How Microcurrent Therapy Tightens Your Skin and Heals Injuries

June 26, 2018 by Dave Asprey

[tldr]

Your entire body is electrical, but injuries and illness can disrupt these electrical frequencies, making it harder for your body to heal itself.
Microcurrent therapy sends low-level electrical currents into your skin that are nearly identical to the body’s own natural electrical frequencies.
Running a current over your body adds more electrons to your system, helping you make energy more quickly and stimulating tissue and cellular repair.
Microcurrent therapy is used to treat many things, including wounds, sports injuries, and skin sagging.
You can buy a handheld microcurrent device for the cost of one or two professional sessions — it’s nowhere near as effective, but with regular use it will probably make some difference.

[/tldr]

Did you know that your entire body is electrical? Every second, a small cluster of cells in the heart produces an electrical pulse that keeps the organ beating. With each beat, the heart pumps out blood that travels throughout the body, keeping you alive. That’s not all. Cells use charged atoms and molecules called ions to generate electrical signals that power vital processes in the body including digestion, circulation, movement, and brain function.

Injuries and illness can disrupt these electrical frequencies, making it harder for your body to heal itself. But you can return these frequencies back to normal and support your body’s natural electrical circuitry with the help of something called microcurrent therapy.

What is microcurrent therapy?

In my book “The Bulletproof Diet,” I thank Pliny the Elder. Not the beer — the visionary Roman naturalist. He was the one who first proposed using electric eels to cure headaches. And that was the beginning of microcurrent therapy… no joke.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20277440″]

Then, 100 years ago, there was a huge division in the scientific community — one group of scientists insisted the body was chemical, the other group claimed it was electrical. I probably don’t have to tell you that the chemical guys won, which is why we have “big pharma” and so many of our modern-day assumptions about how the body works. But the truth is, the body is far more complex than either of these groups realized — it’s both chemical and electrical. While there’s certainly a place for chemical treatments, you want to do what you can to support your body’s electrical system. That’s where microcurrent therapy comes in.

“In my 25 years in the medical field I’ve never seen anything like [microcurrent therapy] healing-wise,” says LA-based microcurrent expert Mila Morgan, a former nurse anesthetist and now considered a “miracle worker” among the Hollywood elite. “It has changed my Western medical thinking completely.”

How microcurrent therapy works

Microcurrent therapy sends low-level electrical currents into your skin that are nearly identical to the body’s own natural electrical frequencies. Running a current over your body adds more electrons to your system, helping you make energy more quickly and stimulating tissue and cellular repair.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090123211000695#b0045″] The technology works at the cellular level, increasing adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, the energy currency in your cells and the body’s most basic fuel. It also boosts your body’s absorption of amino acids — the building blocks of protein — and forms proteins in the cells that produce collagen in the skin.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090123211000695#b0020″]

“Microcurrent rapidly restores cell energy,” says Anne Kelly, MD, medical director at the Holland Biomedical Clinic and Minnesota Hyperbaric Treatment Center. “It’s like recharging the car’s battery and putting fuel in the tank.”

You may have heard of or even tried something called a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machine, which uses mild electrical shocks to treat pain. Microcurrent therapy works in a similar way, but the electrical currents are extremely weak, so you typically won’t feel a thing. While the goal of TENS is short-term relief of chronic pain, microcurrent is aimed at longer-term relief and healing, and offers a host of other benefits (more on those below).

A physical therapist places electrodes on target areas of the body, or, if you’re getting a microcurrent facial, an aesthetician zaps your face with two metal prongs. The therapy is safe and FDA-approved. But if you’re pregnant or wear a pacemaker, give it a pass.

The benefits of microcurrent therapy

Microcurrent therapy is used to treat many things, including wounds, sports injuries, and skin sagging — it really is a great tool to have in your arsenal.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19542797 “][ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/026676819290021S”] I’ve used electrical stimulation on my muscles for years and felt a massive improvement in pain from earlier injuries. Here’s some of what it can do:

Reduces back, neck, and joint pain
Heals tendons
Increases oxygenated blood flow to tissues
Grows new nerves
Reverses or stops macular degeneration
Lessens headaches
Improves fibromyalgia symptoms
Tones the skin and stimulates collagen production

“Microcurrent is an amazing tool for healing damaged tissue everywhere in the body,” says Kelly. “I find it particularly beneficial for muscle sprains with tissue swelling, chronic muscle pain, and inflammation.”

Microcurrent facials: A natural facelift?

