Ayurveda Archives - Fusion Health and Wellness

Increasing Shen – How to Enhance Learning, Beat Depression, and Chill Out

Within Traditional Chinese Medicine lies a fundamental and unique concept, that of the Three Treasures. The Three Treasures lay at the foundation of how TCM works – build up your Jing energy for a long life and strong resilience; improve your Qi so as to have plenty of day to day energy; and enhance and build up your Shen energy, that faculty of mind that leads to wisdom, peace and tranquility.

We already discussed one of them, Jing, in some detail, but what I want to focus on today is Shen, that faculty of your higher mind. Shen can be defined in many ways, but is commonly described as being the seat of the higher mind, your spirit, consciousness, and the domain of thought, memory and emotion. To have strong Shen is to be mentally quick, happy, joyful, and content, and to not be forgetful, lethargic, depressed, angry or anxious.

What I find really interesting about things like Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, the equivalent Indian system of healthcare, is how they are able to understand all the effects a substance is having on the body, without ever being able to isolate certain compounds or measure acute changes within a person’s biochemistry.

Luckily for us today, we are able to accomplish this and measure all the minutia within a substance and the subsequent changes occurring in our body. This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak.

Reishi Mushroom

Reishi is the star of the show when it comes to Shen substances, and in fact is the number 1 ranked herb out of 365 medicinal substances within TCM. First described over 2,400 years ago, it was said of Reishi that “if eaten customarily, it makes your body light and young, lengthens your life and turns you into one like the immortal who never dies.”

Of red Reishi, it was said that “it is good for the Qi (functional activities) of the heart including mental activities, it tonifies the Spleen, increases wisdom, improves memory so that you won’t forget, long-term consumption will lighten your body, you will never become old, it lengthens years, it has spiritual power, and it develops Shen so that you become a ‘spirit-being’ like the immortals.”

That’s some lofty descriptions of a mushroom, I’d say.

So I dug deeper. On PubMed alone, there are 1,195 studies on Ganoderma Lucidum, and that’s just one strain of reishi mushroom. And while it has proven benefits on everything from the liver, to the immune system to allergies, we’re here to focus on its possible Shen-enhancing effects.

Reishi mushroom has BDNF- and NGF-like effects within the brain. Both BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and NGF (nerve-growth factor) promote the growth of new brain cells, enhance synaptic connections between existing neurons, and serve to protect neurons from damage. Both BDNF and NGF enhance learning and memory. Further, many studies show a link between low levels of BDNF and depression.

So from Reishi’s BDNF- and NGF-like effects alone, it’s able to help with depression, memory, and learning, as well as help prevent damage to the brain from stress, drugs or alcohol, and help ward off cognitive decline as we age. Not bad.

A simple hot-water extract of reishi exhibited anti-depressant effects in mice, as well as helped to prevent freezing up in the face of fear, and pretreatment of a hot water extract proved to be neuroprotective.

All in all, I’d say reishi mushroom fits the bill of a Shen-enhancing substance, and remember, this is all in addition to proven anti-cancer, anti-allergy, liver-protective and immune-enhancing benefits. I’ve used plenty of reishi products over the years – I suggest getting a liquid dual-extracted tincture, so that you get both the water- and the alcohol-soluble components, as they all have different functions in the body. You can also get a powdered extract that contains reishi mushroom spores – these spores have the same effects as the alcohol-soluble constituents, but are hundreds of times more potent.

When it comes to Reishi supplements, you really get what you pay for. Dragon Herbs carries some really interesting Reishi products, all of which are also concentrated to be even more potent –

they have a dual-extracted Purple Reishi, as the purple variety is said to have the most Shen energy;
a dual liquid extract of 22 different varieties of reishi, which I promise you can not find anywhere else;
a Wild Reishi dual-extracted tincture – this is cool because wild herbs are almost always more potent than those grown by humans, but are much more difficult to collect;
as well as an extremely potent bottle of Reishi Spore Oil – if anyone really likes my website, feel free to buy me some of this, as it is not cheap.

Count the Reishis — A Chinese painting honoring Reishi mushroom

Polygala

Polygala is another premier Shen-enhancing herb. It has sometimes traditionally been called the “Will Strengthener“, helping both spiritual practitioners and common folk alike increase their will power. What biological effects this herb would have to have upon the body to increase will power, alas, I do not know.

It’s also traditionally been said to be able to connect the sexual energy of the reproductive system with that of loving, altruistic energy of the heart. As such, polygala has been used as one of the premier Shen-enhancing herbs used throughout the ages. Does it hold up to Western scientific scrutiny?

One 2009 study concluded that treatment with polygala led to improved memory and learning, and even ameliorated some of the deleterious effects of the amnesia-producing drug scopolamine. The authors noted that “the expression of BDNF was also greatly enhanced in the hippocampus.”

A 2014 study found strong anti-depressant effects, noting that the main constituent studied, Yuanzhi-1, had a stronger affinity to dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine receptors in the brain than a commonly prescribed pharmaceutical anti-depressant. This means it improves depression through 3 distinct pathways more effectively than a drug approved by the FDA, without side effects.

Do you often have trouble finding motivation to get things done, even if they are activities that should excite you? Another 2014 study found that polygala administration not only had “rapid-onset anti-depressant” effects, but also that it helped reverse anhedonia, the scientific term for having a lack of motivation for, and lack of pleasure in, common every day activities.

Polygala is neuroprotective; enhances memory; attenuates beta-amyloid plaque build up (one of the main factors in Alzheimer’s disease) and promotes neurite growth; and also improves synaptic transmission, or the ability of cells within the brain to communicate effectively.

Polygala is a bit harder to find than reishi mushroom, but don’t despair – Dragon Herbs offers a very nice product I’ve used in the past called Will Power. Polygala is the main herb used, but the product also has a number of other Shen-enhancing herbs.

If you’re looking for straight polygala, you can buy 100 grams of a 5:1 extract here, which is the product I’m currently using. I gotta say, things have been looking bright since I started taking it.

In conclusion, it seems those ancient Chinese sages were on to something when it comes to “Shen” substances that improve emotions and enhance the intellect. There are plenty of other Shen herbs out there as well – pearl and dragon bone, which have Shen-grounding effects, albizzia flower, which is one of the most uplifting herbs I’ve ever used, spirit poria, and more – I’ll try to have more info up soon about some of these herbs.

For now, get your hands on some reishi and polygala, and let me know what you think in the comments below. And don’t forget to contact me if you’re interested in learning how to take a multi-targeted approach to beating depression and anxiety, or how to enhance learning, memory and mental acuity.

Fine Tuning Your Biochemistry to Suit Your Needs

What do 90% of Americans do first thing when they wake up in the morning? They get out of bed, go downstairs and reach for some coffee or tea. Why? It gives them energy, motivation, focus and transforms them from grumpy, sleepy zombies into happy little worker bees, buzzing about. This is because of caffeine’s effect on their biochemistry.

Caffeine blocks adenosine in the brain, which is a neurotransmitter that causes sleepiness. Caffeine also causes dopamine to be released, which is responsible for the increase in attention, motivation and improved mood, as well as norepinephrine to be released, which makes you alert and energized. Norepinephrine is also why you’ll find yourself on the john half an hour after your first cup.

