Readers Summary
- What is evolutionary strategy based upon?
- Why is circadian biology critical?
- How does circadian biology react in normal environments?
- How might disrupted circadian biology lead to cancer?
- What might you consider adding to The Leptin Rx Reset Protocol?
Evolutionary strategy is based upon finding an environmental niche and exploiting it. Evolution is based upon change and the natural adaptations to it. Today, we are going to explore how some environmental triggers might open a “biochemical trap door” that will allow me to add a new recommendation for you to consider adding to the Leptin Rx reset protocol for those who are LR.
I am beginning a series on circadian biology to show you how this all ties in together. Today, I will give you a very cursory review of why circadian biology, leptin, and environment are critical to using the Quilt to obtain your Optimal life.
Why is circadian biology critical to humans?
For evolution to work Optimally, a cell first must adapt to its environment. The first situation any living cell would be subjected to in an earth day is a period of day and night. Over time it would also be subject to the seasons in our environment because of the earth’s revolution, tilt, and angulations of the sun. As time continued on, further life would have been subjected to solar variations and would have had to account for it. It also has to find food to make energy (ATP) to survive, and it also has to control its own cellular division. The epic battle for the cell is to have the regularly expected circadian cycles found in our environment and ”yoke” those signals to its metabolic cycle and to its growth cycle. Most people know that the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the brain is where the circadian pacemaker lies in humans. It monitors this dance between darkness and light, and the seasonal cold and hot temperatures in our environment to help control and monitor our own growth and development. Evolution apparently agreed to use these signals in all living things because this is what it uses for all life on earth today. What most people do not know is how leptin plays a massive role in regulating it. Many people and physicians think it plays a small role. Recent research has revealed that leptin can induce expression of a neuropeptide called vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) through the VIP cytokine response element. This is an epigenetic modification from our environment directly signaling the master hormone in our body. So what does VIP actually do?
VIP actually is what sets the circadian pacemaker to the light cycles. This enables Leptin to then yoke metabolism and sleep directly to the light and dark cycles of our day. So what happens when light levels are not strong during seasons? When temperature becomes the dominant environmental trigger and not light cycles, leptin induces endothelial nitric oxide synthetase (eNOS) that shuts down the photic effects of VIP on the SCN. This means that leptin uncouples the SCN to be unable use light as the main stimulus to yoke circadian cycles. Once temperature becomes the dominant method of entrainment used to yoke the circadian rhythms to leptin, some very unique things happen to our biochemistry that normally do not occur in other environments. These are ancient epigenetic programs that are hardwired into the DNA of every descendant of any eutherian mammal on this planet. We are descended from these animals as well.
So what happens in normal environments you ask?
When it is night time, the interior of our cells become more reduced chemically and electrically. (A lower redox state like we saw in the mitochondrial series). During a low redox time cells are usually recycling their components using autophagy during sleep. During the day while energy is being made to explore the environment the cell is more oxidized because of increased leakiness of the mitochondria at cytochrome one. Remember the more we leak electrons from our mitochondria, the faster we age and the more neolithic diseases we succumb too. Another interesting coupling occurs between the circadian cycle and with the cell cycle. They are linked together via the PER 1 and PER 2 genes. PER 2 directly affects the cell cycle when the cell divides. Cell division is called mitosis. Mitosis is the phase in the cell that occurs just before cell division to generate an offspring. The mammalian period 2 gene plays a key role in tumor growth in mice; mice with a mPER2 knockout show a significant increase in tumor development and a significant decrease in apoptosis. It should be clear because of these links that just a simple mismatch in circadian cycles can lead to the development of cancer and neolithic disease. Circadian biology is crucial to Optimal health.
How does cancer occur when the circadian cycles are off?
Many people seem to be unaware that just living a life in-congruent to light and temperature cycles set us up for neolithic disease. The reason is quite simple. Immunity has been show to be directly tied to the normal circadian clocks. Proof of this is found in animals who are sleep deprived excessively tend to die of sepsis. It is also the reason why those with sleep apnea suffer from multitudes of neolithic disease. We are going to explore that this year.
Is it possible that a serious deadly neolithic disease could be linked to poor sleep or to an altered normal human circadian cycle for any reason? The short answer is absolutely yes, it can be. This is thought to be caused by mPER2 circadian deregulation of common tumor suppression and cell cycle regulation genes, such as Cyclin D1, Cyclin A, Mdm-2, and Gadd45α; as well as the transcription factor c-myc, which is directly controlled by circadian regulators through E box-mediated reactions. It is fine if you do not know all the detailed biochemistry here, but it is critical for you to know what the consequences are to your body if you allow your neolithic life to subvert your paleolithic genes. The consequence over time could kill you. It sounds hard to believe until you see the research papers showing how circadian mismatches lead to cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. The key is that these epigenetic environmental signals cause our DNA to malfunction when there is a problem between leptin (master hormone) and circadian cycles. This means that sleep is tied directly into to cell cycle functioning and directly into cell mediated immunity by evolutionary design as well. This is why heart attacks also show a strong circadian cycle tie to early AM occurrences because this is when cortisol levels are highest. It appears this is the signal for plaque rupture. Research clearly shows that mammalian immunity is destroyed when sleep is destroyed. It appears that sleep apnea directly affects the chronic diseases of aging and likely plays a role in cancer development as well.
Should we consider adding another step to The Leptin Rx Protocol?
What about cold environments make them different for our biochemistry?
Okay, it’s time to hurt your head with a little biochemistry.
Normally in leptin sensitive humans, higher levels of leptin lead to increases in cortisol levels when we eat, and they decreases leptin levels when we are in a fasted or calorie diminished state. If we overeat, it leads to excessive levels of leptin and cortisol. If we starve (or anorexia), cortisol levels also become excessive. Both of the pathways with high cortisol levels lead to high levels of reverse T3, and inactivation of the thyroid of thyroid hormones to work optimally. In fact, T4 and T3 are competitive inhibited when cortisol levels are elevated. So replacing those low levels does nothing to improve the thyroid situation. You must alter the elevated leptin or cortisol levels to make any head way in your condition or on your labs to get to optimal. When the thyroid is shut off, thyroid stimulating hormone (TRH) inhibits food intake, which acts downstream of the leptin-melanocortin pathways in the brain. So how can we flip a switch to lower leptin and cortisol at home without a doctor?
When our environments become very cold, it induces humans to release leptin from fat and lowers its levels very abruptly. It also induces the formation of brown fat from white fat. This occurs by a specific epigenetic programs controlled by temperature and hormones. Cold environments also lower inflammatory cytokines, which lead to lower cortisol levels in patients who exist in these environments. The biggest surprise about cold thermogenesis is its affect on reverse T3 levels. In cold environments, leptin and cortisol levels remain quite low. These two epigenetic signals open the door to a metabolic pathway where the formation of reverse T3 is not possible for the person. This is in direct counter distinction to normal or warm environment situations which favors the formation of high levels of T3. Many of you who test have found just how hard it is to lower your own reverse T3 on demand with diet or exercise alone.
