Team Asprey

13 Best Butt Exercises to Sculpt Strong Glutes at Home

December 18, 2018 by Team Asprey

[tldr]

Having strong glutes can help you prevent injury, improve performance and move better
Most people have weak glutes because of inactivity.
Butt exercises should target the muscles of the entire glute complex including the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus muscles.

[/tldr]

Note: These glute exercises are not gender-specific — experts recommend them all for both men and women.

Everyone wants a better butt these days, and not just to look good in jeans. A strong set of glutes can stave off injuries, improve athletic performance, and help you move well as you age.

“Walking, running, jumping, change of directions, and, well, just about everything is better with strong glutes,” says Brett Jones, MS, ATC, CSCS, founder of Applied Strength.

And not to drop a truth bomb but, most of us need to be doing glute exercises — and aren’t. “Lack of use is the biggest reason so many people tend to have weak glutes,” says Cassandra York, PhD, MS, RD, CSCS, best-selling fitness author and a professor at Central Connecticut State University. “We don’t walk as much as we used to. We don’t take the stairs. And when we do move, we tend to be quad dominant,” says York.

Over time, having weak glutes can lead to hip, knee and low back pain. Athletes with glute weakness are also prone to acute injuries such as ACL tears and hamstring strains.

A good butt workout should target the muscles of the entire glute complex: the big, power-producing gluteus maximus, and the smaller, stabilizing gluteus medius and minimus. Below, York, Jones, and award-winning personal trainer Katie Gould share 13 effective butt exercises you can do at home with minimal equipment. All you need for these glute exercises is a flat resistance band/mini band and a kettlebell.

Glute exercises with bands

1. Clamshells

Place a light resistance band around both legs, just above your knees. Lie on one side with knees bent, hips stacked and feet together. Make sure your butt is not tucked. Exhale as you lift your top knee, keeping your feet together. Inhale as you return your knee to the starting position. Do 15 reps. Switch sides.

Targets: gluteus medius and minimus

2. Lateral stepping

Secure a flat resistance band just above your ankles and stand with your feet at about hip-width, keeping feet forward. Keeping your weight in your heels, step your right foot laterally, maintaining the tension in the band. Keep the band taut as you step your left foot slightly to the right. Continue stepping sideways to your right for about 5 steps. Then step to your left to return to the starting position. Repeat three times.

Targets: gluteus medius and minimus

3. Hip thrusts with band

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a band above your knees. Exhale as you drive your heels into the ground and lift your hips as high as possible, keeping the band taut. Inhale as you slowly lower your hips back to the starting position. Do 12-15 reps.

Targets: gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteus medius and minimus, abdominals

4. Standing kickbacks with band

Place a band around your ankles. Shift your weight into your right foot and place the toes of your left foot on the ground about an inch behind your right foot, so there is tension in the band. Exhale as you kick your left leg back about six inches. Avoid arching your back and keep your knees straight. Inhale as you return your left foot to the starting position. Do 10-12 reps. Switch sides.

Targets: gluteus maximus, hamstrings, gluteus medius and minimus

Butt exercises with kettlebell

5. Deadlifts

Stand with your feet at shoulder width and position a heavy kettlebell between your feet. Hinge at your hips and bend your knees while lowering your hands to the kettlebell handle. Your shins should stay vertical. Gripping the handle, exhale as you drive through our heels to extend your hips and rise to standing. Inhale as you slowly lower the kettlebell back toward the ground by hinging at the hips and allowing your knees to bend as needed. Do 10 reps.

Targets: gluteus maximus, hamstrings, upper and lower back, abdominals

6. Kettlebell swings

Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width with a kettlebell about a foot in front of you. With your weight in your heels, hinge at your hips while lowering your hands to the kettlebell handle. Grab the kettlebell with an overhand grip, “Hike” the kettlebell back between your legs, catching the force of the moving kettlebell with your hips. Exhale as you swing the kettlebell forward by thrusting your hips, straightening your legs, and squeezing your glutes and abs. Once the kettlebell reaches chest height, inhale as you allow it to fall, and guide it back to the “hiked” position.

Targets: gluteus maximus, hamstrings, abdominals, upper and lower back, shoulders

7. Goblet squats

Stand with feet at shoulder width, holding a kettlebell at your chest. Inhale as you bend your knees and push your hips back to lower into a squat. Aim for your hips to come as low as your knees and avoid tucking your tailbone. Exhale and drive through your heels to rise to standing. Do 10 to 12 reps.

Targets: gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hamstrings, abdominals

8. Single-leg deadlifts

Holding a kettlebell in your left hand, stand on your right foot and lift your left foot off the ground… Keeping your weight in your midfoot to heel, inhale as you hinge at your hips and slightly bend your knee to push your butt backward. Keep your shin vertical and hips squared forward. Exhale as you drive through your heel to return to standing. Do 10-12 reps. Switch sides.