Photo fred The Oatmeal and DBG Technologies — Photo cred The Oatmeal and DBG Technologies

Caffeine is just one substance that you can use to alter your biochemistry in a favorable fashion. I’d love to help you learn how to do just that, but first you have to agree that you understand that this is just a website, that I’m not a doctor, and that anything you decide to do because of this article should be checked out with your primary care physician first, especially if you’re on prescription meds or have depression, anxiety or any other mental illness. There are no cures presented here, just ways to help you get the most out of life.

Let’s get on with it.

First, we need to understand a few terms and concepts. A neurotransmitter is a molecule used for communication between neurons in your brain and nervous system, and can be either excitatory, inhibitory, or both.

Excitatory neurotransmitters include

dopamine
epinephrine (adrenalin)
norepinephrine
acetylcholine
PEA
glutamate

Inhibitory neurotransmitters include

GABA
serotonin
melatonin
glycine

Your mood, outlook and energy levels are strongly correlated to the exact ratio and proportions of the neurotransmitters that are active in your brain at any given moment. This means that if you can tweak the levels of your neurotransmitters, you can positively steer your mood and outlook as you see fit.

Don’t overdo it, though. The body is always trying to maintain homeostasis, and increasing one neurotransmitter too much leads to its receptors becoming de-sensitized, and eventually even a loss in those receptors – this is how addiction and withdrawal forms.

Increasing dopamine – Results in increased drive and motivation, increased pleasure gotten out of most activities, and improves mood and confidence. You’ll remember this feeling as the first cup of coffee of the day, having sex, eating delicious food, or engaging in any rewarding activity

Beautiful, beautiful dopamine. My favorite neurotransmitter. This is responsible for the buzz or high coming from caffeine, cocaine, adderall and other ADHD meds, as well as the more subtle “high” to be achieved from completing rewarding tasks. Go hike a mountain, and when you reach the summit, drink deep from the springs of dopamine.

There are two methods you want to utilize to enhance dopamine, the first of which is making use of long term supplements and strategies to resensitize and increase dopamine receptors. This will have the net effect of causing you to be more motivated, energetic, confident and focused, as well as receiving more pleasure out of most actives, without having to take any substance. It will also enhance the effects of short-term dopaminergics, making them more effective.

You can simply have a few cups of gynostemma tea, an adaptogenic herb from China, to resensitize your dopamine neurons. Inositol works as well, but I find it easier to simply drink a few cups of tea. On top of this, cut back on activities that deplete dopamine – things like constantly texting, checking Facebook and other social media, drinking too much alcohol or coffee, or any other semi-addictive behavior.

Both intense physical exercise as well as fasting are perhaps the strongest methods to re-sensitize the brain to dopamine, and act as a “reboot” for the brain in general. If you aren’t getting regular exercise we need to sit down and have a serious talk, and I strongly advise fasting at least a full day once a month.

Remember, these are long term strategies, and while you may notice benefits within a week or two, it’s ideally something you’d continue to do throughout life.

You can also use occasional supplements to increase the body’s production of dopamine, in much the same way you can use coffee as a morning or mid-afternoon pick me up. L-Tyrosine has been my go-to dopaminergic substance, as it is easily converted into dopamine within the body.

You can also use DL-Phenylalanine, as some of the Phenylalanine will be converted into L-Tyrosine and thus dopamine, and some of it will be converted into PEA, a feel-good neurotransmitter that some have dubbed the “love chemical”. You can also get hefty doses of PEA and the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide (ananda = bliss in Sanskrit), from cacao, either in powder form or in a very dark chocolate bar. Both are very potent mood-boosting compounds.

Further, dopamine can be converted into epinephrine and norepinephrine, two more neurotransmitters that increase energy and alertness.

Have a serious coffee addiction? Try cutting the amount of coffee you consume in half, and use a bit of L-Tyrosine or Phenylalanine for a synergistic energy boost. Both work well any time you need a pick-me-up or need the extra focus and attention. Use anywhere from 100 to 1000 mg, at once or split evenly in 3 doses throughout the day. Take note that those on prescription MAOIs, those with hypertension or those with Phenylketonuria should not take tyrosine or phenylalanine.

GABA – An increase in GABA results in feeling relaxed and at ease. Prescription anti-anxiety meds act on GABA receptors in the brain. That relaxing feeling you get after drinking a nice glass of wine is due to alcohol releasing GABA within the brain.

GABA, which stands for gamma-aminobutyric acid, is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter within the brain. GABA produces a nice relaxed feeling, and is involved in decreasing stress and calming the brain enough to fall asleep.

Increasing GABA is especially useful for those who are stressed or suffer from anxiety. Instead of taking pharmaceutical drugs, why not just try to increase the body’s own production of GABA?

According to this study, performing one hour of yoga resulted in an average of 27% increase in GABA levels, which is huge.

One of the best ways to relieve anxiety is by using ashwagandha, one of my favorite Ayurvedic herbs. It’s been found to a be a potent GABA-mimetic, mimicking the effects of GABA without actually changing brain levels of the neurotransmitter. Perhaps even more beneficial is it’s rejuvenating effect on the brain –

Ashwagandha, its constituents and the metabolites of its constituents promote the growth of nerves after taking it for 7 days… It has anxiolytic effect [relieves anxiety] and improves energy levels and mitochondrial health.

Ashwagandha also has a unique ability to lower the stress hormone cortisol. A 2008 double blind, placebo controlled study showed that, “Over a 60-day period, doses ranging from 125 mg to 500 mg daily of a patented ashwagandha extract (Sensoril®) significantly improved scores on a standardized measurement of stress intensity, and also favorably modulated several biomarkers… Moreover, at the end of the study period subjects that received 500 mg of ashwagandha daily had cortisol levels nearly 30% lower than subjects who took a placebo, and their DHEA-s levels were significantly higher as well.”

I recommend this ashwagandha product, which contains 250 mg of the patented ashwagandha extract Sensoril used in the study above. It’s 10 bucks, you have no excuse.

Another excellent choice for reducing anxiety and inducing a sense of calm is L-Theanine, a rare amino-acid like compound found only in green tea.

The most cliched picture of green tea I could find. — The most cliche picture of green tea I could find

Straight from the LEF website, L-Theanine, “has traditionally been used to enhance relaxation and improve concentration and learning ability (Vuong 2011; Wakabayashi 2011; Nathan 2006).

L-theanine is chemically related to the neurotransmitter glutamate, and binds to glutamate receptors in the brain (Cho 2008). Unlike glutamate, however, which can cause a state called excitotoxicity that can destroy nerve cells, L-theanine protects brain cells against excitotoxicity, calming the nerve networks in the brain (Kakuda 2002; Nagasawa 2004; Di 2010).

L-theanine reduces evidence of anxiety and depression in several different animal models of stress (Yin 2011; Heese 2009). In one animal model, L-theanine led to decreases in nearly all frequencies of brainwave activity, indicating a state of calmness and relaxation (Dimpfel 2007).

