But driving down main road city center was simply incredible. Hard to believe this is planet earth – lol! We did 3 excursions in Dubai. Visit Dubai Mall, went up the Burj Khalifa and went on the dune bashing experience. All 3 worth it with the dune bashing one the most adventure filled. Dubai Mall will take you 3 days to walk through. Immense place with many awe filled aspects. In the middle a HUGE aquarium with exotic sea creatures. And I am talking huge here. Not a cheap place though. Food is off the scale expensive, well for a South African. About 5 times the prices we pay in South Africa. We had to live on eggs and soup when eating out! We simply did not have that kind of spending money for food. Again, wine is even more expensive in Dubai than in Thailand. I really enjoyed the awe of the Dubai Mall although spending was severely limited. Electronics (and probably jewelry) is slightly cheaper than in South Africa but that’s about it. Admittingly my son got a S9+ cellphone for half the price he would have paid for in South Africa…so not too shabby. I bought myself my dream watch. The Casio MT-G. Just love the look and ruggedness…so me – lol!
The fruit in both Thailand and Dubai was pretty tasteless. We were happy to see South Africa fruit being put on display in both countries because I absolutely agree, our fruit taste amazing in comparison.
Outside the Dubai Mall next to the burj Khalifa is a huge man-made lake which is used for a water show on the half hour to the theme song of the movie Skyfall. Now man-o-man this was the absolute highlight of Dubai…I think this water show was incredible. Done very artistically and the music fits perfectly over massive high-end audio system. The climax is done with water cannons that spouts easily 15 stories’ high into the air. When they activate it slams you in the chest with pure power. This is a must-see.
The Burj Khalifa just another huge building…but really, really tall. Think now the 2ndtallest in the world? Anyway, you pay to go up to the 125thfloor and look through glass windows. Worthwhile.
The dune bashing trip was a bit more adventure.
First you MUST drink seasick pill. Many, many people threw up due to the aggressive dune driving. We got stuck 3 times…our driver was less experienced. And it is not fun when you have to get out of the aircon car into 42 degrees Celsius on desert sand you cannot touch so hot it is!
In the middle of the desert we were given some sandboarding opportunity. Some tried sand surfing, but I was not in the mood to fall face down into 42 degrees Celsius sand! So, I choose the sandboarding option. Fun getting down the dune…not so much fun getting up!
Back into the car and off to a Bedouin camp. Not a real one you can see it is created purely for tourists. But still a nice experience. There we went camel riding (damn miss my Subaru – this thing is uncomfortable!), wife had some Henna done. She asked for a cross on her wrist…they had no idea what she was talking about until one of them snap and said, “O u mean Christian cross?” – lol!
We were dressed up in traditional clothing…think I make a good Sheik! I chose wife to be my first wife in my harem! Darn but these clothing is hot. But then again, I do not think they were a 2ndset of clothing underneath.
We were served some average food at the camp and treated to some belly dancing and strangely enough a guy dancing as well?
When that excursion was over we were relieved…it was the hottest day we experienced in our lives and think we sweat quite a couple of liters of water!
Nice but never again…but was it worth it…yes.
Well then, our trip ended…and back to good old Cape Town. You know after we landed and drove back to Table view and saw the amazing view, sunset and open spaces I realized that we are so blessed. This is one amazing place to live in. Un equaled beauty coupled with the African open spaces and friendly people…living in paradise. Only problem being the violance by the wrong elements in society that is a disturbing trend in South Africa and the reason many have left…
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So guys and girls, take that break and live life and well, then climb a step higher to the next level of your transformation.
The search for optimal blood testosterone levels becomes a major issue for guys over 40 who are on a quest for a WOW physique. Without optimal blood testosterone levels this quest is simply impossible. Low blood testosterone levels will mean fat gain, muscle loss, low libido, impotency, low sperm count, low energy, depressive states (sometimes severe) and potential heart problems just to name a few of the typical symptoms guys with low testosterone levels have to deal with.