Targets: gluteus maximus, hamstrings, gluteus medius, and minimus, calves

Glute exercises with body weight

9. Reverse lunge to balance

Stand on your right foot and lift your left foot off the ground. Inhale as you step your left foot back-ward into a lunge, so that your left knee hovers above the ground. Exhale as you drive through your right heel to rise to a single-leg stance, bringing your left leg forward and up to hip height. Do 10-12 reps. Switch sides. Optional: Load this move by holding a kettlebell at your chest or a dumbbell in each hand.

Targets: gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus medius and minimus, calves

10. Single-leg hip thrusters

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips to come into a bridge position. Lift your left leg off the ground and extend it in front of you, keeping your pelvis level. Inhale as you slowly lower your hips toward the ground. Exhale as you drive your right heel into the ground and lift your hips. Do 10-12 reps. Switch sides.

Targets: gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteus medius and minimus

11. Speed skaters

Stand with feet together, hips pushed back and knees slightly bent. Push off with your right foot and leap to your left, landing softly on your left foot. Push off with your left foot to leap back to the opposite side. Alternate sides for a total of 20 reps.

Targets: gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteus medius and minimus

12. Frog pumps

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips to come into a bridge position with a neutral spine. Tuck your chin into your chest. Dig your elbows into the ground. Press the bottoms of your feet together and move your heels as close to your butt as possible. Inhale as you lower your hips toward the ground. Exhale as you lift your hips. Do 15 reps.

Targets: gluteus maximus, medius and minimus

13. Walking lunges

Step forward with your right foot and lower into a lunge, letting your left knee hover above the ground. Push off with your right foot to rise to a single-leg stance and step your left foot forward, immediately lowering into a lunge on this side. Alternate sides for a total of 20 reps.

Targets: gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hamstrings

This Full Body Dumbbell Workout Gets You Fit in 13 Minutes

December 14, 2018 by Team Asprey

A new study found that when it comes to building strength and endurance, performing a single set of exercises to failure can be as effective as completing multiple sets.
Based on the study, this 13-minute full-body dumbbell workout allows you to efficiently get results without clocking serious time in the gym. You can do it at home, with minimal equipment.
Do this dumbbell workout two to three times a week, giving your muscles 48 hours to recover in between.

If you’re looking to get strong in a hurry, you can’t beat this 13-minute full-body dumbbell workout. The format takes advantage of new evidence that doing single sets of seven exercises improves strength and muscular endurance as effectively as three to five sets of the same moves. The catch: You have to perform each set to complete failure.

“One of the greatest things to come out of this study is that it suggests there’s a difference between strength and hypertrophy (the size of your muscles). You don’t have to do as [many reps] as previously thought to get stronger, but you do you have to work really hard,” says Julie Read, a certified personal trainer in Philadelphia.

While the study’s workout involved barbells and machines, Read designed this dumbbell version to save you a trip to the gym. Including rest and transition time between exercises, the full-body workout should take about 13 minutes to complete.

How to perform this workout

Choose a weight for each move that will lead to muscular failure within the 8 to 12 rep range. You should not be able to perform another rep without having to put the weight down. At the end of each set, you may feel a little shaky, as your nervous system will be very fatigued. This may take some trial and error, so adjust as necessary for future workouts.

Perform one set to failure of each exercise, resting for 45 to 90 seconds between moves. Allow time to recover and reconnect with the next exercise. Read designed this dumbbell workout alternating between upper and lower body moves. “You want your muscles to be as fresh as possible so you can go as heavy as you can with each exercise.”

Do this dumbbell workout three days a week with at least 48 hours of rest between workouts, for maximum benefits. “I think there is a minimum effective dose you have to work your body at,” she says. However, you also want to allow sufficient recovery time between training sessions, Read adds.

13-minute full-body dumbbell workout

Warm-up

Never lift heavy weights without warming up first. Use your warm-up to prepare for the movements in the dumbbell workout and determine the weight you’ll be lifting. For your warm-up, perform two light sets of each workout move in a circuit format.

Goblet squat

Stand with feet at shoulder width, holding a dumbbell at your chest.
Inhale as you bend your knees and sink your hips between your feet to lower into a squat. Aim for your hips to come as low as your knees and avoid tucking your tailbone. Do not let knees extend past your toes.
Exhale and drive through your heels to rise to standing.
Perform 8 to 12 reps, stopping when you can no longer complete another rep in good form.

Make it harder: Pause for 5 seconds at the bottom of each rep.

Pull-up

Grasp a pull-up bar with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip and palms facing away from you. Lift your feet off the ground to hang from the bar.
Exhale and pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar. Pause briefly.
Inhale as you lower yourself down until your arms are straight.
Perform 8 to 12 reps, stopping when you can no longer complete another rep in good form.