In one study, healthy subjects took a soft drink containing green tea enriched with L-theanine while their brainwave power was measured (Dimpfel 2007). Power was initially reduced in all frequencies and areas during the first hour, indicating relaxation. Later changes indicated both an increase in mental performance and a higher degree of relaxation. In this case, L-theanine seemed to produce desirable increases in attention, accompanied by durable relaxation—that means subjects could concentrate better without being distracted by anxiety.

A third trial concluded that L-theanine plays a general role in sustaining attention during a long-term difficult task (Gomez-Ramirez 2009).”

L-Theanine has such wide-ranging and strong effects because it increases brain levels of GABA, Dopamine and Serotonin, as well as having affinities for a few other receptors involved in attention and cognition.

As I commented on in my post about A Few Effective Biohacks, combining L-Theanine with caffeine is a powerful brain boosting combo – all the benefits of increased attention, mood and energy from the caffeine, as well as the neuroprotective and zen-like focus from L-Theanine. Some people recommend a dosage of 2:1 L-theanine to caffeine ratio, but I get better effects from a 1:1 ratio. You can play around with the doses and see what works best for you.

You can supplement with straight L-Theanine, or you can consume matcha green tea, which has high levels of L-Theanine, more caffeine than regular green tea, as well substantially more EGCG, the potent anti-cancer, fat-burning antioxidant.

Serotonin – Serotonin is responsible for feelings of relaxation, as well helping to curb hunger, improve mood and help with sleeping patterns. You know that warm, happy, comfortable feeling you get after eating a large bowl of ice cream or anything sugary? That’s serotonin.

I’m personally not a big fan of trying to increase serotonin. While I like dopamine’s mood- and energy-boosting effects, and GABA is useful for focus or relaxing, serotonin makes me feel dopey and lazy. Everyone’s different however, and many people do benefit from a little boost in serotonin, so I don’t want to leave it out.

Serotonin is the neurotransmitter targeted by most anti-depressants, but considering up to 50% of people don’t respond to these anti-depressants, I wouldn’t be quick to claim serotonin is the “happiness” neurotransmitter. That said, if you’re on anti-depressants or taking any MAOIs, don’t try to supplement with any extra serotonin, and nobody should take huge doses of serotonin supplements (or any other supplements) as it can lead to serotonin syndrome.

The reason sugar leads to a serotonin buzz is because the insulin released from consuming sugar sweeps most other amino acids out of the blood stream, but leaves behind tryptophan. Tryptophan then makes its way to the brain unimpeded by other amino acids, where it is first converted in 5-HTP, and then into 5-HT, or serotonin.

While you can supplement with 5-HTP, I suggest you don’t as there is concern about it affecting the heart, and instead simply eat more carbs or supplement with tryptophan.

Acetylcholine – While being a very important neurotransmitter, acetylcholine doesn’t have much of a “feeling” or affect your mood. It is extremely important for memory and learning, however, and may be involved in creativity.

This is the neurotransmitter you want to focus on if you have a lot of studying to do, if you’re trying to learn something quick, or if you just have bad memory. Many people who use nootropics, or cognitive enhancers, have at least one supplement that tries to increase levels of acetylcholine within the brain.

To increase acetylcholine, you can simply consume more choline – the best food sources are liver (just eat it), eggs, grass-fed milk and cheese products, peanuts and cruciferous veggies. You can also supplement with choline – Alpha GPC is a highly bioavailable source of choline, or you can use Acetyl-l-carnitine (ALCAR), which can increase levels of acetylcholine by donating its acetyl group. ALCAR has a whole host of other benefits as well, including being a potent neural antioxidant, helping the mitochondria to burn fat for energy, and is a strong cognitive enhancer in its own right.

In conclusion, many people are unaware that you can tweak your biochemistry to get an edge in life, or just to help you unwind or handle stressful events calmly. This knowledge can make a huge difference in your life and your ability to get things done.

Adaptogens, Pt. 2

In case you missed it, here’s Pt. 1, which covered Panax Ginseng, Ashwagandha and Tulsi. This post on Jing also talks about the adaptogenic properties of Cordyceps, Rehmannia and Deer antler extract, and I wrote a whole post on one of the best yet least known adaptogens Shilajit as well.

As a brief rehash, an adaptogen is any substance that delays fatigue, helping you adapt to the stressors of every day life. This is different than say, caffeine, which puts your body into overdrive followed by a crash, and is actually draining on the body. Adaptogens almost always boost the immune system, increase libido and fertility, and are homeostatic, meaning they bring the body back into balance.

Adaptogens make the difference between coming home at the end of the day feeling exhausted and vegging in front of Netflix, and coming home at the end of the day and still having the energy to work out, go out or do whatever it is you actually want to be doing.

Rhodiola Rosea – Great for energy and depression

Rhodiola is a root that comes from the arctic and higher altitude regions. It was one of the Soviet Union’s secret weapons, being doled out to athletes in the olympics as well as cosmonauts in the great Space Race. It is probably the best anti-fatigue substance I’ve come across, and the science seems to agree. A good rhodiola extract results in insane workouts and longer runs, even more so if combined with cordyceps.

This meta-analysis, or a study of multiple studies, showed that rhodiola was associated with improvements in cognitive fatigue, reductions in processing errors, enhanced attention span, enhanced reaction time and improved general well-being.

Rhodiola is neuroprotective, anti-depressive, and improves time to exhaustion in cycling tests.

I highly recommend anyone dealing with fatigue or looking for a boost try out some quality Rhodiola. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for with Rhodiola – I’ve had some extracts that did almost nothing, while others turned me into the energizer bunny. Gaia herbs always makes good extracts, and their Rhodiola is quality, as is Jarrow’s Rhodiola extract. Rhodiola Recharge is another great product, containing a fair amount of standardized Rhodiola extract, as well as other adaptogens like Ashwagandha, and even some L-Tyrosine to help power you through the day.

Chyawanprash – Great as a general tonic, digestive aid and longevity promoter

A staple in Ayurveda, Chyawanprash is a jam made out of anywhere from 20-80 different adaptogenic/medicinal substances, and it tastes way better than it sounds.

As the legend goes in the ancient texts of India, two physicians to the Devas, or gods, specially prepared a jam for the elderly sage Chyawan who was growing weak with age as a means to rejuvenate him. The earliest written recipe for Chyawanprash is found in the Charaka Samhita, one of the first texts on the science of Ayurveda, dating back to 900 BCE.

The main ingredient in Chyawanprash is the Amla berry, which is extremely high in vitamin C and is believed to prolong life, enhance memory and generally tone the body. Other ingredients include ashwagandha (boosts memory, enhances fertility and relieves stress), arjuna (one of the single best tonic herbs for the heart), bacopa (a well known medhya-rasayana, or mind tonic, improving memory and protecting neurons) ginger (anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, improves digestion), black pepper (enhances the absorption of other herbs), honey, shatavari (an excellent herb for women), ghee (clarified butter, which is said to be extremely Sattvic, promoting peace and happiness), tribulus (great for fertility and hormonal balance), and sometimes saffron (decreases appetite and wards off depression). The benefits of consuming such a wide variety of medicinal and tonic herbs over a long period of time, even in such small amounts, are innumerable.

