Health Made Easy

Today's Guest: Michael Hughes

Michael Hughes is the founder of Gymnazo, a 7-figure functional training facility on the Central Coast of California that focuses on integrating restoration with performance. With a churn rate of under 3%, Gymnazo's business model and training style have created security in a volatile market. After becoming a Fellow of Applied Functional Science, Michael integrated physical therapy directly into his programming for group coaching - something that had never been done before in the fitness industry. He realized the power of using fitness as a vehicle for recovery, which led him to implement a blend of performance and restoration training that dramatically increased his lifetime client value. Michael is passionate about functional training and is building his facility to revolutionize how we train all ages to promote vitality and to heal movement dysfunctions that hold us back from living the lives we desire. Michael founded Gymnazo Edu to share his formula for success with the training community and offer his Multi-Dimensional Movement Coach (MDMC) certification.

We all learned, in our basic education, about the benefits of soaking ourselves in the morning sunshine to enjoy the benefits of vitamin D for bone health. Well, let's assume our teachers didn't want to say too much. But the truth is that vitamin D offers more benefits, including improved immune function, resistance to certain diseases, and more. Don't worry, we shall discuss more on these benefits in this article.

To start with, let's define what vitamin D is…

What is Vitamin D?

We all know vitamin D to be a fat-soluble vitamin, which belongs to a family of compounds that include D1, D2, and D3. However, can I shock you by letting you know Vitamin D is actually a hormone and not a vitamin? Surprised, right? Well, basically, vitamins are obtained from the foods we eat, but in the case of vitamin D, they can be synthesized by the body.

When ultraviolet rays or sunlight hits your skin, the rays convert a protein called 7-DHC into vitamin D3, which is then processed by enzymes in the kidney and liver to become activated which does the magic in our body.

However, you can also get vitamin D from food sources such as egg yolk, oily fish, and whole milk. You can even find them in many kinds of breakfast cereals.

How does vitamin D help?

Vitamin D plays an important role throughout the body. Apart from supporting bone health, it works to support the health of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. More so, it helps to regulate insulin levels and support diabetes management.

However, vitamin D is mainly important for immune system health. It offers anti-inflammatory benefits and boosts the production of immune cells in the body.

Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a number of illnesses and disorders, including cancer, cognitive disorder, autoimmune disorders, and Parkinson's disease.

So it is important to get vitamin D from sunlight or your diet. You can also take vitamin D supplements if your body is not synthesizing enough of this hormone. This can help to boost your overall wellness and immune defense.

However, you need to be careful when you expose yourself to sunlight. The same UVB radiation that helps you make vitamin D is also responsible for sunburns and even skin cancer. Little wonder, we are often advised to keep it moderate and stay under the morning sunlight instead of the scorching afternoon sunlight.

So you have to keep it moderate. If you have a light complexion, 10-15 minutes of outdoor exposure to sunlight is sensible to produce plenty of vitamin D daily. But if you're dark in your complexion, you can get 20-30 minutes of exposure to sunlight to make vitamin D daily.

Here are a few suggestions: You can decide to eat your lunch outdoors, take a midday call outside, or take a short stroll while you have your zoom meetings. Doing all of these can offer great benefits to your immune system and overall health.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City, to learn more about the benefits of vitamin D and good food sources of this fat-soluble nutrient that you can include in your diet.

In this episode we discuss:

How alcohol opioids affect men's health

Screening tests all men should have

Erectile dysfunction, circulation issues, and what to do about it

Low Testosterone

Male Rejuvenation

Today's Podcast Guest:

Dr. Judson Brandeis is honored to have been voted Top Urologist in the SF Bay Area by SF Magazine from 2014 to 2020. In February 2019, he opened his comfortable office in San Ramon, where he focuses his practice entirely on Men's Sexual Health and Rejuvenation.

BrandeisMD is a national leader in technology and innovations in sexual medicine. Dr. Brandeis is the National Director of Clinical Excellence for GAINSWave and created and runs the SWEET Study, the largest study of Shockwave Therapy for ED ever performed. BrandeisMD was one of the first offices in California for offer PT-141, Oxytocin, and Apomorhine for erectile dysfunction.

Dr. Brandeis created and directed 5 IRB-approved clinical research protocols in sexual medicine, two of which are still active. These include the SWEET Study, the largest study of shockwave therapy use in treating erectile dysfunction (active), SWAP study for Peyronie's Disease (completed), P-LONG for penile elongation (active), LuBE for improving the intensity of orgasms (completed), and the SURGE study (completed), which tests a transdermal serum to improve penile blood flow in prostate cancer patients.

