#Emotional Balance and Cardiac Health in Summer | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yogawithmeena · 5 years ago

Text

Pranayama

“Pranayama is the practice of breath control. The word prana refers not only to breath but also to air and life itself”-Christy Turlington

The quality of breath taken, determines the health of oneself. So, if we want to explore the condition of our health, now is the time to fully understand the functionality of a breath, what is it, what does it do, what happens when we don’t breathe properly, how to channelise it properly and what benefits one can get if the inhalation and exhalation is done in a certain way.

What is Breathing and what does it do - Breathing is inhalation and exhalation of air that provides oxygen needed for metabolism and removing the by-product of these reactions, carbon dioxide. Now, this is not the only job Breathing does, it has other roles to perform to as well such as to regulate body’s internal environment as in physiological and psychological regulation.

What happens when we don’t breathe properly - The poor inhalation and exhalation decreases our body's ability to deliver oxygen to the cells, less energy will get produced, our heart will have to work harder and faster, blood vessels will shrink, leading to high blood pressure and many other health issues.

How to channelise your breath - By changing your breathing, you can direct this vital energy force.

Our ancient yogis have done a full on study on the functionality of breath about 5000 years ago. They have come up with certain breathing exercises / techniques and given a name to it as Pranayama. These exercises are deliberate actions done by a practitioner to direct breathing in a particular way that nurtures a high level of bodily health and mental clarity to oneself. These steps are crucial on the path to self-knowledge, and a wholesome authentic life.

There are many techniques of Pranayama given to us by our Yoga practitioners, however, if you are a beginner in yoga practice, just do Kapaalbhaati, Bhastrika, Anulom-Vilom and Deep Breathing exercises on daily basis, you will find a huge improvement in your health overall. Other techniques can be included into yoga sessions gradually after getting comfortable.

1. Kapaalbhaati - The literal meaning of Kapaal is skull (khopri) and Bhaati means shining. This exercise is a deliberate action performed on exhalation only. Exhales are produced by powerful contractions of the lower belly (effort to pull navel inward), which pushes the air out of the lungs. Inhales are just the responses to the release of this contraction, which sucks air back into the lungs.

Kapaalbhaati is most effective when the abdominal muscles are strong. So, if you are a beginner in yoga practice, it is recommended to do some form of core exercises to build the strength in belly prior to starting with this exercise.

Technique - Sit straight, in a comfortable pose, chin up, focus on lower belly, take a few normal breaths through your nose before starting. Contract only your belly while exhaling through nose. Count your exhales up to 15 (choose your pace as per your health condition), take a break for couple of normal breaths and do at least 3 rounds in the beginning. Do gradual progression over a period of time. You may use timer. On an average, 500 strokes can be done in 5 minutes. However, I am of the opinion to go on your pace, do not rush too quickly to achieve. Give it at least 15 days to reach that mark.

Benefits - The brain and the other organs under the skull are connected to the back of nose. This technique of breathing purifies and clears any blockages in this region such as the frontal air sinuses. It helps to overcome cough disorders. It is useful in treating cold, asthma and bronchial infections. It rejuvenates whole body, and keeps the face young and vibrant. It balances and strengthens the nervous system and tones up the digestive system.

2. Bhastrika - This technique is a little different than Kapaalbhaati. It involves active chest inhalations and exhalations by forced, rapid, deep breathing. During inhalation, the abdomen moves out while the diaphragm descends. The opposite happens during exhalation.

Technique - Sit in a comfortable pose with spine straight. Take a few normal equal paced inhales and exhales through nose before starting. Contract your tummy muscles while exhaling through nose just as in kapaalbhaati, however, this time do a quick inhale through nose as well. Keep repeating these rapid actions. This may become challenging to synchronise the inhaling and exhaling. So, in the beginning, it is recommended to make use of hands and arms that will help us perform this exercise. Fold arms, close hands to make fists facing front and bring close to body (placed just next to either side of shoulders). While inhaling, take the arms up in the air, open hands fully, and while exhaling, bring the hands back in position making the fist again. Do 2 rounds of 10 counts each with rest in between and increase the counts and rounds gradually as you practice.

Benefits - Forceful inhalation and forceful exhalation improves the respiratory and digestive systems, removes excess phlegm from lungs, oxygenates the blood supply in the vital organs and tissues, strengthens and tones the abdominal muscles, calms the mind.

“The prolonged practice of bhastrika energizes every atom of the body. It sets the entire system in motion and purifies it, thus awakening higher powers” - Swami Rama

Cautions - Although, Kapaalbhaati and Bhastrika has many benefits, they might not be so friendly for some. These techniques generate heat in the body. Please be mindful in case of high blood pressure. Do it under guidance or as per doctor’s advice. The strokes should be performed at a slow pace. If you have cardiac conditions, vertigo, chronic bleeding in the nose, epilepsy, stroke, hernia, gastric ulcers and pregnancy, these exercises should be avoided. Also, avoid for longer sessions during too hot days in summer season.

3. Anulom Vilom - Alternate breathing exercise. Out of the various pranayama techniques, Anulom Vilom practice is most commonly practiced due to its popularity and benefits. The breathing is done consciously which harmonise the two hemispheres of our brain resulting in physical, mental and emotional well being.

Technique - Sit in a comfortable pose with spine and head straight. Take normal breathing for a few times. Start with blocking right nostril with thumb and inhale through left, then block left nostril with ring & little finger and exhale through right nostril; then keep the left nostril blocked and inhale through right nostril, then block right nostril and exhale through left nostril. This makes one round. Repeat the rounds for at least 5 times. The ratio of inhalation and exhalation can be equal (1:1) in the beginning of practice and may gradually be increased to double (1:2).

Benefits - The daily practice of Anulom Vilom has calming effects on brain thus prevents depression, activates nervous system, reduces blood pressure, enhances respiratory functions, improves tolerance, improves attention and performance.

4. Deep Breathing - Simply Inhale deeply, Exhale deeply and Relax.

Technique - Breathe In and Breathe Out at your comfort level. Try to practice for few breaths. Be aware of the air touching your nose and lips. Observe the depth of your inhalation and exhalation. Gradually, take it on next level by giving a number to your breath. This practice will lengthen your breathing. Count up to 4 while inhaling; Count up to 4 while exhaling. This makes one round. The ratio given is 1:1. Do at least 10 rounds of this on daily basis for a week. Increase the counts of exhalation as you practice more until you reach the ratio 1:2, meaning 4 counts of Inhale and 8 counts of exhale.