Chyawanprash is widely used throughout India – most people typically consume a tablespoon twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening – it’s almost their equivalent of a multivitamin. Many children have toast with Chyawanprash for breakfast, or dissolved in some warm milk. The Himalayan Institute has a good variety of Chyawanprash, as do Dabur and Organic India.

Astragalus – Great for Energy, Immunity and Anti-Aging

Astragalus is the immune boosting herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It’s also one of the most common Qi, or energy, boosting herbs within TCM, as it is inexpensive, effective and mild enough to be used by everyone – it’s a favorite amongst martial artists, athletes, Qi Gong practitioners as well as everyday folk as a means to keep energy levels up and illness at bay.

While many adaptogens have immune boosting or regulating effects, Astragalus is a step above most. Astragalus is also the source of a compound called cycloastragenol, which has been found to increase the length of telomeres. Telomeres are essentially end-caps on sequences of DNA – each time our cells replicate, our telomeres shorten, and they can also be shortened by stress, toxins and oxidative stress. When the telomeres get too short, the cell can no longer divide, and thus has reached its last limb. Those with longer telomeres get sick less often, are more robust and generally live longer than those with shortened telomeres, and thus Astragalus and cycloastragenol are at the forefront of some current anti-aging strategies.

Because Astragalus is so common and easy to grow, it’s one of the cheaper adaptogens. Try Gaia’s extract or Jing Herb’s extract, which is concentrated to be 10 times stronger than just the plain herb.

In summary, it’s safe to say that I will continue to use adaptogens on a daily basis. They help me get through long work hours with energy to spare for friends and workouts – try some out and see what they can do for you.

Interested in other ways to increase your energy, decrease your stress, and lose some weight? Contact me.

Shilajit – The Most Powerful Substance You’ve Never Heard Of

(photo cred : Super Man Herbs)

Looks delicious right? That right there is shilajit, a mineral pitch that oozes out of rocks in the Himalayas in the heat of summer. What actually is it? It’s thought to be an ancient ecosystem, a once-pristine forest that has been highly compressed and thoroughly decomposed during the formation of the Himalayan mountains.

Shilajit is one of the coolest substances in my eyes. As the story goes, thousands of years back in India, people noticed that monkeys would climb up to the rocks of the Himalayas in the summer time to consume a black, sticky tar that oozed out between the cracks. After consuming this gooey substance, the monkeys would be filled with energy, bouncing around like maniacs and making sweet, sweet monkey love.

Naturally, as is so apt to happen back in those days, the humans who saw this immediately became curious and decided to collect some and consume it themselves. Indeed, they too noticed an increase in energy, longer lifespans and the ever-sought after increase in libido. They named this strange new substance shilajit, literally “rock-invincible”, translated as “Conqueror of Mountains and Destroyer of Weakness”.

Within Ayurveda, India’s traditional system of health and medicine, shilajit is one of the most powerful known rasayanas, a substance which increases strength and is highly rejuvenating. It is said that there is no disease which shilajit cannot cure, and that it possesses a rare property known as yogavahi, meaning it helps make any other substance taken with it multitudes more effective.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s all just old wives’ tales,” I hear you thinking. Let’s delve into some facts about shilajit…

Let’s start with it’s claims of being a rasayana. According to Segen’s Medical Dictionary, a rasayana is “Any of a number of health-promoting regimens that a person uses regularly to maintain health and harmony, activate tissue repair and arrest or reverse the effects of aging.” Does shilajit fit the bill?

According to this study, “Shilajit is an important, known component of the ayurvedic medicine given its characteristics as a rasayana. In this context, health benefits such as an increase in longevity, rejuvenating, and arresting aging roles have been attributed to it.”

“The Sherpas [people who carry luggage for Westerners up Mt. Everest] claim to have shilajit as part of their diet; they constitute a population of strong men with very high levels of a healthy longevity. Our laboratory has found evidence on the high activity of the Andean form of shilajit in improving cognitive disorders and as a stimulant of cognitive activity in humans.”

So far so good. Shilajit has been found to be roughly 60% humic substances, a main component of which is fulvic acid. Humic substances are by-products of microorganisms’ decomposition of plant material and have profound health benefits. Unfortunately, ever since we humans switched from eating wild plants fresh from nature to growing our own crops, and especially with the widespread use of poor agricultural practices and over-sanitization of foodstuffs, modern humans are getting very little to no humic and fulvic acids.

Why are humic and fulvic acids so critical to health? Because “fulvic acid derived from humate usually contains 60 or more minerals and trace elements that are nutritionally essential for cell health and balance (including cell growth and replication)” They also help “transport minerals to living cells, catalyzing vitamins within cells, and metabolizing proteins, RNA, and DNA”. Fulvic acid also acts as a powerful organic electrolyte, antioxidant, and is a natural chelator, binding to and removing toxins from the body.

As this study states, “It is likely that the curative properties attributable to shilajit are provided by the significant levels of fulvic acids that shilajit contains, considering that fulvic acid is known by its strong antioxidant actions and likely has systemic effects.” Further, “considering the actions of fulvic acid in preventing tau self-aggregation into pathological filaments, this compound appears to be of interest for prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.”

I think it’s safe to say shilajit definitely fits the bill of a rasayana.

Because of fulvic acid’s ability to increase the bioavailability of nutrients consumed with it, it makes perfect sense that it would possess the quality of yogavahi, the quality attributed to shilajit that increases the potency of medicines consumed with it. Amazingly the ancient yogis and Ayurvedic practitioners recognized this ability long before fulvic acids were discovered.

How does shilajit hold up as an “energizer”? Turns out that one of the substances within shilajit, dibenzo-a-pyrones (DBP) boosts energy production at the cellular level. Fulvic acids whisk away DBP right into your mitochondria, those hard working little power plants in your cells, increasing the availability of electrons to be used for energy. Further, fulvic acids themselves speed and facilitate the flow of electrons into your mitochondria. The result? More ATP, the “currency of life” your mitochondria use to fuel your every action. (sources)

BONUS BIO-HACK – The combination of Shilajit with CoQ-10 resulted in a 144% ATP production with the muscle cells of mice, and a full 56% increase in ATP (energy) within the brain.. Yowza. A two month supply of highly absorbable CoQ-10 + Shilajit is available from Amazon.

And libido? Researchers at the J. B. Roy State Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital in India gave shilajit to infertile men. After 3 months at 200 mg a day, total sperm count increased by a whopping 61.4% and testosterone rose 23.5%. While this was with infertile men and not healthy specimens, I’d say it was a pretty effective treatment.

Shilajit is rich in a variety of other healing compounds, including “eldagic acid, some fatty acids, resins, latex, gums, albumins, triterpenes, sterols, aromatic carboxylic acids, 3,4-benzocoumarins, amino acids, polyphenols, and phenolic lipids”. To the layman, a cocktail of healing and energy-promoting substances. It’s also chockfull of trace minerals, all in ionic form and bound to fulvic acids, which means they’ll actually be absorbed, unlike some common mineral supplements.

