Remember Daniel Amen: Nobody even notices

I am on a journey to reach my 150th birthday because I want to prove this can be done.

Most people disdain the practical but the great ones I have known seem to possess an intuitive understanding that the only way to reach something higher is to focus their attention on the multitude of seemingly insignificant, unimportant, and boring things that make up everyday life.

The same is true of health. When done exactly right, these mundane and tedious little things form in their aggregate an enhanced level of functionality. Perks: vigorous body, slower aging, increased resistance to stress, increased resistance to infection, increased willpower, lowered risk of cancer, prevention of neurodegeneration (brain melting), etc.

This category: JT150 follows my journey in exploring the very boring things of daily diet, nutrition and physical exercise in reaching my 150th birthday on 10 august 2137.

For the cynics: I will likely fail – There is no real need for you to point that out.

But it is better to aim for the stars and land in the mud, than aim for the mud and make it.

All the best,
Damian Alexander

PS: If you would like to be notified of the highlights of my journey (+critical things I uncover along the way) then you can subscribe here. (just fill out your email in the red box on the right)

PS2: Fill out your primary email in the red box on the right because things you learn here can save your life.

Technorati Tags: ,

damian alexander curing headaches with paretto principle 150x150 Curing Headaches, The Parreto Principle and Longevity

Audio Version of Article – 4min 40sec (Click To Play)

Many people get headaches on a consistent basis and yet they never research any solutions that consistently work.

Would you like to have TWO do it yourself, easy headache cures that work in 80% of all cases? How about two do it yourself, easy headache cures that work in 80% of all cases – and in under 2 minutes? And you can also do them pretty much anywhere you might be!

In this article you will also discover how to live longer and be healthier!

Now listen:

Somewhere along the line, you’re going to realize that the information in this short article is worth thousands of dollars in terms of eliminated pain, increased productivity and improved efficiency. Then you’re going to start wondering why I’m revealing all these juicy tidbits for free. Scratch these off to me having a good heart and make sure you leave a comment below.

Before we go further I want you to know two things about me:

1) I don’t care for being sophisticated – ie:  I like “primitive” solutions

2) I care about things that work

I want to make this post short so I am not going to go into the causes of headaches, I am just going to tell you how to cure 80% of headaches with just two approaches.

Listen closely because this is very valuable information.

Here is:

Brainstumpingly easy, works in less than 2 minutes, do it yourself headache cure #1

DRINK A BIG GLASS OF WATER (or 2)

Yes, this gem of a solution will work. You see a lot of people are don’t realize they are dehydrated. What is dehydration anyway? LACK OF WATER. What happens when your body lacks water you ask: it constricts blood vessels. When blood vessels constrict guess which organ that consumes 15-20% of the energy you produce doesn’t get enough oxygen and nutrients. Yes, your brain. And what happens next? A headache of corresponding intensity.

So remember: Get a headache → drink plenty of water.

Action Item #1: Always keep a glass of water close by! (try this and you will be amazed how frequently you reach for a drink)

Brainstumpingly easy, works in less than 2 minutes, do it yourself headache cure #2

GET SOME AIR

This one is a bit harder -relatively. You have to get some fresh air. You can open a window or go outside for a walk. Again, most headache problems are simply a lack of oxygen.

Action Item #2: Always have a window open wherever you may be! (if you have good awareness you’ll be flabbergasted in the reduction of headache incidence)

So now you know. Keep these tools in the back of your head and next time you feel any pain in your head, go and use them. Tell others about them and of course, make sure you tell them where you heard it.

Stay tuned for more primitive solutions to common problems.

 

untitled 150x150 Curing Headaches, The Parreto Principle and Longevity

All the best,

Damian Alexander

PS: Some people believe that air conditioning units increase/add oxygen to the room instead of just cycling the same air. Don’t laugh at them because you probably make some rudimentary mistakes as well. Just make sure you have a source of oxygen in the room.

PS2: setting things up so your body constantly gets enough oxygen helps you live longer! One reason for this is it protects against anaerobic  bacterial colonies which set up shop in your body in places where oxygen reach is low.

PS3: setting things up so your body gets enough water helps you live longer! One reason for this is ample water intake facilitates the excretion of toxins from your body.

PS4: if you know any more benefits of increasing water and oxygen intake then list them in the comment area.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The single cause single treatment mentality has a very negative effect on how people in general approach both life and health.

Remember: Any problem has more than one underlying cause and…

Any good solution has more than one effect.

Let me explain with a detour…

One of the things you will see on many supplement labels is the touting of a single effect for a particular supp.

Examples:

  • green tea extract for energy
  • coq10 for the heart
  • SAMe for the liver
  • carnitine for fat loss

Interestingly, companies in the dietary supplement industry are criticized when they list multiple conditions as being positively influenced by a single substance.

The rationale is: How can something that’s good for the liver also be good for the heart, it doesn’t make sense.

Yes it does!

When a substance influences a fundamental process in the body its effects cascade and cause many “unexpected” effects. Where else would side-effects and side-benefits-come from?

Let me illustrate why the same exact product can have very different effects on the people.

Methylation is a process which is fundamentally required to carry out over 200 chemical reactions in the body. Brain cells depend on methylation as surely as liver cells. A product that enhances methylation can thus treat liver diseases as surely as Parkinsons. Just as antioxidants are taken for everything from baldness to cataracts, methylation-enhancers provide health benefits through multiple chemical pathways.

This doesn’t happen often in the pharmaceutical world. Pharmacists attempt to treat a single problem with a single solution. They target a single metabolic marker with a single product (ex: cholesterol). In their world it doesn’t make any sense to take a liver medication to prevent a heart attack.

Many are so engrossed in the drug culture they never realize the concept of “one substance, one cure” comes from the pharmaceutical industry, not science. One substance can be a therapy for many different diseases.

The one thing I want you to take away from this post is:

Chemical redundacy is the norm inside all living organisms.

