Fiber might just be the key to healthy weight management – and nature packages it in perfectly balanced ratios with carbs when we eat them as whole foods (think unprocessed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds). Research suggests that carbohydrates are meant to come packaged in nature-balanced ratios of total carbohydrates to fiber. In fact, certain types of fiber affect how completely our body absorbs carbohydrates and tells our cells how to process them once they are absorbed.

Carbohydrates Are Meant To Come Packaged In Fiber

Fiber slows the absorption of sugar in our gut. It also orchestrates the fundamental biology that recent blockbuster weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic tap into, but in a natural way. Our microbiome tranforms fiber into signals that stimulate the gut hormones that are the natural forms of these drugs. These in turn regulate how rapidly our stomach empties, how tightly our blood sugar levels are controlled and even how hungry we feel.It’s as if unprocessed carbohydrates naturally come wrapped and packaged with their own instruction manual for our body on how to digest them.

Carbohydrates Naturally Come With Their Own Instruction Manual

Unfortunately, many of us get the majority of our carbohydrates stripped of their natural fibers. Modern processed grains like white rice and white flour as well as many ultraprocessed foods like some sugary breakfast cereals, packaged snacks and juices have removed these fibers. They essentially come unwrapped and without instructions for the body on how much it should absorb and how it should process them.

Processed And Ultra-Processed Carbohydrates: Signal Lost

One popular approach to mitigating some of the ill health effects of low fiber and high refined carbohydrates has been to limit carbohydrate intake. Such approaches include the low-carb, keto, paleo and Atkins diets. Each diet is a variation on a similar theme of limiting carbohydrates to varying amounts in different ways.

No Signal = No Carbohydrates? 

There is scientific backing to the benefits of some of these low-carbohydrate diets. Research shows that limiting carbohydrates induces ketosis, a biological process that frees energy from fat reserves during starvation and prolonged exercise. Low-carbohydrate diets can also help people lose weight and lead to improvements in blood pressure and inflammation. That said, some keto diets may have negative effects on gut health. It is also unknown how they may affect heart health, some forms of cancer and other conditions in the long term.

Yes, Low-Carbohydrate Diets Can Benefit Metabolic Health

Even more confusing, research shows that people with diets high in plant-sourced carbohydrates, like the Mediterranean diet, tend to lead the longest and healthiest lives. How can this be reconciled with studies that suggest that low-carbohydrate diets can benefit metabolic health?

But High-Carbohydrate Diets Can Also Benefit Metabolic Health

The answer may have to do with the types of carbohydrates that studies are evaluating. Limiting simple sugars and refined carbohydrates may improve certain aspects of metabolic health, as these are some of the most easily digested and absorbed calories. But a more sustainable and comprehensive way of improving health may be increasing the percentage of unprocessed, more complex and slowly absorbed carbohydrates that come with their natural packages and instructions intact – those that have fiber.

What To Limit, What To Increase

Unprocessed, more complex and slowly absorbed carbohydrates come in ratios of total carbohydrate to fiber that rarely exceed 10-to-1 and are often 5-to-1 or lower. Eating mostly whole foods is a simple way to ensure we’re consuming quality carbohydrates with the right ratios.Focusing on packaged processed foods that maintain carb-to-fiber ratios of at least as low as 10-to-1 or ideally 5-to-1 can help us make the best choices when picking more processed foods at the store. Take a look at the nutrition facts label and simply divide total carbohydrates by dietary fiber.

Ratios Of Total Carbohydrate-To-Fiber

While almost all fiber is generally good for health in most people, not all fiber affects the body in the same way.Certain medical conditions might preclude consuming certain types of fiber. For example, some people can be particularly sensitive to one class of fiber called FODMAPs – Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols – that are more readily fermented in the upper part of the gut and can contribute to symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome like bloating and diarrhea.

“Moderation In All Things” Applies To Fiber Consumption Too

I wouldn’t endorse eating sweets all the time, but as my three daughters like to remind me, it’s important to enjoy yourself every once in a while. And when you do, consider putting the carbs back in their fiber wrappers. It’s hard to improve upon nature’s design.

“Consider putting the carbs back in their fiber wrappers. It’s hard to improve upon nature’s design.”

Many processed foods strip carbs of their natural fibers. Eating foods with an ideal total carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio can help with weight management and improve overall health.

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Food

health

Health

exerciseandfitness

Exercise & Fitness

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Problem Solving

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Science & Nature

Dietary Fiber: Carbohydrates’ Wrapper and Instruction Manual

Creatine is an amino acid found in your muscles and brain:<ul><li>Your body produces about 1 gram of creatine per day.</li><li>Creatine is used for energy and can help increase energy levels and muscle mass.</li></ul>

Creatine

Before buying creatine, there are a few things to note:<ul><li>Just because you don't see immediate benefits DOES NOT mean you should take a large amount of it.</li><li>Taking too much creatine can cause diarrhea and an upset stomach.</li><li>If you don't see immediate benefits, you probably just need to give it more time as creatine doesn't have immediate effects.</li></ul>

Before You Buy It

I recommend taking 5 grams of creatine every day for 5 days to experience positive effects.If you don't see any effects, you might not be drinking enough water.