Microcurrent therapy has been used for decades to treat people with Bell’s Palsy — the sudden paralysis of muscles that causes one side of your face to droop. The technology’s toning effect caught the attention of the cosmetic field for its ability to lift the muscles in the face and tighten sagging skin, creating a more youthful appearance.[ref url=”http://www.scielo.br/pdf/acb/v19n5/a03v19n5.pdf”] Now it’s being hailed as a “natural facelift” and non-toxic botox alternative, with Jennifer Aniston crediting it for her smooth complexion, calling it a “little workout for your face.”

“When treating facial wrinkles, the goal is to strengthen and plump the skin and relax underlying muscles to prevent the skin from being folded on itself,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “The concept here is that a low-grade electric charge over the skin enhances activity of skin cells and helps increase collagen production.”

An aesthetician first slathers your face in a conductive gel, the same type of gel used during ultrasounds, to aid the flow of electricity. Next, the aesthetician takes two metal wands with an electrical current running between them, and applies these to the face, sending electric currents into the skin, stimulating the muscles. It can be a pretty relaxing experience and you shouldn’t experience any discomfort.

Zeichner is skeptical of the hype, but says it’s worth a try, if you can stomach the high cost of a treatment. A professional session costs anywhere from $200 to $600, and facialists suggest multiple treatments to maintain results.

“We need more data to prove the efficacy of microcurrent facials, but in my opinion, there certainly is no harm except to your pocketbook because of the high price tag,” says Zeichner.

Professional treatments versus at-home devices for skin

If shelling out hundreds of dollars a year for this treatment is just not possible (and let’s be honest, for most people it isn’t), you can buy a handheld device for the cost of one or two professional sessions. It’s nowhere near as effective, but with regular use it will probably make some difference.

When I interviewed Suzanne Somers, she gave me something called the FaceMaster — it’s like an electrical stimulator that you rub over your face and around your eyes. And it worked! After doing it a few times, you can absolutely see the muscles of your face get exercised. If I had to be on-camera but I was puffy and bleary-eyed and I’d just got off a flight, I’d use that thing.

“At-home devices certainly can be used in addition to your traditional treatments,” says Zeichner. “The best candidates are people with mild skin laxity (or sagging), because the skin is already relatively healthy.”

NuFACE is the most popular at-home device on the market. It costs upwards of $300, and the company recommends you roll it over your face for 5 minutes every day (you’ll need to first apply the conductive gel to help the electrical currents penetrate deeper).

“The NuFace is portable and is a convenient travel size,” says Debra Jaliman, MD, author of “Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist.” “Most people do see great results.”

But they don’t come quick. The company says to keep at it for 60 days before you notice a difference in your skin. And even then, don’t expect miracles, says Zeichner.

“Results are not necessarily dramatic, and you must continue to use the device to maintain improvement,” he says.

Body-Positive Movement Contributes to Obesity, Says Study

June 25, 2018 by Team Asprey

The body-positive movement has boosted self-image and self-esteem for people of all shapes and sizes. But according to new research, this trend towards plus-size acceptance[ref url=”https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/oby.22204″] might prevent obese people from fully acknowledging that they are overweight, putting them at risk of serious health problems down the line like heart disease and diabetes.

Men and women alike misjudge their actual weight

A health survey of more than 23,000 people considered overweight or obese compared their own perception of their body weight to their actual weight. The findings revealed that 60 percent of men believed they weighed less than they actually do, compared to 30 percent of women. Meanwhile, of those people who misjudged their body weight, 85 percent were less likely to try shed pounds than those who accurately perceived their weight.

A person’s socioeconomic status also impacts how they see their bodies. People of lower education levels (without a degree) and lower income, as well as minority groups, were more likely to underestimate their weight. Lead author Raya Muttarak noted that since health education and healthcare access are connected to overall health outcomes, there is a gap in self-perception between individuals with access to adequate information and care and those individuals who do not have those advantages.

While it’s a great goal to feel positive about yourself — no matter where you’re at — being overweight is linked to serious illnesses including diabetes[ref url=”https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/194179″], heart disease[ref url=”http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/67/5/968.short”], and some cancers.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0959804994902542″] So it’s a good idea to get clear on what the scale is really telling you.

Examine the root cause of your weight issues with a functional medicine doctor

Being overweight is not an indicator of poor willpower. When dealing with weight issues, your body may not be digesting or metabolizing food properly due to some kind of imbalance in your system. Insulin resistance, adrenal fatigue, an underactive thyroid, candida overgrowth, and improper kidney function can all be the cause of excess weight. If this sounds like you, pay a visit to a functional medicine doctor, who will conduct tests to determine the root cause of your weight issues.

