Resources
Revitalizing Medicine
To explain what revitalizing medicine is and does to the body, I chose to quote Dr. García who put it so eloquently and easily understandable:
"In medicine, the revitalizing action consists of increasing the energy available in the cells, which allows them to recover their functionality optimally. This normalizes functions lost or damaged by the effect of factors such as environmental pollution, toxic habits, or ageing itself. In this way, we manage to recover and prevent many chronic degenerative, infectious, and metabolic diseases.
Revitalizing Medicine seeks to maintain vital functions and improve quality of life by restoring the physiological balance in the cells of our body through the proper use of nutrients and elements that they need. It manages to strengthen the health, to attenuate the deterioration of the organism, and to prevent chronic diseases"(1).
Or, if we turn it around and look at which factors accelerate metabolic aging, endocrinologist Dr Schwarzbein lists the following; alcohol, artifical sweeteners, caffeine, excessive/unnecessary thyroid replacement therapy, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, prescription drugs as well as over-the-counter-drugs (paracet etc), steroids, stimulants and other recreational drugs, stress, tobacco (2)
Nutrition
There are several concepts on what a healthy diet is, and in many ways one could postulate that if there was one single diet that was the correct one, we wouldn't have all those claiming that "their diet" is the best. The intention with this section is not to convince you to take up a certain diet, but to try to explain the physiological processes in the body and how these are affected by the different types of foods we consume. Understanding the "why" is often a better motivator than a long list of how to improve health.
A lot of people are familiar with the term anti oxidants, but fewer understand the mechanisms that lead to so called oxidative stress. If you have a bit of basic understanding of chemistry, this video by Khan Academy (they are awesome, btw!) will give you a more thorough explanation. If not, here's a brief summary on the effects of free radicals on the body:
"Free radicals reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species are generated by our body by various endogenous systems, exposure to different physiochemical conditions or pathological states. A balance between free radicals and antioxidants is necessary for proper physiological function. If free radicals overwhelm the body's ability to regulate them, a condition known as oxidative stress ensues. Free radicals thus adversely alter lipids, proteins, and DNA and trigger a number of human diseases. Hence application of external source of antioxidants can assist in coping this oxidative stress.(..)" (3)
"Menneskets Fysiologi" (4) (often curriculum in the career of Medicine) explains how the human metabolism of nutrients in a "typical western diet" are about twice as high in HCO3- (acidic metabolites) than the body's natural capacity to compensate for. These number will of course vary individually with varying diets, but given a diet that renders a high output of HCO3- this could over time lead to an gradually increased level of "acidity" in the body. The same book explains how a natural buffer in the body in order to compensate for acidic levels, is to "fetch" calcium from the bone structures. On the other hand calcium levels diminishes with age due to decrease in absorption as well as the natural decline in production and intake of vitamin D (needed for absorption of calcium). After the age of 50, men lose approx. 1% of bone mass pr year. Women lose approx. 2-3% per year after menopause. A more alkaline, vegetarian diet is lower in HCO3-, and could be one way to prevent the accumulation of HCO3- in the body. There are also several alkaline supplements that may contribute. As for the regeneration of bone tissue, physical activity is important (5).
Physical Exercise
Prolonged, vigorous exercise has been found to increase HDL (6). HDL is often referred to as "the good cholesterol", and although many attempts have been tried to improve it, physical exercise stands as one of the few "methods" that actually does improve the cholesterol profile by increasing HDL. A quick explanation on the cholesterol could be that the LDL ("the bad") transports cholesterol out to the (peripheral areas of the) body, whereas the HDL ("the good") transports cholesterol back to the liver (for a more constructive use of it:). Physical exercise increases the output of the heart ("strengthening" the heart, which is indeed a muscle), thereby increasing transportation of nutrients, oxygen etc to the peripheral tissues (in the blood). Referring to Dr. García's explanation on what revitalizing medicine does to your body, contributing to optimal nutrition and oxygen to the cells of the body for as long as possible in life aids the body in maintaining optimal function. We may look at physical exercise as an investment in "anti aging".
The natural aging of the body (also on the inside, that many of us forget since we cannot see it) includes reduced bone mass (see above section), reduced nerve conduction to the muscules and thereby causing a natural and gradual decrease in muscle mass, higher blood pressure due to reduced elasticity of the "walls" of the arteries (and possibly accumulated plaque in the arteries), higher cholesterol (see section below, on insulin resistance), reduced balance, and reduced glucose tolerance (see section below, on insulin resistance). Adding all the above mentioned factors together paints a picture of the necessity of both physical exercise and a healthy, anti inflammatory and alkaline diet rich in vegetables. NB. Revitalizing medicine is not about beauty or fitness (however, they often tag along, given that your body, skin etc may look healthier owing to increasing the exchange of nutrients to the cells and removal of toxins), but about keeping the body in optimal physical shape for a longer period of time in life.
