SWEAT Communities

24/02/2024

Summer Transformation Series
Muscle Protein Synthesis

Building muscle-That’s for bodybuilders, right.
Wrong.
👇
Sofía Vergara
Mila Kunis
Olivia Munn
Scarlett Johansson
Jennifer Lopez
Kaley Cuoco
Ariana Grande
Doja Cat
Rhianna
Shakira
Katy Perry

All these women have a high percentage of muscle and a low percentage of body fat. All these women do some type of weight or resistance training. All these women eat clean.
These aesthetics don’t just happen.
However most people don’t understand how muscle protein synthesis works or how it’s achieved. Many people think that if you train hard and frequently that you will automatically build muscle. However exercise is only 50% of the equation. The other 50% comes from nutrition, more specifically 2 types of macronutrients. That is protein and carbohydrates. Here’s an easy to understand analogy on how it works. Let’s say you’re building a brand new house. New construction. Let’s say you have Home Depot deliver all the building materials to the job site. Wood, brick, shingles, trusses, sheetrock, etc. All of these building materials represent Protein. And that’s because proteins are the building blocks of muscle. But what is missing from this equation? Well, who’s going to build this house? That’s where carbohydrates come in. You see, carbohydrates represent the workers that build the house. Without these workers, nothing gets built. People may argue that they can build muscle without carbohydrates, but science states otherwise. Antidotally I have tried low-carb diets in the past, and my muscle density became very flat. As soon as I added carbs back into the mix, it was like blowing up a tire the size and density returned. People with backward reasoning, argue that they don’t want a lot of muscle,. However, without a certain degree of skeletal muscle, you will inadvertently slow down your metabolism through a process known as Sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. As a result of this loss of the muscle, the metabolism slows down primarily because it takes more calories burned to maintain muscle mass than it does fat. Sarcopenia is correlated with physical disability, poor quality of life and death. But the crazy part of this. It’s mostly self inflicted! Anyway, let’s get back to Muscle Protein Synthesis. So I’ve mentioned 2 out 3 of macros, so what about the last one, which is fat? Fat also plays an important role in that it regulates hormone production.
Outside of MPS, Hormone production is a very important part of the muscle building process. For men, a certain level of testosterone is necessary to support muscle growth and fat loss. Same holds true for women with Estrogen.
Ok so the last factor is this whole process, is the type of macronutrients you actually consume. Yes it is true that if you consume high glycemic carbohydrates theres a strong likelihood that they will be stored as fat. But to demonize, all carbohydrates, is like discriminating an entire race of people. Carbohydrates get a bad rap because they cast to the widest net of foods. I mean anything you buy in a bag, box, can, or package at supermarket is going to contain high glycemic carbohydrates, which generally gets stored as fat. Just the fact that sugar is 100% high glycemic carbohydrates, paints carbs in a bad light. These are the reasons people demonize carbohydrates. People go out to dinner at a restaurant, eat bread that’s brought to the table, order a pasta dish, and then get crème brûlée or chocolate mousse cake, and this is the carbohydrates fault? The next day you have to go on a some fad no carbs BS diet? All carbs are bad because of your poor choices? Bu****it! How about we take responsibility for our own actions. Let’s try that.
On the flipside, if people make smart choices with carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, oats, quinoa, carbs would never be a problem. There’s good and bad in everything, and painting with a broad brush is just stupid..
So let’s tie this all together. You need protein and carbs for muscle protein synthesis. You have to choose the right protein and carbs so your calorie consumption isn’t too high and you don’t store anything as body fat. If you’re trying to lose weight or a body fat, a recomposition is possible. It would require the same process while keeping the calories as low as possible. You want to stay around 500 cal under your maintenance per day in order to lose 1 pound per week. So building muscle isn’t for bodybuilders No, it’s for cover models. It’s for pop stars, S**t, it’s for anyone that wants to get in shape, and look good and feel good. The best part of this whole thing is that it’s highly achievable! If we stop lying to ourselves, stop creating false barriers and stop listening to people trying to make money telling lies, we can all achieve all of our goals. Good luck 👍

