The breakdown of cholesterol types are as follows:

• HDL (High Density Lipoprotein)- Often known as the “good cholesterol.” Moves cholesterol from arteries to the liver, almost like a Drano® type of lipoprotein. This cholesterol makes up ~30%
• LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein)- Referred to as the “bad cholesterol.” This is the cholesterol that causes damage/hardening to/of arteries and it makes up for ~60% of total cholesterol.
• VLDL (Very Low Density Lipoprotein- A type of the “bad cholesterol.” This cholesterol is a type of precursor to LDL and makes up ~10% of total cholesterol.
• Triglycerides- a form of fat stored in the blood which effects cholesterol readings.
• Remnant lipoprotein- a culprit in the causation of platelets aggregating and being a high cause of arterial damage.
• Apo A-I- associated with the cardio-protective HDLs. Plays a crucial role in transporting cholesterol from tissues (arteries) to the liver.
• Apo B- associated with the plaque causing LDLs. Important in transportation of lipids to arteries.
• Lipoprotein(a) a.k.a. Lp(a)- a highly atherogenic (plaque causing) lipoprotein that poses a potential threat as a lone factor, meaning regardless of LDL levels, Lp(a) poses a threat. This is mostly secondary due to genes or familial history.

Lifestyle has the power to reverse disease (i.e. losing weight can help decrease high blood pressure), manage illness (i.e. use little to no insulin in type 2 diabetes), and keep genetics in check (i.e. someone having normal cholesterol levels despite family history). Below are several behavioral strategies that one can incorporate to help manage cholesterol levels (always consult with your physician before attempting to make a change/start something new such as taking niacin [see below]):

• Exercise regularly
• Eat a diet lower in saturated fat (7% or less calories from saturated fats) and higher in monounsaturated fats
• Incorporate more omega-3 polyunsaturated fats derived from marine animals (i.e. salmon)
• Alcohol consumption may help increase HDL, but also has potential to increase triglyceride levels. Avoiding excess alcohol may be best (equivalent of 1 glass of wine for women, 2 glasses for men are standard suggestions)
• Taking niacin may help with decreasing LDL cholesterol as well as triglycerides and may increase HDL
• Increasing fiber consumption, 20-30g daily
• Lastly, working with a registered dietitian for medical nutrition therapy counseling

Great Sources:

• Lean Red Meat
• Fatty Fish (salmon)
• Dairy (if you can handle it)
• Soy (vegetarians)

How much protein in a day? 

Depends on your goals but generally aim for 1g per pound of lean body mass. Example, 170lb guy is 20% body fat, 20% of 170 is 34, 170 minus 34 is 136. You should then be eating around 136 grams of protein per day. Don't need to be dogmatic about numbers like 136, you can round to make it easier.

How much protein can we absorb per meal? 

Depends on the bioavailability of the source. Such as plant vs meat sources. Essentially there is no cap, your body does not realize it absorbed 30 grams of protein then just push out the rest. Calculate your daily protein requirements and divide that by how many meals you eat in a day. Most people are probably trying to get around 30-40 grams of protein per meal, whatever meets your total daily protein requirements. If you wash down a meal with Whey protein, I would stick with 1 to 1.5 scoops. No need to go above that amount of whey protein at once.

Protein & Kidneys

Current evidence doesn’t show any amount of protein harms healthy kidneys. In some cases people with kidney disease are put on slightly lower protein diet. People with healthy kidneys don't need to stress about eating too much protein.  

Here is a list of nutrient dense foods we recommend including in your diet.

• Lean Red Meat (beef, bison, lamb, venison)
• Fatty Fish (salmon)
• Eggs (don't exclude yolks completely)
• Bone Broth (Chicken)
• Salt
• White Rice
• Potatoes
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Oranges
• Berries
• Cranberry Juice
• Almonds

"Systolic" blood pressure is the top number and refers to the amount of pressure experienced by the arteries while the heart is beating.

"Diastolic" blood pressure is the bottom number and refers to the amount of pressure in the arteries while the heart is resting in between heartbeats.

Ideal blood pressure range is:

Systolic: Less than 120

Diastolic: Less than 80

There are 3 stages of hypertension (high blood pressure)

Stage 1

Stage 2 

Crisis

Stage 1: Numbers will range from

Systolic: 130 - 139

Diastolic: 80 - 89

Stage 2: Numbers will range from

Systolic: 140 or higher

Diastolic: 90 or higher

Crisis: Numbers will read

Systolic: 180 or higher

Diastolic: 120 or higher

- Lose weight

- Reduce sodium intake

- Exercise more frequently

- Limit or eliminate alcohol intake

-Limit or eliminate Caffeine intake

- 7-9 Hours of Quality Sleep (Address sleep apnea if that may be an issue) 

- Medications may help (talk to your doctor)

*Get an in home monitor and check weekly.