Insulin Resistance
I often refer to Dr. Schwarzbein when it comes to nutrition and insulin resistance, as she has a tremendous knowledge on the field and knows how to explain the concepts in a simple, understandable way that does not require medical knowledge. As she puts it in one of her books (2), insulin's two major functions is to regulate blood-sugar levels in order to protect the brain from receiving too much sugar (that would damage cells), and to facilitate the storage of sugar in cells. The insulin released bind to receptors on cells, and this is how the "door" to the cell is "unlocked" and sugar can be let in for storage. This system will work perfectly in a body in balance and with not too high an intake of sugars (remember that all types of carbohydrates eventually are broken down into sugars, and therefore "count" as sugar on the metabolic tab). It would also hypothetically work later in life had we not aged - part of the aging process is a natural slowing of metabolic processes.
Insulin resistance is what happens after years on a high-carbohydrate diet. Initially such a diet facilitates the accumulation of excessive sugar in the body. When the cells become "saturated" with sugars, the way the cell protects itself is by removing insulin receptors (known as downregulation). And this is when you have reached insulin resistance. What happens next is that the pancreas tries to compensate by increasing the production of insulin, which is known as hyperinsulinemia. The response in the cell to this state is even further downregulation, which leads to increased insulin resistance. Now you have a lot of insulin in the blood, and little sugar entering the cells, which together lead to sugars in the blood stream being sent to fat storage in fat cells. When these are filled, sugars have no place to go and remain in the bloodstream. This is when you have developed type 2 diabetes. As Schwarzbein points out in the same book, "Over the course of the normal aging process, everyone develops what is called insulin resistance. It is normal for a ninety-year-old person to be insulin resistant. However, because of accelerated metabolic aging, people are developing insulin resistance at much younger ages (...)".
The effect of the breath, exercise and (extreme) temperatures on the nervous system
Science-based studies (on a total of ca 11500 individuals) conducted by a group of American doctors working with treatment of conditions such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, and even PTSD, have shown how breath (that is, their methods, using breath) can rebalance the nervous system and thereby increasing focus, quality of sleep, and calmness. They explain a simple "equation" on how factors such as stress in various forms (which in time may lead to poor emotional regulation, and an increased experience of negative emotions) "pulls" the body towards an increase in production of cortisol, which you may think of as a "path to depletion" of energy. Their objective through these methods is to steer the body around towards a more constructive and healthy path leading to the increased production of the ("anti aging"-) hormone DHEA. In other words, the way we manage our breath also contributes to an increased anti aging effect. Here's a video on neuroscientist Sara Lazar's disoveries on how meditation can reshape our brains.
One of the studies she has conducted found that breath work/meditation "is associated with changes in gray matter concentration in brain regions involved in learning and memory processes, emotion regulation, self-referential processing, and perspective taking." The study can be found here.
A similar effect is found from exercise, as well as for instance ice bathing. A very simplified explanation of the mechanisms involved is that by exerting stress on the body, the nervous system is "trained" to restore homeostasis. Say for example you start running; the first time you run, your body will secrete a large amount of stress hormones (cortisol). After the work out, the curve will drop to a bit below where it was when you started out. And for each run, the amount of cortisol secreted due to the "stress exerted" will reduce gradually as the nervous system "learns" how to more quickly deal with situations of stress. Now, the good news is that this is true for "all" types of stress. By doing this type of "exercising of the nervous system" we can teach it to more readily deal with other types of stress as well - mental exhaustion, emotional overload etc. And not only does this help us in dealing with (all kinds of) stressful situations in life, it also improves (!!) so called cognitive faculties such as memory, and thereby also our ability to learn. When it comes specifically to ice bathing/exposure to (ice-) cold water; immersion of a certain amount of time at a certain temperature can induce severe increase in dopamine levels. A study conducted in the Czech Republic back in 2001 found that dopamine levels raised to 250% when being inmersed in water holding a temperature of 14 degrees for 1 hour. They also found that this effect lasts for a while after exposure, which also explains how one may experience instant wellbeing after for instance ice bathing. Mind you that there is a difference between being in cold water for such a long period, and that a shorter time of exposure necessarily will cause less of a rise in dopamin production. However, it is useful to know that this type of activity does indeed promote what we can call "positive" biochemistry in our bodies, and thereby actually induce wellbeing.
If you continue reading on detox and my short summary paragraph, you'll find some more information and "connections".