Benefits - Lungs filled with good amount of air will increase energy, Improves stamina, lowers blood pressure, improves immunity, reduces minor fatigue, anxiety and depression.

Caution - Anulom Vilom and Deep breathing techniques of Pranayama are absolutely safe to practice. However, in case of any chronic illness, fatigue or pregnancy, you are advised to discontinue and consult your doctor.

#my thoughts #yoga #yogapractice #Yoga Inspiration #pranayama

6 notes · View notes

juniperpublisherscasestudies · 3 years ago

Text

Juniper Publishers- Open Access Journal of Case Studies

Use of Anticoagulants in a Von Willebrand Patient After Myocardial Infarction

Authored by Lesa Boone

Abstract

There has been great progress in the treatment and care of bleeding disorder patients. We have new factor products, new treatment modalities, and opportunities for collaborative care. These advances now allow patients to live a full life span. Along with these advances come the challenges of managing health alterations experienced in the adult and geriatric stages of life such as co-morbidities, alterations in self-care abilities, and decline in physical function. One of the greatest concerns include cardiac and vascular conditions. This case study outlines the experience of providing appropriate and effective coagulation services following myocardial infarction.

Keywords:Bleeding disorder; Anticoagulant therapy; Bypass surgery; Hemophilia treatment; Venipuncture

Case Study

Recently we had the opportunity to care for a Von Willebrand (VwD) patient who was placed on anticoagulant therapy. This patient was a 47-year-old female with type I Von Willebrand disease. Historically this patient had not required frequent bleeding disorder treatments other than for surgery or trauma. In 2018, the patient was a smoker who lived a reasonably sedentary life. She had hyperlipidemia and chronic back pain, both of which were being managed by her primary care provider. Her family history of significance included her father who had quadruple bypass surgery when he was 55 years of age.

One summer evening in 2019, the patient experienced chest pain and was taken to a local ER for evaluation of myocardial infarction. The patient was found to have an occlusion of one of her main coronary vessels requiring placement of a drug-eluding stent and initiation of dual anticoagulant therapy. The patient requested the emergency room staff call the hemophilia treatment center (HTC) for guidance however that communication did not occur.

Six weeks later, the patient was scheduled for her yearly VwD appointment in the HTC where the team learned of her cardiac event. She also had challenges with anxiety at this time. During the appointment, the patient reported increased bleeding when brushing her teeth, increased bruising, and small soft tissue hematomas. The HTC team proceeded to gather data and began to outline a plan of care to manage this patient while on dual anticoagulant therapy for the next 12 months. The patient’s baseline VwD values were Factor VIII (42), Von Willebrand Activity (45), and Von Willebrand Antigen (58). Each of these labs were below the normal range. Her current medication profile included Table 1.

In an effort to collaborate regarding care, the HTC provider contacted the patient’s cardiologist who was unwilling to change anticoagulation therapy despite documented coagulopathy concerns and bleeding symptoms. Therefore, the HTC was obligated to try and balance the coagulation status of the patient in an effort to prevent any detrimental bleeding events. New labs were collected at the initial visit: PTT of 37.6, Factor VIII of 75, VW Activity of 41, and VW Antigen of 60. Platelet Function Assay revealed Collagen/Epi > 300, Collagen/ADP > 300 and von Willebrand multimers were within normal limits.

Based on current labs and presenting symptoms, the patient was started on VonVendi 2600 IU IV every 48-72 hours through a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) within 7 days of the HTC visit. A line was placed as the patient was not proficient in self-infusion and would require vascular access over the next year for factor administration. The HTC provided education and training to the patient and her husband in order to promote an adequate support system for the next year of bleeding disorder care. The patient was referred to a home care company who provided additional support for central line triage and maintenance.

The patient began with VonVendi administration 2-3x/week and lab evaluation weekly. Although labs were ordered weekly, labs were not always performed as requested, specimens were misplaced, and as time went along, the patient did not perform weekly lab draws as initially planned. See the Table 2 below for lab analysis Figure 1.

During the first six months, the patient was compliant with frequent lab analysis and evaluation. She reported that mucocutaneous bleeding events had basically resolved and her bruising had greatly diminished. Patient reported feeling well at follow up clinic visits and telehealth interactions. As she continued to do well, the frequency of her lab visits diminished. During October, the patient reported that she felt well and requested that her dosing regimen be decreased to 1-2 doses/week. A twice a week dosing regimen continued through January 2020 without difficulty.

During a follow up visit in January 2020, the patient requested that her PICC line be removed and that she begins to perform venipuncture to administer factor. The HTC collaborated with home health nursing to provide training for self-infusion and ongoing support for factor administration in the event the patient was unsuccessful with self-infusion. Patient received factor for 18 weeks via venipucture. During April 2020 visit, patient requested the VonVendi dosing regimen change to weekly infusion through June when her antiplatelet therapy would end. We encouraged ongoing use of product through the end of anticoagulant therapy and that if epistaxis, gum bleeding, or soft tissue hematomas returned, we would need to increase the frequency of factor dosing. Patient’s last clinic visit was 7/6/2020 which was day 393 since the patient’s initial cardiac event and day 364 since the start of VonVendi infusions. Patient reported no bleeding issues and no physical or psychosocial/emotional complaints or concerns during this final visit and VonVendi was discontinued. She continued to take low dose Aspirin, Atorvastatin, Duloxetine, and Venlafaxine. Patient returned to routine VwD care and management, where we educated and promoted awareness regarding bleeding concerns for another year as patient remained on low dose aspirin and continued to take duloxetine and venlafaxine both of which have bleeding as an adverse reaction.

Discussion/Implications

This patient was an opportunity to continue learning about how to collaboratively manage cardiac conditions in bleeding disorder patients, especially when anticoagulants are being used to manage the patient’s condition. There will continue to be more bleeding disorder patients who will be need comprehensive care, education, and oversight related to the use of anticoagulants.

