How to Fall in Love With Your Work – Stella Grizont #563
Follistatin: Grow Muscle, Fight Fat, and Boost Fertility
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- Follistatin is a protein that you make naturally. Your body uses it to control your metabolism, grow muscle, and boost fertility.
- Increasing follistatin can help you put on muscle very quickly, and may help you burn a significant amount of body fat as well.
- Boosting follistatin may also improve your sexual health.
- You can increase follistatin naturally through diet, or you can use a supplement for more pronounced benefits. Details are below.
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Follistatin is a well-kept secret in the bodybuilding community. The science on this valuable protein is still relatively new, but according to limited human research, a follistatin supplement can increase muscle growth up to 200 percent, help you shed body fat, and enhance fertility, whether you’re a man or a woman.
Your body makes follistatin naturally. It’s a protein that activates when you work out, and it plays an essential role in helping your muscles get stronger. If you consciously control your follistatin levels — either by increasing it naturally or with a supplement — you can see much faster results in the gym.
Here’s everything you need to know about follistatin — how it works, how to increase your levels, and the best follistatin supplements.
Download these printable workout routines for building muscle, losing weight, and boosting energy
How follistatin helps you build muscle and burn fat
Have you ever seen a Belgian Blue bull? They’re gigantic and rippling with muscle. Belgian Blues gain muscle and burn fat at an incredible rate, thanks to a genetic mutation that decreases a protein called myostatin. Humans have myostatin too, and it does the same thing in you that it does in a Belgian Blue: it blocks muscle growth. When myostatin is high, your muscles don’t rebuild themselves[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12717734″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2954636/”].
But if you can suppress myostatin, your muscles will grow rapidly. You’ll see dramatic increases in strength and muscle size[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12717734″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3857584/”].
That’s where follistatin comes in. It mimics what Belgian Blues have naturally — it blocks myostatin, which allows your muscles to grow rapidly[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19435857″].
Follistatin also blocks activins, compounds that can slow down your metabolism and harm your reproductive system when they get too high[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26884470″]. By blocking activins with follistatin, you can enhance your fertility and increase fat burning.
That’s how it works. Now let’s take a look at the benefits of increasing this protein.
The benefits of follistatin
Follistatin helps you build muscle
In a 2014 study, healthy people took either follistatin or placebo orally for eight weeks, alongside a weight-lifting program. Follistatin suppressed myostatin by 44 percent, which tripled muscle growth[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4271642/”].
Another study found that injecting people with epicatechin, a compound that boosts follistatin, increased people’s strength after only a week[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3857584/”].
There aren’t any other human studies that use follistatin because it’s so new. There is a fair amount of animal research though. Giving rodents follistatin increases their muscle gain and makes them lose fat, even when they eat a diet designed to make them gain fat[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16404405″]. It also boosts strength and muscle growth in monkeys[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20368179/”].
It’s worth noting that taking follistatin won’t make you grossly muscular like those cattle. You’ll still produce myostatin when the follistatin wears off. But using it in a targeted way, alongside a workout program, seems to be a recipe for rapid muscle gain.
Related: Branched-Chain Amino Acids: What are BCAAs and Do They Grow and Repair Muscle?
Follistatin may help you burn fat
There’s no good human research on follistatin and fat-burning. However, two studies have found that giving mice follistatin makes them burn more fat and shrinks their fat cells, even when they eat a diet specifically aimed at making them fatter[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21205933″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16404405″].
Follistatin could improve fertility — in both men and women
It’s not entirely clear how follistatin affects fertility, but growing evidence suggests that high levels could make you more fertile.
Follistatin inhibits activins, compounds that cause reproductive aging and gradually increase as you get older[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26884470″]. High follistatin supports healthy pregnancy and birth[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9071973/”], and hormone therapy during menopause recovers decreased follistatin levels, which eases a lot of the side effects of menopause[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19696363″].
High-quality sperm is rich in follistatin[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9886507″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11275954″], although there isn’t enough research to say whether increasing follistatin improves fertility in men.
This research isn’t quite as clear as the science on follistatin and muscle growth, but it’s possible that boosting it could increase your fertility.
How to increase follistatin naturally
You have two options when it comes to enhancing your follistatin levels: lifestyle changes or a supplement.