Finally, shilajit has been found to have/be a, “antiulcerogenic properties; antioxidant properties; cognitive and memory enhancer; antidiabetic properties; anxiolytic [stress reducing]; antiallergic properties and immunomodulator; anti-inflammatory; analgesic [pain relieving]; antifungal properties; ability to interact positively with other drugs; protective properties in high altitudes; neuroprotective agent against cognitive disorders”.

How’s that sound to you? Pretty extensive list of benefits going on there, and all from one ancient and natural substance.

As with so many other things in life, you get what you pay for. Good deals can be found, but there are a ton of poor quality and even fake shilajits out there. The highest quality I’ve found so far is Lotus Blooming Herbs’ Shilajit – it’s $60 for just ten grams, but you only need a pea sized amount dissolved in water 1-3 times a day. Super Man Herbs carries a very nice shilajit as well, in both powder and pill forms, and I’ve also used Dragon Herbs’ Shilajit, which is reasonably priced and comes in pill form.

The Highway to Health

Lemme be honest with you – if you want to be on the fast track to being healthy and feel absolutely fantastic, you need to improve your intestinal health. This should be your first priority, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Your intestinal health affects everything from your mood, your energy levels, cognitive function, and weight, all the way to your outer appearance, as the skin and gut are intimately connected.

How can all this happen just from the gut? Mainly due to inflammation. Controlling inflammation is the key that unlocks a more vibrant life, and the way to control inflammation is largely through improving intestinal health. Everything you consume affects your body’s level of inflammation, either positively or negatively. Think about it – all the stuff you cram down your gullet comes into contact with you via your intestines – all the irritants in food, all the artificial dyes and colorings, all the pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, everything is in direct contact with the largest organ in your immune system, your intestines. It makes sense that if you’re eating crap, you’re going to feel like crap as well.

Further, the digestive system is your “second brain”. Called the enteric nervous system, this second brain not only has 100 million neurons, as many as your spinal cord, but also produces a bevy of neurotransmitters which have a huge effect on how you feel.

You want to have more energy, a better mood, less brain fog, lose weight and have better skin don’t you? Thought so.

Your Gut – What Went Wrong

In a perfect world, your gut would be in tip top shape – it would digest the food you put into it, absorb the nutrients and speedily discard the waste products. Sounds easy right?

It should be, but we’ve messed things up in the modern world. Rampant use of antibiotics have completely destroyed our beneficial intestinal flora, leading to overgrowth of bad bacteria like candida or contributing to SIBO, small intestine bacterial overgrowth. A lack of fiber further gunks things up, as fiber is the food for beneficial bacteria in the gut, and helps to sweep debris out of the intestines.

Intestinal hyper-permeability, or “leaky gut syndrome“, is another way intestinal health can go way wrong, as certain irritants, be it undigested food sitting in the intestines, candida or constant exposure to gluten, can actually cause the intestines to become more permeable than they should be. This allows microbes, undigested food particles and toxins to escape the digestive tract and enter the blood stream, where they further cause damage and feelings of malaise.

Lack of fiber, water and magnesium can cause constipation, something affecting some 63 million Americans. Artificial dyes, chemical pesticides, aluminum and plastics leached from cans and bottles.. All these things irritate the gut and affect your energy levels and moods.

The list goes on – Crohn’s disease, Celiac’s disease, lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, parasites… A lot can go wrong. The good news is, it’s easy to fix. Read on.

Healing Your Gut, Step 1 – Fasting

It doesn’t matter who you are or what your current health status is, everyone can benefit from periodic fasting. While intermittent fasting has it’s benefits, prolonged fasts are the type recommended for improving intestinal health.

Think about this – when was the last time you gave your digestive system a rest? Here you are, shoveling food into your face all day, every day, and demanding that your digestive system break all that food down, absorb the good stuff and eliminate the bad stuff before you start eating more food. Can’t a homie catch a break?

All joking aside, a 3-7 day juice fast is the most therapeutic technique I know of for boosting health. 24-36 hours after you cease consuming food, the body begins the process of autophagy, where it starts to clean out cellular junk, detoxify, and even destroy old, worn-down cells and replace them with shiny new ones. The intestines get a chance to purge built up waste products (lovely), and get some much needed rest. All the organs and glands in the body get revitalized and re-calibrated. After the initial discomfort of not eating, the body’s energy levels skyrocket as it is no longer expending massive amounts of energy breaking down, absorbing and excreting foodstuffs, and turns to stored body fat as energy.

Fasting is powerful stuff, and after my first couple of 3 day juice fasts, the rosacea on my face and the persistent rash on my chest cleared right up. Spring is the best time for a prolonged fast, as the weather is warm and it gives you a chance to clean out some of the junk stored up from winter, a time of year when most people eat heavier foods to stay warm. Spring is the time nature provides us with the most detoxifying foods as well – sprouts, grasses, dandelion and nettle greens are all very powerful and natural detoxifiers, and if you have access to them and a juicer, all the better.

Here’s how to succeed at your first fast – choose two days that you don’t have much to do, when you preferably aren’t working. On the first day, eat a larger breakfast and a larger lunch before noon. Then consume nothing but fresh juices, teas and water until noon the following day. This gives you a full 24 hours of fasting, and you’ll be sleeping through the worst part, when hunger and fatigue would be peaking. The following week, repeat the process above, but extend the fast until dinner time. The third time you fast, try to hold out a full 3 days – so if you start your fast at noon on Friday, you wouldn’t eat again until noon on Monday. Keep in mind that by halfway through the second day, any feelings of fatigue and aches should disappear and be replaced with mental clarity and energy, and you likely wont even be hungry. It’s important to break the fast with very light foods – fresh fruit, preferably soft ones like bananas and melons, and soft, steamed veggies are best.

If you’re like me and enjoy a cup of joe in the mornings, you can use Dandy Blend during a fast, a blend of roasted chicory, beet and other detoxifying herbs that tastes surprisingly good. Wheatgrass, beet, dandelion, celery and cucumber are excellent choices to juice while fasting, although you can get by using just a combination of apple and grape juices too. Make sure you’re not only consuming citrus juices, as they are too acidic to be the only juice on a fast.

I highly recommend using Healthforce’s Intestinal Drawing Formula during your first few fasts for a few reasons. First, it adds bulk to your stomach, helping to ease a bit of the hunger and encourage bowel movements. Second, it’s loaded with natural demulcents, or substances that gel up and help to heal and soothe the intestines. Finally, it has Zeolite clay, Activated Charcoal and Volcanic Bentonite clay – these natural substances bind to toxins and irritants and help draw them out of the body, very useful during your first few fasts as your body will be purging toxins left and right. I highly recommend using the pills, as the powder tastes like, well, clay.

After your first few fasts, the Intestinal Drawing Formula is optional, but it’s also a great thing to have on hand for anyone with a highly irritated digestive system, as the demulcents are quite soothing. You can always add in some Vitamineral Green for enhanced detoxification during a fast as well. Aim for 3-4 three day fasts per year, as a minimum.

