Live your Optimal Weight

The Cold Thermogenesis Protocol

The Cold Thermogenesis Protocol should be added gradually to the Leptin Rx rest protocol. This blog post is additive to the Leptin Rx, and is an evolution extension of it for those who need it. I hope you all realize that not everyone will need it. Some will need it because they have special needs that they face. This blog is designed for those who have been previously left out of the reset protocol. Those people are gastric bypass patients, HCG users, those on exogenous steroids, chronic pain patients, and those with T2D and metabolic syndrome, as a few examples. Prolonged and controlled local peripheral skin cooling can induce selective “damage,” and increased hypothalamic signaling by forcing adipocyte apoptosis and subsequent loss of subcutaneous fat without damaging the overlying skin or the underlying muscle layers. This means that acute cold cause rapid leptin sensitivity! It means that fat is forced to liberate leptin from fat cells to slowly lower its serum levels as long as the cold stimulus is applied safely. This is new scientific information that was first carried out in pigs in 2008, and subsequently tested in humans and found to be quite effective for fat removal in certain selected areas of the body.

So You Completed The Leptin Rx? What’s Next?

Once you have added the Leptin Rx to your paleo/primal template and you have successfully experienced all the "small wins" that I mentioned in the Leptin FAQ's blog, what should you do next? If you recall reading the blog on how the leptin Rx works, it basically is a plan to make your gastrointestinal tract perform visceral exercises that it is not accustomed to performing, in order to cause neuroplastic changes in your hypothalamus' arcuate nucleus. It uses the vagus nerve as the "stimulator" to send these new messages to the brain. After a period of time, the inflammation will slowly dissipate at the median eminence, and these afferent signals will force expression of certain genes that have been repressed since we were in utero. These genes and pathways are hardwired into our DNA at conception, and used until the child is 12-24 months old. After this time, they are not expressed any longer, because transgenerational epigenetics favors instead the use of the leptin receptor from an evolutionary perspective. This occurs because the leptin receptor in the arcuate nucleus is far more sensitive and accurate in accounting for electrons from food than was using older circadian and ultradian cycles that we used in uteri during morphogenesis. The human brain learns "what neural circuits" to use by repetitive firing. We have a saying in brain surgery, nerves that fire together wire together. This is the basis of the theory of Hebbian learning. These exercises I told you about in the Leptin Rx signal hypothalamic neurons to adapt to these visceral responses to food in a new way, to sensitize the leptin receptor in order to account for electrons from food in precisely how it was designed to do by evolution. In essence, we are altering the genetic expression of the genes in our arcuate nucleus. I describe it to my patients as "performing brain surgery on them without using a blade." The visceral responses to the Leptin Rx are transcribed by the vagus nerve, and this information is sent to the brain. This message is dramatically different than the one the patient is used to giving the leptin receptor, and the new message induces changes to the neuropeptides in the brainstem. After some time, (6-8 weeks for most) changes will be induced. These can be followed by the clinician or the patient. Those clinical signs are outlined in the Leptin FAQ blog post. In doing this, we force the neurons to see neurochemical signals that radically confuse the leptin receptor and the brain. The brain's response to a signal it does not understand is to revert to an older known pathway or to learn a new way to tackle on old problem. I would suggest you watch How your brain re-learns from 2007 by Dr. VS Ramachandran in a TED talk. He exquisitely explains how this type of learning is stimulated in the brain for phantom limb pain and its treatment. One need not use expensive technology to induce gene expression. It is possible to do without an NIH grant too. It requires some synthesis of thought and experience. When you understand the essence of how the brain works, you just need to design a program and force it upon the brain to decipher what to do. That is the essence of the Leptin Rx reset.

WHAT SHOULD HCG/PALEO USERS CONSIDER AS ADJUNCTS?

READERS SUMMARY: ARE THE SUPPLEMENTS FOR THE LEPTIN RESET DIFFERENT FOR HCG USERS? WHAT ARE THOSE SUPPLEMENTS? WHAT DO THOSE SUPPLEMENTS DO? WHAT SHOULD HCG USERS CONSIDER OVER A STANDARD PALEO/PRIMAL TEMPLATE? I decided to add this post for the many readers I have that use HCG. To say that I have been inundated with [...]

HOW TO FIND YOUR INNER MASTERPIECE?