For the general male population, ideal body fat % is 10-12%. Some athletes can maintain lower than 10% in their everyday life and that is ok for them. 15% should be your ceiling and certainly above 15-20% and above can lead to health issues.

Women hold onto fat in a healthier way than men. Ideally women should be in the high teens to low twenties.

Fat loss is the release of stored energy. You need to be in a net negative energy balance (calorie deficit). For general fat loss, walking, especially when fasted is very effective. Focus on eating whole foods, up your protein (1g per lb), lower your calories. Build muscle with resistance training 3-4 times a week and walk while fasted and also walk 10-15 minutes after every meal. If you need to go further, try to calculate your BMR and also start tracking your caloric intake (free app is fine). You may want to reach out to a coach for if you want to get more serious than our general tips.

How much weight loss is normal?

For the general population, losing 1 pound a week is a safe amount. A more ambitious amount is 2 pounds a week. If you want to lose 2 pounds a week it is probably best to work with a coach to make sure you are doing it in as healthy of a way as possible.

Creatine is a natural molecule that is one of the most well researched supplements ever. There are countless studies that show the benefits of creatine linked to cognition, muscle repair, endurance and much more. So yes, creatine is a great addition for anybody whether you are looking to get leaner, bulk up, or just overall be healthier. 
Can I just get creatine from my diet? Technically, yes. However the amount of red meat and fish that you would need to eat is tremendous so we suggest supplementing it. About 5g a day is enough.

No, soy is not bad for muscle growth and does not spike your estrogen giving you man boobs. Soy is one of the best vegetarian / vegan sources of protein. SOURCE

Whey Protein Isolate - The lowest in lactose which makes it the cleanest and easiest to digest. Our preferred choice to take and sell.

Red Meat -Is it healthy? Yes! There are few studies that show red meat and negative health outcomes. Of those studies, they refer to processed meats (like hot dogs) and burnt meats to be the cause of colon & other cancers. The amount of data that proves properly cooked, lean red meat is bad for you, is virtually zero. While the amount of data that shows red meat to be one of the best digestible sources for protein, fats and loads of vitamins is very high. We do suggest eating plenty of fiber with meat.

Gut Bacteria

A recent 10 week study showed gut bacteria was not affected by sucralose and in fact one gut bacteria increased due to the sucralose which is linked to positive health outcomes.

Weight Gain & Insulin

There are no studies that show people gain weight due to drinking artificial sweeteners by it spiking insulin in some convoluted way. Sucralose, stevia and monk fruit sweetened drinks are a great way of keeping calories low if weight loss if your goal and you want the taste of something sweet.

Aspartame - If it comes down to drinking an aspartame sweetened beverage or a sugar sweetened beverage and you are overweight, the weight loss from drinking the 0 calorie drink is going to be better for you than anything the aspartame may do. Weight loss is the best thing you can do, if you need to drink a diet coke to make yourself happy to do so, that' fine.

How much caffeine is safe?

Around 400mg of caffeine max a day is recommended. A standard cup of coffee is around 90mg of caffeine. Energy drinks can be around 200mg, I would not suggest having more than that at once. (Woman who are pregnant or people with heart conditions should get a recommendation from their physician.)

Caffeine Timing

Studies have shown caffeine after 12 noon to disrupt deep sleep even 8+ hours later. Keep your caffeine consumption in the mornings. 

"Caffeine Increases Cortisol"

There is some evidence that this is true and the increased cortisol could cause you to hold onto fat. It is a stretch and would be very small amount. Caffeine also increases your BMR (basal metabolic rate) of about 25 to 50 calories an hour. Meaning you burn an extra 25-50 calories. Caffeine can also increase your exercise and cardio output thus building more muscle and or burning more calories. These things HIGHLY out weight any slight cortisol response to caffeine. So use caffeine if it helps you, it will not cause you to gain fat.

Caffeine Withdrawal

Cycling off of caffeine for about 1 week seems to reset tolerance. Supplement with Rhodiola Rosea to help with caffeine withdrawals. 