17/07/2023

First “Ask Me Anything” DM question.
“ I know eating out is bad, but I enjoy it too much to stop. Is there anyway to get in shape and still eat out?”
Thank you for your question. It’s a big one, something that so many people struggle with.
So here’s my take.
Generally, I always approach a problem first, from a psychological perspective, second from physical one. The reason is because these habits are 100% psychological.
Sustainable weight loss is just a cumulation of good habits. This is why doctors require patients who are getting any type of weight loss surgery, to see a shrink first. Meaning that just because they can physically restrict the size of your stomach, that doesn’t mean people will make the proper food choices, ie habits. This is why weight loss surgery fails. The patient hasn’t prepared themselves physiologically. Truth by told, if they did the physiological work first, weight loss surgery probably wouldn’t be necessary in the first place. No offense.

That said, where I’m going here is that eating out all the time is just a bad habit. I’m not saying it’s as bad as smoking or anything extreme like that, but it can and will definitely derail folks from achieving their weight loss goals.

Ok so I’ll give this to you straight. I owned a restaurant for 8 years. Restaurants want you to come back and be repeat customers. And to achieve this, they will do anything in their power to make their food taste good. This includes adding copious amounts of butter and oil, and not olive oil. We’re talking cheap oils, like soy bean and vegetable, and lots of sodium. And yes, my friends this includes the most high end restaurants you can spend your money on. They’re not going to serve up bland foods, like the food you see me post for meal prep. Because if they did, they would never stay in business!
The biggest problem with restaurants is you are completely flying blind. You have no idea what calories, macros, trans fats, and sodium amounts are in what you’re eating. . It’s not unusual to wake up weighing 2 to 3 pounds heavier after a meal at a restaurant due to the sodium and carbohydrate content. Especially if alcohol is being consumed the same time which makes you retain even more fluid. It’s very noticeable. I mean you can tell a person that drinks heavily from a mile away because their face will be very bloated and there will be some broken blood vessels around their cheeks. Again, no offense to anybody, but these are just facts. This is why old time drinkers who hang out at clubhouses or bars, have noses that look like the skin of an orange and several broken blood vessels around their nose and have red faces. This is all years of damage.
Ok so back to eating out.
There’s really no strategy I can give you to eat healthy at a restaurant without knowing what type of restaurant you eat at and also what you may order. You would want to stay far away from anything fried, especially things like fried calamari, mozzarella sticks, fried croutons on your salad or nachos smothered in cheese, olives, and sour cream. Italian dishes are pretty terrible too, because most of them are fried as well and pasta contains lots of empty calories that are very high on the glycemic index spike glucose, and turn the fat rather quickly. All this said, I am human, and I do go out to a restaurant from time to time. The rule of thumb I use is to limit it to maybe 1 to 2 times per month. When I do go, I avoid appetizers all together. I generally order vegetable base dishes that are not fried. I ask for all sauces on the side. I don’t eat any bread at the table. and knowing that there are high calories in restaurant food, I either eat extremely light that day, may do about an hour of cardio, or just fast completely until the meal. Some people might find this extreme, but when you’re dealing with restaurants, adding thousands of calories mostly from carbs and fat, it’s unfortunately a necessary evil if you want to get and remain in good shape. This is probably not the answer you wanted to hear and I am sorry. But I do not want to lie and tell you it’s possible to eat out and still get in shape. I’d be doing you a disservice if I lied to you like that, and I promised when I started this forum I would be 100% truthful. Good luck.