Having optimal testosterone levels will simply provide a much better quality life for any over 40 guy. It is a no brainer. And it will put a muscled body in your reach if you are prepared to do the hard work. With optimal testosterone levels the body now has the ability to grow muscle and lose fat. Still not like when you were 20, but it will at the very least make it possible with hard work, well, sometimes very hard work.
The internet has a magnitude of products claiming to increase male testosterone levels.
But in then end only a small group makes the grade. ONLY the supplements that followed the rules of independent science studies that have proved the product to work against controlled groups form part of this group. All the other product claims are hogwash with empty marketing claims that is NOT supported by science.
So first, let’s look at the one’s that completely failed the science test:
Tribulus Terrestris (science studies show it has zero effect on raising blood testosterone levels but it does have an effect in increasing libido).
Fenugreek extract (science studies shown it resulted in zero increase in blood testosterone or other hormone levels. However as with Tribulus it has shown to increase libido rather effectively).
Aspartic Acid (or aspartate – Although DAA supplementation has been found to sometimesresult in a small increase in testosterone levels in healthy males, this increase seems to only last for about one week before it drops back down to baseline levels. Moreover, research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that a dose of 6 grams of DAA per day resulted in a decrease in the levels of free and total testosterone in healthy resistance-trained males.)
My ADVANCED SYSTEM II body transformation system is available customised for your body and goals. You can signup here: ADVANCED SYSTEM II
The ONLY ones making the grade and is proven by science studies to moderately increase blood testosterone levels in males are:
Magnesium and Zinc (also called ZMA which combines Magnesium and Zinc supplementation – a supplement for men which is usually taken before bedtime).The main proof was provided by a study published in the journal of Biological Trace Element Researchwhich found that 4 weeks of supplementation with 10 mg magnesium per kg of body weight increased both free and total testosterone in sedentary subjects as well as in athletes. Zinc deficiencies, which are relatively common in athletes and those who sweat a lot, can result in a decrease in testosterone levels, so supplementation with zinc can raise testosterone to normal levels. Two studies published in the journal of Neuro Endocrinology Letters (one in exercising subjects and one in elite wrestlers) found that zinc supplementation for 4 weeks prevented the decrease in testosterone levels which declined in the placebo group.
Yeah, good old creatine. This is a shock for many. How is it possible? Let me explain: The rise in the body’s creatine stores that happens with creatine supplementation and the subsequent increase in energy for short-term activities are mainly responsible for the significant performance increases that take place. What most people are unaware of is that creatine also seems to result in a small but, relatively, reliable increase in testosterone levels, which may also be partially responsible for the strength and muscle gains experienced with supplementation. For example, in a study published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, resistance trained football players saw a statistically significant increase of 22% in testosterone levels after 10 weeks of supplementation with creatine. The increases in strength and lean body mass were also significantly higher in the creatine vs the placebo group.
Vitamin D. Although here I must note that testosterone was only raised with Vit D supplementation when subjects actually had a vit D deficiancy. That being said, 90% of us have a vit D deficancy in varying degrees. Supplementation with Vitamin D will, consequently, correct a vitamin D deficiency and, possibly, result in an increase in testosterone levels. This was confirmed in a relatively recent study published in the journal of Hormone and Metabolic Research, where it was found that men taking a little over 3000 international units (IU) of vitamin D for one year saw a statistically significant increase in both free and total testosterone.
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Now is this all we can do to increase testosterone levels? No, but this is all you can do on the supplement side. Any other supplement claiming to increase testosterone levels and is not on this list…pass! It is hollow claims unless proven by science.
But there are other non-supplement actions that have also been proven by science to have a rather large positive impact on optimal blood testosterone levels in males. They are:
Regular heavy compound training. I am talking here about intense squats and bench pressing (deadlifts also form part of this bunch). These compounds moves have been proven by science studies to elevate blood testosterone and HGH hormone levels.