(ie: the same compound is involved in many different metabolic pathways)

In this post you have learned:

*where the one substance, one effect mentality comes from – pharma industry

*why a single substance can be useful in many different diseases – chemical redundancy

untitled 150x150 Pharmaceutical Myths   Are Multiple Effects Fiction or Fact

All the best,

Damian Alexander

Brain Metabolic Activity Energy and Depression  150x150 Emotional State, Recurring Thoughts, Behavior & Energy   What Links Them and Why Should You Care

Brain Metabolic Activity (Energy) - Depression

Audio Version of Article – 4.5min

I have a confession to make:

I do have off days.

I define off days as days in which I don’t do my usual 6 hours of solid work.

One of my criteria for success is:

6 hours of productive and effective work per day – every single day!

Whenever I have one of those days when I do not put in these 6 hours, or the results of my work are mediocre, I get plagued by the question: Why am I so tired all the time?

Is this rational. NO. And it is also a lie. The truth is I am almost never tired.

succesful depressed man 150x150 Emotional State, Recurring Thoughts, Behavior & Energy   What Links Them and Why Should You CareBut for some reason on an emotional level I just don’t get this. Even after a string of 88 days (my current record) when that low day hits I feel like a failure. I feel like a fraud and like my system doesn’t work. I completely forget from where I started (weekly bouts of agonizing depression, anemia and brittle teeth) and get a sinking feeling in my stomach. All I can think of is how much I have to do and how little I feel like doing it.

This is a VERY common human experience and…

It is NOT strange how easy it is to forget all the times when you were productive, feeling good and doing good. (As a sidenote this is why gratitude exercises are so powerful). The reason why this happens is: at the times you experiencing this downward spiral you are in a different emotional state. Emotional state dictates the type of thoughts you have.

There is no real meaning to ANY event. The meaning you attach to an occurrence in your life is dictated by your current/right now emotional state.

What you actually have in your brain is a causal chain. Your (brains) energy level dictates your emotional state which dictates the type thoughts you have (positive vs negative; optimistic vs pessimistic; bad vs good) which in turn dictates the type of behavior you undertake.

So what can you do about it…

STOP

You are in an energetic hole and the best way to get out is to stop digging.

Stop and Think!

Do you really have to do that  thing right now…

What is the worst thing to happen if you don’t keep going…

Are you just mindlessly plowing away at some unimportant task…

Maybe it is time for renewal. Maybe it is time for a different direction. Maybe it is time to distance yourself from your life and gain some perspective.

…or maybe you just need a good nap. (this is what I usually go for)

With all this said it is clear this happens a lot more frequently to some than to others.

A low energy level with negative emotions and recurring self-defeating thoughts and behavior is a lot more common in some individuals than others.

So let me ask you a question:

What do you think is the root cause of this problem? What do you think is the reason, the biggest contributing factor, that leads to this cascade of negative consequences?

All this and more will be answered in my next post:

The True Underlying Reason You Are Tired and Exhausted

In this post you have learned:

*what links energy and emotional state

*what links energy and recurring thoughts

*what links energy and behavior

*why this understanding can improve behavior, feelings of satisfaction and quality of life

 

untitled 150x150 Emotional State, Recurring Thoughts, Behavior & Energy   What Links Them and Why Should You Care

All the best,

Damian Alexander

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

Midday Energy Crash = natural renewal time your body uses to replenish its energy reserves.

Let’s talk about what happens when you have that energy lapse in the middle of the day.

It typically happens between 2pm and 4pm (sometimes a little bit earlier or later).

When the midday energy crash hits you try to pass that gap by being forceful, by pushing your body. And you are wrong to do that.

When you feel your body wants to take a break what you have to be thinking is: how
do I make this break more efficient? NOT how do I power through it!

The question you have to ask is: how do I refuel and recharge my body in such a way as it will make it stronger in half an hour.

Really half an hour is all you need to get back on your feet. (NOTE: this is for healthy people, with great diets, who exercise regularly BUT without supplements)

Most people (not you of course) don’t honor that half an hour and  they try to plough through it. And they do, but…

Once they get over it for the hundredth time they reach the end of the sack.

You might not realize it but exhaustion never arises in one day. It’s been in the oven for some time.

You know you’ve abused your body innumerable times and you just say to yourself: “I’ll get this health thing handled LATER, right now X is what is important”. Bad idea.

Personally, I have been “blessed” with a body that feels shocks very easily. If I miss just one night of sleep I am a wreck. I don’t handle sleep deprivation very well (neither long hours). But since my body is so easy to be tipped of its balance it never gets to the bottom of the bag. In a way it is more resilient because it shows me every time I abused it.

Since I am worse off than most people I’ve had to pump my body full of nutrients to make it cope with the current world. This is why other people always get better results than me when they supplement in my style. I find this more than annoying.

If your body fails to show you have abused it, it will accumulate damage and then one day you will find nothing works. No matter how much coffee, sleep, relaxation or whatever method you try your body won’t respond.

In conclusion, when lunch time comes make sure you lay down with your eyes closed (and covered) for half an hour. Set an alarm to wake you and dose off. Do this every day and you’ll see a difference.

I also recommend checking out the earlytorise website because Craig Ballantyne has some solid thinking in this area. His stuff is at: earlytorise.com.

In this post you have learned:

*what is the midday energy crash & why you need to honor it – so you don’t get exhausted, sick & prematurely dead

*how to properly recharge during midday energy crash – use timer to lay down with eyes covered for 1/2 hour

untitled 150x150 What Is The Midday Energy Crisis and Why You Should Honor It

All the best,

Damian Alexander

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

 Self Experimentation   Wasp Power   Giant Hornet Dietary Supplement!! To Ed: No, it’s not a bag with a huge aggressive bug which chases you around.

Damian Alexander’s Blog (25.07.2010)

The day is July.

The warm breeze of the air awashes the world with smell.

Hunger is absent most of the time as languorous moments seem to pass.

Ahhh, The Summer Day. The gold standard of relaxation.