15/07/2023

Friends,
I’m starting a new forum on my S.W.E.A.T. ( Sustainable Weight-Loss Effortlessly at All Times). It’s called “Ask Me Anything”.
From a point of credibility my credentials include NCCA and ACE PT certifications, 30 plus years of fitness experience, Regional Natural Bodybuilding Top 5 ranking, on top of practicing everything I preach on daily basis.
Here are the guidelines.
1. You can post the questions to the SWEAT page forum if you’d like to share or DM me if you prefer the questions to remain private.
2. I will answer the questions from both a science perspective and anecdotal including real world experience which sometimes can me the most valuable.
3. Please allow 24-48 hrs for a response/answer.
4. I will guarantee 100% honestly.
5. I do not take advice from fitness influencers despite their vast knowledge due to too many variables such as lifestyle, performance enhancing drugs (steroids, hormones, etc) and overall genetics.
So go ahead and fire away friends!

11/07/2023

June 2023

10/07/2023

Longevity and Healthspan: The Role of Genetics and Family History

GENETICS, FAMILY HISTORY, AND LONGEVITY
• Although genetics plays a role in determining longevity, recent studies suggest that it accounts for only 10% of the variation.
• Family history is an important factor when predicting lifespan, as people with long-lived parents or siblings are more likely to live longer, but genetics is just one component of family history.
• Studies have shown that other family-linked factors contribute to lifespan, including education, lifestyle, and environment.
• While genetics and family history play a role in determining lifespan and healthspan, individuals can take actionable steps to promote longevity and healthspan.
• Adopting a pro-longevity lifestyle including regular exercise, a healthy diet, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, can promote longevity.

Have you ever wondered why some people live longer than others? While a healthy lifestyle is the most crucial and essential aspect to promoting longevity and healthspan, genetics and family history also play a role. Genetics and family history influence an individual’s susceptibility to diseases of aging and overall lifespan, but for most people, not as much as you may think. In this article, we will explore the impact of genetics and family history on longevity and healthspan, providing actionable guidance for readers.

Impact of Genetics on Longevity: What Studies on Centenarians Revealed
Longevity is influenced by genetics, which was once thought to account for 20-30% of the variation in lifespan (Herskind et al., 1996), but more recent studies have argued that it only accounts for 10% (Ruby et al., 2018). Essentially, this means that lifestyle and environment account for as much as 90% of one’s longevity.
Where genetics may take a larger role in contributing to longevity is for the longest lived people: centenerians (100-109) and supercentenarians (110+). Studies have identified several genetic variants associated with longevity, including the FOXO3A gene, which regulates cell death and DNA repair (Willcox et al., 2008). Additionally, genetic variants affecting the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway have been linked to longevity (Deelen et al., 2011). These findings suggest that genetic variants affecting critical cellular processes play a role in determining lifespan. However, these genes are only part of the story for the world’s longest lived people and don’t fully explain how they are consistently 20 to 40 years behind their peers (remember, slower is better!) in the aging process.

Impact of Family History on Longevity
Family history is a consideration when predicting one’s lifespan. People with parents or siblings who live to old age are more likely to live longer than those without such a family history (Newman et al., 2010). Studies have shown that the children of long-lived parents have a 20-30% lower mortality rate than those without long-lived parents (Seshadri and Wolf, 2007). Moreover, siblings of centenarians have a 2-3 fold higher chance of living to 90 years or older than the general population (Perls et al., 2002). These findings suggest that longevity runs in families and that familial factors contribute to lifespan.
However, it’s important to note that this does not mean it’s predominantly based on genetics. Other factors such as education, lifestyle and environment – which accounts for the majority of one’s longevity – also tend to run in families. If your relatives weren’t living pro-longevity lifestyles, you have the power to buck that trend and live substantially longer and healthier than your relatives.

