Tag Archives: biology

It’s all about metabolism

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A higher metabolic rate translates to a higher quality of life. – This guy

What does metabolic rate have to with leading a quality life? Well, everything really. We know that the metabolism is the main calorie-burning epicenter – the body’s ability to turn food into biological energy and heat at a rapid rate AND with efficiency. We know that people like to boost their metabolism with shots of caffeine, energy pills, extracts, protein shakes, amino acids, steroid hormones, and hours in the gym. What good does this all do if the mechanisms which fuel bodily activities are not understood? I mean, why are people constantly taking shots in the dark when they have absolutely no physiological clue as to how their body actually runs, responds, reacts, digests, assimilates, regenerates, rebuilds, eliminates, converts, produces, reduces, or, the all-encompassing, metabolizes? I can take green coffee bean extracts all damn day long because it’s supposed to increase my metabolic rate (so then I’ll burn calories quicker, eliminate body fat, eat whatever I want and be “ok,” etc.), but how do I really know whether or not it’s working?

I’d say the best approach to elevating the metabolic rate is to understand what is actually involved in the metabolism. For starters, metabolism involves hormones and a lot of ‘em. The hormones involved require a balance with one another – within homeostasis. For example, in male’s there must be a greater ratio of Testosterone:Estrogen and in females there must be a greater ratio of Progesterone:Estrogen (yes, excessive estrogen levels for women is actually BAD). When those ratios are imbalanced and there exists a greater amount of [unopposed] Estrogen then the metabolic rate will likely decline because of the anti-metabolic affects of excess Estrogen (which can trigger stress-hormone reactions, hypoglycemia, muscle loss, weight gain, bacterial imbalance, encourage cell division, water retention, and also cause organs to become “sluggish”). We’ll go into Estrogen’s true-colors role within the body in another blog, but my point is to show how a simple imbalance can create an opportunity for a weaker metabolic rate – that is, a weaker functioning body. Other hormones involved include thyroid (T4, T3), pituitary, progesterone, testosterone, pregnenolone, cholesterol, DHEA, estrogen, serotonin (tryptophan), prolactin, insulin, glucagon, cortisol, adrenaline, and aldosterone (to name a few). 

So-to-speak, metabolism fuels the body and hormones fuel the metabolism. So what fuels the hormones? Well, hydration, nutrition, and rest, of course! Let’s keep it simple and focus on nutrition (because I tend to throw in hydration as part of nutrition since water should always have a mineral content, i.e. nutrition). Nutrition can be broken down into two categories: Macronutrients (Fats, Proteins, and Carbohydrates) and Micronutrients (Vitamins and Minerals). Macro’s can be further broken down into Saturated Fats, Monounsaturated Fats, Polyunsaturated Fats, Animal Proteins, Plant Proteins, Simple Carbohydrates, and Complex Carbohydrates. Micro’s go further into Fat-Soluble Vitamins A, D, E, and K, Water-Soluble Vitamins B and C, and Minerals such as Calcium, Copper, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium, Selenium, Zinc, Iron, Phosphorus, Iodine, and Maganese.

Phew. 

Sleep is next in line as a essential platform to allow your body some time to rest, recover, and rebuild from a day-in-the-life. Whether or not you did anything today, your body is still working, digesting, assimilating, producing, excreting, and being a living organism that’s just trying to do what it needs to do to survive.

Alright, so I have thrown a lot of information at you and your probably waiting on me to tell you to do this, that, and voila – you’re metabolism is as good as new! Well, that can exist and the approach can be viewed as a metabolic recovery rather than a metabolism-boosting scheme (like we’re marketed) because, in my perceived reality of many people whom I interact with on a daily basis, most people are in need of a recovery – to get back what their body used to be, what their body used to be able to do, and how their body used to function with efficiency. Ever hear someone say, “I used to be able to eat that when I was younger” or “I was very active when I was younger so I could eat whatever I wanted.” While those statements may be true of the past, the mindset that the opportunity no longer exists in the present should not hold water. Throughout our American-way lifetime we are bombarded with metabolism-weakening opportunities: gluten, grains, processed foods, unsaturated fats, trans fats (spoiled unsaturated fats), inflammatory proteins, artificial sweeteners, additives, preservatives, chemicals, toxins, heavy metals, alcohol, dehydration, resulted constipation, antibiotics, vaccines, and you name it. It’s no wonder our bodies can’t do it anymore because the metabolic rate, the metabolic processes, and the metabolic efficiency cannot continuously work at top speed because of all the crap we put our body through and put through our body.