It is finallly time for Wasp Power. My Hornet Juice supplement package arrived yesterday and I’ve been itching for a quality moment to explore it in.

The time is 15:00, the dosage is 15 grams of Hornet Juice – although only 3.7 of that is the patented proprietary blend – makes one ask what higher doses would do.

Half a liter of water later a sweet citric smell emanated as I opened the well sealed pack.

The taste was not unlike the old efervescent vitamin tubes I had (still available, but far less flavored) .

16:00

Significant increase in strength along with ease. Lifted 34 kg on one leg squat. (NOTE: records show I weighed 68 kg)

Endurance is significantly increased. I can perform longer, with greater ease and with more concentration, focus and intensity per each rep.

Maximal jump was done with great ease and personal record was knocked off – on first try.

Just broke my highest ever maximal jump of 78 cm’s by 3 cm’s.

16:30

Strength seems to be very high and effortless with quick recovery after burnout. I never knew endurance could be so helpfull. I feel like I could work out for 3 more hours.

It’s so easy.

I knew those athletes were lying when they said sports are hard.

So happy I immediately place a second order.

Saturday, January 21, 2012 – Update

In the meantime I’ve learned a few things about this product -> 2012 01 21 10 33 50 586 150x150 Self Experimentation   Wasp Power   Giant Hornet Dietary Supplement

1st – the effects decrease in intensity with repeated use (at least for me)

2nd – a higher dosage doesn’t seem to produce a stronger effect

3rd – this product is best treated as an occasional performance enhancer for breaking plateus/new personal bests

4th – synergizing this with coffee is insane (there’s a realistic chance of running so much you’ll grate away your legs)

5th – THIS dietary supplement rocks! (note: the product I bought can be found here)

untitled 150x150 Self Experimentation   Wasp Power   Giant Hornet Dietary Supplement

All the best,

Damian Alexander

PS: HJ is NOT used in How To Change Your Own Batteries.

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,

Hello there,

For today’s post I wanted to write a little something about protein supplements.

Generally speaking a protein supplement is used by people trying to increase their muscle mass. But since this blog is about how to increase your physical and mental energy you probably guessed I am going to talk about how it can benefit this aspect of your life.

If you remember, in the last post I talked about the idea of augmentation/enhancement. In the context of biological augmentation that means to increase a certain characteristic beyond their natural possibilities.

Amino acids are the key building block of the body. Amino acids are used to make protein. Organs, muscles, enzymes, nails, hair, hormones and neurotransmitters are mostly protein.

A protein supplement can supply your body with above average quantities of easily absorbable amino acids.

This helps the body repair itself faster, this in turn allows for faster gains and more stress to be applied sooner.

Remember: stress is required for growth, but growth is limited by repair capacity.

This growth applies to anything to which the body can adapt to: longer work hours,  faster memory creation and retrieval, bigger muscles, stronger muscles (size is different from strength), bone density, basically anything you can train to improve.

Cross Linking Of Collagen 150x150 Protein, Health and Energy   WHY I Think You Should Use A Protein Supplement Even If You DONT Want To Build Muscle

Cross-Linking Of Collagen

But protein has even more roles in your body. For example, collagen (the most abundant protein in the body) forms the support matrix that hold your cells in place. Wrinkles are nothing more than the cross linking of collagen in the skin. This is why skin regenerative therapies attempt to get more collagen to skin cells. What this means is if you eat a good amount of quality protein you will look better. This happens because your body can turn over collagen faster.

But it doesn’t stop at aesthetics. Cellular functionality will be increased because healthy support structures allow better flow and communication – allowing nutrients to enter and toxins to leave.

Protein is also a major component of blood vessels. Protein is also required for your bodies ability to self-regulate. An adequate supply of protein allows the manufacture of hormones – signaling  molecules critical to proper function.

And enzymes are again proteins. Enzymes are the biological catalysts that make your life possible by speeding up chemical reactions that would otherwise take years to perform. They also play important roles in immune function and digestion.

The cellular machinery that does the work inside cells is -surprise, surprise – protein.

I hope that you ca now clearly see why increasing the quantity and quality of protein in your diet will also manifest itself in improved health and energy levels.

Now proteins are very different from one another. What they do have in common is being made up of 22 amino acids. And this is where we go full circle and get back to supplemental protein.

A quality protein supplement supplies your body with the right amounts of amino acids and allow your body to make the proteins IT needs and function better – ie: become more vigorous and healthy.

A protein supplement will therefore increase your energy levels and allow you to feel better, recover faster, be more productive and walk around with a clear head.

A high protein diet can actually regulate the activity of your pre-frontal cortex. The PFC is responsible for such activities as: focus, forethought, impulse control, organization, planning, goal setting, judgement, empathy, emotional control, insight, learning from mistakes. (See Daniel Amen – Making A Good Brain Great)

I don’t want to make this post too long so I’m going to stop here. Just remember choosing a protein supplement is not an activity that should be undertaken lightly because not only is this a food (and as with any food you need to be aware of its effects on YOUR body), but it is a concentrated food which means that it’s effect either favorable or negative – will be magnified on you.

I’m a big fan of the just do it this way approach because it saves a lot of time.  In this spirit if you want to use a protein supplement just get the one I use here -> The protein I use

But I do hope you can appreciate the time I spend on the why use it part of things. Of course I left out the how which obviously counts but what the hell is a new post for anyway.

In this post you have learned:

*the general benefits of protein

*the benefits of a high protein diet to cognition

*what protein supplement you should get

*what really good book on enhancing brain function you should definitely get

untitled 150x150 Protein, Health and Energy   WHY I Think You Should Use A Protein Supplement Even If You DONT Want To Build Muscle

All the best,

Damian Alexander

 

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

 Scientific References for The Complete Time Saving Guide To Creatine

Creatine Guide Scientific Reference

Schedel JM, et al. Acute creatine loading enhances human growth hormone secretion. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2000 Dec;40(4):336-42

Wyss M, et al. Health implications of creatine: can oral creatine supplementation protect against neurological and atherosclerotic disease? Neuroscience 2002;112(2):243-60.