In fact, cold environmental conditions favor the formation of optimal T3 and T4 levels. It also activates the leptin-melanocortical pathway. This fact alone allows us some amazing abilities that I will explore in 2012. I plan on discussing this in detail in May of 2012 on Jimmy Moore’s cruise if you’re interested in coming. This pathway is not used often by humans these days. Cold favors the formation of alpha MSH, beta-endorphin, and optimal ACTH levels via its action on the POMC proteins produced in the hypothalamus. Cold forces elevations of TRH release to serves as a controller of mammalian body temperature because cold exposure leads to rising levels of TRH and thyroid hormones to stimulate thermogenesis at muscles via the uncoupling proteins. I know many of you do not understand the complex biochemistry and honestly, it’s not that important to implementing this and having an actionable plan. But I promise in 2012, I will teach you how to use these amazing programs built into our DNA to take you to places you might have never seen in your life. I have been working at this process myself for the last 18 months, and I believe I have it down to where you, the readers, can begin to use it to your benefit. In January 2012, I performed an epic bio hack on myself to reveal just how powerful the effects of cold are on leptin and our biochemistry. I am now employing this clinically in certain situations that call for it.
The induction of TRH by cold is a major benefit to The Leptin Rx Protocol.
Many obese people struggle with low thyroid function. Many people hit plateaus because of hypothyroidism. Cold environmental triggers can reverse this situation. Many people are surprised to find this out, but the basis of this is found in diabetes. All true mammals that hibernate use insulin resistance to be the signal to signal them to den. The cold environment is what reverses their insulin resistance during their sleep, and they emerge from their den no longer diabetic or insulin resistant. This is a game changer for those with T2D. This is a completely inducible program that is epigenetically wired into human DNA. If we alter the environment we live in, we might be able to reverse metabolic syndrome while raising adrenal function and thyroid function without any exogenous hormone modification at all!
Best of all, the Leptin Rx could not work well on those with previous gastric bypass surgery that disconnected their vagus nerve from their guts. The use of cold thermogenesis renders that exclusion null and void now. The same is true for those on the injectable HCG protocol. Cold thermogenesis works to rewire the hypothalamus, even when the vagus nerve is not optimally functioning. This has some major benefits to patients who have special issues or needs that the Leptin Rx does not address now. If you add this factor of the Leptin Rx, it will advance your results rather dramatically as well. Cold induces a program in us that does not use the vagus nerve at all to help rewire us using neuroplasticity.
Cold induction is the next evolutionary step of the Leptin Rx and it is what I call Factor X in 2012. In 2012, we will explore how to exploit this to demolish your plateaus and light you on fire to get to optimal.
Soon, I will be getting deep into circadian biology and explaining some of the complex biochemistry for those of you who want to know how this process is activated and works in the human body. I will also begin to tell you how to use cold to force your brain to rewire to help your own biology and break plateau’s to get you to Optimal.
You can begin to transform tomorrow by rewiring your brain today!
More Support: Webinars by Dr. Kruse
- Factor X (May 2012)
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Additional Resources
- Leptin Reset Easy Start Guide
- My Leptin Prescription
- The Quilt
- What Powers Life and Death?
- The Cold Thermogenesis Protocol
Cites
- http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.pharmtox.47.120505.105208
- http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19890013690_1989013690.pdf
- Boulouard, R.: Effects of Cold and Starvation on Adrenocortical Activity of Rats. Fed. Proc., vol. 22, 1963, p. 750.
- Alexander, G.: Cold Thermogenesis. Intern. Review of Physiology. Environ. Physiol. 111, D. Robertshaw, ed., vol. 20, University Park Press, Baltimore, 1979, pp. 43-155.
- Asmussen,E.;Bonde-Petersen,F.;andJorgensen,K.: MechanoelasticPropertiesofHumanMusclesat Different Temperatures. Acta Physiol. Scand., vol. 96, 1976, p. 83.
- Benzinger, T. H.: Heat Regulation: Homeostasis of Central Temperature in Man. Physiol. Rev., VO~.49, 1969,pp. 671-758.
- Albrecht, U., Sun, Z.S., Eichele, G., and Lee, C.C. (1997). A differential response of two putative mammalian circadian regulators, mPer1 and mPer2 to light. Cell 91, 1055-1064.
- Anderson, L.E., Morris, J.E., Sasser, L.B., and Stevens, R.G. (2000). Effect of constant light on DMBA mammary tumorigenesis in rats. Cancer Lett. 148, 121-126.
- Bae, K., Jin, X., Maywood, E.S., Hastings, M.H., Reppert, S.M., and Weaver, D.R. (2001). Differential functions of mPer1, mPer2, and mPer3 in the SCN circadian clock. Neuron 30, 525-536.
- Balsalobre, A., Damiola, F., and Schibler, U. (1998). A serum shock induces circadian gene expression in mammalian tissue culture cells. Cell 93, 929-937.
- Banks, L., Matlashewski, G., and Crawford, L. (1986). Isolation of human p53-specific monoclonal antibodies and their use in the stud- ies of human p53 expression. Eur. J. Biochem. 159, 529-534.
- Barbason, H., Herens, C., Robaye, B., Milis, G., Sulon, J., Bouzahzah, B., and VanCantfort, J. (1995). Importance of cell kinetics rhythmicity for control of cell proliferation and carcinogenesis in rat liver. In Vivo 9, 539-548.
Wow! How cold? How much? How often?
@Jenny……..that will come in due time.
So, spend more time outside? Lower the heat in the house? Put on the air con in the winter? Sleeping more and better I do understand, but the cold part I don't get as far as how to implement this. I think when you are hypothyroid you tend to be cold all the time. Since doing Leptin Rx, I feel warmer, not as cold all the time.
@Cw…….I just jumped in a 51 degree lake for 19 minutes and walked naked to my deck and sat for one hour in 27 degree temps…….took me 18 months to do it. And when you find out why I did it you will be floored. On the Leptin Rx you will feel warmer…….and it will allow you to to do things you could not imagine doing. Cold thermogenesis extends those abilities to an amazing degree.
You inspired me after we talked today. My daughter reminded me of the pool in her backyard. It was 48 degrees and we got in for 20 minutes. After about 3 minutes, my skin went numb and I wasn't even that cold, oddly enough. We immersed up to our chests. I hope that was deep enough.
We were totally UP and energized after! I still feel good and I never would have dreamed it. Wow!
@Collleen……..you know more than anyone else but my wife…….so no fair! I just jumped in freezing water and feel like a rockstar. No one else could do this without the training it took me to get there to be able to do this. The benefits are mind numbing.
Dr. K,
Is there any harm in following the leptin reset protocol if one isn't 100% positive they are LR? I definitely have an elevated RT3 and other hormonal issues along with difficulty getting sound, restful sleep.
I'm not overweight though. I'm about 5'6" and 115 lbs. I gain very easily though if my carbs goes even slightly over 50 gm per day. Could that be a leptin issue? I don't eat grains, fruit, sugar or any processed foods. I've been eating this way for over a year now – all meat, good animal fats and veggies. I thought at some point I'd be able to add in some more carbs, at least starchier veggies like sweet potatoes, but each time I try I gain immediately.
Will the leptin reset help this? Thanks!
@Marisa Harm…….no.