Many of the concerns that contribute to obesity can be addressed through healthy dietary changes that will get your hormones and gut bacteria in check, so they’re working with — not against — you. This is very different from the typical weight-loss diet, where you restrict calories and deprive yourself of satiating foods in hopes of dramatic weight loss. Research shows that starvation diets don’t work. Eventually, you’ll hit a plateau, get frustrated, and regain all the weight you lost, plus more.

Instead, heal your system imbalances with nutritious foods like good quality proteins, healthy fats, and plenty of vegetables. These will nourish your body, and your brain, helping you to feel your best.

The Best Home DNA Tests To Help Protect Your Body and Influence Your Genes

June 22, 2018 by Dave Asprey

[tldr]

At-home DNA testing kits analyze your genetic information to tell you your risk for developing certain serious conditions like Alzheimer’s and cancer.
The tests are easy to do — you receive the kit in the mail, and collecting a sample usually involves spitting into a test tube. You then seal it up and mail it back.
Home genetic tests can be a great tool in your biohacking arsenal — if you know you’re more likely to develop cancer, then you can take specific steps to lower your chances of developing it.
Discover the pros and cons of some of the most popular home DNA tests on the market.

[/tldr]

What if you could take a test at home that could tell you your risks for developing serious illnesses like Alzheimer’s or cancer? That’s now a possibility with at-home DNA testing kits that analyze your genetic information. A growing number of these kits promise to reveal everything from your ancestry, to your genetic predispositions to certain diseases, to what you should be eating based on your genes. Demand for DIY genetic tests is expected to grow from $99 million in 2017 to $310 million in 2022. Read on to find out if you should try one, and the best tests on the market.

First things first: What are genes?

Your body contains more than 30 trillion cells,[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23829164″] and each of these cells houses tens of thousands of segments of DNA called genes. Genes are passed down from parent to child, and they tell your cells how to act and what characteristics to express. So if you’re tall and your mother is tall, it means the genes you inherit from her are telling your cells to make the cartilage in your bones grow.[ref url=”https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/traits/height”]

How do at-home genetic tests work?

Fun fact: All humans share nearly identical genes — it’s just the slight variation in them that makes each of us unique.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/12/021220080005.htm”] These differences in DNA are called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, pronounced “snip”) — gene mutations that occur when one nucleotide (a building block of DNA) is replaced with another. Genetic tests scan your DNA sequences and use SNPs as markers for disease risk. They also compare your DNA sequences with a library of known genetic sequences (i.e. traits and conditions).

For instance, at-home DNA test 23andMe looks at some of the markers associated with a higher risk of developing certain serious conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, as well as the BRCA1/BRCA2 — breast and ovarian cancer — variant (Angelina Jolie famously underwent a preventative double mastectomy after she found out that she carried a mutation of the BRCA1 gene; she later had surgery to remove her ovaries.)

At-home tests are easy to do. You receive the kit in the mail, and usually spit into a test tube or swab the inside of your cheek to get a sample. You then seal it up and mail it back. Companies typically take 6 to 8 weeks to analyze and send you your results.

Should you use a home DNA testing kit?

DIY genetic tests can be a great tool in your biohacking arsenal. But don’t panic at your results — just because you carry a marker for a certain disease risk, it’s not a given you’ll get it. You can also make changes in your life to lower your chances of developing a condition. If you know you’re more likely to develop breast cancer, for instance, then you can take specific steps to lower your risk of getting it, like cutting down on alcohol or choosing to breastfeed if you have a baby.

That’s why these tests can be empowering and help you take charge of your future, says Tim Jackson, a functional endocrinologist and founder of healyourbody.org, in a Bulletproof Radio (iTunes) podcast episode.

“What I try to emphasize to people is that the SNPs have been around for thousands of years,” says Jackson. “It’s the stressors that we encounter — heavy metals, emotional stress — that cause these genes to be turned on or turned off.”

Keep in mind that at-home DNA tests can be pricey — most will set you back a couple of hundred dollars. There are also privacy concerns about how these companies use your genetic data — some sell your personal information to pharmaceutical and other third party companies.

