Health & Fitness

A new study looks at how Americans' attitudes and responses have changed during the time of the pandemic and how to many people, the virus is not a biological agent but instead a malicious actor.

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A clinical trial provides evidence that 3D-printed alternative nasal swabs work as well for COVID-19 diagnostic testing as commercial synthetic flocked nasal swabs. Given the ongoing need for widespread COVID-19 testing, the researchers conclude that 3D printing technology offers a viable, cost-efficient option to address swab supply shortages.

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A new paper found that adherence to infection control processes, especially proper wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) and cohorting strategies, such as grouping residents based on their risk of infection or whether they tested positive for COVID-19, was significantly associated with declines in weekly infection and mortality rates.

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Researchers analyzed urine samples from pregnant women to look for the presence of DINCH, which is short for di(isononyl)cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate. They found concentrations of DINCH in most of the urine samples but no evidence of effects in lab assays on two hormones, progesterone and estrogen.

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All viruses can only do damage by replicating inside the cells of another organism, their host. Researchers have now shown an important mechanism in this host-attacking process, at the single-molecule level in living cells.

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A new study demonstrates that formation of small blood vessels is impaired in the muscle tissue of postmenopausal women. The study's findings highlight the importance of physical activity for women prior to and during menopause, as a means to prevent the development of disease later in life.

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When the pandemic first began earlier this year, it seemed like if we could just hunker down until perhaps summer, things would get better and we’d be able to get back to life as usual (or at least something similar to life as usual). We were in survival mode: we cut corners and made do, broke some parenting rules, and otherwise made choices we would never usually make. Because that’s what you do when you are in survival mode.

It’s now very clear that the pandemic is here for at least this school year, and survival mode is taking on a whole new meaning. It’s time to make new habits and routines specifically for the pandemic. It’s time to make better and more durable choices that can help keep us healthier — and happier.

Some things obviously aren’t about choices. If you have lost loved ones, are struggling financially, are living in a dangerous situation, or if you or anyone in your family is having thoughts of self-harm, please reach out for help. Your doctor may be able to direct you to resources in your community.

What I am talking about is practical, daily life choices that we can make in a different way that may help us feel and live better. Be proactive — and do it as a group activity with your partner and family, so that everyone feels heard and invested.

Identify the pain points and tackle those first

Think about the past few months, and literally make a list of everything that was particularly hard. Lack of structure? Too much screen time for everyone? Problems getting kids to do their remote work? Problems getting your own remote work done? Feeling isolated from friends and family?

Work together to come up with ideas to tackle these pain points. They might include:

• Clear daily routines (use something like a white board so that all are on the same page). Along with those routines, have rules about screen time limits.
• For those doing remote work or remote school, create spaces they can use that approximate school or work spaces (no school from bed, for example).
• Come up with some non-screen activities for all of you. Books with pages, for example. Blocks for kids, arts and crafts, dollhouses, and other things that spur imagination.
• Set up regular remote contact with friends and family that you haven’t seen. Consider widening your “bubble” to include some select friends and family that you trust to be safe and take precautions.
• If you have a partner, work out the division of labor in a way that feels fair to both of you.

Identify activities that make you happy, and build them in too

We really need this now; it is crucial, not optional. We need to be deliberate in this. Identify both things that people can do alone, and things that you can do together, and make them part of your routines. Maybe it’s some alone time for each of the adults, a date night (light some candles at a table after the kids go to sleep and put your phones aside), a family game night, some daily silliness… whatever makes you smile, build it in.