Side Note:

Creatine won't help you if you don't exercise. <ul><li>You still need to put in the work!</li><li>Don't get discouraged and keep going to the gym.</li><li>You can do it!</li></ul>

Finally

People tend to ask me, "Is creatine a steroid?" And I have an answer to that; creatine is not a steroid, and it does not have the affects of steroids. According to newsobserver.com, "Creatine is a legal and natural compound occurring in foods and your body and isn’t associated with steroids." Exact URL:https://www.newsobserver.com/healthwellness/article269127442.html

*UPDATE* 7/1/2023

Creatine is one of the most studied fitness supplements.

Is creatine safe and effective? Read this authoritative report, sourced by the foremost experts, before deciding if creatine’s the supplement for you.

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Sports

Everything You Should Know About Creatine and Muscle Growth

There are regions in the world where people enjoy exceptionally long lives, living well into their 100s.These areas of the world are where the author calls the Blue Zones.

Blue Zones

One of those Blue Zones is Sardinia, a small island off the coast of Italy.A 2011 study showed that in Sardinia, 1 in 600 humans live to be 100 or older. This is in contrast to the US, where 1 in 4000 people are 100 or older.

Sardinia, Italy

The most important determinant of longevity is our lifestyle, not our genes.According to a famous Danish study, which looked at over 2,500 twins, genes only account for 25% of all the factors that determine how long we live.

Longevity Is Not Genetics

No one carries longevity in their DNA.What matters is our behavior and how we choose to live our lives.If you can optimize your lifestyle (to be in line with how people in the Blue Zones live), you may gain back an extra decade of the good life.

Technology has gotten to the point where we can do basically anything just by the touch of a button.We can shop, work, and even socialize from the comfort of our homes. But this comfort we enjoy comes at a great price: our health.WHO: 85% of the world population does not engage in enough physical activity, making a sedentary lifestyle the 4th leading risk factor for global mortality.

Sedentary Lifestyle

Living an active lifestyle is essential to longevity.Studies have shown that physical activity reduces major risk factors of death (hypertension, diabetes, stroke, heart attack, and cancer).When you are physically active, your body and mind will be in great condition and the process of aging will be slowed down.

We can make our lifestyle active by making life a little tougher.<ul><li>Start walking or riding a bicycle to the store instead of driving.</li><li>Take the stairs instead of using the elevators, etc.</li></ul>If workout is already part of your life, make sure your routine includes a combination of aerobic, balancing, and muscle-strengthening activities.

No Gym Required

Follow the people of Okinawa (Japan), which happens to be the Blue Zone, to stop eating when you’re 80% full.They don’t keep eating till they clear the plate, or till they are too full to take another bite. Be mindful.

Hara Hachi Bu

Caloric restriction is an important factor in longevity.Studies have shown that losing just 10% of one’s body weight helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, which reduces the risk of heart disease.

<ol><li>Trick yourself into eating less by making your food look bigger.</li><li>Use smaller vessels to serve your meals.</li><li>Do not rush your meals; try as much as possible to eat slower.</li><li>Avoid distractions while eating and focus on food. If you’re going to eat, just eat and leave everything else until you’re done.</li></ol>

Cut Back Calories Easily

Blue zones’ people diets are predominantly plant-based.They never develop the habit of eating processed foods, soda pop, or salty snacks.They avoided meat and other animal products except on rare occasions.

Plant-Based Diet

Worry that a plant-based diet may not provide enough protein? Not.An average plant-based diet with legumes and fortified grains can meet our daily need for protein.When we consume too much protein, the body takes the amount required to maintain it and convert the rest to calories or fat.

While most of us think that longevity is all about eating right and staying fit, that is actually not the case.Living long also has a lot to do with the state of your mind.

Longevity is beyond your meals or staying fit.Individuals who expressed a clear goal in a life lived longer and were sharper than those who did not.People who know their goals, who have something to get up for in the morning — live longer, better lives.

Set Clear Goal

In most of the Blue Zones, their children check up on their parents and the younger generation welcomes the older generation to live with them.Research has shown that elders who live with their children, are:<ul><li>Eating healthier diets.</li><li>Having lower chances of getting sick and levels of stress.</li><li>Having a much lower incidence of serious accidents.</li></ul>

Family First

A sense of purpose may come from something as simple as seeing grandchildren grow up well or learning something new, such as musical instrument or a new language.When it comes to family, cherish it above anything else. Invest time and energy in your children, your spouse, and your parents.

Sense Of Purpose

During weekend create a “sanctuary in time” to focus on God, families, and nature.Spend time together with the closest ones and do things that bring them closer and make them feel closer to God.Slowing down increase the ability of immune system to fight off minor illnesses, simply because you’re less stress.