Stead LM, et al. Methylation demand and homocysteine metabolism: effects of dietary provision of creatine and guanidinoacetate. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2001 Nov;281(5):E1095-100.

Park JH, et al. Use of P-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy to detect metabolic abnormalities in muscles of patients with fibromyalgia. Arthritis Rheum 1998 Mar;41(3):406-13.

Kreider RB, et al. Long-term creatine supplementation does not significantly affect clinical markers of health in athletes. Mol Cell Biochem 2003 Feb;244(1-2):95-104.

Schilling BK, et al.Creatine supplementation and health variables: a retrospective study. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001 Feb;33(2):183-8.

Poortmans JR, et al. Adverse effects of creatine supplementation: fact or fiction? Sports Med 2000 Sep;30(3):155-70.

Terjung RL, et al. American College of Sports Medicine roundtable. The physiological and health effects of oral creatine supplementation. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000 Mar;32(3):706-17.

Poortmans JR, et al. Long-term oral creatine supplementation does not impair renal function in healthy athletes. Med. Sci.Sport. Exerc. 31:1108-1110, 1999.

Mihic S, et al. Acute creatine loading increases fat-free mass, but does not affect blood pressure, plasma creatinine or CK activity in men and women. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000 Feb;32(2):291-6.

Taes YE, et al. Creatine supplementation does not affect kidney function in an animal model with pre-existing renal failure. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2003 Feb;18(2):258-64.

Field ML. Creatine supplementation in congestive heart failure. Cardiovasc Res 1996 Jan;31(1):174-6.

Pearson DR, et al. Long-term effects of creatine monohydrate on strength and power. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 13(3); 187-192, 1999.

Odland LM, et al. Effect of oral creatine supplementation on muscle [PCr] and short-term maximum power output. Med-Sci-Sports-Exerc. 1997 Feb; 29(2): 216-9.

Earnest CP et al. High-performance capillary electrophoresis-pure creatine monohydrate reduces blood lipids in men and women. Clin-Sci-Colch. 1996 Jul; 91(1): 113-8.

Peeters B, et al. Effect of oral creatine monohydrate and creatine phosphate supplementation on maximal strength indices, body composition and blood pressure. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Reserach.

Kreider RB, et al. Effects of creatine supplementation on body composition, strength and sprint performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 1998;30(1): 73-82.

Racette SB. Creatine supplementation and athletic performance. J Orthop Sports PhysTher. 2003 Oct;33(10):615-21.

Hespel P, Op’t EB, Van Leemputte M, et al. Oral creatine supplementation facilitates the rehabilitation of disuse atrophy and alters the expression of muscle myogenic factors in humans. J Physiol. 2001 Oct 15;536(Pt 2):625-33.

Jowko E, Ostaszewski P, Jank M, et al. Creatine and beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) additively increase lean body mass and muscle strength during a weight-training program. Nutrition. 2001 Jul;17(7-8):558-66.

Becque MD, Lochmann JD, Melrose DR. Effects of oral creatine supplementation on muscular strength and body composition.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 Mar;32(3):654-8.

Francaux M, Poortmans JR. Effects of training and creatine supplement on muscle strength and body mass. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1999 Jul;80(2):165-8.

Clarkson PM, Rawson ES. Nutritional supplements to increase muscle mass. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 1999 Jul;39(4):317-28.

Kreider RB, Ferreira M, Wilson M, et al. Effects of creatine supplementation on body composition, strength, and sprint performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998 Jan;30(1):73-82.

Vandenberghe K, Goris M, Van Hecke P, et al. Long-term creatine intake is beneficial to muscle performance during resistance training. J Appl Physiol. 1997 Dec;83(6):2055-63.

Balsom PD, Soderlund K, Sjodin B, Ekblom B. Skeletal muscle metabolism during short duration high-intensity exercise: influence of creatine supplementation. Acta Physiol Scand. 1995 Jul;154(3):303-10.

Harris RC, Soderlund K, Hultman E. Elevation of creatine in resting and exercised muscle of normal subjects by creatine supplementation. Clin Sci (Lond). 1992 Sep;83(3):367-74.

Fulle S, Protasi F, Di Tano G, et al. The contribution of reactive oxygen species to sarcopenia and muscle ageing. Exp Gerontol. 2004 Jan;39(1):17-24.

Yarasheski KE. Exercise, aging, and muscle protein metabolism. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2003 Oct;58(10):M918-22.

Semba RD, Blaum C, Guralnik JM, et al. Carotenoid and vitamin E status are associated with indicators of sarcopenia among older women living in the community. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2003 Dec;15(6):482-7.

Volpi E, Kobayashi H, Sheffield-Moore M, Mittendorfer B, Wolfe RR. Essential amino acids are primarily responsible for the amino acid stimulation of muscle protein anabolism in healthy elderly adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Aug;78(2):250-8.

Doherty TJ. Invited review: Aging and sarcopenia. J Appl Physiol. 2003 Oct;95(4):1717-27.

Vanitallie TB. Frailty in the elderly: contributions of sarcopenia and visceral protein depletion. Metabolism. 2003 Oct;52(10 Suppl 2):22-6.

Kamel HK, Maas D, Duthie EH, Jr. Role of hormones in the pathogenesis and management of sarcopenia. Drugs Aging. 2002;19(11):865-77.

Lawler JM, Barnes WS, Wu G, Song W, Demaree S. Direct antioxidant properties of creatine. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2002 Jan 11;290(1):47-52.

Ji LL. Exercise-induced modulation of antioxidant defense. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2002 Apr;959:82-92.

Carmeli E, Coleman R, Reznick AZ. The biochemistry of aging muscle. Exp Gerontol. 2002 Apr;37(4):477-89.

Welle S. Cellular and molecular basis of age-related sarcopenia. Can J Appl Physiol. 2002 Feb;27(1):19-41.