Dr. Brandeis is a national sexual medicine educator who has run weekend educational seminars all around the country and has created a male sexual medicine curriculum on Teachable.com. Dr. Brandeis is the director of sexual medicine for The Aesthetic Show annual meeting in Las Vegas, as well as author of the 'Advances in Sexual Medicine' chapter for the Large Urology Group Practice Association textbook.

A native New Yorker, Dr. Brandeis left the Empire State to attend Brown University to study History before attending Vanderbilt for Medical School. He spent a year at Harvard Medical School doing research sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Finally, Dr. Brandeis finished his formal medical training with 2 years of general surgery and 4 years of Urology training at the World Famous UCLA Department of Urology.

Dr. Judson Brandeis' info:

Website:http://www.brandeismd.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbrandeismd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judsonbrandeismd/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrandeisMD/

YouTube Channel:www.youtube.com/c/BrandeisMD

Book website: https://thetwentyfirstcenturyman.com/

EBook:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LRG1G78/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_R043ERZPXJR7AEM5JBWC

You certainly would have problems with wounds and cuts on your body if you do not get enough zinc. However, zinc has other essential benefits in the body, including the immune system and metabolism support, and other functions we shall show you in this article.

What is zinc?

Zinc is an essential micronutrient needed for overall growth and development in humans. This nutrient is important and you can only get it through foods, such as meat, beans, meat, and fish.

Low levels of zinc in your body can put you at risk of disease and illness. This shows that zinc is needed in an adequate amount to support your immune system and other functions. And it plays a key role in childhood growth and development. More so, zinc has antioxidant properties.

Let's move on to discuss the benefits of zinc.

How does zinc help?

When you consume an adequate amount of zinc in your diet, you enjoy a plethora of benefits, including:

• Immune function

The body needs enough zinc from your foods to support immune function. You stand the risk of infections, such as pneumonia when you have low levels of zinc.

• Carbohydrate metabolism
• DNA synthesis
• Bone health
• Fertility and reproduction
• Healthy skin, hair, and nails
• Normal cognitive function
• Eye health

How zinc helps immune function

Zinc helps in all of the functions listed above. However, we are going to discuss more on the benefits of zinc to your immune system.

Zinc supports the immune system in several ways. But primarily, it activates enzymes that are responsible for breaking down proteins in bacteria and viruses to stop them from spreading.

Also, zinc boosts the activation of cells responsible for tackling infections.

Studies have shown that zinc helps cells destroy pathogens such as E.coli.

You may wonder, "How much of zinc is then enough?" Well, the daily RDA for zinc is 9.5 mg for men and 7 mg for women. You'd have to consume 25 mg or more per day for it to cause possible adverse effects, such as nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, a loss of appetite, and diarrhea.

Keep in mind also that excessive consumption of zinc may also inhibit the absorption of the minerals iron and copper. This often leads to weak bones and anemia.

The NHS recommends that you do not take more than 25 mg of zinc in a day.

Good food sources of Zinc

Although there are many zinc supplements out there that you can add to your diet, it is better to get zinc from natural foods.

Here are some good examples of foods high in zinc:

• Cheese
• Shellfish
• Legumes including chickpeas
• Meat
• Wholemeal bread
• Nuts and seeds
• Fortified vegan foods
• Milk
• Tofu
• Dairy products

You can add these foods to your diet throughout your day to get a good amount of zinc in your body to support your immune system and boost your overall health.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office in Elizabeth City, NC, to learn more about the benefits of adding zinc to your diet.

Vitamin C: what is it, how does it help? Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

One of the most effective nutrients you can get from food is Vitamin C (some kinds of foods though). This vitamin has been shown to offer a lot of health benefits, including boosting immune system functions, protecting against cardiovascular diseases, skin wrinkling, and a host of other functions.

Little wonder, Vitamin C has received a great deal of attention, and study researcher Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, of the University of Michigan, states that "higher levels of vitamin C in the blood may be the ideal nutrition marker for overall health." He added, "The more we study Vitamin C, the better we understand its benefits in protecting our health, from cardiovascular, stroke, cancer, immunity, eye health, to living longer."

What is vitamin C?

Vitamin C, otherwise called ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that supports a healthy immune system and confers other health benefits. This vitamin is not produced by the body, hence, you need to get it from the foods you eat every day.