Slowing Down

Meditation increases concentration and allows us to see the world as it really is, instead of how we think it is.To start meditation, create a space in your home that is quiet, not too hot and not too cold, not too dark and not too light. Get a meditation cushion to put in the space.

Meditation

Lessons for living longer from the people who’ve lived the longest.

In this expanded paperback edition of his New York Times bestseller, longevity expert Dan Buettner draws on his research from extraordinarily long-lived communities--Blue Zones--around the globe to highlight the lifestyle, diet, outlook, and stress-coping practices that will add years to your life and life to your years. A long healthy life is no accident. It begins with good genes, but it also depends on good habits. If you adopt the right lifestyle, experts say, chances are you may live up to a decade longer. So what's the formula for success? National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner has lead teams of researchers across the globe to uncover the secrets of Blue Zones--geographic regions where high percentages of centenarians are enjoying remarkably long, full lives. The recipe for longevity, Buettner has found, is deeply intertwined with community, lifestyle, and spirituality. You won't find longevity in a bottle of diet pills or with hormone therapy. You'll find it by embracing a few simple but powerful habits, and by creating the right community around yourself. In The Blue Zone, Buettner has blended his lifestyle formula with the latest longevity research to inspire lasting behavioral change and add years to your life.

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Personal Development

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Habits

longevity

Longevity

Dan Buettner

The Blue Zones

Creatine is an amino acid located mostly (95%) in your body's muscles as well as in the brain. Once consumed it is stored as phosphocreatine primarily in your muscles. Most people take creatine orally to improve athletic performance and muscle gain.Other uses include improving brain disorders, congestive heart failure or  skin care.Creatine can be produced from food, mainly meat. Vegetarians should probably supplement. Creatine stored water so people with kidney problems should consult their doctor. Also it promotes water based weight gains in first months of usage.

What is Creatine

Creatine comes as a powder. There are many forms, but by far the most potent one is creatine monohydrate. Loading Phase - First WeekWhen taking it for the first time it's recommended you go with 20-25g split into equal doses over 5-7 days. This is higher dose than normal & it's goal is to reap the benefits fasterMaintenance PhaseTake 3-5g per day. The loading phase can be skipped, which means your muscles will take longer to get to full creatine reserves.

Taking Creatine

I remember hearing about creatine long term health benefits and decided to look into it. This video has some basic info.  

CREATINE EXPLAINED! — What Is It & What Does Creatine Do? | Doctor ER. Doctor Wagner explains creatine monohydrate, creatine before and after, creatine benefits, creatine hair loss, creatine side effects, creatine loading, best creatine for muscle gain, what is creatine, how to take creatine, when to take creatine powder, how to use creatine effectively, and many other scientifically proven health facts about creatine supplements and best creatine to take. Is creatine the answer to how to build muscle fast and lose belly fat? Is creatine bad for you? Is creatine good? Is creatine safe? Questions about creatine answered by a real doctor. Creatine helps muscles produce energy during heavy lifting or high-intensity exercise. Taking creatine supplement is very popular among athletes and bodybuilders to gain muscle, enhance strength and improve exercise performance, and bodybuilding, similarly to amino acids (BCAAs). When taking creatine powder, you increase your stores of phosphocreatine. This is a form of stored energy in the cells, as it helps your body produce more ATP. Creatine also alters cellular processes that lead to increased muscle mass, strength, and recovery. Have you tried creatine? What has your creatine monohydrate experience been? Let Doctor Wagner know in the comments below if you've ever tried any creatine powders leave your creatine supplement reviews below in the comments. SHOP MY GO-TO CREATINE SUPPLEMENTS: Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Powder ▶ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DYIZEO?ref=exp_doctorerwagz_dp_vv_d Pure Encapsulations Creatine Powder ▶ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016FZOQS?ref=exp_doctorerwagz_dp_vv_d Bodybuilding Signature Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Powder ▶ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C7TTZTM?ref=exp_doctorerwagz_dp_vv_d Thorne Research - Creatine ▶ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07978VPPH?ref=exp_doctorerwagz_dp_vv_d OTHER VIDEOS ABOUT CREATINE SUPPLEMENTS: @More Plates More Dates - How Much Creatine Should You ACTUALLY Take? MORE THAN 5 GRAMS!? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg15k2CrdEM @Yatinder Singh - Creatine for Muscle Growth | How to Use it | Yatinder Singh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBqvdxKnwNw @Jeremy Ethier - Creatine: How to Best Use It for Muscle Growth (Avoid Side Effects)! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wXetcdqiz0 @Gravity Transformation - Fat Loss Experts - How To Use CREATINE for Muscle Growth (FULL PLAN) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkT7jKJOEYg @Bodybuilding.com - 8 Questions About Creatine Answered | Jose Antonio, Ph.D. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae4Pa7ueGAE @Dr. Eric Berg DC - Creatine, the Recovery Nutrient https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNcfwTA-trE 🚨 SUBSCRIBE for new videos every week! ▶ https://www.youtube.com/DoctorER?sub_confirmation=1 FOLLOW ME HERE: Facebook ▶ https://www.facebook.com/DoctorER Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/doctorer/ Twitter ▶ https://twitter.com/DoctorERwagz TikTok ▶ https://www.tiktok.com/@doctorer Contact email ▶ info@doctor-er.com Doctor ER Dr. Jordan Wagner, DO #Creatine #CreatineSupplements #DoctorJordanWagner LINKS & REFERENCES: Creatine 101 — What Is It and What Does It Do? | Healthline https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-creatine Should I use creatine supplements? | Medical News Today https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/263269 Effect of creatine supplementation...a meta-analysis | Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12945830/ Creatine supplementation...an update | J Int Soc Sports Nutr. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3407788/ Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations | Mol Cell Biochem. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12701815/ Creatine supplementation | Current Sports Medicine Reports https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2013/07000/creatine_supplementation.10.aspx International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand...in exercise, sport, and medicine | J Int Soc Sports Nutr. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5469049/ Creatine supplementation...| Sports Med. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15707376/ Effects of 4-Week Creatine Supplementation...Sport Performance | Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6265971/ Potential benefits of creatine...in the elderly | Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11085837/ FTC: This video is not sponsored. Links contain affiliates. If you feel like you are actually experiencing a real-life medical emergency, immediately stop watching and call 9-11 or contact a medical professional. The information in this video is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace an appointment with your own personal doctor.

