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UNDERRATED ANTI-AGEING HACKS

Tired woman looking her eye bags in the bathroom.

Aging is inevitable, and as soon as you cross over to 40, it almost seems like you’ve aged overnight. While we’re pretty sure there’s not a fountain of youth or a fancy elixir that prevents you from aging altogether, there are some easy anti-aging hacks that you can adopt to help slow down the process.

So much emphasis on is put in the kind of skin products which you can use for anti ageing purposes. 

Little did you know there are some amazing ways to boost your longevity just by doing some lifestyle changes! These include changes in your diet and exercise regime! 

Let’s look at some of these a little more closely! 

Consume more vitamin c rich fruits and apples. Chowing down on whole, hydrating fruits, such as apples, can help your skin look supple and fresh. Due to the presence of pectin, apples detoxifies the body of waste products and also reduce the forming of wrinkles by keeping the body well-hydrated. 

Other anti-aging fruits include avocados, bananas, blueberries and strawberries, and papayas. 

Vitamin C helps to undo some of the sun and pollution damage our skin sustains during the day, brightens discoloration, plays an important role in wound healing, and helps the skin to lock in moisture that is so critical for both the skin and our other physiological functions.

Exercise is no doubt extremely beneficial when it comes to making our body healthierand longevity by preventing chronic diseases. 

Little did you know that strength training in particular, has amazing anti ageing effects!

But how?

Ageing successfully is all about production of The increased strength. 

The potential for strength training lies in its ability to rejuvenate and rebuild bigger and more powerful muscle fibers knows as Type II or fast twitch muscle.  

The amazing thing is that this potential can be unleashed with very brief (20 minutes), infrequent (1-2 times a week) and most importantly, very safe (customized technology) way.

By partnering the powerful combination of whole food nutrition with strength training, insulin resistance can also be reversed.  

Insulin Resistance is a major predictor of the effects of aging.  When that becomes an issue (and it does due to a combination of excess carbohydrates and lack of meaningful exercise) a host of more ailments such as weight gain, high blood pressure/triglycerides/LDL, pre & Type II diabetes and more can occur.   These symptoms are all a function of processes in the body going bad. 

Strength training not only stimulates greater glucose metabolism during and right after a workout but triggers an adaptive response for more muscle and thus greater metabolic potential for the next workout.  This compounding effect leads to improved insulin sensitivity due to the improvements in muscle strength.

While we start losing muscle mass in our 30’s, it accelerates over time if nothing is done about it.  While aging and inactivity are mostly blamed, it is truly the lack of deeper and more meaningful muscle fiber stimulation that is responsible for how we feel.  

The most common correlation associated with aging is the loss of muscle and strength which affects our metabolism, bones and mental acuity

Greater muscle strength has been linked not only to reduced mortality, but also faster metabolism and improved cognitive function as well.

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Fitness Nutrition

WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE PROTEIN IN EVERY MEAL

No doubt having more protein in your diet offers several potential health benefits and could help increase weight loss, enhance muscle growth, and improve your overall health.

Apart from fulfilling your overall protein intake, it has been proven that having protein in every meal has some added benefits and maximizes the optimization.

Let’s look at these a little closely

1. EASIER WEIGHT LOSS:-

 Protein has a higher thermic effect compared to carbohydrates and fats. Due to the high thermic effect and several other factors, a high protein intake tends to boost metabolism. It makes you burn more calories, especially during sleep. Additionally, high-protein diets are highly satiating, so they lead to reduced hunger and appetite compared to lower protein diets. This makes it much easier to restrict calories on a high-protein diet.


2.INCREASES COGNITIVE ABILITIES:-

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. Tryptophan is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin, a lack of which can contribute to difficult cognition. A deficiency of tryptophan has been found in the brains of those with ADHD. Protein is beneficial for concentration and may even prolong the efficacy of ADHD medications.


3. MUSCLE GROWTH AND RETENTION:-

Having muscles in your body not only gives good shape to your body and increases your resting metabolism, but it also aids in longevity. Protein builds and repairs muscles, and dividing your total intake into portions spread throughout the day will optimize muscle health. Studies showed those who are inconsistent amounts of protein over the day had a 25-per cent greater muscle-synthesis rate than those who saved the bulk of their protein for dinner.1. REDUCING THE POST MEAL GLUCOSE SPIKE:- Every time we eat a meal, we have a glucose spike immediately after that. When you eat protein during a meal, it stops your post-meal blood sugar from spiking. A moderate amount of protein digests slowly enough so that it doesn’t increase blood glucose. This prevents us from having blood sugar imbalances thus reducing cravings. So replace some of the carbohydrates on your plate with protein to reduce elevated blood glucose levels.


