B-Optimal Health

04/27/2022

JUST BREATH...THROUGH YOUR NOSE

Recently it was brought to my attention that taping your mouth closed at night could improve your quality of sleep. My initial reaction was that of humor, thinking about how silly one would look would silver 3M masking tape stretched across their face while sleeping. When I heard it a second time in the same week, with a reference to the book Breath by James Nestor, it prompted me to explore why this practice would result in a positive impact on sleep quality.

We take 25,000 breaths in a day and in a single breath, more molecules will pass through your nose than all the grains of sand on all the worlds beaches-Trillions.

There is a stark contrast in benefits from the act of breathing through your nose, to breathing through your mouth. In fact, I have found zero positives for mouth breathing, with only mentions that our best use for our mouth’s is for eating, drinking, and talking. Nose breathing on the other hand, has an array of benefits including:

-Boosts blood circulation, blood oxygen, carbon dioxide levels, nitric oxide levels by sixfold, and improves overall lung volume.
-Decreases snoring
-Lowers your heart rate and breath rate increasing oxygen concentration in your blood which lowers your blood pressure and decreases risk of heart failure
-Reduces risk of dental decay and gum disease, allowing your saliva to wash bacteria from your teeth and gums.

Mouth breathing side effects include:
-Snoring
-Dry mouth
-Bad breath
-Hoarseness
-Waking up tired and irritable
-Chronic Fatigue
-Brain Fog
-Dark circles forming under your eyes

Maintaining higher levels of Nitric Oxide is important as keep your brain healthy and sharp. You can use an over-the-counter testing kit to check your levels and I recommend using the Berkeley Life Nitric Oxide Test. If there is not enough NO present, blood flow to the brain is inhibited and inflammation can occur which is known as oxidative stress. High levels also improve your immune system as it helps to defend against any pathogens and bacteria. Capping off this list is that lack of nitric oxide also is a possible cause for erectile dysfunction.

As a parent it is important to look for signs of mouth breathing in your children. Here are symptoms that will manifest if your child is breathing through their mouth for most of the day:

-Slower than normal growth rate
-Irritability(Tough one to discern for most of us:)
-Increased crying at night
-Large tonsils
-Dry cracked lips
-Problems concentrating at school
-Daytime sleepiness

As I mentioned in a recent social media post, I attempted to run 3 miles only breathing through my nose. I encountered challenges with the oxygen deprivation which seemed to improve with squinting/raising my nose which expanded my nasal passageway. My next successful attempt was much easier with my attention placed on the slower cadence of my breath even when exerting on uphill inclines, which didn’t require me to contort my face to get sufficient oxygen. The slower cadence kept me in better flow throughout the entire run as the quicker inhales were the culprit in my increased fear of asphyxiation.

I have been mouth-taping now for almost 45 days and the sleep metrics on my Oura ring are noticeably improved. This practice has resulted in a significant decrease in my snoring so my awakenings are minimal, and consequently less necessity to use the bathroom during the night. Somnifix has been the most effective brand which tapes around the contours of my mouth, and is the best adhesive with facial hair.

And it is worthy for me to note why expanding your lung capacity is so impactful. 20 years of research showed that the greatest indicator of life span was not genetics, diet, or daily exercise, it was lung capacity! Now aiding that is moderate exercise like walking or cycling as it has shown to boost lung size by up to 15%.
Lastly, it has been discovered that the optimum breathing rate is 5.5-second inhales and 5.5-second exhales, making the perfect breath.

So sleep better(inclusive of your sleeping partner), live longer, and have more positive dental visits, by training yourself to only breath through your nose. It will require awareness and practice, but the results will be worthwhile.

In Optimal Health,
Brad

12/03/2021

Get Smart with Nootropics

What are Nootropics?
Nootropics are smart drugs that improve cognitive and physical abilities in healthy individuals, particularly in executive functioning, memory, creativity, and motivation and boosting energy. They aren’t intended to heal you if you get sick, but are aids in leveling up your experience when you are already in a state of wellness.

