looking upwards increases energy, looking down decreases it. So make sure if you work on a computer that you are looking straight ahead at your monitor
Cold exposure like a cold shower increases dopamine and noradrenaline
Niacin decreases inflammation, also helps with producing NAD which is important for energy production in the cells.
Reducing inflammation will tend to enhance energy. Curcumin, PEA, high EPA fish oil and pine bark are all great anti inflammatories
Exercise also a great way to increase energy levels. Especially outdoor exercise
Breathing techniques – deep slow breathing tends to calm you down. Rapid breathing will increase energy levels, be careful it can also increase anxiety.
PQQ, acetyl l carnitine and coQ10 help enhance energy levels- they influence energy production in mitochondria in the cells. Carnitine also makes me fart horrifically though.
Sleep
hot baths, baths with Epson salts, magnesium gylycinate, glycine, apigenin are all great for enhancing sleep
Always speak to your doctor before changing your diet or taking supplements
Article for informational purposes only
A whole food diet should be the foundation of any treatment. I personally found going dairy free made a huge difference
Gut Health
Leaky gut is a big problem and can be caused by a poor diet and taking too many NSAIDS like ibuprofen.
To repair or maintain a healthy gut wall, I use collagen and glutamine. I also eat fermented foods three times a day to maintain a healthy gut micrbiome.
Magnesium
Around 60% of Americans are deficient in magnesium. Magnesium is great for relieving muscle tension and anxiety. Chelated or glycinated versions of magnesium or absorbed the best.
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA)
A natural anti-inflammatory found in soya. It’s working really well for me at the moment
The flush effect from niacin can be really uncomfortable, so start off with a small dosage, say 50mg.
Niacin is a strong anti-inflammatory that may also benefit cardiovascular health
Niacin has been used for decades to lower the plasma concentrations of cholesterol, free fatty acids, and triglycerides in humans, and in addition it raises more than any other drug the levels of the protective high density lipoprotein. These effects have been used to treat dyslipidemic states. Trials have shown that treatment with niacin reduces progression of atherosclerosis, and clinical events and mortality from coronary heart disease. The beneficial clinical efficacy of niacin appropriately emphasizes the prominent role of its lipid-altering effects; however, high expression of niacin receptor in a variety of immune cell types, lowering of inflammatory markers, and beneficial impact on adipokines expression could provide rational to the hypothesis that anti-inflammatory effect is also an important property of niacin on atherosclerosis beyond its lipid-altering effects.
I’ve personally found beta alanine is great for muscle aches and pains. I have it with or after food, otherwise it upsets my stomach.
Ice and heat therapy have also been very beneficial. For example, ice baths and hot baths.
Finally – it might also be worth getting your hormone levels checked. Pregnenolone and DHEA have had some quite startling results for some people that I know. Start off with just 5mg of each however, they tend to come in 50 or 100mg capsules which is too much for most people.
Other Supplements
For energy:
Organic greens powders containing kale etc
High EPA omega 3
PQQ
ALCAR
COQ10
Adaptogens such as ginseng and rhodiola rosea
Wim Hof Breathing – Breath in as powerfully as you can 30 times & then hold your breath. Repeat 3 times. Then jump in a cold shower
cold exposure and the wim hof method are also great techniques for increasing energy levels.
cold exposure reduces inflammation, increases dopamine and noradrenaline levels for hours.
ALWAYS SPEAK TO A DOCTOR BEFORE TAKING ANY SUPPLEMENTS OR CHANGING LIFESTYLE E.G. TAKING UP NEW EXERCISE REGIMES OR COLD EXPOSURE
DISCLAIMER – ALWAYS CONSULT A DOCTOR BEFORE TAKING ANY SUPPLEMENTS
Niacin is also called vitamin B3.
it is a water soluble vitamin found in foods such milk, beef, liver and legumes.
Don’t use niacin or use with caution if you have any liver issues
Take niacin with a methyl donor such as MSM, or TrimethylglycineÂ
Some people suggest that you should also take vitaminC with niacin, but I’m struggling to find any scientific documentation.
The good folks on reddit suggest taking the same amount of trimethylglycine as niacin with x2 amount of vitamin C.
If you take 1g niacin , also take 1g trimethylglycine and 2g vitamin C. I must emphasise that these dosages are from reddit users though and not doctors or Nutritionist- please do your own research before taking niacin and speak to your doctor.