What are seed oils? Oils that come from seeds! (Polyunsaturated Fats) Canola Oil, Sunflower Oil, Safflower Oil etc.

In general, the problem with seed oils is they are calorically dense and used in ultra processed hyper palatable food, such as doritos. Which would be a problem of over consuming calories and the weight gain being the problem. Not that the seed oil itself is toxic.

What I would avoid, is when seed oils are cooled down and reheated. For example french fries from a place that is using the same oil today as they did yesterday.

Are they uniquely harmful? When saturated fat is substituted with polyunsaturated fat in a 1 to 1 ratio in HUMANS. There is either a neutral or positive effect on inflammation. The same results were found with Heart Disease and insulin sensitivity. Also they saw a reduction in fasting blood glucose and liver fat. So overall, it is a caloric increase that is the problem.

The takeaway. Just focus on eating quality foods rather than chicken nuggets and french fries. But eating a few doritos is not going to take a week off of your life because of the "toxic" seed oils.

Studies show virtually no nutritional difference between the two. Organic also does not mean no pesticides were used. Save your money if needed as it is more marketing than anything.

Hop on social media and in 2 seconds you will see some influencer walking around the grocery store telling you to avoid 99% of things because they cause inflammation. This is horribly overblown and used primarily for clickbait. Truth is inflammation is normal and we would die without it. If you are worried about inflammation then excess adiposity (fat) and a sedentary / unhealthy lifestyle will contribute way more to chronic inflammation than any one food. 

Try to eat whole foods when possible but you don’t need to avoid every scary word that you cannot pronounce. It doesn’t mean that food is poison and will take a week off your life. The dose makes the poison and most of the time those scary words are in very small dosages so a favorite snack is fine here and there.

Should I be fasting for health or weight loss benefits? Sure, if you like it or it works for you. Fasting can be a great way to restrict calories for those looking to lose weight. However, fasting is not magic. It does not flip a switch in your body to make you superhuman. If you feel better eating breakfast, do so, especially with the amount of studies that show the benefits of eating a high protein breakfast.

Fasting & Resistance Training

Your #1 priority should be to get the most out of your training sessions. If you feel better training fed, do so. For some people, training in a non fed state can lead to sub-optimal workouts which, over time, can lead to suboptimal gains and progress from your exercise sessions.

Fasting & Cardio

Fasted walking is a great way to burn fat.

Autophagy - What is it? Your body's process of reusing old and damaged cell parts. This is ALWAYS happening. It does NOT have an on or off switch so fasting for 3 days does not turn it on. You would die if it was not always happening. Just be more overall metabolically healthy (lose weight, exercise etc). You don't need to be fasting for autophagy to kick in and save your life.

If you have functioning lungs, liver, kidneys and small intestines then your body does it for you. No need for magic juices, powders or kits.

Many meta analysis show cardiovascular benefits in drinking green & black tea. The idea that teas have defense chemicals is not something to worry about.

Fluoride supposedly calcifies in your pineal gland. Your pineal gland is a tiny endocrine gland in the middle of your brain that helps regulate your body's circadian rhythm by secreting the hormone melatonin. At this time, we understand that both fluoride and calcium can build up in the pineal gland. It is possible that fluoride is related to pineal gland calcification and dysregulated melatonin production, but this theory remains debatable and more evidence is needed.

Fluoride in Toothpaste & Mouthwash

Adults

There is so little and most of that small amount is spit out anyway. Meaning that you’re ingesting virtually no fluoride. If you have sensitive teeth, fluoride toothpaste seems ideal, just use as directed.

Babies / Toddlers

If you use a fluoride toothpaste for your toddler, use a tiny amount, maybe slightly smaller than a grain of rice as toddlers generally swallow all the toothpaste. You may want to have your tap water check for fluoride if that is used also. That way you are not accidently get multiple doses that you do not know about.

Fluoride in Baby Water

When it comes to the jugs of baby water, this is regulated by the FDA and is not something to worry about when used as directed. You may want to have your tap water check for fluoride if that is used also. That way you are not accidently get multiple doses that you do not know about.

Many studies have proven blue light throws off our circadian rhythm (your natural hormone sleep cycle that tells your body it’s time to go to bed) which leads to trouble sleeping or even insomnia. Wearing blue light glasses at night when looking at screens helps this.

To our knowledge there are no true studies that show blue light damages your eyes but is proven to affect sleep. So we suggest using blue light blocking glasses if you look at screens after the sun goes down.