Energy is a premium in our fast-paced world. Back in the day we had Vivarin, NoDoz, and Mini Thins to lift us up, and now we have quad shots of espresso in Starbucks, and a gaggle of energy drinks to throw down to give us a jolt to power through the day. Athough caffeine is still is the standard go-to in order to achieve an energy surge, it comes at a cost with side effects such as jitteriness, fast heartbeat, nervousness, insomnia, upset stomach, and irritability.

In the holistic space, energy and focus can be obtained in healthier ways, and the results from taking Nootropics, could be a GAMECHANGER.

There are many companies on the market offering these substances such as Onnit , Qualia, and Nootopia, all of them promoting an upgrade to your experience of Life with becoming happier, sharper, and more productive after taking their supplements. There is no universally accepted set of criteria for what qualifies as a Nootropic, but at the basis is that they allow the consumer greater control over their states, moods, and cognitive abilities.

I have tried all three, and most recently made the jump from Qualia Mind to Nootopia after meeting the founders at Dave Asprey’s BioHacking Convention earlier this year. They are really advanced in relation to their competitors, and have a program where you can customize your blends based on your reaction to their different formulas. The interactive process, and ability to customize your future orders according to what works best for you, is pretty spectacular, as you can get very specific about the states that you are interested in obtaining, contingent on the situation that you have on the horizon.

Find the best energy for you and your body outside of caffeine as there are much healthier alternatives for you to be dialed in and present for each of your different Life situations.

In Optimal Health,
Brad Beracha

Feeling like you want to level up your health?
Reach out at www.b-optimalhealth.com to connect about my Holistic Health Coaching program.

10/14/2021

Discipline is the Pathway Between Goals and Accomplishments

We are all creatures of habit. As time progresses, our routines become automatic, and without thinking, as there is a comfort in the redundancy. For most of us though, these rituals are not benefiting our overall physical health or bettering our states of mind. That is why intentionality is so important to create new habits, as self-discipline and willpower are muscles that are strengthened over time.

START WITH MAKING YOUR BED.
Completing one small task to start your day gives you a small sense of accomplishment and pride that can compound quickly to a day of productivity, as the doing helps to organize your mind. And I don’t mean a half-assed bed making effort, I am talking corners squared, covers pulled tight, and pillows centered masterfully on your headboard. The amount of heart and effort that you put into this task, is a conscious practice of willpower, so crush your bed making over time.

It is when we are overwhelmed by the larger to-do lists to start the day, that without completing a task that is small and obtainable, the larger list never gets done. Plus, if you enter your room at any point later in the day if the proverbial wheels happen to be coming off, a bed that is made gives creates a sense of grounding and gives you the encouragement that tomorrow will be better. And on a side note, your kids are watching.

You are developing willpower when you give a small mundane task awareness and effort. And as you practice repeating the task to completion, and making it a ritual, you strengthen self-discipline, which goes on to define your Life.

So start small, practice finishing what you begin, and do a little better and a little more than you think you can to accelerate your development of willpower and self-discipline.

Massive shifts manifest from small change.

In Optimal Health,
Brad
www.b-optimalhealth.com

09/24/2021

Elevate your Human Potential

After attending the 7th Annual Biohacking Conference hosted by Dave Asprey, creator of Bulletproof coffee and leader in the Biohacking space, I was introduced to some interesting cutting-edge technologies that are currently on the market, that all help to upgrade your daily performance levels.

Firstly, the term Biohacking is loosely defined as a method of utilizing technology, and other alternate practices, to boost your physical and cognitive performance. It is a movement that holds that human beings can and should use technology to augment and evolve our species.

BRAINTAP

This futuristic looking headset uses light and sound to stimulate brainwave activity and is a quick and easy way to relax, reboot, and revitalize by optimizing your brain’s peak potential. Once you purchase the device, it is subscription based, with programming that guides your mind from being awake and reactionary, to an intuitive and creative state where super learning and healing can occur, heightening consciousness with crystal clear focus.