Genetic tests and the MTHFR gene mutation

Genetic tests can tell you whether you’re one of the 40 percent of people who have something called the MTHFR gene mutation, which puts you at increased risk of heart disease, colon cancer, recurrent miscarriage, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and depression.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23116396 “] [ref url=”http://clinchem.aaccjnls.org/content/clinchem/55/9/1742.full.pdf”]

The MTHFR gene provides instructions for making methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), an enzyme which converts folic acid into methyl-folate, folate’s active form. Methyl-folate plays a key role in methylation, a chemical reaction in your cells and tissue that is fundamental to the smooth functioning of your body’s systems. It keeps inflammation under control, repairs and regenerates cells, tissue, and DNA, and helps your body get rid of toxins and heavy metals.

Someone with the MTHFR mutation produces 30 to 70 percent less methyl-folate than someone who doesn’t have the mutation, which puts them at a higher risk for various diseases. The good news is, there are ways to increase your methylation (such as treating candida and taking certain supplements). But first you need to know whether you carry the mutation or not. Enter genetic tests.

The best at-home genetic tests

23andMe

The most well-known of the tests, 23andMe offers two services: it uses your DNA to tell you about your family history (i.e. where your ancestors came from), and to analyze your risk of developing certain diseases, namely breast and ovarian cancer, celiac disease, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. You’ll wait around 8 weeks for the results. If you want more information about your genetic variants, such as whether you carry the MTHFR or other methylation gene mutations, you can upload your 23andMe raw data to a third-party site. MTHFR Support and LiveWello are good ones, and both cost $30 or less.

Pros:

It’s a simple saliva test, although keep in mind it requires more saliva than what you may expect, so be prepared for a dry mouth during the process.
It’s pretty affordable – $139 for a combined package to receive both your ancestry and your health data.
Along with giving you info about genetic mutations, 23andMe also compiles more than 75 reports about your health and genetic traits. These run the gamut from telling you whether your genes predispose you to weigh more than average, if you’re more likely to have curly or straight hair, or if you carry the genetic variant for a condition like cystic fibrosis that you can pass on to your children.

Cons:

Recently, 23andMe became the first direct-to-consumer genetic test to receive Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval to screen for breast and ovarian cancer risk (the BRCA1/BRCA2 variant). But the company doesn’t find all the cancer-causing genes — far from it. 23andMe only detects 3 out of the more than 1,000 known BRCA mutations. “Most BRCA mutations that increase an individual’s risk are not detected by this test,” said Donald St. Pierre, acting director of the office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “The test should not be used as a substitute for seeing your doctor for cancer screenings or counseling on genetic and lifestyle factors that can increase or decrease cancer risk.”

Pathway Genomics

Pathway Genomics offers a range of kits, including tests for cancer mutations, how you’re likely to react to various psychiatric medications, and the best diet and fitness plan based on your genes. Expect to shell out at least $100 per test (some, like the mental health screening test, cost $399). You can purchase the kits off the company’s website, or you can buy some of them on Amazon or at Walgreens and CVS. However, a few of the tests, like the cancer screening kit, have to be ordered by your doctor on your behalf.

Pros:

The company offers a wide range of test kits that cover a number of concerns, from skin health, to diet and fitness advice, to telling you your risks of developing heart-related health conditions like coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction.
Pathway Genomics requires a simple cheek swab for most of its tests.
Since some of the kits need to be ordered by your doctor, he or she can help you interpret the results. This is especially helpful with the cancer screening and carrier status tests.

Cons:

While it may be useful to have your doctor on hand to decipher the results, needing them to order a kit isn’t as convenient as ordering one directly yourself.
The service is on the pricier side, and some of the kits will set you back $400 or more. Kits are priced individually, so costs can add up if you purchase more than one.

Dr. Amy Yasko’s Nutrigenomic Testing

This kit tests 30 SNPs (mutations) that Yasko says affect what she calls the “methylation cycle,” described as the biochemical pathway that’s responsible for methylation. According to the site, supporting this cycle with specific supplements and nutrients is key to overall health. The test requires a blood sample — you prick your finger and drop the blood onto a blood card. Results take 5 to 7 weeks to come back from the lab. To better understand your results, the site suggests finding a local physician using its online forum. The test doesn’t come cheap at $495.

Pros:

If you’re curious about the MTHFR gene and methylation, this test is a good starting point.
Reports are incredibly detailed and give you specific information about what supplements to take, dosage, and what foods to eat to support proper gene function.

Cons:

If you’re squeamish about blood, the finger prick test could be a challenge. Make sure you’re sitting down while doing it, and if you start to get woozy, put your head between your legs.
The kit is expensive.

