Human Growth Hormone: Is it the 'Fountain-of-Youth' hormone some anti-aging 'experts' are touting? Should you consider hGH replacement therapy?

     Natural human Growth Hormone, abbreviated as hGH and medically known as Somatotropin, is a truly amazing and essential hormone, but sadly it is not a fountain-of-youth hormone.  In this article I’m only going to discuss hGH’s role in fully mature adults.  hGH is also produced synthetically, since 1985, and is available only by (very expensive) prescription via low-dose injections.  The synthetic form of hGH is known generically as Somatropin but is sold through prescription under many different brand names, usually ending in ‘-trope’ or ‘-tropin’.  There is absolutely no oral tablet or capsule form of hGH that is legitimate because it is destroyed in the stomach during digestion.  There is absolutely no supplement that will boost your own hGH production.  Those are all false claims and marketing ploys, unregulated by the FDA.  The only synthetic form of hGH that is real, is available by prescription injection only.  You are an idiot if you were to ever try to buy black market hGH and administer it to yourself and that is as far as I am going to discuss black market hGH because I refuse to waste your time.

In adults, hGH is secreted by the pituitary gland in sporadic short bursts throughout the day, peaking at night about an hour after we first fall asleep and enter our first deep-sleep phase - which is why if you take nothing else away from reading this article, simply by ensuring you go to be at the same time each night and don’t miss that critical first cycle of sleep, you will be accomplishing one of the best things you can do to maximize your natural hGH production.  Other natural occurring times when hGH is secreted is in direct response to intense exercise, physical trauma, and during periods of fasting/hunger.  More on this later, as we can deduce simple strategies to maximize our hGH based on this information.

Buying (and eating) 'ORGANIC' - is it WORTH it?

The idea of Organic farming is a noble and worthy one, as is choosing to buy Organic food.  It is more than just a liberal, hipster, environmental-activist fad.  Organic means such farmers and the consumers who buy from them, are trying to do a better job of sustaining our planet and its limited resources, minimizing their environmental impact, as well as treating farm animals as humanely as reasonable, all while hopefully producing safer and tastier food.  When you choose to buy Organic you are making an ethical decision just as much as you are a health-conscious decision.  Honestly it is easier to make the case to buy Organic based on ethical and environmental reasons more so than for nutrition or taste reasoning, because the jury is still out on the latter.

’Organic’ labeling is thankfully regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), so if you see a food labeled Organic accompanied by this official USDA ‘Organic’ Seal,  then you can trust it is certified organic.  (*If the USDA seal is not clearly visible on the front of the label then it is not certified Organic or held to any such regulated standards or inspections, even if the product claims to be organic!*)  But what does this certification mean exactly and what are the USDA standards if any?  And does the Organic label really mean the food is any safer or healthier?  The USDA defines certified ‘Organic’ to mean: food production using methods that preserve the environment and avoid most synthetic materials, such as pesticides and antibiotics.  Organic principles were first set forth and legislated by Congress contained in the Organic Foods Production Act.

Organic farms and processors are required to, (via USDA.gov):

1.      Preserve natural resources and biodiversity

2.      Support animal health and welfare

3.      Provide access to the outdoors so that animals can exercise their natural behaviours

4.      Only use approved materials

5.      Do not used genetically modified ingredients

6.      Receive annual onsite inspections

7.      Separate organic food from non-organic food

Psychological Gender Differences in Action Sports: Do Males Have a Risk-Taking Edge?

Regarding psychological gender differences In Action/'Extreme'-Sports performance:  The age-old argument of 'Nature Vs. Nurture' should be thrown out.  It is BOTH Nature and Nurture that make us so different as male vs. female athletes...as risk-takers, when we strip it down to the central psychological core.

You can train away most of the 'nurture' part by starting girls off at a very young age and by exposing them to and encouraging high-risk sports and challenges rather than Disney princess movies and tea-parties.  But you can never train away anatomical brain-gender differences.

As the level of risk goes up and the consequence of failure nears major injury or even potential death, the psychological pendulum swings toward the male brain, giving males a biological-based, advantage.  Males consider consequences less.  At that critical moment of high-risk, the male brain shouts "Go for it.  You got this.  Your buddies are watching and they already went..." without hesitation, more often than a female's brain, which more intelligently, may take another moment or two for additional risk-analysis before leaping.

You can't simply train away brain-anatomical differences.  There's not an exercise for it.  Male brains are bathed in testosterone beginning in the womb while a females' are bathed in estrogen, physically altering brain structure from the womb onward.  Men's brains have more testosterone receptors while female brains have more estrogen receptors.  Those receptors can't be switched off.  Neuro-mapping and pathways, and how we use right and left hemispheres of our brain may be altered to a degree.

Males are more 'fight or flight' while females are biologically (nature) more 'tend and mend'.  Male brains are wired to have a higher threshold of risk and be combative, while females can be more patient and nurturing. This isn't about one gender being better than the other.  There are pros and cons on both sides.  Why do you think women give birth and live longer on average, and have more social and emotional connections?  Where would I be without my wife of 19 years?  Probably dead or a surf bum on an island somewhere.