Make it easier: If you fatigue before reaching 8 reps, jump or use a box to start with your chin at the top of the pull-up bar. Then slowly lower yourself down to a hanging position. Use this strategy to complete the remainder of 8 reps. If you can’t do an unassisted pull-up, use this method to perform individual reps until failure.

Make it harder: For each pull-up, lower yourself down on a count of 5 seconds.

Hip thrust

Position yourself on the floor against a low bench with your shoulder blades just above the edge of the bench pad and feet under your knees. Hold a dumbbell across your upper thighs. You can place a towel under the weight to relieve the pressure. Keep your chin slightly tucked.
Start with your hips barely above the ground. Then exhale as you drive your heels into the ground and lift your hips as high as possible.
Inhale as you slowly lower your hips back to the starting position, keeping a neutral pelvis.
Perform 8 to 12 reps, stopping when you can no longer complete another rep in good form.

Make it harder: Hold the top of each rep for 5 seconds.

Dumbbell overhead press

Hold two dumbbells at shoulder height with palms facing inward.
Exhale as you press the weights overhead, avoiding arching your back.
Inhale as you slowly lower the weights to the starting position.
Perform 8 to 12 reps, stopping when you can no longer complete another rep in good form.

Dumbbell lunge

Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand, with arms at your sides.
Inhale as you step your right leg forward and bend your knee to lower your body toward the ground. Keep your torso upright and aim to keep your front shin vertical.
Exhale and push off with your right heel to reverse the movement and return to standing.
Perform 8 to 12 reps, stopping when you can no longer complete another rep in good form. Then switch sides.

Dumbbell chest press

Lie on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Bring the dumbbells to the sides of your chest and hold them with palms facing outward. Your upper arm and forearm should create a 90-degree angle.
Exhale as you press the dumbbells away from your body, straightening your arms. Pause briefly.
Inhale as you slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.
Perform 8 to 12 reps, stopping when you can no longer complete another rep in good form.

Dumbbell bent-over row

Stand with feet at shoulder width and hold a dumbbell in each hand, with palms facing inward. Hinge at your hips and bend your knees slightly until your back is parallel to the floor.
Exhale as you pull the weights up toward the sides of your body, keeping elbows at your sides. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
Inhale as you slowly lower the weights to the starting position.
Perform 8 to 12 reps, stopping when you can no longer complete another rep in good form.

Cool-down

After completing your full-body dumbbell workout, walk around to allow your heart rate to recover.

Precautions and disclaimers

It’s important to consider that the study this workout is based on involved fit, young men who had experience with strength training. Read does not recommend this full-body dumbbell workout for novice lifters, as there is more value in training movement patterns with more repetitions.
This workout is not appropriate for anyone who is chronically fatigued or stressed.
Dumbbells may limit you from fatiguing the muscles targeted in an exercise or make the exercise too difficult to perform, Read says. For example, if you continue to load a goblet squat, you’ll experience failure at your wrists before your legs fatigue. And it might not be possible to lift a heavy-enough dumbbell onto your hips to get the response needed in the dumbbell hip thrust. Given this difference, at some point you may need to graduate to barbell versions of these moves, Read says.
“You can’t expect the same results of the study because we’re changing the movements and adding in a lot of variables, but you can see how your body responds by mirroring the study as closely as possible with the equipment that you have,” Read says.
To get similar results, “You need to make sure you’re working to momentary failure on each movement of a full-body workout that includes a variety of movement patterns,” adds Read.

Magnesium for Sleep: How to Supplement for Better Zz’s

December 11, 2018 by Team Asprey

[tldr]

Magnesium may promote better sleep by regulating melatonin, helping to activate the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, and activating the brain-calming GABA neurotransmitter.
Magnesium deficiencies have been linked to insomnia and poor sleep.
About half of Americans are short on magnesium. You can get magnesium through a number of whole foods, including leafy greens and avocado, as well as a daily supplement.
Soaking in an Epsom salt bath may also be an effective way to reap the brain benefits of magnesium.

[/tldr]

For many people, it takes more than a few sheep to guarantee a good night’s sleep. One alternative to those imaginary baa-ing balls of wool? Magnesium. Science suggests a magnesium deficiency could lead to restless nights — or even insomnia. Conversely, supplementing with magnesium has been associated with better sleep.[ref url=”http://www.jle.com/en/revues/mrh/e-docs/magnesium_supplementation_improves_indicators_of_low_magnesium_status_and_inflammatory_stress_in_adults_older_than_51_years_wit_287101/article.phtml?tab=texte”]

How does magnesium help with sleep?

