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Testimonies in Water Fasting

Water fasting, an ancient healing strategy, remains a classic go-to in changing the lives of clients and has greatly improved my own health and that of my family. However, it is not something that gets by with light treading nor a strategic plan. Intensive water fasting requires experienced hands and minds to guide you through safely to get the best results. In this article, we’ll review 3 water fasting experiences (those of two docs and my son) shared on CHTV to provide a deeper understanding of the ancient healing technique and its real-life implementation.

Why Fast?

Fasting accomplishes several things.  The first? It is the best—the very best—way to control glucose and insulin.  If you want to live longer than anyone healthy, control your glucose.  Without the constant spikes in glucose and insulin, your body is at leave to burn its own fuel, to run on its own juice.  In turn, testosterone levels remain sound.  Each time we eat, testosterone levels plummet, which spike glucose and insulin, all of which power inflammation and aging.  Yet, it’s ill-advised to push calories away. With fasts, eating habits change because your body no longer needs it. The second accomplishment: Autophagy. Autophagy (or “self-eating”) is the process by which the body naturally removes cellular debris.  Bad cells (which are not able to adapt to using fat for energy) die off because the body “eats” the bad cells and proteins first.  Autophagy has been the shock of shrinking tumors, of magically erased skin tags, dying viruses, and more. All these massive benefits can occur when autophagy kicks into high gear.  Researcher Dr. Valter Longo noted in a study1 that a water fast of 4 or more days can trigger a reset of the immune system. You see as we get older, our blood contains too many memory T-cells, each programmed to combat a particular microbe, and not enough naive T-cells, which respond to new challenges. Fasting purges and rebuilds the immune cell population with naive T-cells.

A third reckoning: epigenetics —turning the bad genes to good, powering on the good ones, and shutting off the bad ones. Whether by the force of one-day fasts or elongated fasts, genetics start to maneuver into their natural state, altered healthily and hugely affected by our dietary choices.  And, fourth: hormone sensitivity.  Like before, gear up your body to listen to those hormones by putting it through a fast, cleansing it, and making room for that physical change.

Even during a short fast, there’s a rapid increase in growth hormone, one reason behind my weekly fasts (at least once a week, for a full 24 hours), which we’ll explore later. A weekly mini-fast revolves around a simple idea: optimizing hormones is not about gaining more hormones, but about becoming more hormone-sensitive. Hormones like testosterone, or any that affect healing, are dramatically amped during a fast.

CHTV episode 108 shares the experience of Dr. Derrick Dempsey, whose 22-day water fast was the root solution for personal health issues. For Dr. Dempsey, growing up with a pastor father, the ideology behind fasting was when you fast, not if you fast. The biblical ties are a huge gauge for many of us, including myself.  The second “why” for fasting stems from his responsibility to the family—he’s no stranger to the truth that spousal support and family leading requires good health.

Dr. Dempsey takes us through his fast, a project which started out as a 5-day fast and evolved into 22 days of only consuming water.  Having experienced fasting with whey water and broth previously, he was prepared for the task, which brings us to the first concept in coaching—mental preparation.  By days two and three, despite the longing for meals, Dr. Dempsey powered through.  Then the switch, a sort of mindset altering, occurred between days 4 and 6, where he developed a slight aversion to food and his mental clarity was re-charged.  “You’re fine with water,” he told himself.  “Just keep going.” 

As the fasting progressed, Dr. Dempsey noticed some erratic changes in his mental capacity.  As a youth, bludgeoned down by four head traumas and never feeling fully recovered, he initially notes that his mental clarity skyrocketed.  Like many of us, he would have to read and reread things several times over to get the gist. With fasting, however, he found that wasn’t the case—his acuity soared. Such is the case with brain fog. Time and time again, a water fast has proven to scrape away symptoms of the “brain fog.”  It reactivates the brain and hones focus.

Another consideration is rapid weight loss.  When carefully executed, the fast can reduce large portions of weight, uprooting deep toxins stored in the tissue.  However, weight loss isn’t the primary goal for everyone—and for that, there’s good news! The innate intelligence knows and seeks balance: something we call homeostasis.  The body knows how to eat damaged tissue and bad DNA while routinely avoiding muscle.  This situation is marvelous for tumors—the body will eat those.  Endometriosis, a condition which is alive with scar tissue, is swallowed up in the innate feeding process of bad cells. In Dr. Dempsey’s case, chronic snoring and congestion ceased during the fast. 

Alongside that weight loss, however, is the audible weight gain.  With the rapid healing of the gut, the fast can be a strategic tool for gaining muscle.  With growth hormone and testosterone increasing, and the gut healing, the body can assimilate food better.  We note YouTube sensations the Hodge twins, whose 19-hour fast, powered by a 5-hour feeding period, is credited as the process for bodybuilding.   

Know Your Numbers

We must consider glucose and ketone measurements during fasting. As the fasting day progresses, glucose should be dropping, and ketones should be rising.  Keeping careful track during the fast, ketone numbers should stay between .5 mmol/L and 5.0 mmol/L to be in ketosis, with some reaching as high as 7.0 mmol/L.  As for glucose, according to keto researcher Prof. Thomas Seyfried, the “target zone” is when glucose numbers are in the 60s with ketones 3.0 mmol/L or more.  Hitting the target zone is telling towards the destruction of bad cells—if these numbers are showing up, the body is cleansing those bad cells in just fashion.

R & R

In prolonged instances of fasting, getting rest is the best situation for your body.  Although the fast may not void you of energy (in fact, you’ll be amazed at the energy you feel), without the protein stores of healing, exercise can be damaging.  Of course, daily life is exempt, and simple tasks are fine for most to accomplish. Remember, water fasting is a time for cellular healing; conserve energy, and let the body take care of itself. 

It’s all Mental

Back to the basics: mental preparation. Dr. D notes you need to gear up with support.  Many face emotional attachments to food—it’s common and can be difficult to overcome. As you begin fasting, be wary of support.  You may meet resistance, so rally up a coach or sidekick to keep you accountable, or is even willing to do it with you. As any athlete gains progress with the aid of a coach, so will you. Through proper coaching, you learn the tools to apply to help take back your health and life. These changes require allegiance: devotion, teachability, and determination. While alternative healthcare soars, we seek a different approach—removing interference (R1), stressors, and letting the body do the healing. 

Break the Fast Safely

Before you jump at the chance to throw a weeks’ worth of nutrition down your throat, remember that you’ve just been in extensive, quiet healing: the digestive tract is still in rest mode.  In Dr. Dempsey’s case, he scheduled his fast-breaking down to the minute, and ended it with some SueroGold whey water and chicken broth, and continued that track for 4 days, eventually adding spinach and eggs to the mix.  A gentle transition is key to getting the best results from the fast and avoiding undermining efforts.

Next, let’s discuss water fasting in relation to diabetes, insulin management, and ketosis.  For this, we brought on Dr. Don Clum, DC to CHTV who beat out Dr. Dempsey’s record with his 30-day water fast. Like Dr. Dempsey, Dr. Clum had not previously planned on the prolonged fast—what started as 3 days moved swiftly to 5, and then to 10, and so on.  Yet, this isn’t Dr. Clum’s first experience with fasting—he recounts instances with moles and lesions, non-biopsied but diagnosed skin cancers, which formed on his neck and back.  These diagnoses inspired action like juicing, fasting which helped the lesions and moles to fight their way off his body within six months. Dr. Clum admits to the struggles of powering through but vocalizes his energy, positivity, and strength that levied in return during his fasts. 