Identify ways to become healthier, both physically and mentally

This too is crucial; it’s not something we can put aside anymore. For example:

• Be sure everyone is getting enough sleep (at night, not during the day, unless someone works a night shift).
• Eat healthy foods. I know, pandemics seem to justify comfort food. But too much cookies, ice cream, and chips catch up with you eventually, and start to make you feel bad instead of good.
• Get exercise. Every day is best, but do it at least five times a week — and make sure everyone in the family does it. It could literally be dancing in the kitchen, or a YouTube exercise video. If you can get outside, even for a short walk, all the better — we need to be places that don’t have ceilings sometimes.
• Be mindful of your alcohol and other substance use. That little bit to “take the edge off” can be a slippery slope.
• Build in time for communication with each other. It could be as simple as device-free family dinner and at least one device-free check-in with your partner.
• Reach out to your doctor if you or anyone in your family is feeling particularly sad or anxious. There are many resources available. Lots of counselors offer virtual sessions. Don’t wait, hoping things will get better. They may only get worse, and at the very least will get better with help.

We will make it through this. The choices we make today will make all the difference in who and how we are when we emerge — so let’s make them proactively, wisely, and with kindness.

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire

The post Managing the new normal: Actively help your family weather the pandemic appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

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A new study finds that rude emails at work can lead to significant distress for employees. Researchers say that 'active' email rudeness is overloaded with strong negative emotions. By comparison, 'passive' email rudeness leaves people struggling with uncertainty. Passive email rudeness may create problems for employees' sleep, which further puts them in a negative emotional state the next morning, thus creating a vicious cycle.

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A new study into the causes of sensorimotor impairments prevalent among autistic people could pave the way for better treatment and management in the future, say psychologists.

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In the United States, individual state laws barring 18- to 20-year-olds from buying or possessing a handgun make little difference in the rate of homicides involving a gun by people in that age group, a new study has found.

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A cocktail of powerful antibodies identified in recovered patients locks the coronavirus infection machinery, inhibits SARS-CoV-2 attachment to host cells, and protects animals challenged with the pandemic coronavirus.

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A research team has systematically investigated the cognitive abilities of lemurs, which have relatively small brains compared to other primates. Conducting systematic tests with identical methods revealed that cognitive abilities of lemurs hardly differ from those of monkeys and great apes. Instead, this study revealed that the relationship between brain size and cognitive abilities cannot be generalized and it provides new insights into the evolution of primates.

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Scientists have spotted a once-in-a-century climate anomaly during World War I that likely increased mortality during the war and the influenza pandemic in the years that followed.

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A world-first study has found that severely overweight people are less likely to be able to re-wire their brains and find new neural pathways, a discovery that has significant implications for people recovering from a stroke or brain injury.

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Laboratory tests of surgical and N95 masks show that they do cut down the amount of aerosolized particles emitted during breathing, talking and coughing. Tests of homemade cloth face coverings, however, show that the fabric itself releases a large amount of fibers into the air, underscoring the importance of washing them.

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A new study suggests that star-shaped brain cells known as astrocytes could be as important to the regulation of sleep as neurons. The study builds new momentum toward ultimately solving the mystery of why we sleep and how sleep works in the brain. The discovery may also set the stage for potential future treatment strategies for sleep disorders and neurological diseases and other conditions associated with troubled sleep.

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Researchers have sequenced the genome of Alexander Fleming's penicillin mould for the first time and compared it to later versions.

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Mitochondria are the powerhouses of our cells, generating energy that supports life. A giant molecular proton pump, called complex I, is crucial: It sets in motion a chain of reactions, creating a proton gradient that powers the generation of ATP, the cell's fuel. Scientists have solved the mystery of how complex I works: Conformational changes in the protein combined with electrostatic waves move protons into the mitochondrial matrix.

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A world-first study has found that severely overweight people are less likely to be able to re-wire their brains and find new neural pathways, a discovery that has significant implications for people recovering from a stroke or brain injury.

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The idea that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can impact your brain function is not new, but a recently launched investigation by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) really highlights the reality of such concerns.

The program,¹ “Impact of Electro-Magnetics on Aircrew Neurology,” or ICEMAN, seeks to determine whether EMFs inside the cockpit may be causing pilots to crash. DARPA is currently accepting proposals and have allocated a budget of up to $225,000 for the research.