You’re best off injecting follistatin as a supplement (see below). If that turns you off, use these tools to increase your follistatin naturally.
Work out while fasted
Exercise, particularly strength training, increases follistatin levels naturally and decreases myostatin, which leads to muscle growth[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19696363″]. No surprises there.
If you want an extra follistatin boost, combine a strength workout with intermittent fasting. Healthy men who exercised in a fasted state (no food) saw a big increase in follistatin levels[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21068158″].
Eat fertilized egg yolks
This sounds gross, but it’s perfectly safe, and it’s great for you. Fertilized eggs contain a lot of follistatin. The people who tripled their muscle growth over eight weeks were eating an extract from fertilized eggs[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4271642/”].
Eat more epicatechins
Epicatechin is an antioxidant that increases your follistatin levels[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3857584/”]. You can find epicatechin in a bunch of different foods, including:
- Cacao powder, the best source of epicatechin[ref url=”http://phenol-explorer.eu/contents/polyphenol/125″]
- Dark chocolate
- Green tea
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
Add these foods to your diet to increase your follistatin levels.
Follistatin supplements
The most efficient way to increase follistatin is by taking a supplement. The downside is that you have to inject it.
You can find purified follistatin powder online. It’s legal and there don’t appear to be any major side effects to taking it. However, you want to be sure you inject it correctly. Make sure you reconstitute the follistatin using bacteriostatic water and inject it directly into your muscle with a sterile syringe. You can find guides to injecting yourself online, or, if that makes you nervous, you can talk to a doctor, a nurse, or someone else who has had injection training.
There’s no official dose for follistatin, but based on the research cited in this article and on anecdotal reports, 100-300 micrograms is a good dose range.
This is one of the more experimental supplements in biohacking. It shows a lot of promise for muscle growth, but it’s still quite new, and it requires using a needle. Experiment with it at your own risk, and make sure you know what you’re doing if you inject it yourself. Always biohack responsibly.
And if follistatin is a little too out there for you, don’t despair. There are plenty of workout supplements that actually work and don’t require using a needle. Pick one (or several) of them for faster results in the gym.
Soothe Dry Skin With These 8 Natural Remedies
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- You can prevent and treat dry skin without chemical-laden products.
- Plant oils, including avocado oil, coconut oil, and argan oil, are all great dry skin remedies.
- Avoiding hot showers, cutting down on soap, and using a humidifier may also help to replenish skin’s moisture in dry months.
- Oatmeal baths help repair the skin’s barrier and fight inflammation, and in studies, colloidal oatmeal has been shown to improve dry, cracked skin in as little as a day.
- Hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring molecule, can also help to restore skin’s moisture when applied topically or when taken in supplement form.
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Ah, the joys of winter. The bitter cold. The short days. The punishing dry air that seems to turn your skin into an itchy, inflamed, reptilian mess. And the latter isn’t in your head—research shows that cold weather affects our skin even on a cellular level.[ref url=”https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjd.16150″] While sub-zero temperatures and the lack of sunlight might be out of your control, your dry skin isn’t.
Fortunately, there are a number of natural dry skin remedies that may already be at your fingertips.
“There is a natural barrier between the skin and your insides. This keeps us from drying up like a leaf in winter—keeps your insides in and the outside out. The part of the skin that we perceive as dry is the outermost layer, or keratin layer,” says Barbara Reed, MD, a Denver-based dermatologist. To keep this outer layer happy you have to keep it moisturized.
With a couple of exceptions (noted below), science has yet to show that the food you eat hydrates your skin from the inside out.
“Most things we eat do not reach that outermost layer in significant amounts,” explains Reed. However, that doesn’t mean that chemical-laden products are your only ticket to relief. Case in point? These natural remedies for dry skin.
8 Natural Dry Skin Remedies
Smarter showers
“Most commonly dry skin is an ‘outside job’—that is, it happens because of too much hot water and soap and not enough moisturizer,” Reed says.
In the winter, it’s tempting to stand for ages in a hot shower, soaking up the warmth. While this might feel good, it’s not helping your skin.
“[Hot showers], along with the soap we apply, strips the skin of its natural moisture,” says Reed.