Vitamin C is present in many fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits, strawberries, potatoes, tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and Kiwifruits, among others.

You can enjoy any of these foods either raw or cooked. But studies have shown that cooking fruits and vegetables reduce the vitamin C content. Also, storing these foods for a long time can make them lose their vitamin C content.

So to get the best of vitamin C in foods, ensure you eat them as soon as possible after shopping, and consider microwaving or steaming vegetables for short periods to reduce the loss of nutrients.

Vitamin is also available as an oral supplement, in form of tablets or capsules. But you can get enough vitamin C from a healthy diet. The supplements might not offer antioxidant benefits like vitamin C obtained from natural foods.

However, the recommended daily amount of vitamin C is 75 mg for adult women and 90 mg for adult men. You can get enough of this amount from a balanced diet. But for those who might be susceptible to vitamin C deficiency, you may derive benefits from using vitamin C supplements.

Nevertheless, ensure you get consent from your doctor before adding any supplement to your diet.

Overdose of vitamin C might cause several effects, such as diarrhea, stomach upset, heartburn, headache, fatigue, and sleepiness.

How does vitamin C help?

As I've mentioned earlier, vitamin C offers a lot of health benefits, to keep it simple, here are some benefits:

• Vitamin C is essential for the growth and repair of tissues in the body
• Vitamin C helps heal wounds
• Vitamin C helps to maintain healthy skin, bones, teeth, and cartilage
• Vitamin C fights free radicals in the body, which is important to delay certain heart diseases and cancers and promote healthy aging
• Vitamin C reduces the risk of cartilage loss in people with osteoarthritis
• Higher doses of vitamin C may decrease the length of cold symptoms

Vitamin C has also been shown by research to offer benefits for stress, cold, stroke, inflammation, and macular degeneration.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our chiropractic office in Elizabeth City NC, to learn more about natural foods that offer you enough vitamin C to boost your immune system and overall health.

What are slow carbs and what are the best ones

Carbs are an important part of your diet as your body sources energy from these nutrients. Nearly all meat sources, vegetables, or even dairy have carbs in them. However, some sources of carbs work "fast" while some work "slow" in supplying energy. Also, depending on the speed of carbs, they may be good or bad for weight loss goals.

That said, the glycemic index of carbs determines the rate at which they are digested. Slow carbs, as the name implies, release energy slowly into the body. The fast carbs, on the other hand, release energy at a higher pace as they are used more quickly.

So, the higher the GI level of carb, the quicker is its delivery of sugar and energy in the body, and vice versa.

More about slow carbs

The glucose contained in slow carbs or slow-released carbs is absorbed more slowly and this doesn't cause a rapid spike in insulin. Eating slow carbs combined with protein and fat is a healthy way to reduce your risk of obesity.

Best Foods containing slow carbs

See below a list of foods that contain slow carbs:

Non-starchy vegetables

Non-starchy vegetables are one of the best sources of slow carbs. Some good examples include kale, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, onions, cucumber, and asparagus.

You can include any of these in your diet to get a healthy amount of slow carbs that will provide you with a slow and steady supply of energy for many hours.

Some ideas of how to add these foods to your diet include:

• Adding spinach and tomatoes to your morning omelet
• Snacking on carrot and celery sticks
• Preparing a salad of leafy greens for lunch
• Taking stir-fried broccoli alongside your dinner

Nuts and Nut Nutter

You can get very few carbs from nuts and nut butter. These foods are high in protein, fiber, and healthy fat, and they are digested at a very slow pace.

You can add a few walnuts to your salad or snack on a handful of Brazil nuts. You can also spread almond butter on slices of fruits to enjoy slow carbs that keep you fuller and energized until your next meal.

However, you need to avoid sugar-coated nuts and stick to natural nut butter that is void of any added sweeteners.

Fresh fruits

Most fruits contain slow-release carbs. Fruits such as berries, cherries, melons, pear, apples, plums, however, are the best in terms of low to moderate glycemic index.

However, quick-release carbs are found in tropical fruits, such as mango, papaya, and pineapple. So you should avoid them if you want to eat only the most slowly release carbs to reduce variations in your blood sugar levels.

Steel-cut oats and quinoa

Although some breakfast cereals such as oat rings, puffed cereals, and cornflakes might be sugar-free, but they have a high glycemic index.

Some good examples of slow-carb breakfast cereals are steel-cut cereals or quinoa. You can cook these foods according to the instruction given on the package. Additionally, you can serve them some other low-glycemic foods, such as plain yogurt, milk, berries, and nuts.