Healthy eating patterns – have been proven to have a large impact on blood testosterone levels. Good oils/fats in diet critical for healthy hormonal levels.
Little or no alcohol – alcohol consumption has a direct link to low testosterone levels.
Enough sleep – too little sleep will negatively affect blood testosterone levels.
Levels of stress – regular intense stress situations has been proven to lower blood testosterone levels.
Excessive masturbation has been proven by science to lead to low blood testosterone levels.
So there you have all you can do to get a maximum blood testosterone rating!
Off course there are the “not-so-natural” ways as well to increase blood testosterone levels, which range from DHEA to TRT to plain ANABOLIC STEROIDS…but that is a path one must tread lightly or at best avoid completely!
I cannot stress enough the care you must apply reading marketing claims of supplements. If it is not proven by science, no matter how fancy the words and how many (stolen!) photos and lies are provided as “proof”, well, then it is simply hogwash.
Happy training with optimal test levels!
Gert Louw
You are on your road to a WOW body transformation. Everything is controlled, how much you sleep, your training (too the minute) your supps, your diet with previous night prep, you eat, sleep and drink transformation and you are busy making great progress!
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You can see yourself at the goalpost and focus is 100%. Nothing but nothing stands in your way or deter you from keeping your eye on the goalpost.
Well, that is awesome…because this mean you WILL get there.
But, now the big “but”, This ultimate focus has the ability to burn your candle out, completely. Ever heard “too much of a good thing is never good”?
Well this is more true and applicable than you think. The problem is that a body transformation is not a quick process. It usually takes years. To keep this kind of over-drive focus for such a long time is going to take its toll. One morning you will just wake up and be exhausted to the bone, mentally and physically. Then it will dawn on you everything you are busy missing out on…basically missing out on life.
Off course it is great to have focus like that, but a key ingredient to such intense focus is BALANCE, otherwise you WILL burn out. And after that burn-out occur it will be very, very difficult to ever muster that focus again.
So how do you prevent this focus from burning out? How do you keep that “balance” I am talking about? Well, by making sure “life” does not slip you by.
I follow a three tier approach…
ONE
That mean friends, social time, eating out, enjoying a beer and going on holiday and just let loose a bit now and then.
You must make time to still hang out with friends. But always bring your own low carb/carb free corn bag and sugar free drinks with you and still party with them. You need to learn to live in a normal world and be able to withstand regular temptations. Just ALWAYS make sure you are prepared and have your food ready…never go on a empty stomach! Always eat something small to take hunger pains away otherwise you will be too weak when temptations hit. But this point is extremely important. You MUST not cut out your social time with your friends.
Off course they will laugh at you and make jokes…it ALWAYS happens. But soon that will start turning into envy and RESPECT.
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TWO
Once a week go and eat out at your favorite steakhouse (sorry Pizza won’t do!). If you want to have your glass of wine or a beer (just one), then have one but then no carbs allowed if you have that glass of wine at that meal. Just fillet steak and a nice garden salad and maybe a little of your favorite meat sauce (pepper, mushroom, etc)…but be careful they can contain massive calories/fat. Have a nice coffee afterwards (very little milk and sweetener). But feel like you have treated yourself. To do this is sooo important to let you feel “normal” and that you are not taking things away from yourself.
THREE
And when it is time for holiday (now I am talking not more than twice year and not a month at a time but max 2 weeks then down tools and let loose. But the golden rule is NEVER EVER stuff yourself. So avoid buffets. Order just a dish and finish it and enjoy it. NEVER more than 2 glasses wine/2 beers per day while on holiday. When possible eat healthy but if you feel like a meal where you want to treat yourself, then do it. If you want to train sure do it but that 2 weeks off from training is not going to kill you. It actually give your body perfect time to heal and recover from the strain it has been going through and will do GREAT things for you mentally.
Now of course you are going to pick up some weight and loose a bit of definition. But that negative will eventually add massively to a positive, because staying balanced will enable you to stay on track in the long-term with your body transformation and will naturally develop into a new fit and healthy lifestyle because now you can enjoy life and still obtain your goal.