The solution? Use lukewarm water instead of scalding suds, and trim down your shower or bath times to no more than 10 minutes. And while you’re at it, you can cut down on soap, too, which can remove the skin’s protective oils. Look for moisturizing or soap-free cleansers to use in the shower and apply a simple non-fragranced cream or oil after you towel off.
Try it:
Alaffia Shea Body Wash, $14.99
Shea butter and virgin coconut oil team up to hydrate skin in this no-frills cleanser.
Attitude Natural Body Wash, $10.95
This Environmental Working Group-approved, hypoallergenic formula gives you peace of mind as well as soft, touchable skin.
Humidifier
During colder months, many people are living in an environment with decreased humidity, Reed says. One of the least labor-intensive dry skin remedies? Add humidity to the room using a humidifier. Setting it to about 60 percent should give your skin the dose of moisture it needs. Just be sure to keep your humidifier clean, as it can breed mold easily if neglected. Try this Honeywell Cool Mist humidifier.
Oatmeal baths
When you were a kid, did your mom ever have you soak in a tub of oatmeal to get relief from chicken pox or poison ivy? There’s something to this quaint-sounding balm.
Oats contain anti-inflammatory antioxidants as well as lipids that are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, making it one of the most effective dry skin remedies. A 2015 study found that applying colloidal oatmeal (finely ground whole oat kernels) to dry skin significantly improved skin’s dryness, scaliness, itchiness, and cracking after just one day. And as participants kept applying the oatmeal over the next two weeks, their skin barrier continued to show improvements.[ref url=”http://jddonline.com/articles/dermatology/S1545961615P0043X”] Load up the bath with colloidal oatmeal (aka finely ground oat kernels), or apply it directly to skin in lotion form.
Try it:
Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment, $6.53
For convenience, pure colloidal oatmeal comes in eight pre-measured, single-use packets.
Babo Botanicals Advanced Therapy Sensitive Skin All Natural Healing Ointment, $18.95
Babo Botanicals harnesses the healing powers of colloidal oatmeal in lotion form. Simply apply it to dry, itchy, chapped, or irritated skin.
Avocado
Brimming with monounsaturated fat, avocados are a Bulletproof-friendly addition to any plate—and they’re one of the best dry skin remedies, too. Research shows that eating a higher amount of monounsaturated fats, like the ones found in those pale green pitted orbs, may hydrate skin[ref url=”https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/77/2/348/4689673″] and improve skin elasticity. Plus, they contain skin-protecting lutein and zeaxanthin.[ref url=”https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408398.2011.556759?scroll=top&needAccess=true”]
But the avocado’s utility doesn’t end with salads and guacs. Avocado oil becomes an ally to your epidermis when applied topically. It helps skin hold in moisture, and alleviates dry, damaged, and chapped skin. In addition, it may have the power to reduce inflammation and heal wounds.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5796020/”]
Try it:
Shira-Organic Pure Avocado Moisturizer, $48
This moisturizer lets organic virgin avocado oil take the spotlight to treat dry skin.
Pai Avocado & Jojoba Hydrating Day Cream, $55
Designed specially for those with sensitive skin, Pai’s day cream blends avocado oil with nourishing jojoba extracts to hydrate skin.
Coconut oil
Ranking high on the list of Bulletproof-approved foods, coconut oil boasts a whole bevy of benefits when consumed. The same nutritional components that give coconut oil its edge also work to hydrate skin. Coconut oil is chock-full of saturated fats, antioxidants, as well as some medium-chain fatty acids that help protect and nourish your skin barrier.
Research looking at the effects of coconut oil on eczema found that virgin coconut oil is better at strengthening the skin barrier and preventing moisture loss than mineral oil. When applied topically, virgin coconut oil doesn’t just help the skin by creating a protective layer, it also penetrates the skin and reduces inflammation.[ref url=”https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ijd.12339″]
Similarly, another study found that virgin coconut oil was a safe effective way to treat xerosis (rough, scaly skin caused by a defective skin barrier). It effectively hydrated skin and boosted lipid levels in the skin’s surface.[ref url=”https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vermen_Verallo-Rowell/publication/8009961_A_Randomized_Double-Blind_Controlled_Trial_Comparing_Extra_Virgin_Coconut_Oil_with_Mineral_Oil_as_a_Moisturizer_for_Mild_to_Moderate_Xerosis/links/570e072d08aed31341cf91cf/A-Randomized-Double-Blind-Controlled-Trial-Comparing-Extra-Virgin-Coconut-Oil-with-Mineral-Oil-as-a-Moisturizer-for-Mild-to-Moderate-Xerosis.pdf”]
Try it:
Kopari Organic Coconut Melt, $28
What you see is what you get: a tub of pure, unadulterated organic coconut oil. Beyond your skin-slathering needs, you can also apply it as a hair mask or use it to shave.
