Reprograming your DNA

DNA reprograming is not only possible, it’s a key evolutionary feature

An important aspect of being human and overall health is electromagnetic. What that means is that humans interact with electric and magnetic fields bioelectrically. The resonant vibration of DNA to the strongest electromagnetic field frequencies is a key determiner of DNA signaling. AKA which section of DNA is vibrating the most, attracting to it RNA and other transcribing molecules.

By changing the electromagnetic environment of the body DNA expression can be optimized towards health. This is still a very new understanding in science, and the best evidence that exists corroborating this effect comes from earthing and the cellular actions of herbs.

Learn more by watching my video below:

*Note - this page is under development

Earthing and the Earth’s Magnetic Field

What is Bioelectricity?

Herbs that Improve Bioelectricity

What’s the Evidence?

How to Increase Libido

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter! Stefan Burns YouTube

Libido is your life force, a wellspring of heat, passion, and creativity that adds growth and color to all aspects of your life.

Depending on your state of physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual health, you may be unable to feel or connect to your libido. Being disconnected from your innate libido is not healthy if sustained, and it can have long-term damaging effects.

The beautiful aspect of libido is that it’s easy to connect with at anytime with the rights information, tools, and experience. Libido is stimulated in the brain by the thalamus, which regulates consciousness, sleep, and alertness. The thalamus is a sensory hub for the cerebral cortex, the decision making part of the brain. Without the activation of the thalamus, motor signals to the cerebral cortex are delayed or changed.

By reducing inhibition of the thalamus, the cerebral cortex is exposed to more information, and now realizing a greater amount of opportunities, consciousness is attuned to chose the best outcome. Sometimes the problem with failure to get aroused is the inability to see that the possibility exist.

As much society tries to make it normal, and it is, sex is a “taboo”. It touches the deepest parts of our body and energy. Sex is energy work, and unforeseen events can occur when creating energetic bonds with others at certain levels. Therefore any sexual act is a ritual of serious responsibility, and how it’s performed speaks a lot about who we are and how we are changing.

Sex may be “taboo”, but it’s the ultimate gift if done consciously, and when you’re more consciousness you’re more likely to take opportunistic riskier behaviors as you’re most self-assured of a favorable outcome. It’s this mindset that guarantees you have a healthy libido that can activate on command, if the situation presents itself and it’s to your benefit.

Libido isn’t just an important aspect of sex, but an integral part of human willpower, creativity, and drive.

“Sex is energy work, it touches the deepest parts of body and soul”

I write this as a male in touch with my yin and yang nature, and it should resonate with everyone at some level as we each have a divine feminine and divine masculine part of ourselves. One reason libido shuts down and is one day realized lost by a lot of people is that they haven’t connected to any energy sources that feed the source of their libido, the root chakra. Is your root chakra open or closed, in what situations and with who? Is the energy of your root chakra being drained by your actions or energetic bonds you have with others? These are important questions to ask yourself and answer honestly when seeking to restore your natural libido.

Energy connections at the root Chakra are the most rooted in the deeper energetics of the planet <2 Hz, and it’s there that you can begin to reclaim your sovereign root chakra energy. To create a 2 Hz or lower frequency at the root chakra, aka the hips, then you need to practice muscular exercises for that part of the body known as kegels.

Kegels for Increasing Libido

To make kegels easier, lay on a earthing sheet connected to the Earth. Contract your glutes, squeeze your rectum, breathe up into your diaphragm, and perform this pattern of breathing, contraction, and relaxation for the musculature you want at a slow rhythm of your choosing. Once you have a regular pattern going, explore the frequency range. Being electrically connected to the Earth, you will attune yourself to the electrical currents of the Earth known as tellurics at whichever frequency you are pulsing at. Change your frequency slowly around 0.5 to 3 Hz and find the cycles per second that’s easier to maintain unconsciously because that is where the Earth frequency is strongest. If you accomplish this, and it’s possible because I do it, you can turn your focus to breathing and visualization and let the magic happen all on its own. You may experience auto-orgasm if the stimulation enough, even without using your hands in any way. If this occurs consider it a crowning accomplishment of connecting to your libido.

I have been performing deep work on my hip to level it out, and I find that before I fall asleep I naturally begin to exercise with kegels, and it’s in this space that I have my best insights into sexual health and romance. When I lay down to sleep I keep my hands to the side as recommended with dream Yoga. When I practice kegels consistently and work deep around the sexual organs I find it is good for my energy metabolism, the endocrine system and having healthy hormone levels, sexual reproduction, and for stimulating creative energies.

Hormones and Libido

For men, a lot of libido boils down to prolactin levels. Having low prolactin levels means a stronger libido, harder and longer erections, a short refractory period (time in-between ejaculations), and determination/willpower. Dopamine can be high only when prolactin is low, and after ejaculation dopamine goes down while prolactin goes up. For women prolactin is elevated during breast feeding and is associated with breast development. The ideal arrangement for health and reproductive evolution is for women to have high prolactin levels and for men to have low prolactin levels.

Herbs that reduce prolactin levels over time are blue lotus flower and cannabis. More nuance on that in the following section. For men and women another very important aspect for having healthy libido is to have balanced testosterone and estrogen levels.

Beneficial hormone changes that are governed by behavior (engaging in manly or feminine activities, flirting and socializing, etc) are long lasting and stable, and when building those healthy habits there are herbs that can help the process greatly by changing your brain and hormone chemistry.

Herbs for Increasing Libido

There are various herbs that stimulate and enhance libido through distinct but overlapping pathways. Any of the herbs below can be used to increase libido, and I have a safe and synergistic natural libido enhancing stack I will describe how to use at the end that is comprised of these herbs.

Blue Lotus Flower

The African blue water lily Nymphaea caerulea contains rich plant pharmacology and was used by the ancient Egyptians for thousands of years as one component in an elixir of life known as didi.

How does it work? Blue lotus flower contains alkaloids apomorphine and nuciferine which modulate the parasympathetic nervous system, dopamine levels and transport, and serotonin levels and transport. Activates the thalamus and is a potentiator for psychedelics in my experience and as recorded throughout history. Lowers prolactin which helps in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Cautions: Blue lotus flower is sedative and liver produced metabolites from its alkaloids can be toxic to the kidneys. Do not consume in excess, pairs exceptionally well with the herb cistanche due to cistanche’s renal benefits and antioxidant nature as observed in the brain. Under conditions of stomach sensitivity, high consumption may trigger the urge to vomit.

Cistanche

Cistanche C. tubulsa, C. deserticola, C. phelypaea, sometimes referred to as the ginseng of the desert or in Traditional Chinese Medicine Rou Cong-Rong is a potent activator of the male hormonal system.

How does it work? Cistanche has a libido boosting effect through its interactions with cholesterol transport, cholesterol being the building block for all hormones. Cistanche boosts testosterone (free and total) by working directly with the gonads. Cistanche also have neurocognitive antioxidant benefits and protects the renal system, which as described above alleviates some of the renal stress created by blue lotus flower.

Using cistanche can make you horny, increase the frequency of erections, cause morning erections, and with long term use (1+ month) enlarge the size of the penis permanently.

Cautions: Cistanche powerfully activate the male hormonal system and for best health and wellness it should be used carefully, being cycled on and off at a 1:1 frequency. For example if you run a cistanche and cholesterol protocol for 2 months, cease using cistanche for 2 months afterwards before using again if desired. Since cistanche increase free testosterone so dramatically (>50% in my case), it can cause increased inflammation throughout the body as the testosterone molecule, like dopamine, isn’t the most stable. This can show as acne, and to help keep the circulatory system and blood free of inflammation I recommend concurrent usage of dandelion root powder. Flavonoids like apigenin found in herbs dandelion and chamomile also reduce the conversation of testosterone to estrogen via aromatase.

Cannabis

Cannabis C. sativa, C. indica, C. ruderalis contains cannabinoids like THC, CBD, and CBN which influence brain chemistry and increase sensory awareness by acting on CB1 and CB2 receptors. Cannabinoids are sticky and are easily absorbed into the blood stream when dry-vaporized.

How does it work? As a mild-psychedelic, cannabis can connect you to parts of your being that you are currently only weakly connected to, like your libido and sexual nature. Cannabis use lowers prolactin and increases sensory pleasure of the sex organs.

Cautions: Heavy long-term cannabis usage can lead to brain changes that while not permanent take time to reverse. Video: Does Smoking Weed Permanently Mess with the Brain? Cannabis, specifically the cannabinoid THC increases heartrate by 10-20 bpm and reduces blood pressure. Cannabis has interactions with the thyroid and adrenal glands and long term usage may lower testosterone production (easily offset by cistanche usage if desired).

Chaga Mushroom

Chaga Mushroom Inonotus obliquus contains a wide variety of beneficial biologic compounds that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects such as polysaccharides, beta-glucans, terpenes, mycoflavonoids, melanin, and other myconutrients.

How does it work? Chaga mushroom is an adaptogen and can slightly boost testosterone on its own in addition to the protective effects it has on the organs and the neuroprotective effects it has in the brain. Modulates the activity of the nervous system, specifically the autonomic nervous system, a critical component of the libido and sexual systems.

Cautions: Chaga mushroom in high doses can destabilize heart rhythms

Chamomile Flower

Chamomile Matricaria chamomilla is one of nature’s best herbs for overall health and wellness. Contains many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant phytochemicals.

How does it work? Chamomile guides the autonomic nervous system to increase parasympathetic activity, relaxation being a key requirement to arousal. Increases endogenous flow state alpha brainwave rhythms which have a frequency of 8-12 hz.

Cautions: Chamomile is a very safe herb and can be used in large quantities. Chamomile may trigger an allergic reaction if an existing ragweed allergy exist. Additionally since chamomile reduces platelet clumping, care should be taken with chamomile if already using a blood thinner.

Natural Herbal Aphrodisiac Stack

Cistanche | 200-400 mg daily. Can be split into two doses

• Why? Natural testosterone booster, aphrodisiac, neuroprotective, and protects the kidneys

• Purchase Cistanche Powder from Nootropics Depot.

Dandelion root | 1 gram daily. Take it with the cistanche and at the same daily frequency

• Why? Blood purifier with broad antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, possible aromatase inhibitor (flavonoids)

• Purchase Dandelion Root Powder from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Chaga Mushroom | 500 - 1000 mg. Take it with the cistanche and dandelion root powder

• Why? Antioxidant/anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, endocrine adaptogen, normalizes the nervous system

• Purchase Chaga Mushroom Powder (course) from Mountain Rose Herbs. Good for brewing with coffee or into tea.

• Purchase Chaga Mushroom 1:1 Extract Powder (fine) from Nootropics Depot. Good for taking with tea/water.