Thanks Dr. K. Do you think the leptin rx can help with the carb intolerance?
@Marisa Not everyone can go back to carbs…….after being on the Leptin Rx my self for a 12 months……i was able to eat anything including carbs I wanted…….so is it possible. Yes. I have some T2D and T1.5 D that have completely reversed their problems and can now eat anything they want. My opinion the cold i have rewired them too was a huge factor in their recovery.
I'm shocked, SHOCKED at how great I felt. You've been talking about it on the Mark's Daily Apple forum for weeks but I've been saying to myself, no way! LOL But you talked me into it. I can't wait to find out the right way to do it and all about it. I'm just kind of doing what everyone else is doing but I hope I'm doing it right. LOL
Oh Doc, really? It would be so wonderful to be able to eat more carbs than I can now. I could get addicted to the cold soak. My daughter is a skinny little thing but she loved it too. She's hoping it helps the circadian rhythms.
There are many on the MDA forum with reverse T3. How long does it take for the cold baths to help that?
@ Colleen I have just touched on circadian rhythms…….wait till i hit them full force. People complain about the biochemistry of my posts…….but when they start to dive into them they begin to see why I post them. I know my vision is not for everyone……..but I will drag you to optimal if you are a willing participant. Humans suffer predominately not from their vices, bad habits, or as we fall prey to our worst weaknesses, but we suffer most from our neolithic illusions of what we are presently. I say look in the mirror of today's reality and get a check up. That is what I am about. I am not for everyone………but I feel I can help everyone in some capacity.
The MDA forum seems to be down. Bummed when I want everyone to see this blog!
@Colleen forget MDA…….the HCG folks should be lit on fire.
Dr. K I think that I have some nerve damage from my disk disease. I used to have intense pain down my right leg but I no longer have that since I had lumbar surgery. The problem is that if my leg gets cold at night, I have excruciating spasms in my ankle and foot (exactly where the pain would "explode" before surgery) so I have been sleeping with an electric blanket to keep my leg warm. Will sleeping warm reverse the benefits of a lake dunk?
@Julie………I will shock you now. I will give you a heads up here on the blog. How do you cold thermogensis to help you right now……..? Determine where your maximal pain is right now in your leg. I want you then to to slowly over 4-6 weeks to slowly add circumferential cold (ice is easy) to the area above your leg pain…….apply the ice in a ziplock bag directly to your skin until it begins to become red and numb…….increase it every day……..until you become pretty comfortable with it being on your leg. (4-6 weeks) Then you will begin to notice some unusual things………then as time goes on you can apply the ice but you will notice you won't need it as long to get relief…….you will notice that you relief becomes cumulative as you add the ice. In fact you will notice that you might only need an hour at a time to sustain pain relief for 4-6 hours. The key is to apply the ice consistently in the beginning. Soon I will have special garments available for you to use to control the protocol as you need it based upon you pain. right now you can do this at home. And you will also notice as you do this some other very interesting issues that develop.
Thanks Dr. K. I don't understand why the hcg folks should be lit on fire. Please explain :). In the meanwhile, while you are working on more details, should I take cold, very cold, showers? I did two round of hcg last year and have gained back the weight I lost, 13 lbs. I think I could by hypothyroid. I didn't gain the weight back because of eating anything wrong. I still eat no sugar and no grains. My very low carb diet, under 20 grams, might be wrong for me and caused some issues. Do you think hcg is bad for some people? Causes hormonal issues? I didn't gain weight so easily before hcg and my weight gain is tied to my cycle each month. Problem is I can't lose the weight again. I eat paleo and have for 3 years, mostly eggs, grass-fed beef, coconut oil and grass-fed butter on cooked veggies, just starting adding some sweet potato/yams and a little fruit. Cold shower for me tomorrow morning? Is 3 minutes long enough, lol?
@CW I will explain why cold is like setting fat burning on fire………todays post was meant to wet your palate. I spoke to Colleen Coble tonight and i gave her a pretty good flavor at the depth I went to to prove a theory I have had for 5 yrs about cold thermogenesis……….and lets just say it worked like a charm. My advice is get naked and get cold……..train your body as much and as fast as you can. I have been doing it now 18 months. I think I will show you over 2012 just how well it works.
Loved this post after weeks of you hinting about it coming! I don't have a pool but will a cold shower do? In winter it gets cold here… Guess I could do my 40 min walks in tees and shorts? As you know I hit plateaus every 2nd week so this might do the trick.
@Glamorama…..you are entering our August, embrace ice baths…….you need to get back to Norwegian activities down under…….so you can implement this soon……my suggestion is 40 lbs ice of on your gut…….or ice baths not showers until your cherry red and numb……..then report back to me in July and August……and tell me if the good doc did not find a link you like? you can train your brain to rewire…….teach it that you are in the Arctic back in Norway while eating a ketogenic paleo diet.
@Stan great email question!!! My opinion is that sleep is not an evolutionary adaptation. I believe sleep is our primordial condition!!!!
My current belief about sleep is a bit more radical than you propose Stan. Think about this for a minute. Did we evolve sleep in the first place? Moreover, did we evolve wakefulness before sleep? I think sleep is the primordial condition. Think about it for a minute to make some sense of it. There is some logic to it. Evolution is based upon finding an environmental niche and exploiting it. A behavior is then naturally selected for according to Darwinian theory. To be active requires wakefulness and not sleep. In an evolutionary mindset maybe sleep is where we all start and evolution selected us to evolve wakefulness so we could explore our environment. After all at the dawn of life what did an organism need to do? Think about it my proposal here now Stan. What am I saying?
What do I need to be and how do I preserve myself?
It needed to have a sense of self and to distinguish itself from the environment. When you are awake in the environment you have to adapt to the environment, you change and transform. To monitor that change we need to have homeostatic pathways to keep ourselves rooted so that we know exactly what we are up to! When we sleep we cannot evolve to our environment because we are unconscious.
But when we awake we can perceive changes to our environment. I think wakefulness is a prerequisite for evolution and I think sleep is our primordial condition and not the one we evolved too……….radical thought? That is my middle name Stan.
Jack, this is a topic I recently developed great interest in, but have found good information severely lacking. I look forward to your coming posts!
This week I started experimenting with cold showers (54 degrees), but am confused on how to manage this with mild Raynaud's. Should I try to keep hands and feet warm while showering? Should I purposely get them as cold as possible even if it triggers the Raynaud's, with hopes of eventually extinguishing the response? Any thoughts on how to proceed?
@Rodney……with Raynaud's you need to use central cold thermogenesis. That is precisely what I do anyway with Raynaud's. I place 60-80lb of ice on my thorax and abdomen posteriorly and anteriorly. The amount of time I do it now is substantially longer than when I began. But you can begin to train to rewire your brain now. With Raynaud's that is a heavy omega 6 disorder. So I would tell you you need to eat a ton of SFA and 03's Krill oil should be your friend.
This is VERY exciting! I can't wait to learn all the details of how to accomplish this cold you talk about. (Colleen, you cheated!!! No fair! 😀 ). You are teasing us with so little information and I am feeling anxious. Please keep writing and posting as quickly as you can!!!