For one, magnesium might promote better sleep by reducing stress. Research suggests that supplementing with magnesium has the potential to alleviate mild anxiety.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5452159/”] A number of biological processes may underlie this mollifying effect. A 2016 study suggests that magnesium lessens stress by keeping the sympathetic nervous system (aka your fight-or-flight stress response) in check, and activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which has a calming effect.[ref url=”https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs15006-016-9054-7″]Other evidence indicates magnesium may calm your pre-bedtime racing mind, by regulating your brain’s GABA activation (GABA is the neurotransmitter that helps the brain relax).[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5452159/”]

Magnesium also helps control the sleep-wake-cycle-regulating hormone melatonin. One study that investigated the effects of magnesium on insomnia found that magnesium supplements improved subjective measures of insomnia, while also boosting melatonin levels, among a group of elderly subjects.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3703169/”]

In addition, magnesium might be an especially effective ally against insomnia for people suffering from restless leg syndrome. Researchers have found a connection between magnesium and a reduction of mild- and moderate restless leg syndrome, as well as a reduction in restless-leg-related insomnia.[ref url=”https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)62160-5/fulltext”][ref url=”https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/21/5/501/2725976″]

Where can you get magnesium — and how much do you need?

Magnesium is readily available in a variety of foods. Almonds and cashews are some of the most magnesium-dense foods around. Another good option: leafy greens, like spinach, which contain about 20 percent of your recommended intake per a half-cup (just be sure to cook them first to reduce oxalate levels). Avocados contain about 44 milligrams of magnesium per cup, while salmon, white rice, and carrots also contain a moderate amount of magnesium.[ref url=”https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/”]

If you’re struggling to pile magnesium onto your plate — about half of Americans fail to get enough magnesium in their diets[ref url=”https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/21/5/501/2725976″] — consider taking a supplement. (Think you might be magnesium-deficient? Check the list of symptoms here.) The National Institutes of Health recommends a daily intake of 400 to 420 milligrams for men and 310 to 360 for women, and The Bulletproof Diet recommends taking as much as 600 to 800 milligrams a day. But don’t overdo it. Magnesium is the leading ingredient in several laxatives, so don’t be surprised if taking too much magnesium leads to stomach distress or diarrhea.[ref url=”https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/”] Here’s everything you need to know about choosing the right magnesium supplement for you. I personally recommend Bioptimizer’s magnesium to most people, (so much so, that I have a coupon code for them: use “DAVE” at checkout for $10 off).

You might also be able to reap the snooze-enhancing benefits of magnesium by taking an Epsom salt bath before bed. A small study found that soaking in Epsom salts, which are a mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate, elevated magnesium levels.[ref url=”https://www.seasalt.com/media/wysiwyg/docs/report_absorption-of-magnesium-sulfate.pdf”] This suggests magnesium can do its job by penetrating the skin. For optimal results, use a ratio of about 1 gram of Epsom salts per 100 liters of water (so about 600 grams of salt for a standard, 15-gallon tub) and bathe two to three times a week. Bonus: if you go the salt-bath route, you might be double-dipping in sleep benefits: There’s evidence that a warm bath or foot bath in the evening can help you rest easier.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748913001132?via%3Dihub”][ref url=”https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jpa/19/1/19_1_21/_article”]

Kakadu Plums Fight Cancer Cells and Brighten Skin. Here’s How to Reap the Benefits

December 10, 2018 by Team Asprey

[tldr]

Kakadu plums are an Australian fruit that contain the highest known vitamin C concentration and more antioxidants than a blueberry. It’s primarily found in supplements and skin care products.
Because of their high antioxidant and vitamin C content, kakadu plums’ have a number of health benefits, including, the potential to fight cancer and other inflammatory disease.
Kakadu plum oil is also a potent skin care ingredient that can be used to brighten skin and reverse signs of aging.

[/tldr]

Every few years a new superfood emerges, promising health benefits beyond your wildest dreams. It usually comes from somewhere far away and often bears some hard-to-pronounce name (think: acai berries). Right now, kakadu plums are having a moment. In fact, with the highest levels of vitamin C of any fruit — in the entire world — and more antioxidants than the oft lauded blueberry,[ref url=”https://publications.csiro.au/rpr/download?pid=csiro:EP101542&dsid=DS1″] kakadu plums are the stuff superfood lore is made of. So what are kakadu plums, and what can they do for you?

What are kakadu plums?

Kakadu plums are a small light green fruit native to Australia, that’s also called the billygoat plum, bush plum, or salty plum. Indigenous people once used the sap and pits of kakadu plums to treat colds, the flu, and skin conditions.[ref url=”https://www.agrifutures.com.au/wp-content/uploads/publications/14-115.pdf”] These days, you’re most likely to see this Aussie import as an ingredient in skin care products — particularly in vitamin C serums — or in powder form, which can be used in smoothies, soups, and sauces.