Blue Lotus Flower | For tea use 1-2 grams of ground flower. For vaporization mix with other herbs, only a small amount (100 mg) is needed due to the highly efficient extraction. Can also be smoked.

• Why? Promotes parasympathetic activity, aphrodisiac, neuroprotective, lowers prolactin and raises dopamine

• Purchase Blue Lotus Flower from Schmerbals Herbals.

Cannabis | The effect from blue lotus flower is felt the strongest when its bioavailability is increased when consumed alongside cannabis. The important alkaloids of blue lotus flower are highly lipid soluble and cannabinoids are sticky lipids and carry into the bloodsteam easily. Both cannabinoids and alkaloids pass the blood-brain barrier easily.

• Why? Increases dopamine and reduces prolactin, aphrodisiac, increases sensory awareness and pleasure

• Purchase CBD cannabis (in the USA) from Tweedle Farms.

• Purchase THC cannabis (if legal where you live) from a dispensary or grow it yourself ;)

Chamomile | Chamomile tea activates the parasympathetic (rest and digest, feed and breed) nervous system and is a good carrier for the cistanche, dandelion root, chaga mushroom, and blue lotus flower.

• Why? Promotes parasympathetic activity, stabilizes heart and brain rhythms, antioxidant/anti-inflammatory

• Purchase Chamomile Flowers from Mountain Rose Herbs. Blue Chamomile Essential Oil can also be applied topically where desired (forehead and pubic area is best for libido); highly effective!

*Aphrodisiac Tea | 2:1:1:1 ratio of chamomile flowers, dandelion root, chaga mushroom, blue lotus flower. Add the cistanche powder to the tea after steeping. Course-grained chaga mushroom powder and dandelion root can be steeped with the chamomile flowers, or the fine-grained powders of each can be added after steeping the chamomile and blue lotus flower tea alongside the cistanche.

• Purchase Bodum French Press from Amazon.

*Aphrodisiac Dry-Vaporization Blend | 2:2:2:1:1 ratio of blue lotus flower, THC cannabis, CBD cannabis, damiana leaf, chamomile flower.

• Purchase Fury Edge Dry-Vaporizer from Healthy Rips.

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If you find the advice and science shared in this article useful, share it where it can also help others rediscover and connect to their natural libido.

If you use any of the herbs above, specifically if you try the who Aphrodisiac Stack, please share your experiences in the comments below.

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References:

1. Malcom Stuart, et al. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Crescent Books, New York.

2. Ober C, Sinatra S, Martin Z. Earthing. Second Edition. Basic Health Publications, Inc.; 2014.

3. Emboden W. The sacred journey in dynastic egypt: shamanistic trance in the context of the narcotic water lily and the mandrake. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 1989;21(1):61-75.

4. Li Z, Lin H, Gu L, Gao J, Tzeng CM. Herba cistanche (Rou cong-rong): one of the best pharmaceutical gifts of traditional chinese medicine. Front Pharmacol. 2016;7.

5. Shashkina MYa, Shashkin PN, Sergeev AV. Chemical and medicobiological properties of chaga (Review). Pharm Chem J. 2006;40(10):560-568.

6. Andre CM, Hausman JF, Guerriero G. Cannabis sativa: the plant of the thousand and one molecules. Front Plant Sci. 2016;7.

7. González-Castejón M, Visioli F, Rodriguez-Casado A. Diverse biological activities of dandelion. Nutrition Reviews. 2012;70(9):534-547.

8. Miraj S, Alesaeidi S. A systematic review study of therapeutic effects of Matricaria recuitta chamomile (Chamomile). Electron physician. 2016;8(9):3024-3031.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

How Cistanche Boosts Testosterone

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated August 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

When it comes to natural testosterone boosting supplements, there are generally two schools of thought.

1. There are the people that don’t think it’s possible to boost androgenic hormones like testosterone naturally using herbs. These people almost always have never tried using the natural testosterone boosters that exist and do work.

2. Then there are the people who have used natural testosterone boosters like cistanche and saw the benefits from it such as increased confidence, more muscle, a strength boost, and an increase in other androgenic traits.

Interestingly the people in group 1 have no trouble believing that estrogenic hormones like estradiol can be increased using certain herbs and by eating foods like soy. Increasing testosterone naturally using herbs may not be as well studied scientifically as is the opposite of how to boost female hormone levels (in an effort to help with menopause and post-menopause symptoms), but just as it’s possible to increase circulating levels of female hormones in the body, it is possible to increase circulating levels of male hormones too.

I speak from personal experience here because I’ve successfully used cistanche to increase free testosterone by 53% in the span of one month before, and every time I’ve used cistanche since the effect was similar physiologically.

Cistanche growing in the desert

In this article we discuss how to boost testosterone naturally using a special little-known herb known as cistanche, and some other herbs, foods, and supplements that can be used simultaneously to increase the overall androgenic effect while also reducing any side-effects that may occur.

How to Boost Testosterone

To understand how total and free testosterone levels can be increased naturally, a general understanding of the endocrine (hormone) system is required.

All hormones are synthesized from cholesterol. Cholesterol is a very valuable biologic compound, produced by the body and also available via dietary sources like eggs. For men testosterone and other androgenic hormones are synthesized from cholesterol by leydig cells in the testes. In the diagram here I’ve outlined cholesterol and testosterone in red.

For any testosterone booster to work, it needs to make the steroidogenesis process more efficient, fill in some critical nutrient deficiency that is limiting steroidogenesis, or it has to trigger a greater increase in steroidogenesis.

Common nutrients that are well-known to raise testosterone levels if deficient in them are vitamin D, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, and boron, and making sure you intake enough of these nutrients is also simply good for overall health and wellness.

Then there is cholesterol. By increasing cholesterol levels in the body more hormones can be produced. Depending on your size and sex the amount of cholesterol produced naturally by the body varies, but it’s on average about ~1000 mg a day. If you want to increase the amount of cholesterol your body has access to, then the easiest way I can recommend is to eat eggs. One large egg contains ~200 mg of cholesterol, and eating 3-5 eggs a day will by itself have a notable positive impact on your hormone system.

With these base optimizations done, if you’re still interested in raising your testosterone levels beyond normal physiological levels, then supplementing with the safe & natural herb cistanche is highly effective.

Is Cistanche the Best Natural Testosterone Booster?

Cistanche is a genus of perennial herbs consisting of 22 known species that grows well in extremely arid desert climates. One of the reasons that cistanche is still a relatively obscure herb is because it’s an endangered wild species and only found in select parts of central and east Asia. Cistanche supplement is made from the ground up stem of the plant, which contains it’s main active compounds: the plant glycosides echinacoside and acteoside.

Cistanche is popular in Chinese Traditional Medicine for its wide-ranging beneficial health effects such as:

• Enhanced cognitive function

• Improved metabolism

• Strengthens the immune system

• Is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant

• Supports the renal system (kidneys)

Cistanche Male Benefits

For men specifically cistanche is a useful herb because of its androgenic effects. Male hormone levels and sperm counts have been declining for decades, and cistanche can be used to reverse that trend. Whether you’re interested in boosting your testosterone, to improving your fertility, or you want to upgrade your performance in the bedroom, cistanche is a safe and natural herb than can help.

For a more detailed look at the health and androgenic benefits of cistanche check out the cistanche herb page.

How does Cistanche Work?

No human studies exist yet for cistanche, but the androgenic effects of cistanche have been studied in mice/rats and in other more isolated ways. The principal beneficial constituents of cistanche are echinacoside and acteoside, and it’s these compounds that are primarily responsible for the testosterone boosting effects of cistanche. It’s not a single pathway that cistanche activates that increase testosterone production by Leydig cells, but rather a selective activation of a few different genes and pathways that combined together to have a dramatic androgenic effect. There are also a few lifestyle factors that if done alongside cistanche supplementation greatly boost the overall effect.

The Liver and Cholesterol

To start, cistanche has been shown to significantly reduce serum cholesterol levels in mice which were fed a high-cholesterol diet. Cistanche does this by enhancing cholesterol transport from the digestive system to the liver. The liver is the primary chemical factory for the body, and it’s at the liver that cholesterol is encapsulated into lipoproteins made of lipids (fats) and proteins. Lipoproteins travel in the bloodstream to deliver cholesterol and triglycerides to the cells of the body. In addition to hormones, cholesterol is a major component of cell membranes, and cells throughout the body require cholesterol for their regular upkeep and biologic functions.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the main lipoprotein responsible for transporting cholesterol throughout the body. As LDL cholesterol reaches tissues in need of cholesterol it binds to the tissue’s LDL receptor and the cholesterol is released from the lipoprotein. The now depleted LDL compound is processed by the liver or taken up by macrophages.

Leydig Cells and Cholesterol

Leydig cells where hormones like testosterone are produced require an efficient and constant supply of cholesterol for their biologic functions. Under normal conditions testicular Leydig cells produce a lot of the cholesterol they need endogenously (themselves) for testosterone production, with any additional demand for cholesterol being mostly supplied by serum LDL cholesterol floating about.

The key in how cistanche works in raising testosterone levels is if Leydig cells have an additional demand for cholesterol. If you’re living a sedentary lifestyle with little physical activity and you’re not engaging in testosterone-stimulating social behaviors, cistanche will still boost your testosterone levels to some degree, but the effect is made much more significant when “alpha-male” lifestyles factors are in place like working out and engaging in varied social interactions. When those lifestyle factors are in place and there is a demand for testosterone in order to increase chances of success, whether that’s lifting a heavy deadlift, closing a sales deal, being in a leadership position, or attracting the cute girl, then Leydig cells respond to the increased need for testosterone and look abroad for the extra cholesterol they need. If cistanche is being supplemented alongside an increased consumption of dietary cholesterol from a source like eggs (say 4 a day), then the extra dietary cholesterol is being efficiently packaged into lipoproteins and circulated to Leydig cells which take up the cholesterol and create extra testosterone from it.

Acteoside, one of the main active constituents of cistanche seems to play a major role in enhancing cholesterol metabolism and transport, and acteoside also has an antiestrogenic effect. All that’s required for testosterone to be converted into estradiol, the strongest estrogen hormone, is for it to be converted by the aromatase enzyme (see steroidogenesis graphic above). The exact anti-estrogenic mechanisms of how acteoside are still not fully known, but it seems to stop the conversion of excess testosterone into estrogen. That’s one problem with a lot of testosterone boosters, they increase testosterone but do nothing to stop aromatase enzyme so the body ends up having high levels of testosterone and estrogen, which isn’t a good thing.

The exact mechanisms of how cistanche boosts testosterone isn’t 100% clear, but the overall biologic process is known and can be confirmed for yourself by supplementing with cistanche and experiencing the testosterone boosting effects yourself. And by knowing the above biology it’s possible to improve the effect further with the addition of some other natural compounds like dandelion, zinc, and vitamin D.