Niacin and Covid 19
Niacin has got lots of attention recently because there are some scientific papers that explore and support the theory that low NAD+ levels make people more susceptible to serious illness when they’ve contracted Covid-19
Niacin, increases levels of NAD in the body (more information in this study)
DISCLAIMER – there are many contraindications for taking niacin, especially with COVID – it can cause hypotension and heart issues in those with pre-existing issues
Vitamin B3 [niacin (nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid)] has an anti-inflammatory impact, and recent studies show that it can help reduce inflammation in patients with COVID-19 and can even be used as an adjunct therapy.
Lung damage is a major hurdle to recovery in those severe patients. Through producing various growth factors, MSCs may help repair of the damaged lung tissue. It is important to mention that various studies have shown that in animal models with bleomycin-induced lung injury, vitamin B3 (niacin or nicotinamide) is highly effective in preventing lung tissue damage [7]. It might be a wise approach to supply this food supplement to the COVID-19 patients.
Some people have had success, using niacin to treat depression. This could be due to its anti inflammatory properties, or its ability to increase energy levels.
People typically build up to a maximum of 1,000mg three times per day.
START SLOW with 25mg!
if you take 1,000mg straight away you will get a horrible niacin flush:
Niacin Flush = skin on fire
The picture of me above is after 250mg
Day 1 – 25mg with breakfast, lunch and again with an evening meal
Day 2 – take 50mg breakfast, lunch and stick with 25mg in the evening
Day 3 – take 75mg with food twice then 50mg with evening meal
keep building up your dosage until you get to your desired intake and niacin dosage
it’s hard to find evidence for niacin being effective treatment for depression although there are many accounts online.
I did find these studies of niacinamine (derived from niacin) with l tryptophan
As ever, Reddit has some interesting information about niacin and depression:
From reddit.com/r/supplements
Benefits of niacin:
Anti inflammatory
Potent antioxidant
Reduces ldl cholesterol
Increases hdl cholesterol
May help with energy and wellbeing
Can help recovery from exercise
May help with kidney health*
Side Effects of Niacin
Niacin flush – red, blotchy skin and burning (build up dosage slowly to avoid)
Nausea
Diarrhea
High doses 2,000mg plus could cause liver damage
You should take a methyl donor like msm or TM glycine with niacin
*
In conclusion, recent experimental and clinical studies, including that of Kang et al [11], suggest that niacin and its metabolites nicontinamide could be used to treat hyperlipidemia and to lower phosphate levels in patients with CKD. However, further studies are needed to evaluate whether long-term treatment with low-dose niacin is effective, well tolerated, and safe and has a preventive effect on the progression of CKD.
**there is some discussion online that niacin can cause liver damage if the non-flush version is used in high doses, or if you take 2,000mg+ for too long.
Niacin and Exercise Recovery
Niacin is also great for reducing muscle soreness and enhancing recovery.
This is because it is a potent anti-inflammatory, and because it “flushes” the blood and dilates the blood vessels (vasodilation) which in theory, should help to remove lactic acid from tired muscles.
It’s best not to use niacin immediately after a training session or workout, as for muscle strength and hypertrophy gains, you want some inflammation to occur immediately after exercise.
For more information on enhancing recovery, please see my MMA Recovery post.
Please note that if u are a potential employer, I do these posts in my mobile during my daughters swimming lessons. If I work for your my blog posts will be a lot better!
Warrior 1 is often described as a “beginner level standing post” and a “hip opener”.
The posture is described as “internal rotated femur” – this is the same as warrior 3
DISCLAIMER – consult a doctor if you have any injuries or illnesses that could impact your ability to perform yoga poses
A gentle warm up of half squats and arm circles is also a good idea
be careful not to over-arch your back
There are various ways or steps of getting into the pose, but we will outline the most common
Warrior 1 Yoga Pose
Step 1
Stand at the top of the mat with your feet together
Step back with the left foot
Keep the toes of the right foot pointing forwards
Rotate the toes of the left foot pointing 45 degrees to the left of the mat
Make sure that the back foot/left foot is firmly pressed into the floor – heel should be firmly pressed downwards into the mat – if you heel or outer edge of the foot is lifted up, shorten the gap between your feet
Ensure the Pelvis is neutral – NOT tilted forwards or backwards
If necessary draw your belly button in to help ‘tuck your tailbone’ under the rest of your spine
The Front foot/right foot – should have the knee vertically inline with the ankle
The front foot – the knee should be inline (horizontally) with your second toe
Lift the arms up by rotating both arms together from the shoulder joint
Lift the hands upwards and point the fingers
Do not hunch your shoulders – stay relaxed around the neck and shoulders
I am currently doing the Siddhi Yoga online teacher training course which I highly recommend.