podcasts

Podcasts

CREATINE EXPLAINED! — What Is It & What Does Creatine Do? | Doctor ER. Doctor Wagner explains creatine monohydrate, creatine before and after, creatine benefits, creatine hair loss, creatine side effects, creatine loading, best creatine for muscle gain, what is creatine, how to take creatine, when to take creatine powder, how to use creatine effectively, and many other scientifically proven health facts about creatine supplements and best creatine to take. Is creatine the answer to how to build muscle fast and lose belly fat? Is creatine bad for you? Is creatine good? Is creatine safe? Questions about creatine answered by a real doctor. Creatine helps muscles produce energy during heavy lifting or high-intensity exercise. Taking creatine supplement is very popular among athletes and bodybuilders to gain muscle, enhance strength and improve exercise performance, and bodybuilding, similarly to amino acids (BCAAs). When taking creatine powder, you increase your stores of phosphocreatine. This is a form of stored energy in the cells, as it helps your body produce more ATP. Creatine also alters cellular processes that lead to increased muscle mass, strength, and recovery. Have you tried creatine? What has your creatine monohydrate experience been? Let Doctor Wagner know in the comments below if you've ever tried any creatine powders leave your creatine supplement reviews below in the comments.

SHOP MY GO-TO CREATINE SUPPLEMENTS:
Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Powder ▶ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DYIZEO?ref=exp_doctorerwagz_dp_vv_d
Pure Encapsulations Creatine Powder ▶ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016FZOQS?ref=exp_doctorerwagz_dp_vv_d
Bodybuilding Signature Micronized Creatine Monohydrate Powder ▶ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C7TTZTM?ref=exp_doctorerwagz_dp_vv_d
Thorne Research - Creatine ▶ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07978VPPH?ref=exp_doctorerwagz_dp_vv_d

OTHER VIDEOS ABOUT CREATINE SUPPLEMENTS:

@More Plates More Dates - How Much Creatine Should You ACTUALLY Take? MORE THAN 5 GRAMS!?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg15k2CrdEM

@Yatinder Singh - Creatine for Muscle Growth | How to Use it | Yatinder Singh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBqvdxKnwNw

@Jeremy Ethier - Creatine: How to Best Use It for Muscle Growth (Avoid Side Effects)!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wXetcdqiz0

@Gravity Transformation - Fat Loss Experts - How To Use CREATINE for Muscle Growth (FULL PLAN)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkT7jKJOEYg

@Bodybuilding.com - 8 Questions About Creatine Answered | Jose Antonio, Ph.D.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae4Pa7ueGAE

@Dr. Eric Berg DC - Creatine, the Recovery Nutrient
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNcfwTA-trE

🚨 SUBSCRIBE for new videos every week! ▶ https://www.youtube.com/DoctorER?sub_confirmation=1

FOLLOW ME HERE:
Facebook ▶ https://www.facebook.com/DoctorER
Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/doctorer/
Twitter ▶ https://twitter.com/DoctorERwagz
TikTok ▶ https://www.tiktok.com/@doctorer
Contact email ▶ info@doctor-er.com

Doctor ER Dr. Jordan Wagner, DO

#Creatine #CreatineSupplements #DoctorJordanWagner

LINKS & REFERENCES:

Creatine 101 — What Is It and What Does It Do? | Healthline
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-creatine

Should I use creatine supplements? | Medical News Today
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/263269

Effect of creatine supplementation...a meta-analysis | Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12945830/

Creatine supplementation...an update | J Int Soc Sports Nutr.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3407788/

Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations | Mol Cell Biochem.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12701815/

Creatine supplementation | Current Sports Medicine Reports
https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2013/07000/creatine_supplementation.10.aspx

International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand...in exercise, sport, and medicine | J Int Soc Sports Nutr.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5469049/

Creatine supplementation...| Sports Med.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15707376/

Effects of 4-Week Creatine Supplementation...Sport Performance | Nutrients.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6265971/

Potential benefits of creatine...in the elderly | Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11085837/

FTC: This video is not sponsored. Links contain affiliates.