Cistanche Testosterone-Boosting Supplement Stack

To make supplementing with cistanche as effective as possible in boosting testosterone, the following is required:

• A high-quality cistanche supplement with sufficient acetoside concentrations, like Nootropics Depot Cistanche supplement

• Testosterone-boosting lifestyle factors like lifting weights, engaging in sports, being a leader, or social interactions

• Increased consumption of dietary cholesterol

• Dandelion for its high levels of flavonoids which function as aromatase inhibitors

• Zinc, magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin C

I’ll cover the dosing requirements for each and provide you my recommended supplements, and then at the end put it all together for you so you can try your own 1-2 month cistanche testosterone-boosting protocol.

Cistanche Dosing

If using the Cistanche tubolsa powder (recommended) sold by Nootropics Depot, then start with the recommended dose of 200 mg and increase up to a maximum of 600 mg if desired.

In my experience the higher the dose of cistanche the greater the testosterone boosting effect, but the side-effects like more acne can also manifest, which is why I recommend dandelion root is also used alongside cistanche.

Dandelion Dosing

The entire dandelion plant is edible and incredibly safe, and supplementing with dandelion root, usually by brewing it into a tea, reduces some of the unwanted side-effects that can occur when supplementing with cistanche. Dandelion is a blood purifier and will keep inflammation and acne under control, and the flavonoids that dandelion contains are aromatase inhibitors, which means less of the testosterone that is being produced thanks to the cistanche is being converted into estrogen. You can harvest and dry your own dandelion root or organic dandelion root can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Apigenin is flavonoid that has strong aromatase inhibiting properties, and the liposomal apigenin powder sold by Nootropics Depot could also be used in the place of or alongside the dandelion tea if desired.

Cholesterol Dosing

Alongside 200-600 mg of cistanche you should also increase your cholesterol by 600-1000 mg. To increase your dietary cholesterol you can simply begin eating more eggs, I recommend 3-5 a day. For the best nutrition purchase pasture-raised eggs.

Micronutrient Dosing

Vitamin D is another very useful chemical for hormone health and overall health and wellness, and if you’re unable to get some safe sun exposure daily, then you can take a 5000 IU vitamin D supplement.

Vitamin C is important for the health of your adrenal glands and necessary for the production of cortisol, and in order to avoid placing any undue stress on the adrenals from the cistanche supplementation I recommend you increase your vitamin C intake by consuming more citrus, like one lemon a day. Skip the vitamin C supplements, they’re junk and not readily bioavailable.

Zinc is a key part of the androgenic pathway, and if you’re deficient in zinc then you’re limiting your bodies ability to produce testosterone and recover from workouts. Zinc is found in high concentrations in oysters, nuts and seeds, and some other foods, or you can supplement with a safe level of zinc by taking a 15 mg zinc balance supplement. Taking too much zinc (>35 mg) can be dangerous and lead to toxicity and also severe nausea if taken on an empty stomach.

Magnesium is another mineral important for testosterone production as well as being needed throughout the body. Magnesium is the second most common nutrient deficiency and can be consumed in greater amounts by eating more nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens like spinach, dark chocolate, by drinking spring water than contains dissolved magnesium, or by taking a 500 mg magnesium supplement.

Note - An easy way to increase your consumption of zinc, magnesium, and other valuable minerals like manganese is to eat pumpkin seeds. Five health benefits of pumpkin seeds

Boost your Testosterone Fast

So here’s how I recommend you supplement with cistanche. Split your daily dose into two and consume half in the morning and half at night. If you’re taking 400 mg of cistanche that means 200 mg before breakfast and 200 mg before dinner. Every morning brew a couple cups (16 oz) of dandelion tea by steeping a couple grams of dandelion root in boiling water for 15 minutes, and once the tea is ready you can stir the cistanche directly into the tea. Take the zinc, magnesium, and vitamin supplements at the same time and then 30-60 minutes later eat breakfast. If you’re intermittent fasting then this can be done before lunch. Save the second cup of dandelion tea in the fridge for later that night, again stirring the cistanche directly into it.

Use this testosterone boosting supplement stack consistently for thirty days while also having a strength training routine in place, good sleep, and a healthy diet and you’ll be blown away by the androgenic changes you experience! If you really want to be scientific and qualitatively see how your body adapted to the supplements and changes implemented, get a total and free testosterone test before and after the 30-60 day supplement period.

60 days is the upper limit I’d recommend for supplementing with cistanche, and then make sure to not use cistanche or any other testosterone booster again until you wait the same amount of time you used it for. This is the 1:1 rule and its highly recommended to follow in order to keep your endocrine system healthy and functioning normally.

I notice that much of the increased androgenic expression that’ll be experienced from supplementing with cistanche “sticks”, so in my experience it seems to help upregulate natural testosterone production permanently to some degree, likely through the activation and increased expression of certain genes.

If you follow this natural testosterone boosting protocol please share your experiences in the comments below.

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References:

1. (2014). "Diagram of the pathways of human steroidogenesis". WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (1). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.005. ISSN 20018762. - Häggström M, Richfield D

2. Shimoda H, Tanaka J, Takahara Y, Takemoto K, Shan SJ, Su MH. The hypocholesterolemic effects of cistanche tubulosa extract, a chinese traditional crude medicine, in mice. Am J Chin Med. 2009;37(06):1125-1138.

3. Papoutsi Z, Kassi E, Mitakou S, et al. Acteoside and martynoside exhibit estrogenic/antiestrogenic properties. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 2006;98(1):63-71.

4. Azhar S, Reaven E. Regulation of leydig cell cholesterol metabolism. In: Payne AH, Hardy MP, eds. The Leydig Cell in Health and Disease. Humana Press; 2007:135-148.

5. Jeong HJ, Shin YG, Kim IH, Pezzuto JM. Inhibition of aromatase activity by flavonoids. Arch Pharm Res. 1999;22(3):309-312.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Piperine Improves Digestion and Enhances bioavailability

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated July 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

There exists a phytochemical that dramatically improves digestion while also boosting the bioavailability and absorption of nutrients. It’s a potent anti-inflammatory, has neuroprotective effects, and can even reduce the toxicity of certain chemicals. With such a broad range of health effects, it almost seems too good to be true that piperine exists, and lucky for us it is 100% real and one of the main reasons why black pepper is the “king of spices” worldwide.

White pepper contains the greatest percentage of piperine

Piperine is the main active ingredient in black pepper, white in color and makes up 3-10% of a peppercorn by weight, and piperine is responsible for the pungency of black pepper. If the oxidized black skin of a peppercorn is removed, this creates what is known as white pepper, and white peppercorns have a greater percentage of piperine than black pepper does. This article examines the different uses of piperine, in particular its ability to dramatically enhance the bioavailability of certain chemicals like curcuminoids and psilocybin, and how to best supplement with piperine.

Piperine Health Benefits

Because piperine stimulates quite a few different pathways throughout the body, it has a wide range of health uses depending on what health issues are present and how it is dosed. The main health benefits of piperine are:

1. Increases bio-absorption of vitamins and trace elements

2. Improves digestion

3. Decreases fat accumulation

4. Antimicrobial

5. Effective against acute inflammation

6. Piperine ameliorates chronic mild stress

7. Stimulates anti-cancer pathways

8. Reduces the extent of toxicity for certain chemicals

Piperine is an inhibitor of MAO activity, which is a potential treatment path for depression, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Piperine also can increase serotonin and dopamine levels under conditions of stress. Piperine’s effects on cancer, inflammatory diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases is still actively being researched into, and at this moment in time piperine is best known for it’s ability to enhance the absorption of other compounds like curcuminoids (antioxidant anti-inflammatories found in turmeric).

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Some of the information in the Holistic Gut Health Guide isn’t common knowledge but when implemented it is highly effective in healing the gut and shifting the microbiome towards symbiosis. Give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

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Piperine Curcumin Bioavailability Enhancement

Curcuminoids are the yellow to orange pigments found in turmeric. There are many different curcuminoids but the main and most common of them is curcumin. The issue with curcumin is that it has nearly zero physiological effects on the body if taken by itself because it has terrible bioavailability, measured at less than 1%. The bodies ability to absorb curcuminoids is limited due to its poor solubility in the aqueous phase of the digestive tract and what does reach the bloodstream is rapidly metabolized and excreted. A lot of time and effort has gone into increasing the absorption of curcumin, and piperine has proven to be one of the best ways to increase curcumin’s absorption and therefore increasing its health effects, the main ones of which are:

1. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory

2. Anti-depressive and is neuroprotective

3. Dramatically reduces symptoms of osteoarthritis

4. Improves prostate health

5. Reduces inflammation of the digestive system

Piperine works synergistically with curcumin by inhibiting curcumin's rabid absorption by the liver and intestinal wall, thereby increasing the absorption of curcumin by 2000% (20x better). Now able to pass into the bloodstream in much greater quantities thanks to piperine, curcumin can circulate throughout the body and past the blood-brain barrier for much more powerful full body anti-inflammatory effects. It takes about one hour after supplementation for curcuminoids and piperine to reach max concentrations in the blood, and they are metabolized almost completely a few hours later.

Most studies that observed the bioavailability enhancing effects of piperine on curcumin used a ratio of 5 mg piperine to 500 mg curcumin, and as a result most supplements are formulated with the same ratio. New research is currently being done where the amount of piperine relative to curcumin is increased, and being considerate of all the health benefits piperine has of its own, increasing the ratio by 4x by supplementing with 500 mg curcumin and 20 mg piperine is worthwhile to try.

Piperine for Psilocybin Absorption

Because piperine has been shown to increase the ability of various phytochemicals (curcumin, green tea EGCG) to be absorbed into the blood stream, there is a growing interest in if piperine can aid in the absorption of other compounds like psilocybin. Psilocybin is a chemical produced by over 200 species of fungi that is water soluble and is biologically inactive. Once in the body though, psilocybin is rapidly metabolized into psilocin which creates psychedelic effects such as hallucinations, feelings of euphoria, changes in perceptions, and space/time distortions, and for these reason psilocybin is often used for spiritual journeys or in the treatment of mental illness.

Though good scientific evidence is very limited in regards to piperine’s ability to increased the absorption of psilocybin, mechanistically it should work as piperine in general increases gastrointestinal function and absorption ability. My personal anecdotal experience backs this up (N=1) as I’ve experimented with psilocybin using magic mushrooms while also taking some piperine. Piperine in theory is the perfect pair for psilocybin because it also has neurologic functions and can cross the blood-brain barrier like psilocin. Taking 1.5 grams of magic mushrooms paired with 25 mg of piperine increased the effect of the magic mushrooms noticably for me, to the point where it felt like I actually took about 2-2.5 grams of mushrooms. My experience in pairing piperine and psilocybin together is limited but it seems piperine makes magic mushrooms about 20-30% more potent simply by increasing the amount of psilocybin that successfully passes through the digestive system into the bloodstream.