This case has created interesting discussions for the HTC team and there are additional implications for practice related to this year-long clinical management effort:

i. Consider incorporating heart health education in clinical interactions. Teaching our younger populations about cardiac health, exercise, and nutrition can raise awareness and hopefully promote healthy life decisions and subsequently decrease risk for cardiac disease.

ii. Create more evidence to support the appropriate Vw levels for patients on anticoagulants. Very little evidence has been identified that provides support for maintaining specific Factor VIII levels or von Willebrand levels to prevent significant bleeding sequelae while on anticoagulants [9].

iii. Collaborate effectively with cardiologists and provide education about how placement of various types of stents impacts anticoagulant use in order to develop a coordinated plan for bleeding control.

iv. Polypharmacy continues to be an important consideration in the management of bleeding disorder patients. It is important to consider not only anticoagulant medications, but also the impact SSRIs and other medications have on platelets as a potential side effect that may further impede adequate hemostasis.

v. HTCs need to build a body of knowledge and share clinical experiences about management of these patients. Identification of more case examples can help promote development of guidance documents for care of bleeding disorder patients who develop cardiac conditions.

Gaining evidence in the effective management of patients on anticoagulants will continue to be an important consideration. As treatment for bleeding disorders improves, patients are living a normal life span, which can lend to other health alterations such as cardiac compromise. We hope case analyses, such as this, can lend to helpful information promoting comprehensive HTC care.

To know more about Juniper Publishers please click on: https://juniperpublishers.com/manuscript-guidelines.php

For more articles in Open Access Journal of Case Studies please click on: https://juniperpublishers.com/jojcs/index.php

#juniper publishers contact info #Juniper Publishers Contact #Molecular Biology #Gastrointestinal Surgery #Emergency Medicine #Obstetrics and Gynaecology

0 notes

tipsycad147 · 3 years ago

Text

The Magick of Thorns

I’ve been talking a lot about thorn magick this summer within the Lunar Apothecary, in my readings, and within community conversations. The summer of 2016 has been rough. In the United States we are wrestling with ourselves, searching for our center, and coming undone. The work of repairing the world is hard stuff and it takes more than a little bit of vulnerability and grit. There are those who are learning about privilege for the first time and grappling with that heavy knowledge. There are folks who are realizing that they have too long normalized or denied or hidden the pain of the violence they face on the daily. There is a lot of opening up and difficult realizations occurring and there are a million hearts breaking in the process.

To do this work of unraveling, we need to be able to feel vulnerable in ways that allow us to still feel supported.

Thorn magick can play a powerful role during times like these when we are opening up, whether for the first time or all over again for the hundredth. So, what is thorn magick? It is herbal remedies that open us up while establishing a steady and protective boundary so that we can do the work that needs doing. Thorn magick allows for vulnerability and support to exist simultaneously instead of feeling vulnerable and too far exposed. I recommend thorn magick to those who are doing the hard work of creating change in their communities and in their lives; who are recovering from a difficult breakup and looking to be vulnerable in love again; to those who are experiencing difficult emotions that they have long denied but are now finally coming to the surface.

Working with herbs that possess strong thorn energy, such as Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and Rose (Rosa spp.), can be as easy as preparing and ingesting a tea or tincture or the plant. Especially if that tea or tincture is made, in part, from the thorns of the plant. Adding a single thorn to your Rose tincture can powerfully shift the brew to being not only a heart-opener but a heart-protector. Sitting and communing with living thorny plants can be another way of working with thorn magick. If neither or those two options are available, even meditating on an image of a thorny plant (such as placing a picture of a sacred Hawthorn tree on your altar) can do a lot of good.

However, you work with the plant, I encourage you to visualize two things occurring at once. First, see a beautiful and protective shield of thorns encompassing your whole body. The thorns are turned outward from you allowing only that which of benefit to you to get to you. Second, within this protective space, visualize your heart blossoming open like a flower, knowing that it is supported and guarded within the sanctity of your thorn space. I encourage you to move slow with the second part of the meditation - don’t force movement, but allow the unfolding of your heart to occur at an easy and kind pace. It can take time for our hearts to feel safe enough to open up again. That’s ok. Give yourself time. The plants are patient and wise and will stick with you.

While there are many thorny plants in the world, I have profiled Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and Rose (Rosa spp.) below which are two common and well-loved plants within Traditional Western Herbalism. I’ve listed some of the more prominent medicinal uses of each plant, but have primarily focused on their emotional and magickal gifts. Other thorny plants you might consider working with include Agave (Agave americana), Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), Raspberry (Rubus idaeus), Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp.), a great variety of cacti, and many other plants.

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

Hawthorn is one of the first herbs many Traditional Western Herbalists turn to for supporting cardiovascular health. The herb nourishes and feeds the heart working best as a long-term tonic (i.e. multiple months of use if not longer). In other words, Hawthorn is a cardiac tophorestorative which is a restorative tonic for the heart, bringing the hard working muscle back into balance whether from an illness, stress, or the affects of aging. Hawthorn is a powerful but gentle herb meaning that children, seniors, and all between can benefit from its use. Part of Hawthorn’s heart healing gifts is its possession of antioxidants which prevent and reverse damage caused by free radicals as well as reducing oxidative stress on the capillary walls and improving circulatory tone (whether by relaxing or strengthening). The herb should be considered when there is a case of congestive heart failure, angina, irregular heartbeat, hardening of the arteries, enlargement of the heart from excessive exercise or overwork, hypertension, both low and high blood pressure, and too much cholesterol.

Hawthorn shares a common characteristic found in many TWH heart herbs - it possesses beautiful flowers and protective thorns. Hawthorn helps the heart to open to new possibilities, especially after a period of heartbreak and distress such as after the loss of a loved one whether through death or a break-up. The herb protects our emotional vulnerability with its thorns. In fact, we are able to feel more vulnerable in a way that is healing and restorative when we feel protected by plant allies such as Hawthorn. Add a thorn from the plant to your tincture or glycerite preparations for extra protective energies. I have used Hawthorn many times in my practice for those recovering from heartbreak and have seen beautiful transformations occur with this plant’s amazing healing gifts. I love the language used by Judith Berger to describe Hawthorn: “As guardian of the hinge, hawthorn wisely discerns the right timing for the wounded heart to open” (Herbal Rituals, 134). Combine with Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) to help the Wounded Warrior, Wounded Healer type recover after a long period of giving and overwork where they has exhausted their mental, physical, and emotional resources. Hawthorn is also a good herb for those who feel wild and overstimulated in their grief and heartbreak. It calms, it soothes, and it protects, which is what we need more than ever when we feel raw. My favorite way to use Hawthorn as a daily tonic is as a glycerite that combines the leaf, flower, and berry.

Within an astroherbology context, Hawthorn is most often connected with the planet Mars due to its thorns. Other planetary correspondences include the Sun, because of Hawthorn's affect on the heart and overall vitality of the body, and Saturn since Hawthorn is hedgeherb and boundary-marker with strong connections to the otherworld.