Sweet potatoes

Unlike white potatoes, sweet potatoes contain slow-release carbs. You can serve mashed sweet potatoes, homemade sweet potato fries, or baked sweet potatoes alongside your meals instead of the white potatoes.

Other sources of slow carbs include:

• Brown rice
• Whole-wheat pasta

Eating these slow-acting carbs can keep you "satisfied" for longer. In other words, you get a feeling of fullness for long as your blood sugar levels are maintained. This supports weight management and helps to combat several eating issues.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our chiropractic office at Elizabeth City, NC, to learn more about how to slow carbs and the best options to include in your diet to keep your blood sugar levels stable and reduce the risk of obesity.

What are the negative health consequences of a high-carb diet?

Carbohydrates are no doubt good for the health. In fact, according to the guideline of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is recommended that carbohydrates should represent 45 to 65% of your total daily calories. But it becomes a problem when you consume too many carbohydrates in a short amount of time.

If you're overdoing pasta, bread, rice, chips, and other high-carb foods, you are at risk of suffering some health consequences which we shall be discussing below.

Weight gain

One of the common negative effects of a high-carb diet is weight gain. When you consume foods that contain too many carbs, it gets to a point that your body stops using it and the carb surplus is converted into body fat.

That said, it is good to eat whole grains, fruits, and vegetables – these foods can even promote weight loss. But when you start including a lot of refined carbs in your diet, then you stand the risk of weight gain.

Unhealthy fat

Another health consequence of a high-carb diet is unhealthy fats loaded into your bloodstream. Eating too many carbs boosts the number of triglycerides in your blood, and this can progress to complicated conditions such as heart disease.

More so, unhealthy fats in most refined carbs increase the risk of having swollen arteries and blot clots in your heart. When these unhealthy fats are high in your blood, they overthrow the amount of lipoprotein or "good cholesterol" and this could result in vascular disorders.

Type 2 diabetes

Consuming a high-carb diet can also put you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The high carb amount puts your blood sugar levels into overdrive and this gets to a point where insulin production is negatively effected. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body convert glucose into a "storage" system in your body.

When insulin production stops, you stand the risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes.

Brain fog

Excess carb intake can dampen proper cognitive functioning. Most diabetic patients that have once or twice experienced fallen blood sugar levels will have a better understanding of how terrible "brain fog" can be.

You should watch out for the following symptoms:

• Sudden nervousness
• Agitation
• Unexplainable confusion

Getting gassy

A high-carb diet causes your body to store more water, and this makes you feel bloated. Carbs like carbonated beverages and sugary processed foods usually generate abdominal gas and this can cause you much discomfort.

Thickened arteries

Most processed foods high in carbs often contain a high amount of fats – whether healthy or unhealthy fat. So taking excess amounts of these foods can cause your arteries' wall to thicken up – a condition called atherosclerosis. This hinders the free flow of blood and increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Now that you know the negative health consequences of a high carb diet, let's quickly show you how to limit your carb intake:

• Avoid or reduce your soda or sugary drinks
• Reduce your consumption to white bread, cooked pasta, chocolate bars, potatoes, and beer.
• Eat more of these healthy and satisfying foods – Blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, spinach, lemons, watermelon, avocadoes, tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumber.

Note that you don't have to eliminate all carbs from your diet. In fact, some people who ate no-carb suffered more harm than good.

The point is to eat a smart serving of high-carb foods.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our chiropractic office at Elizabeth City to learn about more natural foods you can add to your diet to maintain a healthy living and avoid the consequences of a high-carb diet.

You might have heard of the scientific terminologies – Glycemic index and glycemic load and wonder what it means. Well, we are going to keep it simple for you in this piece. What is a glycemic index?

Glycemic index is simply a measure of how quickly glucose in your food is absorbed and causes blood sugar levels to rise. Foods that have a high GI are digested and absorbed rapidly and raise blood sugar levels too rapidly. Foods with a low GI, in contrast, are digested more slowly and they lead to a slower rise in blood sugar levels.

However, rapid glucose conversion is something that you don't want to experience, as your body needs sugar levels to be consistent for it to function optimally. Although your brain needs glucose to operate, rapid conversion of glucose is not healthy.

As glucose is being processed in the body, the hormone – insulin- is being secreted to allow glucose to be delivered to your body's cells, resulting in a balance of blood sugar levels. But when your body detects excess glucose, insulin is secreted more by the pancreas, and this causes the excess sugar to be converted and stored as fat.