If you feel like you are actually experiencing a real-life medical emergency, immediately stop watching and call 9-11 or contact a medical professional. The information in this video is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace an appointment with your own personal doctor.

Doctor ER

CREATINE EXPLAINED! — What Is It & What Does Creatine Do? | Doctor ER

Creatine Explained - What Is It & What Does Creatine Do?

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Dopamine is a <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22513-neurotransmitters">neurotransmitter</a> and a <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22464-hormones">hormone</a>. It communicates chemical messages between nerve cells in your brain or between your brain and the rest of your body. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">It plays an important role in many of your body’s functions, including memory, motivation, learning, reward and movement.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Dopamine deficiency means having a low level of dopamine. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Low dopamine levels are linked with certain health conditions like Parkinson’s disease and <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9290-depression">depression</a>. It may also make you more susceptible to taking risks or developing addictions.</li></ul>

What is Dopamine Deficiency? 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Low dopamine level occurs if there’s an injury to the areas of the brain that make dopamine. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">One could also have a low level of dopamine if the body doesn’t properly respond to dopamine (problem with nerve cell receptors that pick up and pass along the chemical message).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Certain health conditions are linked to dopamine deficiency. For example, people with Parkinson’s disease have a loss of nerve cells and dopamine in particular areas of their brain. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">People with cocaine addiction need more of the drug to achieve the intended effect because of damaged dopamine receptors in their brain.</li></ul>

What Causes Low Dopamine levels?

Symptoms of dopamine deficiency (low dopamine levels) may include:<ul><li>Feeling lack of motivation, “the drive.”</li><li>Feeling tired. </li><li>Can’t concentrate. </li><li>Moody or anxious.</li><li>Not feeling the pleasure from previously enjoyable experiences.</li><li>Feeling depressed; feel hopeless.</li><li>Have low sex drive.</li><li>Have trouble sleeping or have disturbed sleep.</li></ul>

What are the Symptoms of Dopamine Deficiency?

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Hand tremors or other tremors at rest, loss of balance or coordination, increased muscle/ limb stiffness, muscle cramps (symptoms of <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8525-parkinsons-disease-an-overview">Parkinson’s disease</a>).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Problems with short-term memory, managing daily tasks and solving simple thinking problems (symptoms of cognitive changes).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Problems with anger, low self-esteem, anxiety, forgetfulness, impulsiveness and lack of organizational skill (symptoms of <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4784-attention-deficithyperactivity-disorder-adhd">attention deficit hyperactivity disorder </a>).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Social withdrawal, reduced emotions, don’t feel pleasure (negative symptoms of <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4568-schizophrenia">schizophrenia </a>).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Gastrointestinal symptoms, including chronic <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4059-constipation">constipation </a>.</li></ul>

Other Symptoms of Low Dopamine Levels 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Dopamine deficiency isn’t a medical diagnosis.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">A blood test alone doesn’t provide much useful information, either. A blood test can measure dopamine levels but can’t determine how your brain responds to dopamine.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Instead, your healthcare provider will gather one's medical history, ask lifestyle questions (including alcohol and drug use), symptoms, examine and order any needed tests based on one's symptoms.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">With those information and the findings from your tests, your healthcare provider will determine if you have a medical condition related to a low dopamine level.</li></ul>

How is Dopamine Deficiency Diagnosed?

Treatment of dopamine deficiency depends on the underlying cause.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Parkinson’s disease. In some cases, dopamine agonists may be used. Dopamine agonists work by mimicking dopamine, causing nerve cells to react in the same way.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Restless legs syndrome. This condition is also treated by dopamine agonists .</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Depression. Treatment of depression may include selective serotonin uptake inhibitors that affect both the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine to make them work.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This condition can be treated with medication that increases dopamine activity.</li></ul>

How are conditions that are linked to dopamine deficiency treated?

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">If you think you have a low level of dopamine, see your healthcare provider.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">If an illness can’t be diagnosed, you may wish to try remedies that naturally increase dopamine.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Keep in mind that natural ways of treating dopamine deficiency through food may still need to be further researched on, and effects on each person varies from body to body. </li></ul>

How can I increase dopamine levels in a natural way?