You can apply kakadu plum extract to your skin with abandon, but you’ll need to pause for a moment before incorporating them into your diet. Kakadu plums are high in oxalates,[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28460910″] which is an antinutrient that can interfere with nutrient absorption and can bind with calcium ions in your blood, creating little crystals that can lead to bigger problems — especially if you’re prone to kidney stones or gout. If you are prone to these ailments, you should probably leave kakadu plums off your plate. But if you’re not, feel free to enjoy this fruit on occasion to reap their benefits. To reduce the oxalate content, try soaking them in lemon juice or adding a calcium capsule to your cooking water which helps neutralize the oxalates.

What are the nutritional & health benefits of kakadu plums?

Vitamin C: Kakadu plums derive most of their benefits from their sky-high concentration of vitamin C, which has all sorts of health benefits. “From immunity, bruise prevention, and the growth, development, and repair of tissues to enhancing iron absorption and adrenal support, vitamin C plays a dominant role in a number of bodily functions,” says Kelly Schmidt, RD, author of What’s the Deal With Paleo and Primal Eating?”

Antioxidants: Plus, kakadu plums pack an antioxidant punch. “The kakadu plum’s potent levels of antioxidants make it a strong candidate to fight cancer, heart disease, and inflammation,” Schmidt says. Antioxidants help to neutralize free-radicals that damage cells and may play a role in cancer development, so because of the kakadu plum’s incredible antioxidant concentration, scientists believe it may have the potential to help treat cancer[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3358965/”] and other autoimmune inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.[ref url=”https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/bitstream/handle/10072/79386/103889_1.pdf?sequence=1″]

Vitamins & minerals: But this isn’t where the kakadu plum’s impressive nutritional resumé ends. “The kakadu is drawing attention for not only the antioxidant levels and vitamin C, but it’s also a well-rounded, nutrient-dense fruit, containing trace amounts of lutein, vitamin E, folate, zinc, magnesium, and calcium,” Schmidt says.

How can kakadu plums benefit your skin?

In addition to potentially working wonders within our bodies internally, kakadu plums can unlock healthier, younger-looking skin when applied topically. Again, the kakadu plum’s vitamin C concentration is a key player in its benefits. “Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant,” says Dr. Melissa Piliang, MD, dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic. “It can help our skin manage the oxidative stress that happens as part of daily living.”

She explains that oxidative stress is what rusts metal and turns bananas brown, and it also does damage that ages skin.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4496685/”]This can be exacerbated by UV light and pollutants. By neutralizing free radicals, vitamin C helps to protect against that damage. “Vitamin C has been shown to help and prevent and treat UV light damage,” she says. “It makes skin appear brighter and fades dark spots and discoloration.”

Vitamin C also plays an important role in how our body makes collagen, which contributes to plump, firm skin, Piliang says. “As we age, the collagen and elastic fibers become stretched and less pliable. Think of an elastic waistband. Over time it stretches, and it doesn’t go back. As it wears out, our skin loses that tight appearance, and that’s where we get wrinkles.”

In short, by applying kakadu plum to your face, you dose your skin with collagen-producing, wrinkle-preventing vitamin C. To boot, kakadu plums contain two beneficial, skin-boosting acids, Piliang says. Gallic acid has anti-inflammatory properties that may alleviate skin redness, and ellagic acid helps improve skin elasticity.

How to incorporate kakadu plums into your skin care routine

You’ll find kakadu plums in a variety of oil-based lotions, creams, and serums. Because kakadu-containing products tend to be moisturizing, use kakadu plum morning and night after you cleanse your face, Piliang says. However, vitamin C can be irritating for some people, so if you have sensitive skin, use it just once a day to start.

Here are a few kakadu plum clean beauty products to add to your arsenal:

Herbivore Prism, $62

This multi-tasking serum gently exfoliates skin with lactic acid and brightens it with kakadu plum extract.

AnnMarie Wild Fruit Serum – Brightening Facial Complex, $119

This serum harnesses the power of plants. Specifically skin-brightening kakadu plums and apple extract, resveratrol-rich knotweed, and nutrient-dense madonna lily plant cells that help prevent and decrease dark spots.

Rohr Remedy Kakadu Plum Vitamin C Face Serum, $48

Hailing from the same continent as kakadu plums themselves, this Aussie oil-free moisturizing serum packs a mega vitamin C punch to brighten and firm skin.

Rawceuticals: BLEND Black Cumin, Hemp & Kakadu Plum Pressed Defense Moisturizer, $150

Kakadu plum is high on this moisturizer’s ingredient list, but it contains other skin care heavy-hitters too. Rawceuticals’ proprietary cold-pressed botanical-based polymer helps shield skin from pollution, while black cumin seed oil smooths skin and hemp seed oil helps protects against free-radical damage.

These 3 Lab Tests Will Help You Live Longer, Says “Wheat Belly” Cardiologist William Davis

November 30, 2018 by Team Asprey

[tldr]

A lot of people follow general advice on nutrition, exercise, stress management, and sleep, with amazing results. You can stop there…but your body is unique, and fine-tuning your lifestyle to fit your personal biology can make you 30, 40, even 50 percent stronger than you already are. That’s where lab tests are invaluable.
Three main lab tests that give you a huge return on your investment are an in-depth cholesterol panel, a vitamin D blood test, and a comprehensive blood sugar panel.
Read on for the details about each lab test, exactly what to say to your doctor, and the optimal results you want to aim for.