According to DARPA, the objective of the ICEMAN program is to “Determine if the current air combat cockpit environment impacts cognitive performance and/or physiological sensor performance; quantify the effects; and demonstrate potential mitigation strategies.”²

Is Pilot EMF Exposure Causing Aviation Crashes?

As noted by DARPA,³ fighter pilots operate in a very high-EMF environment these days, and it’s possible those EMFs may be causing pilots to become disoriented and confused, leading to plane crashes.⁴ Over the past few years, there’s been a rather extraordinary string of military jet and helicopter crashes.

Back in 2018, following a series of three aviation crashes that killed five service members over the course of two days, the director of the Pentagon’s joint staff tried to downplay the trend, rejecting questions suggesting military aviation was in a crisis, stating:⁵

“We’re are going to look at each one in turn. Each one is tragic. We regret each one. We will look at them carefully. I am certainly not prepared to say that it’s a ‘wave’ of mishaps or some form of ‘crisis.’”

In 2017, 37 service members died in noncombat crashes. By April 2018, there had already been five noncombat aviation crashes that year, killing nine service members. In December 2018, six Marines died during a refueling crash off the coast of Japan.⁶ The pilot, who died, was accused of losing situational awareness and causing the crash due to atypical maneuvering.

As reported⁷ by Fox News in April 2018, there were also several additional crashes and emergency landings that year that did not result in fatalities. Several noncombat air crashes also occurred in 2019^8,9 and 2020.^{10,11,12,13,14,15} Canada has also reported unusual military aviation crashes.¹⁶

The ICEMAN Program

According to DARPA:¹⁷

“Current cockpits are flooded with radio frequency (RF) noise from on-board emissions, communication links, and navigation electronics, including strong electromagnetic (EM) fields from audio headsets and helmet tracking technologies.

Pilots often report minor cognitive performance challenges during flight, and from 1993 to 2013, spatial disorientation in U.S. Air Force pilots accounted for 72 Class A mishaps, 101 deaths, and 65 aircraft lost.

It has been hypothesized that the cockpit RF and EM fields may influence cognitive performance including task saturation, misprioritization, complacency and spatial disorientation.

However, EM fields and radio waves in cockpits are not currently monitored, little effort has been made to shield pilots from these fields, and the potential impacts of these fields on cognition have not been assessed.

Recent DARPA-funded research has demonstrated that human brains sense magnetic fields, like those used by animals for navigation, and that this process is ‘jammed’ (i.e., disrupted) by radio waves (RF), impacting brainwaves and behavior.

Furthermore, recent findings were the first to show that even weak RF fields and ‘earth strength’ magnetic fields have measurable, reproducible effects on human brainwaves and unconscious behavior in a controlled environment. Current tactical audio headsets project magnetic fields up to 10 times earth strength, the effects of which can now be measured experimentally in a similar controlled environment.”

The ICEMAN project aims to determine “what effect, if any, the cockpit RF/EM environment may have on physiological sensor function and efficacy” by measuring and manipulating ambient EM and RF fields inside the cockpit to determine their effects on “brain activity, physiology, behavioral responses and physiological sensing systems.” Lastly, the program seeks to determine if and how any negative effects on neurology and sense function might be effectively mitigated.

All of this is a rather extraordinary admission that EMFs have neurological and physiological effects — a claim made by many scientists involved in EMF research that has been roundly dismissed as unsubstantiated and false by the wireless industry and regulators. Yet here is DARPA, admitting research has demonstrated that RF waves impact brainwaves and behavior.

Mechanisms of Harm

Martin Pall, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of biochemistry and basic medical sciences at Washington State University, has published research^18,19,20,21 showing one of the primary mechanisms by which EMFs harm your biology is through the creation of peroxynitrites, which are potent sources of oxidant stress and secondary free radicals.

Low-frequency microwave radiation activates the voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) in the outer membrane of your cells, causing them to open, thus allowing an abnormal influx of calcium ions. This activates nitric oxide, which combines with superoxide to form peroxynitrite.²²

These potent reactive nitrogen species are associated with an increased level of systemic inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction, and are thought to be a root cause for many of today's chronic diseases. One of its most significant downsides of peroxynitrite is that it damages your DNA.