Take your body into perspective with metabolism: any physical imbalance is likely a result of a hormonal imbalance which is likely a result of a nutritional/sleep imbalance (minor lifestyle details aside). Boom.

If you’d like to discuss this perspective along with other health-related insights, please contact me for a FREE Conversation.

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Why low-carb diets *cough* work

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Gluconeogenesis

Say it with me… Glu - Co - Neo - Genesis

Gluconeogenesis is the conversion of protein to sugar for energy. Not just dietary proteins… muscle is made of protein, too, ya know!

This conversion occurs as a stress reaction. When in a state of stress (dietary – low carb, exercise – too much, mental – #life, sleep – not enough/irregular, etc.) the body burns through sugar like there’s no tomorrow (because it wants to survive so there can be a tomorrow). This can cause the body to become hypoglycemic and, because all of the sugar supplies are depleted, other sources of energy must be tapped into. Adrenaline and Cortisol are two stress hormones that “kick-in” to run the body while reserves are being put into place. Those reserves are found through the conversion of proteins to sugars (Gluconeogenesis!). The body wants to run on sugar. It NEEDS to run on sugar because sugar is the body’s most useful and quickest-acting form of energy. Unfortunately, if there isn’t enough dietary protein then the body can turn to muscle for energy. The body will store (or spare) fat in a stressful state to stay alive – fat is a form of protection. The body should not run on fat – it’s very a rare occasion and it’s a very inefficient way for the body to convert energy (this process is known as Ketogenesis).

The body mainly stores dietary sugar in the liver and muscles. Once digested, converted, and stored, the sugars are known as Glycogen. Ideally, glycogen can be stored for about four to six weeks. When many low-carb diets begin they experience a quick rush of weight loss, of getting cut/lean, boosted energy levels, and are shaving inches off of their waist! Yes, this can all happen, but by no means is it healthy or long-lasting. Muscle weighs more than fat, remember? Sugar is the body’s primary form of energy, remember? The body will burn muscle and store/spare fat, remember? Once that four-to-six-week mark hits people can plateau, burn through muscle, put on weight, their brains can become foggy (because the brain uses sugar, too!), their libido/sex-drive can become extinct, and their muscles can become “cut” (but really they’re just being eaten alive).

For those who carve Low-Carb diets in stone, be aware that most dietary proteins are being converted into sugars and are not being used the way nature (or you) intends. Not to mention that Glucagon is constantly secreted to make up for the lack of dietary carbohydrates (the primary mechanism for protein to enter cells is by way of carbohydrate transport and Glucagon increases blood sugar levels by pulling from reserves). On the other hand, low-carb diets are a much better alternative to all of the commercial carbohydrate crap that’s available today in grocery stores and restaurants (bread, pasta, grains, etc.). Rather than attributing success to a healthy diet, first consider the massive amount of unhealthy foods that have been eliminated. Oh, and we can’t forget that intestinal bacteria thrives off of sugar and when there isn’t enough food for them to consume they search elsewhere (hence, chronic bacterial infections, sinus infections, thrush, intestinal inflammation, bloating, gas, irregular bowel movements, etc.)

Perspective? EAT MORE SUGAR a.k.a. good, clean, organic, nutrient-dense, natural carbohydrates – potatoes, fruit, OJ, milk, cane sugar, and even SODA. If you have blood-sugar handling issues and that’s the reason that you low-carb then consider the issues as a symptom to a greater cause – replacing an issue with a new issue just adds more problems, confusion, and sadness to “Why can’t I be normal?!.” Perspective to blood-sugar-issue people… EAT MORE SUGAR.