Since psilocybin is water soluble, one effective way to use magic mushrooms is to powder them and stir that into a chamomile tea steeped in 170F water. Take the piperine supplement while drinking the tea.

Piperine for Medicinal Mushrooms

It’s also very likely that piperine increases the absorption and effect of medicinal mushrooms like reishi and cordyceps. Medicinal mushrooms have powerful immune-boosting and cognitive-enhancing health effects, and it’s worth keeping a piperine supplement on hand for use in boosting the absorption of herbal supplements like curcumin or medicinal mushrooms.

How to Supplement with Piperine Capsules

Piperine is one herbal supplement I always keep on hand because it enhances the absorption and actions of many other herbal supplements like turmeric and green tea. If herbal supplements do include piperine into their blend, it’s usually in amounts of 2-5 mg per serving, which is quite low. To supplement with piperine by itself or in conjunction with other herbals use 0.25-0.5 mg piperine per kg of bodyweight. A good starting dose is 10-25 mg.

Nootropics Depot Piperine

Nootropics Depot conveniently sells piperine extract in 10mg capsules. Piperine is highly sensitive and will degrade quickly when exposed to light, so supplementing with piperine in capsule form instead of with a powder is not only easier to dose but also lowers the amount of degradation that will occur due to light exposure.

The 10 mg capsules also make experimenting with piperine dosages quite easy. If interested start with 10 mg a few times and then increase to 20 mg or beyond. This is especially useful when digestive upset is being experienced. Consuming black pepper is one way to help ease digestive ailments, but it can be difficult to consume enough black pepper directly to be especially effective, but piperine can be supplemented at whatever 10 mg increment desired.

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References:

1. Butt MS, Pasha I, Sultan MT, Randhawa MA, Saeed F, Ahmed W. Black pepper and health claims: a comprehensive treatise. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2013;53(9):875-886. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2011.571799

2. Rahman Khan Z, Moni F, Sharmin S, et al. Isolation of bulk amount of piperine as active pharmaceutical ingredient (Api) from black pepper and white pepper(&lt;i&gt;piper nigrum&lt;/i&gt; l.). PP. 2017;08(07):253-262. https://doi.org/10.4236/pp.2017.87018

3. Shoba G, Joy D, Joseph T, Majeed M, Rajendran R, Srinivas PS. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Med. 1998;64(4):353-6.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

What are Hypnagogic Naps?

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Hypnagogic naps are a prime example of the power of theta brainwaves.

A hypnagogic nap is one where you fall asleep and then through some loud stimulation immediately wake back up.

The classic method is to fall asleep in a chair with a steel ball in one hand and a wide metal pan placed below it. When the transition from wakefulness to stage 1 sleep occurs, the hand relaxes and the ball hits the pan, making a loud sound which wakes the user up.

The red dashed line at about the five minute mark is when a hypnagogic nap occurs. Hypnagogic naps provide a jolt of energy but the amount is insufficient if actual rest is needed. Hypnagogic naps are best performed as part of an experiment and exploration into the many states of consciousness.

Creatives such as Edgar Allan Poe and Salvador Dali used hypnagogic naps in their creative pursuits.

Transition from sleep into wakefulness is known as hypnopompic. Hypnagogic and hypnopompic are transitional "threshold consciousness" phases where hallucinations, lucid thought, sparks of genius, and lucid dreaming can occur.

Using binaural beats can make achieving a hypnagogic nap easier. Theta 4-8 Hz brainwaves are most dominant during a wake to sleep transition, so playing 5.55 Hz binaural beats primes brainwaves of that frequency. Use the video below for short hypnagogic naps or for longer theta binaural beat brainwave therapy.

How to Perform a Hypnagogic Nap

Below are the instructions on how to setup a hynagogic nap via the classic method (ball in hand).

1. Take a comfortable seated position and lay your arms over the top of the armrests. In one hand, place a heavy object like a stone or a metal ball. Turn on binaural beats if using. 42 Hz binaural beats is recommended instead of the 5.55 Hz track if trying to achieve lucid states and generate radical ideas.

2. Relax, close your eyes, and begin taking long deep breaths.

3. Sink deeper into relaxation by focusing on the breath and the thoughtlessness beyond. Deeper….deeper…

4. POW! The ball has dropped and you’re back!

Another easier way to perform a hynagogic nap is to set a timer for 15 minutes. Though you might not wakeup at the instant you transition to sleep, if a timer is set for 10-15 minutes before dozing off, it’ll start ringing while you’re still in stage 1 of sleep, providing the same benefits as the classic method. I prefer using a 15 minute timer because I find holding onto an object stops me from being able to fall asleep easily.

Entering into the nap calm and rested and a hypnagogic nap cycle takes about 5-10 minutes in total. If agitated and not at ease it can take 10+ minutes to eventually relax enough to then transition to sleep.

The best time to perform hypnagogic naps is on a quiet day free of stress. Mid-afternoon is a good time as there is a natural drowsy lull that sometimes occurs yet wakefulness is still dominant.

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The Importance of Sleep

Sleeping is incredibly important for best mental health, lifespan, health, injury…every system in the body suffers if sleep is compromised. Hynagogic naps are one way to quickly rest and boost energy levels but they are not a replacement for regular deep sleep. Everything can be going great but if sleep has been poor then it needs to be the primary wellness focus.

30 day Arm growth experiment

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

I performed a 30-day experiment to grow my arms and forearms because even though I had been training my arms with compounds for years and increasingly directly with bodybuilding techniques, my upper arms and forearms were still sitting at just 15" and 12.25" respectively, and decided I wanted to grow them both to the next level.

The premise was simple:

Build as much size as possible in one month while simultaneously improving the symmetry between my biceps, triceps, and forearms

To do that I dramatically increased my arm training frequency, changed my exercise selection, altered my diet, and focused on recovery.

Background - Having a 77.5" wingspan at a height of 72.5", I have found it difficult to increase the size of my arms. Strength was never a limiting factor except in tricep-heavy pressing movements. I've been able to row and pull-up as much as my back can handle, and grip (mixed) more than my deadlift, but I always have had issues adding arm mass. I've tried blood flow restriction training (BFRT), the "chin-ups & compounds = big arms" approach, a dedicated arm day, everything that is typically recommended. I saw limited progress from each of those methods, but my arm size never increased dramatically like promised.

With the experiment, I started a lean bulk a few days prior and I made my arms a major focus. Every day for a month, I did five weekday morning workouts exclusively targeting the arms. Other weekly regular workouts also included direct arm training scattered between two bodybuilding workouts, four weekday full body workouts, and a Saturday strongman workout. The full workout protocol is below.

30-Day Before and After Results

Arm Measurements - Day 1 vs Day 30. Pictures Taken Flexed but Unpumped

In the span of 30 days my left and right arms increased from 15 1/8" to 15 1/2", an increase of 3/8"! To gain that much size naturally in a month is phenomenal. Additionally, I started to do a lot more direct forearm work, increasing in size my left and right forearms from 12 1/4" to 12 3/4", a whopping increase of 1/2"!

Arguably my forearm gains are the more impressive of the two results from the 30 day arm challenge, having registered 1/2” gain from a smaller starting diameter.

Symmetry approved across the board. My forearms are now more symmetrical with my upper arms, and I was able to add some size to the long head of my triceps, which forms the coveted “horseshoe”. All measurements were performed upon waking up in the morning, flexed with no pump.

Scroll through the four photos too see all the data. You’ll notice that I actually put on 1/4” on my upper arms in the first 10 days of the program, and then there was a 20 day plateau until I hit my first 15 1/2” measurement. If you’re fine with slightly less overall progress but over a shorter time-frame, run the below workout protocol over weeks instead of the full 30 days.

30 Day Arm Challenge Protocol

In order to push new arm growth, this program will push your limits and require dedication and consistency. Quick 15-20 minute morning arm workouts keep muscle protein synthesis elevated locally in the biceps, triceps, and forearms, and the nightly workouts push the myofibrillar hypertrophy further with heavier, higher recruitment exercises.

Nutrition for Arm Growth

For muscle growth to occur you need to eat in an overall caloric surplus. Since the arms are already a smaller, more difficult muscle group to grow, I would keep calories on average about 300-500 over maintenance. I stacked my calories and carbs around my workouts. I drank a muscle building shake containing pasture raised eggs and protein after every morning and night workout, and that helped tremendously. Meal timing is only useful though if the rest of your diet is cleaned up and on point.

I was also running a Cistanche and Cholesterol Protocol during this 30-day arm challenge, and I definitely think that positively contributed to my success of adding 3/8” to my upper arms and 1/2” to my forearms. None of these nutritional tips will matter though without enough water. Proper hydration is so important because water is the primary component of muscle tissue, so endeavor to drink 1 gallon of pure filtered water daily.

Recovery for Arm Growth

With this much intensity, frequency, and volume applied to such small muscle groups, sleep and recovery need to be prioritized. Aim for 7-9 hours of high quality sleep per night. I also used the sauna 3-4x a week for 20 minutes. While in the sauna I massaged my arms and forearms, driving blood-flow to the area and breaking up any tight tissues I encountered. Heat therapy is very healing and boosts growth hormone release. By massaging my fascia I allowed my arms to stretch the fascia and therefore, room to grow. Be mindful of your cortisol levels and don’t run into adrenal fatigue.

Morning Workouts keep Growth Stimulated 24/7

Muscle protein synthesis stays elevated for hours after exercise, and the purpose of morning workouts for this arm growth experiment is to elevate MPS first thing in the morning. Morning workouts are also a good opportunity to increase the mind muscle connection and get a satisfying arm pump. It’s during the five weekly morning workouts where you can really examine what needs to be worked on symmetry wise, and modify any variables that might improve symmetry. Establishing a morning routine is important, make arm workouts a part of it!

Evening Workouts for Building Arm Muscles

Muscle protein synthesis in the arms is declining around the time an evening workout is scheduled. Evening workouts load the weight higher and stimulate muscle protein synthesis for the body more systemically. If you are going to a gym, there is more equipment at your disposal too, so a great variation of exercises can be performed. At the end of an evening workout, perform some stretching and self-recovery practices in order to reduce muscle degradation. If muscle degradation levels are high, triggering MPS is less effective. Recovery is just as important as the workouts themselves!

Morning Workouts

These workouts are performed in a circuit fashion, with each exercise proceeding the last. Rest for 60-90 seconds in-between. If 5 rounds is too long of a workout to perform in the morning, perform 3 rounds instead.