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Eat a diet that’s high in magnesium and tyrosine-rich foods. These are the building blocks of dopamine production. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Tyrosine is an amino acid. It’s absorbed in your body and then goes to your brain, where it’s converted into dopamine. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Food 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.</li></ul>

How Can I Increase Dopamine Levels in a Natural Way?

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Engage in activities that make you happy or feel relaxed. This is thought to increase dopamine levels. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Some examples include exercise, meditation, yoga, massage, playing with a pet, walking in nature or reading a book.</li></ul>

How Can I Increase Dopamine Levels in a Natural Way? (Part 2)

Supplements that increase dopamine levels include:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Tyrosine. Tyrosine is a natural amino acid and a precursor to dopamine. (Dopamine is made from tyrosine.)</li><li class="ql-align-justify">L-theanine. L-theanine is another precursor to dopamine.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Vitamin D, B5 and B6. These vitamins are needed to make dopamine.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Omega-3 essential fatty acids.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Magnesium.</li></ul>

What Supplements Raise Dopamine Levels?

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Low dopamine levels can’t be looked at in a “black and white” way. It’s a complex subject. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">It’s important to know that low dopamine levels don’t cause medical conditions. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">There’s a link or association, but low levels don’t directly cause the medical conditions. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Even more confusing are the concepts of causation and correlation. For example, lower dopamine levels are linked with obesity. It’s known that the foods you eat and exercise can affect how your brain uses dopamine.</li></ul>

What else do I need to know about dopamine deficiency?

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Dopamine deficiency can affect your physical and mental health. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Many medical conditions are linked to (not caused by) low levels of dopamine, including Parkinson’s disease, restless legs syndrome, depression, schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Treatments are available to manage these conditions. Other methods to raise low dopamine levels may be considered; but, be sure to speak to your healthcare provider first. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">You and your healthcare provider will work together to find the best approach to manage your dopamine deficiency.</li></ul>

Summary 

Understanding what dopamine deficiency is and how it may affect one's health, plus natural ways to help increase its level may be useful to increase our health consciousness.

Dopamine deficiency means you have a low level of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Low dopamine levels are linked with certain health conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease or depression.

mentalhealth

Mental Health

Dopamine Deficiency: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, was once asked in an interview, "How do you become more productive?"The interviewer wondered what a billionaire’s answer would be.He broke the silence: "Work out."Working out gave him at least four additional hours of productive time daily.

Billionaire's Life Secret

Before you jump into the workout routine, understand The Minimum Effective Dose (MED). MED delivers the most dramatic results in the least amount of time.Anything beyond the MED is wasteful. For example:<ol><li>To boil water, the MED is 100°C. Higher temperatures will not make it "more boiled," only consuming more resources.</li><li>For a muscle group, activating your growth muscle might require just 80 seconds of tension using 50 pounds once every seven days.</li></ol>More is not better.

If you want a body transformation, there are two fundamental MEDs to keep in mind:<ol><li>To remove stored fat: Do the least necessary to trigger a fat-loss cascade of specific hormones.</li><li>To add muscle: Do the least necessary to trigger local (specific muscles) and systemic (hormonal) growth mechanisms.</li></ol>What small steps are to achieve these two objectives?Scroll down to deep dive further into this!

Body Redesign

Different sources of calories = different results.Scenario #1: 2 identical twins eat the same meals for 30 days. The only difference: one of them just finished a course of antibiotics and now lacks sufficient good bacteria for full digestion.Will the body composition outcomes be the same? Not.Scenario #2: 3 females of the same race, age, and body composition consume 2,000 calories daily for 30 days. Subject A consumes nothing but table sugar, Subject B consumes nothing but lean chicken breast and Subject C consumes nothing but mayonnaise.Will the body composition outcomes be the same? Not.

Calorie

It’s not what you put in your mouth that matters, it’s what makes it to your bloodstream. If it passes through, it doesn’t count.

Now that you understand the basic theories let's start to follow the diet rules.<ol><li>Rule #1: Avoid white carbohydrates.</li><li>Rule #2: Eat the same few meals repeatedly.</li><li>Rule #3: Don’t drink calories.</li><li>Rule #4: Don’t eat fruits.</li><li>Rule #5: Take one day off per week.</li></ol>Keep scrolling down to deep dive further into this!

Five Diet Rules

These foods are prohibited:All bread, rice (including brown), cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading.You'll be safe if you avoid eating the above foods and anything else white.Exception: You are good to consume those above foods within 30 minutes of finishing resistance training.

Rule #1: Avoid White Carbohydrates

The most successful dieters eat the same few meals over and over again. A thousand products are in grocery stores, but only a handful won’t make you fat.Mix and match from the following list:<ol><li>Proteins: Egg whites, chicken breast or thigh, beef.</li><li>Legumes: Lentils, black beans, pinto beans, red beans, asparagus, peas, broccoli, green beans.</li></ol>Eat as much as you like of the above food items, but keep it simple. Pick three or four meals and repeat them.