With the help of a bath, you can do hot yoga at home. You don’t need a heater for hot yoga, or a tent. Although I am a fan of the infrared sauna blankets to get heat ‘deep’ into the muscles.
Instead of using a heater, or sauna, you can run the bath, and wear lots of layers or a sauna suit, and do yoga next to the bath, on the floor. The humidity and the layers will create lots of body heat.
My bathroom is tiny however. At your own risk, you can do some yoga actually in the bath.
disclaimer- you can slip, you can also get dehydrated doing hot yoga at home, so always have a drink handy
Hot Yoga at Home – Workout
hold each pose for 30 breaths, try to prolong the exhale so you relax into it.
I don’t know the names of all the poses unfortunately, but these pics show my routine:
Hamstring stretch – be careful with lower backShoulder stretch – Squat down – place right hand inside right thigh, next to your body. Point right elbow forwards (be careful with shoulder joint)Modified version of the triangle poseCobra pose – Lie on front, gently push your upper body up and keep your hips flat on the floor – be careful with lower back, stay on elbows to start withClasp hands behind back
I also stretch my glutes, but the photo looked really weird, even worse than the above ones, it should be done like in the photo below:
research suggests that 3 sets of 30 secs per stretch is best for mobility, but I’ve found 1 set effective. I will do more sets if I am stiff in a particular area.
Blocked out my face as I don’t want to end up on some weird website or anything! Feel free to add the images to your gay yoga website, as long as you link back 😊😀
Exercise in the heat is generally thought to be a great way to increase growth hormone levels, after exercise and during sleep the following evening.
Consuming the amino acid arginine can also help to optimise growth hormone levels – around 3-8g is required. For further information on arginine – please see this study
I’ll sometimes put hot chilli rub on after the bath and workout, either with yoga, or weights.
benefits of hot yoga
increased levels of growth hormone
Reduced risk if pulling a muscle
Increased flexibility
KEEP HYDRATED
BE CAREFUL NOT TO SLIP IF YOU DO ANY STANDING STRETCHES
you can do the exercises on the bathroom floor in a sauna suit, instead of in the bath
just be careful if you use hot chilli rub!
Hot chilli rub gets hotter when you sweat!
I use the AQF sauna suit and it is still going strong after 2 years. The hit chilli rub is off amazon and pictured below:
If you would like to support my ad-free content, please see my patreon account:
Notes taken mainly from memory, please listen to the podcast to confirm
Andrew Huberman Podcast Episode 12 Notes how to increase motivation and drive
Dopamine is released in anticipation Dopamine makes u take action, usually towards some kind of goal
novelty is key in motivation, and novelty e.g. the concept of a new task or a new reward will release more dopamine
Dopamine is a substrate for adrenaline
Nicotine increases dopamine by 150%
Dopamine is a double-edged-sword
There’s a crash associated with dopamine. Like the proverbial pleasure and pain hypothesis. There’s a release of prolactin after a dopamine increase Prolactin makes us search for whats next.
Dopamine and food- dopamine is released but we want more and more because of prolactin
Intermittent positive reinforcement is related to dopamine relase and is what makes social media and gambling addictive. A psychologist did some interesting experiments with pigeons back in the day and these principles are still used today to keep people addicted to certain behaviours.
If you want to keep yourself or your team motivated, interimmitently reward success with some kind of celebration. For example, randomly, one in three times your team gets a scientific paper published, reward them – don’t reward them each time and don’t reward in any kind of a patten.
serotonin makes us feel content, we need dopamine to find and try new things
you can support Andrew Huberman by subscribing to his youtube channel
I finally got round to making a third episode of my “Wellbeing & Business” podcast, in the car, on the way to Bala with the family (I wasn’t driving).
Sorry for the sound quality – it’s pretty poor at the start of the podcast.