Monday, Thursday

Ring Tricep Extensions 5 x 20 - 30

• This exercise is easy on the elbows and hits the triceps long head very effectively. Sit deeply into the stretch at the bottom and engage with your triceps to drive out of that position. Keep the tension constant.

Ring Curls 5 x 20 - 30

• Ring Curls are a great exercise which overloads the biceps safely. Your body-weight provides a good stimulus, but the force curve of the exercise ensures relatively even resistance throughout the curl. If you don’t have rings perform them later at the gym on a smith machine.

DB Wrist Curls 5 x 10

• Wrist Curls are one of the best ways to build forearm mass, and the Dumbbell variety is no joke. Start counting reps once you can feel the burn.

Tuesday, Friday

Band Tricep Extensions/Overhead Band Tricep Extensions 5 x 20

• I like to superset these exercises. Hang two bands off of a pull-up bar, one more stronger than the other. I use two 41” resistance bands, and when you tire with the stronger band from the tricep extesnions, move to the lighter band for the overhead exercise. Focus on improving you mind muscle connection with your triceps on each rep, and hold the top of each contraction for a couple seconds

Hammer Curls 5 x 20

• Hammer Curls are a fantastic dumbbell exercise which evenly builds the biceps and forearm muscles. Keep your elbows in front of your body to place more strain on your biceps and to limit the amount of movement “cheating”. If you perform this exercise correctly you’ll discover it’s one of the best arm and pump exercises.

Forearm Club Raises 5 x 25 - 20

• Find an offset weight such as an Indian club or a thick piece of metal piping. This movement trains forearm adduction, and is a very balanced forearm builder.This also makes for a good burnout exercise after the other two upper arm movements.

Wednesday

Wednesday’s workout is one of the easiest to perform at home, only requiring a doorway pull-up bar. I also like this workout because it improves body-weight movement patterns and strength. The arm pump I got from these workouts was the weakest, but has the most functional carryover.

Close-Grip Push-Ups 3 x 30 - 40

• Place your hands close together but neutral (diamond push-ups can aggravate your shoulders). Perform push-ups, keeping your core tight, scapula in proper positions, and direct all your focus to the triceps. Be sure to lockout each rep as that is where the triceps are activated the most.

Close-Grip Chin-Ups 5 x 10 - 15

• Grab onto a chin-up bar with a supinated grip, hands just a couples inches apart. Perform a chin-up but lay slightly more horizontal and place all your focus on your biceps. Squeeze at the top and slowly go back down to a dead hang. Done properly these are a fantastic bicep mass builder.

2-3” Bar Hangs 5 x Hold As Long As Possible

• Bar hangs are a great way to build forearm strength and endurance, and I like to do them for less time on thicker handles. Wrap your thumbs around the bar and if getting a thick bar setup is too difficult, perform towel hangs instead, which is just as challenging for your grip.

Night Workouts

Upper and lower arm exercises for the night workouts were more varied than the morning exercises, in both exercise selection and in set and rep schemes. Below are 3 example mini arm workouts you can add onto your routine over the course of a week.

Arm Workout 1

Barbell Curls 4x8

• The classic bicep building exercise, the key is to keep your elbows in front of your body in order to place most of the strain directly on your biceps. Use an E-Z bar to reduce wrist strain if that’s an issue you encounter.

Decline Close Grip Bench Press 4x8

• Two variations include performing this exercise on a flat bench with a smith machine, and using a Slingshot. The smith machine takes the small shoulder stabilizers out of the exercise, allowing the triceps to be focused on easier this way. The slingshot helps to reduce the weight of the bar off of the chest, therefore reducing the activation of the chest and placing it onto the triceps.

Behind the Back Barbell Wrist Curls 4x10

• With arms behind the back, it’s really easy to activate the forearms. Don’t count reps until your forearms are already burning, and then push through the pain. Use short rest periods for this exercise.

Arm Workout 2

DB Zotterman Curls 4x12

• Zotterman Curls are one of my favorite bicep exercises, very similar to hammer curls in the muscles they target. The zotterman curl brings the arm across the body, and by doing so you’re able to contract the top of the movement better than a hammer curl due to a move protected shoulder joint position. You’ll have to alternate reps here, so it makes for a good finisher when the biceps and forearms are already fatigued.

Overhead DB Tricep Extension 4x12

• The Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension is a classic tricep exercise, and one that’s easily performed at any gym. Standing or seated, I like this exercise less for the contraction at the top and more for the deep stretch I can achieve on my triceps at the bottom. Sink into that stretch, feel your triceps, and then use your triceps to drive the weight upwards.

Reverse DB Curls 4x20

• Reverse Dumbbell Curls are a very flexible exercise, and they can be performed from heavy to very light with a variety of reversed grip positions.

Arm Workout 3

Bicep Preacher Curl Machine 4x15

• I like to use machines every once in a while as a way to take the stabilizer muscles out of the movement in order to fully target the desired muscle, in this case the biceps. I like to hold the stretch, the contraction, and keep the MMC my focus during the movement itself.

Tricep Extension Machine 4x15

• Same concept as above with the Triceps Extension Machine. I find it difficult to contract the triceps compared to stretching the muscle (both can help grow a muscle), and this machine makes it really easy to get an amazing contraction on your entire tricep muscle. Hold the contraction and use a slow controlled tempo in-between.

Plate Pinches 4x Hold As Long As Possible

• Plate Pinches are a semi-unconventional grip exercise, but one that is easily performed at any gym. The two ways to perform this exercise is to to pick up a single 25 - 45 pound plate and hold for as long as possible, or increase the width of the pinch by stacking 10 pound plates together. Both methods improve grip strength.

GROW BIG ARMS

Follow this routine diligently for 30 days and I can guarantee you’ll see noticeable hypertrophy results. In fact, if you have the advantage of having a shorter wingspan with long muscle bellies, you’ll see even better results than I did! If you follow this routine, please share your results via the comments below.

Cistanche Provides and Extra Edge

And if you’re looking for an extra edge in building muscle, getting stronger, and leaning out I recommend you research into the herb cistanche. I used cistanche to boost my free testosterone levels by 53% in just thirty days, it’s one of the only proven testosterone boosting herbs that exists. Nootropics Depot sells cistanche powder with a high level of standardization.

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Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Other Articles on Strength Training

The Cistanche Cholesterol Protocol for Boosting Testosterone

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated February 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Cistanche is a parasitic plant found in deserts and used in Chinese medicine. Cholesterol is a building block for many hormones found throughout the body. Cistanche has testosterone boosting properties, and is documented in reducing blood cholesterol levels. Combining cistanche supplementation and cholesterol consumption creates an androgenic environment in the body that increases the production of sex hormones like testosterone, improves reproductive health, builds muscle and strength, and increases exercise performance.

Cistanche phelypaea

I performed an experiment where I supplemented with powdered cistanche daily while simultaneously increasing my dietary cholesterol consumption in order to see how it affected my free testosterone levels, rate of muscle growth, and strength with key compound barbell lifts. My results were dramatic, most notably I experienced a >50% increase in free testosterone levels in one month by supplementing with cistanche and cholesterol, but before seeing the full results of my experiment and what I call the CC Protocol, let’s dig into the science which led me to be intrigued in the first place into the androgenic and anabolic potential that combining cistanche and cholesterol has.

Cistanche and Cholesterol Science

To understand the powerful combination of cistanche and cholesterol, first the science of cholesterol must be understood.

Cholesterol is a Hormone Building Block

Steroidal hormones (produced by the body) are all derived from cholesterol. Steroid hormones influence metabolism, immune functions, inflammation, fluid and salt balances, development and maintenance of sexual characteristics, and regulate the bodies ability to withstand illness and injury.

The liver produces cholesterol for use in creating hormones, and cholesterol can also be acquired through diet with foods like pasture raised eggs.

To start the steroid hormone creation process, cholesterol is altered via an enzyme reaction to synthesize pregnenolone, the “master” steroid base molecule from which other hormones are created.

Notice the similarities between cholesterol and testosterone. Purples areas highlight the differences where there are elemental changes. Black = carbon, white = hydrogen, red = oxygen.

Cistanche the Androgenic Herb

Cistanche is one of the few herbs that can increase androgenic hormone levels, making you more manly, whereas there are many herbs and plants that we known of which increase estrogen levels throughout the body. Cistanche’s androgenic effects begin through it’s influence on cholesterol. Cistanche improves cholesterol transport throughout the body, reducing cholesterol levels in the blood even with a high cholesterol diet (1). Simultaneously, cistanche raises testosterone levels (2), improves time to fatigue, improves endurance, and reduces muscle breakdown (3).

Many of these effects are because cistanche is a vasorelaxant (relaxes the vascular system, lowering blood pressure), improves glucose tolerance, and reduces glucose elevation after meals (4). Typically steroidal hormones increase blood pressure, so these blood pressure lowering effects are a positive health benefit of cistanche supplementation. Additionally, the blood glucose improving effects of cistanche hint at better nutrient partitioning, a beneficial effect for improving lean body mass and reducing the creation of body fat.

It is important to note that high dosages of cistanche has shown differing effects on the liver. One study showed that cistanche can cause mild hepatic edema (2) (swelling of the liver), while other research has shown cistanche to be liver protective (4). There is conflicting information on the safety of cistanche as it relates to liver health, and this is likely due to differing study design. Cistanche does affect the liver to some degree because the production of steroidal hormones mostly occurs in liver. If male hormone levels are unbalanced they optimal wellness is not possible. Symptoms of low testosterone including depression, fatigue, decreased bone mass, increased fat mass, and an increased risk of anemia. If suffering from low testosterone levels, increased natural production of steroidal hormones can dramatically change ones life.

Overall cistanche has been deemed to be safe for human use at dosages below 10 grams per day, but out of an abundance of caution, I would not recommend using cistanche if you have preexisting health conditions, especially those of the liver. If you are healthy, when you first use cistanche, supplement with it for only for 30 days in a row and with no more than 2 grams per day. These are the conditions of the experiment that I ran and therefore of the CC Protocol.

The Wild Free Organic herbal page on Cistanche has much more information.

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Supplementation of Cistanche and Cholesterol

Cistanche can be supplemented through a powder or extract, more details on this below.

The easiest way to add more cholesterol to the diet is through increased egg consumption.

For most people, dietary cholesterol isn’t bad as it raises good HDL cholesterol (5), and daily egg consumption promotes favorable shifts in HDL lipid composition (6). High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol helps remove other forms of cholesterol from the bloodstream, and higher levels of HDL cholesterol are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. Additionally, higher HDL leads to more testosterone (7).

Can Cistanche Really Boost Testosterone?