[/tldr]

When you first start the Bulletproof Diet, one of the first things you’ll notice is that you feel better than ever. You’ll wake up with boundless energy. You’ll have more mental focus than ever before. You’ll burn fat effortlessly. You’ll sleep better.

Feeling strong is valuable data. It’s a sign that your body is running better than it was, and when you make a big upgrade to your life (like eating right or working out), you’ll notice obvious improvements pretty quickly.

A lot of people stop there. But as good as you feel now, what if you could be another 30 percent better? Or maybe 40 or 50 percent better?

That’s where lab testing comes in. Lab testing is the difference between feeling good and feeling superhuman. Even if you’re doing well overall, maybe your testosterone is a little low, or your thyroid hormones are slightly off, or you aren’t getting enough vitamin D. These subtle changes make a big difference in how you perform over time. Lab testing gives you the data to personalize your lifestyle to fit your unique biology and reach your highest potential.

In a recent Bulletproof Radio podcast episode [iTunes], William Davis — cardiologist and author of the New York Times bestselling book Wheat Belly — shared a list of lab tests that give you the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to improving your biology. Here’s a guide to each of them.

Top lab tests for longevity

Get an in-depth cholesterol test

Cholesterol is misunderstood, and standard cholesterol tests — HDL and LDL — don’t provide any real insight into your cardiovascular function or risk of heart disease. Case in point: low LDL (the “bad” cholesterol that you allegedly want to minimize) actually correlates with higher risk of death[ref url=”http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/6/e010401.full”], and more than 75 percent of people hospitalized for heart attacks had “healthy” cholesterol numbers.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19081406″]

There’s much more to cholesterol than your HDL and LDL numbers, and standard cholesterol tests don’t even measure those numbers directly — they’re more of an estimation. Standard cholesterol tests are even more inaccurate if you’re on a low-carb diet, because your blood triglycerides are probably going to be low (which is a good thing), and low blood triglycerides make your LDL numbers appear artificially high.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18426324″]

Instead of the standard cholesterol test, choose a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) panel for a more nuanced (and actually helpful) look at your cholesterol levels.

The lab test: NMR lipoprotein panel with lipoprotein A, plus a heart scan.

An NMR lipoprotein panel directly measures the number of cholesterol particles you have and separates them out by particle size, which gives you a much clearer estimate of your cholesterol levels.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3070150/, https://www.labor-gaertner.de/uploads/media/LabInformation_LipoComplete_12.2016.pdf”] You should also get a heart scan to see how much plaque is building up in your arteries.Together, these tests give you an accurate idea of your cardiovascular function and heart disease risk.

Davis has some advice when you’re talking to your doctor about these tests:

“You can ask your doctor to draw [an NMR lipoprotein panel], and he’ll say, ‘Oh, I don’t know what that is,’ or, ‘Insurance won’t pay for it.’ Don’t let him pull that bullsh*t on you, because insurance does pay for it, and I’ve been doing it for over 20 years. It’s relatively easy to interpret.”

Lab test cost: $80-90

Check your vitamin D levels

“Vitamin D is such a huge player in reversing cardiovascular risk,” says Davis. “[Achieving] a vitamin D level of 60 to 70 nanograms per milliliter…was the first time I saw heart scan scores reversed.”

Vitamin D is the most important supplement you can take. It controls the on/off switch for more than a thousand genes and is also a building block for sex hormones like testosterone, human growth hormone, and estrogen. Vitamin D influences your immune system, keeps your inflammatory pathways running properly, and drives calcium absorption so your bones stay strong.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15585789″]

Your body makes vitamin D from sunlight, but if you spend most of your day indoors, you probably don’t create enough of it — 41 percent of Americans are vitamin D deficient, and another 40 percent have low vitamin D levels.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21310306″]

Supplementing seems like an easy fix. However, you don’t want to take vitamin D with abandon. Your body stores vitamin D; taking too much can build it up to toxic levels and cause thyroid issues.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15585789″]

This is where a lab test is useful — you can figure out exactly how much vitamin D your body needs to stay in your optimal range.

The lab test: 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test.

Work with a doctor to test and optimize your vitamin D levels. You want them to be 60-70 ng/mL.

Lab test cost:~$50

Test your blood sugar and insulin response

Your blood sugar and insulin response measure how well you’re processing carbs. They’re good indicators of your metabolism, and can give you an idea of your risk for diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and metabolic issues.

Blood sugar issues have a strong genetic component to them. You might be surprised to find you have insulin resistance, even if you’re eating a good diet, exercising, and so on. The good news is there are fixes — but the first step is to see whether you have a blood sugar or insulin issue.