Lio D, Scola L, Crivello A, et al. Allele frequencies of +874T: A single nucleotide olymorphism at the first intron of interferongamma gene in a group of Italian centenarians. Exp Gerontol. 2002 Jan;37(2-3):315-9.

Persky AM, Brazeau GA. Clinical pharmacology of the dietary supplement creatine monohydrate. Pharmacol Rev. 2001 Jun;53(2):161-76.

Parise G, Mihic S, MacLennan D, Yarasheski KE, Tarnopolsky MA. Effects of acute creatine monohydrate supplementation on leucine kinetics and mixed-muscle protein synthesis. J Appl Physiol. 2001 Sep;91(3):1041-7.

Brod SA. Unregulated inflammation shortens human functional longevity. Inflamm Res. 2000 Nov;49(11):561-70.

Rogers MA, Evans WJ. Changes in skeletal muscle with aging: effects of exercise training. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 1993;21:65-102.

Brose A, Parise G, Tarnopolsky MA. Creatine supplementation enhances isometric strength and body composition improvements following strength exercise training in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2003 Jan;58(1):11-9.

Gotshalk LA, Volek JS, Staron RS, et al. Creatine supplementation improves muscular performance in older men. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002 Mar;34(3):537-43.

Candow DG, Chilibeck PD, Chad KE, et al. Effect of ceasing creatine supplementation while maintaining resistance training in older men. J Aging Phys Act. 2004 Jul;12(3):219-31.

Emerit J, Edeas M, Bricaire F. Neurodegenerative diseases and oxidative stress. Biomed Pharmacother. 2004 Jan;58(1):39-46.

Kang D, Hamasaki N. Mitochondrial oxidative stress and mitochondrial DNA. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2003 Oct;41(10):1281-8.

Szibor M and Holtz J. Mitochondrial ageing. Basic Res Cardiol. 2003 Jul;98(4):210-8.

Wei YH, Lee HC. Oxidative stress, mitochondrial DNA mutation, and impairment of antioxidant enzymes in aging. Exp BiolMed (Maywood.). 2002 Oct;227(9):671-82.

Waters DL, Brooks WM, Qualls CR, Baumgartner RN. Skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and lean body mass in healthy exercising elderly. Mech Ageing Dev. 2003 Mar;124(3):301-9.

Santos RV, Bassit RA, Caperuto EC, Costa Rosa LF. The effect of creatine supplementation upon inflammatory and muscle soreness markers after a 30km race. Life Sci. 2004 Sep 3;75(16):1917-24.

Klivenyi P, Calingasan NY, Starkov A, et al. Neuroprotective mechanisms of creatine occur in the absence of mitochondrial creatine kinase. Neurobiol Dis. 2004 Apr;15(3):610-7.

Zhu S, Li M, Figueroa BE, et al. Prophylactic creatine administration mediates neuroprotection in cerebral ischemia in mice. J Neurosci. 2004 Jun 30;24(26):5909-12.

Dedeoglu A, Kubilus JK, Yang L, et al. Creatine therapy provides neuroprotection after onset of clinical symptoms in Huntington’s disease transgenic mice. J Neurochem. 2003 Jun;85(6):1359-67.

Rabchevsky AG, Sullivan PG, Fugaccia I, Scheff SW. Creatine diet supplement for spinal cord injury: influences on functional recovery and tissue sparing in rats. J Neurotrauma. 2003 Jul;20(7):659-69.

Adcock KH, Nedelcu J, Loenneker T, et al. Neuroprotection of creatine supplementation in neonatal rats with transient cerebral hypoxia-ischemia. Dev Neurosci. 2002;24(5):382-8.

Hausmann ON, Fouad K, Wallimann T, Schwab ME. Protective effects of oral creatine supplementation on spinal cord injury in rats. Spinal Cord. 2002 Sep;40(9):449-56.

See D, Mason S, Roshan R. Increased tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and natural killer cell (NK) function using an integrative approach in late stage cancers. Immunol Invest. 2002 May;31(2):137-53.

Andreassen OA, Dedeoglu A, Ferrante RJ, et al. Creatine increase survival and delays motor symptoms in a transgenic animal model of Huntington’s disease. Neurobiol Dis. 2001 Jun;8(3):479-91.

Tarnopolsky MA, Beal MF. Potential for creatine and other therapies targeting cellular energy dysfunction in neurological disorders. Ann Neurol. 2001 May;49(5):561-74.

Walter MC, Lochmuller H, Reilich P, et al. Creatine monohydrate in muscular dystrophies: A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. Neurology. 2000 May 9;54(9):1848-50.

Tarnopolsky M, Martin J. Creatine monohydrate increases strength in patients with neuromuscular disease. Neurology. 1999 Mar 10;52(4):854-7.

Klivenyi P, Ferrante RJ, Matthews RT, et al. Neuroprotective effects of creatine in a transgenic animal model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nat Med. 1999 Mar;5(3):347-50.

Matthews RT, Ferrante RJ, Klivenyi P, et al. Creatine and cyclocreatine attenuate MPTP neurotoxicity. Exp Neurol. 1999 May;157(1):142-9.

Matthews RT, Yang L, Jenkins BG, et al. Neuroprotective effects of creatine and cyclocreatine in animal models of Huntington’s disease. J Neurosci. 1998 Jan 1;18(1):156-63.

Sullivan PG, Geiger JD, Mattson MP, Scheff SW. Dietary supplement creatine protects against traumatic brain injury. Ann Neurol. 2000 Nov;48(5):723-9.

Rae C, Digney AL, McEwan SR, Bates TC. Oral creatine monohydrate supplementation improves brain performance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2003 Oct 22;270(1529):2147-50

 

untitled 150x150 Scientific References for The Complete Time Saving Guide To Creatine

All the best,

Damian Alexander

Technorati Tags: , , ,

I will start my discussion on augmentation with the:suprahuman 259x300 Augmentation/Enhancement   What Is It & Why Should You Care

Definition of Nutritional Supplements

A nutritional supplement (sometimes called a food supplement or dietary supplement) is a preparation meant to supplement the diet of an individual – for vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, phytochemicals or other substances that may be missing or insufficient.