Women will always have larger Prefrontal Cortexes and smaller Amygdalas, than men -  Lower risk taking behavior and more emotionally involved, respectively.  Men will always have more testosterone than women.  This is not a negative, this is just biology.  Testosterone receptors in the male brain, may give a risk-taking edge.  We should be different and be allowed to be different, and embrace our respective gender if we choose.

There is this idealistic notion out there that females should be able to perform equally, on the same level as males in action-sports.  I don't agree, and if we are waiting for that day to happen, it may never come.  Progress in action sports has always been lead by males by a huge margin.  This does not mean that watching women extreme athletes is any less compelling or exciting.  The relative level of competition is just as intense, as is their relative rate of progression.  We must also take into account there are many more males than females participating in and competing in Action-Sports which will also widen the progression gap just by the gap in (lack of) involvement.

2013 X-Games bronze medalist, and 2013 Ladies Pro Bowl World Champion Julz Lynn (Kindstrand), above, seems to have honed her psychological fitness over many years of skating and found that critical mental edge  - that sweet spot of dopamine, Flow, clarity and adrenaline combining into present-moment magic.

Stretching and Flexibility Training: Mobility Vs. Stability

The principles of stretching and flexibility, both for pre-workout warm-up and as a sole means to improve mobility have completely changed since when you and I were growing up in P.E. class.  In a nutshell, stretching can do more harm than good if not done correctly or if performed with the intent of hyper-mobility (exceeding bio-mechanical ranges).  We also now know that joint stability and strength, are more important to athletic performance and lower injury rates, than flexibility is.   Optimal range of motion is the goal, with flexibility as one tool to get there.  Hyper-mobility or maximizing joint flexibility is never the goal for an athlete!    In fact some pro-athletes do not stretch at all in a traditional since, but rather warm-up and cool-down, and loosen up occasional tight spots and trigger points with targeted stretches, foam-rolling and massage.  Strengthening exercises, massage and compression-wear have taken over many areas for today’s relevant athlete, where stretching fell short in the past.  Pre-workout stretching should be used only as a means to acclimate your body to its normal range of optimal motion, as well as loosening up any ‘tight’ spots or fascia adhesions.  Pre-workout stretching is not the time to try to improve overall flexibility or push joints or muscles past their bio-mechanical maximum range of motion.  Pre-workout stretching should only be done after you have first warmed up your core temperature and increased your heart rate with some form of mild cardio exercise, like spinning, jogging, jumping rope, or mild calisthenics.  A warm muscle is a pliable muscle.  A cold muscle is prone to high-risk of injury.  Never stretch cold muscles!  Ideally the time to work on your flexibility – if that is important to you, is after your workout when all your soft tissue are very warm and pliable.  This may also assist in removing lactic-acid and in muscle recovery.  However, while post-exercise stretching and massage may lower next day (DOMS) soreness, it may also inhibit muscle-gains by reducing inflammation and prostaglandins, which both trigger follow on muscle growth, and Growth Hormone secretion.

My primary 'stretching' goals are to simply 'loosen up', prevent fascia-adhesions, manage scar tissue and to maintain optimal mobility - not to join some sideshow circus act with hyper-mobile joints!!

The Juice-Cleanse Myth...and How You Could Be Harming your Liver!

Juice-cleanses, juicing-fasts, juice-detoxes...It is time I interject some common sense into this over-hyped, fructose-laden, crash-diet-in-disguise fad!  As usual I have done my best to sift through all the bro-science, and anecdotal, placebo-effect claims out there in internet land, and also have managed to sniff out all the false-marketing, testimonial-type, social media posts attempting to sell us cleansing kits, polluting our newsfeeds (pun intended).  ‘Cleanses’ and fasts are certainly not new as they have been around forever, and I don’t think they will ever go away.  Folks are drawn to them and always have been – beginning a cleanse is almost like a spiritual journey for many – like a baptism, and many also like the discipline and sense of accomplishment completing a cleanse can bring.  Cleanses and fasts permit us to immediately and radically start fresh, or break a downward spiral of poor diet and lifestyle choices.  They empower us and cause us to feel as if we are taking back control of our bodies and health with a tangible, simple plan.  However, they are also a means to rapid and sometimes unhealthy weight-loss, so many folks often use cleanses as way to kick start their diets, though often this sets in motion a pattern of yo-yo dieting, or fasting as a way to make-up for binging episodes.  It’s a slippery slope into diet abuse.  I’m sure you know of some folks who are cleansing every month whether they need to or not.

We can see that there are many mental and motivational positives to undertaking a cleanse or even a strategic fast.  In fact Intermittent-Fasting is even linked to improving longevity and boosting metabolism.  And of course there will be immediate accompanying weight-loss, usually temporary water and glycogen weight – but seriously, are our insides any ‘cleaner’ or less toxic as a result?  Doubtful.  And certainly the only claims of the latter I uncovered were anecdotal at best, or worse, evangelistic testimonials from folks trying to sell us cleansing-kits and products.  The bottom line is, are bodies do a fantastic and thorough job of maintaining and detoxing ourselves on a daily basis.  We have organs and systems designed just for this purpose and they never stop working for our greater good.  Liver, kidneys, sweat glands, mucus membranes, colon, lungs, lymph nodes, skin – they are all working in harmony to eliminate toxins and protect us.  All you have to do is not deliberately sabotage yourself, by leading a relatively healthy lifestyle, and you will be good to go!