READERS SUMMARY: 1. WHAT IS PPAR-gamma AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? 2. HOW DOES IT TIE ARTHEROSCLEROSIS, VITAMIN K2, AND OUR LIPID PANEL TOGETHER? 3. HOW IS A LEAKY GUT, THE LIVER, OBESITY,CHOLESTEROL, BLOOD PRESSURE TIED TOGETHER? 4. HOW IS EXERCISE COUPLED TO THIS COMPLEX WEB? 5. HOW DOES PQQ FIT INTO ALL THIS? 6. [...]

By Jack Kruse|October 1st, 2011|Cancer, Cold Thermogenesis, Diabetes, Epi Paleo, Heart Disease, HIIT - Heavy Weights, Leaky Gut / Grain Brain, Live your Optimal Weight, Mitochondria, Nutrients and Supplements, Optimal Pillar 2, Optimal Pillar 4, Optimal Pillar 5, Series: Miscellaneous, The Leptin Prescription, The Optimal Paleo Diet|Comments Off

MSG, your GUT, and your BRAIN, Post-Trauma

READERS SUMMARY: 1. How does MSG and aspartame affect you and your brain and your fat loss? 2. What do artificial sweeteners do to a human? 3. How does neuronal injury from diet, trauma, and energy depletion all tie together? 4. What about young humans? 5. What about young humans with injured brains? In part [...]

By Jack Kruse|September 17th, 2011|Circadian Cycle, Diabetes, Endometriosis and PCOS, Epi Paleo, Hormones & Methylation, Leaky Gut / Grain Brain, Live your Optimal Weight, Menopause / Andropause, Nutrients and Supplements, Optimal Pillar 4, Optimal Pillar 5, Series: Leaky Gut, The Leptin Prescription, The Optimal Paleo Diet, Thyroid|68 Comments

Central Leptin Dominance: Part 3 – King of The Hill

So now that we examined Dr. Lustig's insulin theory of metabolic control we need to take a look at the reward tracts that are located in the human brain. These tracts have been well studied and their neurochemistry is well understood. What appears not to be as well known is how the hypocretin neurons and the leptin receptor control and modulate their activity. The key point here is that the dopaminegic tracts eloquently spoken of Dr. Guyenet's reward series are the "efferent only" path that is part of the effector arm of the leptin receptor and the hypocretin neurons. This means, in English, they are playing second fiddle to the leptin receptors and are not the dominant cause of obesity. They clearly play a major role in the neuro-circutry but they do not control obesity. They carry out the action but the orders were given by someone else. One of the reasons I had a major problem with the reward series, is because of my "day job" as a neurosurgeon. I have had the opportunity to operate on many brain tumors in the reward tracts and never have I ever seen either preoperatively or postoperatively one patient develop severe morbid obesity. If these tracts were truly dominant causes this would lead neurosurgeon and neurologists to see many patients with this problem. Well, we do not. That was a big issue for me with the theory. The second issue I had with it was that when we neurosurgeon's have patients with brain tumors involving the hypothalamus we see tremendous effects on feeding, obesity and on anorexia. This is well documented and I have personally seen this in many cases. Dr. Lustig pointed this out in his AHS 2011 talk when he showed some clinical cases of craniopharyngioma's and of hypothalamic trauma's that resulted in morbid obesity.

By Jack Kruse|August 30th, 2011|Anorexia and Bulimia, Diabetes, Epi Paleo, Live your Optimal Weight, Optimal Pillar 4, Osteoporosis, Series: Leptin, The Leptin Prescription, The Optimal Paleo Diet|44 Comments

Central Leptin Dominance: Part 2

Continuing on in the Central leptin series we will resume in Orlando, Florida. In Orlando, Dr. Myers, went on to say, "In addition to examining the molecular details and importance of specific LRb signals, we are dissecting the regulation and function of individual populations of LRb-expressing neurons and examining the role of leptin in the development of neural circuits. By understanding the totality of leptin action in this way we hope to decipher the mechanisms by which leptin regulates the predisposition to diabetes and other aspects of the metabolic syndrome." This statement carries huge implications. He has found that not only is leptin neurons somatotopically organized in the brain, but the leptin receptor also appears to be somatotopically organized into certain regions that wire and select certain neurons in the brain that modulate all parts of the obesity physiologic response. It also appears that this organization is different in men and women at the parvo-cellular nucleus in the hypothalamus. Certain parts of the receptor control total body glycemic control, others body weight and size, and others power the para-mammillary neurons to directly control fecundity, placental growth and oocyte maturation. The receptor even codes for gender differences! Men and women really are from Mars and Venus when it comes to obesity and fat deposition, and this explains why the endocrine response is different in men and women. We have known men and women have different leptin levels as adults but did not know how or why this happens. Now we do. We now are beginning to understand why it is the case as well. It helps explain why we see can see PCOS and stubborn weight gain together and why fat is distributed differently in both sexes.