I have seen MANY guys folding in their transformation hopes simply by being too focused in their approach and by letting life slip them by. They just reach a point where they feel…well this is not worth it.
There is just one way of doing this and that is to build the above balance factors into your body transformation journey.
Well, I am off to Thailand for 3 weeks on a well-deserved family holiday break. The first week I will be sticking as close as possible to my diet and training and the rest of the 2 weeks I am going to enjoy myself and let go and have some fun within the constraints of above rules…because I know when I get back I got the recipe and know how to do it.
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The following quote from one of the my clients about his experience with intermittent fasting summarize my whole point about the Intermittent Fasting craze that is currently sweeping the muscle-building fraternity: “My belief, and my naturapath’s belief is that intermittent fasting downgraded my metabolism and thus now going back to normal eating, my body thinks I’m getting too many calories for it’s new low need.”
The bottom line is, it cannot be denied that some competing athletes had great success to get shredded by using Intermittent Fasting as a tool in their arsenal.
What 99% of the people seem to forget is that the people who apply intermittent Fasting are experts in their field who know exactly what they are doing. When someone who is a casual bodybuilder applies IF, the results are most of the time less than desirable. However, there are always the exceptions, I’ll admit that.
But few casual bodybuilders (meaning non-competitive athletes) go to the extreme levels of measuring, monitoring and analyzing everything. These competing guys do regular fat caliper, weighing scale, tape measurements and body water content checks to see (sometimes on a daily basis) the effect their past 24 hours diet approach had on their body. Those are the people who usually get success, because they are to the extreme in touch with every aspect of their body and manage everything in the finest detail.
But the casual lifter just want to look better and do what he does for enjoyment. The dedication is not NEARLY on the level that is required for one to apply something like Intermittent Fasting successfully.
I am not saying IF does not work, not at all, I am saying don’t expect to use a tool an expert use and apply it in a casual fashion and think it will work as effectively as it work for them.
For the non-competitive athlete using IF, it usually spells disaster = less muscles + more body fat, simply because when not applying correctly IF will very easily result the body to enter a “famine mode” whereby it thinks it is in a famine environment. And this means the body will do everything to ensure it can survive as long, thus lowering the metabolism drastically. It will also prefer to use energy from muscles (Glutamine, Glycogen) which usually result in smaller muscles while the body will protect it’s bodyfat storage at all costs to ensure it has what it takes to outlive the famine period it thinks it ‘s detected. With end result loosing muscles and very little bodyfat. This is the last thing you want to happen!
Let’s look at some of the negatives of intermittent Fasting
interference with the SOCIAL aspect of eating
Getting hungry, low energy and unproductive
Fasting = binge
Digestion Issues
Unclear impact on heart
Is is NOT for everyone
Potential long-term health consequences (especially women)
Potential weight gain
Lowered metabolism
Off course there are some really interesting benefits to IF (like cognitive and body rejuvenation aspects) but with the risks especially when you do not have the dedication and time to perform the necessary body monitoring, my advice to you is to rather stick to a tried and tested lifestyle approach and nutrition to reach your success with a standard 14 day body monitoring approach to keep the diet calories aligned to your unique metabolism and leave the tricks of the trade like intermittent Fasting to those that are willing to put in the necessary time and effort to make it work, like the competing athletes as a short-term trick to get shredded..
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As you can recall in my previous video I made a specific point that the truth to reaching success is not held by a single method or person but that many road leads to success because of our diversity with regards to genetics, lifestyle and beliefs systems. But what I am preaching is specific to the guy over 40 who have a job, family and many obligations to fulfill. He is not a competing athlete and never will be. He wants the safest quickest and healthiest road to success. For such people, intermittent Fasting is a risky tool better left alone. And this is where my ADVANCED SYSTEM II comes in to provide you with that total, safe and healthy approach to reach success: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/
How do you choose a fitness mentor through all these opposing ideologies you see in the fitness world? There are probably as many unique approaches and recipes as there are transformations! It is actually crazy…that is the only word that fits.