Reaction-Time Training and Hand-Eye Coordination Improvement Drills

              Hand-eye coordination and reaction-time training usually go hand in hand when it comes to athletic performance and sports.  So I am going to touch on some of the most popular drills to help you improve both of them simultaneously.  The two don’t always go together of course:  Reaction-time training is all about reducing reaction time and improving quickness, while there are many relatively slow and deliberately methodical activities that still require tremendous precision and incredible hand-eye coordination, such as painting, playing a musical instrument, or brain surgery!  In sports however, hand-eye coordination usually involves speed and timing, like with ball and racket sports.  Catching, throwing, hitting, passing, shooting and driving all require tremendous amounts of hand-eye coordination, usually in a reactive, time-critical situation.  Depending on the sport, balls can be traveling at 90 miles per hour or faster, bouncing and spinning along the way.  Perhaps a better way to look at this is body-eye tracking coordination, or neuromuscular mapping and reaction.  Because in most sports, it’s not just our hands having to react, but usually our entire body.  Our feet must first transport our bodies into position to make the play with our hands or rackets!  The good news is, all this can be trained and improved with practice and very simple drills, though apparently much of the foundation is laid when we our kids.  So if you played multiple sports growing up as a kid – good for you!  Your neuromuscular connections, reactive-timing, hand-eye coordination and muscle-memory will always be there for you, albeit a little rusty if you haven’t been on the court in a while!

               Before I get to these basic drills, you should know that the most fun way to develop your hand-eye coordination and improve your reaction-time is to just go out and play the sports you love!  You’ll be much more motivated if you’re having fun and are going all out to make the play or win the game.  The adrenalin, endorphins and dopamine boost we get only through the passion of being immersed in the game will greatly improve your performance and fitness too.  Some of the best sports to improve hand-eye coordination and reaction time are certainly not the most physically demanding: Ping Pong or Table-tennis, and most racket sports require equal parts hand-eye coordination, reaction, and timing.  If you like the beach, I recommend checking out SmashBall beach tennis – another great option!  Peppering or bumping the volleyball is great too.

Above - a reaction training 'ball'

20 Super Foods! (A practical, affordable list!) - March is National Nutrition Month!

March is National Nutrition Month, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics!  No I’m serious, it really is!  Time to celebrate by eating super, nutrient-dense foods!  I have compiled a beginner’s list here for you –we all have to start somewhere.  There are many amazing foods out there that are nutrient dense and very functional.  A list like this is inherently subjective and a practical list couldn't and shouldn't contain them all.  I mean if you're aware of a particular, rare mushroom with miraculous healing powers, but it can only be located after trekking the Amazon jungle for a month, then well, that's not really going to help the rest of us 9-to-fivers is it?!   All the foods I have listed here can be found at almost any super market or whole-foods-type market.  This is a practical list for you and I.  So what makes me consider a food “Super”?  As far as this list is concerned a food will not be considered super unless it possesses healing properties above and beyond providing nutrition and energy.  “Healing properties?” you ask – why yes, along with providing energy and nutrition, food can also be Mother Nature’s most raw and powerful ‘medicine’.  Let me give you few examples of some healing and medicinal properties I’m referring to and how they are defined:

1. Anti-oxidant:  Neutralizes free-radical molecules in the body, due to oxidative metabolism, by binding to them.  Free-radicals left unchecked can wreak havoc in the body by pulling electrons from other molecules and speed up the aging process of cells.
2.  Alkalinizing:  If you’ll remember from my earlier article on pH-balancing, your body’s natural pH is slightly alkaline, and many of the refined foods, sodas, coffees, and dairy we eat are very acidic causing the body to leach calcium and other minerals from our bones and muscles to neutralize the acids.  An acidic body has a weakened immune system and does not function at its ideal.
3. Anti-inflammatory:  Some foods lower inflammation and it is now thought that chronic, systemic inflammation is directly linked to elevated CRP, atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, arthritis, Lupus, and many other problems.
4. Lower LDL-cholesterol and/or raise HDL-cholesterol: This one really needs no explaining.  Good for the heart and blood vessels.
5. Anti-biotic/anti-fungal:  Some foods naturally accomplish this role in helping the immune system eliminate harmful pathogens from the body and preventing Candida, (yeast), overrun.
6. Anti-cancer/carcinogenic: Some foods directly battle cancer cells, and bust up tumors.
7. Anti-allergenic:  Can help our immune systems grow accustom to allergens and prevent reactions.
8. Phyto-chemicals:  Micronutrients found in plant-foods including phyto-estrogens to block bad/synthetic estrogens, isoflavones, flavonols, and plant sterols.  These amazing chemicals do things like lower LDL-cholesterol, function as anti-oxidants, support hormone balance, and combat cancer.
9. Improve Insulin sensitivity/glucose tolerance:  Helps cells uptake glucose from the blood for energy using less insulin.