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Fitness Lifestyle

THE TRUTH ABOUT CREATINE

Creatine is the most widely researched performance-enhancing nutrient on the market. It’s prevalence within the supplement industry leaves us wondering: can you get stronger without supplementing with creatine? Is it safe?

Creatine is a substance found naturally in muscle cells. It helps your muscles produce energy during heavy lifting or high intensity exercise.

Your body stores creatine as phosphocreatine in your muscles, where it’s used for energy.

People use creatine for improving exercise performance and increasing muscle mass. It is also helps in muscle cramps, fatigue, multiple sclerosis and many other conditions.

Although there are creatine rich foods which you can consume, it will take a lot of food to meet your needs especially if you are a high performing athlete. Hence, people consume supplements.

When you consume creatine, it is converted in our body to creatine phosphate which is then generated into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This energy is then used for explosive exercises.

If you’re able to lift more weight in the gym, you’re able to break down more of the muscle fibre that your body can then repair and rebuild bigger and stronger after your workout.

A lot of claims have been there in regards to the safety of using creatine.

So is it safe? Long story short, yes, it is safe.

Creatine can slightly raise levels of creatinine in your blood which is commonly measured to diagnose kidney or liver conditions. However this doesn’t mean that it is harming your kidneys and liver.

That said, use caution when it comes to taking creatine supplements if you have a history of liver or kidney concerns.

It is also contraindicated with certain medications. So make sure you are consulting with a medical expert first if you are on any medications

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Fitness Lifestyle

THE DOPAMINE HACK

Dopamine molecule formula and 3D diagram. 3D illustration.

Did you know?

Your current state of happiness is determined by 4 chemicals in your brain.

These include dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins.

One of the key drivers for Motivation is dopamine. This neurotransmitter plays a major role in the reward system in our brain and helps focus, concentration and sleep.

Little did you know that we can actually modify our behaviour, sleep, focus, concentration and all types of cognitive abilities by controlling our dopamine levels?

Seems pretty interesting right? How do we do this though? Can we really control how our brain will function?

Yes we can

Just imagine if you were able to get the same pleasure out of working in front of your computer screen, typing away, as you would get from eating a Belgian waffle topped with Nutella with your favourite coffee made to perfection.

Some type of people have been able to train their brains in such a way that they get huge amounts of dopamine simply in the process of working towards a goal.

The signal is the trigger that reminds the brain of the possible reward. The brain, after receiving the signal releases dopamine to motivate work. Once the work is done, dopamine levels recede, and soon after the reward follows. (Although not very clear in this graph, another, smaller burst of dopamine happens with the reward itself.)

And the more goals you achieve on a regular basis, the neural pathways in your brain get stronger. So when you achieve the goals you set, the hit of dopamine will become stronger.

This doesn’t mean you have to set big goals. The trick to this is to set yourself very small, achievable goals every day, and actually achieve them for regular hits of dopamine.

If you are an over achiever, you will definitely set big goals and it is easy to get demotivated.

So break these big goals down into little pieces. Rather than only allowing your brain to celebrate when you’ve hit the big finish line, you can create a series of little finish-lines for frequent dopamine release. And it’s crucial to actually celebrate. And avoid the dopamine hangover— when you slump after a massive high. 

Create new goals before achieving your current one. That ensures a consistent pattern for experiencing dopamine.

Consuming L-tyrosine, an important amino acid can also benefit. L-tyrosine is a critical contributor to the synthesis of dopamine.

Regular intake may help humans perform in stressful situations, such as being exposed to extreme weather or being asked to perform certain cognitive tasks. In several studies, those taking tyrosine did not exhibit the processing problems or the memory deficits that would normally occur in difficult situations.

Tyrosine is abundant in many foods, especially traditional sources of protein like peanuts, fish, chicken, turkey, soy, eggs, and cottage cheese. It’s also in pumpkin seeds, oats, wheat, beans, sesame seeds, avocado, and bananas. 