Dr. Kruse,
Could you also elaborate on why inuits do so well on 90% protein/fat and their cold adaptations (although I heard they are susceptible to hemorrhagic stroke from copper deficiency) and why African bushmen it the warm climates can run around almost naked at 8% bodyfat?
@BenG The Inuits are adapted to this diet because that is where the nutrient density on our planet lies at its poles where it is freezing…….in the deep sea and oceans. It is also why polar animals of all types are long lived, why they are black and white and more pigmented, and why they can brave elements better and why they handle the extremes of environmental stressors well. African Bushman may have 8% boy fat and look great but they can't do some of the things that the Inuit can do…….and I will show you why that is biochemically true. And the Native Inuit would have better longevity that the african Bushman too………
Also, I the study below shows obese (LR I'd assume) don't get BAT activation in cold like lean people do, so how can this work if you are LR?
See http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa080871…
@BenG…..with chronicity of the environment the cold sculpts your epigenetic switches to force the program to work. There is not stop button for it. It takes longer to activate in those who are LR but it still works.
Woke up, read this post, got out of bed and ran in 20 degree weather before the sun came up. Not naked, light jacket for day 1. Thank you, Jack, I needed that. Ready to kick some _ss today!
@Sheryl……I was out there in the elements in my birthday suit. 28 this AM.
@otzi from MDA monster thread……. Originally Posted by otzi
Just when I'm convinced Dr. Kruse is making all this Leptin Reset stuff up, I read this:
"Synaptic plasticity – the ability of the synaptic connections between the brain's neurons to change and modify over time — has been shown to be a key to memory formation and the acquisition of new learning behaviors. Now research led by a scientific team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) reveals that the neural circuits controlling hunger and eating behaviors are also controlled by plasticity…."
For full article: Scientists delve into the brain roots of hunger @ http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-scientists-…
"The role of plasticity has generally not been evaluated in neuronal circuits that control feeding behavior and with this new discovery we can start to unravel the basic mechanisms underpinning hunger and gain a greater understanding of the factors that influence weight gain and obesity," explains senior author Bradford Lowell, MD, PhD, an investigator in BIDMC's Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS).
@Marilyn form an email……..Dear Dr. Kruze
You are brilliant !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My husband found your website in the course of his continual research to improve our health, which he has done greatly. He told me "you have to see this web site–this guy is brilliant"" You are/
. Thank your for your website!!!!
. Thank you for teaching 1st year medical student nutrition and about all the brain body connections!!!!! The problem with most conventional doctors is not all of them are very good at bio chemistry-do not have much course work in it and seem to know almost nothing about nutrition.
. I have come across some of the info you describe by too much hard work on my part to solve many of my health problems because doctors had no idea what to do. Also, if I had followed their advice —which seemed primarily to be enriching the pockets of pharmaceutical companies and vendors of testing and implant equipment—I am sure I would not be as healthy as I now am, in fact there is actually a real possibility I would be dead..
Your web site is going to save and improve the lives of many people.I told my qi gong teacher I was looking for epigenetic markers to turn off some bad snips related to the Angiotensin genes I had. My qi gong teacher, Brian Coffey , told me afew months ago that I could down regulate and upregulate the genetic polymorphisms that were causing some of my health problems, by using my mind.( I had taken 3 panels of genetic test to show snips that could be improved by diet and lifestyle with drugs as the last resort— from Genova Diagnostics) I thought this was very amazing because it was working–togethr with a change of diet—and I wanted a scientific explanation for the phenomena–which led to so much reading. I am happy to see the same conclusion from a more mainstream source, and the actual physical explanation involving neuro peptides, and the other substances..
I hope medicine changes so that all doctors know what you know—and healthcare in the US is not just treating disease but preventing it. Even in Germany–if you went to a gp because you had moderate high blood pressure they would try Hawthorn and diet change rather than all kinds of drugs–1st.
Hi Jack,
I live in S. Florida.I'm European decent. What do you recommend for people who live in the tropics. I plan to switch my hot showers for cold and take ice water baths. Will this be enough?
Jenni
@Jenni……ice baths work anywhere in the world.
Looks like you may need to start a polar bear club:
"Feel the Freezer Burn: Losing Weight by Chilling the Body"
excerpt: "By exposing his body to cold in the right ways, he theorized, he could boost his weight loss. In fact, he doubled how fast he lost weight using these techniques, losing 30 pounds in six weeks."
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/nasa-scient…
@BenG it has bigger effects for a certain group of patients. Weight loss is one but not the biggest.
At -15C here in Sweden, there is no problem finding cold places. Just open the front door!
However, I'm very curious about how long I should be exposed to that kind of cold since I don't want to catch one!
What's the Rx doc?! 🙂
@Erik……its coming.
The guy on the video below did ice water. 15 minutes legs bottom. Final 5 minutes torso too. Lost 16.5lbs (about 7kg) in 30 days. He warns it's dangerous if you have heart disease, etc, but I bet it's safer than DNP.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSg1n2OGacM&fe…
Dr. Kruse,
Thank you so much for your blog & I love where this is heading! I can personally speak of the therapeutic benefits of an ice bath after a rugby match. I was shocked at how much better I felt both immediately and the next day. It was almost miraculous in comparison to the way I normally felt post match.
@Larry NFL football players use this for recovery as well.
Speaking of cold & post-leptin Rx, I have a question. I was almost thru the leptin reset when I took "time off" food-wise for the holidays…16 days, to be exact. 🙁 Seems I ruined the reset. I had reached the point where I had gained weight & then was losing, was so comfortable temp-wise that I turned my thermostat down to 67 (I who used to shiver with cold at 71 degrees!!!) and completely shocked my husband. I also went from unable to fast at all to easily going 4-6 hours between meals. Now, after messing up how I ate over the holidays, I am cold again. I had no idea till this blog that the leptin reset was what was raising my metabolism & enabling me to enjoy a cold house! Do I need to completely re-start the leptin reset? If so, will it take as long this time?
@Mimi I think keeping the temp down is great. I have a room in my house where I keep it at 50-55 degrees. Your reset time is based upon your level of inflammation.
Hi Dr. Kruse
As always, you're able able to push the boundaries even further. I can't wait to hear about your 'cold' protocol.
Now I have a few unrelated questions:
1) How do you have time to write all these posts, exercise, cook, jump in a lake, and still work 90 hours a week? I work about 60 hours a week and feel like there isn't enough time in the day to fit everything in.
2) If I can only consistently workout first thing in the morning, would you advise me to switch my workouts to the evening (~5:30) even though I won't be able to workout as much as if I did them in the morning?
3) Body-fat: You don't seem to place much of an importance on it once someone is not fat (say for example, 15-20% for a male). My question is do you think a male can get down to sub-10% without disrupting their health (for example from severe calorie restriction)?
4) Lastly, in early December I cut my carb intake down close zero since I live in the northeast, but I found that after a couple of days, my mood really went south. And not just typical carb withdrawal anger, I'm talking a real disruption in mood that I've never experienced before(always looking at the negative side of things, not cheerful, losing hope) and I'm usually a happy guy. Since I've brought back in some sugar and starch, these thoughts have completely gone away. Do you have any idea what could have prompted this?