In just 10 – 20 minutes it can balance your nervous system and help you better manage the stressors as they occur. In addition to lowering your stress, it also helps with insomnia, increasing energy levels, and improving your sense of well being

CHILISLEEP

This mattress topper regulates temperature which, when set between 60 - 68 degrees, helps you to get more deep sleep. This is because environmental temperature is crucial for setting circadian cycles for all mammals and thermal influences most biochemical reactions.

During your nightly periods of deep sleep, your body drops to its lowest temperature, which can be enhanced when using a Chilipad. This period of sleep is referred to as “delta sleep” and it is when your delta brain waves slow down and allow you to experience a meditative and dream-free sleep as a result of less intense respiration, lowered heart BPM, and slower eye movement. All of this is helping you to better recover mentally and physically.

NEUVANA XEN

What happens in Vagus, is critically important for activating your relaxation response and helps to regulate tension. The Vagus nerve is the superhighway leading from your gut to your brain, with 80% of the information traveling from the gut upwards. Did you know your brain and body are designed with the ability to self soothe during or after stressful moments? This technology promotes a sense of calm and slows your heartbeat and breathing in moments of heightened tension. Your vagus nerve is the ultimate ‘chill-out’ machine, signaling the brain to release serotonin and other calming neurotransmitters by delivering micropulses through headphones directly to the vagus nerve located in your left ear.

It pairs wirelessly to an app that helps to stimulate and strengthen your vagus nerve so you are more likely to recover quickly from stressful events.

HAPBEE

Electromagnetic fields can be found everywhere around us and can interact with the body at a biophysical level, acting like activators or blockers of cell receptors. Today these fields are used for magnetic resonance imaging to accelerate bone fracture repair, increase the rate of wound healing, and to decrease pain.

Hapbee is a circular collar that goes over your head and rests on your sternum, using ultra-low radio frequency energy technology (ulRFE®) that emulates specific magnetic fields to produce desired feelings in the body (Happy, Alert, Focus, Relax, Calm and Deep Sleep). The Hapbee AC100 generates these sensations by delivering precise low-power electromagnetic signals which through the use of an app, allows you to select how you want to feel anytime, anywhere.

TRU LIGHT/TRU DARK Light Therapy Devices

The type of lighting you’re exposed to can affect how your body interprets what time of day/night it is. It can also directly impact your mental and physical health, as well as performance. We are now living in an “Indoor Era” with people now spending more time indoors as well as working from home and TruLight has lighting solutions that provide benefits for these changes in our living patterns.

Differing from natural sunlight, conventional lighting can have negative impacts on our circadian rhythm, energy, mood, and focus. This technology empowers us to maximize our time at home and helps us to live in harmony with modern technology.

TruLight uses a combination of dark red, red, yellow, and infrared light to help heal your skin topically all the way down to healing bone injury. It uses innovative pulsating or steady light options to promote rapid healing and pain relief. They also sell an affordable lightbulb for your nightstand that has a controller to simulate sunlight in the morning, and blue light for reading/winding down before bedtime. The TruDark glasses are a great option for helping your body to create natural melatonin as you are winding down from your day.

I am a strong proponent of dialing in the essentials of wellness first by always emphasizing a healthy diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep. These devices are not a shortcut to better health if you don't have the baseline set.

I am really excited, though, to share these advancements with you of ways to elevate your health and wellness!

In Optimal Health,

Brad

09/09/2021

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09/09/2021

Why the Cold Shower?

Nearing the end of my 75 Hard Boot Camp, I discovered there were 2 more subsequent phases, that both would include a daily 5-minute freezing cold shower (as cold as it will go). The thought of doing this created the same stressed feeling in the pit of my stomach as I had while waiting in line to ride The Ninja at Six Flags earlier this summer. The dread was so strong that every time I thought about taking a cold shower, I immediately dismissed any possibility of my continuing forward with the next phase of the challenge.