Another hack is to keep it moving!
Exercise improves a person’s mental health significantly. When you move your body regularly, it doesn’t just help your physical health but it is also extremely beneficial for your mental state. It also assists in increasing your dopamine levels. Yes, when you exercise, your brain produces dopamine. Regular exercise for at least 30 minutes, every single day, can uplift your mood.

So, in conclusion, all your habits compound over time. If you have habits of distraction, you’ll keep getting even more distracted over time.

If you have habits of productivity and getting things done, you’ll get more things done over time. That is why the rich keep getting richer — it is the law of compounding.

Dopamine hacking is also a regular practise which will help you regulate your levels and optimize them to the fullest.

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Fitness Lifestyle Nutrition

MANAGE YOUR SWEET CRAVINGS

How often during the day are you plagued by a sugar craving?

Sugar cravings are common but if they are excessive, they can indicate hormonal fluctuations, mood swings and heightened stress levels.

Most of the time, cravings are driven by your brain’s need for a “reward” not your body’s need for food.

If you can have only one bite and stop there, indulging a little when you get a craving is fine.

But if you tend to binge and overeat as soon as you get a taste of sugary foods, then giving in to the cravings is the worst thing you can do.

One of the most common underlying causes of these cravings is a glucose spike followed by reduced blood sugar levels after a meal

This makes us want to seek junk food. The solution doesn’t just limit to “controlling yourself”. The cause needs to be understood.

Low levels of protein and fat combined with high levels of fast-releasing carbs in meals and snacks will cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate.

So there are ways in which you can consume food in a way so that your blood sugar levels are steadier throughout the day.

Adding a little protein to sweet snacks like a handful of plain nuts with a piece of fruit helps stabilise energy release.

Apart from this managing, your glucose spikes are not just about adjusting macros.

Did you know that eating your food in a certain order affects the magnitude at which your blood sugar fluctuates?

Studies have shown that when the vegetables and protein were eaten before the carbohydrates, the glucose levels were 29%, 37% and 17% lower at the 30, 60 and 120-minute checks, compared with when carbohydrates were consumed first. Also, insulin was found to be significantly lower when the participants ate vegetables and protein first.

Primarily what we are doing is we are putting on some clothes on the carbs and flattening the insulin and glucose curve by first using the fibre to slow down gastric emptying and therefore reducing spikes of sugar!

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YOUR DOPAMINE TOOL KIT FOR A HAPPIER YOU!

Why do you feel like having more junk food and sugar all the time even when you are full? Because it is addictive. They trigger the release of dopamine into your brain, which gives you the feeling that you’re on top of the world and you want to repeat that experience.

As humans, our brains are hard-wired to seek out behaviours that release dopamine in our reward system. When you’re doing something pleasurable, your brain releases a large amount of dopamine. You feel good and you seek more of that feeling.

This can be correlated with anything like winning a competition, pursuing any hobbies, and having your favorite food as well.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter made in your brain which plays a role as a “reward center”. It is responsible for many functions including memory, movement, motivation, mood, attention and more.

Little did you know, that many diseases are also associated with high or low levels of dopamine. These include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Parkinson’s disease, Restless legs syndrome, mania, obesity and addiction.

Thus there is a good and a bad side to dopamine. And people who suffer from these diseases, need to consume dopamine agonists and antagonist drugs.

However, it is normal for a healthy person to have dopamine imbalances as well. This can be witnessed through your food eating habits, and overall sleeping patterns and behaviour. And the solution to this, doesn’t require medication.

Hence there are natural ways in which you can optimise your dopamine levels for the better.

The first is through dietary changes. As we always mention, the food you eat will determine all aspects of your health.

Eating a diet that’s high in magnesium and tyrosine-rich foods will help produce dopamine naturally. Both these elements are the building blocks for dopamine production.

Tyrosine is an amino acid which is absorbed in your body and then goes to your brain, where it’s converted into dopamine. Foods known to increase dopamine include chicken, almonds, apples, avocados, bananas beets, chocolate, green leafy vegetables, green tea, lima beans, oatmeal, oranges, peas, sesame and pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, turmeric, watermelon and wheat germ.