Thanks!
-Mark
@Mark 1. We make times for things that make us well. 2. You have to figure this one out based upon your schedule. I lay out pretty clearly what times are best. Use that as your guide and make adjustments based upon your neolithic constraints 3. BF is great adaptation. Lowered BF is a neolithic goal for many men now…….I am not so sure this is a smart long term longevity move and this is where I begin to divorce myself from some others beliefs. 4. In winter when this happens many people blame carbs……I blame low Vitamin D levels and low T3 levels. Both ironically are raised in cold. Most people however run from the cold instead of using it to their advantage. Instead they run to foods (carb) that normal are not present in our environment normally in winter to make them feel better instead of adapting to cold that does the exact same thing. In winter we stop using light cycles and use temperature often to control our circadian cycle. There is actually a switch on SCN in humans that causes this that too few people seem to be aware of. The reason is not used often is because people eat the same diet yr round and do not subject themselves to what a wild animal or a primitive human would…….but this is how we are wired. IT is a biologic mismatch we create.
Also, while I know that you're going to lay out more details about this cold topic in future posts, for now would it be beneficial to do simple things like: taking cold showers, wearing lighter or no jackets in the winter, keeping the house cooler/wearing less clothes in general? Hopefully doing stuff like this would help, because I just can't fit in an ice bath consistently. Thanks again.
Dr Kruse. Can you target the cold? For example, would ice packs applied to the neck have any effect on production of rt3? I'm thinking cold applied to the neck might effect both the pituitary and the thyroid.
@Huck this is precisely what I do…….now……but this is after 18 months of rewiring my own nervous system to adapt to it. It is not something that happens overnight.
Jack,
Reading this will be worth your time.
http://gettingstronger.org/2012/01/the-iceman/
looking forward to a 'chilling' 2012 😉
Question: Since stress increases cortisol levels, wouldn't the stress of cold with the shivering, etc also increase cortisol? Or is is because you slowly adapt to the cold that is no longer a stressor?
@Julie correct……you rebalance as you extend exposures……
Or is some stress really good for you?? Have you read "The Flinch" by Julien Smith?
@Julie stress is required for living…….but as long as it is acute and not chronic. Our neolithic life allows for unreal amounts of stress…….that is where you must control your neolithic environment and thoughts to save your paleolithic genes.
Thank you Dr. Kruse, I was not taking much vit-D back when I tried low carb. Now I'm taking much more (10k/day due to winter and not being outside at all when the sun is up #deskjob). So I think I might try to lower my carbs again while increasing my exposure to the cold at the same time (cold showers, less/no jackets, sprints outside when possible).
In response to your other answers:
-I'll stick to the evening workouts and if I only get 3-4 in a week instead of 6, so be it (sprints and heavy lifting)
-I was just curious about the low body fat thing, in all honesty I just want to get a little leaner and decrease my waist circumference (~37.5" at 5'11"). I don't need to be ripped, I think I'd be happy with 10-12% (currently around 18-20% I'd guess)
Thank you again.
Dr. Kruse,
You're either categorically insane or a genius. I haven't decided which, but I read everything you write…
@Ed……the answer probably depends upon your results. LOL I think the amount of people coming back and writing about my protocols and how they have helped people is pretty good evidence that I am on to something pretty powerful for our biology.
I find so much of what you say very helpful and insightful but this idea of ice baths makes me cringe. I don't know how I could make myself do this since I do everything just to stay warm in the winter and when I shower it needs to be pretty hot. Ice baths are about the last thing I would want to do. Is there a way to ease in to this idea or do you just plunge?
@Pam I will be telling you how I made this a routine……jumping right into ice baths wont make me any new friends.
Loved the post. I have always felt better, and gotten thinner in the winter. Refused to wear a coat as a child, was always warm. This changed at some point in adulthood. Feel with the LR in progress, and some cold exposure, I might be on my way back.
I have been getting in 48 deg water the minute i hit the house from work. it is interesting that on day one i shivered uncontrollably but not on the other days. I stay in for 20 minutes rolling my body in the water first face down for 5 then left side for 5 then right side for 5 then back down for 5 in which cases for the last 3 minutes i submerge my head up to my eyes and nose. that makes me a bit dizzy as if i am going backwards off a cliff. then i get out and dry off. I have pain in my hands and feet while doing it but no where else really. some pins and needles while warming up, and usually by the time i get to bed i am somewhat warm again.
@ Jon do not submerge your head.
At last! A reason to rejoice in the fact we live in an old, drafty house 🙂
Ok, so what does it mean that I'm cold ALL the time? I thought after a year of Paleo, plus <30g carbs since my hip surgery last week & 3 lbs lost in 6 days, I must be leptin sensitive. But is low body temp indicative of LR? Hypothyroidism? Or lack of D3, since I haven't been taking them lately? Is it generally bad to be cold-natured?
@Jodi It could mean many things. In yoru case with a recent stressor and surgery your temp is not an accurate baseline to what is going on. I think checking your salivary cortisol levels and your thyroid panels might open your eyes a bit.
Great post! I came across something similar when reading the four hour body by tim ferris. I never got to the point of implementing it but will probably look into that again soon. Thanks for your great work Dr.K.
Dr. Kruse,
For those of us in warmer climates, we can certainly opt for ice baths, etc as suggested above. What about Cryotherapy based on total body super cooling for a shorter period of time? http://www.cryostudioofaustin.com/ is an example.
Is the duration important, or does this super cooling trigger the same effect given its significantly oolder across your entire surface area except your head?
@Kevin Kevin after induction you do not need a long exposure. In fact depending upon what your use is the method of adaptation become cumulative. The longest exposures would be for weight loss but there are several other applications that are even more dramatic.
I would love to hear more on how whole body Cryotherapy at -250 F for 2-3 minutes daily can help with the reset.
Where can I find more info?
Thanks,
Connie
Connor cryotherapy is not as effective because it uses cold air. Cold water is 24 times more efficient because of how it transfers heat, hence rarely will you hear me speak of cryotherapy. You will hear me talk about cold thermogenesis and cooling with liquid at surfaces.
"ice baths not showers until your cherry red and numb"
anything wrong with cold showers?
@ Cu wrong no……but they wont rewire us well enough but a good way to introduce the cold.
At my gym, the larger ladies take water aerobics and swear they lose weight like crazy from it, like no other activity in the gym. and that you must drink tons of water. I can't take an entire hour without freezing. I guess warm tea would defeat the purpose? Are you allowed to warm up on the inside? 5'8" 127 fine boned… shot my self in the foot with a piece of pizza.
@ Lee it has been shown that drinking cold water or cold drinks increase metabolic rate close to 30% in men and 20% in women.
Thanks for your reply Dr. Kruse. From a specific induction protocol, the Cryotherapy is 3 minutes of exposure to -238 to -274 degrees Fahrenheit. From what I've read, the suggested exposure is a set of frequent 3-4 closely spaced initial sessions (day or two apart) followed by regular but more spaced out cumulative sessions (7-15 days). Thoughts?