A few weeks later while vacationing in Mexico, the spa at our resort had a hydrotherapy plunge pool experience where you move from 3 minutes in a hot tub set at near 100 degrees, to one minute in a pool that is 50 degrees. I had the mindset to not “dip my foot in the pool” but to just get all the way in immediately, as to not let my mind take over with panic once I stepped in. This shift in mindset was effective as I moved from the hot water and quickly immersed to my neck into the shockingly cold water, keeping the inner chatter quiet for 60 seconds while my body convulsed from the lowered temperatures.

What I realized from this experience, is that the anticipation/dread of doing something that we believe is going to be uncomfortable, oftentimes keeps us locked into a position that we cannot move forward, or unnecessarily spikes our anxiety to uncomfortable levels. In reality, when you courageously move forward through your own perceived boundaries and limitations, you will find that whatever you are fearing, wasn’t all that bad. After all, I didn’t come off the Ninja sobbing uncontrollably on a stretcher, and the freezing cold water actually felt good in a short amount of time when the self-talk quieted.

With less than one week left in this next phase, and a solid 30 days of cold showers every morning in the rearview, I have learned quite a bit from this exercise:

-Free Energy Boost – the hormone release that is triggered is reminiscent to an adrenaline rush, resulting in a heightened buzzing feeling post every cold shower.

-Increased Circulation – shocking cold water puts your circulatory system into overdrive which increases blood flow to warm your core and protect your vital organs.

-Strengthen Immune Function – a daily cold shower increases the amount of disease fighting white blood cells, comparatively to just taking a warm shower. Since your body attempts to warm your body temperature during the cold shower, this increases the metabolic speed rate and activation of your immune system, and leads to the release of more white blood cells.

-Smile More – due to the high density of cold receptors in your skin, a cold shower sends an overwhelming number of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to your brain, resulting in an anti-depressive effect.

-Lose a few Pounds – your metabolism will increase activation of good fat (brown adipose tissue) which is used to generate heat and insulate you against the cold, igniting your metabolism.

-You are Building Massive Willpower - doing something that you are so resistant to every single day, takes a lot of fortitude, and overtime, this discipline will become a daily ritual that echoes into every other area of your Life.

-Channel your Inner Buddha – they will train your nervous system to be more resilient by increasing glutathione and decreasing uric acid levels. The result from your body being shocked with cold water creates a small form of oxidative stress on your nervous system that will help you to remain calm easier when Life’s daily curveballs are hurled at your face.

-Improved Skin Health – cold showers tighten and constrict blood flow which gives your skin a healthier glow

-Improved Muscle Recovery Post Workout

Quick Tips if you are interested in taking the proverbial plunge:
What has worked for me is to have the shower warm when I step in, and then immediately turn it towards the coldest setting. I would recommend building up to 45 seconds, which seems to be the threshold for when the shock dissipates. Throughout the process, watch how your mind goes haywire giving you 1,000 reasons to jump out or turn the temperature warmer, but don’t give in, you got this.

Cold showers are now grooved nicely into my morning routine, and because of the massive benefits I am experiencing, they will be with me moving forward regardless of any challenge I am doing.

In Optimal Health,
Brad

08/26/2021

I Take a Walk

One of my biggest takeaways from completing the 75 Hard Bootcamp has been the addition of a 45-minute walk to start my day. As a runner, I never really slowed down to walk for outdoor exercise, but the positive impact that a brisk morning walk has had on my daily disposition, has been profound.

Besides the many cognitive and mood enhancing shifts that I have experienced, there are several other notable benefits:

-Live Longer - studies have shown that one hour of brisk walking can increase your life expectancy by two hours, which, although I don’t have a Master’s degree in Math, I can see will add up to a significant number over time.

-Sleep Better - exposure to sun in the morning helps you to sleep better at night because as it helps dial in your circadian rhythm early with the sun signaling that it is the start of your day, which helps your brain to naturally produce melatonin as the day ensues.