The experiment I undertook by pairing cistanche supplementation with increase cholesterol consumption was conducted to answer the following question:

How will body fat, lean body mass, free testosterone levels, and strength in major compound lifts change in response to an increasing caloric intake, high volume resistance exercise utilizing progressive overload, a dramatic bump in dietary cholesterol, and daily supplementation of the herb cistanche.

My results from this protocol were incredible. In five weeks I added 5 lbs (2.25 kg) of lean body mass, boosted my free testosterone levels by 52%, increased my strength across the board on major compound lifts, and only increased my body fat levels by 0.7%. I was 27 years old at the time. Remember, the sample size for this experiment was N=1 (me). My results from this experiment were my own, and your results will vary from running the same or modified CC protocol.

The CC Protocol

The two main variables of this experiment were the daily addition of 2 grams of cistanche and at least 6 egg yolks (~1000 mg cholesterol). The idea was that the cistanche supplementation (via limited research available) would stimulate the body to produce more androgenic hormones, and the dramatic increase in cholesterol consumption would support the creation of these androgenic hormones like testosterone.

The cistanche I used for this experiment I purchased from Lost Empire Herbs, a 8:1 dual extract which contains echinacosides greater than 20% and aceteosides greater than 6%. Since then I’ve used the cistanche from Nootropics Depot which is more highly standardized in echinacosides and acetosides at >50% and >10% respectively. Echinacosides and aceteosides are the main phytochemicals responsible for the health benefits of cistanche, so an extracted standardized product will be more powerful in effect than an unextracted raw powder.

Since the extraction from the Nootropics Depot cistanche is greater than the product I used, less is needed for the same effect, more information on dosing at the end of the article.

Variables I manipulated:

1. I increased my daily caloric intake from 3500 calories to 4000 calories, increasing calories by roughly 100 each week.

2. I kept my macros fairly consistent at ratios of 35% carbohydrates, 45% fat, and 20% protein. These macronutrient percentages at times fluctuated by a couple percentage points week to week.

3. I increased my weekly weight lifting tonnage by about 25%. Tonnage is the total weight lifted, in this case from all exercises combined. Tonnage increases were from a combination of heavier weight and higher reps.

4. I consumed a post workout shake containing 600 calories, 19 g carbs, 42 g fat, and 36 g protein. The shake consisted of 8 oz coconut milk, 6 raw egg yolks, 30 grams hydrolyzed whey, and 3 grams of creatine monohydrate. Before this 5 week experiment I was not drinking a protein shake post-workout.

5. I consumed 1 g (1/2 tsp) cistanche (a desert plant) morning and night. Method of delivery was mixed with 1/2 shot glass of apple cider vinegar taken on a relatively empty stomach. Before this I had never used cistanche. The use of ACV was simply for overall digestive benefit.

Variables I did not manipulate, instead keeping consistent:

1. I consumed the same pre-workout shake before and during the experiment.

2. I slept 7-8 hours a night.

3. I kept my NEAT consistent (8).

4. Food quality remained consistent. Calories were adjusted upwards, but the majority of the food consumed was whole and unprocessed.

Now let’s see the data I collected from the experiment.

Cistanche Benefits Strength Training

Beyond basic easily acquired data points such as strength improvements in the gym, and body-weight measurements, I also collected body fat and lean body mass data via DEXA and checked my free testosterone levels at the start and conclusion of this five week test. All of this data is outlined below, starting with the most important.

How Cistanche Increased my Lean Body Mass

To test my body fat, lean body mass, and bone mineral content, DEXA scans are the gold standard in ease of use and accuracy. The company I use to perform these tests is BodySpec, a mobile DEXA scanning company that operates in California, Washington, and Texas. For the before and after DEXA scans, I went in under the same conditions. Those conditions were:

• DEXA scan at ~7:30 am.

• Used the bathroom to poop and pee before the test.

• Went into the test fasted, having consumed no food

• Consumed ~24 oz of water upon waking up.

11-05-18 DEXA Results

Total Body Fat % = 10.8%. Total Mass (lbs) = 180.7. Fat Tissue (lbs) = 19.4. Lean Tissue (lbs) = 153.2

01-07-2019 DEXA Results

Total Body Fat % = 11.5%. Total Mass (lbs) = 188 Fat Tissue (lbs) = 21.7. Lean Tissue (lbs) = 158.2

The before DEXA scan was actually taken a month before the start of the CC Protocol, with my weight being 180.7 lbs. A month later at the start of the protocol my weight was 181.5 lbs measured via a scale. Considering the error in weight measurements day to day, I believe the 0.8 lb difference is negligible. In the month preceding my experimentation with the CC Protocol, I didn’t have any lifestyle changes.

DEXA data shows that I gained 5 lbs of lean body mass (LBM) in 35 days, adding 0.7% bodyfat to my frame, and bone mineral content (BMC) remained unchanged. The biggest increases were seen in my legs, which I subjected to high volume training, but my upper body also saw significant increases in LBM. I only added body fat to the trunk and android regions of my body.

How Cistanche Increased my Free Testosterone

To test my free testosterone levels, I used Everlywell, an at home testing service which has dozens of different tests available, from hormone tests to micronutrient and STD tests. Their free-testosterone test is saliva based, and only tests free testosterone levels. Ideally I would have gotten a full hormone blood panel that also tested other important variables such as total testosterone, cortisol, estradiol, and more, but for practical reasons I used Everlywell’s at home testing service.

The before and after free testosterone tests were taken under the same conditions, which are as follows:

• Taken after a full 8 hours of sleep and wasn’t in a state of stress.

• Taken first thing in the morning as they recommend, before the consumption of any fluids.

• Taken after fasting for ~10 hours.

Everlywell uses saliva to measure the amount of free testosterone in your body, and while not as accurate as a full blood panel, a price point of $50 for each test makes it a great option for consistently testing your free testosterone levels. Free testosterone is a more direct measure of androgenic potential as it is free testosterone than can attach to androgen receptors and exert an androgenic effect, whereas much of the testosterone in the bloodstream is bound to proteins which limits it’s bioavailability.

In 35 days I increased my free testosterone levels from 94 pg/ml to 143 pg/ml, an increase of 52%. I have had 3-4 blood testosterone tests done prior to these two tests, and never have my free testosterone levels fluctuated by more than 10-15%. I attribute this increase in testosterone to mainly the CC Protocol, with the 1000 mg of cholesterol and 2 grams of cistanche daily working synergistically to raise my testosterone levels.

How Cistanche Boosted my Strength

During this experiment I regained strength I had previously acquired in the past on major compound lifts, but at a lower, leaner body-weight. By the end of the CC Protocol my relative strength was at an all time high. From the start of the CC protocol to the end the following strength changes occurred:

Deadlift

• Day 2 - 315# 2x10

• Day 7 - 405# 3x3

• Day 11 - 335# 3x10

• Day 15 - 425# 5x3

• Day 18 - 355# 4x10

• Day 23 - 435# 3x3

• Day 25 - 375# 3x10

• Day 31 - 455# 4x3, 1x2

1RM: 420 lbs to 482 lbs (15% increase)

Squat

• Day 4 - 345# 1x1, 225# 3x10

• Day 8 - 315# 4x3

• Day 10 - 275# 3x10

• Day 14 - 335# 5x3

• Day 17 - 295# 3x10

• Day 21 - 355# 4x3, 365# 1x3

• Day 24 - 315# 3x10

• Day 30 - 375# 4x3, 385# 1x3

1RM: 345 lbs to 408 lbs (16% increase)

Incline Press

• Day 7 - 155# 1x7, 1x6

• Day 10 - 135# (paused) 5x8

• Day 14 - 175# 2x5

• Day 17 - 155# (paused) 5x8

• Day 21 - 175# 5x5

• Day 24 - 160# (paused) 4x8

• Day 30 - 185# 3x5

• Day 33 - 135# 3x15

1RM: 186 lbs to 208 lbs (12% increase)

Note - 1RM beginning and end values were calculated using a 1RM calculator. The bolded italicized values were the sets I used to calculate the 1RM for each lift.

It’s important to again reiterate I had hit these strength numbers prior in my lifting career. The big difference is how effortless the linear progression over those 35 days carried me back to within 5% of my prior all-time best levels of strength, all while much leaner and weighting less. It happened at a rate much faster than I had experienced before. I do not completely attribute these strength gains purely to central nervous system and muscle memory, and I believe the CC Protocol contributed to at least 50% of the strength increases I experienced in the short time frame I ran the CC Protocol.

How the CC Protocol Changed my Physiology

I relied on my DEXA scans to give me better data on how my body composition changed during the CC Protocol, but there were some obvious physiological changes that occurred during this experiment.

Chest, shoulder, arm, and forearm thickness increased. My abdominal leanness was nearly unchanged. Before the CC Protocol I was struggling to grow a beard, and afterwards my beard hair grew in much thicker. I hypothesize that this is from higher circulating testosterone levels, and some of the free testosterone aromatized into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is one of the primary agents responsible for driving facial hair growth (9), and also male pattern baldness. The beard growth was a great visual anecdotal evidence to support the Everlywell test results. If you want to grow a thicker beard, the combination of cistanche and cholesterol might be worth experimenting with (as long as you don’t have family history of male pattern baldness).

Boost Testosterone with Cistanche

After reviewing the data from this experiment, I am confident in stating that the combination of cholesterol and cistanche, along with a healthy diet, good sleep, and a well-designed weight training program is an effective protocol for building muscle and increasing strength.

I personally experienced no side effects, minor or major, during this experiment, and it appears to be safe* for young men. With that said, to be extra safe, I wouldn’t run this protocol for any longer than 30 - 40 days the first time around, and I would strongly recommend against doing this if you have any underlying health conditions. This article is for informational purposes and you should consult with a medical professional before supplementing with anything new or making dramatic lifestyle changes.

If you decide to run the CC Protocol, make the most of the experience and make sure to gather as much data as possible, definitely a before and after body composition test, and if you have the cash or insurance, a hormone panel before and after.

Where to Buy Cistanche Supplement?

There are many different sellers of cistanche supplements worldwide which can be seen by visiting a marketplace like Amazon.

Cistanche Tubulosa Powder

My favorite supplier of cistanche is Nootropics Depot. Their cistanche product is highly standardized, containing a minimum of 50% echinacosides and 10% acetoside, overall delivering more echinacosides and acetoside per gram than most other cistanche products. I also like Nootropics Depot’s cistanche product because it doesn’t have a repugnant taste, which is something I have noticed from cistanche provided by other suppliers. The cistanche from Nootropics Depot works well and is reasonably priced.

Dosing Nootropics Depot Cistanche: Dosing is listed on the label at 200 mg though in my experience 2-3x that amount can be taken if desired and it’s still well within the known safety margins.

Start with 200 mg (~1/4 tsp) and after 1-2 weeks if everything is okay and a more powerful effect is desired increase to 300-400mg. Scale from there.