Before starting, Dr. Clum relays the need for context: the “why” in your fasting.  Any individual expecting success in this department must know why they are doing this, and where it places in your larger vision for health.  We explore pre-programs, and pseudo fasting and Dr. Clum administers a series of methods for breaking into that fasting period. 

Fasting to Control Blood Sugar

In an aim to debunking the myth that “diabetics can’t fast,” Dr. Clum concedes that it’s a possibility—if it’s done with the coaching aid of trained healthcare specialists, nutritionists, and doctors.  Dr. Clum’s primary goal has been to decipher a route of reversing the pathology of diabetes, uprooting the condition, challenging the national diabetes prevention program, a “gold standard” in the medical realm. 

In the case of diabetes, we take to insulin-resistance: the powering force of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and a myriad of other conditions.  Dr. Clum’s model concretes type two diabetes as a liver issue and scopes it through three potential lenses: an insulin lens, a blood sugar lens, and a hormonal lens.  Making sense of blood sugar levels, he debunks common misconceptions on how blood sugar works.  He plays on the role of the liver and glucagon, which, instead of pushing insulin into the cells, as many believe, only indicates that the liver is no longer releasing sugar.  Much of this connects back to the liver—the sole caretaker of cholesterol, glucose, insulin—and bringing the liver to change first.

Dr. Clum notes how simple daily tasks can so easily raise blood sugar, and why it’s so difficult to lower.  Carbs and insulin are profoundly linked to cooked foods, which means diabetes hasn’t been in our genetic code for long.  Because of it, our pancreases evolved to adapt to the shooting of insulin against the processed enemies.  By eating more raw foods, you might be giving your pancreas a load off. 

Fatty Liver Concerns

Recent studies have circulated and lead to a plaguing worry about an increase in nonalcoholic fatty livers.  Dr. Clum separates visceral fat from adipose and strikes back at how fasts that go low insulin or ketogenic burn off visceral fat foremost.  We aim to recognize that even the skinniest of people, who feel fasting isn’t for them because of a “lack” of muscle, is wrong to cross out fasting: a good water fast will go after the toxic visceral fat, minimizing those toxins, utilizing those tissues.  Your body is that capable. 

Eat Less Often

Dr. Clum points out some strategies he’s put into play, namely the strict implementation of three solid meals a day.  Drawing away from the “hormonal lens” of the old American Diabetics Association, which typically assigned patients’ to five or six meals per day, three meals a day—regardless of nutritious content—is a grappling key in altering our liver makeups.  As I always say, “Don’t eat less, eat less often.” Helping people differentiate the symptoms between food dependency and low blood sugar, by limiting the number of times they sit for a meal, has been eye-opening in the medical field.

Eating less to live longer is something we greatly value.  It’s not all caloric, either—eating until feeling full is no crime. When you reduce the number of times you sit down for food, and take away the crossovers and in-betweens and snack times, at the end of the day, you’ve eaten less.

Exercise and Fasting

We then tackle glycogen flexibility—or physical activity.  There are three moving phases that require change: what you eat when you eat, and how you move.  As skeletal muscle becomes endocrine tissue, it’s possible to up your mitochondria, to turn that into what Dr. Clum describes as your engine.  Doing this broadens the size and capability of your “engine”—most people bear small engines with small gas tanks, which leave their blood sugar to spill over through their blood and continue dangerously onward.

Moving into more physical activity, Dr. Clum points out the 4 “genres” of exercise which we can categorize: weightlifting, traditional cardio, intensity training, and stress relief cardio.  Much like dietary tracts and fasting methods, variation is key—many studies report that doing one specifically is less healing than doing two in various degrees.  In terms of fasting, it’s best to tread lightly—literally.  Most workouts require a dose of stress relief cardio, which is not something to mistake as your actual exercise, as Dr. Clum suggests. Yet, we can both agree that resistive training falls under a lesser valued category when it faces the diabetic world. 

Looking at the sympathetic versus the parasympathetic nervous systems, which Dr. Clum compares to the gas and the breaks, there’s an astounding mix-up between what people consider sympathetic dominance, but what is actually a parasympathetic weakness.  From a diabetic standpoint, this is prevalent. We focus vehemently on the growth hormone, and despite its success, what we really want more of is repair. The confounding issue with this growth is that it doesn’t exclude much, so you’ll experience growth in extra tissue, tumors, and other areas. 

Fasting and Meal Timing

Debunking myths about exercise and food, we attempt to unveil an answer about the most perfect time to eat: before or after workouts. We’ve come across a variety of shocking evidence that cite the dangers of eating before a workout, divulging in protein shakes, and spiking your sugar and insulin.  Its results are jarring—no hormonal response, no stamina for your workout, and no energy. 

Another point is the use of natural electrolytes, specifically whole sea salt.  This, as opposed to a Gatorade sports drink, is pivotal in the post-workout phase. The “cold” body factor that comes with exercise, and most specifically in fasting, is often eliminated by salt. 

Transitioning Back to Food

Turning back to Dr. Clum’s 30 day fast, we approach his method of breaking the fast, which included a high fat, moderate protein diet that he carefully edged back into consuming.  Unable to finish his first small meal, we note how tough solid foods can be on the body after a long break. Soft-cooked vegetables and berries and ferments tend to be easier on the reformed digestive tract.

Changing DNA with Fasting and Keto

A huge highlight of fasting: genetics start to change.  As bad cells fail to adapt, they lose their resource and die off, giving the body leeway to shift and edge closer into ketosis.  A method that stems from this is diet variation, moving people in and out of these different phases with ketosis, intermittent fasting, or prolonged fasting. 

Ketosis, an ancient healing strategy that we love, is another key to changing the epigenome.  It’s important to realize that we are not in constant ketosis and that bodies have no issue in the production of sugar.  What we haven’t grasped, however, is that insulin is the primary factor for whether or not you’re in ketosis.  Insulin has a plethora of roles—it weasels into the cell, into the mitochondria, through the Krebs cycle, and blocks fats from producing energy.  This can lead to the altering of the body’s gluconeogenesis, which will eventually blockade the body from burning fat. 

Feast and Famine Cycles of Hormone Optimization

Touching on diet variation, we look at clans in Tibet and the Hunza people, who have foraged for years without diseases.  These diets, based on summertime vegetarianism and springtime restrictive practices, are what bring ketosis and fasting to its ancient holding.  Learn more about Diet Variation in CHTV episode 157 here.

Getting to the Source

We delve back into cellular toxicity, summing up our agreement that diabetes is initially a liver problem that loops back around to a multi-therapeutic approach.  It’s important to do things upstream—for the cell and the brain.  Taking back your health is achievable by way of ancient healing strategies, a varied diet, intermittent daily and block fasting, and more.

Again, I must reiterate the importance of supervision—a trained coach to aid you through something as complex as ancient healing strategies.  You need someone versed and experienced to get you on a healthy fasting regime and dietary track to help reach your health goals.

Finally, in CHTV 164 my son Simon shared his own fasting experience, after being inspired by one of my clients who healed eczema from a water fast. His was a quick decision, a very sure one, and the thirteen-year-old found himself headlong into an 11-day water fast. 