While your body has the capacity to repair that damage through a family of enzymes collectively known as poly ADP ribose polymerases (PARP), PARP require NAD+ for fuel, and when they run out of NAD+ they stop repairing your DNA, which can lead to premature cell death.

EMFs also damage your health in other ways. For example, the enzyme ATP synthase — which passes currents of protons into the mitochondrial intermembrane space, similar to current passing through a wire — powers the generation energy of the creation of ATP from ADP, using this flow of protons.

Magnetic fields can change the transparency of the flow of protons to the mitochondrial intermembrane space, thereby reducing the current. As a result, you get less ATP, which can have system wide consequences, from promoting chronic disease and infertility to lowering intelligence.

How EMFs Cause Neuropsychiatric Problems

In a 2016 paper,²³ Pall describes how EMFs can trigger neuropsychiatric problems specifically. As mentioned, EMFs trigger the opening of VGCCs, thereby causing a chemical cascade resulting in the production of harmful peroxynitrites.

Your brain and nervous system have a particularly high density of VGCCs, which is why these areas are particularly prone to the impacts of EMF. VGCC activation also triggers excessive neurotransmitter and neuroendocrine release.²⁴

Considering the neurological effects demonstrated in many different studies over the course of decades, it seems entirely reasonable to suspect some pilots are being cognitively impaired by EMFs inside the cockpit, some to the point of losing control of their aircraft. As explained in Pall’s paper:²⁵

“Excessive VGCC activity has been shown from genetic polymorphism studies to have roles in producing neuropsychiatric changes in humans. Two U.S. government reports from the 1970s to 1980s provide evidence for many neuropsychiatric effects of non-thermal microwave EMFs, based on occupational exposure studies.

Eighteen more recent epidemiological studies, provide substantial evidence that microwave EMFs from cell/mobile phone base stations, excessive cell/mobile phone usage and from wireless smart meters can each produce similar patterns of neuropsychiatric effects, with several of these studies showing clear dose-response relationships.

Lesser evidence from six additional studies suggests that short wave, radio station, occupational and digital TV antenna exposures may produce similar neuropsychiatric effects.

Among the more commonly reported changes are sleep disturbance/insomnia, headache, depression/depressive symptoms, fatigue/tiredness, dysesthesia, concentration/attention dysfunction, memory changes, dizziness, irritability, loss of appetite/body weight, restlessness/anxiety, nausea, skin burning/tingling/dermographism and EEG changes.

In summary, then, the mechanism of action of microwave EMFs, the role of the VGCCs in the brain, the impact of non-thermal EMFs on the brain, extensive epidemiological studies performed over the past 50 years, and five criteria testing for causality, all collectively show that various non-thermal microwave EMF exposures produce diverse neuropsychiatric effects.”

Six Common Types of EMF Stress

Virtually everyone needs to consider EMF remediation these days. At bare minimum, everyone needs a low EMF environment during sleep, in order to prevent accelerated aging and everything that goes with it.

Your body rejuvenates and detoxes during sleep and if your body is bombarded with EMFs all night long, it won’t be able to effectively perform those crucial cleanout and regenerative functions. Sleeping in an EMF-free environment can go a long way toward avoiding electrosensitivity, which by the way tends to come on very rapidly, in many cases seemingly “overnight.”

Common symptoms of electromagnetic hypersensitivity include ringing in the ears, distress when exposed to fluorescent lights, a feeling of burning or prickling in the skin, headache, heart palpitations and inexplicable anxiety, for example. Once you’re electrosensitive, additional and more extensive remediation strategies may become necessary.