ORIG3N

ORIG3N is like the hip younger cousin of 23andMe. The DNA testing startup offers a smorgasbord of tests — 21 in total — covering fitness, nutrition, beauty, and behavior. Ever wondered what makes you more special than others? The “Superhero” test can tell you if you’re a whiz at languages, or if you have the gene for a muscle protein that could make you the next Usain Bolt. The company also tests for specific conditions, like how strong are your joints, and what your booze tolerance is. Each test costs between $29 and $149, and no spitting or finger-pricking is required. All you need to do is swab your cheek and mail the results in a prepaid envelope. You’ll receive a report in about 4 weeks, which includes a list of your gene variants as well as tips on how to use the results to maximize your performance in everyday life.

Pros:

The tests are very specific — if all you want to know is how well your body metabolizes food, you can order just the $49 metabolism test. This simplifies the process, and saves you the time of picking through a detailed report that covers health areas that don’t interest you.
Swabbing the inside of your cheek is convenient and quick compared to spitting (some tests require a fair amount of saliva) or — eek — finger pricking.
It can be affordable, if you only want one or two tests.
There’s something for almost everyone — you can test whether you have what it takes to be an NFL star. If you’re a parent, the child development test explores your kid’s unique strengths and what activities and foods suit him or her best.

Cons:

Costs can add up fast — it’s tempting to keep pressing “add to cart” when shopping since all the tests seem helpful in some way. But bear in mind you could end up coughing up a couple of hundred dollars when all is said and done.
The company has had some negative press. A recent report from NBC claimed that ORIG3N was unable to tell the difference between human and dog DNA. And the startup was investigated by the federal government last year for allegedly selling health tests without legal certification.

Choose Your Words, Change Your Life: The Communication Episode with Clint Arthur # 503

June 21, 2018 by Dave Asprey

An incredibly interesting conversation from two Wharton Business School grads with an affinity for butter…

Celebrity Entrepreneur & Branding Expert Clint Arthur is the #1 Bestselling author of “Break Through Your Upper Limits on TV,” followed by “What They Teach You At The Wharton Business School,” and his latest book, “Speaking Game: 7-Figure Speaker Secrets Revealed.”

Knowing how to communicate will change your life, it’ll change your relationships, it’ll change your friendships, it’ll change everything you do and that’s why this is a core skill to being a good friend, to being a good member of your community.

Whether it’s in front of a classroom, a small group or a national stage, it doesn’t really matter, the topics Dave Asprey and Clint get into in this episode apply to all of us.

Enjoy the show!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts

Follow Along with the Transcript

Choose Your Words, Change Your Life: The Communication Episode with Clint Arthur # 503

Show Notes

– Elvis and Glossophobia 00:03:05
– Iron Chef had missed the most important ingredient 00:19:21
– Why are you motivated to help others 00:26:30
– People who are stuck as cog in the wheels 00:28:24
– How to self promote 00:23:25
– You need a formula to help your clients 00:31:53 and again at 00:36:05
– Five things you shouldn’t say 00:37:38
– Five things you should always say 00:46:51

Go check out “Headstrong” and “The Bulletproof Diet” on Amazon and leave a review!

If you like today’s episode, check us out on Apple Podcasts at Bulletproof.com/iTunes and leave us a 5-star, positive review.

Cycle Syncing: How to Hack Your Menstrual Cycle to Do Everything Better

June 20, 2018 by Dave Asprey

[tldr]

Throughout your menstrual cycle, your hormones shift, causing you to feel and act differently depending on the time of the month.
Cycle syncing is when you adapt your diet, exercise routine, social calendar, and even important work engagements to the different phases of your monthly menstrual cycle.
There are four phases of the menstrual cycle: menstruation, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal.
Research shows that fluctuating female sex hormones influence mood, energy levels, attractiveness, pain tolerance, and food cravings.

[/tldr]

You may have noticed that immediately following your period, you start to feel a surge of energy. Suddenly that spinning class seems pretty appealing. Or halfway through your cycle, you’re feeling especially confident and your social calendar is jam-packed. These patterns aren’t random. Throughout your menstrual cycle, your hormones shift, causing you to feel and act differently depending on the time of the month. So it figures that adjusting your behavior to support your body as it navigates these changes could help you feel your best. That’s where a relatively new biohacking trend called cycle syncing comes in. The concept was invented by functional nutritionist Alisa Vitti in WomanCode, her seminal work on the topic (Vitti is also the creator of the MyFLO period tracking app.) Download this handy cycle syncing chart to get started.

What is cycle syncing?

Cycle syncing is when you adapt your diet, exercise routine, social calendar, and even important work engagements to the different phases of your monthly menstrual cycle. That way, you give your body the support it needs, rather than pushing it to perform at the same high level at all times.