The brokenhearted and grieving have a special place in the Hawthorn circle, for Hawthorn opens the heart after a period of despair. It is an ally for those who feel the grief of the world most readily, even if a personal tragedy is not currently present in their life. They recognize the tragedy of living on a planet that we pollute without regard to our shared sacredness and amongst endless wars and conflicts. Feeling wild in grief is a sign that Hawthorn may be needed and for some their journey with Hawthorn will be significant but relatively brief as they are able to move on with their lives with a newly opened heart. Those who need Hawthorn in the long-run tend towardsrestlessness and irritability, they are easily overstimulated and can sometimes lean (or fully reside) in the domain of the Type A personality. Often they are categorized as having attention disorders as children, whether or not this is warranted. They are children who appear to be more like changelings than a fully humyn child. Sometimes they are punished for the everyday acts of being an energetic child and disdained for their enthusiasm - they close up their heart to protect it from the hostility of a world that would prefer they sit quietly at a desk for hours following directions. Hawthorn re-opens the heart and helps folks connect with their resiliency, their capacity to forgive those who have harmed them, and to remain protected as they begin to express themselves and all their energy with pride and focus. The herb will bring calm to what has felt like a tumultuous existence, helping folks to find the tools they need to express themselves honestly and beautifully.

Rose (Rosa spp.)

Rose is an ancient plant with fossils have been found across Europe, North America, and Asia dating back from as early as the Miocene period (7 - 26 million years ago). The flower has been used medicinally for thousand of years, with Dioscorides recording Rose as a cooling and contracting medicine. The three varieties of Rose most often used for medicine-making is Rosa gallica (also known as as Provins or Apothecaries rose), Rosa damascena (or Rosa x damascena to denote its hybridity, also known as damask rose), and Rosa centifolia (also known as Provence Rose). More modern uses within TWH includes Rosa canina and Rosa rugosa.

Roses strengthen the heart. 18th century herbalist J. Quincy wrote that Rose “raises the spirits and gives sudden strength and cheerfulness” and categorized Rose as primarily a cardiac and cephalic (relating to the head). The herb assists with memory and promotes clarity of mind, heart, and spirit by connecting all three. Rose nourishes the body and is sweet medicine which calms the nervous system. Within Ayurveda, Rose is considered a rasayana (rejuvenative tonic) and medhya (brain tonic and nervine) for all of the doshas or body types.

As a plant of Venus, Rose is a classic aphrodisiac. Rose is an opener - it opens the heart and body to sensual experience. Like many aphrodisiacs, Rose has nervine and nourishing qualities which help to relax and soothe the body so that it may become ready and desirous of intimacy. Venusian magick, though, reveals desire on more than the physical level. It reveals the desire to engage mystery where there has only been the acknowledgement of the mundane.

Rose is especially useful for those who have lost their spark of desire. They might have trouble sleeping, restless and exhausted, but not enough energy to go out into the world. The desire to create and experience is low along with their vitality. What they think they should be doing dominates their thoughts more than what they want to be doing. Sometimes they are not even sure they know what they want to be doing. There can be a disconnect in relationships and not necessarily a feeling of isolation, but of distance. Rose folks often experience sudden overwhelming feelings of despair and being lost without a light in the murk. Sometimes, unresolved anger simmers deep below the surface - Rose teaches us how to use both our thorns and petals to set up boundaries and supportive spaces to express how we really feel. Rose reconnects to wildness, fierceness, and determined desire. To dream and want and feel and growl and move and connect with each other. One thing that I have seen again and again that is particularly powerful about Rose, is its ability connects us back to the secret excitement of mystery. So much of our unresolved and stagnant pain arises from a false notion that we know it all or at least know that our pain is permanent, what caused it is unchanging, and that this is all that will ever be. Rose reminds us that we, in fact, know very little, acceptance of which opens the path of possibility faster than a heart that has forgotten the importance of mystery will ever achieve.

Whether or not you use thorn magick and medicine in your practice, I hope that you have a space that you feel protected and held so that you are able to be vulnerable, soft, and open to the wisdom of your heart.

http://www.wortsandcunning.com/blog/the-magick-of-thorns

0 notes

kramlabs · 7 years ago

Text

Circadian Timeline via Jack Kruse

LINK

This is the modern warm adapted human circadian cycle:

1. Our brain wakes up with a morning surge of cortisol. That is what turns our brain on at 6 AM. VIP helps do this in long light cycles. VIP is highest at 6 AM and lowest at 6 PM. Ghrelin is also highest in the morning. Ghrelin is an incretin hormone made in the stomach that has a half-life of one hour. NPY and Agouti stimulate the production of ghrelin. Ghrelin sends a signal directly to our pituitary gland and it influences our metabolism. This is why the circadian cycle in the stomach in the morning is critical to optimal health. I laid that out here in this blog and it is an important part of the Leptin Rx reset protocol.

Circadian cycles for the obese are dramatically altered compared to non-obese individuals in the morning. In the normal person, Ghrelin is high when cortisol is highest in the early morning. In them, ghrelin drops fast when food is eaten too. In the obese, ghrelin is much lower in the morning than expected. Moreover, when food is eaten, ghrelin stays elevated for an extended amount of time. This happens because of the inflammation associated with the higher leptin levels in the morning in the obese. Melatonin is known to acutely decrease ghrelin and sometimes in tough cases, I will use supplemental melatonin to demolish the morning ghrelin spikes in people with huge appetites. This is most common in the obese, eating disorders, and in those with a severe leaky gut who crave dairy and carbohydrates. It is also very common for young paleo enthusiasts because of how they embrace blue light technology gadgets of the modern world that destroy melatonin levels in the brain. Ghrelin spikes and stimulates NPY in the hypothalamus increasing our desire and ability to eat a lot more. Leptin makes NPY decline normally, but if one is leptin resistant this does not occur and appetite is out of control at the brain level.

This is why obesity is an inflammatory brain disorder causing hormonal imbalance. Hormone imbalance implies a poor redox potential in different parts of the body. Where the potential is destroyed a certain disease will manifest. Obesity happens when it occurs at the leptin receptor or due to slow energy leak from the inner mitochondrial membrane. This means the obese person is losing energy in black box radiation. It is easy to check but few do with a thermal camera. We see this macroscopically as major alteration is sweating and down-regulation of activity due to an inability to uncouple oxidative phosphorylation at the mitochondrial level. It is not a disease of stress or emotion as medicine is trying to ram down media outlets. It is a problem of an alters the quantum biology of electron/proton tunneling across our proteins.