Simon’s Numbers

Simon’s glucose dropped and ketones increased by day two.  Although ketones are usually an energy supplier, Simon didn’t have much of that.  One key to understand is that his young body isn’t fat adapted yet – it doesn’t use ketones.  We expound on a few of the symptoms he bore – nausea, lightheadedness, a lot of body odors and welts around the knees.  These first three days are typically accompanied by a white-coated tongue, tedious symptoms of illness, dizziness, and lack of energy. 

However, as custom, around day 4, Simon started feeling better. He noted an increase in energy, and we observed his uplifted attitude and improved sleeping habits. Forcing the body to utilize ketones was a giant factor in improving Simon’s sleep.  Before long, he was in ketosis.

If Simon Can Do It…

To get a better idea of Simon, prior to the fast, his diet habits were carb-centered. Of all my children, Simon tends to be the most food-addicted, and his initial craving during the fast was cheese.  However, since breaking the fast, Simon attests to having no cravings or addictions.  What happens here is that grehlin and leptin, hormones which affect the microbiome, alter drastically during the fast and communicate to the hypothalamus to shut off hunger. Due to this, the body knows to avoid muscle. Oftentimes, when people try their hand at low-carb or low-calorie diets, the body doesn’t avert from the muscle, and taps into that, weakening you.  With water fasts, innate intelligence recognizes muscle and protects it from being absorbed.  Besides this, the body knows to go into autophagy, which we’ve discussed before the burning out of bad cells and fats. 

Fasting provides a good chance to change your palate.  For parents of vegetable haters, there is hope! A great breakthrough was that Simon, who previously had an aversion to vegetables of any kind, came off his fast, tried broccoli, and enjoyed it.  In addition, we discovered his slight intolerance to dairy when he attempted to delve back into cheese. This is unsurprising since conventional dairy can be a root issue to many chronic gut problems for many individuals.

With ketones hitting 6.5 and glucose ranging in the forties and fifties, Simon shed around 20 pounds of weight.  These are perfect target numbers for autophagy.  And, for a 13-year-old, the process has brought a lot of spectators reciting that “if he can do it, I can do it.”

Partial Fasting for Transition

In breaking fasts, people routinely make the mistake of loading up on calories. A partial fast, which wedges between 500 and 1,000 calories, was just the subject of a study2 over the course of 5 days. Between humans and mice (the mice, only being subject to the fast for 3 days), the results sparked interest.  The real goodness lies between 500 and 1,000 calories per day, with a focus keen on your fats and raws.  For this study, the group fasted the five days’ equivalent in the month, and then shifted back to their regular diet. Unsurprisingly, the weight quickly returned, but the inflammation markers remained decreased. After three months of repeating this cycle, the subjects grew healthier and healthier, despite falling back on their regular diets. What does this show?  Diet variation works: the simple switch propelled their bodies into health.  It also demonstrates the power of fasting, prolonged or not.  Of course, despite not being a fast, the diet still mimicked results of fasting, which garnered the title. 

For partial fasting, try 500 and 1,000 calories each day dependent on weight, focusing on the fats and raws.  For those with adrenal fatigue, this is going to be a simpler, less mental method to start.  Intermittent fasting, the daily concourse of three square meals with no outside foods, met with partial weekly fasting, is essential to ease into that system.  In terms of partial fasts, organize inventory in terms of fruits, veggies, fats, and fiber, choosing 2-4 servings in each per daily depending on calorie goals.  Keep it simple!

Signs to Break the Fast

After all your efforts, how can you determine when your body is ready for food? This question pops up a lot in our world, and it comes with many physical indicators that you should watch out for.  First, through the process, your tongue may change color from white to yellow, to even black.  The second it reverts to its healthy pink, you know autophagy has done its job, and you’re ready to return to food. Second: energy levels and glucose numbers bounce around during the fast, but if you experience fatigue that lasts beyond a single day, your body may be reaching for nourishment.  It’s a good indicator.  Third: if your weight loss comes to a halt, it’s time to break your fast.  Simon eased back into foods with a steaming bowl of grass-fed beef bone broth.

Which Water is Best?

For those who question the dialogue around water for fasting- is distilled okay? Is sparkling? – it’s beneficial to remember that we’re not teasing the body with gullies of water, but rather depriving it of minerals and food sources to give it a proper cleaning.  Our bodies are fully capable of discerning the difference between H20 and CO2, and I often prefer reverse osmosis water with a sprinkle of sea salt here and there.  As for the big weight loss question, many clients assume thinness and fasting to be all-in-one.  However, once you begin eating again, the body can smartly distinguish and force muscle growth, which is a healthy, fluid mechanism for muscle gain.

My hope is that you have a better sense of the Why and How behind water fasting, and that we’ve given you a clearer sense of where to start and what’s best for you. This ancient healing strategy has changed many lives when no other tool worked. Sometimes the simplest and oldest proven strategies provide the most profound results.

Could Your Thyroid Be Why You Are Not Feeling Well?

Perhaps you are one of the 13 million people in this country that go to your doctor with sudden weight gain, fatigue, hot flashes, infertility, depression, or some other unexplained symptom and ask about your thyroid.  They send you out for blood work that comes back normal.  According to the American Academy of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), there are 27 million people in this country with thyroid conditions and only half (13 million) are diagnosed.  That makes thyroid conditions the #1 under-diagnosed condition types in the United States.  Some experts estimate that more than 80% of Americans have a thyroid condition and are not diagnosed properly.  The truth is you can go 20-30 years with symptoms before your blood work is abnormal.  Finally, when it becomes abnormal, your doctor will put you on thyroid replacement hormones for the rest of your life.  Is there another answer? Read on!

WHY YOUR BLOOD WORK LOOKS NORMAL BUT YOU DO NOT FEEL WELL!

I will make this as simple as I can:  most doctors think the problem is just in the thyroid when most of the time it is not.  The reason for this is because thyroid conditions most often occur because of a problem somewhere other than the thyroid gland itself.

Thyroid hormone levels of TSH, T3, and T4 can appear normal.  I give my patients 3 reasons for this phenomenon.

1.    T4 doesn’t convert to the active hormone T3.
2.    Active T3 can’t be used in the cell because its receptors on the cell are blunted.
3.    You could potentially have an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto’s Disease.

Let’s start with the first reason.  T4 hormone must be converted to T3 active hormone.  If this conversion does not take place or is shunted into another direction (as in times of stress), then the message to the cell will never get through.  ONLY active T3 can be used in the cell.  T4 is the stored hormone and not active in the cell and therefore, must be converted to T3.  The hormone most doctors give as a replacement hormone once they realize you do in fact have a thyroid problem is T4. Therefore, if you are not making the conversion…well, you get the picture.  Your blood work will look normal and you still don't feel well.

The conversion takes place in the liver.  If your liver is stressed, for instance by toxic overload, then the conversion may not take place.  Has your doctor ever considered your liver in your thyroid program?  The point I am trying to make is that your blood work will look normal because the pituitary gland in your brain is signaled of all the T4 in your system and tells the thyroid that all is well.  Your blood work is normal, but you are not.  Your weight keeps increasing and your energy keeps decreasing, but your doctor keeps insisting you are fine.  Once again…

EVEN THOSE WHO ARE DIAGNOSED AND TAKING A REPLACEMENT HORMONE….

…such as Thyroxin or Synthroid (which are both T4) must make the conversion to T3, and if this is not successful your blood work will look fine but you will still have symptoms.