Shea Moisture Head-to-Toe Nourishing Hydration 100% Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, $9.19 Don’t be fooled by the meager price tag: This pure coconut oil packs all the benefits you’ll get in more expensive products.
Hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid—a budding star in the skin-care world—is a naturally-occurring sugar molecule. It lubricates your joints and keeps skin looking plump by helping your skin retain moisture. Research backs its ability to quench parched skin when applied topically. You can also ingest it to reap its moisturizing benefits. One study found that taking daily hyaluronic acid supplements for effectively alleviated dry skin.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4110621/”]
Try it:
Pure Encapsulations Hyaluronic Acid Supplements, $36.10 for 60 capsules
Each of these vegetarian-friendly pills (some HA is derived from animals) pack 70 milligrams of plant-derived hyaluronic acid.
NOTO Moisture Riser Cream, $49
Hyaluronic acid gets a boost from other natural nourishers, including marula oil and rose geranium oil, in this daily moisturizer.
Argan oil
Argan oil might be one of the most versatile oils on the planet. Derived from the humble argan seed, the oil possesses a number of skin- and hair-boosting benefits, but chief among them is its ability to hydrate dry skin.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4137996/”][ref url=”http://www.altmedrev.com/archive/publications/16/3/275.pdf”] It packs a moisturizing double-whammy—vitamin E and fatty acids—to send dry skin packing.
Try it:
Organic Argan Oil 100% Pure Undiluted, $16.50
This unpressed, undiluted argan oil is as pure as it gets.
Coastal Classic Creations Bioluminescence Argan Hair & Skin Oil, $30
A straight-up argan oil, conveniently packaged in a spray bottle so you can easily apply it to your hair, face, or skin.
Read next: Top Anti-Aging Biohacks for Better Skin
Negativity Fasting and Spirituality Hacking – Luke Storey #562
The Definitive Guide to Better Orgasms for Women
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- Having an orgasm is an active, learnable skill, and figuring out how to orgasm is worth your time.
- When you orgasm, your happiness hormones shoot up, your immune system gets stronger, and you instantly feel more relaxed.
- Ways to orgasm more easily involve a high-tech suction device, strong kegel muscles, and thinking beyond the clitoris.
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If orgasms don’t come easily to you, you’re not the only one. Hollywood makes it seem so effortless, but as most women know, it can take a lot of work to reach the Big O. Figuring out how to orgasm is worth your time — when you orgasm, your happiness hormones shoot up, your immune system gets stronger, and you instantly feel more relaxed.
Orgasms aren’t something that just happen to you — you can learn to master them.
“We make orgasm seem like more of a passive process, rather than an active, learnable skill,” says Vanessa Marin, sex therapist and creator of Finishing School: Learn How To Orgasm.
Whether you want to learn how to orgasm, have more orgasms, or increase the intensity of the ones you’re already having, read on.
Benefits of the female orgasm
“The main one is definitely just the pure pleasure,” says Marin. While pleasure is enough of a reason, orgasms carry loads of other benefits, for your body and your brain. These include:
- Boosts healthy hormone levels
- Lowers stress
- Releases oxytocin — aka “the love hormone” — which fosters trust, social bonding, and relaxation
- Releases estrogen, which works with oxytocin to flood your body with feel-good emotions and a sense of well-being
- Strengthens your immune system
- Lowers inflammation
- Helps you fall asleep
- Relieves pain
Ways to orgasm more easily (and more intensely)
1. Learn how to orgasm on your own
Your first step to more explosive orgasms is learning how to orgasm on your own, without your partner.