Family History, Genetics, and Healthspan: Impacts on Cancer, Alzheimer’s and Other Diseases of Aging
Healthspan refers to the length of time an individual lives in good health, free from diseases and disabilities of aging. Genetics and family history play a role, albeit limited, in determining healthspan. Studies have shown that individuals with a family history of diseases of aging, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease, are at higher risk of developing these conditions (Kuchenbaecker et al., 2017). For example, a family history of breast cancer increases a woman’s risk of developing the disease by 2-4 fold (Mavaddat et al., 2019).
Similarly, a family history of cardiovascular disease increases the risk of developing the condition by 50-60% (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2010). These findings suggest that genetics and family history contribute to an individual’s risk of developing diseases of aging, which can impact healthspan. For this reason, we suggest that you pay particular attention to lifestyles that can reduce the risks for these diseases if they run in your family – and to do so now, not to wait.

Actionable Guidance
While genetics and family history play a crucial role in determining lifespan and healthspan, there are actionable steps individuals can take to promote longevity and healthspan.
Adopt a Longevity Lifestyle
Adopting a longevity lifestyle, including regular exercise, a pro-longevity diet, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, can promote longevity and healthspan (Willcox et al., 2008). Studies have shown that individuals who follow a longevity lifestyle live longer and have a lower risk of developing diseases of aging (Li et al., 2020).

Get Regular Health Checkups
Regular health checkups can help detect diseases of aging early, improving the chances of successful treatment and reducing the impact of these conditions on healthspan. Individuals with a family history of diseases of aging should consider more frequent health checkups and screening tests to detect these conditions early, as well as to proactively research and live lifestyles that minimize the odds of those specific diseases.
Consider Genetic Testing
Genetic testing can help identify genetic variants associated with diseases of aging, allowing individuals to take proactive steps to reduce their risk of developing these conditions. Genetic testing can also provide valuable information for family planning, as individuals can learn about the likelihood of passing on genetic conditions to their children.
However, it is essential to keep in mind that genetic testing has limitations and may not provide a complete picture of an individual’s risk of developing diseases of aging. Genetic variants are only one factor contributing to disease risk, and environmental factors and lifestyle play a far larger role for most of us.

Hallmarks of Aging Impacted by Genetics and Family History
The 12 hallmarks of aging are a set of biological processes that contribute to aging and age-related diseases. Although more than 90% of aging is dictated by lifestyle and environment, for the 10% that’s contributed by genetics, family history can impact several of these hallmarks, including:

Mitochondrial Dysfunction: Genetic variants affecting mitochondrial function can contribute to cellular aging and the development of age-related diseases (Dai et al., 2019).

Cellular Senescence: Familial factors and genetic variants can contribute to the accumulation of senescent cells, which promote inflammation and tissue damage (Childs et al.,2015).

Loss of Proteostasis: Genetic variants affecting protein quality control mechanisms can contribute to the accumulation of damaged proteins, leading to cellular dysfunction and disease (Ciechanover and Kwon, 2015).
Altered Cellular Communication: Genetic variants affecting cell signaling pathways can disrupt cellular communication, contributing to tissue dysfunction and disease (Gough et al., 2020).

Genomic Instability: Familial factors and genetic variants affecting DNA repair mechanisms can contribute to the accumulation of DNA damage, leading to mutations and the development of age-related diseases (Vijg and Campisi, 2008).

Epigenetic Alterations: Familial factors and genetic variants affecting epigenetic modifications can alter gene expression patterns, contributing to age-related diseases (Horvath, 2013).
Telomere Shortening: Genetic variants affecting telomerase activity can contribute to telomere shortening, which is associated with cellular aging and the development of age-related diseases (Blackburn et al., 2015).

Deregulated Nutrient Sensing: Genetic variants affecting nutrient sensing pathways can contribute to metabolic dysfunction, leading to the development of age-related diseases (Kennedy and Lamming, 2016).

Stem Cell Exhaustion: Familial factors and genetic variants affecting stem cell function can contribute to tissue degeneration and the development of age-related diseases (Liu and Rando, 2011).

Disabled Macroautophagy: Genetic variants affecting autophagy mechanisms can contribute to the accumulation of damaged organelles and proteins, leading to cellular dysfunction and disease (Klionsky et al., 2016).
Inflammaging: Familial factors and genetic variants affecting inflammatory signaling pathways can contribute to chronic inflammation, promoting tissue damage and disease (Franceschi and Campisi, 2014).