Yes, it’s possibly to live a healthy lifestyle sans carbohydrates, but how is “healthy” truly defined? More power to feeling good, being happy, sleeping well, having great bowel movements, having a high sex-drive, a full head of hair, and being resilient to stress, but how are those achieved by each individual? What are the habits, mechanisms, and double-checks that confirm “healthy”? Suggestion? Lab Tests such as Thyroid, Hormones, Mineral, Vitamins, and Stool can provide a great perspective.


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Metabolism, Stress, Cold Hands & Feet

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I’ve been asked about (and have experienced) cold hands and feet on occasion. It’s not just a way of life, as it can be for some, but a true symptom of an underlying cause. External environment aside, the body isn’t meant to have cold hands or feet and stress is its most important factor. No, not running-from-a-lion stress (although that can be included), but dietary, physical, and mental (and thus all resulting in hormonal) stress can very easily be the cause.

You can live without an arm or a leg but you can’t live without a liver! (Paul Chek)

Paul is right. In a state of stress (or shock) the body will pull blood from the non-important areas of the body to bring it back into center where all of the vital organs reside. These vitals keep the body ticking; not-so-much the fingers, feet, or knee caps. The body knows exactly what it is doing and, as individuals, we must be responsible to keep an eye and ear out to understand, interpret and then react accordingly to what’s going on.

The temperature of [the] fingers, toes, and nose helps to interpret the balance between stress and thyroid; [the] fingers should be less cold as [the] metabolic rate comes up. In extreme hypothyroidism, the hands and feet can be very cold while the oral temperature looks o.k.; then as the metabolic rate increases, the difference between fingers and mouth decreases. (Ray Peat)

Thanks, Ray. He hit the nail even more on the head by correlating stress and thyroid function – metabolic rate, homeostasis, the epicenter of all-things-regulating-healthy-bodily-functions. Peat looks at the heart rate and body temperature as instruments in determining thyroid (metabolic) health.

It’s not rocket science to notice cold hands and feet, meaning you don’t need a thermometer to tell ya what you can experience through awareness. Why does it happen? Well, I can go on about diet, physical, and mental stressors, but I think I’ll be barking about what you intuitively already know. Instead, here are a few questions to get you pointed in a perspective direction…

  • What time of day do you experience cold hands and feet? Upon waking, before/after lunch, before/after dinner, before/after exercise, before/after bed.
  • What is your heart rate at the same times mentioned above?
  • Do you notice cold hands and feet or an increased/decreased heart rate when consuming certain foods/drinks, in between meals (note the duration), doing certain activities (exercise, showering, sleeping, work, school, sex), or pertaining to certain sleeping patterns (sleeping “on time” or enough)?

This perspective approach can be taken with ANYTHING, not just cold hands and feet. Lifestyle Journals are the new black.

jdperryhealth.com
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jdperryhealth@gmail.com

Reduce stress and disease by removing morons

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So I’m reading through an article on Epilepsy and I come across this excerpt in the article – had to blog it…

By manipulating the diet and environment, [humans] can be made more or less [disease]-prone, and it happens that the changes that affect the brain affect all other organs, in ways that are now fairly well understood. Examining the cellular events associated with a [disorder] is useful for therapy and prevention of [disorders]… It is now clearly established that stress can cause brain damage, as well as other diseases. Now that our public health establishment has eliminated smoking from public places, maybe they can find a way to reduce stress and disease by removing morons from positions of power.

-Ray Peat

Liver Love

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The liver is the only organ that has the capacity to rebuild itself ONLY when the environment is suitable. Limiting the amount of toxic load on the body will promote a good environment for the liver to work properly and efficiently. This isn’t rocket science: Eating crap foods, drinking alcohol, drinking unfiltered water, and using chemical-laced substances (cosmetics, cleaners, plastics, etc.), to name a few, are not good for the liver. 

Go organic, go green, go natural, go holistic, go straight-edge, go whatever you want to call the process of creating a healthier environment for a healthier body.