A similar effect is found from exercise, as well as for instance ice bathing. A very simplified explanation of the mechanisms involved is that by exerting stress on the body, the nervous system is "trained" to restore homeostasis. Say for example you start running; the first time you run, your body will secrete a large amount of stress hormones (cortisol). After the work out, the curve will drop to a bit below where it was when you started out. And for each run, the amount of cortisol secreted due to the "stress exerted" will reduce gradually as the nervous system "learns" how to more quickly deal with situations of stress. Now, the good news is that this is true for "all" types of stress. By doing this type of "exercising of the nervous system" we can teach it to more readily deal with other types of stress as well - mental exhaustion, emotional overload etc. And not only does this help us in dealing with (all kinds of) stressful situations in life, it also improves (!!) so called cognitive faculties such as memory, and thereby also our ability to learn. When it comes specifically to ice bathing/exposure to (ice-) cold water; immersion of a certain amount of time at a certain temperature can induce the release of up to 250% of your normal dopamine levels. Which also explains how one may experience instant wellbeing after for instance ice bathing.
If you continue reading on detox and my short summary paragraph, you'll find some more information and "connections".
Development of disease
Just to clarify a misconception that have been expressed by many; we can "get" an infection (viral, bacterial etc), but many of the most common diseases are the result of the life style lived. If you think of the "most common" ones; cardiovascular (high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack), diabetes/insulin resistance, and not to mention osteoporosis and bone fractures at older age. With reference to the above sections, our bodies have an amazing (!!!) ability to buffer and cope with unhealthy and or destructive life styles. However over the course of time there is a natural accumulation of for instance the HCO3- as mentioned above, and/or "plaque" in our arteries, a decline in bone and muscle mass etc. Many people experience that they "get" a disease as they approach their 60s or 70s. If we turn it around and look at how the body at this age has been buffering, coping with and accumulating "unhealthy metabolites" (free radicals, HCO3-, LDL etc) for a very long time, and at the same time it has been "suffering" gradually the natural processes of aging, it might not come as a great surprise that this is the age when symptoms of different diseases start surfacing. Now, if one understand the mechanisms behind these processes, it may be easier to combat the accelerated metabolic aging and thereby gaining optimal health, and again a higher quality of life for a longer period of time. This is what revitalizing medicine seeks to accomplish.
Detox - what is it, and why bother?
Detox has become a bit of a popular term the past few decades. But what is it? Our bodies have innate and effortless detoxification mechanisms, protecting the body from biochemical overload, waste products etc. What happens throughout life, is that - with reference to the above mentioned paragraphs - we accumulate waste products due to living lives exceeding the capacity of our natural detoxification mechanisms. A detoxification program typically aims at cleansing the body, and to "rebuild/restore" function for optimal uptake of nutrients as well as optimal excretion of waste products. The detoxification program that I have chosen to work with, is one that does just that; first it cleanses and then "rebuilds/restores" the microbiome. A very brief summary of the health benefits of such a "detox", is that by restoring the function of the digestive system, we ensure optimal uptake of nutrients, optimal excretion of waste products, and there by also optimal biochemistry in our brains. Important neurotransmitters such as GABA, glutamat, and serotonin are all produced in the gut (!). Imbalances in the levels of these neurotransmittors are associated with depression, anxiety, neurological disorders as well as the development of ALzheimers.
In Summary:
On this page I have shared a selection of factors affecting our health, and tried to give a brief and understandable explanation as to in what ways the different "stressors" affect us, physically as well as both mentally and emotionally. And how these seemingly "isolated" effects influence each other, and can act as an either negatively or positively spiraling, physiological effect globally within your body. And that by understanding these mechanisms, we learn ways to (fairly easily) influence our own health. I hope that you have found these short excerpts of the giant field of (anti-) aging interesting and motivating.
Some Tangible Resources for Improved Quality of Life:
Game consisting of 22 cards with different exercises within the realm of breath work, laughter yoga, etc.
All exercises are based on scientific evidence.
Playing this game with your children, grand children, or any group of children, offers a positive biochemistry and a balancing of the nervous system of the children (as well of the adults! Win Win!!).
Using these exercises regularly has been scientifically proven to lead to improved cognitive functions and learning abilities, a calmer nervous system, improved emotional regulation and stress management, prevents anxiety, depression and much much more.
This game is suitable for all people from 3 years and above, and even more for children (as well as adults) struggeling with post pandemic neurotic symptoms and/or emotional regulation, anxiety, depression.
Cards are emailed in the format of word. Print, laminate and play!
References:
1. https://shawellnessclinic.com/en/shamagazine/revitalising-medicine-energy-immune-system-detoxification-and-quality-of-life/
2. Schwarzbein D; The Schwarzbein Principle, 1999 HCI Books
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/
4. Sand O. et al, Menneskets Fysiologi, https://www.adlibris.com/no/bok/menneskets-fysiologi-9788205423411?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlKTzs-Kg9gIVEywYCh0Zkg9YEAQYASABEgI7f_D_BwE
5. J Bone Miner Res 1997 Feb;12(2):255-60.doi: 10.1359/jbmr.1997.12.2.255. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9041058/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6492243/
Finding this information helpful? This site is the fruit of my own personal interest in the field, and created on my spare time (this site is also paid for out of my own pocket) - should you think it is worth a dime or two, feel free to contribute through Vipps nr. 737403