Now that is a great definition, but it is missing something. There is something said, but not said.

You see, while a nutritional supplement is defined as corecting a lack it is isn’t defined as compensating a weakness or enhancing a strength.

Practical examples work best:

Let’s say you have a strong digestive system. You can eat pretty much anything and you never feel bloated or lacking energy after a meal. Now, if you were to add a digestive enzyme to this mix you would actually make yourself even more able to cope with the challenges of digesting a meal. This would allow you to consume even more calories. Consuming more calories would allow you to do many things: from expanding more intellectual effort, to running marathons or growing monstrous muscles.

Supplementation can thus become augmentation.

What I am saying is that: in the same way a defficiency can be overturned with a supplement, a strength can be augmented by it or a weakness compensated.

Augmentation = to make (something already developed or well under way) greater, as in size, extent, or quantity

Now you can clearly see the potential.

nubret2 220x300 Augmentation/Enhancement   What Is It & Why Should You Care

Muscle Augmentation Via Supplements

There is considerable study under way on how you can use nutrients in larger than normal quantities to augment the state of health, strength, size (of muscle or other anatomical components), or even intellectual capacity.

When you stop to think about it you find deep down you already knew this. I’m sure you know the body of this bodybuilder IS NOT POSSIBLE without dietary supplements.

NOTE: Don’t start screaming steroids – there are plenty of bodybuilders who are NOT genetic freaks and NOT on steroids and still look superhuman.

Warning: I have hammered on this before but there will always be people who fail to take this into account so it bears repeating:

Results of such extent do NOT come easy!

And contrary to what most people believe eating right and exercising will only take you so far.

If you decide to undertake this sort of lifestyle – attempting to augment your normal capacities with supplements – you really have to become knowleadgeble with both how your body works, how the mechanisms of action of the substances you use work and how these forces interplay with one another.

On top of this there is the bodies desire to maintain its setpoints (weight, cycardian rhythm, energy expenditure, calorie intake etc). The body is an intermingling mesh of homeostatic systems and they have only one goal: maintaining equilibrium.

This is why many substances loose the inintial effect they have on the body. You really have to know what you’re doing in order to circumvent the bodies natural tendency to adapt and revert to its setpoints.

Years of relentless study, self-experimentation and passion are needed to achieve such levels. But I’m sure this is not the story you want to hear.

So I will let you in on the workaround.

The only way to shortcut this process is with a mentor.

My particular field of expertise is augmenting energy levels until they become as scandalous as Nubret’s muscles.

Just so we’re clear, let me define exactly what I mean by enhanced energy levels. What I mean is healthy energy. This is the type energy that allows you to be completely focused on what you are doing, aware of your surroundings and with a pleasant warm wave of pulsating energy radiating from your chest. This is in contrast to the jittery, hyped, unable to sit still, racing heart beat that you get when you drink to much coffee.

If you’re curios to learn about my system you can do so by clicking here: How To Change Your Own Batteries

In this post you have learned:

*what is augmentation – enhancing traits you have beyond normalcy

*what you can do to enhance some of your own traits – read every single post on my blog

All the best,untitled 150x150 Augmentation/Enhancement   What Is It & Why Should You Care

Damian Alexander

PS: make sure you click on this link: How To Change Your Own Batteries

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

 Scientific References for The Complete Time Saving Guide To Green Tea

Green Tea Guide Scientific References

Sato Y, Nakatsuka H, Watanabe T, et al. Possible contribution of green tea drinking habits to the prevention of stroke. Tohoku J Exp Med. 1989 Apr;157(4):337-43.

Kuzuhara T, Suganuma M, Fujiki H. Green tea catechin as a chemical chaperone in cancer prevention. Cancer Lett. 2007 Dec7.

Weinreb O, Mandel S, Amit T, Youdim MB. Neurological mechanisms of green tea polyphenols in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. J Nutr Biochem. 2004 Sep;15(9):506-16.

Lambert JD, Yang CS. Mechanisms of cancer prevention by tea constituents. J. Nutr. 2003 Oct;133:3262S-7S.

Graham HN. Green tea composition, consumption, and polyphenol chemistry. Prev Med. 1992 May;21(3):334-50.

Katiyar SK. Skin photoprotection by green tea: antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects. Curr Drug Targets Immune Endocr Metabol Disord. 2003 Sep;3(3):234-42.

Chantre P, Lairon D. Recent findings of green tea extract AR25 (Exolise) and its activity for the treatment of obesity. Phytomedicine. 2002 Jan;9(1):3-8.

Liao S. The medicinal action of androgens and green tea epigallocatechin gallate. Hong Kong Med J. 2001 Dec;7(4):369-74.

Kamath AB, Wang L, Das H, Li L, Reinhold VN, Bukowski JF. Antigens in tea-beverage prime human Vgamma 2Vdelta 2 T cells in vitro and in vivo for memory and nonmemory antibacterial cytokine responses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 May13;100(10):6009-14.

Lu K, Gray MA, Oliver C, et al. The acute effects of L-theanine in comparison with alprazolam on anticipatory anxiety in humans. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2004 Oct;19(7):457-65.

Kakuda T, Nozawa A, Unno T, Okamura N, Okai O. Inhibiting effects of theanine on caffeine stimulation evaluated by EEG in the rat. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2000 Feb;64(2):287-93.

Yokogoshi H, Kato Y, Sagesaka YM, Takihara-Matsuura T, Kakuda T, Takeuchi N. Reduction effect of theanine on blood pressure and brain 5-hydroxyindoles in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 1995 Apr;59(4):615-8.

Yokozawa T, Dong E. Influence of green tea and its three major components upon low-density lipoprotein oxidation. ExpToxicol Pathol. 1997 Dec;49(5):329-35.

Kakuda T. Neuroprotective effects of the green tea components theanine and catechins. Biol Pharm Bull. 2002 Dec;25 (12):1513-8.