Supplements & Hacks for depression
Fish oil – EPA 1000mg a day
EPA is part of mega 3, cheap fish oil and algae oil are low in EPA – study on EPA here
Acetyl l carnitine- 300mg
ALCAR also makes men and women more fertile. Great for energy, but can make u fart a lot – study on Acertyl L carnitine here
PEA or Phenylethylamine
PEA has also been shown to be effective, but start with a very low dose as can cause anxiety
Green Exercise
Exercising outdoors is also great for depression, especially in or near water
Other interventions for depression include – saunas (heat shock proteins are great), fermented foods, curcumin and wild swimming. Basically, anything that enhances gut function and/or reduces inflammation is great for depression.
Content Marketing
Do not write 100 blog posts about your product and why people should buy it.
Identify your target audience, find where they hang out online – Reddit, Forums, Facebook groups etc.
Identify their issues, problems and wishes/desires. E.g. small business owners talk a lot about social media marketing on Reddit
Write great content, with unique research which addresses their issues. Create regular content and offer a blog subscription by email or a newsletter sign up
Subtlety sell your product within some of the posts – do not be over the top with sales or you will lose your audience and subscribers
Content marketing is a medium to long term, brand building strategy – offer value and build your brand and reputation
This is a great video about content marketing:
Create content specific to each platform – create Facebook content for Facebook – do not just post links on there from your blog. Linkedin has great organic reach at the moment, upload videos directly to the platform, create relevant memes and quotes and use it like a micro-blogging platform.
Be interesting, educational and/or entertaining – do NOT just push your product or service constantly.
First thing to know is that genetics play a massive role. There is a polymorphism known as epoE4 which increases the chances of someone developing a neurodegenerative condition.
Phospholipid Omega 3 – found in krill oil and salmon roe. Phospholipid forms of omega 3, can reach the brain or pass the blood brain barrier with DHA, more readily than normal forms of omega 3, in people who are genetically predisposed to neurogenerative diseases. More information on this here.
Water – as pure as possible, or from a natural form. In the UK, many old properties still have lead pipes. Dehydration is said to be a major cause of cognitive issues in old age.
BDNF – some supplements like lions mane mushroom, increase levels of BDNF which in turn can help ‘neurogenesis’ in some parts of the brain. Cardiovascular exercise can also help do the same.
Avoid Anti Histamines – some research suggests that anti-histamines might cause cognitive problems in the long run.
Creatine – research suggests that creatine has neuroprotective properties. Some suggest it can damage the kidneys but I’m unaware of the research behind this.
Turmeric – maybe – turmeric has been shown to reduce amyloid plaque formation, but recent studies suggest much of the turmeric you can buy, is high in lead. Curcumin might be a better idea, use a small amount daily.
A growing body of evidence indicates that oxidative stress, free radicals, beta amyloid, cerebral deregulation caused by bio-metal toxicity and abnormal inflammatory reactions contribute to the key event in Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Due to various effects of curcumin, such as decreased Beta-amyloid plaques, delayed degradation of neurons, metal-chelation, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and decreased microglia formation, the overall memory in patients with AD (Alzheimer’s disease) has improved
There is some research (study here) suggesting that 1 set per body part is as effective for strength gains, as 3 sets.
Make sure that you warm up – get a sweat on
Do each set with perfect technique – fail between 6 and 12 reps. If you can do 12 reps easily, you need to increase resistance
The Griffiths Quick Bodybuilding Protocol
Warm up – 30 bodyweight squats, 30 arm circles, 2 warm up sets with light weight
Shoulder Bodybuilding Workout
Equipment – resistance bands, wrist weight
1 set – standard shoulder press x max reps
1 set – negative reps x max reps
1 set – explosive squats and press x 12 reps
Chest Bodybuilding Workout
Warm up
1 set of press ups x max reps (use Hindu press ups when you can do 25 normal press ups easily)
1 set of plyometric clap press ups x 6 reps
Back Bodybuilding workout
1 set of chin ups x max reps
1 set of negative chin ups x 8 reps
1 set of explosive chin ups x 8 reps
Quick Leg Workout
Warm up – 20 bodyweight squats
1 set – Single Leg Squats (use a support such as a putting your hand on a table to begin)
1 set – explosive jumping lunges
Be very careful with single leg squats, if you lose balance you can injure yourself easily. Try Split squats or just bodyweight squats if you want to minimise the risk of injury
