Testosterone and the Modern Man by Antonio Peirce

Andropause: scourge of all that is male. Want to stop it, halt it and throw it back into whatever pit it crawled out of? Are you tired of being tired? Hate the gut? Would you like your libido back, would you like it to stay?  Would you like to regain your masculine power and feel the prowess and vitality you used to? We are modern man, and modern man must counter-balance a sometimes debilitating modern culture with modern design. Engineering your lifestyle a little and offsetting naturally declining hormone levels with Testosterone Replacement Therapy can keep you feeling like you were 25 until your 80, after that, maybe 26.

The decline of natural testosterone hinges partly on nature and largely on culture and environment. Here are a few nearly universal basics:

• Over-indulgence of rich, fatty foods and sugars boosts estrogens and slows blood flow.
• Overuse of plastics and the collateral inhalation of solvents tends to boost estrogen levels.
• Toxin build-up may hamper the body’s ability to lose weight and cause depression, preventing testosterone production and increasing estrogen.
• A stationary lifestyle does not place a demand on the body to produce testosterone, so it doesn’t.

In general, a diet rich in protein and vegetables with a moderate, low glycemic intake of carbohydrates and some healthy fats (olive oil, fish-oil, coconut oil, nut butters) is ideal for most men. Carbohydrates are an energy source. If you do not perform physical labor of some kind throughout the day, you are not burning tons of energy and thereby should not eat tons of carbohydrates. Eating your carbs early in the day is best, as that gives you all day to burn them. A meal of vegetables and protein is ideal in the evening.

Avoiding plastics and estrogen encouraging fumes is essential. Microwave dinners and sun heated water bottles are two main culprits you can easily put an end to. No more microwave dinners and purchase a metal or glass water bottle. Be sure to work in a well ventilated area when using paint, automobile products (lubricants, cleaners and sealants), and when working with chemicals of any kind around the house (particularly pesticides, herbicides, bleaches, etc.).

Toxins slow the body’s functions down and significantly hamper testosterone production. Should you feel that you have an inordinate toxin build-up in your system a good detox is in order. Saunas, plenty of greens, castor-oil liver-packs, exercise, and some detoxifying supplementation would be very helpful. Other considerations you and your Bodhi Physician may discuss might include heavy metals chelating and/or a custom detox based on your specific needs.

Exercise is key to maintaining natural testosterone levels, whether supplementing your Testosterone or not. Men must exercise. There is no way around it. Remaining stationary causes weight gain, which increases fat, which encourages estrogen, which lowers total testosterone, which causes weight gain. It is a vicious cycle. End it with exercise, preferably resistance exercise at least 3 days per week to increase lean muscle mass and maintain a healthy heart and steady blood pressure. This encourages natural Testosterone production, increases your body’s ability to detox and keeps you in good shape to enjoy the benefits of greater Testosterone and vitality. Commit to exercising 45 minutes a day at least three times a week. Make it a permanent addition to your lifestyle. Weight lifting, resistance bands (Life-Line, Bowflex, etc.), calisthenics (push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups and jacks, though we aren’t talking 10 of each and your good), or any combination of the three will all work. Remember, change up the routine every three months and keep it difficult. If it isn’t hard, it is not telling your body to produce more muscle and thereby testosterone, enjoy the challenge, enjoy the benefits. This will also continue burn calories throughout your day at work and at home as your body works to acclimate.

These are necessities in any man’s life, so how do you take it step, or a leap or a bound further. How do you take advantage of all that is modern? How do you optimize? You come into Bodhi, and discuss your particular lifestyle, health concerns and goals for the future with your Bodhi Physician. In addition to what you and your physician discuss, you get your Total and Free Testosterone levels measured via blood test. Should your levels come back sub-optimal, your physician will likely recommend Testosterone Replacement in conjunction with supplementation to build and maintain your optimized body and prevent conversion or binding of your Testosterone to estrogens. A step further than this might include the addition of IV Therapy. IV Therapy delivers therapeutic doses of vitamins, minerals and amino acids directly into your blood stream, guaranteeing absorption. Different ratios of these things generate different effects in the body. Elimination of toxins, reversal of various diseases, accelerated healing, rejuvenation of energy and vitality, increased ability to gain and maintain muscle mass are just a few uses IV therapy can be employed towards.

Not sure? Come in for a complimentary 15 minute consult with a Bodhi Physician to see if you feel comfortable at Bodhi and discuss what we can do for you and how we would do it. We look forward to meeting you and optimizing your path to vitality and wellness.

Integrative medicine.   You may have been presented with this idea before, but what is integrative medicine?  Ponder for one moment what this type of medicine involves?  Who can it help?  Am I someone who should consider being treated by an integrative physician?  What kind of doctor practices integratively?  Finally, the question on every person’s mind: can it help me?