While not as saturated as the cockpit of a fighter plane, the average home today is bathing in EMFs from a wide range of electronics and wireless gadgets. Six primary sources of EMF stress that can impact your health are:

Wireless frequencies — Anything from FM radio stations up through about 900 megahertz resonates with your body and your skin conductivity. Aside from the millimeter wave part of 5G, the 600-megahertz band that’s been opened up for T-Mobile’s 5G network may be just as bad or worse, as this bandwidth penetrates deeper and goes farther than any of the 5G networks. Most cellphone companies have been using 900 to 2000 megahertz, so T-Mobile’s network is a much lower frequency, which allows it to cover a greater area. In addition to your cellphone, other common Wi-Fi sources that are constantly emitting unless you turn off or unplug them include wireless printers, Apple TVs, smart TVs, the Roku and even the Roku remote.

Electric fields from voltage, wiring in the walls, and appliances and devices plugged into your light sockets — Most commercial buildings, condos and hotels are not an issue, as building codes require the electrical wiring to be in a metal conduit, which essentially eliminates the electric fields behind the walls. Few residential homes have that, however, as it’s not part of code in most areas. If you’re building your home, you can install shielded wiring from the start, although it does cost more. If your wiring is not shielded, the solution would be to turn off the electricity, although that still might not solve the problem. In my own home, there was an electric current running through the floor as well, which remained when I turned off the electricity to my bedroom.

Magnetic fields occurring from wiring errors, motors, power lines and transformers outside the home, as well as metal pipes with current, usually when you are on a municipal water supply.

Dirty electricity (spikes and surges along nearby power lines)

Geopathic stress that comes up from the earth.

Artificial lighting (color spectrum and flicker rates) — The best types of light bulbs are incandescent bulbs with higher wattage, as they have the most natural color spectrum and lowest flicker rates. I recommend using 100 watt or 150 watt incandescent bulbs whenever possible. Use caution, however, as they create loads of heat, and many fixtures will not accommodate them.

We’ve Been ‘EMF*D’

Over the past decade, I’ve written many articles discussing the evidence of biological harm from nonionizing EMF radiation, which I believe is one of the greatest challenges to public health facing us today. For a refresher, see my previous article, “Reduce EMF Exposure.”

These challenges will only get worse now that 5G is being rolled out across the globe. For a recap on the additional hazards brought on by 5G, see “5G Apocalypse: The Extinction Event,” which features a documentary by the same name, or “Scientific American Warns: 5G Is Unsafe.”

My book “EMF*D” is an attempt to inform you about the hidden harms of EMF and what you need to do to protect yourself and those you love. I also reveal the reasons why you’ve been left in the dark about this serious health threat. In it, I review:

• How EMFs are impacting your body and mind
• Where you can find them in your daily life
• How they can cause disease and speed up aging
• How to repair the damage done by EMFs at the cellular level
• Practical strategies to protect yourself and your loved ones from EMFs

The tragedy is that 5G isn’t even necessary. As discussed in “War Against 5G Heats Up,” the American public has already paid for the implementation of fiber optic cables across the country, which would be far safer and just as fast as 5G. State utilities stole that money and illegally redirected it toward wireless infrastructure instead.

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The number of people who struggle to attain and maintain a healthy weight continues to grow each year. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2018 showed that 42.4% of adults in the U.S. were obese.¹ The prevalence of severe obesity was 9.2%, and it was higher in women than in men.

The weight loss market also continues to grow, as it expanded by 4.1% in 2018 and is expected to grow 2.6% each year through 2023.² Yet, the growth in the market is not in prescription drugs, diet soda or weight loss franchises. Instead, meal replacement shakes and bars as well as weight loss surgeries appear to be holding steady and growing.

Dieters are also searching for more “clean” options, free of GMOs and artificial additives. This has forced companies supplying diet dinners and other premade foods to reformulate their offerings. While the focus on weight loss is often on how to look better or meet a certain standard, weight management should be about how to live free of disease.

Carrying excess weight is linked to heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and certain cancers.³ In addition to these long-term health concerns, it is also associated with an increased risk of certain infectious diseases, such as COVID-19.

Can You Eat Less and Live Longer?

People have been searching for the “fountain of youth” for centuries. Yet, the goal isn’t just to live longer but to live longer while free of disease and illness. Scientists call this your health span — the number of years you live without disease. Researchers have been studying two ways to achieve eating less.