Figuring out how to get yourself off takes some experimenting. Commit to masturbating regularly while you explore what feels good for you. Some women like direct pressure on the clitoris, others prefer more indirect touch. Some like an up-and-down motion, for others circular works best. The only way you’ll know is if you practice. Masturbate, and often. Research shows that, for women, the more you orgasm, the more intense your orgasms become.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25376054?dopt=Abstract”]
Don’t be afraid to experiment. When women find a technique that works, they usually don’t change things up, says sex therapist Megan Fleming, PhD, a clinical instructor of psychology in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. Maybe it’s your hand that gets the job done, or a vibrator.
“What if you tried a different position?” says Fleming. “Experiment masturbating doggy style or straddling a pillow, on your stomach or on your back. Look at different angles and use your hands and toys.”
Another reason to try something new: Sex with a partner involves various positions and angles, and the better you know what works for your body, the more likely you are to orgasm during sex.
Don’t know where to start? Try OMGYES, an online site dedicated to female sexual pleasure. For a $39 flat fee, you can access more than 70 video tutorials of real women bringing themselves to orgasm in different ways (Hollywood star Emma Watson is a fan).
2. Use fantasy and erotic thoughts
Take the time to explore what fantasies turn you on. Does the idea of Jon Snow wearing a black cloak and nothing else rev you up? (Not a “Game of Thrones” fan? Never mind). Or maybe spanking does it for you. Or perhaps you don’t know what it is that gets you going. That’s okay — figuring out what works for you is part of the fun. Fantasies help get you aroused quickly, and can lead you to orgasm sooner when you think of them while masturbating or during sex.
You can find a lot of good stuff on the internet, if you’re willing to wade through some of the bad. On Literotica.com, explore thousands of free erotic stories that cover every kind of fantasy. Or for free erotic videos, there’s Bellesa.co, a porn site dedicated to women. If books are more your thing, check out some of these erotic short story collections.
Traditional porn is also an option. The thinking goes that “hardcore” porn doesn’t appeal to women, that the fairer sex responds better to soft porn (remember Red Shoe Diaries?) and more story-driven narratives. But research shows a different story. Women get turned on by a whole lot more than what people think.
In a famous 2004 study, researchers showed men and women a variety of sexual images — sex between a man and woman, women-only, men-only, and even sex between apes.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15482445″] Participants were hooked up to a device called a pleythysmograph, which measured swelling in the penis, or in the case of the women, blood flow to the vagina. They were also asked to indicate on a keypad how aroused they felt when looking at each image.
The men’s minds were in line with their anatomy — straight men were physically turned on by straight and lesbian sex, and gay men by gay sex.
The results for the women were completely different. It didn’t matter if they said they were gay or straight — on the whole, the women showed physical arousal when looking at all types of sex, including men with men, women with women, and even the copulating apes (the apes did little for men, gay or straight). What women said they were aroused by on the keypad didn’t align much with what was going on physically in their body.
The takeaway? Women can get physically turned on by a whole range of things, so don’t be afraid to explore.
And try not to feel any shame about your favorite fantasies. What turns you on in your mind isn’t necessarily what you want in real life, says Fleming, who lists threesomes and rape as common fantasies among women.
“Fantasy is not politically correct,” says Fleming. “It’s a place for your mind to play and explore.”
3. Try this high-tech suction device
In Dave Asprey’s book “Game Changers”, Emily Morse, a sex therapist and host of the podcast “Sex With Emily,” says to feel desire and to orgasm, women simply need more blood to flow to their vagina.
She recommends the Fiera, a small hands-free device developed by doctors. You attach it to your clitoris and it uses gentle suction to get the blood flowing. You use it for 5-10 minutes before sex, then remove it.
In a 2017 study of pre- and postmenopausal women, the Fiera increased the temperature of the clitoris and labia for up to 8 minutes, and the women reported feeling more frisky as a result.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28640156″]
Morse says that the women she works with report more sexual desire after using it for five minutes a day, and eventually they no longer need it.
4. Keep your “sexy pilot light” on
Picture this scenario: You work long hours every day and collapse into bed each night, barely having the energy to take your makeup off, let alone eat some semblance of a healthy dinner. You and your boyfriend haven’t had sex in close to a month. You can’t remember when last you masturbated. When he tries to get it on with you, you’re just not feeling it.
That’s no surprise, says Fleming.