The idea of plants having defense chemicals is very overblown. Such as spinach. The average person should not be concerned about it. Especially if they cook their veggies. There are very rare cases where people can be hyper absorbers. These people would be more susceptible to kidney stones. But even those people would typically have to eat a large portion of say spinach at every meal. If you are truly worried about oxalates, have your urine tested for a 24 hour oxalate level. If the result is under 40, you're fine. 

Kids - Always push your kids to stay active and healthy at every age, but reflexes generally finish developing around 12 years old and that is when many professionals recommend kids start some resistance training. The idea that resistance training stunts growth has been debunked by many studies.

Elderly - New research highlights how exercise chiefly enhances functional brain connectivity in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. An effect further complemented by cognitive training and vitamin D. Also, mild resistance training and light physical activity such as walks or even standing up out of a chair repetitively has shown to increase muscle mass and more importantly bone density for the elderly. This is a tremendous help to their overall health and longevity.    

Around 6 - 24 if what we recommend - If you can't do 6 reps, especially with quality form and control, you should probably go a lighter. If you are going over 24 reps, you can probably go heavier. Other than that, focus on safe form and going to fatigue. You can grow muscle anywhere in-between those reps, do what you are comfortable with and what you are feeling gets results. Don't be afraid to mix up your reps and weights every few weeks either.

If you are trying to get the most out of your exercises, we suggest timing meals with carbs around before you workout.

For fat loss - Carbs vs Fats when equated for calories, makes no difference. So if you prefer one over the other, feel free to eat more of that one. Don't exclude either.

Dairy is a great source of protein and calcium for those who can

Tips for countering the effects of chlorine.

• Go in outdoor pools to not inhale the chlorine in the air indoor pools have
• Wear a hair cap to protect the roots and color of your hair
• Wear goggles to protect your eyes
• Use coconut oil or maybe a coconut oil based lotion to act as a barrier on your skin
• Shower as soon as possible after you are finished in the pool

Sauna appears to have benefits for reducing risk of cardiovascular disease. Use it as a tool in the tool box, not as a replacement for working out or any type of cardio work.

Cold water immersion can improve recovery and reduce soreness.

Do not do it immediately after a workout, wait atleast an hour. It seems the inflammation response from your body after a workout is necessary.

How Cold? It should be cold enough you want to get out but not cold enough to risk shock. Consult your physician and do test runs and build up your temperature tolerance.

Eat foods lower in calories but high in volume. For example, Eggs, Egg Whites, Fat Free Cheese, Fish, Chicken Breast, Cauliflower Rice, Peas & Carrots. Look up high volume, low calorie foods. Don't be afraid of low calorie seasonings. Enjoy your food!

Eat plenty of fiber rich whole foods. Around 14grams for every 1000 calories can really help you feel more full, longer.

Stick to a regular meal schedule (same time everyday) of 3-5 protein rich meals per day spaced out evenly.

Take your time when you eat.

Increase your activity and stay busy. It can be a great distraction from hunger. While also taking up time between meals.

Stay hydrated. Being dehydrated can often be confused with being hungry. Having a glass before each meal will also help you feel full sooner.

Bread / Pizza can be swapped with a low carb wraps.

Pasta can be swapped with spaghetti or zucchini noodles.

Rice can be swapped with cauliflower rice.

Sauces / dressing. There are plenty of delicious sugar free bbq and stir fry sauces. Salad dressings, such as some bolthouse farms have low calorie options.

Regular cheese can be swapped for the free free cheeses. Still taste good and are a lower calorie option.

Farmed salmon are not injected with dye. Astaxanthin is a part of their diet and yes gives them orange color. Their meat is not gray because they are unhealthy. In fact the natural color of wild caught salmon is also gray. They get the color from algae, crustaceans, shrimp that have astaxanthin. Farmed and wild caught salmon are colored by the same thing.

A calorie by definition is a unit of energy equivalent to the heat energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius.

So, the idea was the withholding food would help the body to cool since the digestive system doesn't need to work to break down the food. The theory was that the fever would burn off faster if the food was minimized. Now that we know more about health and wellness, this idea has been debunked.

Nutrition related factors are the first go to cause for cramps but are actually rarely the culprit.

Instead, they are commonly due to

• Overuse of a muscle
• Localized weakness
• Insufficient rest
• Hasty Return after injury
• Heat
• Poor footwear
• New stimulus

If you have ruled out these factors, then there is a chance it can be due to something nutrition related.