Moreover, this should explain why the SAD breakfast is so problematic for modern humans. It is marketed as a carbohydrate fest. It is also why the Leptin Rx recommendation for protein and fat are so high in the morning. Protein is the backbone of all life. When we are losing energy and increasing molecular chaos we need to replace our proteins to recapture our balance. It solves this problem fast. I use protein over fat in the Leptin Rx because high-fat levels with low protein in the morning cause a spike in the gastric inhibitory peptide that can induce insulin resistance by itself. I do use high fat in certain cases, like bariatric surgery, eating disorders, hypothalamic amenorrhea, or high EMF levels. Many people do not know this. This is why so many people do not buy Gary Taubes theory of “Why We Get Fat”. Gary has only part of the story correct, in my view, because obesity occurs on a spectrum just like autism does because it depends on how the environment affects epigenetic expression. When you understand circadian biology, you get a much more complete picture of how the system works on a 24-hour basis. It turns out electrons control the coupling of biochemistry in life and understanding this helps to make sense of why hormones are disrupted when electrons are not handled correctly. I became a student of circadian biology when I saw the entire view from a 30,000-foot level.

2. At 6:45 AM we will expect to see the sharpest rise in blood pressure in the entire day. This is due to many activated systems in the body getting us ready to fully supply blood to all vital areas to get us motivated to begin our day and search for food. This period of rapid BP rise is why we see so many cardiac deaths occur in early morning sleep or early wakefulness. This happens when cortisol is highest.

3. At daybreak, when the sun hits the retina, the photic stimulus begins to shut off the secretion of melatonin from the pineal gland in the brain. AM sunlight contains mostly IR light at daybreak and as we approach noon, UV light frequencies appear on the skin.

4. At 7:30 AM usually after an hour of light melatonin is completely shut off in the brain.

5. At 8:30 the gut has been awakened and peristalsis becomes more vigorous and bowel movements getting rid of yesterday’s food are very likely. This happens by protons flows to move serotonin sulfated by the light of the gut microbiome in the wall to get to the brainstem to become sulfated melatonin. This is stimulated if food is eaten around this time as well. This is called the gastrocolic reflex. Cortisol, aldosterone, and ghrelin are all raised at this time to drive activity, increase our blood pressure and stimulate feeding. This is all yoked to AM sunlight stimulus. It is blocked when we wear clothes or at work in the AM.

6. Around 9-10 AM we have the highest secretions of the sex steroid hormones in humans and these pulsatile crescendos lead to our highest alertness at around 10 AM in our day to allow us to explore our environment.

7. Our ideal muscle coordination occurs at 2:30 PM and this adapts us best to hunt for dinner at this time. An hour later we see our fastest reaction times develop from our motor systems in our CNS.

8. At 5 PM humans exhibit their greatest cardiovascular efficiency allowing for maximal exercising or hunting. This also occurs during a period of time when we have our best rates of protein synthesis in our body. This is why exercise should be optimally done in this window.

9. As the sun falls at 6 PM we begin to see a major change in the cardiovascular system about a half hour later.

10. At 6:30 PM we see our highest blood pressures due to changes in atrial natriuretic factor and antidiuretic hormone (ANF, ADH) in the renin-aldosterone axis.

11. Once this occurs over the next 30 minutes (7 PM) we begin to see a gradual rise in our body temperature as leptin (and IL-6) is released from our fat stores, with agouti’s help, slowly after dinner is eaten to signal the brain about our fat mass and inflammatory status.

12. For the next two to three hours leptin levels slowly rise as insulin levels fall. Adiponectin levels also fall during this time frame. These fat hormone signals are what activate adenosine system in our bodies. Adenosine is created over the course of the day; high levels of adenosine lead to sleepiness.

13. This peaks at 10 PM and then the circadian clock allows for melatonin secretion after 3-4 hours of total darkness. Serum leptin is rising quickly now (with agouti’s help) as it is released from the fat cells to enter the brain. Agouti is highest at this time of the day, even in a normal person.

14. As these trends continue the GI tract is slowly shut down by the circadian clocks and around 11:30 PM and bowel movements are shut down for the night. This means that the vagus nerve is quiet.

15. At midnight leptin begins to enter the hypothalamus to bind to its receptor in the hypothalamus to signal energy reserves while also yoking energy metabolism to sleep via the hypocretin neurons that control all the sleep cycles. In diurnal animals, sleepiness occurs as the circadian element causes the release of the hormone melatonin and a gradual decrease in core body temperature. This drop in temperature is the stimulus to change sulfated serotonin to sulfated melatonin. This timing is affected by one’s chronotype.

16. It is the circadian rhythm that determines the ideal timing of a correctly structured and restorative sleep episode. Melatonin, the hormone from the pineal gland, called the “darkness hormone ” is of great importance in the functioning of the SCN. The most important target of melatonin in humans appears to be the SCN, as the SCN contains the highest density for melatonin receptors. A double effect of melatonin in the SCN, namely, an immediate effect and long-term effect, has encouraged its worldwide use against the ill effects of jet lag. This may not be wise to do.

As an immediate effect, melatonin is found to suppress neuronal SCN activity towards night time levels. During the daytime, the SCN neurons must run faster than normal. This is possible because the retina has more DHA in it than the brain. In terms of long-term effect, melatonin can phase shift and amplify circadian rhythmicity of the SCN. Melatonin application has been found to be useful in synchronizing the endogenous circadian rhythms not only in people who suffer from jet lag, but also in blind individuals, patients with dementia, and in shift workers. With seasonal changes in night duration, there are parallel changes in the duration of melatonin secretion, and this leads to more secretion in winter than as compared to summer. In the cold environments of fall and winter, melatonin couples to eNOS and not to light levels. In warm adapted humans in the tropics, the light remains the focus of SCN entrainment year round.

17. After the 4 hours of darkness, melatonin secretion increases and this allows plasma leptin to enter the hypothalamus if we are sensitive to its receptor. If we are leptin resistant, this process can no longer occur.

18. Once leptin enters and binds to its receptors, it affects the lateral hypothalamic tracts to immediately send a second messenger signal to the thyroid to signal it to up-regulate thyroid function and efficiency. This is how we can raise our basal metabolic rate when we are leptin sensitive. These coupled events, matched with leptin’s actions peripherally in muscles, occur at the UCP3 sites to burn fat as we sleep at a higher basal metabolic rate.