Sugiyama T, Sadzuka Y. Theanine and glutamate transporter inhibitors enhance the antitumor efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2003 Dec 5;1653(2):47-59.

Sadzuka Y, Sugiyama T, Sonobe T. Improvement of idarubicin induced antitumor activity and bone marrow suppression by theanine, a component of tea. Cancer Lett. 2000 Oct 1;158(2):119-24.

Sugiyama T, Sadzuka Y, Nagasawa K, Ohnishi N, Yokoyama T, Sonobe T. Membrane transport and antitumor activity of pirarubicin, and comparison with those of doxorubicin. Jpn J Cancer Res. 1999 Jul;90(7):775-80.

Bukowski JF, Morita CT, Brenner MB. Human gamma delta T cells recognize alkylamines derived from microbes, edible plants and tea: implications for innate immunity. Immunity. 1999 Jul;11(1):57-65.

Carlson JR, Bauer BA, Vincent A, Limburg PJ, Wilson T. Reading the tea leaves: anticarcinogenic properties of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate. Mayo Clin Proc. 2007 Jun;82(6):725-32.

Kuzuhara T, Sei Y, Yamaguchi K, Suganuma M, Fujiki H. DNA and RNA as new binding targets of green tea catechins. J BiolChem. 2006 Jun 23;281(25):17446-56.

Khan N, Mukhtar H. Tea polyphenols for health promotion. Life Sci. 2007 Jul 26;81(7):519-33.

Lambert JD, Sang S, Yang CS. Biotransformation of green tea polyphenols and the biological activities of those metabolites.Mol Pharm. 2007 Nov;4(6):819-25.

Wolfram S. Effects of green tea and EGCG on cardiovascular and metabolic health. J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Aug;26(4):373S-88S.

Wolfram S, Raederstorff D, Preller M, et al. Epigallocatechin gallate supplementation alleviates diabetes in rodents. J Nutr.2006 Oct;136(10):2512-8.

Wolfram S, Wang Y, Thielecke F. Anti-obesity effects of green tea: from bedside to bench. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2006 Feb;50(2):176-87.

Mandel S, Amit T, Bar-Am O, Youdim MB. Iron dysregulation in Alzheimer’s disease: multimodal brain permeable iron chelating drugs, possessing neuroprotective-neurorescue and amyloid precursor protein-processing regulatory activities as therapeutic agents. Prog Neurobiol. 2007 Aug;82(6):348-60.

Kurahashi N, Sasazuki S, Iwasaki M, Inoue M, Tsugane S. Green tea consumption and prostate cancer risk in Japanese men: a prospective study. Am J Epidemiol. 2008 Jan 1;167(1):71-7.

Kuriyama S, Hozawa A, Ohmori K, et al. Green tea consumption and cognitive function: a cross-sectional study from the Tsurugaya Project. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Feb;83(2):355-61.

Boschmann M, Thielecke F. The effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate on thermogenesis and fat oxidation in obese men: a pilot study. J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Aug;26(4):389S-95S.

Nagao T, Hase T, Tokimitsu I. A green tea extract high in catechins reduces body fat and cardiovascular risks in humans. Obesity.(Silver Spring). 2007 Jun;15(6):1473-83.

Rowe CA, Nantz MP, Bukowski JF, Percival SS. Specific formulation of Camellia sinensis prevents cold and flu symptoms and enhances gamma,delta T cell function: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Oct;26(5):445-52

Widlansky ME, Hamburg NM, Anter E, et al. Acute EGCG supplementation reverses endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease. J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Apr;26(2):95-102.

Antonello M, Montemurro D, Bolognesi M, et al. Prevention of hypertension, cardiovascular damage and endothelial dysfunction with green tea extracts. Am J Hypertens. 2007 Dec;20(12):1321-8.

Devine A, Hodgson JM, Dick IM, Prince RL. Tea drinking is associated with benefits on bone density in older women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):1243-7.

Shen SR, Yu HN, Chen P, Yin JJ, Xiong YK. Fatty acids in tea shoots (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) and their effects on the growth of retinal RF/6A endothelial cell lines. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2007 Feb;51(2):221-8.

Inami S, Takano M, Yamamoto M, et al. Tea catechin consumption reduces circulating oxidized low-density lipoprotein. IntHeart J. 2007 Nov;48(6):725-32.

Farabegoli F, Barbi C, Lambertini E, Piva R. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate downregulates estrogen receptor alpha function in MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells. Cancer Detect Prev. 2007 Nov 29.

Thangapazham RL, Passi N, Maheshwari RK. Green tea polyphenol and epigallocatechin gallate induce apoptosis and InhibitInvasion in human breast cancer cells. Cancer Biol Ther. 2007 Sep 1;6(12).

Shankar S, Ganapathy S, Hingorani SR, Srivastava RK. EGCG inhibits growth, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis of
pancreatic cancer. Front Biosci. 2008;13:440-52.

Ho YC, Yang SF, Peng CY, Chou MY, Chang YC. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibits the invasion of human oral cancer cells and decreases the productions of matrix metalloproteinases and urokinase-plasminogen activator. J Oral Pathol Med. 2007 Nov;36(10):588-93.

Kim M, Murakami A, Ohigashi H. Modifying effects of dietary factors on (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate-induced pro-matrix metalloproteinase-7 production in HT-29 human colorectal cancer cells. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2007 Oct;71(10):2442-50.

Siddiqui IA, Malik A, Adhami VM, et al. Green tea polyphenol EGCG sensitizes human prostate carcinoma LNCaP cells to
TRAIL-mediated apoptosis and synergistically inhibits biomarkers associated with angiogenesis and metastasis. Oncogene.2007 Nov 12.

Yu HN, Shen SR, Yin JJ. Effects of metal ions, catechins, and their interactions on prostate cancer. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr.2007;47(8):711-9.