Microbiome Dysbiosis: Familial factors and genetic variants affecting the gut microbiome can contribute to dysbiosis, promoting inflammation and metabolic dysfunction (Tremaroli and Bäckhed, 2012).

Genetics, Family History and Longevity
Genetics and family history play a role in determining longevity and healthspan. While genetics and family history cannot be changed, adopting a healthy NOVOS longevity lifestyle, getting regular health checkups, and considering genetic testing, will help promote longevity and healthspan significantly more so than genetics in the vast majority of people. Furthermore, understanding the hallmarks of aging impacted by genetics and family history can provide valuable insights into potential areas of focus for personalized preventative strategies to reduce the risk of developing age-related diseases.

27/06/2023

In Genetics, the Future is Now (Gene Editing)

If you have the gene for colon cancer, you must get a colonoscopy regularly and have to monitor your diet closely or face the prospect of colon surgery. But get this: in the very near future, you could have that gene snipped right out of your DNA so you’ll never need a colonoscopy, or ever fear colon surgery again.
Science fiction? Not at all. Gene editing - cutting out genes that cause disease - is already being done with "miraculous" results in curing sickle cell anemia, for example. Yes, curing. And great strides are being made with other diseases as well. Our Science Advisory Board keeps up with innovations in treatment, so we let you know what you can benefit from now, or what you'll have to wait for. How these new technologies will ultimately keep you younger in the future...only time will tell.
If you've been told that you have a condition that's hereditary, ask your doctor if it's a condition that can be rectified with gene editing. Even if it's not available yet, you'll feel reassured, knowing that you could benefit from it one day.

The future of longevity.

21/06/2023

Exercise & Longevity

Why exercise is important to our overall health?
How exercise can be beneficial for our longevity?
How to get moving—no matter what age you are?

Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to improve your overall health and longevity. Unfortunately, almost half of U.S. adults don’t get enough exercise.

It can probably seem challenging to find the time or energy to exercise, let alone knowing what type of physical activity is most beneficial for your health. If you’re struggling to build exercise into your daily routine, here’s some insights and tips to make exercise a key part of your life.

Keep reading to learn more about exercise, its connection to longevity, and recommendations for incorporating quality exercise into your routine.

Why is exercise so important?

Physical activity is undeniably important to our overall health. According to the CDC, physical activity can benefit nearly every aspect of your health. Specifically, it can help:

Improve brain health
Assist with weight management
Decrease risks for certain disease
Increase bone and muscle strength
Unfortunately, many people live increasingly sedentary lifestyles (e.g., they get little to no movement or exercise). Prolonged periods of inactivity can negatively impact blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol levels. Physical activity can reverse these negative effects. Even if you sit all day (say, for work), small amounts of physical activity could help reduce the effects of sitting. Low-impact activities like walking or riding a bike can be beneficial, as just a little physical activity can go a long way.

What’s the connection between exercise and longevity?

While it’s hard to prove an actual cause-effect relationship between exercise and longevity, there is a lot of research that strongly suggests exercise can positively impact longevity.

For example, research shows that overall deaths from any cause are reduced by about 30% in people who were physically active, and that exercise could add an estimated 6 months to almost 7 years to your life expectancy. Another study found that people who were more “fit” lived longer. “Fitness” in this context refers to cardiorespiratory fitness, or how effectively your heart and lungs can move blood and oxygen throughout the body. Regular physical activity can boost your cardiorespiratory fitness.

Exercise also reduces your risk of chronic diseases that impact longevity (such as hypertension, diabetes, or coronary artery disease).

What kind of exercise should I be doing?

Here’s a little secret: the type of exercise you do doesn’t matter as much as accomplishing certain goals while doing activity. And don’t worry, you don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from physical activity.