What I believe to be the greatest reason for T4 not converting to T3 active hormone is stress.  The body doesn’t know the difference between physical, chemical, or emotional stress.  The physiology is all the same in how your body adapts to any of these stressors.  Under times of stress, the body conserves energy to survive.  Survival is ALWAYS the body’s first and most basic priority.  It will stop you flat and lay you on your back, leaving you completely energy depleted in order to survive if that is what is required.  Think of the last time you had the flu.  The flu is a short-term stress that requires a significant amount of your body’s energy to heal from.  You were laid up by your body’s own innate intelligence in order to adapt to the temporary stress.  During this time your body takes T4 hormone and converts it into something called reverse T3 (rT3).  Instead of converting it into T3, it makes the mirror image of it called rT3.   rT3’s role in times of stress is to bind to the T3 receptor on the cell and block the T3 from getting its message to the cell for energy.  This, in turn, conserves the energy so that it can be used to fight the infection.  The problem occurs when the stress becomes chronic rather than acute, for example a long-term emotional stress like the death of a loved one or a stressful relationship.  A toxic chemical stress can cause the same reaction.  Regardless of the stress, the body will continue in this energy-robbing/life-saving mode.   Instead of producing active T3, it will continue to shunt the T4 to produce rT3 blocking your own T3 hormone.  This is what we call rT3 dominance.  Even after the stress is removed, the body can remain in rT3 dominance where once again, the blood work appears normal but you feel anything but.  Has your doctor looked at the ratio of Free T3 to rT3?  Similar to cholesterol, this is more important than the normal ranges themselves.  Has he or she considered your ADRENAL GLANDS and your ability or inability to adapt to stress?

The second reason and perhaps the most common reason for your blood work being normal but still not feeling well:

Active T3 cannot be used in the cell because the receptors to the T3 on the cell are blunted.  An important point that I teach is that hormone problems are not necessarily problems with hormones themselves, but rather the receptor to the hormone.  Similar to Type II Diabetes, where the diabetic has plenty of insulin but the receptors to the insulin are blunted and unable to “hear” the message in order to allow the glucose in the cell, and therefore the glucose cannot get into the cell to produce energy.  That condition is referred to as insulin resistance (meaning the cell is “resistant” to the hormone insulin).  T3 resistance works the same way.  It is like having plenty of gasoline but not being able to get it into your car.  Your cells are literally starving for T3, however, due to the feedback mechanism, the pituitary gland in the brain gets a message that there is adequate T3 and signals the thyroid that everything is ok and therefore your blood work will be normal.  As previously stated, it typically takes years before the innate intelligence will start to produce more TSH to produce more T4 and T3 in an effort to increase cellular energy.

Most doctors simply address the thyroid without an understanding of the distant cell’s ability to receive the message.  Hormone resistance is a massive epidemic driven by cellular inflammation.  The fact that hypothyroidism, as well as diabetes and other hormonal conditions, is approaching unprecedented numbers in this country is evidence that we are not understanding what the true cause is.

If your doctor is not addressing the 3 main causes of cellular inflammation, and therefore hormone resistance, you will spend the rest of your life on medication and chasing symptoms.

Finally, the 3rd reason is that the problem could potentially be you are suffering with Hashimoto’s, which is an autoimmune condition where the body is attacking itself.  It is estimated that 80% of thyroid conditions are autoimmune related.  Most of these conditions also go undiagnosed, because most doctors do not run the correct blood work to check for autoimmune hypothyroid.  You may be asking yourself why that is. The answer is very simple:  their treatment is the same, whether you are hypothyroid or autoimmune hypothyroid.  Therefore, since the treatment is the same in either case, there is no need to run the blood work.  The fact is most doctors give T4 replacement hormone, which does very little if anything, for the autoimmune type of hypothyroid.  The success of treatment will be deceiving because the T4 hormone will make your blood work appear normal.  The replacement hormone T4 will push your TSH levels to normal.  As a matter a fact, TSH levels are the gauge that doctors use to tell you that you should be feeling better. TSH is considered the “gold standard” for thyroid testing.  The truth is there is not one study that shows that normal TSH levels have ANYTHING to do with normal thyroid function.  Before 1971, we treated the patient; today, sadly, we treat the lab results.

How many people are being treated for thyroid conditions with replacement hormones and yet still suffering with a multitude of unexplainable symptoms?  Unfortunately, this is true for so many because the doctor points to their “normal” blood work, and therefore the “success” of the medication.  Of course there is a time and a place for medication, especially if you are one of those who does not have a thyroid.  If you are a person who cannot convert T4 to T3 (the majority of replacement hormone is T4), and would therefore not be converting it to T3 and receiving its benefit, OR if your cells can’t “hear” the hormone (hormone resistance), taking the medication and still having symptoms will be the obvious outcome.  By no means am I suggesting anyone come off of their medication.  That is between you and your doctor.  I am, however, pleading with you to do your homework.  The truth is out there and when you see it, you will be angry that more don't understand.

FOOD INTOLERANCES can drive inflammation and therefore, your own immune system to attack itself (autoimmune).  A massive number of people in this country, enough to constitute an epidemic, have gastrointestinal issues from IBS, Crohn’s, Celiac, and leaky gut, which allow foreign proteins to cross through the gut and cause the immune system to start the attack.  Hashimoto’s can be the downstream result of this preventable condition.  Has your doctor considered your gastrointestinal system as the cause of your thyroid problem?

If you remove the cause, the body can heal.  No doctor can ever provide a treatment that heals; they can only remove the interference.  The proper tests must be done for success.

It is always my goal to enlighten as many people who will listen to this truth.

Copyright 2023 HealthCenters                                                               www.drpompa.com

Cocoa Banana Smoothie

cocoa-banana-smoothie
Cocoa Banana Smoothie
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 banana, frozen in chunks
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 Tbsp. grass-fed collagen
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  1. Put all ingredients, excluding collagen, in a high-speed blender and mix on high speed.
  2. Once thoroughly mixed, add collagen and incorporate at low speed.
  3. Enjoy!
  4. Serves 2

Burst Training – A Top 5 Strategy To Create Your Best Health Ever

180° Solution™ Strategy #4: Burst Training

If you’re anything like me, you don’t have hours to spend at the gym every week to achieve a lean, toned physique. Fortunately, I don’t have to and neither do you. I’d like to let you in on my secret for rapid weight-loss, fat burning and aging slower. It’s an exercise strategy called burst training (aka High Interval Intensity Training or HIIT), and remains my all-time favorite work-out to help me stay in peak physical condition and anti-age. It’s incredibly effective and efficient, and generates fat loss for hours after the actual workout. Studies show a contrast between endurance type of exercise (low intensity) and burst training (high intensity) for weight loss and aging. The burst wins out in both cases and yet takes far less time, and you don’t even need a gym to do it. Amazing results in a minimal time frame, no gym required. Sound too good to be true? Read on to learn more about burst training, the science behind why it works, and ideas for a workout routine that will help get you into the best shape of your life.

Burst Training – A Top 5 Strategies To Create Your Best Health Ever!

What is Burst Training?

woman burst training

Burst training involves exercising at your maximum capacity for 30-60 seconds (or “bursts,” where it’s tough to breathe), immediately followed by one to three minutes of very low intensity exercise or complete rest. You can do it anytime and anywhere, with no special equipment needed. Whether in a gym, hotel, or the great outdoors, you can fit in a quick burst training session. There are endless ways to burst (read on for ideas) and it only takes about 10-15 minutes per workout, two to four times a week to reap the benefits. This figures to less than an hour of exercise each week, and more time to spend doing the things you love.