This means electron chain transport does not make ATP as usual. When leptin allows this uncoupling to occur, we make heat and not energy from normal metabolism. This means we will burn off our excess calories as pure heat. This is one reason why calories in and calories out argument makes no biologic sense once you understand how leptin works. Humans are built to burn fat at night as we sleep to lose excess weight we don’t need.

19. The timing of the leptin action is also critical. It usually occurs between 12-3 AM and is tied to when you last ate and how much darkness your retina (SCN) have seen. This generally occurs soon after our hypothalamus releases another hormone called prolactin from our pituitary gland in the brain.

20. The surge of Prolactin is normally quite large in normal darkness but is significantly diminished in artificially lit environments after sunset. This was shown in the Jessa Gamble video HERE.

This has big implications for modern humans. The reason is that prolactin release is coordinated with sleep cycles where autophagy is at its highest efficiency and where Growth Hormone is released. If this is diminished we generally see lower DHEA levels clinically and higher IL-6 levels on cytokine arrays. This is a measure of uncoupling of sleep from normal metabolism. I base every bio hack I do on this step in circadian biology because it is the most important.

21. The normal large circadian prolactin surge we should see at around midnight after leptin enters the brain, does not happen if the patient has leptin resistance, sleep apnea, or has eaten food too close (within 3-4 hours) to bedtime. This blocks leptins ability to enter the brain because of insulin spikes. As mentioned above, this step is usually impaired if you are a post-menopausal female as well. This is often why older women sleep badly and gain weight they can not seem to lose in the gym even with a good paleo template and good habits.

This is another reason I am a big advocate for bioidentical hormone optimization in women. This need is greatest in women who are warm adapted. The need is lowest in the cold-adapted females because their leptin levels are already low due to the cold. Postmenopausal women who are cold-adapted tend to do amazingly well clinically in most disease parameters in my clinical experience. The main problem they face is that their vanity and dogma keep them from using the cold pathways to become rockstars as they age.

Exercise training tends to frustrate postmenopausal women because if their hormone response is altered they have a lot of trouble as they age. Men, on the other hand, do not lose their GH levels until 50-55 years old usually. They are also protected by their testosterone levels which persist throughout life provided that they are not suffering from inflammation which directly lowers their free and total testosterone levels. GH and testosterone keep a mans heart and muscles in tip-top shape. If inflammation destroys these levels earlier in life, it can show up even in younger people. I am finding this clinical result is an epidemic in my own practice.

What happens when step 20 is broken in modern humans?

This commonly happens in diabetics, but it is now becoming a very common finding in modern humans because of the excessive use of technology after sunset. These artificial lights also tend to be quite bright and completely un-yoke the normal circadian signals from the hormone response. Light after sunset reduces the prolactin surge we normally see in humans. When we see chronic lowered prolactin surges we also see lower growth hormone secretion during the anabolic phases of sleep.

Lowered chronic GH secretion directly affects cardiac and skeletal muscle function because the process of autophagy is made less efficient as our life continues. Lowered GH and the sex steroid hormones at sleep lead to loss of cardiac function. This is why heart failure is strongly associated with low IGF-1 and sex steroid hormone levels. When growth hormone is not released in normal amounts, it also decreases our lean muscle mass and increases our fat percentage in all our organs and in our body. This leads to slowly declining organ dysfunction and poor body composition. We can measure this process clinically by looking for falling DHEA and GH/dopamine levels as we age.

What happens in normal aging in step 21?

Aging is among the most common features found in studies on modern humans when DHEA and GH craters on hormone panels. The loss of the prolactin surge is especially prominent in postmenopausal women. Most women begin to suffer from falling DHEA and GH levels around age 35-40 while they are still in peri-menopause. The higher their HS-CRP levels, the faster they enter peri-menopause and the quicker they enter menopause. They also age faster on a cellular level because their circadian chemical clocks are sped up. As a consequence, their telomeres shorten faster as well. Women have higher levels of leptin for childbearing, so they are more prone to leptin resistant issues than men. Leptin is a sexually dimorphic hormone.

This helps explain why older women struggle with cognitive haze, loss of body composition, poor sleep, and increased levels of heart disease after menopause. Many physicians think the losses they suffer are due to the loss of estrogen from ovarian failure, but the loss of growth hormone and progesterone production are far more significant in their physiology. Progesterone is the off switch to anything that is pro-growth. Modern women are usually estrogen dominant even after menopause because of mismatches in circadian biology. Cognitive loss is especially common in post-menopausal women. They also lose on average 1% of their bone mineral density per year from menopause in large part due to the loss of progesterone, not estrogen.

Loss of progesterone also corresponds to poor sleep in these women too. Replacing progesterone in women has a major effect on their sleep and bone stock. It also dramatically improves their memories and cognitive function as well.

Snacking after dinner… Effect on circadian cycles:

If you choose to eat within 4 hours of sleep you will never see the prolactin surge you need, because any spike in insulin turns off this critical sleep time release that corresponds to the cellular maximums of the autophagic process for humans. Agouti, the incretin gut hormone also rises in the blood to higher than normal levels to block leptin from entering the brain.

Diurnal cycles for agouti are coupled to NPY and have major effects on leptin. Agouti is a gene product that normally increases the release of leptin from fat cells at night to signal the brain of what the energy status is of the body. This is great when it is working well. When it is elevated due to heavy carbohydrate use in our diet it creates a massive problem. This is why late night carbohydrate snacking is a bad thing to do.

It appears 12-3 AM are the critical hours at night are where the remnants of mammalian hibernation lie for our species. These are the anabolic times for sleep when we are rebuilding our proteins and recycling our cellular contents. They are three of the most important hours in all human biology. If you miss them, you can bet you have several neolithic diseases for sure. Why do you ask? If these three hours are not reached enough during our sleep cycle, autophagy is never optimized and cellular repair does not occur in our cells. This means we are using old broken down parts in our cells as the next day arrives at 6 AM and cortisol rises again to wake us up.

We can measure this efficiency of this process by checking DHEA and IL-6 levels. I also like to measure hormone panels to see if the inflammation has destroyed any other hormone cascades in aging men or women. This is vital in taking care of older people and treating their longevity. IL-6 levels correspond to Leptin resistant states as well. This makes sleep and metabolic coupling tightly controlled by circadian biology at all times of our life. It is magnified because sleep gets worse as we age and our DHEA, HDL, and HS CRP rise. This is where, during a bio-hack, we can see why circadian mismatches can cause neolithic diseases in humans. Often times we can find the same issues develop much earlier in a young paleo person who has a lot of mismatches in their circadian biology. I test them the same way I would an older person.