The first is called calorie restriction, in which the number of calories is limited each day without malnourishing or depriving your body of essential nutrients.⁴ In the second method, fasting, a person eliminates or severely restricts calories during the day, week or month.

Based on the results from a study involving animals, one of the ways calorie restriction has promoted a longer health span is by decreasing the core body temperature.⁵ Researchers sought to evaluate the effect that a drop in core body temperature has on the ability of calorie restriction to improve one’s health span.

They compared the responses of mice on a calorie-restricted diet that were housed in a temperature-controlled room. In this study, the focus was on temperature as a driving factor. One group of mice was kept in a room with a temperature of 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit (F) and the other group at 86 degrees F.

The warmer room offered what scientists call thermoneutrality. This is a balance between the temperature of the organism and the environment so that the regulation of internal temperature remains inactive. In each room, half the mice were given as much food as they wanted, and the other half had their diet restricted by half.

Throughout the course of the study, the metabolic activity in the hypothalamus and blood plasma were measured. The data revealed that the mice in the cooler room had greater changes in life-extending factors. There were fewer changes in the group of mice living in the warmer room.

Science Is Seeking a Pharmaceutical ‘Easy Button’

Further examination of the results showed that the metabolic effects were linked to nitric oxide and leucine enkephalin. These were produced in higher amounts in the animals in the cooler room. Leucine enkephalin is an endogenous opioid neurotransmitter⁶ that scientists believe directly controls core body temperature.⁷

Bruno Conti, from the department of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, was one scientist from the study. He spoke with a reporter from Inverse about the results and the phenomenon of dropping core temperatures that has been seen in calorie restriction in other animal studies, saying:⁸

"This is an adaptive mechanism that the organisms evolved to save energy when food is scarce. By validating the pathways identified, we hope that we will pave the road for the development of calorie restriction mimetics that promote health and longevity.

Regardless of the definition, the ultimate goal is to provide the beneficial effects of calorie restriction without having to undergo either reduction of calorie intake or core body temperature."

As the reporter from Inverse writes, “Years down the line, researchers predict people may be able to derive some of calorie restriction's positive benefits — without actually reducing what they eat.”⁹ Yet, as with all pharmaceutical interventions, there will likely be side effects and adverse events that a person will not experience with intermittent fasting.

Evidence Shows Health Benefits in Humans and Animals

For a further look into how calorie restriction affects human health, the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute on Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and Duke University School of Medicine undertook a clinical trial called Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIE).¹⁰

The study engaged 218 individuals who were of normal weight or who were moderately overweight. Each person was randomly assigned to one of two groups.¹¹ Participants in the experimental group were asked to eat a calorie-restricted diet for two years consisting of 25% fewer calories than they normally ate before the study. The control group ate their regular diet.

At the end of two years they found that members of the experimental group were able to reduce their calories by 12%. They lost 10% of their body weight and sustained much of that loss. The intervention group also lowered their blood pressure and cholesterol measurements, both of which are risk factors “for age-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.”¹²

Additionally, those eating a calorie-restricted diet showed no adverse effects in their sleep patterns, sexual function, quality of life or mood. While the data showed some slight decline in bone density, lean body mass and aerobic capacity, they were not more than would generally be expected based on the weight loss the individuals experienced.

In 2012, the National Institute on Aging (NIA)¹³ published the results of a study whose premise was similar to that of a 2009 study conducted by leaders at the University of Wisconsin.¹⁴ Each set of scientists set out to explore the idea that a calorie-restricted diet in rhesus monkeys could affect life span and health span. The results from the two studies were different, so in 2017 the researchers teamed up to resolve the discrepancies by comparing data.¹⁵

The group from the University of Wisconsin fed monkeys a calorie-restricted diet with 30% fewer calories than the control group. The monkeys survived an above-average number of years as compared to other rhesus monkeys in captivity.