“During a woman’s menstrual cycle, awareness of how our hormones and brainwaves shift can support us to harness the cyclical energy and power of our fertility for greater health, creativity, and manifestation,” says Kara Maria Ananda, a women’s health educator and founder of Maia University, an online holistic wellness program for women.

If syncing your cycle sounds a bit hokey, research shows that fluctuating female sex hormones — primarily estrogen and progesterone — during a woman’s menstrual cycle influence her mood, energy levels, attractiveness, pain tolerance, and the types of foods she wants to eat. [ref url=”https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5259718_Cognitive_sensory_and_emotional_changes_associated_with_the_menstrual_cycle_A_review”] Some studies suggest that switching up what you eat and how you exercise during the different phases could even help you lose weight.[ref url=”https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/104/1/15/4569669″]

“I like to think of it as menstrual cycle self-care or leveraging your hormonal energy through your cycle,” says Jolene Brighten, a functional medicine naturopathic doctor and the founder of Rubus Health — a women’s medicine clinic that specializes in the treatment of hormone disorders.

Should you do it?

The short answer is yes, every woman can benefit from syncing their cycle. It can be especially helpful if you:

are trying to conceive
have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder that can affect your fertility
struggle with PMS symptoms such as anxiety, bloating, cramping, and weight gain
experience heavy, painful, or irregular periods
are struggling to get pregnant
have low libido

Women have been conditioned to think they’re meant to be the same all the time — active, productive, and ready for sex at any point during their cycle, says Katinka Locascio, founder of Earth & Sky Healing Arts, a wellness center focusing on women’s health and natural fertility.

Cycle syncing is about “reteaching people to be in their body and accepting that women are cyclical in nature, and there’s real power to that and you can harness it,” she says. “When your cycle is all out of whack, you can tie yourself into certain cyclical rhythms and use that as a tool to rebalance.”

If you’re on hormonal contraception like the birth control pill, you’re not going to experience the same phases as you would on a natural cycle. Hormonal contraceptives release synthetic forms of estrogen and progesterone that alter your natural hormone levels — this stops your body ovulating. You can still monitor how you feel throughout the month and make adjustments, but your symptoms won’t always mirror those felt during a natural cycle.

How to get started

The first step is to get in touch with your body, says Locascio, especially if you’ve recently come off hormonal birth control, which puts you out of touch with your natural rhythms. Take note of what foods you’re craving or what your energy levels are like at different times of the month.

“It’s such a big step for people to even get into their bodies,” says Locascio. “Start with observation, then begin to track your cycle.”

You’ll also want to figure out the length of your menstrual cycle. You can do this by using a period tracking app like MyFLO or Period Calendar, or simply mark the first day of your period on a calendar, and count the days from there until your next period begins. Do this for a couple of months and you should get a good idea of the length of your cycle.

Cycle syncing phases

Next up, you’ll want to get familiar with the different phases of your cycle. Doctors divide a woman’s cycle up into three phases: follicular (which includes menstruation and the week or so following it), ovulatory, and luteal. But for the purposes of cycle syncing, menstruation is viewed as its own phase, since how women feel then is different from the later portion of the follicular phase. Read on to find out what’s happening in your body throughout the month, and the best foods, exercise, and mental activities for each phase.

Menstrual phase (Days 1 to 7)

The menstrual phase starts the first day that you see blood. During your monthly cycle, your uterus (aka your womb) lining gets thicker and thicker with blood, tissue, and nutrients. If you don’t get pregnant that month, your estrogen and progesterone levels start to drop. This causes your uterus to shed the built-up lining — the blood known as your period.

How you feel: During your period, you’re naturally drawn inward. Take the time to slow down and tune in so you can store up energy for the rest of your cycle, says Ananda.

“We have higher levels of delta brainwave activity during menstruation, which increases our desire for rest providing rejuvenation, and can lead to increased creativity and flow states,” she says.

This phase is also about letting go, so examine things that are no longer serving you and release them. “This is a good time for some serious self-reflection and strategizing as both lobes of your brain are highly engaged with one another,” says Brighten. Try journaling or creating a vision board of your goals for the coming month or year.

What to eat: Focus on warm and nourishing foods like stews, soups, lightly cooked dark leafy greens, and iron-rich foods like grass-fed meat. “Now is a good time to be eating iron and B-vitamin-rich foods to support blood loss and energy,” says Brighten.