Prolactin, Doc?

You must be asking, why is this prolactin hormone so important in a warm adapted human? Prolactin is not just a hormone that secretes human milk. That is the best-known action of prolactin, but not the most important. Immediately after prolactin is released during sleep, another signal is sent to the anterior pituitary to release the largest amount of Growth Hormone as we sleep (GH). GH is stimulated only during autophagic sleep cycles in stage 3 and 4 to increase protein synthesis for muscle growth while you’re dissipating heat via the uncoupling proteins. This is where the major release of GH occurs in humans post-puberty when they are warm adapted. 99.9% reading this blog are warm adapted. If you chose to become cold adapted the GH story radically changes, as laid out in CT-6. GH and dopamine are analog proteins.

The implications here are huge for the warm adapted human if this prolactin surge is not adequate to allow us to enter the anabolic stages of sleep. Prolactin surge is diminished by both artificial lights at night and by foods that stimulate NPY, (namely carbs and protein) when they are eaten in fall and winter when biology says they should not be available.

If you are leptin resistant for any reason, have sleep apnea, you will always have an altered body composition because of a low GH level and an altered sex steroid profiles on testing. The reason is that DHEA is the immediate precursor for those hormones and is always low in people with bad sleep efficiency. Most VLCers who are warm adapted face this very problem today. VLC diet is best used in the cold-adapted mammal and not the modern warm adapted lifestyle. In essence, this diet is a mismatch for our modern lifestyle. This is why so many bloggers think ketosis is a dirty word for performance and body composition.

This all implies that as you age you will have higher body fat %, lower muscle mass %, if autophagy is not optimized by great sleep. This is precisely what we see today in most modern humans as they age. Invariably, their sleep cycles and sleep durations are poor and decreased from their childhood levels. As they age, there is a chronic insidious erosion of circadian biology by decisions made by modern humans over and over again.

What about temperature variations in warm adapted humans?

Where does temperature enter the picture? In warm-blooded animals, homeotherms, such as humans, can change their metabolism in order to keep their heat production equal to the heat loss. Such animals have a temperature control system and thereby maintain a rather constant core temperature. Warm-blooded animals live with the advantage of an unchanged cell activity and temperature in their core. However, the human core temperature falls during the estrogen phase of the menstrual cycle (pro-growth) and during sleep (circadian rhythm by melatonin).

The lowest temperature of the day for modern humans is usually between 2 AM and 6 AM. The temperature cycle is part of the normal circadian periodicity. Our biological clock seems to be synchronized with the rotation of the globe daily. Meal composition and timing, light cycles and temperature play a role in altering normal cycles and autophagic optimization.

Ovulation releases a sharp rise in morning temperature with its estrogen surge. Progesterone effects seem to explain the higher temperature in the last phase of the menstrual cycle where it calms the pro growth effects of estrogen. In post-menopausal women, this balance is usually not ideal, and it leads to many menopausal complaints these women face today.

The reduced temperature induced by melatonin in sleep is needed for Central Nervous System autophagic repair, for another, less well-known reason. The lowered temperature sets the stage for the biologic quantum effects to be optimal on our neurons microtubules that facilitate learning and neuronal spouting that occurs brain-wide.

This is why if you don’t sleep well you feel bad the next morning and your mental performance suffers the next few days on cognitive tasks. Research also shows your learning is severely impaired because of lowered BDNF and changes in diurnal cortisol due to the sleep deficit. This is why we monitor truck drivers’ and airline pilots’ sleep and wake cycles by law!

Moreover, in hospitalized ICU patients or the elderly when this occurs, it sets the stage for the appearance of acute onset delirium. This is exacerbated when they also have a simultaneous cytokine storm from sepsis or obesity. We see this often in hospitalized patients who cannot sleep well in ICUs. Acute delirium states very much look the same as chronic sleep deprivation patients we see clinically as well. Inducing cold, using progesterone and using hypnotics helps manage these conditions. I mentioned this in my hour-long PaleoFX talk last week.

Okay, nonscientists take a breather. Geeks are up: So today we are going to look more closely at how circadian biology sculpts our species. We will assume the sun rises for us today at 6 AM. About two hours before the sunrise we are at our lowest body temperature and this signal is sent to our hypothalamus to the hypocretin neurons that link metabolism (leptin receptor) to the sleep cycle clocks. This temperature dip signals that sleep is coming to an end and that the brain needs to raise its cortisol levels to wake up the cerebral cortex not connected to the autonomic portions of the brain in the brainstem.

This is called the reticular activating system. When the reticular activating system is damaged, humans remain in a sleep-like state called coma. Neurosurgeons call this a chronic vegetative state. The release of cortisol is a neurochemical signal from the hypothalamus that allows the reticular activating system to wake up the cerebral cortex in the AM by increasing water flows from the CSF, Matrix, and cytosol.

Now we have to think about what season we are in? Is a long light cycle (summer) or is a short one that is cold (winter)?

VIP regulates the circadian rhythm in humans and most mammals. VIP is a gut hormone and is found in our taste receptors too! So if we taste the sweetness from carbs in our diet when it’s warm and they are growing in the environment, our brain is expecting us to be in a warm season rather than a cold one. So sweet means warm to the brain, not cold. If you mismatch that and eat carbs at the wrong seasonal time, you create inflammation in the brain and it throws off our chemical clocks in our cells and ages us faster. That means our telomeres get shorter. This is not good.

Even geekier: Taste perception and its relationship to glucose homeostasis begin with stimulation of taste cells located in tongue taste buds. There are five basic taste modalities: bitter, sweet, umami, salty, and sour. Taste cells are clustered into taste buds in the tongue epithelium. Mammals have four different types of taste cells (types I, II, III, and IV), exhibiting different molecular phenotypes and functional roles.

Type I cells are glial-like cells that maintain taste bud structure. Type II taste cells transduce sweet, bitter, or umami stimuli and communicate information through G-protein coupled transduction cascades. Type III cells synapse directly with afferent nerve fibers from three cranial nerves and most release serotonin upon depolarization. Type IV basal cells are rapidly dividing progenitor cells that differentiate into type I, II, and III cells. Along with biogenic amine neurotransmitters, it is becoming evident that multiple peptide hormones including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), cholecystokinin (CCK), and neuropeptide Y (NPY) as well as VIP are located in taste cells, potentially acting as signaling modulators of multiple gustatory stimuli.