Why it Works

Burst Training helps to boost human growth hormone (HGH)

HGH, the “fountain of youth” hormone, is produced in the pituitary gland and stimulates growth, cellular reproduction, and regeneration. It plays a role in maintaining all human tissue, and it’s impossible to increase muscle mass and bone density without it. HGH has the ability to turn back your body’s biological clock, help you decrease body fat and inflammation, build muscle, boost immunity, maintain a sharp mind, and also increase energy levels and libido. Hence the reason for the buzz. A 2003 study showed that burst training for just 10 minutes spikes HGH because the high intensity movement increases lactic acid levels above their threshold (which occurs when you feel the “burn” of intense exercise).

The body will also raise HGH as an adaptation to replace the stored glucose (glycogen). During high intensity training, the source of energy is stored glucose in the form of glycogen not fat. But if no fat is burned during the exercise, why is it so effective for weight loss? Great question, and the answer is always in adaption and survival. The body knows it needs the stored glucose for fight or flight: basic survival. Therefore, it will raise its anabolic type of hormones, like HGH and testosterone, to burn the fat after exercise for 36 hours (on average) to replace the stored energy. What would you rather do, burn fat for 30-60 minutes during exercise or 1 or 2 days after 10-15 min of exercise? When it comes to weight loss and anti-aging it’s always about hormone manipulation. I hope you are starting to see this theme in the series of strategies.

HGH is currently used as a prescription drug to treat growth disorders and to increase vitality. But why not support the body to naturally produce more HGH using burst training? Along with bursting, HGH is secreted during deep and restful slumber (REM sleep). Therefore, to optimize HGH perform regular burst training sessions and get enough quality sleep.

Burst Training supports fat burning post-workout

During exercise, the body also creates an “oxygen debt” which it then must work to pay back. The pay back, or recovery process, requires energy, and similar to what I described above, the body oxidizes its own fat stores to meet this increased energy need. Low intensity workouts don’t require as much post-exercise metabolic repair, thus the metabolic benefits and results are not nearly as impressive. On the other hand, the harder you work out, the greater the metabolic debt that is created and needs to be restored, and that repair process continues for hours and days after an intense workout. Burst training = massive fat burning. Enough said.

Blood sugar levels are massively affected by grain consumption.

Studies show that burst training is far more effective for fat loss than standard cardio, and regular bursting has been shown to significantly increase both aerobic and anaerobic fitness, which offers many long-term health benefits. One study compared a 20 week endurance training program with a 15 week bursting program, and results showed the bursting regime produced a nine-fold greater subcutaneous fat loss than the endurance plan. While many current exercise programs focus on moderate intensity cardio exercise regimes, like jogging for an hour, these programs typically result in limited weight loss and fat burning. If you want rapid weight-loss to occur, the intensity MUST be taken up a notch.

Bursting vs. Endurance Training

Endurance training involves training the aerobic system more than the anaerobic, and increases cortisol (the “stress hormone” produced by the adrenal glands) when done in excess. Chronically raised cortisol leads to oxidative stress, inflammation, a decrease in HGH, and a lowered production of anabolic hormones which “build up” organs and tissues and increase muscle mass. While all exercise produces cortisol, it can be good or bad for the body depending upon the activity. Burst training increases cortisol for a short period of time, whereas endurance training increases cortisol chronically, never pushing the body intensely enough to trigger HGH to attain its fat burning and anti-aging benefits. Moreover, prolonged, strenuous endurance exercise, such as marathon running, increases inflammatory markers and even the risk of sudden cardiac death.

Conversely, burst training allows you to reap the benefits of both aerobic and anaerobic exercise, massively boosting HGH and anabolic hormones and burning stored glucose, thereby helping you lose weight, look younger, and get lean more quickly. Compare a marathoner to a sprinter: isn’t it typically the long distance runner who appears to be aging prematurely? This is because endurance athletes are always battling oxidative stress. The training notion of “staying in the fat burning zone” is a myth, and burst training is a 180° Solution™ approach to get to your best body through exercising smarter, not harder.

I must note that as an avid cyclist, I’m by no means against endurance training, as it does have its benefits and I enjoy it greatly. However, when it comes to anti-aging, fat burning, and weight-loss, burst training wins the race. It’s simply a faster and more effective way of getting into shape considering how God designed the body to function. We were meant to chase down prey, not run for 26.2 miles, while slurping down a sugary energy gel to boot.

Stress and Rest

Burst training is a great example of the stress and rest principle in action (watch my demo video here). Stress and rest involves periods when the body is pushed to the physical limit (stress), followed by time for the system to recover (rest). The stress is a good stress, or eustress, and is key to our mental and physical growth and well-being. But the resting period is just as crucial as the intense period of exertion; therefore, adequate resting time needs to be taken between sessions for best results. I suggest bursting two to four times a week, but as always, listen to your body and experiment to see what works for you. Starting “slow and low” is a good bet, especially if you haven’t been exercising regularly.

Faster Results with a Multi-Therapeutic Approach

Want to see more results even faster? Combine burst training with intermittent fasting. The duo works like magic to supercharge fat loss and also improves brain function and hormone sensitivity (read more here), and if you’ve read my past posts, and are picking up on this theme, you know that the key to weight-loss is fixing your hormones. Adaptation to the stress created from burst training is the reason a hormone shift occurs. Combining the two techniques further raises HGH, and also makes you more hormone sensitive, a key to staying young and lean. While bursting and fasting are recognized as stand-alone strategies to improving health and optimizing hormones, incorporating both into your routine take the effects to a whole new level.

Combining the strategies may help your brain too. Both intermittent fasting and burst training are cited as ways to improve memory, and when therapies that positively affect the brain are combined, a synergy occurs which slows dementia and cognitive decline. I’ve found this model of combining multiple proven strategies to make an impact with many clients who have improved brain function, balanced hormones, and dropped stubborn weight by combining fasting, bursting, and following the Cellular Healing Diet. I call it a Multi-Therapeutic Approach (or MTA, read my article about it here) and have it been using it clinically for years. The combination works, and I believe the synergy is why the results are so incredible.

This MTA is easy to follow: simply do a burst training workout on a fasted stomach in the morning. I typically wake up, drink a cup of organic coffee with a splash of grass-fed heavy cream or MCT oil, and get a burst training session in first thing. Remember, I haven’t eaten since my sizeable high fat/moderate protein/low-ish carb dinner the evening before, and won’t eat again until lunchtime rolls around in the late afternoon. It takes a little time to get to the state of not becoming famished while fasting for 16-18 hours, especially when you do a hard workout. However, the more you train your body to burn fat to replace energy stores (glycogen), the longer you can last and not become hungry, since you’re becoming an efficient fat burner. If you can’t fast for such a long period, even waiting 2-3 hours after a workout before eating promotes a rise in HGH, which helps to make you a fat burner. Fasting pre-workout: another 180° Solution™ strategy for weight loss and better health.

Getting Started

There are endless ways to do a burst training workout. The goal is to get your heart rate to the point of not being able to talk well because you are breathing so hard. Check out these videos to get ideas and watch me in action: 10 Minute Workout, CHTV Episode 39 – How to Intermittent Fast and Burst Train, & Integrating Burst Training. Simply running up and down stairs or in place, doing pushups, sit-ups, or squats for 30-60 seconds with 1 minute breaks for about 10 minutes are all that is needed for results. Don’t worry about the funny looks from passers-by as you sprint up a hill: you’re becoming a lean, mean fighting machine.