You have decided it is time to make a change, a big change and you want to choose the right system and coach but that proves to be MUCH more difficult than you anticipated. When venturing on internet and searching for the right approach or system, you are faced with many conflicting solutions. Sometimes directly opposing each other. Now, who do you trust and how do you sift through all this info to find the right approach and person to trust to lead you onto your journey?
THREE things are major critical to help you making your choice.
NUMBER ONE – Accept that there is no magic pill!
This is the number one important thing you have to accept. NONE of these advertising claims hold any truth, NONE! This is not an overstatement. ALL of the supplement advertising claims, even from the prominent companies, are filled with lies and half-truths. Most (nearly 90%) are complete and utter lies. I know what I am talking about. My before and after photo has now been abused illegally by more than 150 companies marketing their products and showing me as “proof” that their product works. And this is the going rate…if you see a before and after photo in any advertising add, it is ALWAYS either stolen or the person was paid a nice sum of money to lie and say he/she used their product to achieve the results. There is no truth to any such marketing photos…sadly. The bottom line is supplements makes no more than a few percentage points difference (I say 2.5%) in your effort of changing your body with a transformation. Easily 80% is made up by following a diet focused to produce results and the rest is made up by your exercise efforts in the gym. There is no magic pill…accept that. Sure, steroids and HGH can hasten the process but even then, it will take great effort and focus on both the diet and training front. Nothing comes overnight, and nothing comes easy and anyone claiming such is lying blatantly. A Significant transformation takes time and a LOT of effort…full stop. Steer completely clear from anyone telling your different because there are many that will…they are not after your happiness but only your money in their pocket.
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NUMBER TWO – Accept that many roads lead to Rome.
Many of these approaches are junk and totally misleading. But, there are many that is the truth and works and many of them preach complete opposing systems/approaches. Is this possible?
Let me explain.
The world of fitness is far from being a scientific fact sheet. Each of our bodies are so vastly different. Our genetic traits make us unique and apart. Each of us have unique metabolisms defined by multiple lifestyle aspects. The bottom line is many of these opposing systems and approaches have produced true results. These people are not lying (well some actually is but to try and make my point here I am referring to those that actually have a moral center!). They have reached success by following the path they are preaching. Let me take my wife for example. Right now, she is getting major success (lost 16kg in just over 3 months) with the 28 DAY DIET. A diet I would traditionally oppose vehemently. Simply because it is too little food and thus would lower the metabolic rate to unacceptable levels. But it is working for her and I can see that she can continue on it indefinitely albeit with some changes when she reached her goal weight to make it more lenient. Bottom line is, not everything works for everyone. Our personalities, genetics, lifestyle, habits, working environment, beliefs and many other factors play a more important role than we realize.
So, this is a very important point you need to realize. Many different roads in the body transformation arena can lead to the goalpost. Science is far from proving a singular all true road. We as individuals are far too unique for that.
NUMBER THREE – does your mentor have a moral center?
Ok, this might sound a little condescending, but the bottom line is, can you trust your mentor/coach to have your best interest in mind or is he/she just after the quick buck?
This is probably the most important of the 3 points. Because everything falls flat if this person working out your transformation system is a moral-less person caring just about turning around the quick buck. He/she needs to be a person of integrity that invokes trust. This you need to establish, or chances are you going to burn your fingers. You cannot trust in a person to lead you, but in real life you would never even consider this person making the grade for your friend list because of his/her lack of integrity/moral-less behavior.
You seriously need to look up to this person NOT just because of his/her body but especially because of all the other things.
So, let these three points guide you to make the right choice when you ready for that transformation journey!