Rule #2: Eat The Same Meals

<ul><li>Drink: Massive quantities of water and as much unsweetened tea, black coffee, or other no/low-calorie beverages as you like.</li><li>Do not Drink: Any milk, regular soft drinks, or fruit juice. Limit diet soft drinks to no more than 16 ounces per day if you can, as aspartame can stimulate weight gain.</li></ul>

Rule #3: Don’t Drink Calories

Humans don’t need fruit six days a week, and they certainly don’t need it year-round.Can fruit juice screw up fat loss? Yes, very much.Fruit juice increases albumin that binds to testosterone.The only exceptions to the no-fruit rule are tomatoes and avocados (but no more than one cup or meal per day).

Rule #4: Don’t Eat Fruits

The author recommends Saturdays as your Dieters Gone Wild (DGW) days.You are allowed to eat whatever you want on Saturdays.There are no limits or boundaries during this day.Should you do it? Yes, of course.

Rule #5: Take One Day Off Per Week

Damage control means eating a lot but still minimizing fat gain.Apply these three principles:<ol><li>Principle #1: Minimize the release of insulin. How? Ensure that your first meal of the day is high in protein and insoluble fibre. The protein will decrease your appetite for the remainder of the binge and prevent total self-destruction.</li><li>Principle #2: Increase the speed of gastric emptying. Gastric emptying = Food exits the stomach. How? Consume caffeine and yerba mate tea.</li><li>Principle #3: During the binge, engage in muscular contractions (air squats, wall presses, and chest pull with an elastic band).</li></ol>

Damage Control

Two bacteria have been found to influence fat absorption regardless of diet: Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes.<ul><li>Lean people have more Bacteroidetes but fewer Firmicutes.</li><li>Obese people have more Firmicutes but fewer Bacteroidetes.</li></ul>How to increase them?<ol><li>Fermented foods. It contains healthy bacteria.</li><li>Prebiotics and probiotics. It could benefit from allergies, aging, obesity, and diseases from AIDS to type 2 diabetes.</li></ol>

Bacteria

videos

Videos

How To Build Muscle

The 4-Hour Body is a great resource to focus on diet, exercise, sleep, and more.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The game-changing author of Tribe of Mentors teaches you how to reach your peak physical potential with minimum effort. “A practical crash course in how to reinvent yourself.”—Kevin Kelly, Wired Is it possible to reach your genetic potential in 6 months? Sleep 2 hours per day and perform better than on 8 hours? Lose more fat than a marathoner by bingeing? Indeed, and much more.  The 4-Hour Body is the result of an obsessive quest, spanning more than a decade, to hack the human body using data science. It contains the collective wisdom of hundreds of elite athletes, dozens of MDs, and thousands of hours of jaw-dropping personal experimentation. From Olympic training centers to black-market laboratories, from Silicon Valley to South Africa, Tim Ferriss fixated on one life-changing question:  For all things physical, what are the tiniest changes that produce the biggest results? Thousands of tests later, this book contains the answers for both men and women. It’s the wisdom Tim used to gain 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, without steroids, and in four hours of total gym time. From the gym to the bedroom, it’s all here, and it all works.  You will learn (in less than 30 minutes each): • How to lose those last 5-10 pounds (or 100+ pounds) with odd combinations of food and safe chemical cocktails • How to prevent fat gain while bingeing over the weekend or the holidays • How to sleep 2 hours per day and feel fully rested  • How to produce 15-minute female orgasms  • How to triple testosterone and double sperm count • How to go from running 5 kilometers to 50 kilometers in 12 weeks  • How to reverse “permanent” injuries   • How to pay for a beach vacation with one hospital visit          And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are more than 50 topics covered, all with real-world experiments, many including more than 200 test subjects. You don't need better genetics or more exercise. You need immediate results that compel you to continue. That’s exactly what The 4-Hour Body delivers.

books

Books

Tim Ferriss is author of three #1 NYT/WSJ bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, and The 4-Hour Chef. He is also a start-up advisor specializing in positioning, PR, and marketing (Uber, Evernote, etc.). When not damaging his body with abusive sports, he enjoys chocolate, bear claws, and Japanese animation.

Timothy Ferriss

The 4-Hour Body

Don’t make like a banana & split

Don’t be like a lemon and sour your mood.

vs. those grapes that just wine about evvvvvvvvverything.

Always be raisin’ your spirits!

Orrange your priorities to include a zest for life. Or at least for a slice of it.

Peel back the masks you wear.

Don’t be one. Just be berry awesome like all the other boysen girls.

Strawberries get picked on.

Be a cherry. Pop & stay on top.

Be sweet on the inside, you prick.

Be a pineapple, will ya?

Branch out and explore! *she leaves*

Don’t fall far from the tree.

In a moment where all experience tells me to embrace my feelings, I have discovered yet another opportunity to distract myself.

philosophy

Philosophy

religionandspirituality

Religion & Spirituality

Fruit-flavored Wisdom 🍎

They may have salt, sugar, and fat on their side — but we — ultimately have the power to make choice. After all, we decide what to buy. We choose how much to eat.