Try this basic bursting workout outside or on a treadmill:

  • Sprint hard for 30 seconds
  • Rest for 1 minute
  • Repeat 4-5 times, increasing sprinting speed if possible

As far as my personal bursting regime, during wintertime I like to get outdoors and go skinning in the beautiful Utah mountains, which involves literally skiing UP the slope before you ski down: no easy feat (for more about skinning read about working out while fasting). In warmer months, or when indoors, I do interval sprints, burpees, weight lifting, high jumps, and good old fashioned calisthenics. Biking and swimming can be burst training sessions too. Just remember to burst on a fasted stomach for enhanced results.

Note: I’m often asked “Can I do more sets or longer intervals?” The answer is yes. However, wait till you are in better shape. Studies show that for the average person, more exercise did not reap better results for weight loss. I do believe trained athletes, or those in great shape, benefit from some longer intervals of high intensity and/or more intervals.

Late-Day Workouts

Not a morning person? You can do an afternoon workout and wait two hours afterwards before eating and get similar results. For an evening workout it gets a little trickier to experience the benefits; therefore, I would suggest fasting and bursting one day over the weekend and perhaps one other day during the week. You can also fast and burst one day a week, but it will take some time to work up to it, so be patient with yourself. You can also try this strategy: don’t eat at all during the day (except maybe some good fat like coconut oil or MCT oil), workout after work in the evening, and then come home and eat two hours later. Now, you might want to chew a family member’s arm off by the time you get home, but simply remind them that “it’s just another survival response.”

Burst Your Way to Better Health

Contrary to popular belief, as with all 180° Solution™ strategies, more is not actually better when it comes to exercise. Working out for less than an hour a week is all that is needed to start shedding excess weight, burning fat, and looking younger. Burst training leverages the body’s innate method of survival and energy conservation, and we are simply taking advantage of its natural response. I’ve observed remarkable personal and clinical results using bursting, especially in combination with intermittent fasting, and know that it supports rapid weight-loss and provides many other benefits, as noted. However, the proof is in the pudding: try burst training for yourself. Have fun with this powerful tool, and remember for the best results GO 180°!

Other Articles in this Series:

Strategy 1: Controlling Blood Glucose

Strategy 3: Intermittent Fasting

Strategy 2: Diet Variation

Strategy 5: PompaCore Cellular Detox™

Key Takeaways for implementing burst training: 

  1. Incorporate burst training workouts into your routine two to four times per week.
  2. Start “slow and low,” especially if you haven't been exercising regularly.
  3. To accelerate results, implement the Multi-Therapeutic Approach and burst on a fasted stomach, ideally first thing in the morning.
  4. Remember the Stress and Rest principle, and allow adequate time between bursting sessions for proper recovery.

Burst Training – Top 5 Strategies for Your Best Health Ever

Edited by Meredith Dykstra 

Dieting and Detox: How to Lose Toxic Fat for Good

I believe toxins are the number one reason why people can't lose weight today: our toxic world is literally making us fat. The water we drink, air we breathe, products we use and food we consume all affect the amount of toxic weight we carry. We can only control our environment to a certain extent. As a result, we must take charge of the things in our lives we can change if we want to look and feel good, and little is more important than our daily diet.

A steady intake of toxic foods year upon year will catch up with you sooner or later and take a toll on your waistline and health. Toxic foods include bad fats such as hydrogenated vegetable oils, refined sugars, grains, genetically modified foods, low-fat and fat-free processed diet foods, and conventionally produced meat and dairy products. Eating these toxic foods on a regular basis deprives the body of essential nutrients needed to detoxify naturally. When in a state of nutrient deprivation, the body becomes stressed and stores fat for protection. To stop the cycle of toxic fat storage in its tracks, proper dietary and lifestyle changes must be made to generate PompaCore cellular detox and lasting weight-loss.

Why Weight Loss Stops or Even Rebounds

When most people follow a diet they initially lose weight. Toxins are released into the body when this fat is burned. The fat loss causes the redistribution of toxins throughout the body. The released toxins then drive the inability to lose weight or the state of weight-loss resistance.  The “rebound” effect of weight gain can also occur here, despite eating the same diet that allowed for the initial weight loss. Conversely, when the proper diet is combined with PompaCore Cellular Detox the outcome is quite different.  Following the proper diet with cellular detox avoids the rebound effect and is a must if you desire permanent weight loss.

Poor Diet: Toxins stress the body at the cellular level and stimulate the vicious rebound cycle of weight-loss resistance.

Proper Diet plus Cellular Detox: Following the proper diet ignites healing and detoxification at the cellular level. When provided the right nourishment, the body has the nutrients it needs to burn fat for energy and avoids the rebound effect.

How Toxins Cause Weight Gain and Hormone Problems

Toxicity affects our hormones and triggers weight-loss resistance. So, in order to lose weight you have to fix your hormones. Leptin is the hormone that tells the brain to burn fat for energy. If the brain is not receiving the correct message from leptin due to toxic overload, the body will not burn fat for energy. Lasting weight loss is therefore not possible when the body is in a state of toxicity.

What is the Proper Diet to Lose Toxic Fat?

The fastest and most effective way to jumpstart the release of toxic pounds is to follow my whole foods based Cellular Healing Diet. When treating a patient who needs to lose toxic fat, I always begin by addressing the reduction of inflammation in the body, which is at the root of modern disease. A body carrying toxic fat is an inflamed body. Lasting weight-loss will not occur until inflammation is under control, and the approach must begin at the cellular level. Following the Cellular Healing Diet allows the body to heal and recharge its 70 trillion cells, and assists in the removal of toxins and the regulation of hormone function. To immediately begin decreasing inflammation and promoting detoxification and hormone regulation, start with these three fundamental changes right now:

Remove Bad Fats and Replace with Good Fats

Bad fats found in the form of hydrogenated vegetable oils, trans fats and rancid vegetable oils create toxic cells leading to chronic inflammation and many health conditions including cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and the inability to lose weight. On the other hand, good fats such as organic coconut oil, grass-fed butter, pastured eggs, heavy cream, MCT oil, raw cheese and nuts, and cultured yogurt work to decrease inflammation at the cellular level. Good fats (or “God fats”) are the most important, yet absent, nutrient in the modern American diet.

Change the Meats You Eat

Conventional and organic, grass-fed meats are not created equal. When conventionally raised cows are fed an unnatural diet of genetically modified grain instead of grass, changes take place in the cow’s fatty acid ratio and denature the good fats into toxic fats. Conventionally raised meat has fatty acid ratios very disproportionate to those of organic, grass-fed meat. When toxic meat is eaten it creates inflammation and toxicity in your body leading to weight gain. Ditch feedlot meat, pumped full of antibiotics and hormones to boot, and choose organic, grass-fed meats raised as God intended, to aid in losing toxic fat.

Remove ALL Processed Grains and Refined Sugars

To restore and heal a toxic cell, you must remove sugar and everything that your body turns into sugar from your diet. Removing grains from your diet controls inflammation by eliminating a sugar called amylose. Amylose is present in all grains except corn, and triggers inflammation by spiking blood sugar, especially in those suffering from inflammatory conditions like heart disease, arthritis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and IBS. By removing dietary sugars, your blood sugar and insulin levels will regulate, inflammation will decrease, and true detoxification and weight-loss will occur.

