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COVID-19 Genetic Pre-Dispositions (REPOST)

(Originally written in April-May 2020) Background: Self Decode recently put out a really interesting report documenting your pre-dispositions to COVID-19, summarized below. Immunity/Supplements: As shared below, I started really focusing on immunity because of COVID-19, which led me down the SARS/ARDS/cytokine storm rabbithole as well. Genetic Pre-Dispositions I went down the rabbit hole the other day of looking into the genetic factors that can show risk pre-dispositions to severe complications from COVID-19. I used my data from my 23andMe (V5) test taken in December 2017. Prevention: TMPRSS2 – Priming stage: Before the virus binds to ACE2 receptors, TMPRSS2 changes the… Read More »COVID-19 Genetic Pre-Dispositions (REPOST)

Book Review: Carnivore Code by Paul Saladino

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  • July 17, 2020November 14, 2021

Recently, I finished up the book “Carnivore Code” by Dr Paul Saladino. I’m not exactly on the Carnivore diet bandwagon (I still eat a lot of plants), but still wanted to get a better understanding of the science behind a meat-only diet. Paul Saladino challenges many of the prevailing notions in health, and it was interesting to read his counter arguments. There are probably too many to list here, but here were a few highlights from the book: Cholesterol: Paul does a great job of detailing the important role cholesterol plays in overall health, and why you don’t just want… Read More »Book Review: Carnivore Code by Paul Saladino

medical stethoscope placed on white background

Tracking and Improving your Sleep for Better Health

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  • July 15, 2020January 26, 2024

Everybody wants the latest hack for recovery. I realized how ridiculous it was that I was scheduling time for my Normatec recovery, ice baths, infrared sauna, etc., all while skipping out on the best aid in recovery – sleep. There were several things topics that I read about that influenced my prioritization of sleep:

Sleep and ghrelin/leptin: Ghrelin and Leptin are your hunger and satiety hormones, respectively. When lacking sleep, you get the combined effect of a ghrelin spike and leptin levels falling, leading to overeating.
Sleep and the glymphatic system: The glymphatic system is responsible for the clean-up of beta-amyloid plaques and toxins, and becomes highly active during sleep – particularly in the deep sleep phase. Another factor to consider here is glycation, or when toxins can bound to glucose and become “sticky” and, thus, harder to get rid of. As a former boxer who is concerned with the onset of CTE and Alzheimer’s, I abstain from sweets before bed and keep a close eye on my deep sleep levels for this reason.
Sleep (Deep Sleep) and growth hormone: Growth hormone levels also spike during the deep sleep phase of sleep and are necessary for a good night’s sleep.
Sleep (REM) and mental health: Lack of REM is often linked to depression and other mental health disorders.

Now that I’ve talked a little about the importance of sleep, I wanted to discuss a little about my protocol and the things that I look for in my sleep. I currently self-track my sleep using an Oura ring, and often point others to the Oura Ring Sleep Stages Guide as a great guide towards sleep information.

Sleep

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  • July 14, 2020January 26, 2024

A recent focus in my life has been sleep quality. It’s something that we all intuitively understand yet, for whatever reason, choose to ignore. In 2018, when I really ramped up my training, I was often training over 50 hours a week and sleeping under 20. Now, my focus is on flipping the two – sleeping over 50 hours and training/coaching under 20. When I think about it now, I feel like I was putting in 80% more effort for, something like an extra 5-10% short-term performance gain, all while impeding my long-term health. Seems like a recipe for burnout.… Read More »Sleep

Share of the Day: Hand-Eye Coordination Drills for Boxing

Today’s share of the day is a simple hand eye coordination drill. Hand-eye coordination is really important for boxers..   I used to take our team to a place called Sensory Speed where it was all reaction and cognitive training, with things like a Dynavision board (think wack-a-mole while someone’s giving you math problems) or Fit Lights. Or they’d have these glasses you wear that shutter in and out your vision and they would throw like a green ball for you to catch with you left hand, a red ball to catch with your right, and an orange that you skip. I… Read More »Share of the Day: Hand-Eye Coordination Drills for Boxing

Downtown Yoga Shala: An Open Letter

I’m proud of my mom for the way she’s navigated her business (Downtown Yoga Shala) through the pandemic, putting the well-being of her community above all. It takes courage to stand for what you believe in with such uncertainty in the air. Now, more than ever, is the time to adapt to best serve our respective communities in a safe way. Things aren’t going “back to normal” anytime soon Another milestone for Downtown Yoga Shala. Read all about it here: https://conta.cc/2Ltq7xD

Documentary Rec: Biggest Little Farm

I didn’t think I’d be writing about this as I don’t watch TV but I watched the Biggest Little Farm and really enjoyed it! It’s a cute movie, and follows the journey of how an unlikely couple moved from Santa Monica to Moorpark to create a “simply, happy farm” with a diverse ecosystem of plants and animals with no background knowledge. They run into some challenges and always have some creative solutions to making sure the entire ecosystem is in harmony. They started this before regenerative agriculture became a buzzword, so they had a hard time finding the resources (i.e.… Read More »Documentary Rec: Biggest Little Farm

Immunity Focus during a Pandemic

Background: Self Decode recently put out a really cool report documenting your pre-dispositions to COVID-19. Immunity/Supplements: As shared below, I started really focusing on immunity because of COVID, which kind of led me down the SARS/ARDS/cytokine storm rabbithole as well. As always, the first thing to monitor is sleep and stress. The Oura Ring is being used to early detect sickness, so I’m tracking these closely. I’ve been following Peter Attia and Rhonda Patrick primarily as my sources of info. A few Mercola things but nothing lately. The “can’t hurt to try” stuff: I don’t want to be that guy that thinks… Read More »Immunity Focus during a Pandemic