“When sex isn’t on the mind, and you haven’t pleasured yourself or you haven’t orgasmed in days, weeks, months, or even years, you’re a cold engine,” she says.
Your goal is to “keep your sexy pilot light on”, says Fleming, so that when it comes time for sex, you’re already warmed up. It’s much harder to orgasm when you’re going from 0 to 100, versus already being halfway there.
“You want to always be simmering,” says Fleming. “Live in a sensual, sexual charge.”
Masturbating a couple of times a week is one way to do it, as is reading erotic literature or watching a sexy TV show on Netflix. Living sensuously also stokes the libido — treat yourself to regular cande-lit bubble baths, sleep naked, or take a dance class.
5. Strengthen those kegels
Kegel exercises strengthen your pelvic floor muscles — the ones you hold when you stop your pee mid-stream. Research shows that women with strong kegels experience stronger orgasms and greater sexual desire.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10782451″]
To strengthen your kegels, clench your pelvic floor muscles for three seconds, then relax them. Work up to 10 reps, 2-3 times a day.
You can also clench and release your kegels when masturbating or during sex to improve your orgasms, says Fleming.
6. Think beyond the clitoris
During sex, both partners all too often focus on just the clitoris, when other areas of the body can also help bring a woman to orgasm.
“It’s not just the clitoris,” says Fleming. “Some women can be orgasmic with nipple or anal play.”
Gently ask your partner to stroke or caress your erogenous zones, including your lower back, your inner thighs, or your neck. Again, practicing on your own will help you figure out what works for you.
“The more you know yourself, the more you can communicate to your partner,” says Fleming.
7. The Orgasm Shot (O-Shot)
You may remember the viral (and grisly) Instagram image of Kim Kardashian getting a vampire facial, which uses your own blood to rejuvenate skin tissue. The Orgasm Shot (O-Shot) claims to do the same thing, only for your vagina.
During the procedure, a doctor injects platelet rich plasma (PRP) — a concentrated version of your blood full of proteins called growth factors — into your clitoris and vagina. It aims to increase blood flow to the genitals, boosting libido and giving you better orgasms.
It doesn’t come cheap — a treatment will set you back upwards of $2,000. It’s also worth noting that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) doesn’t endorse the O-Shot, or any other “vaginal rejuvenation” procedures, calling them “unproven” and potentially unsafe.
If you’re curious about these types of procedures, watch this video about the Geneveve, a radiofrequency device that promises similar results to the O-Shot.
While there’s a place for technology, remember that orgasms are something you can get better at, and putting in the time to get to know your body is what really counts.
“I truly believe that the best ‘technology’ is your hands,” says Marin (she doesn’t endorse the O-Shot). “As a culture, we need to recognize that female masturbation is perfectly normal and healthy, and encourage women to take the time and make the effort to learn how to orgasm on their own.”
Read next: The Biohacker’s Guide to Better Sex
How to Boost Your Alpha Brain Waves to Lower Stress and Improve Mood
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- Your brain has electricity running through it all the time. Electrical signals work with chemicals (dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and so on) to influence how you experience the world. The pattern of electricity your brain generates is called a brain wave. There are a few different kinds.
- Alpha brain waves are the brain waves Zen monks produce, and also the brain waves you make when you’re in a flow state. They lead to a deep feeling of peace and enhance creativity and productivity.
- You can train your brain to make more alpha brain waves and teach yourself to shift into an alpha state at will. Neurofeedback, meditation, binaural beats, and more all increase your alpha brain waves.
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What does the brain of a lifelong Zen monk look like?
It’s an interesting question, and it turns out there’s an answer. In 1966, two Japanese neuroscientists, Kasamatsu and Hirai, packed up their brain-scanning equipment and hiked to a Zen monastery in the mountains of Japan, intent on finding out what happens in the head of a monk.
Kasamatsu and Hirai quickly discovered that monks have unusual brains. They asked the monastery’s master to rank his students by their spiritual advancement. They then measured the electrical activity of each monk’s brain while the monk was at rest. A clear pattern emerged: the more advanced the monk, the more of a specific type electrical pattern he produced.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6013341/”] These patterns, called alpha brain waves, linked tightly to the monk’s spiritual advancement and feelings of inner peace.
Kasamatsu and Hira’s discovery sparked a new field of scientific research. Now, 50 years later, we know quite a bit about the benefits alpha brain waves, and how you can increase them.