Steevens J, Schouten LJ, Verhage BA, Goldbohm RA, van den Brandt PA. Tea and coffee drinking and ovarian cancer risk: results from the Netherlands Cohort Study and a meta-analysis. Br J Cancer. 2007 Nov 5;97(9):1291-4.

Syed DN, Khan N, Afaq F, Mukhtar H. Chemoprevention of prostate cancer through dietary agents: progress and promise.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Nov;16(11):2193-203.

Saba NF, Hammond A, Shin DM, Khuri FR. Moving toward bioadjuvant approaches to head and neck cancer prevention.  Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2007;69(2 Suppl):S132-5.

Liang W, Binns CW, Jian L, Lee AH. Does the consumption of green tea reduce the risk of lung cancer among smokers? Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2007 Mar;4(1):17-22.

Adhami VM, Mukhtar H. Anti-oxidants from green tea and pomegranate for chemoprevention of prostate cancer. Mol Biotechnol. 2007 Sep;37(1):52-7.

Matsubara K, Saito A, Tanaka A, et al. Epicatechin conjugated with fatty acid is a potent inhibitor of DNA polymerase and angiogenesis. Life Sci. 2007 Apr 3;80(17):1578-85.

Eddy SF, Kane SE, Sonenshein GE. Trastuzumab-resistant HER2-driven breast cancer cells are sensitive to epigallocatechin-3 gallate. Cancer Res. 2007 Oct 1;67(19):9018-23.

Chen L, Zhang HY. Cancer preventive mechanisms of the green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate.  Molecules.2007;12(5):946-57.

Babu PV, Sabitha KE, Shyamaladevi CS. Therapeutic effect of green tea extract on oxidative stress in aorta and heart of streptozotocin diabetic rats. Chem Biol Interact. 2006 Aug 25;162(2):114-20.

Wang CZ, Mehendale SR, Yuan CS. Commonly used antioxidant botanicals: active constituents and their potential role in cardiovascular illness. Am J Chin Med. 2007;35(4):543-58.

Basu A, Lucas EA. Mechanisms and effects of green tea on cardiovascular health. Nutr Rev. 2007 Aug;65(8 Pt 1):361-75.

Cho HH, Han DW, Matsumura K, Tsutsumi S, Hyon SH. The behavior of vascular smooth muscle cells and platelets onto epigallocatechin gallate-releasing poly(l-lactide-co-epsilon-caprolactone) as stent-coating materials. Biomaterials. 2008 Mar;29(7):884-93.

Potenza MA, Marasciulo FL, Tarquinio M, et al. EGCG, a green tea polyphenol, improves endothelial function and insulin sensitivity, reduces blood pressure, and protects against myocardial I/R injury in SHR. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2007 May;292(5):E1378-87.

Tipoe GL, Leung TM, Hung MW, Fung ML. Green tea polyphenols as an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent for cardiovascular protection. Cardiovasc Hematol Disord Drug Targets. 2007 Jun;7(2):135-44.

Wahyudi S, Sargowo D. Green tea polyphenols inhibit oxidized LDL-induced NF-KB activation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Acta Med Indones. 2007 Apr;39(2):66-70.

Babu PV, Sabitha KE, Shyamaladevi CS. Green tea impedes dyslipidemia, lipid peroxidation, protein glycation and ameliorates Ca2+ -ATPase and Na+/K+ -ATPase activity in the heart of streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Chem Biol Interact. 2006 Aug 25;162(2):157-64.

Babu PV, Sabitha KE, Srinivasan P, Shyamaladevi CS. Green tea attenuates diabetes induced Maillard-type fluorescence and collagen cross-linking in the heart of streptozotocin diabetic rats. Pharmacol Res. 2007 May;55(5):433-40.

Kim JA, Formoso G, Li Y, et al. Epigallocatechin gallate, a green tea polyphenol, mediates NO-dependent vasodilation using signaling pathways in vascular endothelium requiring reactive oxygen species and Fyn. J Biol Chem. 2007 May 4;282(18):13736-45.

Cao H, Hininger-Favier I, Kelly MA, et al. Green tea polyphenol extract regulates the expression of genes involved in glucose uptake and insulin signaling in rats fed a high fructose diet. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Jul 25;55(15):6372-8.

Koyama Y, Abe K, Sano Y, et al. Effects of green tea on gene expression of hepatic gluconeogenic enzymes in vivo. PlantaMed. 2004 Nov;70(11):1100-2.

Serisier S, Leray V, Poudroux W, et al. Effects of green tea on insulin sensitivity, lipid profile and expression of PPARalpha and PPARgamma and their target genes in obese dogs. Br J Nutr. 2007 Dec 6;1-9.

Hara Y, Fujino M, Takeuchi M, Li XK. Green-tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate provides resistance to apoptosis in isolated islets. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg. 2007;14(5):493-7.

Collins QF, Liu HY, Pi J, et al. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a green tea polyphenol, suppresses hepatic gluconeogenesis through 5’-AMP-activated protein kinase. J Biol Chem. 2007 Oct 12;282(41):30143-9.

Tsuneki H, Ishizuka M, Terasawa M, et al. Effect of green tea on blood glucose levels and serum proteomic patterns in diabetic (db/db) mice and on glucose metabolism in healthy humans. BMC Pharmacol. 2004 Aug 26;418.

Song Y, Manson JE, Buring JE, Sesso HD, Liu S. Associations of dietary flavonoids with risk of type 2 diabetes, and markers of insulin resistance and systemic inflammation in women: a prospective study and cross-sectional analysis. J Am Coll Nutr. 2005 Oct;24(5):376-84.

Babu PV, Sabitha KE, Shyamaladevi CS. Therapeutic effect of green tea extract on advanced glycation and cross-linking of collagen in the aorta of streptozotocin diabetic rats. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2006 Apr;33(4):351-

untitled 150x150 Scientific References for The Complete Time Saving Guide To Green Tea

All the best,

Damian Alexander

Technorati Tags: , , ,

 Page 1 of 21  1  2  3  4  5 » ...  Last »