In the 1950s, the TV made its debut, and more women were getting jobs that gave them less time to cook meals for families.That’s where the processed food is commercialized. Home economics teachers tought kids growing up how to make these meals.There was no dependency on processed foods since kids could as well make their meals. It got instant success, garnering enough support to oust home–cooked meals, thanks to the presence of sugar, fat, and salt.

The History

Don't underestimate the amount of sugar in whatever you eat; there might be hidden amounts lurking.

Know Your Sugar

We may have an insatiable hunger for sugar, but we have a limit — a preprogrammed upper limit for when we've had too much sugar. So even though we can't help ourselves, we literally cannot have too much.Guess who knows this convenient piece of information? The processed foods companies, of course.

High Sugar = Severe Health

There are products that don't even need sugars but have them anyway. This means, even if you avoid the obvious processed foods or drinks with sugar, your bowl of pasta might contain even more sugar.Even in pasta sauce, after tomatoes, the main ingredient is sugar. These odd combinations are wrong and immoral; sugar has no place in specific meal options.Did you know? The average tomato paste contains at least 12 grams of sugar; that's about six cubes of sugar.

Sugar Is Everywhere

If sugar is the methamphetamine of processed food ingredients, with its high–speed, blunt assault on our brains, then fat is the opiate, a smooth operator whose effects are less obvious but no less powerful.

Research showed that cereals contained insane amounts of sugar, which caused widespread tooth decay (in children) and risk of diabetes (in adult).In the 1970s, Americans were plagued with staggering cases of health troubles directly linked to sales of processed foods and quick meals.Surprisingly enough, these concerns and studies didn't deter the sales nor the demand, for that matter.Even though people knew these meals were unhealthy and were the leading cause of most life–threatening conditions that were plaguing them, they still purchased well–packaged poisons.

Too Much Sugar, We Don’t Care

Fat had two times the amount of calories sugar would. That's a lot of calories considering we can't taste or tell when fat is too much. We can't taste it when it's alongside sugar or tell when it's in excess.This glitch meant that these processed food companies could put a ridiculous amount of it into the foods, and we'd not even notice it.

Fat Is Another One

Sugar and fat work hand in hand to deliver the consumer with potential health risks in tasty snacks.Fat makes the processed foods last longer on the shelf, meaning you'd have more than enough time to eventually purchase them, while the sugar makes it pleasurable to eat more and more of the unhealthy cuisine.

Sugar And Fat Are Best Friend

So how come we eat healthily but still add excess weight and turn out like those who indulge in unhealthy meals?Two foods have been at the helm of this debacle; milk and cheese.Milk and cheese is quite fatty in its original production recipe, but then when it's processed cheese, it contains more fat.

Healthy Or Not Sure?

Your most favorite food might be harmful. Learn how salt, sugar, and fat is dangerous when you consume irresponsibly.

From a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter at The New York Times comes the troubling story of the rise of the processed food industry -- and how it used salt, sugar, and fat to addict us.  Salt Sugar Fat is a journey into the highly secretive world of the processed food giants, and the story of how they have deployed these three essential ingredients, over the past five decades, to dominate the North American diet. This is an eye-opening book that demonstrates how the makers of these foods have chosen, time and again, to double down on their efforts to increase consumption and profits, gambling that consumers and regulators would never figure them out. With meticulous original reporting, access to confidential files and memos, and numerous sources from deep inside the industry, it shows how these companies have pushed ahead, despite their own misgivings (never aired publicly). Salt Sugar Fat is the story of how we got here, and it will hold the food giants accountable for the social costs that keep climbing even as some of the industry's own say, "Enough already."

Salt Sugar Fat

Find 100+ Facts about Food - Curated by others from trusted sources like Books, Podcasts & Articles - Genuine Insights from like-minded Users like You!

Dietary Fiber: Carbohydrates’ Wrapper and Instruction Manual

Everything You Should Know About Creatine and Muscle Growth

The Blue Zones

Creatine Explained - What Is It & What Does Creatine Do?

Dopamine Deficiency: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

The 4-Hour Body

Fruit-flavored Wisdom 🍎

Salt Sugar Fat

Neuroscientist: Ugly Truth About Alcohol – Andrew Huberman's Advice

Becoming a fat burning machine

It's time to
Read like a Pro.

Dietary Fiber: Carbohydrates’ Wrapper and Instruction Manual

Everything You Should Know About Creatine and Muscle Growth

The Blue Zones

Creatine Explained - What Is It & What Does Creatine Do?

Dopamine Deficiency: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

The 4-Hour Body

Fruit-flavored Wisdom 🍎

Salt Sugar Fat

Neuroscientist: Ugly Truth About Alcohol – Andrew Huberman's Advice

Becoming a fat burning machine

It's time to Read like a Pro.

It's time to
Read like a Pro.