The lab tests: There are three different tests that make up a comprehensive insulin/blood sugar panel. These are:

Fasting glucose test
Fasting insulin test
Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C)

A fasting glucose test measures the amount of sugar in your blood when you haven’t eaten any food. If your body is running properly, there shouldn’t be much sugar in your blood. The standard range says that anything under 100 mg/dL is good, 110-125 is pre-diabetic, and 125+ is diabetic. You want to be lower than 100, though; getting your fasting blood glucose down to 89 more than halves your risk of diabetes compared to 94-99, and the high 80s is where most metabolically strong people stay[ref url=”https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(08)00231-3/fulltext”][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2769652/”].

The next test is a fasting insulin test, which is equally important. Your body is good at compensating; if your blood sugar levels are consistently high, you’ll pump out more insulin to correct the problem, which means you could get a fasting glucose test that comes back totally fine, despite blood sugar regulation issues.

Fasting insulin usually becomes imbalanced long before blood sugar does. A fasting insulin test will tell you if you’re on the road to pre-diabetes, and gives you the opportunity to correct it before it becomes a big issue. A fasting insulin score under 8 is considered normal, but that’s still way too high. Aim for under 4.

The third and final part of a blood sugar panel is the HbA1C test. Your blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day in response to food, stress, lack of sleep, exercise, and other lifestyle factors. HbA1C shows you how your red blood cells have been handling sugar for the past 8-10 weeks. Chronically high HbA1C increases your risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26577885, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19229228″].

The “normal” range for HbA1C levels is not where you want to be. If you get a 5.7, most mainstream doctors will tell you that’s normal, because it’s an average score for most Americans; that level is actually pre-diabetic (diabetes starts at 6.0).

Aim for an HbA1C result of 5.0 or less. Anything in the 4’s is great. Also, note that if your fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels are both great, your HbA1C may be artificially high, because your red blood cells are surviving for a long time and have the chance to process more sugar over their lifetime, resulting in a higher HbA1c level[ref url=”http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/8/359/359ra130.full”]. If your HbA1C numbers come back high, but your fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin are both ideal, you’re probably okay.

Lab test cost: ~$100

Getting lab work done gives you invaluable data and helps you take your performance from good to superhuman. Find a good functional medicine doctor and order these tests; they’ll help you make your body as strong as possible so you can live longer, and better.

13 Best Subreddits Every Biohacker Should Follow

November 28, 2018 by Team Asprey

[tldr]

As the self-proclaimed “front page of the internet,” Reddit is packed with thriving communities for almost every interest, including biohacking.
These niche forums, or subreddits, are a boon for biohackers who want to upgrade their performance and connect with like-minded people.
Whether you want to talk about HIIT or the latest nootropics, check out the list below for the best subreddits to follow.

[/tldr]

If Reddit is “the front page of the internet,” then its subreddits are the internet’s index. With over 1.2 million niche forums and counting,[ref url=”http://redditmetrics.com/history”] there’s a community for almost everyone — especially biohackers. Here’s a quick-and-dirty guide to the best subreddits to upgrade your biohacking game.

13 best subreddits for biohackers

1. r/Biohackers

This small-but-active subreddit is a great stop for general interest topics about hacking your performance. Share your daily supplement stack, talk about tech like the Oura Ring and Muse headband, and find related links to new and developing stories in the biohacking space.

2. r/Nootropics

Ashwagandha. Slow-release caffeine. Intense talk about the merits of black seed oil. You’ll find plenty of discussion about nootropics (aka smart drugs) and cognitive enhancement among this subreddit’s 156,600 readers. Start with the stickied post about nootropics and check out the related subreddits for supplement-specific forums. Not sure where to start? Check out Bulletproof’s list of the best nootropics to unlock your true brain, then do a deep-dive into this subreddit.

3. r/Longevity

Want to live forever? This subreddit is dedicated to breaking news and research surrounding longevity, like startups trying to find a cure for aging and early stage research on cancer treatment. Spend some time with the extensive list of resources in the sidebar, and check out the top posts over the past month to get a bird’s-eye view of the latest headlines in anti-aging developments.

4. r/Transhumanism

Like r/Longevity and r/Biohackers, r/Transhumanism is interested in expanding one’s mental and physical capacity. But this subreddit has an important distinction: Transhumanism emphasizes the use of science and technology to change what it means to be human. Biohackers will appreciate the serious discussion among over 26,000 subscribers (or “thinkers”) about topics like essential transhumanist reading and the ethics of gene-editing.

5. r/Keto

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb style of eating that causes your body to burn fat instead of glucose for energy. With over 868,800 subscribers, regular community support threads, and an extensive sidebar of useful links, this subreddit is your one-stop-shop for everything keto. Learn more about the ketogenic diet (and how to do it the Bulletproof way) with this beginner’s guide.