Make sure you’re getting plenty of omega-3 fatty acids — research shows that healthy fats reduce common PMS symptoms including depression, tender breasts, and bloating.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229912001744″] Load up on wild salmon and take a high-quality omega-3 supplement. Krill oil is a great choice — it’s more effective than omega-3 fish oil at treating PMS symptoms because the fats found in krill oil are more easily absorbed by the body.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12777162 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26357480″]

Try: Homemade Collagen Bone Broth Recipe; Paleo Steak Bowl; Wild Baked Salmon With Asparagus & Fennel

How to exercise: Your energy is at its lowest at the start of your period. “Your hormones drop in order to trigger menstruation, which can leave you fatigued and feeling the need to take it slow,” says Brighten.

Honor your body’s needs by carving out time for some self-care or pampering, like a massage or a nap. If you do exercise, “aim for gentle yoga, pilates, walking, and save the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for later in your cycle,” add Brighten. It’s best to avoid high-impact workouts since they can stress uterine ligaments. You’re also more sensitive to pain during this phase.[ref url=” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12705527″]

Follicular phase (Days 8 to 13)

During this phase, your hormone levels slowly start to rise. The pituitary gland in the brain releases follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which helps grow up to 30 follicles (small sacs of fluid in the ovaries). Each follicle holds an egg. Later in the phase, only one of these follicles keeps growing. It starts to produce estrogen, which thickens the uterine lining to prepare for implantation of the fertilized egg.

As hormones start to increase during this phase, so too will your energy levels and mental alertness. “In this phase we grow, expand and kick ass,” says Brighten.

How you feel: Your brain is sharp and you’re ready to problem solve. You’re also feeling social and ready to mingle. “This is the prime time to plot your world domination, so if you’ve been procrastinating on your next goal then now is the time to make your move,” says Brighten. Try new activities — join that hiking club or take a cooking class. If possible, schedule work strategy meetings during this time.

What to eat: Fill your plate with protein and vegetables to keep your estrogen levels in check. Opt for pasture-raised eggs and wild-caught fish. You also want to eat foods high in vitamin E like sweet potatoes and leafy greens — these nourish the growing follicles.

Try: Wild Salmon With Buttered Kale; Zoodle Nests With Baked Eggs; Sweet Potato Salmon Avocado Toast

How to exercise: More intense workouts will start to feel good. “As testosterone and estrogen rise, you’ll find that heavy weights, HIIT, and challenging exercise feels revitalizing,” says Brighten. Try something you’ve never done before like dance or acroyoga.

Ovulatory phase (Days 14 to 21)

Ovulation begins with a surge of luteinizing hormone, which causes the follicle to rupture and release the mature egg from the ovary. Once released, the egg travels down the fallopian tube, where it may meet with passing sperm and become fertilized.

You know you’re ovulating — and therefore fertile — when you notice a change in your vaginal discharge. It becomes clear and stretchy, like raw egg whites — that’s your cervical mucus. Rising estrogen levels cause your cervix to release more mucus, which helps protect the sperm as it travels to meet the egg. Testosterone also starts to increase, putting you in the mood for sex.

How you feel: This is the time to have that difficult conversation you’ve been avoiding. “During ovulation, your beta brainwave activity is high, increasing alertness and enhancing learning,” says Ananda. “It’s an ideal time in your cycle for networking, public speaking, and starting new projects.” You’re also in the mood for love. “This is a time when you’ll be feeling frisky, so consider scheduling a date night during this phase,” says Brighten.

What to eat: Load up on cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, and bok choy. They’re rich in glutathione, an antioxidant that can help your body flush out toxins, including excess estrogen. Or take oral glutathione that’s been encapsulated in medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) -based lipids — this makes it easier for the antioxidant to penetrate the gut lining. Take two a day plus vitamin C to aid absorption. Try: Glutathione Force

Also reach for magnesium-rich foods like spinach and dark chocolate, since a good supply of magnesium helps balance estrogen and progesterone, says Brighten. Foods high in vitamin B like eggs and pasture-raised meat are also a good idea — these help support the release of your egg and aid implantation, if you’re trying to get pregnant.

Try: Bacon Mashed Cauliflower; Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad With Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette

How to exercise: You’ll be revved up and ready to go. Choose high-impact workouts and group settings like a spinning class. “You’ll likely find yourself wanting to connect with community more, which can make a group fitness class a great choice at this time,” says Brighten.