Step 2 – Eliminating Irritants

Figuring out what your trigger foods are can take a bit of work, but it’s critical to find out if you have certain foods that irritate your digestive system. For many people it’s gluten. Next in line is unfermented soy products, and for millions of people it’s processed dairy. MSG and artificial sweeteners do a lot of damage as well.

The best way to suss out suspected food irritants is to do an elimination diet. For one whole month eliminate all gluten, processed soy and processed dairy from your diet. Not only are you likely to lose a few pounds, you’ll likely discover that you have more energy. After the month without the offenders, slowly add each one back into your diet and notice how it makes you feel. If you start getting brain fog, stomach aches or fatigue, you’ll know that it’s an irritant for you.

While I don’t have any food allergies or intestinal irritants per se, I do feel better the less gluten, unfermented soy and highly processed, non-organic milk products I use. If you’re following a whole foods, plant-based diet, these will naturally be minimized.

Step 3 – Smart Eating Strategies

Both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine say all disease originates from a faulty digestive system. In Ayurveda, an energy known as Agni rules over the digestive functions. Agni is a type of “fire” that breaks food down into it’s smallest components, which are then absorbed and utilized by the body, getting turned into Prana (energy), Tejas (radiance, relating to metabolism) and Ojas (strength or vitality, the equivalent of TCM’s Jing). However, if Agni is depleted or malfunctioning, it can’t fully digest food and results in an accumulation of Ama, or toxins, which leads to disease. This is an amazingly accurate description of how the digestive system actually works, and how many diseases arise in the first place.

Personification of Agni

Ayurveda stresses the importance of doing all you can to keep the flames of Agni fully stoked, or put in modern terms, to keep all your digestive juices and enzymes fully stocked, and there are many ways to do so.

First and foremost, don’t over eat! This is the quickest way to accumulating Ama in Ayurveda and the quickest way to deplete Jing and shorten your lifespan in TCM. Following the Japanese idiom “Hari hachi bu”, or eating until 80% full, goes a long way here.

Preventing overeating can be difficult at first, but is easily corrected with a little practice. Focus on sloooowwiiiingg doowwnnnnn when you eat. There’s roughly a ten minute time delay between your stomach becoming full and your brain realizing that fact. Take a bite, set down your fork, chew thoroughly, and take a second to really taste the food. Many people recommend chewing each bite anywhere from 30 to 100 times – frankly I find this to be a bitch, but I do recommend chewing each bite of just one meal 30 times, not only to prove to yourself that you’ll feel full before the meal is done, but also to show how much more energy you’ll have when your food is properly chewed and ready for digestion.

Many yoga postures, through all the bending and twisting, improve the secretion of digestive juices and enzymes. A favorite method of mine to improve Agni is using digestive bitters. Using digestive bitters was a common practice throughout Europe, and many countries around the world still make it a habit to consume a very bitter/pungent substance prior to meals – think green chutney as a condiment with Indian food. Very bitter foods increase the amount of bile released, helping to digest fatty, heavier foods.

Salt is a simple and effective way to increase digestive powers. Salt is mainly comprised of sodium chloride – the chloride in salt helps to increase the hydrochloric acid of the stomach, the main acid involved in the dissolving of foods. Lightly salting your meals with a natural salt such as Himalayan salt or Celtic sea salt can go a long way.

Spicy, pungent foods also improves digestion – ginger, black pepper, red pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves and many other spicy herbs increase the flow of digestive enzymes and gastric juices, as well as increasing peristalsis, the rhythmic movements of the intestines that expel waste. They also improve circulation, enhance detoxification and many boost the metabolism, so add some spices to your life.

Making lunch your biggest meal of the day is a great way to improve digestion as well. Your metabolism is naturally highest around 12-2 pm, making lunch a great time to digest your bigger, heavier meals. Breakfast should be just enough food to last you to lunch, while dinner should preferably be the lightest meal of the day, maybe just soup or a salad. It’s also important to have a light dinner before 7 so that your stomach is empty come bed time – if it isn’t, your liver won’t get the time it needs to detox as it’s busy processing food, and the insulin released from dinner will impair many a metabolism regulating hormone. To top it all off, your digestive powers are greatly weakened as you sleep.

Both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine recommend not consuming cold foods, and not consuming too much liquid around meals. Cold foods are said to “shock” the digestive system – while I can’t find any hard facts on this topic, I have felt that I digest warm foods better. Avoiding liquids near meals makes perfect sense, however. Lets say you were trying to melt some object with a bunch of acid – would it melt better if you added just acid, or if you diluted the acid with water? Liquids dilute the digestive juices and enzymes that help to break down the food you eat, so try to limit liquids around meal times. However, a shot of espresso, glass of red wine or some kombucha all help to actually improve digestion, just don’t over do it.

Make sure to consume plenty of fiber as well. Not only is fiber the food for probiotics, but it helps to sweep out undigested bits of food from the digestive tract. Keep that colon clean!

Finally, if you’re consuming a very large meal, say at Thanksgiving, or consuming something you know you’ll have a hard time digesting, make use of digestive enzymes. These make a HUGE difference in how easily and quickly you digest and absorb food.

Step 4 – Pre- and Probiotics

I already touched on the importance of probiotics here – long story short, they improve digestion and assimilation, improve mood and decrease stress, improve immunity, and even create new nutrients for you, some that help you to even lose weight. No discussion of digestive health is complete without paying due to our little friends in our gut. I suggest this brand here for daily maintenance, as well as consuming a wide variety of fermented foods in order to get a variety of probiotics, foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, miso, natto and fresh pickled veggies. It’s important to also provide prebiotics, the food for probiotics, in the form of fiber, or through supplementation.

You are a reflection of your digestive health. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel after a few fasts, upping your fiber intake, using bitter and spicy herbs to improve digestion and after regular use of probiotics. Watch as your mood improves, your skin clears up and your energy levels skyrocket. And remember, this is an ongoing process! Don’t think just because you fasted once you don’t have to ever again, or that you don’t need any probiotics after your first bottle. Trust me when I say improving digestive health is key to feeling amazing, and it will be easy to keep at it.

Consuming Zombifying Fungi, Deer Antlers and Sheep Placenta – The Quest for Everlasting Youth

Over the past five years I’ve done many an odd thing to explore the realm of boosting health and achieving peak performance – I’ve eaten plenty of organ meats, with sweetbreads being my favorite (sweetbreads are a euphemism for the thymus and pancreas of calves and lambs); experimented with multiple nootropics, or substances that boost mental performance, some that even grow your brain; changed my diet every which way imaginable, with accompanying changes in workout routines; and spent more time than I’d like to admit on various scientific journals reading up on studies that might provide me with the next big biohack that would improve my life.

But hands down, the strangest things I’ve done in the quest to improve my health and perform at higher levels always seem to revolve around increasing the quality and quantity of my Jing – having consumed things such as the tips of deer antler, deer and sheep placenta, geckos, sea horses and sea dragons, as well as spending $70 on the most foul tasting of the bunch, a liquid extract of male silk moths. Yes, it tastes exactly like what you would imagine liquid bugs would taste like.

Want some?