@Kev I think NASA data would better match the cyrotherapy you mentioned here but this manner cyrotherapy is a neolithic way to use cold thermogenesis…….and we are not evolved to activate this program in this fashion. Might it work this way? Maybe…….but you would not catch me telling people to consider using cold in a manner we are not naturally adapted to…….But if you do it let us know your results.
Another "easy" way to deal with a cold bath is to do the "boiling frog" trick. Start with warm water in the tub, just enough to get your backside and a bit of your flanks wet. Then start adding in the cold, but don't let the water from the tap hit you directly. The cold will sneak up on you rather than being a gasping shock, as the warmer water will tend to stay on top until temps equalize.
Before you know it, you're mostly immersed in very cold water…and while it may not be terribly comfortable, it doesn't make you scream and jump right back out like sudden immersion does.
I should mention where I live, the water comes from the mountains and is ~38f out of the tap this time of year.
FYI–Day one: Applied cold packs above the painful area on my leg two times today to the point of redness and numbness. Also applied the ice to back and abdomen for about 10 minutes. Symptoms: during treatment, twitching in foot just as if I was going to have a bad cramp like I get at night when my leg gets cold but no cramp. After treatment, drawing and burning pain in ankle and achilles with more minor twitching. Pain in back at the site of lumbar fusion and in neck at the site of triple cervical fusions. Later, warm feeling at the site of the ice packs but steady pain neither increasing or diminishing in same (fusion, ankle and achilles) areas mentioned above. Taking Magnesium Gly (2000 mg) . Krill oil, Vit D (4000 iu) Bone Broth, Coconut Oil (2 TB before meals), Progesterone creme in AM and will apply some more before bed. Mostly Paleo–ate beef liver, eggs, bacon for BAB today but had some dairy later with some coffee. No lunch–not really very hungry at dinner time either but will eat when it is ready. Felt energized, warm and happy today.
Thanks, Dr Kruse. Should I restart the leptin reset (had just started to lose weight again & really like cold rooms with my snappy new metabolism), or start the post-reset protocol, since I'm miserably cold again?
@Mimi it depends are you LR or not now……if you do not know test.
Wow, about a year ago I started following up my hot shower with a cold one because a physical therapist friend recommended it. She said it kept the lymph system circulating well. So I guess I've been doing more than just a clean diet! Over the course of this year, I went from taking (1)88mg T4 and (4) 5mg T3 daily to (1) 4mg T3 in the morning. I haven't felt any of the hypothyroid symptoms I'd suffered previously. Everyone said I'd never be able to get off the thyroid meds, but I'm still trying! Since reading the blog I know also to eat a few brazil nuts and some seafood to supplement selenium and iodine for the thyroid, and get plenty of good sleep. I would love to get off the cpap machine, but so far whenever I've tried a night without it, it's been a no go.
The above should read (1) 5mg of T3 (not 4mg)
Dr Kruse,
I've been doing the Leptin reset for over a week. Normally, I've been getting up around 6:30-7am. Last night, I was out in the cold windchill in just a T-shirt doing some chores for 15 minutes, ate dinner, and took a cold shower before bed. I went to bed around 45' later than usual, so less sleep and this morning I woke up spontaneously around 5-515a. Also, it seemed my AM cortisol burst seem much more pronounced (much wider awake, –especially that early). Do you think the cold exposure triggered that?
@BenG cold thermogenesis also raises DHEA which destroys IL-6 which destroys sleep……..so you have found one of the effects of cold thermogenesis before I blog about it.
Dr. Kruse
So I took my first cold shower last night and another one this morning. Quite an experience. The first couple of minutes are tough, but then it's easier and I end up feeling great and I swear I even look leaner post-shower. Then this morning, while it took a bit to get out of bed, once I was up, I felt great.
I'm excited to build up my tolerance and implement more methods of 'cold thermogenesis'. Maybe over the next couple of months I'll be able to build up my tolerance to be able to take some early morning swims in the pool when it opens up around Memorial Day. I'd guess the temp would only be around 60. I'm really looking forward to your next post!
Thanks
@Mark……a cold shower is not the best induction…….go buy a tight compression shirt. You will need it for when I tell you how to induce the change. I am glad you felt some changes.
Sounds good, I already have some compression shirts. Also, I went back and read the chapter on using cold therapy in 4-Hour Body. He recommends ice baths, cold showers, and placing ice packs on your traps/neck. In addition he also mentions the NASA scientist drinking about 800ml of ice cold water first thing in the morning and taking walks in the winter with just shorts, gloves, and a t-shirt (I'm assuming he wore shoes). So I'm very interested to see what you recommend.
Thanks again.
@Mark I took it up several levels from Tim. Tim touched on this but never told anyone how it really works. I will.
I figured that you would, thanks for your efforts. They are much appreciated.
Ahead of your post, is it too simple to say that it is generally beneficial to cause your body to heat up more in the winter by wearing a light or no jacket, taking colder showers, wearing less clothes around the house, sleeping with less covers, exercising outside if possible, barely using the heat when driving in your car, etc? While I'm sure that there are specific strategies/methods that are needed to take it to the next level (I'd guess this is where the compression shirt comes in), is there still a benefit to using some/all of the methods outlined above?
Thanks and sorry for my impatience.
@Mark…..I wear next to nothing all the time at home. In the fall and winter you will find me in a cold tub or on my deck in nothing…..or a pair of underwear sometimes for hours as I read or write.
Does it work to apply ice to fattyb reas such as thighs?
It can but it is more ideal to work systemically. Focal use will depend upon your skin chemistry, your AM light exposures and your hormone panel.
Im recovering from ed… and yoyo dieting. in leptin reset for 2 weeks now. So far put on little bit of weight. Would you please be able to suggest tests to get done. It would be hugely apprecited.
@Leni that is already written. Read the Redox Rx blog.
I eat breakfast first thing on rising… is it on rising or waking? What if u lay in bed for 30 mins? I eat lunch 4-5 hours later around 12 and then i dont need to eat for rest of day. I have no cravings. High five! My sleep has always been good…. though now its super deep and vivid dreams. Im scared of carbs and dont want to put on any weight
When youre eyes open and the sun is out…….the clock begins to tick.
Great thanks Jack. I now have zero cravings and find I eat breakfast then lunch 5 hrs later… I am not hungry for dinner what so ever. When i started anything tasted soooo great now im hungry but i eat without that same joy… the joy that would tend to make me want to over eat. I just eat it and move on. How long do you need to eat the 50 grams of protein. Is it a case of trial and error…depending on your hunger later in the day.
Leni as soon as the symptom of LS return you then normalize carbs back to their seasonal adjustments based upon your location, day, and season
That answers my question, thanks!
Hi again. I looked further into the NASA guy and it appears that his experience with 'cold thermogenesis' has lit a fire under him. He has a TedTalk and a blog. I haven't had a chance to read all of his stuff yet, but thought that you'd like to see it (if you didn't already know about it). Thanks
http://hypothermics.com/home/
I would liked to be dragged to optimal 😉 I'm sort of at the point where I feel good (no diseases, not overweight) but not optimal and don't really know what to do. I always felt functioning better in cold temperatures and I chose to sleep in cold (in winter 30 degrees) with window open years ago. Feeling that I don't have that much of mental energy as I used to have, wasn't really interested passionately in anything till I found your OL theory – I reckon this is INGENIOUS and such a mental stimulation for me, which I crave – I'm addicted to your blogs, that's where I find all my answers . Thank you so much for sharing .