Detox Support

To enhance cellular detox and weight-loss include the Intracellular Detox System (GCELL and BIND), along with proper diet. The unique system has two components which work synergistically to help the body detox as smoothly and quickly as possible. The first component of the IDS is called Gcell and it raises and supports the production of glutathione, nature’s most powerful antioxidant found in every cell in your body.  The second component of the system, called BIND, literally binds to toxins in your gut and prevents the reabsorption or redistribution of toxins, common issues in other forms of detox that can cause dangerous symptoms. The IDS is a proven system and is included in every one of my detox and weight-loss protocols.

Supercharging Toxic Fat Loss

In addition to following the core principles of my Cellular Healing Diet, I suggest adding intermittent fasting to your routine to accelerate the loss of toxic fat. Intermittent fasting is an extremely powerful and ancient tool for healing and decreasing inflammation in the body and consists of only ingesting liquid for a certain amount of time. Fasting gives your gut a break from digesting food, thereby allowing it to heal from issues such as leaky gut, which may be present and impeding the loss of toxic fat. Leaky gut is a condition in which the tight junctions that make-up the gut wall become inflamed and cause undigested food proteins to leak across, resulting in persistent systemic inflammation. Leaky gut is an epidemic condition in America and most people are unaware that it is contributing to their health challenges and weight-loss efforts. Fasting is also helpful in bringing nutrition to a body that is depleted of nutrients due to a toxic modern diet and lifestyle. I recommend fasting on high-quality whey water or bone broth made from the bones of 100% grass-fed cows for the most healing and detoxifying effects.

Far Infrared (FIR) sauna therapy is another effective tool to boost weight-loss. FIR saunas heat the body from within and stimulate its basic functions including increasing blood circulation and metabolic rate. Infrared therapy can even emulsify cellulite. FIR saunas encourage the body to detoxify from the deepest cellular level and can aid in burning 300 to 400 calories during a 30 minute session. Besides supporting weight-loss and detox, FIR sauna therapy also enhances immunity, relieves pain and stress, heals skin conditions, and promotes cellular regeneration and overall improved health.

Take Home Message to Drop Toxic Weight

  • To lose weight you need to fix your hormones and decrease systemic inflammation by lessening your toxic load
  • Cut out refined sugars, grains, bad fats and conventionally raised animal protein
  • Add in plenty of good fats and organic, grass-fed meat to your diet
  • Experiment with intermittent fasting to heal your gut
  • Include Far Infrared sauna therapy and detox support supplements  to accelerate weight-loss

 

Without a doubt, toxic dieting drives your body to hang on to fat. Carrying around toxic fat not only takes a toll on your self-esteem, but increases the likelihood of developing many obesity-related diseases, including cancer, diabetes and heart disease.  But you can start to heal and detox your body from the cellular level by implementing my three dietary changes, and further enhance your efforts by including intermittent fasting, cellular detox support supplements and FIR sauna therapy in your routine.  Making these changes will require you to modify your lifestyle. However, I know that they work because these changes have impacted my life for the better and allowed me to heal from my own debilitating health challenges. Once you’ve made these changes, continue to incorporate more healing foods (see my top healing foods list here) and less toxic foods (see my toxic foods to avoid here) in your diet and you will be well on your way to looking and feeling your best.

Nutrient-Dense Smoothies: Ultimate Smoothie Recipe Guide

Nutrient-Dense Smoothies: There is no doubt that easy-to-digest smoothies can be one of the best ways to break your daily fast. This guide will provide you with some of the keys to making your smoothies super nutritionally dense, and includes ten nourishing smoothie recipes!

smoothie-guide

A Few Tips to Up the Nutritional Density of Your Smoothies

Nutrient-Dense Smoothies: Sneak in the Good Stuff

Some of the most nutritionally dense foods are things we don’t love to taste. Be it bitter greens or liver– some of the healthiest foods don’t taste appetizing (especially first thing in the morning). The great thing about smoothies is that you can easily sneak in 1-2 small doses of super healthy ingredients without even tasting them. Whether you’re trying to fool kiddos or your taste buds, pick one or two ingredients to put into your smoothie to up the nutritional game.

Some examples to super-boost your smoothies:

  • One serving of bitter greens (like arugula, dandelion greens, or kale)
  • One tablespoon or liver (raw or cooked, you can simply keep single servings of liver in your freezer and just add a cube into your smoothie)
  • One teaspoon of your favorite adaptogenic powders like tonic herbs or medicinal mushrooms (maca, reishi, ashwagandha, chaga, cordyceps, lion’s name, or he shou wu)
  • One serving of unsweetened superfood powder

Choose a Better Liquid

Smoothies require a liquid base to blend with other ingredients, and one great way to increase nutritional density is to choose a better liquid than water or fruit juice. Fruit juice contains a massive hit of sugar without the blood-sugar balancing fiber. Although water is a better option than fruit juice, there are even better options out there to increase your nutritional benefits.

Some examples of nutritionally dense liquids to base your smoothie on:

  • Cold bone broth: full of minerals and gut-healing collagen/ gelatin. The flavor goes unnoticed. You can also up the protein by adding a bone broth powder.
  • Cold tea: simply store a jug of your favorite tea in the fridge, ready to add a mineral (and flavor!) hit to any smoothie
  • Coconut milk: will add a nice thickness and creamy flavor to your smoothie plus the benefit of the MCT fats and vitamins from coconut
  • Coconut water: a great clear, light, and relatively unflavored liquid that is full of minerals and natural sugars. Coconut water is an excellent option for a refreshing post-workout smoothie base!

Probiotic Hit

We all know that probiotics help support a healthy gut, and sneaking in some probiotics to your smoothie is so easy! You can simply dump a capsule of probiotics into your smoothie before you blend it, or add a few tablespoons of your favorite yogurt or kefir (coconut, goat, or cows milk)!

Nutrient-Dense Smoothies: Don’t Forget Your Protein & Fat

Including a source of protein and fat in your smoothies will ensure a more balanced glycemic index and a more nutritionally balanced drink that will keep you satiated for hours. Smoothies used to be typically fruit, juice, and ice blended up, which are high sugar and low satiety.

Some ingredients that can help boost the protein and fat content:

  • A tablespoon of nut butter (like cashew, peanut, almond butter) or coconut cream
  • A small handful of whole nuts
  • ½ an avocado
  • 1-2 scoops of collagen powder
  • 1-2 scoops of bone broth protein powder

10 Nourishing Smoothie Recipes

Nutty Cacao Smoothie

nutrient_dense_smoothies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of coconut milk
  • ½ an avocado (frozen is ideal)
  • 1 Medjool date (pitted)
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons cacao powder
  • 2 scoops of collagen powder
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 4 ice cubes

Optional nutritional boost add-ins: (pick one or two!) 1 teaspoon of: reishi, cordyceps, lion’s mane, chaga, ashwagandha, maca, camu camu, turmeric, acai powder, hemp seeds, flaxseed, chia seed, spirulina, chlorella, bee pollen, green supplement powder, or a probiotic capsule.