If purchasing cistanche from a Chinese pharmacy ask for Rou Cong-Rong, which is how they refer to cistanche. They may have raw or extracted powders, purchase whichever is preferred and dose accordingly.

Much more information on cistanche can be found on the Cistanche Herb Page.

References:

1. Shimoda H, Tanaka J, Takahara Y, Takemoto K, Shan SJ, Su MH. The hypocholesterolemic effects of Cistanche tubulosa extract, a Chinese traditional crude medicine, in mice. Am J Chin Med. 2009;37(6):1125-38.

2. Wang T, Chen C, Yang M, Deng B, Kirby GM, Zhang X. Cistanche tubulosa ethanol extract mediates rat sex hormone levels by induction of testicular steroidgenic enzymes. Pharm Biol. 2016;54(3):481-7.

3. Cai RL, Yang MH, Shi Y, Chen J, Li YC, Qi Y. Antifatigue activity of phenylethanoid-rich extract from Cistanche deserticola. Phytother Res. 2010;24(2):313-5.

4. Morikawa T, Xie H, Pan Y, et al. A Review of Biologically Active Natural Products from a Desert Plant Cistanche tubulosa. Chem Pharm Bull. 2019;67(7):675-689.

5. Herron KL, Vega-lopez S, Conde K, Ramjiganesh T, Shachter NS, Fernandez ML. Men classified as hypo- or hyperresponders to dietary cholesterol feeding exhibit differences in lipoprotein metabolism. J Nutr. 2003;133(4):1036-42.

6. Andersen CJ, Blesso CN, Lee J, et al. Egg consumption modulates HDL lipid composition and increases the cholesterol-accepting capacity of serum in metabolic syndrome. Lipids. 2013;48(6):557-67.

7. Freedman DS, O'brien TR, Flanders WD, Destefano F, Barboriak JJ. Relation of serum testosterone levels to high density lipoprotein cholesterol and other characteristics in men. Arterioscler Thromb. 1991;11(2):307-15.

8. Levine JA. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002;16(4):679-702.

9. Farthing MJ, Mattei AM, Edwards CR, Dawson AM. Relationship between plasma testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations and male facial hair growth. Br J Dermatol. 1982;107(5):559-64.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Control Food Cravings with Fasting

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated December 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Fasting, that is, not consuming calories, is becoming increasingly popular, and for good reason. The incredible benefits of fasting are numerous, from extending lifespan (1) to curing diseases (2), and fasting is certainly a wellness tool everyone should learn to use properly in their quest for optimal health. Fasting has such powerful effects upon the body because it removes a key component to life, food. Basically the larger the lever you pull (water, sleep, food, sunlight, air quality, etc), the larger the potential effect, positive or negative.

When an organism starts to fast, cellular autophagy ramps up (3) and metabolism increases (4), and a whole host of other important bodily systems are adjusted in ways that boost longevity and promote health. Because fasting is free and requires little more than perseverance, water, and electrolytes (for extended multi-day fasts), it has a low barrier of entry for anyone to try, no matter how inexperienced. While extended multi-day fasting can be a powerful weight loss tool, a better approach for those new to fasting is to first start small with a 24 hour fast, and potentially experiment with longer fasts from their after consulting with their doctor.

Fasting for the sole purpose of losing weight can be incredibly successful, but with that success a misguided behavior may establish itself that the best way to maintain weight is to not eat. The best way to maintain a lean and healthy body is to be mindful of metabolism, not just choosing not to eat for 3 days every week. To be clear, fasting is a powerful tool and is best not used irresponsibly.

Hunger vs Cravings

During a 24 hour fast body fat is burned and the digestive system is partially healed and reset. For a first timer though, what is learned about the interaction between eating, psychology, and behavior is even more valuable. Fasting is a fantastic way to learn how to differentiate between two types of hunger everyone has experienced: Physiological hunger and psychological hunger (also known as cravings). A good example demonstrating the difference can be summarized with the following hypothetical conversation:

Rebecca - “Oh my god I’m so hungry! Hey Dave what should we have for dinner?”

Dave - “I’m ravenous too! How about we grab some burgers?”

Rebecca - “I’m not feeling burgers, does Mexican food work (cravings)?”

Dave - “Yeah sure I’ll eat anything (hunger)!”

Dave was experiencing physiological hunger. His body required calories, and anything would suffice. Rebecca on the other hand wasn’t physiologically hungry. If Rebecca was more aware of the difference between hunger and cravings in this instance, she might have decided to not eat again until she was actually hungry, therefore consuming less calories and likely maintaining a healthier body weight.

A 24 hour fast is a great way to learn the difference between cravings and hunger. Over the course of that 24 hours, the average person will usually experience food cravings a couple times because they are used to eating every day consistently. By remaining strict and continuing with the fast, it’s discovered that 10-30 minutes after the food craving first started that it subsides or disappears. Focus the mind on something else and completing a 24 hour fast is easy.

A 24 hour fast will also teach how the body becomes adapted to receiving food at regular intervals. Eat breakfast everyday at 7 am? Guaranteed your stomach starts growling everyday at 7 am or shortly afterwards. That signal isn’t necessarily a sign that you’re hungry, it’s just your stomach contracting via muscle memory as it’s used to processing food around that time. Muscle memory and psychological behaviors are often intertwined, and it’s easy to confuse a normal biologic process with a conjured up signal of “I’m super hungry right now”.

Fasting Resets the Microbiome

Schedule a 24 hour fast on a day where there will be little if any food temptations, and once a few 24 hour fasts have been successfully completed in that manner, do a 24+ hour fast on any random day where temptations of junk food may arise. Armed with the knowledge that you’ve already successfully completed a 24 hour fast, when food cravings are encountered because someone brought cake or donuts, you’ll be well equipped to handle the situation in order to successfully complete the 24 hour fast. If you slip up, simply refocus your willpower and try again! Once you’ve broke your fast with a healthy meal, follow these 3 digestion improving steps.

The 24 hour fast is a great tool to intuitively learn the difference between cravings and hunger, but it won’t make much of a dent on serious digestive health issues. A diseased gut is an inflammation machine, placing your body into a state of chronic inflammation which can result hundreds of known health issues which manifest in other parts of your body like the brain, skin, or other organs. Additionally, a weak gut leads to a weak immune system, as the gut is the bodies primary barrier which keeps pathogenic microbes out. Fasting can heal the digestive system and restore balance to the microbiome.

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Ready to Heal Your Gut?

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Holistic Gut Health Guide eBook

Sale Price:$12.95 Original Price:$18.95

Together the digestive system and microbiome are the foundation of health from which everything else is dependent on.

The Holistic Gut Health Guide contains all the information you need to identify and understand the gastrointestinal and microbiome problems you may have while also providing you the most effective natural methods you can use to heal your gut. No gut health problems are unsolvable, give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

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Some of the information in the Holistic Gut Health Guide isn’t common knowledge but when implemented it is highly effective in healing the gut and shifting the microbiome towards symbiosis. Give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

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References

1. De cabo R, Carmona-gutierrez D, Bernier M, Hall MN, Madeo F. The search for antiaging interventions: from elixirs to fasting regimens. Cell. 2014;157(7):1515-26.

2. Documentary. The Science of Fasting. Directed by Sylvie Gilman and Thierry de Lestrade.

3. Jung CH, Ro SH, Cao J, Otto NM, Kim DH. mTOR regulation of autophagy. FEBS Lett. 2010;584(7):1287-95.

4. Knapik JJ, Meredith CN, Jones BH, Suek L, Young VR, Evans WJ. Influence of fasting on carbohydrate and fat metabolism during rest and exercise in men. J Appl Physiol. 1988;64(5):1923-9.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Break Sugar Addiction by Avoid Added Sugars

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated December 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Being healthy and free from sickness, pain, and disease is as simple as consistently following and adhering to a collection of small healthy habits. Depending on your current state of health, becoming well can seem impossibly daunting, for one, where do you start? If you keep a lifestyle unchanged, but add one healthy habit, then wellness has been improved. To create a healthy habit, you must first be hyper-conscious of your actions until they become second nature, becoming a habit you do unconsciously. The hard part of being healthy isn’t following wellness habits, but rather forming the habits one at a time, and performing them long enough that they become second nature.

One of the most impactful wellness habits you develop is to kick a sugar addiction (1). Like other addictive chemicals, sugar is toxic (2), creates widespread inflammation in the body (3) when consumed in excess, shifts the microbiome to a less diversified pathogenic state (4), and desensitizes dopamine receptors (5). The average American consumes 10 times more sugar than 100 years ago; in 2017 this totaled 90.7 grams of added-sugar everyday (6).

For reference, Canada clocked in about 1/3 lower than the USA in 2017 at 58.5 grams per day (7), and the average per-capita added-sugar consumption for rural China in 2017 was only 3.75 grams. In India, Israel, and Russia, people on average consume 5.1, 14.5, and 20 grams of additional sugar per day respectively (8).

For most countries in the world, the processed food industry is driving the ever increasing consumption of sugar, and the health complications are piling up. Over-consumption of sugars together with other factors contributes to the current obesity epidemic

A healthy habit to form which would transform your life would be to kick a sugar addiction. Some sugar in a diet from natural foods and sugars is fine, but a strong effort should be made to avoid heavily processed added-sugars if true health and wellness is the goal.

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Symptoms and Complications of Sugar Addiction

Sugar addiction has many of the same symptoms of other common addictions like tobacco or opioids. When sugars are consumed, natural endogenous opioids get released. Outside the context of a healthy balanced diet, substantial parallels between sugar and drugs of abuse can be observed in behavior and brain neurochemistry.

Animal studies have shown sugar to be addictive than cocaine (9). You might be a sugar addict if you display any of the following behaviors:

Free yourself from the toxic behavioral influences of sugar

• You make excuses to consume more sugar.

• You make special trips to buy more sugar laden products

• You drink sugar sweetened beverages.

• You eat sugar dominant foods to breakfast.

• You reward yourself with a sweet for motivation or as a reward.

• You have a secret stash that you binge from when alone.

• You previously tried to stop eating sugar, and couldn’t.

Beyond these behavioral patterns, there are two types of symptoms when it comes to sugar addiction. There are symptoms present when actively feeding the sugar cycle, and there are the symptoms of sugar withdrawal.

Symptoms of Sugar Addiction

• Persistent brain fog

• Volatile swings in energy

• Intense cravings disguised as hunger

• Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, ADHD

• Persistent fatigue

• Racing thoughts

• Strong sexual urges

• Regular foods like fruit and vegetables taste bland and dull

• Vehement denial of a sugar addition when questioned

• Being overweight or obese

Symptoms of Sugar Withdrawal

• Intense cravings

• Depression

• Fatigue

• Anxiety

• Nausea

• Irritability

• Altered sleep patterns

• Cognitive issues, brain fog

• Low blood sugar, dizziness

• Other symptoms associated with drug withdrawal

These symptoms themselves can cause serious complications towards everyday life, but there are more insidious long term health complications from being addicted to sugar.