Here’s another tip. Focus on getting your heart rate up, no matter your age. Specifically, we recommend hitting your optimal heart beat range for 30 or more minutes three to five times a week.

How do you know what your optimal range is for your age while exercising? Here’s a simple formula:

Take 220 minus your age. This is the high-end of your range
Take 70% of your high-end. This is the low-end or your range
So, if you’re 50 years old, your high-end range would be 170 (220 minus 50). Your low end would be about 119 (170 x 70%). So, you should aim to have a heart rate between 119 and 170 beats per minute (bpm) when doing physical activity.

Exercise should be a part a of everybody’s daily routine for both longevity as well as overall health.

20/06/2023

CRISPR Therapeutics. This is the cutting edge of anti aging research. Within 5-15 years doctors will be able to rewrite DNA code and change predisposition for diseases. Meaning they will be able to alter your genetic code. They are already doing it now curing Sickle Cell Disease and some forms of blindness. Remember, you have to stay healthy enough to live and qualify for this therapy when it becomes available. I’m not sure people understand the impact of this. With CRISPR, how long and how heathy a person may live could be 100% based on their lifestyle choices. 100%! That means we can finally be in complete control of our health!

09/06/2023

I’m a big follower of Dr David Sinclair. His book “Lifespan” was a game changer for me. Made me look at my lifestyle, including fitness from a completely different perspective. Did you know that any child born today has a 50/50 chance of living until 100? Centurions in America’s “Blue Zones” live well into their 100’s and do so with vitality and no disease. When they eventually do pass, they expire in their sleep with no pain or trauma. It’s a proven fact that the longer a person lives, the quicker they will die. That’s the perfect life if you ask me. But how do we get there. Well what’s been proven is that every old wise tale you have been told about staying comfortable is 100% wrong. Doctors have always known that a healthy diet and exercise extends life, but up until this point they never knew WHY. We now know that cells respond positively to adversity. Meaning when your cells experience adversity, it tells them that they need to make more healthy cells. Cellular health is a HUGE part of the aging process. In short, making yourself comfortable will make you die faster. There’s no other way to put it. This is why fasting extends life through autophagy, (read my article on autophagy on my SWEAT page). In the simplest terms, nobody likes hunger but that uncomfortably is what cleans out damaged cells and replaces them with healthy ones. High glucose levels, smoking anything, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle damages cells over time. However YOU can do something about it. Here’s one revolutionary common thread amongst all of the centurions in Blue Zones across the world. They follow what’s called the 70% rule. When they eat, they stop when they are 70% full. The remaining 30% happens during the digestion phase. This ensures that their glucose levels remain relatively low. High glycemic blood is one of the major causes of aging. Whales, sharks and sea turtles live hundreds of years and have very similar DNA to humans. Now these mammals are vegetarians (and I’m not getting into that whole vegetation/ eating meat debate here). However one things for damn sure, they aren’t going to all you can eat buffets and eating pepperoni pizza and fried calamari. The world is changing friends! You now have a choice. Remember 70% of longevity and aging is now determined by one’s lifestyle.
Stay Healthy.
God Bless Friends

Harvard research and biotech founder Dr. David Sinclair is one of the world’s foremost thinkers on human longevity. A professor in Harvard’s Genetics Departm...

28/05/2023

25/05/2023

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
8% body fat
I don’t usually post my age, not because I’m worry about being old, but because I don’t want to use it as a crutch. I hear people all the time finish complimentary statements with “for my age”. To me that’s lowering the bar. What these people are missing is that chronological age (what your birth certificate says) and epilogical age (how old your body is biologically based on lifestyle choices) are two completely different things. I’ve taken my epilogical age test . So what’s my real age?
Chronological-53 years
Epilogical-42 years
So I’m actually 42 despite what my birth certificate says.
Don’t take my word or go by the test results.
Go by my photo. 👇
As they say, a picture speaks a thousand words.
Have a wonderful day friends!