Although the NIA study did not find a significant effect on aging, both groups found fewer age-related health conditions as compared to the control groups.¹⁶ When the data were compared, researchers found significant differences in the types of diet, the timing of feedings and the initial age and genetics of the groups.

Scientific American reports that the researchers described one monkey that was started on the restricted diet at a late middle age of 16 years.¹⁷ At the end of the study he was 43 years, which is a record for this species and equal to a person living 130 years.

Calorie Restriction Sets Off Hormesis

The term hormesis refers to a dose-response relationship between a stimulus and a biological effect. There are significant health benefits from hormesis. Siim Land is a socio-cultural anthropologist, entrepreneur and high performance coach who wrote "Metabolic Autophagy: Practice Intermittent Fasting and Resistance Training to Build Muscle and Promote Longevity (Metabolic Autophagy Diet Book 1)."¹⁸

In his book Land defines hormesis, which can be summarized as, “what doesn't kill you is going to make you stronger.” In some cases, public health officials have used this notion to justify the release of low-level toxic exposure claiming it would ultimately be beneficial.¹⁹

The concept describes the fundamental need to adapt to various types of stimuli to enhance survival. It also produces effects that are similar to autophagy since it is stimulated by like pathways.

For instance, intermittent fasting or calorie restriction is a stressor that activates hormesis. As Land describes in my interview with him, others are high-intensity exercise and exposure to cold or heat.²⁰

"Those hormetic stressors, they kind of carry over to different areas of stress exposure. Like if I'm able to fast, then I at least notice that I'm also able to endure more cold and endure more heat, or … simply have more endurance … Other ways of activating hormesis is doing saunas and combining that with cold [exposure] like an ice bath or ice plunge …"

Cell biologist Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D., has described how the adaptation to stress also effectively boosts mitochondrial biogenesis. These short bouts of stress activate response pathways that are encoded in your genes.²¹ As I have discussed in the past, optimizing mitochondrial function is at the heart of optimal health and extremely important in disease prevention.

Your mitochondria are the energy storehouses in most cells. They perform interconnected functions that contribute to stress responses, such as autophagy and apoptosis.²² They form an interconnected network throughout the body that influence physiology and affect communication between the tissues and the cells.

They have emerged as crucial in the development of diseases, including metabolic disorders and neurodegenerative disease. This means you can activate hormesis and mitochondrial biogenesis using intermittent fasting to achieve your goal, essentially helping to lengthen health span.

Another type of environmental stress that activates these pathways is exposure to heat and cold. In a past article, “The Surprising Health Benefits of Extreme Hot and Cold Temperatures,” I discuss these concepts with Patrick and their relationship to heart and brain health as well as athletic performance.

Make Intermittent Fasting and Cyclical Ketosis Work for You

Intermittent fasting contributes to the realization of several health benefits, including longevity and health span. This is an eating pattern that seeks to mimic some of the habits of our ancestors, who had to survive when food was not available around the clock. Intermittent fasting restores your body to a more natural state. It's become clear that a continuous supply of calories does not provide your body with the optimal environment for maintaining health.

Also important to life span and health span is making the shift from carbohydrate burning to fat burning by combining intermittent fasting with a cyclical ketogenic diet. I discuss many of the strategies for doing so in, "Why Intermittent Fasting Is More Effective Combined With Ketogenic Diet."

There are many benefits to intermittent fasting, including a newly discovered function of raising the production of antioxidants and age-related metabolites.²³ These metabolites have an antiaging effect on the body and they stimulate metabolism.

There are some points to consider as you change your eating habits, however. For instance, intermittent fasting does not have to be a form of calorie restriction. Instead, you restrict the number of hours you're eating during the day. It's also important to remember that any sugar cravings will be temporary and they’ll slowly go away as your body begins to burn fat as its primary fuel.

However, as healthy as intermittent fasting is, you shouldn’t use it if your diet is filled with processed foods. Intermittent fasting is not a panacea against ill-health and excess weight, and as with all health choices, must be made with consideration for your total approach to vitality and well-being.

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