And the other natural way is through exercise and recreational activities. Engaging in activities that make you happy or feel relaxed will increase dopamine levels. This includes exercise, meditation, yoga, massage, playing with a pet, walking in nature or even reading a book.

Thus your lifestyle plays a critical role in all aspects of your life and health. This will include mental, physical, social and occupational well-being as well!

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Fitness Nutrition

THIS IS HOW YOUR GUT HEALTH AFFECTS YOUR THYROID FUNCTION

Thyroid and intestinal diseases have been known to co-exist. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease are the most common autoimmune conditions.

Your thyroid is responsible for multiple functions including your metabolism. This is supported by the good bacteria in the gut. Your intestine is responsible for almost 20% of the total conversion of thyroid hormones.

In addition to this, the gut bacteria can increase the bioavailability of iron in the gut by producing short-chain fatty acids and also regulates how much iodine you use and how it is broken down and circulated in the body.

This causes an increase in the inactive T3 levels and a reduction in the active T3 levels which contributes to the dysfunction of the thyroid.

This is explained by the intestinal barrier getting damaged (which increases permeability), allowing antigens to pass more easily and activate the immune system.

This damage also influences the absorption of micronutrients like iodine, iron and copper, which you need for thyroid health. 

Stress comes in all shapes and sizes, and one source is your gut. Inflammation in your gut, whether through dysbiosis, immune response or gastrointestinal disease, will increase circulating cortisol, which if prolonged can hurt your T3. 

These processes are largely dependent on the production of primary bile acids in gallbladder. When you consume fats, these primary bile acids are secreted from the gallbladder into your small intestine. This is where gut bacteria metabolize them into “secondary bile acids” which increase the activity of the deiodinase enzymes.

These bile acids are dependent upon the mineral selenium. This is mineral is often depleted in patients with gut and thyroid health issues. And hypothyroidism has also been shown to stop bile flow from the gallbladder which further affects T4/T3 conversion. This bile is also naturally antimicrobial, which further explains the connection between thyroid disease and specific bacterial gut infections.

Your thyroid also plays a role in production of stomach acid which can result in symptoms like gastro-esophageal reflux disease, nutrient deficiencies, and other digestive issues like bacterial and fungal overgrowth.

Research has also shown that hypothyroidism causes gastrointestinal dysfunction by significantly reducing gatroesophageal movement, and thus, it is recommended thyroid function be checked in patients with indigestion.

Studies also show the link between atrophic gastritis and autoimmune thyroid disease

People with autoimmune thyroiditis, have a highly sensitive immune system in which the immune responses are directed against self antigens, and diseases that result from exposure to foreign particles.

When this is happening, inflammation takes place which can be triggered due to a bad diet.

So when we are consuming bad foods like sugar or refined starches, we are creating gut dysbiosis by producing inflammation in the gut lining. This results from the bad bacteria accumulating in our gut which not only reduces the thyroid conversions but also creates impaired absorption of the essential nutrients in the gut which are important for the function of thyroid.

So in a healthy person, if a bad diet persists for long, it can create dysbiosis resulting in an underactive thyroid. And in an autoimmune patient, a healthy diet should be even more emphasized given to their hypersensitivity.

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SHOULD YOU TRAIN TO FAILURE?

Does your exercise program include sets of exercises where you keep going until you cannot physically complete another rep?

No?

Training to failure increases motor unit activation and the secretion of muscle-building hormones, like HGH and testosterone.

There are two ways in which people try to train till failure. One is a proven technique for anabolic growth; the other is a surefire way to compromise your gains and become more prone to injuries. Learn the difference between them!

When it comes to training till failure, it is not an invitation for bad form and technique. It’s about getting as many reps as possible while maintaining great form. 

The instant your form deteriorates, you have to stop. Your motor control and muscular strength will disconnect and make your results worthless. 

Bad form and technique while exhausting your muscle fibres will make you easily prone to injuries. 

The right approach to enable anabolic effect includes strategizing which set you will perform till failure. 

Training to failure every set drastically increases the catabolic hormone cortisol and suppresses anabolic growth factors such as IGF-1. This puts us at risk of hindering long-term growth. 

In the short term, being a catabolic hormone, increases in cortisol are associated with a decrease in protein synthesis. The reason behind this is that one of cortisol’s actions is to provide alternative fuels for the body when there isn’t enough glucose. This occurs during starvation or fasting, but also during intense exercise. Cortisol mediates muscle breakdown so that the amino acids in muscle tissue can be used to create sugar, via gluconeogenesis.