Luteal phase (Days 22 to 28)

If a sperm has fertilized an egg (known as conception), the fertilized egg will travel through the fallopian tube to the uterus, where it will implant in the uterine lining. Progesterone and estrogen levels are at their peak during most of this phase — they help thicken the uterine lining to prepare for implantation. If the egg isn’t fertilized, progesterone and estrogen levels drop, and your uterus will shed the lining (aka your period).

How you feel: Your attention is starting to turn inward and you’re feeling a desire to nest and spend time at home. This is a good time to take care of administrative tasks. “You’re thinking a bit more out of the box here and wanting to get things done,” says Brighten. “Let those creative juices flow and leverage this phase for some major manifesting.”

What to eat: Choose earthy, grounding foods like soups and root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes and yams. Organic blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries are rich in bioflavonoids and vitamin C, “which supports health progesterone production, estrogen elimination and can help curb cravings without spiking your blood sugar,” says Brighten.

Continue eating pasture-raised meat, healthy fats, and foods like kale, carrots, and broccoli that “are essential in helping keep neurotransmitters balanced and ward off PMS symptoms,” adds Brighten.

Try: Strawberries and Cream Rice Pudding; Sweet Potato Skins With Rosemary Ground Beef and Avocado

How to exercise: You’ll want to start winding down your exercise during this phase, but keep moving if you can, since working out boosts your mood and reduces bloating. “You might find yourself having moments of high energy followed by dips,” says Brighten. “Individualize your exercise for how you feel that day and honor what your body needs.”

Aim for more restorative exercise like stretching and yoga right before your period begins. “Your womb doubles in weight and size by end of the cycle,” says Locascio. “If you’re doing a massive jog right before your period, you’re jostling that around.”

Ayahuasca: How to Turn on Your Entire Brain at Once – Dr. Alberto Villoldo #502

June 19, 2018 by Dave Asprey

Medical anthropologist and best-selling author, Alberto Villoldo Ph.D. has studied the shamanic healing practices of the Amazon and Andes for over 30 years.

This is Dr. Villoldo’s fourth show on Bulletproof Radio. We’re going to talk about the direction of his work since our third interview back in 2016.

He is the founder of the Four Winds Society and Light Body School, which trains certified energy medicine practitioners in ancient shamanic wisdom and cutting-edge practices in nutrition, biology, and neuroscience.

Villoldo is author of 17 books, including Power Up Your Brain; Shaman, Healer, Sage; The Four Insights; One Spirit Medicine; A Shaman’s Miraculous Tools for Healing; Soul Journeying; The Illumination Process. His newest book, The Heart of the Shaman: Stories & Practices of the Luminous Warrior, will release July 31, 2018.

Enjoy the show!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts

Follow Along with the Transcript

Ayahuasca: How to Turn on Your Entire Brain at Once – Dr. Alberto Villoldo #502

Links/Resources

Website
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Website
Facebook
Books

Show Notes

Didn’t find the miracle cure 00:04:00
When you turn your brain on 00:05:52
Species that live beyond menopause 00:14:39
If you have not had the experience of infinity 00:24:09
What is MTOR? 00:28:24
Time becomes fluid 00:31:59
What is “luck” 00:36:13
Ayahuasca is identical to seretonin 00:04:30 and again at 00:19:30
When you are driven by fear 00:09:30
How you can grow your brain 00:18:15
To truly understand nutrition 00:27:41

Go check out “Headstrong” and “The Bulletproof Diet” on Amazon and leave a review!

If you like today’s episode, check us out on Apple Podcasts at Bulletproof.com/iTunes and leave us a 5-star, positive review.

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.

How Microcurrent Therapy Tightens Your Skin and Heals Injuries

What is microcurrent therapy?

How microcurrent therapy works

The benefits of microcurrent therapy

Microcurrent facials: A natural facelift?

Professional treatments versus at-home devices for skin

Men and women alike misjudge their actual weight

Examine the root cause of your weight issues with a functional medicine doctor

First things first: What are genes?

How do at-home genetic tests work?

Should you use a home DNA testing kit?

Genetic tests and the MTHFR gene mutation

The best at-home genetic tests

23andMe

Pathway Genomics

Dr. Amy Yasko’s Nutrigenomic Testing

ORIG3N

Follow Along with the Transcript

Links/Resources

Show Notes

What is cycle syncing?

Should you do it?

How to get started

Cycle syncing phases

Menstrual phase (Days 1 to 7)

Follicular phase (Days 8 to 13)

Ovulatory phase (Days 14 to 21)

Luteal phase (Days 22 to 28)

Follow Along with the Transcript

Links/Resources

Show Notes

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