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Nutrient-Dense Smoothies: Super Enzyme Sunshine Smoothie

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups of coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon coconut cream
  • 1 cup frozen pineapple
  • 1/2 cup frozen mango
  • 1 scoop protein powder
  • 1 tablespoon bee pollen
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • Juice of one lemon

Optional nutritional boost add-ins: (pick one or two!) 1 teaspoon of: reishi, cordyceps, lion’s mane, chaga, ashwagandha, maca, camu camu, turmeric, acai powder, hemp seeds, flaxseed, chia seed, spirulina, chlorella, green supplement powder, or a probiotic capsule.

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Berry Bliss Bone Broth Smoothie

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups of bone broth
  • ½ cup frozen blueberries
  • ½ cup frozen raspberries
  • ½ cup of frozen strawberries
  • ½ cup of tart yogurt (like greek or coconut)
  • A handful of fresh spinach
  • 1 scoop of protein powder

Optional nutritional boost add-ins: (pick one or two!) 1 teaspoon of: reishi, cordyceps, lion’s mane, chaga, ashwagandha, maca, camu camu, turmeric, acai powder, hemp seeds, flaxseed, chia seed, spirulina, chlorella, bee pollen, green supplement powder, or a probiotic capsule.

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Nutrient-Dense Smoothies: Post Workout Refuel Smoothie

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Two glass glasses of blueberry smoothie with banana on the table

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of coconut water
  • 1 scoop of protein powder
  • 1 scoop of collagen powder
  • ½ tablespoon of spirulina (or a handful of fresh bitter greens)
  • ½ a large frozen banana
  • ½ cup frozen blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons cacao powder
  • 1 heaping tablespoon of peanut butter
  • 4 ice cubes

Optional nutritional boost add-ins: (pick one or two!) 1 teaspoon of: reishi, cordyceps, lion’s mane, chaga, ashwagandha, maca, camu camu, turmeric, acai powder, hemp seeds, flaxseed, chia seed, spirulina, chlorella, bee pollen, green supplement powder, or a probiotic capsule.

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Creamy Mocha Smoothie

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups almond milk
  • 1 double shot espresso or 60ml cold brew coffee
  • ⅓ cup thick cream or coconut cream
  • ½ an avocado
  • 3 tablespoons cacao powder
  • 2 tablespoons monk fruit sweetener
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean powder
  • 3 ice cubes

Optional nutritional boost add-ins: (pick one or two!) 1 teaspoon of: reishi, cordyceps, lion’s mane, chaga, ashwagandha, maca, camu camu, turmeric, acai powder, hemp seeds, flaxseed, chia seed, spirulina, chlorella, bee pollen, green supplement powder, or a probiotic capsule.

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Nutrient-Dense Smoothies: Super Greens Smoothie

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups of coconut water
  • 1 frozen banana
  • ½ cup frozen pineapple
  • 1 large celery stalk (chopped)
  • 1 handful of fresh spinach
  • ½ cup of cucumber
  • 1 teaspoon spirulina
  • 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut cream

Optional nutritional boost add-ins: (pick one or two!) 1 teaspoon of: reishi, cordyceps, lion’s mane, chaga, ashwagandha, maca, camu camu, turmeric, acai powder, hemp seeds, flaxseed, chia seed, spirulina, chlorella, bee pollen, green supplement powder, or a probiotic capsule.

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Vanilla Smoothie

nutrient_dense_smoothies
Protein Milkshake With Oats, Banana in jar with paper drinking straw on concrete background. Closeup view, selective focus. Concept of vegan sporty healthy lifestyle

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups of almond milk
  • ½ cup of yogurt (cows, goats, or coconut)
  • 1 heaping tablespoon cashew butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean (powder or extract)
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder
  • 1 teaspoon of flax seeds
  • Pinch of sea salt

Optional nutritional boost add-ins: (pick one or two!) 1 teaspoon of: reishi, cordyceps, lion’s mane, chaga, ashwagandha, maca, camu camu, turmeric, acai powder, hemp seeds, flaxseed, chia seed, spirulina, chlorella, bee pollen, green supplement powder, or a probiotic capsule.

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Nutrient-Dense Smoothies: Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothie

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Ingredients

  • 1.5 cup of nut milk
  • ⅓ cup frozen blueberries
  • ⅓ cup frozen raspberries
  • 2 scoops collagen powder
  • ½ tablespoon chia seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter

Optional nutritional boost add-ins: (pick one or two!) 1 teaspoon of: reishi, cordyceps, lion’s mane, chaga, ashwagandha, maca, camu camu, turmeric, acai powder, hemp seeds, flaxseed, chia seed, spirulina, chlorella, bee pollen, green supplement powder, or a probiotic capsule.

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Nutrient-Dense Smoothies: Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie

nutrient_dense_smoothies
yummy vegan Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie Mug

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of coconut milk
  • ½ frozen banana
  • 5-10 fresh mint leaves
  • 3 drops of mint essential oil
  • ½ an avocado
  • 1 handful spinach
  • 1 scoop plain or vanilla protein powder
  • ⅓ cup yogurt (cow, goat, or coconut)
  • ¼ cup cacao nibs (to top)

Optional nutritional boost add-ins: (pick one or two!) 1 teaspoon of: reishi, cordyceps, lion’s mane, chaga, ashwagandha, maca, camu camu, turmeric, acai powder, hemp seeds, flaxseed, chia seed, spirulina, chlorella, bee pollen, green supplement powder, or a probiotic capsule.

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender except the cacao nibs, and blend until smooth. Add cacao nibs and stir in using a spoon.

 

Nutrient-Dense Smoothies: Cookie Dough Smoothie

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Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups almond milk
  • 1 heaping tablespoon of cashew butter or almond butter
  • ¼ cup cashews
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean (extract or powder)
  •  2 Medjool dates (pitted)
  • ¼ cup yogurt (cows, goat, or coconut)
  • 2 scoops collagen or vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 4 ice cubes
  • ¼ cup cacao nibs (to top)

Optional nutritional boost add-ins: (pick one or two!) 1 teaspoon of: reishi, cordyceps, lion’s mane, chaga, ashwagandha, maca, camu camu, turmeric, acai powder, hemp seeds, flaxseed, chia seed, spirulina, chlorella, bee pollen, green supplement powder, or a probiotic capsule.

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender except the cacao nibs, and blend until smooth. Add cacao nibs and stir in using a spoon.

Add the best antioxidant to your smoothies: Cacao Bliss!

I was so excited when I found out about the power of a unique type of Peruvian chocolate. You see, most chocolate is grown over on the west coast of Africa. But small batches of chocolate also come from the jungles of Peru. And the difference is incredible. Peruvian cacao is not only sweet like regular milk chocolate— It’s also one of the healthiest and highest antioxidant foods on the planet. This unique chocolate isn’t processed like mass-produced chocolate and contains no unhealthy fats or sugars, so that all of its health benefits aren’t just preserved, but maximized.

Being 12x healthier than blueberries…

16x healthier than kale…

 And 37x healthier than even broccoli.

This delicious chocolatey gift has been the food of emperors for nearly 2,000 years. And the growing process was finally perfected during the late Incan empire. Which is what gives us this unique Peruvian chocolate that not only tastes delicious but can also…

  • Promote healthy blood sugar
  • Reduce free-radicals & fight inflammation, thereby slowing down aging in the body
  • Make you fall asleep faster and STAY asleep through the night
  • Even help to prevent brain aging

<<<<get some of this amazing Peruvian cacao here!>>>