Increasing alpha is a powerful biohack
Training my brain to make more alpha is the number one most impactful biohack that I have done in my entire life. That’s saying something, because I’ve spent more than a million dollars on personal upgrades and hacking my biology.
Enhancing your alpha is like a permanent level-up for your brain. It affects your creativity, happiness, emotional stability, productivity, relationships, and far more. This article will cover what happens when you boost your alpha waves, and how you can increase them.
Learn more about keeping your brain young and strong with this definitive guide
What are brain waves?
Your brain has electricity running through it all the time. Electrical signals work with chemicals (dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and so on) to create your experience of the world.
You can measure your brain’s electrical activity with an electroencephalogram (EEG). If you do, you’ll notice waves of electricity that travel across your brain in a regular, repeating pattern. These are brain waves, and they have a huge impact on how you think and feel. There are a few different types of brainwaves, each with different effects[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5804435/”]:
- Beta waves mediate attention and sometimes produce anxiety.
- Theta waves rise during drowsiness and daydreaming. They can also increase your sense of connectedness with people around you.
- Delta waves increase during restorative sleep.
Then there are alpha waves. Alpha waves give you a feeling of deep calm, coupled with productivity, creativity, and effortless focus. Let’s take a closer look at them.
The benefits of alpha brain waves
If you’ve ever been in a flow state — where you’ve lost your sense of time and self and become extraordinarily productive — you’ve experienced a burst of alpha.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5855042/.”] High alpha does a few different things for you:
- Eases anxiety[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/663641″]
- Lowers depression[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23341412″]
- Boosts creativity[ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945215001033″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4020761/”]
- Increases pain tolerance[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1112286″]
- Boosts resilience to stress[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/693751″]
Basically, high alpha makes you a calmer, happier, less reactive, more creative and productive person. Increasing my alpha brain waves is the key to me functioning as a CEO; it’s that important.
How to increase your alpha brain waves
The cool thing about alpha is that you can permanently increase it, and permanently instill the benefits that come alongside increased alpha.. Here’s how to permanently increase alpha:
Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback is so powerful that it prompted me to start a company, 40 Years of Zen, dedicated entirely to boosting alpha through neurofeedback. The company’s name comes from its results: after a 5-day session, your alpha levels resemble those of a 40-year Zen monk’s. Neurofeedback is by far the fastest way to increase your alpha. It allows you to listen to your own brain waves in real time and teaches you to change them at will.
Meditation
This is the old-school version of neurofeedback. The sense of inner calm and focus you get from meditation is thanks to increased alpha brain waves.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19922249″] I talk about meditation in my book “Game Changers: What Leaders, Innovators, and Mavericks Do to Win at Life”; it’s one of the most common habits of high performers. If you’ve never meditated before, try the Bulletproof 30-Day Meditation Challenge to get started. Even five minutes a day will make a big change in your performance.
Gratitude plus forgiveness
Forgiveness and gratitude are two powerful ways to boost your alpha, and they’re even more powerful when you combine them. You can carry around a lot of unconscious stress from trauma in your past. Combining gratitude with forgiveness can help you process the trauma and let it go, permanently increasing your alpha in the process. Try this: write down something that hurt you, and write down exactly how it made you feel. Close your eyes and feel the painful emotion for a few minutes. Then find a way the situation that caused it benefited you or shaped you into who you are today, feel gratitude for the people who hurt you, and forgive them.
Binaural beats
You can use specially designed music that uses the vibration of different frequencies to sink your brain into an alpha state. Binaural beats let you “tune” your brain to any type of brain wave.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4231835/”] Check out this guide to binaural beats, complete with a playlist.
Blue light blocking glasses
Blue light (like the light from electronics and LEDs) is the junk food of the light world. It sabotages your sleep and stresses your brain, and you’ll feel a big difference in your day-to-day life if you replace it with better light. This is one of the reasons I made TrueDark glasses. They block 99% of blue light, which causes your alpha to increase immediately. You can see how blocking blue light increases alpha on the left side of the graph below:
It’s worth your time to train your brain to make more alpha brain waves. Use one or all of the above hacks every day; after a week or so, you’ll see a meaningful difference in how you think and feel.