Before this questions can be answered one must understand how the non-integrative or “conventional doctor” practices.  “Conventional” physicians are trained in two modalities, drugs and surgery.  Therefore, when you visit a “conventional” physician one can expect to be treated for their particular condition with one or both of these approaches.  Once an individual receives a diagnosis, the treatment is already decided. If a suitable diagnosis cannot be established, the “watch and wait” technique is employed while the person’s illness grows.  The truth is that the vast majority of “conventional” physicians never deviate from the accepted, mundane treatment no matter how ineffective, toxic, or inefficient the therapy may be.  The result is that all illnesses are treated as if they were acute diseases.  However, most diseases that plague man are chronic and long term.  The result is an inevitable downward spiral of disease that continually worsens and worsens.  We are no strangers to this phenomenon.  We have all bore witness to the continual deterioration of those who have solely relied on conventional medicine for their health care.  “Conventional” medicine simply means treating the symptoms and not the cause.

Integrative medicine is a way of delivering medicine that combines conventional medicine and alternative medicine.  Alternative meaning that the physician thinks outside of the box and utilizes the biochemistry, physiology, anatomy, nutrition, he/she was originally educated as the foundation for treating chronic disease.  Since these basic sciences are the origin of illness itself, an educated and diverse physician with knowledge in these realms can deliver treatments that target the cause of the disease.  An integrative physician will use all the tools necessary to restore and optimize a person’s health including nutrition, biochemistry, plant pharmacology, acupuncture, homeopathy, detox, diet, colonics, infrared sauna, chiropractic medicine, massage, IV therapies, hydrotherapy, injections, drugs, and surgery.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of conventional medical schools completely ignores the fact that nutrition plays a role in disease and therefore do not require these courses for their medical students.  Without this critical information, their medical students graduate unable to practice integrative medicine unless they seek and complete additional medical training in these integrative areas – which many do.

It is in your best interest to seek an integrative physician no matter what the diagnosis or prognosis. Integrative physicians and practitioners include NMD’s, (Naturopathic Medical Doctors) MD’s, DO’s, DC’s, (Chiropractors), L.Ac (Acupuncturists) and Homeopaths.   It is never too late to feel better and reverse illness.  It is your life.  You must in essence become your own advocate for health.  The first step is finding a skilled integrative practitioner and making an appointment to begin the process.  Understand one thing.  There are no absolutes in life.  For example: If you leave two hours early for work there is no guarantee that you won’t be late.  Maybe the road got shut down, you got lost, there was an accident, etc.  Medicine is the same way.  Conventional physicians deal in absolutes, which rarely ever are the only options.  You always have another option.

Dr John D Williamson NMD

Dr. John Williamson provides integrative medical care to his patients at Bodhi Body Integrative Medical Centers in Chandler and Scottsdale, Arizona.

by Bodhi Yoga Program Director Kristen Butler

I recently read that living yoga master, B.K.S. Iyengar, begins his day with a bath, a drink of milky coffee with sugar and an hour’s practice of pranayama, the yogic art of breath control to release energy throughout the body.

The combination must be working for him! Iyengar is 91 years old and has followed the yogic path for over 70 years.

He says, “The yogi’s life is not measured by the number of his days but by the number of his breaths.”

I’ll take his word for it. After all, humans can survive for three days without water and nearly six weeks without food, but only moments without a breath of oxygen.

So how does one begin to comprehend pranayama – a topic and science that is literally as vast as the air we breathe?

First, let’s understand the term and its goal.

Prana is usually translated as breath (although it is also often referred to as the energizing force within the breath), and ayama means regulation of the breath.

Pranayama includes a process of controlled, extended inhalations and exhalations, as well as retention of the breath. Inhalations and retentions distribute prana or energy throughout the body. Exhalations release toxins from the system.

The practice of pranayama seeks to quiet the mind by bringing it under control through smooth, deep and rhythmic breaths. Through pranayamic breathing, the brain becomes calm, and the body’s blood stream is saturated with oxygen. This allows the nervous system and every organ to function more effectively.

Sounds simple? It isn’t. The art of pranayama can take a lifetime to master as it reaches beyond the physiological level to spiritual dimensions, where, according to yogic texts, our consciousness opens into its natural and pure state.

However, there is hope! A regular yoga asana practice can help remove obstacles that impede the flow of prana.

You can make a beginning by approaching your pranayama practice during class with these simple steps:

1. Give up the struggle. In pranayama, the breath is drawn in and released gently and gradually. There are no sudden movements.
2. Don’t stress. Keep your body and facial muscles relaxed. Eventually, you will become aware of the smooth and stable flow of the breath to the most remote parts of the lungs.
3. Count. Try breathing in to a count of five and out to a count of five with a slight pause between inhalations and exhalations.
4. Go with the flow. Remember that during asana practice, you will typically perform an upward motion (expansion) while inhaling and a downward motion (contraction) while exhaling. Follow your body’s cues.
5. Snore. A little snoring sound and sensation can help regulate the breath. Don’t be shy! Try partially closing the glottis in the back of the throat to create this effect.

Here’s to you and a long life filled with many happy breaths!