Foods are generally ranked on a scale of 0-100 on the GI scale. Pure glucose has a value of 100. Carbohydrate-containing foods can be classified as low (≤55), moderate (56 – 69), or high GI (≥70).

Hence, if you want to avoid a spike in blood sugar, you need to eat diets with more low GI foods. Some good examples of low GI foods include whole oats, nuts, most vegetables, and certain fruits.

But if you eat foods with high GI frequently, it can cause your blood sugar level to rise quickly and this can make your body store the excess sugar as fat. The glycemic index is therefore useful, to avoid these foods.

What is glycemic load?

The glycemic load of a food is as important as the glycemic index. It measures the rise in blood sugar based on the number of carbohydrates contained in the food per serving.

You can calculate the glycemic load by multiplying the glycemic index of a food by the carbohydrate content (measured in grams) and dividing the result by 100.

However, the glycemic load value is more reliable than the glycemic index of a food.

Let's consider watermelon, for instance. This fruit has a glycemic index of 72, a high value which means it can cause your body's sugar level to rise rapidly. But watermelon is mostly water, and the glycemic load in a serving is 4, which means it has a very small carbohydrate content.

This means that when you eat watermelon, your blood sugar level may rise quickly, but it will not stay high for too long as this fruit contains very little carbohydrate.

In simple terms, the glycemic index tells you how high your blood sugar could ho when you consume a particular good. The glycemic load, on the other hand, gives you a more accurate picture of a food's impact on your blood sugar.

It is always important, however, to pay attention to both glycemic index and glycemic load to avoid a sudden rise in your blood sugar.

The point is to choose foods with a low glycemic index and low glycemic load. This goes a long way to control your blood sugar and conditions such as diabetes.

Note also that maintaining a healthy weight is also very important for your blood sugar and general health.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our chiropractic office in Elizabeth City, NC, to learn more about foods with a low glycemic index that you can add to your diet to control your blood sugar level and maintain a healthy weight.

Magnesium and Mood: mood disorders and neurotransmitters - Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

Magnesium is an essential mineral needed by the body in small amounts. This mineral is involved diverse biochemical reactions in the body. However, studies have shown a direct impact of low magnesium levels (hypomagnesemia) on mood. Low levels of this mineral may contribute to symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Magnesium plays a critical role in the brain and that's why it is dubbed as the "original chill pill." Too little of this mineral can leave you feeling stressed, fatigued, and panicked.

More so, numerous studies have shown that low magnesium levels is linked with different psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders.

Why is magnesium important for mood?

Magnesium blocks stimulating neurotransmitters and binds to calm, restful receptors in the brain. This way, you enjoy good relaxation.

Apart from blocking stimulating neurotransmitters, magnesium has an effect on the HPA axis – the system responsible for responding to stress. It does this by regulating stress hormones like cortisol. In other words, magnesium acts like a brake, preventing your nervous system from being stuck in overdrive.

More so, magnesium increase your gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels. This mineral binds to and stimulate GABA receptors in the brain - This puts a brake on brain activity. Low GABA levels it becomes difficult to relax and you may suffer panic attacks and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Connection between your brain and gut

There is a direct link of communication between the brain and your gut. Besides, they share much of the same tissue. This implies that when your gut is working overtime, it may also influence your brain function. This can lead to a range of problems, including constipation, reflux, diarrhea, and IBS, in addition to anxiety, stress, and panic attacks.

When your gut is healthy, however, it influences your mood positive feelings. The beneficial bacteria in the gut support in the making of more GABA receptors in the brain, which helps to alleviate mood disorders.

A high magnesium level can help calm your mind, and this helps in healing disorders of the gut. The healthier your gut is, the healthier your brain will be, and vice versa.

However, lack of proper nutrition in your diet or poor gut health can result in insufficient production of neurotransmitters which are directly linked to your mood. This may cause anxiety and depression.

You can correct this deficiency by consuming a diet rich in magnesium or sometimes, your doctor may recommend that you take magnesium supplements.

However, you can get chiropractic care that focuses on a holistic approach to assess the cause of any symptoms you're experiencing, including mood disorders, anxiety, and depression.

You can consult Doctor Jason Jones at our Chiropractic Office at Elizabeth City, NC, to learn more about how minerals like magnesium can have effect on your mood. We offer the best holistic care on tackling issues regarding your mood and health in general.