Should you believe I am that mentor that can lead you on your transformation journey, you are more than welcome to consider signing up to my ADVANCED SYSTEM II, developed for the older individual and a truly comprehensive system covering all and every aspect. Customized for your goals and body on many levels: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/
Hi guys and girls from a very cold Cape Town. We just missed day zero here in Cape Town and nearly ran out of water so we are so glad the rainy season is upon us. We pray for a good one!
Many times we feel demotivated because our efforts seems like a drop of water in the ocean. We feel we will never get there and the progress we make is so small that it makes no difference. This is when many, many people give up on their hopes and dreams.
Let me put it to you like this. Your efforts may just “feel” like a drop of water in the ocean, but the truth is the ocean are made up of many, many drops. All your hard work, sweat and pushing through with the diet is like many drops together and counting this up over a period of a year, two or three makes for a LOT of drops that start to form an ocean.
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Success is NEVER a short term thing, it is a long-term lifestyle that brings dividends to those pushing through. It is not a mater of feeling like training or dieting, you HAVE to train and diet. It is like working, you HAVE to work you don’t have a choice. The same goes for training and dieting, you HAVE to just do it. You miss work only when you have a sick note, same applies to training and diet.
Off course there will be stumbling blocks, sometimes major one’s. Last year (2017) I could not train for the whole year due to severe health issues. But when that stumbling block is out of the path, then we pick up the pieces and get back to gym and eating correctly. Stumbling blocks are a given and part of life. We cannot truly avoid them and we have to make them part of the game. The key is just to always resume after each severe stumbling block. And few stumbling blocks is bigger than the one I faced in 2017 (banned by doctor for 12 months from gym due to severe bad health from drinking dirty water – nearly, nearly died!). But we must get up and continue. So I am back at gym and slowly building up the body again with the winning recipe. Off course it will take some time…after 40 any setback takes up to 2-3 times as long to get back to the level one had before the setback. And the older one get, the longer this recovery time takes. BUT, the fact is, we CAN get back to that level and might even surpass it and that is the goalpost and reality for those that keep getting up and push through.
For those of you interested in my ADVANCED COACHING SYSTEM II specifically developed for the over 40 individual, have a look here: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/
So to all of you that do not feel like training or sticking to that diet because it looks like your efforts are worthless, let’s pick up the pieces and just MAKE IT HAPPEN because all those efforts together start forming an ocean for those that keeps pushing through! You WILL reach success with this mindset.
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. (Just a word of warning – sensitive people might experience stomach and gastro intestinal discomfort and pain when taking large quantities of L-Arginine)
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.
This one is NOT for my followers/friends but for those, well, that simply does not like me. So friends and followers…skip this one! But you, yes you (!), read/watch this…
Now why would I even bother talking to my haters?
Well, it is not about what they say (that is water of my back), it is about the intensity of hate they show that bugs me.
I find it difficult to comprehend just how dark a person’s heart must be to utter such intense hate to someone they know nothing about. Call me naïve but for me one must always act with the same moral and integrity rules which you apply in life, whether you are on internet or whether you physically talk to a person standing next to you.
My blocked list on youtube is challenging my subscribers list.
If you look at every article I wrote, every comment I made, every video I’ve made then you would very quickly see I adhere to 3 things:
I show every person the same respect I want them to show me
Integrity is extremely important to me
My moral conduct is guided by the one I follow – Jesus Christ.
So the fact that so many people have a distinct dislike in me, well, I reckon that is a sad sign of the times. It seems this is the way the world is today…hate is increasing for those that show respectful behaviour and integrity. The bad is becoming good in the eyes of the world and the good is becoming bad…
Now my rule is simple – If you don’t show basic common decency with your comments, sorry, you will be blocked. I never waste my time in responding to negative or destructive comments. I focus on the positive and uplifting in life.
The surest sign of a man with a lack of integrity is how he/she interacts in the faceless environment of internet. Thinking you can say what and how you want without any accountability or consequences tells me everything I want to know about you and it shows your heart in all it’s not-so-beautiful colours.