-Keep the Circle Positive – sets the tone for the day creating a positive mindset, encouraged by the sense of achievement which creates an energy boost, a mental sharpness, and a sort of walker's “high” that comes with all vigorous exercise.

-Get Your Glow On - improves blood circulation, helps you to use oxygen better, and rejuvenates your skin.

-Clarity of Mind – with an improved supply of blood and oxygen, your brain volume enhances, which, in turn, helps improve your brain function improving memory and lowering your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

-Stress Less-. walking more than a ¼ mile each day had benefits improves the circulation of blood and the flow of oxygen in the body reducing stress levels.

-Boost your Immune Function - reduces your risk of catching a cold or the flu. Studies have shown that people who walk at least 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week, have 43% fewer sick days.

-Joint Support and Strengthen muscle. – since elbows, knees, and hips are the most prone to joint pains as we age, a walk gives your joints and muscles enough movement and energy to relieve the stiffness and pain, while simultaneously toning your muscles.

-Increase Stamina - helps your lungs to pump more oxygen improving the supply to all the organs in your body.

-Lower your Risk of Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes, and certain types of Cancer.

-Cut out bad cholesterol– during a walk, the sediment of adipose tissue starts burning and regulates your good cholesterol levels.

-Shed some LBS - a 30 minute walk burns approximately 150 calories for a 155lb person.

As the end of my 75 day challenge was approaching, I realized that I did not want to stop walking in the morning, so I kept it going, and the results have been positively Game Changing.

In Optimal Health.

Brad

08/12/2021

THE BENEFITS OF SHROOMING TO START YOUR DAY

Although it would provide much interest to start a workday, I am not advocating that you incorporate psychedelics into your daily routine. What I am a proponent of though, is mushroom coffee. The evolution of my morning ritual went from drinking Starbucks, to shots of Nespresso, to enjoying using a French Press, and two years ago, making the switch to mushroom coffee, which ultimately has netted me the most noticeable health benefits.

Mushroom coffee is trending right now, with advertisements from sellers all over social media. Contrary to common negative perceptions about pairing mushroom and coffee together, the FLAVOR is on point with several of the currently offered brands. In addition, the health benefits from changing your daily coffee regimen are notable and include:

- BOOSTS IMMUNITY
- 50% LESS CAFFEINE
- PRODUCES HEALTHY GUT BACTERIA
- MOOD ENHANCING
- ANTI INFLAMMATORY

I have come across five predominant types of mushrooms that are most offered due to their healing properties:

1. CHAGA – an immune system booster with antioxidant properties that help support immune function.
Best for: Traveling
My Favorite Brand: Four Sigmatic Think

2. LIONS MANE – Excellent for brain health sharpens your focus and creativity without an ensuing crash.
Best For: Preparedness for any activity that you want optimal mental acuteness
My Favorite Brand: Four Sigmatic Think

3. RED REISHI(Ganoderma) – “The Miraculous King of Herbs” – Strengthens your immune system, helps your body to adapt to stress, brings your body to a balanced state after illness, improves memory, is an antioxidant.
Best For: Daily consumption due to the long list of benefits
My Favorite Brand: Organo Gold

4. CORDYCEPS – Helps endurance and stamina
Best For: Pre-Workout
My Favorite Brand: Four Sigmatic Defend

5. TURKEY TAIL – Packed with immune boosting antioxidants and keeps a healthy balance of gut bacteria.
Best For: Strengthening your immune system
My Favorite Brand: Four Sigmatic Defend

I feel better, think sharper, am less jittery, have more sustained energy without crashes, and I have my body most prepared to stave off potential viruses because of making this change to something that I consume daily. It is NOT an easy ask for someone to switch up a daily routine that is so engraved for so many of us. I was resistant when it was first introduced to me, but once I tried it, and was able to appreciate the flavorful characteristics of mushroom coffee, with awareness of the many listed benefits, there is no turning back.

In Optimal Health,

Brad Beracha