The circadian clock not only can generate its own rhythms but can also be entrained by the environmental light-dark (LD) cycle. Multiple single-cell circadian oscillators that are present in the clock can, when synchronized, generate coordinated circadian outputs which ultimately regulate the overt rhythms.

VIP is a gut polypeptide, has been identified as one of the main neurotransmitters of SCN neurons, and participates in SCN function. These SCN neurons are retino-recipient and are found in the core of the SCN. They are activated by light, and exogenous application of VIP can reset the circadian clock in a manner similar to that of light application, both in vitro and in vivo. It is estimated that 9%-24 % of SCN neurons express VIP.

Leptin was originally described as an adipocyte-derived cytokine that signals to the hypothalamus to regulate food intake and energy expenditure. Leptin signals through its receptor, which is closely related to the gp130 cytokine receptor. Leptin can induce expression of the neuropeptide gene vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) through the VIP cytokine response element, the same element that mediates the response to the gp130 cytokines. Leptin acts synergistically with TGF-beta to activate transcription through this element.

One of the main chemical constituents of SCN neurons is the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP). Such neurons are retino-recipient and activated by light. Exogenous application of VIP resets the SCN circadian clock in a light-like manner both in vivo and in vitro. These resetting actions appear to be mediated through the VPAC2 receptor (a type of receptor for VIP). Unexpectedly, genetically ablating expression of the VPAC2 receptor renders the circadian clock arrhythmic at the molecular, neurophysiological and behavioral levels. These findings indicate that this intrinsic neuropeptide acting through the VPAC2 receptor participates in both resettings to light and maintenance of ongoing rhythmicity of the SCN.

Neurosurgery geeks only: In mammals, the part of the nervous system responsible for most circadian behavior can be localized to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Although previous studies suggest that each SCN neuron may be an independent oscillator, these pacemaker cells must be synchronized to each other as well as to the environment to function adaptively. Therefore, answers to questions about cell-to-cell communication within the SCN lie at the core of understanding how his timing system operates. The daily cycle of light and dark is the dominant environmental cue responsible for synchronizing this biological timing system to the environment. The SCN neurons receive photic information directly from the retinal-hypothalamic tract (RHT). My Vermont 2017 video gets deep into the physics of the retina.

Many of the SCN neurons that receive retinal input from these cells are located in the ventrolateral (or core) region of the SCN and express GABA and, in many cases, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and the Peptide Histidine Isoleucine. These retino-recipient cells then convey this environmental information to the rest of the SCN. In brain slice preparations, application of VIP alters the firing rate of SCN neurons through a VPAC2 receptor-dependent mechanism and induces expression of mPer1 and mPer2 genes. These two genes are how the circadian cycles yoke directly to the cell cycle and are related to tumor suppressor genes and oncogenesis when mismatches occur chronically in modern man.

Functionally, the administration of VIP, and to a lesser extent PHI, can cause phase shifts of the circadian rhythms in vivo and in vitro in man.

The role of AVP (arginine/vasopressin) in circadian timekeeping has also been well established in the neurosurgery literature. Its role in the control of the circadian rhythm of food and water intake has been reported and well documented. Another intrinsic neuropeptide, VIP, acting through a VPAC2 receptor (a type of receptor for VIP), participates in both resetting to light and maintenance of ongoing rhythmicity of the SCN. NPY and GABA seem to be the neurotransmitters in the projection from the intergeniculate leaflet to the SCN adjacent to CN II. Raphe nuclei projections to the SCN contain serotonin as an NT. AVP and prokineticin 2 are seen in the outputs from the SCN as efferents.

NPY, which is an established neurotransmitter of the geniculohypothalamic tract (GHT), was found to regulate SCN neuronal activity and to produce long-lasting suppression of firing rate of SCN neurons. When co-applied with NPY, NT (neurotensin) was found to dampen the profound inhibitory effect of NPY. So when NPY is high, which would be in equatorial or high light conditions, NPY basically makes the SCN less efficient and allows animals to perform outside their normal circadian boundaries. They stay awake longer for eating and for reproduction in high light times during summer.

All geeks reunite: VIP (along with GRP and AVP) show circadian variations in the level of mRNA in constant contact with environmental conditions from our tongue and our gut. When light becomes long-lasting in summer, NPY dominates the SCN in mammals when light becomes low and the temperature falls to 50-55 degrees constantly at our surface cold receptors, and eNOS rises and blocks all photic input to SCN and circadian rhythms are maintained by a new program. Alpha MSH induces and potentiates that seasonal change within the hypothalamus as laid out in CT-6 blog.

The moral: So the brain is wired for foods when they grow naturally, not when we feel or think we can/should eat them regardless of their availability in modern times.

Leptin sensitivity directly regulates VIP production. VIP regulates the circadian rhythm and entrains the SCN to light. When it is cold, leptin is released from fat cells in large amounts, and we begin to use eNOS to entrain our SCN to cold cycles and we should avoid carbs like the plague then. Remember from CT-6, cold empties fat cells like screaming fire would empty a crowded cinema. In cold, the pituitary-hypothalamic portal is involved in the production of lots of alpha MSH and ACTH. When MSH rises, you are allowing the brain to control everything to get you to optimal. This should make it abundantly clear that cold and warm adapted mammals are not sharing the same circadian biology. Cold selects for supreme LS and superior hormone optimization as laid out in the CT 6 blog.

In long-light summer cycles, when VIP is controlling the SCN again, androgens normalize if the mammal is leptin sensitive. VIP usually fixes our Vitamin D level to optimal too. VIP is a master controller of all inflammation for circadian cycles, but leptin is the hormone that produces VIP in the correct amounts even in light cycles. So if we are leptin resistant for any reason in long-light cycles, we have no control over our circadian cycles and this leads to neolithic diseases.

Normally, VIP lowers our cytokines as the light cycle lessens as the day progresses. At night time the cell is more reduced and not as oxidized. Reduced means better cellular health and oxidized means more cellular inflammation. The act of cellular reduction happens in autophagy during sleep with repair processes. Remember VIP is highest in the morning and this helps it elevate cortisol to wake us up. This is also why cortisol levels are highest when we start our days and lowest in the night when we sleep.

#jack kruse #circadian #fix circadian things first #mito mojo #more better mitochondria #all the circadian things

5 notes · View notes