Why all this fuss about Jing? According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jing is your “Regenerative Essence”, the equivalent to the fountain of youth – the more you have, the more youthful you’ll remain, the more energy you’ll have, the less likely to get sick you’ll be, and ultimately, the longer you’ll live. When the body runs out of Jing, you die, plain and simple.

Jing is one of what’s known as the Three Treasures, the other two being Qi and Shen. Jing is the basis for Qi, and Qi for Shen, so by improving Jing, you can improve all three. This makes Jing of prime importance, for if you focus on building your Jing, your Qi and Shen will increase as well.

Traditional Chinese Medicine dictates that Jing is particularly related to the bone marrow, the reproductive system, the brain and nervous system and especially the kidneys, which, in TCM, include the adrenal glands. Jing is associated with longevity, youthfulness, regeneration, as well as your mental prowess, courage and will power. In modern terms, Jing can be associated with your stores of hormones, the integrity of your DNA as well as your genetic potential in general. Therefore, consuming herbs or supplements or doing certain practices that build your Jing increase your vitality and resilience, boost mental power, enhance your fertility, improve your youthful appearance and ultimately increase how long you’ll live. In other words, it’s important. And yes, the things you consume and experience do actually change your genetic expression, something I will write a post or two about in the future.

As a little aside here – whether you speak of “Jing” as some ancient, almost romantic concept coming from China, or speak of it’s equivalent in modern day language, you’re still talking about the same thing. The youth-preserving processes within the body and the same nourishing properties of food and herbs are all pointing at the same thing, whether you call it Jing, hormonal balance or regenerative essence.

Someone who has a lot of Jing stored up is brimming with vitality, is in high spirits, never seems to fatigue, has that youthful appearance and demeanor and may even have that special extra “something” about them, that je ne sais quoi. On the other hand, someone with depleted Jing is constantly tired, can’t handle even minor stressors, may have thinning, frail hair and nails, saggy or wrinkling skin, bags under their eyes, and is often a big ol’ grump.

Two metaphors for people with lots of Jing are healthy teenagers and healthy pregnant women. A healthy teenager is able to wake up early, go to school, go to gym class during school hours, then practice their sport after school hours, finish their homework (just kidding), stay up late at night and wake up the next day with almost no ill effects – and they may not even be using the crutch of coffee yet at this age. This is because they’re brimming with hormones, which are under the domain of Jing, and they haven’t yet had much of a chance to deplete their Jing as they are still relatively young. Pregnant women are also brimming with hormones; because they’re with child, they’re also using a lot of Jing to build and nurture that baby. Unfortunately, if not paid attention to, this may leave some women feeling drained due to a loss of Jing, especially after the second or third child.

My favorite example of someone who is depleting their Jing too quickly is the Marathon runner who isn’t recovering properly in between runs. And true enough, long-distance running depletes youthful hormones such as Human Growth Hormone and DHEA, and results in a long-term increase in cortisol, a catabolic stress hormone.

Sprinter on the left, marathoner on the right. While both have relatively low body fat, the sprinter clearly has more muscle to her. Guess which is approaching Jing depletion…

I love it when modern science backs up ancient wisdom, and this is exactly what’s happening in today’s world with the concept of Jing. Many of the substances used to supplement Jing from TCM have been found to have profoundly rejuvenating effects on the body; many are adaptogens which improve hormone levels, and almost all of them benefit the adrenal glands, the storehouses of sex hormones and “youth” hormones, lending credence to the Kidneys (which include the adrenals in TCM) being the seat of Jing.

For example, Rehmannia is one of the primary Jing tonics in TCM. Rehmannia is rich in a compound called catalpol, which “has been shown to have anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-apoptosis and other neuroprotective properties and plays a role in neuroprotection”. Rehmannia benefits learning, protects the kidneys, enhances longevity by increasing superoxide dismutase, the body’s “master antioxidant”, and boosts the immune system.

Deer antler extract is said to be perhaps the most nourishing substance to Jing, along with Placenta. While many are hearing about deer antler from NFL scandals or as a “natural” source of steroid hormones, it’s best to keep in mind that any ingested hormones are swiftly broken down by digestive enzymes, and thus not absorbed. Ancient Taoist hermits marveled at how each year, a young buck’s antlers would grow up to 2 cm daily. If cut or damaged, the antlers simply regrew, something common in lizards or starfish but extremely rare in higher order animals. This made the Taoists believe that the deer’s antler must be a potent source of Jing (read – regenerative essence), and modern science has backed this up – it’s rich in collagen, proteins, minerals, and especially rich in growth factors. Our bodies naturally produce high amounts of growth factors when we’re young, but this production starts to decline as we age. Deer antler is also rich in interleukins, which are powerful immune boosting cells.

Two Taoist Immortals

This study states “both in vitro [in a petri dish] and in vivo [in an actual animal or human] pharmacological studies have demonstrated that deer antler base possess immunomodulatory, anti-cancer, anti-fatigue, anti-osteoporosis, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-stress, anti-oxidant, hypoglycemic, hematopoietic modulatory activities and the therapeutic effect on mammary hyperplasia. Although the mechanism of actions is still not clear, the pharmacological activities could be mainly attributed to the major bioactive compounds amino acids, polypeptides and proteins. Based on animal studies and clinical trials, deer antler base causes no severe side effects.” (Brackets and bold are my addition) Interestingly, this is in reference to the base of deer antler, and not the tips, which are replete with much more biologically active compounds and which are the parts used in a high quality product.

Deer antler is highly praised in TCM and highly sought after. Nowadays, depending on which brand you buy, the antler tips are harvested using as humane methods as possible. The deer have local anesthesia applied, the very tips of the antlers, the most potent part, are surgically removed, and the deer are then bandaged and set free to continue grazing on their pastures. This antler trimming is even said to help prevent fights amongst males. I personally make sure the deer antler I’ve used comes from New Zealand, where there are strict standards set by the government for treating animals humanely. If you do use deer antler, make sure it’s coming from a company that uses New Zealand products and preferably one that specializes in selling Chinese herbs, as many deer antler products are absolute trash. This is a great product from Dragon Herbs.

Cordyceps is a fungus that infects certain insects, mainly caterpillars and ants. It causes them to climb to higher locations, at which point it sprouts out of the insect’s head and spreads its spores.

Cordyceps infected tarantula

Yeah, it’s basically a mushroom that turns insects into zombies. However, if consumed by humans, it turns them into superheroes – in the 1993 Nationals in Beijing, Chinese women amazed the world, breaking records left and right. One ran the 10,000 meters a full 42 seconds faster than any woman in the world had prior, with other women beating other records as well. Of course, steroid use was suspected, but when all the women tested negative for steroid use, the press asked the coach what could have possibly caused such a huge uptick in performance. The answer? In addition to intense, high-altitude training, the coach had his trainees consume a drink prepared with a “caterpillar fungus” as the main ingredient. This fungus was none other than cordyceps. Mind you, it is not possible for humans to be infected by cordyceps, and any cordyceps you buy is the fruiting body and not the spores, and thus is inert and unable to infect anything whatsoever, even if you were indeed a caterpillar.