By Jack Kruse|August 28th, 2011|Anorexia and Bulimia, Autism, Diabetes, Dyslexia, Endometriosis and PCOS, Epi Paleo, Epigenetics, Hormones & Methylation, Leaky Gut / Grain Brain, Live your Optimal Weight, Optimal Pillar 2, Series: Leptin, The Leptin Prescription|Comments Off

Central Leptin Dominance For Health: Part 1

Today, we are going to cut deeper into the leptin story. We need to look at the leptin receptor because its biology will explain why studying macronutients at a dietary level just becomes a confusing mess with seemingly multiple paradoxes. I recently commented on this in Paul Jaminet's blog on August 24th 2011. The comment was very detailed but not written well so I am going to lay out the reasoning in the next few blogs. As most of you know leptin is the lynchpin in my Quilt and sits at position two. Many people might not realize how important it is for health, in sickness, and for optimal endocrine function. It is the dominant factor in obesity and this series is out to show you why this is the case based upon the data coming out of some labs who specialize in this neurobiology. This series is going to be laser like biochemistry on a 30 foot level. When we talk about this type of lab science it is very easy to lose perspective of the larger story I am trying to unveil to you. I have previously called leptin the master hormone of the brain. Remember that the brain has two ways to control things, one is direct neural wiring and the second is the control over the hormonal secretions body wide. Given these two factors, I think I may have under called it, honestly. This hormone signals the entire body's nutritional status, metabolic status, and endocrine status to the brain at all times. The brain in turn uses leptin to regulate total glycemic control, energy balance, and all neuroendocrine function in all systems in humans. This means that energy regulation is centrally controlled by our neuroendocrine system. The brain uses this hormone as an afferent and efferent signaling hormone to know precisely what is going on in our 20 trillion cells body wide. The brain does not have direct wiring to all 20 million cells because of space limitations of our cranium and our mother's vaginas. So it uses hormones and cytokines to extend its power and reach to send signals to those 20 trillion cells.

By Jack Kruse|August 27th, 2011|Diabetes, Epi Paleo, Hormones & Methylation, Live your Optimal Weight, Optimal Pillar 4, Series: Leptin, The Importance of Sleep, The Leptin Prescription, The Optimal Paleo Diet|13 Comments

Gnolls.org Opens The Door To Obesity Fight

READERS SUMMARY: 1. WHY IS MAGNESIUM SO IMPORTANT? DID THE OBESITY BATTLE OF THE BLOGS MISS IT? 2. HOW SHOULD YOU THINK ABOUT MAGNESIUM AND HOW TO TEST IT CORRECTLY? 3. WHAT DOES MAGNESIUM REALLY DO? 4. THE MISSING LINK IN TAUBES, GUYENET, LUSTIG, AND EENFELDT'S RECENT COMMENTS? 5. ITS THE BRAIN GUYS......WHEN THE SQUABBLE [...]

By Jack Kruse|August 13th, 2011|Anorexia and Bulimia, Cancer, Diabetes, Epi Paleo, Fibromyalgia, Hormones & Methylation, Leaky Gut / Grain Brain, Live your Optimal Weight, Mitochondria, Nutrients and Supplements, Optimal Pillar 2, Optimal Pillar 4, Optimal Pillar 5, Osteoporosis, Series: Miscellaneous, The Importance of Sleep, The Leptin Prescription, The Optimal Paleo Diet|Comments Off

Where Autoimmunity, Cancer and Disease Collide

READERS SUMMARY: 1. What ties Levee 5, 6, and 16 all together in the QUILT? 2. Why is Vitamin D and Selenium the key to the gut? 3. How does Vitamin K play a role? 4. Why is autoimmune disease, cancer and neolithic disease more common today than ever before? 5. Is there another environmental [...]

By Jack Kruse|July 31st, 2011|Circadian Cycle, Epi Paleo, HIIT - Heavy Weights, Leaky Gut / Grain Brain, Live your Optimal Weight, Longevity Principles, Mitochondria, Optimal Pillar 3, Series: Leptin, The Importance of Sleep, The Leptin Prescription, The Optimal Paleo Diet|1,152 Comments