The moment a swear word exit’s your mouth it shows exactly what is in your heart. Because, what is in the heart, always (!) comes out the mouth…especially when it is in a faceless environment.
You have no idea who I am, what I’ve been through, how hard I’ve worked for what I have, whether I am a man of integrity, my path I walked with God, the challenges I am facing in my life and how many times I was at death’s door and how it changed me. You watch one minute of a video of me, know nothing and then you want to wash out your mouth?
Don’t get me wrong, I have MUCH respect for any person saying anything, as long as he/she shows basic respect and common decency towards me. You can disagree with me 100% but as long as you are prepared to treat me with the same respect that I am treating you with, then we can talk like grown-ups and have a decent conversation.
But, you don’t care what you say, who you say it to and what effect it has on people. All you want to see is that you have made an impact with your nasty comment. An impact of hurting someone…it takes a dark heart my friend. And you know what? The worst of all is, you love that darkness.
If you want to know what I stand for, stop coming to conclusions before you have not read my blog www.gertlouw.com only then do you have an idea of who and what I am. And even then, when you speak to me it must be in a decent manner applying the same level of respect that you want me to apply to you no matter how much you dislike me.
Now, just to annoy you even further. Yes, I will keep on mentioning my relationship with Jesus Christ when I think it is applicable. This is my channel, whether you like it or not, He is and always will be my rock in life. I don’t care for political correctness, I care for what is right and what is wrong. I have many incredible faith experiences and many things to tell you but the fact is you are not interested and neither would you believe anything I say. But that is all fine as long as you respect my beliefs the way I respect yours.
Why is our society in this moral declining abyss? Simple – Jesus Christ is banned out of schools. With no moral anchor to guide us, children are blasted with gruesome violent and horrifically chilling video games. Children can do nearly anything in school as long as it got nothing to do with Jesus Christ who, ironically (!), was the biggest mentor of selflessness, respect and love for your fellow human being and moral guide to ever walk this earth. Children and adults alike have easy and free porn access on internet. Sex shops are around the corner and drugs and booze are easy to come by. Parents are banned from shaping kids into respectful adults through the most effective discipline tool, a good hiding. The result of all of this is just one thing – broken families and a broken world with extreme disrespectful youth growing up into disrespecting and moral-less adults. But the flaps stays over our eyes…we cannot seem to realize what is happening. Now you my friend, are a product of this broken society falling down this dark abyss. Why do you continue to do it? Is this really what you want to be? Do you not yearn to better yourself inside and outside and becoming someone you are proud off?
Don’t get me wrong. I am FAR from perfect! I still struggle with many things in my life…but one thing I do, is to seek a path where I always better myself continuously. I want to look into that mirror and like the inside and outside of that person I see. To be a man of integrity brings much peace in one’s life…that (!) I can promise you.
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I have not invited you to watch my channel or visit my sites. So if you do, it is out of your own accord. You don’t like what you see, please leave and never come back. But stop leaving nasty comments that only show just how dark your heart is. I don’t visit your site and leave nasty comments, show me the same respect. The old saying goes “If you don’t have anything good to say then don’t say anything at all.”
You need to let in some light into that heart my friend. You are in serious need of it…
Just do not expect me to read any of your hateful comments. My time and energy is spent on positive and uplifting things and the last thing I have time for is to entertain your dark heart.
How to (re) start your body transformation after a long lay-off.
This article is for those that has been off gym for 6 months or longer due to a severe injury or health issues and who need to resume training. How do you know if your body is fit/healthy enough to return to gym?
Before one can officially resume training one must first establish if the body is in a state to deal with the training resumption. In other words, is it healed enough to have the required stamina to start? If not, believe me you can do serious, serious harm.
So how do you determine if the body is ready or not?
First let’s look at the reason for your off-time from training
First you need to analyse your situation. Was it medical or non-medical?
Non-medical: If it was due to a loss of a loved/divorce or something similar? Then you were right to take off from gym. Some things in life is so important and life altering that one need time to absorb and process everything. Me, I like doing that while I am lifting, but all of us have our own way in dealing with life issues.