Cordyceps has been found to be anti-depressive, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, kidney-protective, improves neuromuscular performance, protects the brain from hypoxia (lack of oxygen), and is also anti-inflammatory. It’s quite the amazing little fungus. I’ve noticed huge improvements in workout quality – I’m able to push harder for a longer period of time. It also helps prevent mental fatigue as well, great for long days at the office, which, to me, means long days sitting on my laptop in Starbucks. If only they’d come out with a cordyceps Frappucino..

There are plenty of other Jing enhancing substances, many of which I’ll be doing future posts on. A few of my favorites are Rehmannia, He Shou Wu, Deer Antler, Cordyceps, Goji Berries, Eucommia, Cistanche, Ashwagandha and Shilajit. There are also many blends available from a few good companies – I mainly stick to Dragon Herbs or Jing Herbs. For those interested, I’m currently using a 250 gram bag of Jing Herbs’ Restore the Jing, to which I’ve added 50 grams each of Jing Herbs’ Cistanche and He Shou Wu, and add some Deer Antler whenever I feel I need a little boost.

If you’re at all semi-interested in enhancing the quality of your life, increasing your longevity, increasing your mood and energy levels, improving your fertility and libido, preserving youthfulness, and generally being all around more badass, consider adding one or two Jing supplements to your regimen.

Adaptogens, Pt. 1

Let’s say you’ve got your diet nailed down, and your exercise routine is going along great, and you’ve even started taking a few supplements to fill in some gaps. You have more energy and hey, you’ve even lost a few pounds without trying, you sly dog you.

But then you hit that wall. It could be that 3 pm, post-lunch-take-a-nap wall, or the wall you hit when you get home from work that turns you into a zoned out zombie. It could be that wall you hit each time you try to go to the gym only to find you don’t have any energy.

The wall has been hit

You realize there’s something missing, something more you could be doing. And the truth is there is more, a lot more you could be doing – small tweaks you could be making that will make a big difference. One of which is making use of adaptogens.

No doubt about it, getting your diet honed in and specified to your goals, getting a healthy dose of exercise and improving your sleep habits are the foundation of any health promoting regimen, and the cornerstone of your success. But once that’s in place, how do you take it to the next level?

The Missing Link in Your Life

Today’s world is a high-stress world – we’re actually built to handle, even thrive, on small doses of stress, but chronic stress? Thats a killer. Good news is, nature has once again provided us with all we need, this time in the form of adaptogens.

An adaptogen is any substance that improves our ability to handle stress. Many of them lower or modulate levels of cortisol, our main stress hormone. Some adaptogens help us to actually rebuild our over-worked adrenal glands, helping to prevent or reverse adrenal fatigue. They provide us with sustained, jitter-free energy throughout the day, many improve libido, and they work in too diverse a way to sum up in this little paragraph.

Further, some help us to relax, much as a glass of wine does after work. Others can be more stimulating, great for the start of the day or before the gym, and yet others are neutral and balanced, while still being strongly anti-fatigue. I recommend picking either one neutral adaptogen to try out, or one that is stimulating and one that is relaxing, so you have one for day time use and one for the evenings.

Ginseng – This is the big boy on the block, the granddaddy of all adaptogens. Ginseng is the highest ranked herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for a reason, and that’s because it is so broad-spectrum in its actions, and because it’s the primary Qi tonic, it increases energy levels and stamina tremendously. Ginseng normalizes the activity of both the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems, meaning it brings you into balance between your “rest and digest” mode and your “fight or flight” mode. Ginseng also regulates your endocrine system, helping to keep your hormone levels in check.

Ginseng root looks like a human body

In addition to being strongly anti-fatigue, Ginseng is also

Neuroprotective
Cognitive Enhancing
Immuno-regulatory (increases immune response in those with low immune function, and decreases response in those with over-active immune systems)
Anti-diabetic
Anti-cancer
Pro-libido
Hormone-regulating

It should be noted that true Asian ginseng, called Panax Ginseng, is a different plant than either American Ginseng or Siberian Ginseng, although all three have similar effects. Panax Ginseng is generally more stimulating than the others, with Siberian Ginseng being neutral, neither stimulating nor relaxing, and American Ginseng being ever so slightly relaxing. Further, when it comes to buying ginseng, you get what you pay for. Higher quality roots will produce much better results, and will cost more, with some very mature and potent roots easily reaching close to a thousand dollars. I personally have used Dragon Herbs products with great results. Their House Ginseng and Ginseng Sublime are excellent choices.

Ashwagandha – This bad boy, sometimes referred to as Indian Ginseng, is a helluva plant. A mainstay in Ayurvedic medicine, the ancient healing system of India, Ahswagandha is my top pick in terms of relaxing adaptogens, and may well be my favorite adaptogen overall.

It has been proven to lower cortisol, our main stress hormone, in a dose dependent manner, making it a gift for today’s fast-paced, highly strung world. It excels at treating anxiety, as it actually works on the same receptors in the brain as pharmaceutical anxiety meds, without addiction or side effects. For this reason, it can be used in smaller doses throughout the day as a calming agent, and in larger doses in the evening to relax, much the way you would drink a glass of wine.

It provides a nice big boost to the libido, enhances fertility in both women and men, and boosts thyroid function, aiding in weight loss, as well as being anti-fatigue and immuno-regulatory.

But perhaps it’s greatest benefit is that it’s been shown to enhance the release of BDNF within in the brain. BDNF stands for Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, which protects brain cells from stress and toxins, repairs damaged brain cells and even promotes the growth of new brain cells! For this reason it deserves a place in anyone’s medicine chest, and especially for those who may be worried about cognitive decline. For this benefit to bear fruit Ashwagandha must be taken continuously over long periods of time.

Yeah, it makes you smarter, thinner and more fertile

Tulsi – Also called Holy Basil, this herb is known as the “Queen of Herbs” in Ayurveda (ashwagandha is sometimes referred to as the king). Tulsi is a highly revered medicinal plant that is found in almost every home in India, and for good reason. It’s said to be the most Sattvic of all herbs, meaning it promotes a sense of ease, peace and clarity and benefits spiritual practice.

This 2014 study sums Tulsi up quite nicely – “Tulsi has been found to protect organs and tissues against chemical stress from industrial pollutants and heavy metals, and physical stress from prolonged physical exertion, ischemia, physical restraint and exposure to cold and excessive noise. Tulsi has also been shown to counter metabolic stress through normalization of blood glucose, blood pressure and lipid levels, and psychological stress through positive effects on memory and cognitive function and through its anxiolytic and anti-depressant properties… Cultivation of tulsi plants has both spiritual and practical significance that connects the grower to the creative powers of nature, and organic cultivation offers solutions for food security, rural poverty, hunger, environmental degradation and climate change. The use of tulsi in daily rituals is a testament to Ayurvedic wisdom and provides an example of ancient knowledge offering solutions to modern problems.” Bolds and Italics my addition.

Tulsi is a calming herb, but not as relaxing as Ashwagandha. It promotes feelings of peace and well-being more than anything, and is a solid choice for evening or morning use. This product has been the most potent form of Tulsi I’ve yet to try, though it’s very common in tea form as well.

Which adaptogens have you tried, and which of these sound most interesting to you? Keep your eye open for more posts on adaptogens in the near future.