Are naps good or bad? I am on day 3 of no ceffeine and can barely function. I just want to sleep all day. I nap when my daughter goes down…is this good or would an ice cold bath be better?
@Brneda they are good……unless there is an underlying sleep disorder that needs to be solved.
Regarding compression shirts–From e-how.com: A compression shirt also helps to lock in body heat. This heat is believed to help prevent damage to an athlete's muscles and joints. There are some models of compression shirts that are meant to be worn explicitly in cold weather; they're designed to lock in as much body heat as possible.
Dr. K–should we get a cold weather compression shirt as described above or a warm weather one that does not lock in the heat?
@Julie is does not matter because they all do the same thing…..collapse surface circulation which is precisely what we want them to do.
Wow. This post and the previous post on ED were extremely interesting. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Anecdotally, I started the Leptin Rest a week ago and this is the best my joints have felt in ages. If this protocol makes my RA better you will be my hero.
Looking forward to the book.
All this talk of cold is right up my alley! I live in Fairbanks, so I'm no stranger to the cold. The average temp was -27F last month… We have our fair share of obese folks here, but I think that has to do with poor diet, poor vit D, and hiding from the cold.
You know someone has to ask this: What do you think the metabolic advantage is with cold exposure in terms of calories? Remember the big hub-bub last year with all the diet gurus trying to pin down the caloric advantage of low-carbing: Taubes/Eades said 300 calories per day while Colpo and Jaminet said there was none–a myth.
People will want to know, if an average person spends X amount of time at X temp, how many extra calories were burned? (Then they can eat the equivalent in Ben and Jerry's).
This is awesome stuff you are working on, can't wait to read the next blogs! Maybe one day people will come to Alaska to get thin instead of leaving because they got fat.
@Akman calories are do not matter when your LS. When your cold adapted you are extremely LS and your alpha MSH level is through the roof. I will agree with you that in Alaska you can still get fat if you live incongruently to our biology. Even today in Alaska and the arctic circle most humans do things they should not that not even the cold will overcome. However, when you begin to understand how this works you can use this as a tool.
We test for leptin resistance via a reverse T3, correct? (The mirror won't work too well right now; I've been losing too long via Atkins & only have 20 lbs to go.) So rT3 test?
@MimiDiet You can do rev T3, leptin levels, haptoglobin levels, ferritin levels and HS CRP levels and salivary cortisol levels are how I do it…..
So in anticipation of what the compression shirts have to do with 'cold thermogenesis' I just did a basic search for 'cold compression' and I think I may have found out why Dr. Kruse recommends their use. If this is the reason why, he really does think of everything!
From Wikipedia under 'Cold compression therapy': Ice with compression is significantly colder than ice alone due to improved skin contact and increased tissue density caused by extended static compression. Tissue reaches its lowest temperature faster and the tissue maintains its cool even after treatment ends.
@Mark you are catching on.
Do our children know something we don't? Most kids hate "dressing warm". I have to wrestle my son to the ground sometimes to get his coat on him, so in more moderate temps in the 40's and 50's I'll sometimes let it slide. Thinking back to when I was kid though I don't remember feeling cold outside except when snow would melt in my shoes or I spent too long making snowballs. I also remember being chased by parents and teachers with a coat or sweater even when it was just a little chilly, so the pattern continues. Do you think that all this bundling up over the years turns off our ability to utilize brown fat efficiently?
@Brooke They do. And they also do not like vegetables too at a young age when their brains are developing and need protein and fats.
i've decided to try the leptin rx to try to deal with my 3 month pregnancy look (which is better than the 6 month look i used to have). i have pretty much stayed with this belly since i lost 15 pounds in 3 months on paleo in 2009. 3 days in an the biggest change i've noticed is i don't need to wake up with an alarm clock- i don't even want to lay around in bed- i want to get up or else i feel bored- whereas before i enjoyed laying around longer semi-sleeping.
i still have periods of feeling very hot at night and i never have a solid sleep. last night was really bad- but that kind of episiode usually only happens once a month.
if you think i need bio-identical hormones to really get rid of the belly, is the leptin rx a waste of time for me until i go on them?
also- just curious if you have been following the deteriorating eye sight in male astronauts mystery. any preliminary thoughts on that? how about the tourette like symptoms that were happening with the mostly teen girls that has been in the news?
@V I am following it and I do have a theory on it but I am currently in research mode on it.
Do you think a female in their 70s suffering from leg neuropathy would benefit from cold therapy? This came on after having a tooth removed by surgery 4 years ago?
@Dex If their health is otherwise good? Yes I think it could help but I would need to know precisely what distribution of the nerve is damaged…..Mental branch, lingual, or inferior alveolar?
@Mark, encouraged by your work, i found this on intermittent cooling http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHQPKOU2E5Y
What are you doing with the hot tub? Do you get in tub and in getting out have a more profound change of temperature? Just wondering, as I love my hot tub.
Cindy
@ Cindy my hot tub now functions as a convection oven for my experiments……sometimes i use it to create a massive geothermal temp gradient to lose fat in certain body parts……and today I am in 55 degree water in the hot tub as i type this…..in fact i just posted a picture on my FB wall and people can see just how pink I get. I have been in now 3 hrs. DO not do this at home…….it took me 18 months of training to be able to do this safely
I went into a "cold dip" at the spa yesterday and everyone looked at me like I was nuts! I was only in 4 ft which is just above my waist and it was cold but I promised myself I would count SLOWLY to 60 and then decide if I could do more. I immediately had a feeling on tightness in my lungs and felt I couldn't get enough air so took short breaths but stayed in. I do have asthma but usually don't jump into cold pools so never had this feeling before. I wish I could have stayed in longer and felt it would be a great way to condition myself for longer periods. I slept wonderfully although I doubt 60 seconds of cold made much difference. Dr. Kruse will that feeling of "not enough breath" go away as the body begins to get conditioned to the cold?
@Patty you have begun to find that there are many benefits to cold adaptation…….I promise more will be revealed.
Anchorage resident here. We have a hot tub and enjoy soaking and watching the northern lights. If I lowered the temp to 55 degrees, my wife would shoot me! i've always exercised in the cold and am more cold tolerant than most, I plan on following this blog very closely and using the cold even more to my advantage.
A soak in 101 degree water sure feels great after getting your core chilled, do you see any benefits or uses for a hot-water hot tub in this protocol?
@Polar paleo Keep your waist down in the hot water and waist up out…….to the elements. you will create a strong convection and geothermal body effect. You will notice some changes over time when you do it. Add slowly because your air environment is quite a bit colder than most. You will know your safe as long as your skin stays pink and not white. If you do this I would recommend gloves for the fingers only at yoru temp…….do not wear a hat at all. Pay serious attn to your ear and face color. This is also an amazing way to give yourself a facelift without a blade.
I will give this a try! What do you think of Potassium Monopersulfate (oxidizer) and Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate (total alk increaser) as hot tub chemicals? Would you mind sharing what you use?