6. r/Nutrition

With over 389,100 subscribers, r/Nutrition is the perfect space to geek out about food science with a diverse crowd. Every Friday, the subreddit features a dedicated thread for discussion about the latest news and research in nutrition science. Browse the related subreddits to view dedicated information about specific diets, supplements, and recipes.

7. r/EatCheapAndHealthy

Hacking your diet doesn’t have to cost a fortune. You’ll find tons of budget-friendly recipes and honest discussion. Recent notable threads include a hardcore discussion about the differences in quality between Trader Joe’s and Aldi and ideas for simple meals for people with disabilities. Just looking for recipes? You can filter the subreddit to only view relevant recipe threads. (Don’t miss other budget-friendly inspo on the Bulletproof recipe page, including easy and delicious ground beef recipes.)

8. r/IntermittentFasting

Intermittent fasting (IF) and biohacking pair together like butter and coffee. The IF subreddit is packed with weekly discussion threads to connect with other people, progress posts, and interesting articles. Top posts from the past month include this inspiring post about a Redditor who lost 100 pounds in 11 months and this totally on-point comic about coffee’s ability to suppress your appetite.

9. r/Fitness

With over 6.6 million members, huge communities like r/Fitness can feel overwhelming — but they have a ton of value if you’re looking for additional resources and access to a thriving community. Biohackers looking for new workout inspo will appreciate Training Tuesdays, the subreddit’s weekly thread to discuss training programs and routines. Browse the workout routines commonly recommended by users on r/Fitness, or read this discussion about what happens when you eat too much protein.

10. r/HIIT

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the most effective ways to benefit from exercise without spending tons of time at the gym, and r/HIIT is a valuable spot to learn new routines and talk about the latest HIIT science. Start with the subreddit’s sidebar, which includes links to a detailed beginner’s guide. Then, read this thread about the benefits of jump rope workouts, and browse this totally relatable thread about feeling torched after a HIIT workout.

11. r/Meditation

Meditation is one of the ultimate ways to hack your body and mind, and r/Meditation makes it easy to upgrade your practice. Check out the November Meditation Challenge, or browse the top posts of the past month for inspiring quotes and conversation (and a few meditation memes).

12. r/GetMotivated

Biohacking is the ultimate form of self-improvement, but sometimes, you need an extra push to keep going. r/GetMotivated combines motivating images, stories, and resources so you can become a more productive and confident badass. Don’t miss the victory thread to share your accomplishments for the week (and root for other people, too).

13. r/Psychology

Want to hack your brain? r/Psychology features discussions and links to scientific studies, but unlike other subreddits, submissions have to cite at least one peer-reviewed study. You can take a look at current and ongoing research and surveys in this weekly discussion thread, and check out the “Crossroads” section of the sidebar to find even more niche subreddits relating to behavior, psychotherapy, and scientific research.

Ready to take your biohacking to the next level? Check out these top 7 biohacks to upgrade your performance. Then, subscribe to the Bulletproof newsletter below to get biohacker intel delivered straight to your inbox each week.

Get on
“The Inside Track”
with Dave

See What Trouble Dave’s Getting Into on Social

Start hacking your way to better than standard performance and results.

Team Asprey

Glute exercises with bands

1. Clamshells

2. Lateral stepping

3. Hip thrusts with band

4. Standing kickbacks with band

Butt exercises with kettlebell

5. Deadlifts

6. Kettlebell swings

7. Goblet squats

8. Single-leg deadlifts

Glute exercises with body weight

9. Reverse lunge to balance

10. Single-leg hip thrusters

11. Speed skaters

12. Frog pumps

13. Walking lunges

How to perform this workout

13-minute full-body dumbbell workout

Warm-up

Goblet squat

Pull-up

Hip thrust

Dumbbell overhead press

Dumbbell lunge

Dumbbell chest press

Dumbbell bent-over row

Cool-down

Precautions and disclaimers

How does magnesium help with sleep?

Where can you get magnesium — and how much do you need?

What are kakadu plums?

What are the nutritional & health benefits of kakadu plums?

How can kakadu plums benefit your skin?

How to incorporate kakadu plums into your skin care routine

Top lab tests for longevity

Get an in-depth cholesterol test

Check your vitamin D levels

Test your blood sugar and insulin response

13 best subreddits for biohackers

1. r/Biohackers

2. r/Nootropics

3. r/Longevity

4. r/Transhumanism

5. r/Keto

6. r/Nutrition

7. r/EatCheapAndHealthy

8. r/IntermittentFasting

9. r/Fitness

10. r/HIIT

11. r/Meditation

12. r/GetMotivated

13. r/Psychology

Get on “The Inside Track” with Dave

See What Trouble Dave’s Getting Into on Social

Start hacking your way to better than standard performance and results.

Get on
“The Inside Track”
with Dave