It is also found that failure training increases the levels of the nucleotide adenosine monophosphate (AMP) quite dramatically. AMP is responsible for the activation of AMPK which results in the enhancement of glucose utilization. The activity of AMPK is regulated by AMP and ATP ratio.

This indicates that the cell is drained of energy, and when this occurs, protein synthesis decreases.

Once you train to failure, you develop “central fatigue.” Once your nervous system is fatigued, all the following sets will be performed at a much lower capacity. 

So to avoid hindering the performance plan to hit failure in the last sets.

Additionally, strategically training to failure will exhaust all of your smaller muscle fibres. Faced with the continued challenge of lifting a heavy weight, your nervous system is forced to use your body’s larger fast-twitch muscle fibres which increases the overall muscle usage. 

So the results which you get from training to failure largely depend on strategy. 

It can be anabolic if done sparingly and catabolic if done too often. And don’t forget to give your body adequate rest and sleep to help you recover! 

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HIIT VS LISS- WHICH ONE IS BETTER FOR FAT LOSS?

The debate about HIIT vs LISS cardio is always there. Some emphasize interval training while others emphasize how steady-state cardio with a good diet is good enough for fat loss.

So how do you know what kind of cardio is best for you? After all, the last thing you want is to waste your time doing something that doesn’t get results.

This not only results in demotivation but it does consume a lot of time and energy in investing in a plan which may or may not work for you.

HIIT, or High-Intensity Interval Training, is shorter in duration and higher in intensity. It is where we go all in with full intensity into an exercise for a short time and then take a short breather and jump into the next exercise.

This type of training is very useful for people who are running short on time and want to reach their maximum caloric burn during the phase.

On the other hand, Low-Intensity Steady-State is longer in duration and lower in intensity.

It’s performed at a steady pace so that you can sustain your energy for the entire duration. Some examples of this could be biking, running, brisk walking, rowing or swimming.

If you are having enough time to get in some steps then LISS is a great option for people who are aligned with their nutritional goals.

LISS cardio is designed to keep your heart rate at a sustainable rate. That would be around 60-70% of your max heart rate.

It is a form of aerobic training which means that the exercise requires oxygen. During cardio and aerobic exercise, your heart rate and oxygen intake both increase.

HIIT is a great way to increase your epoc. This is your post-workout oxygen consumption. When you are consuming more and more oxygen, you are burning more calories!

This means that HIIT allows you to burn more calories for a long time even after your workout.

So HIIT wins over here. Although HIIT is a great option to lose fat, it is not a magic solution to put train a bad diet.

In the end, the total amount of calories burned vs the total number of calories consumed is going to determine whether you lose fat or not!

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WHY CHOLESTEROL IS NOT YOUR ENEMY! 

Cholesterol is often considered evil, especially when it comes to talking about strokes or heart attacks. People seem healthy not overweight but can still have underlying heart disease. So this has put us in a delusion that all cholesterol is bad. However, did you know that fifty per cent of all people who experience a heart attack have normal cholesterol?

Yes, excess cholesterol does hurt our health but that is true for other markers as well.

Cholesterol is essential for life as it helps in:• the Formation and maintenance of cell membranes.•Hormone production namely progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol• Production of bile salts, which help to digest food.• Conversion of sunlight into vitamin D in the skin.

Every single one of your cells needs cholesterol to function.

If you are having low cholesterol it may mean your body is shutting down and not able to make its cholesterol.

What people fail to understand is the inflammation which creates the plaques that cause atherosclerosis rather than cholesterol.

Higher insulin promotes inflammation in the tissues including the arterial endothelium (inner lining of the arteries).

So diabetics are more prone to heart attacks.

Apart from diabetes, there are several other factors which can increase the risk of heart diseases including hidden food allergies, metal toxins, or any infections in your mouth or intestines.

Food allergies, gluten sensitivity, celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome are all inflammatory diseases and hence can lead to CVD.

Find the root cause of your inflammation and live a heart-healthy life!

And to all those who wish to make some good gains in the gym! Did you know that cholesterol is vital for testosterone production as well? Think again before conclusively avoiding it altogether.

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