@polar look into biguanides. No halogens.
Hi Dr. Kruse,
I didn't see the pic on your FB fan page wall. Do you have another page?
Thanks
You've opened up a can of worms (in a good way) here. Lots of inquiring minds looking ahead in advance of your next blog posts on Factor X.
I found this most interesting from a partial copy of a NASA report –
"Fasted animals fail to increase glucose turnover rate and muscle glucose uptake when exposed to
cold, most likely because of the enhanced supply of fatty acids and ketone bodies to the contracting mus-
cles (Alexander, 1979). The enhanced lipolysis with concomitant release of free fatty acids and glycerol
from adipose tissue to blood results from the cold-induced activation of the sympatho-adrenal system and
reduced insulin secretion. Only a part of the FFAs produced by lipolysis is promptly utilized by shivering
muscles (Thompson, 1977); most of them are re-esterified in the liver and then released into circulation in
the form of very low density lipoprotein, which can be also used by contracting muscles after previous
hydrolysis."
Hmmmm…. I believe I may know at least the road you are heading down now!
@kev you actually found one of the Cites in my next blog post……..LOL
http://www.facebook.com/jack.kruse This is his alternate page.
Thanks Dexter
It would be interesting to know the role of when to drink hot beverages and cold beverages, as well when to take hot showers/baths and the cold ones.
When one goes out for a stroll in -8°C with boots, shorts, t-shirt (or long shirt), gloves and hat…does one need the hat? I also seem to come across conflicting info. re: head exposure to cold water in showers etc. Sometimes I read 'no, don't put your head in the cold water (shower)', but other times you say to expose head to the elements. I find when wearing a hat with my attire (as described above) I don't really feel the elements. It's quite strange as I normally cannot tolerate the cold …at all. I took a (pretty) cold bath (no ice though). I felt very good, but only had my lower body submersed.
I remember a time though when sleeping in a chilled and damp basement I would wake up and the bones in my face were throbbing from being cold. Interesting how these things work…
Doc… I want to try this but I am in a constant state of atrial fibrillation. If I ask my cardiologist about this, she will give me a HARD time about it. So… what do you think? Does atrial fibrillation count as a caution, since it is only an irregular heartbeat due to a mechanical problem?
@SteveO…….it could be a problem. What you could try safely I think is the cold face immersion as long as someone is with you. Mind you even that could be a problem. You should listen to your cardiologist first and foremost because they know your heart better than I do………but what they do not know is that the cold on a chronic basis improves cardiac autophagy. This is why the put transplants on ice……….Another point made why cold is a a big biologic factor.
Thanks, Doc I will talk to my Cardiologist.. in the meantime I am gonna read this.. it was shown to me by a common friend (Quelsen):
THE EFFECT OF HYPOTHERMIA ON ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AND OTHER ARRHYTHMIAS http://goo.gl/ltuYv
@SteveO I was going to tell you that there is published data supporting cold for heart rhythm treatment but your doctor is probably not aware of any of these papers
Would thermogenisis help with hypoperfusion caused by high levels of cytokines through reducing those cytokines even though one could have the gene haplotypes Shoemaker references as not allowing a body to rid itself of biotoxins?
And if one has not cleared the biotoxins yet, could lowering inflammatory cytokines thru thermo-g still help even though one has low cortisol levels? In the morning, I start out low then gradually rise to normal levels in afternoon.
I'm not fat, but have chronic inflammatory responses. I am not sure if I am still LR, if indeed I ever was (RT3/FT3 ratio is 10). I have done reset for two months, only visible change was lost five pounds of belly fat (5'11",145lbs.), but stopped with strictly following protocol (mostly less protein in am meal) after learning from your Lyme blog to first clear biotoxins.
But I could use some way to relieve my chronic pain. Like you said, pain will change a person in a big way.
Martin
@Martin I think cold thermogenesis is far more effective than using Actos in regimen. But here is the problem…….if you cant clear the toxin because of the genetic defect the ice could make you a lot worse because it will liberate a lot more toxin that one can imagine. But i think if you use ice to do this I think CSM use would be awfully wise because of the toxin load the ice is creating
@Kevin, does that read the way i think i reads. if my LDL going to elevate?
I read the blog of 2/27 first before backtracking to here. This inside-out thinking is wonderful. It has me even wondering if my historical issues with reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder could be explained by lack of significant cold cycles. The years past when I had the hardest times I lived in an apartment with steam heat that didn't get turned off until May, well after we had many hot spring days. I also suffered with inadequate wall AC.
Since moving to Tennessee, I moved to a warmer subtropical climate BUT I have greater control over my theromostat. In fact I installed a programmable one where I could have it cooler at night. The symptoms at season shift improved significantly.
I can't wait to see how things continue to improve as I stay with the Leptin Reset Rx and learn more about the cold thermogenesis.
@Dineen This does not surprise me at all.
Hi Dr Kruse
I am a week in on the leptin rx and feel great! I have also been taking cold baths everyday for 5 days and love it. I feel myself wanting to do it more than once a day…is that ok? Also my feet stay cold for awhile do you keep your feet in or out of the water? I’m up to 20 min cold baths with water at 45 degrees.
Thx
@Toni more you do the better it is. I keep my feet out out unless I am in the lake……like now. Just posted a pic on FB.
Jack,
My wife sent me one of your posts related to using ice proximal to the site of pain for a person with leg pain (post 14 above). I have a concern with that approach and am curious how you view the situation. When you look at pain we all understand that it is not a one to one relationship between the depolarization rate of nociceptors but is only perceived as pain once the persons limbic system labels it as such. When you apply ice to a region of the body it has been shown that the region of the brain that receives that afferent input decreases its frequency of firing. This can slow the brain down enough that the person no longer preceives pain which is a relief but it may not be restoring the central mechanisms to a level of ideal activation. For me I only depress cortical function when absolutely necessary and will most often try to increase the frequency of firing in the brain so that I can bring it to a level of higher activation which is not associated with pain. I know that you are extremely well versed in the central effects of cold and this has been a question that I have had for quite some time. So I would like to hear how you approach this challenge. We want the cortex to fire at an optimal level, pain typically occurs when depolarization rates of cortical neurons are depressed or there is an increase in nociceptive afferentation. Applying ice decreases brain activity to a level that the person is less likely to perceive pain. I view it to be better to increase the central depolarization rates so I tend to steer away from a modality that decreases brain activity. Also please understand that I view this as a different situation than utilizing CT therapy to alter the depolarization rate of the Supra Chiasmic N. This is a local somatotopic application of cold.
Thanks for sharing your expertise~
@Marc you do not understand how I am using CT at all. Read the protocol on CT on 2/11/2012 then you would do well to read the CT series and espcially CT 6.
Hey Doc, I looked through the majority of the comments throughout the CT series and could find nothing related. I have had Cold Induced Urticaria since I was about 12. 25 now. I do not deal with cold exposure without clothing well. Especially when it involves water. Any thoughts on this? Thanks
Put: jack kruse cold induced urticaria in a google box. You get plenty in less than a second.
HI Jack,
What do you think about using beta hydroxy-butyrate (BHB) to help ketosis along?
Thanks, Sydney
Not a fan at all.