If it was due to work pressure/other pressures in life, well then not good! This means it is going to happen again and again until you have made a change. Stress is NOT good for building up your body. The stress hormone cortisol is a powerful catabolic hormone that makes effective muscle growth very difficult. You need to find ways of dealing with stress effectively. Sometimes the change is simply changing your attitude towards stress/busy schedules and learn to love the buzz of the fast-moving pace. We have amazing power in ourselves to decide how we react and respond to our surroundings and situations. What has to change is that fact that gym time needs to be of a higher priority in such a busy schedule. Gym must be nonnegotiable. If this means you have to do it early mornings or late at night so be it. You need to learn to allocate and hour and a half space for yourself during the day and that is your gymtime. This must be of the same priority of eating & sleeping, it must be non-negotiable. It is not optional it is a given. Let this sink in…it is NOT optional! So the fact that you sometimes do not feel like gyming…that carries NO WEIGHT. It is like sleeping & eating, you go there no matter what and you simply JUST DO IT.
If it is medical related (sickness, organ problems, etc…) well then it is a different situation. You have little control over it. But somewhere along the line you need to resume again. Most doctors could not care less in telling you to stop gyming. I found this out the hard way. After my first near death hospital visit last year I had no clear instructions regarding when and with how much I could start training. After just a few very light gym sessions (which I struggled through greatly because of no stamina) I ended up again in hospital. Simply because my body which was not healed enough for me to apply any pressure to it. Luckily I ended up with a specialist that really know what he is doing and he then insisted that I need to be completely sedentary until certain important requirements was met with my health. The key factor here is to be very mindful of your body. You must never train through pain or apply intensity when the body has extreme weakness. If the body is right for training you will not suffer from extreme weakness and easy exhaustion. This is a sure sign the body need more time to recover.
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Now the next step
For all of the above scenario’s, you will apply the same approach.
That approach is two-fold:
First determine if your body is at all fit/healthy enough to resume training
Secondly when above criteria met, then generally one is cleared to start slowly training again according to a specific system. Critical in all these to get your doctor’s clearance.
So let’s look at how to determine if your body is at all fit/healthy enough to resume training
Week one – brisk walking. This is to test your stamina levels and if you are ready to return to gym.
Day 1: 5 min brisk walking.
Day 2: 10 min brisk walking.
Day 3: 20 min brisk walking,
Day 4: 30 min brisk walking.
Day 5: 40 min brisk walking.
If you can do the above fairly easily without having serious stamina/exhaustion problems, your body is for all practical purposes healthy and fit enough to return to gym with a specific introduction system. However, if you struggle in any means to manage above, keep your brisk walking time per day at 15-20 min and repeat for week 2.
To test if your body is ready you must pass the test of being able to do brisk walking for 40 min without too much exhaustion/stamina problem. ONLY then should you return to gym with the system explained beneath.
Slowly start training
The program you should follow to introduce gym to the body is a slow and gradual process. Joints, tendons and muscles are weak and need to follow a gradual approach to strengthen otherwise it easily can result in a serious injury.
After the above is completed, then you are ready to move onto serious training ground…this is where you can start with the ADVANCED SYSTEM II to start shaping and building the body into your dream body (again): https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/
We have one life and it is much more fragile than you might think. Apply wisdom and the body will respond in kind. Apply ignorance and you could even die. Change inside and out and become a man with integrity like a rock and a body to match!
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!
To all my friends, followers and subscribers…DUDE TALK is a video series where I chat about guy stuff and anything and everything, interacting with my website, Facebook and YouTube friends and followers. So if there is anything (fitness or otherwise) that you want me to chat about, just leave a comment and I will cover it in an upcoming video. If you want your name and photo included in the video (as reference to who posted the topic) just add your pic in the comment or email to me (gertlouwljc@hotmail.com) and you will featured in the video.
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
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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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