When naturally occurring sugars are paired with a healthy dose of fiber, like with fruit and vegetables, overall the known negative health effects of sugar appear to be negligible. The issue with sugar is when it is consumed without fiber. When sugar is consumed in excess and without fiber, inflammation in the body rises dramatically. Inflammation is not the root cause of disease, but it is a complicating factor in 100+ diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, mental health disease, and more. More sugar also means more cavities, so oral health and hygiene is also affected (10).

Chronic levels of inflammation keep the body in a state of fight-or-flight, with the now dominant sympathetic nervous system being out of balance with the rest-and-relax parasympathetic nervous system. This over activity places stress on all the major systems of the body such as the immune system, liver, digestive system, circulatory system, and more.

Besides being predisposed to 100’s of different chronic health ailments, chronic inflammation increases body fat storage and can lead to obesity. Obesity itself is another complicating health factor, and now what was one health issue became two.

We are what we eat, and sugar is toxic. We know excess sugar consumption leads to inflammation, obesity, and disease, but what is the step that sits in-between sugar consumption and chronic inflammation?

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Sugar and the Digestive System

After sugar is consumed, before it can supply energy to the body through the mechanisms of insulin transport, it needs to be digested. Different sugars have different chemical structures and therefore different rates of digestion and absorption. Sugar is a general term used for sweet-tasting soluble carbohydrates. There are simple sugars which composed of a single sugar molecule, or compound sugars, where two sugar compounds are connected together. Whether sugars are consumed as simplex, compound, or as a starch (a chain of many sugar compounds), the digestive system will break apart and hydrolyze carbohydrates into simple sugars for transport into the blood stream. Let’s examine the most commonly consumed simple sugars:

Monosaccharides

• Fructose - Fruit Sugar

• Glucose - The basic form of sugar used by the body

• Galactose - Present in milk

Disaccharides

• Sucrose - One fructose and Glucose sugar combined

• Lactose - One glucose and galactose sugar combined

• Maltose - Two glucose molecules combined

There are also alcohol sugars, polysaccharides (which are larger chains of sugars), artificial sugars, and many more. The chemistry of sugars is complex, but what is clear is that excess sugar consumption is dangerous, and it all starts with the gut.

The microbiome is the collection of symbiotic (helpful), commensal (indifferent), and pathogenic (bad) microorganisms that inhabit your gut. Your gut is technically “outside” of your body, and it contains 10x more organisms than cells in your body, over 100 trillion! When the microbiome is well diversified and balanced (containing primarily symbiotic organisms) food will digest best and qualitative health markers are improved across the board.

The villi connect the digestive, immune, and circulatory systems.

We know the body only transports simple sugars into the circulatory system by passive and active transport through the cell membranes of the finger-like villi structures of the gut. Fats, proteins, and carbs which are still too large for transport need to be broken down. This is where the microbiome plays a critical role in digestion. The chemical and mechanical processes of the digestive system help break down food into smaller pieces, and the microbiome performs the finishing touches breaking apart food into sufficiently small compounds.

When excess simple sugars are consumed, it becomes much easier for the microbiome to access the energy of the sugar first for their own survival needs rather than needing to break chemical bonds first. Over time, this can shift the balance of the microbiome, creating sugar craving microbes with a mind of their own. In order to keep their over-sized populations stable, an unbalanced microbiome will directly interact with the body and brain through the release of chemicals and neurotransmitters. The gut is the second brain of the body, and for many people it’s not under their control. This will manifest as the affectionately known “sweet tooth”.

With an unbalanced microbiome, issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or more serious complications like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), irritable bowel disease (IBD), and Crohn’s disease can arise. Considering the gut is the boundary between the barbarian (microbes) and gate keepers (epithelial cells), the immune system is most active at the gut. A compromised digestive system with failing tight junctions which lets microbes and undigested molecules slip into the bloodstream is the source of inflammation that sugar causes. Sugar without fiber or not existing in long polysaccharide chains is too easily accessed and used by the microbiome, shifting the balance towards pathogenic microbes. It is this easy access to cheap resources with no nutritional value beyond calories that compromises the integrity of the entire digestive system, leading to chronic inflammation, and therefore obesity and disease.

And there are other complicating factors. Where did the sugar come from? Depending on the plant a sugar ultimately derives from is very important. Modern agricultural practices use heavy amounts of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides which contaminant everything they are sprayed on. These compounds have can take decades to break down. A GMO cane sugar will be genetically modified to survive when exposed to greater amounts of dangerous herbicides like glyphosate. Glyphosate is an effective herbicide because it interferes with the The shikimate pathway, an ancient seven-step metabolic pathway used by bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, some protozoans, and plants for the biosynthesis of folates and some amino acids.

While the shikimate is not found innately in humans, it is found and utilized for the survival of our microbiome. Unless sugar is label organic, and even that can have its flaws, it is mostly likely contaminated with glyphosate and other compounds which interfere with the shikimate pathway and other similar metabolic processes. Consumption of this sugar will disrupt the growth of symbiotic microorganisms which might be content munching on fiber all day, and simultaneously fuel the growth of short-lived commensal and pathogenic microbes. Natural sources of sugar like honey are best because they are free or much less contaminated by these dangerous herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides.

When the food source is taken away from these overgrown and unbalanced microbiomes, microbes will release chemicals and neurotransmitters in an effort to acquire more resources (aka you need to eat some sugar NOW) while simultaneously having their population die-off in the wait for more resources. This die-off reaction can release built-up toxic compounds, stressing your gut and liver while you simultaneously experience volatile swings in energy as you’ve become insulin resistant and blood sugar levels have dropped dangerously low.

It’s a terrible health predicament that can be frightening to experience, but feeding the microbiome with more sugar will only make breaking the addiction harder or inevitably lead to the genesis of a deadly disease down the line.

Does your microbiome work for you, or against you?

There is no one living without a microbiome, a healthy microbiome is a critical component to living a healthy disease-free life. If conscious awareness isn’t given to the microbiome through a healthy, organic, unprocessed diet, the microbiome will make itself known to you, either physically, chemically, or behaviorally, demanding nutrients. Understanding the 100 trillion microorganisms that make up your microbiome is the the key to unlocking your health, and the first step towards breaking a sugar addiction.

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Now that we’ve laid everything out, lets formulate a strategy that best increases your chances to kick sugar while also reducing the negative health effects that will be experienced during the healing process.

How to Kick a Sugar Addiction

To kick a sugar addition, you need to be aware of what drives a sugar addicition, and how you can break the cycle. Below is a simplified version of the vicious cycle that can form when consuming excess sugar. To break an addition, there isn’t any one strategy that will work, you must first have the innate desire to be free of addiction, have the willpower and discipline to see it through, devote time, and have strategies developed for each step of the cycle. Relapse can occur at any of the stages, so preparation is required for each stage.

In preparation for the following sugar reset, your environment must be made to be conductive to change. Follow the steps below first:

1. Eliminate all sugar from the household. This means throwing out all sweets, treats, desserts, sources of simple carbohydrates, etc.

2. Make a list of your favorite sugar pit stops (convenience markets, coffee shops) and blacklist them, vowing to not visit them again.

3. Practice saying no. Other people might offer you sugar-rich or other unhealthy foods during this reset, rehearse your line and practice saying no in order to avoid temptation, such as: “No thank you John, I am currently working to break my addiction to sugar”. The more truthful and to the point your words are, the less others will try to convince you that taking a bite or having one small treat isn’t a big deal.

4. Identify your trigger foods. Tracking your diet, mood, and energy in a journal for a week before starting the reset will help you identify your trigger foods that must be completely avoided during the reset.

5. Develop a plan for how you will drink 1 gallon of filtered water a day. Tap water containing fluoride kills microbes, so for the microbiome to survive more sugar is required, and they will release neurotransmitters for this. Filtered or spring water is pure and free of chemicals.

Once the steps above have been taking, find a 7 day chuck of time in your schedule which is expected to be lower stress. Breaking a sugar addiction takes longer than seven days, but the first week accomplished 80% of the work. Stress triggers sugar cravings, so to increase the chance of success this should be scheduled around a time period of low stress.

The fastest and most painless way to get the ball rolling is to start this week long period with a 24 hour fast, that is no eating from dinner on day to dinner the next. Unless you’re in a state of serious health complications, a 24 hour is safe and achievable by anyone to do. A 48 hour fast is even better as it takes you right to the edge of ketosis (fat only metabolism), but this can be trickier for those really dependent on sugar for their energy levels.

Fasting simultaneously does the following:

• Improves blood sugar levels

• Sensitizes insulin

• Kills off an overactive microbiome

• Reduces inflammation

• Heals the digestive system

• Burns body fat

Fasting promotes health in the exact opposite ways sugar addiction promotes disease. Fasting is a powerful wellness methodology. Fasting also removes many of the questions “like what should I eat instead” and removes analysis paralysis; there are only two objects, don’t eat and drink water! If you carry significant levels of body fat, an every other day strategy for fasting has been shown to be highly effective in breaking the sugar cycle, improving microbiome diversity, and lowering body fat.

An every other day 24 hour fasting schedule would look like this:

• Day 1 fasting, drinking only water (1 gallon recommended)

• Day 2 refeed with organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, minimally processed grains, animal protein

• Day 3 fasting

• Day 4 refeed

• Repeat

If you do this, expect body fat to melt off as it is used to cover your energy needs throughout the week. Blood sugar, lipid, and insulin markers will improve, energy levels will stabilize, mood will brighten, and sleep will improve. Fasting is the “rip the band-aid” off approach. It’s the most effective and ultimately causes less pain and suffering in the long run, but can be nerve racking to start.

If you think you’ll be more comfortable with a gradual approach, then the first step is to cut out the main offenders. This means cutting out sugar and all sweetened beverages, desserts like cookies and ice cream, and bread products, anything that contains almost exclusively sugar.

Even if you just stop drinking soda, that has a huge impact over time! According to the CDC, 5 out of 10 adults and 6 out of 10 youth drink a sugar sweetened beverage at least once a day. This equates to on average an extra 145 calories for both adults and youth consumed everyday, with one 12 oz soda containing 39 grams of sugar, double than the upper limit we recommend of 20 grams.

If you’re overweight and carry an unhealthy amount of body fat, then either replacing 1 soda a day with water over the course of a month reduce your caloric consumption by 4200 calories, or 1.2 lbs of fat. Over the course of a year of no soda, that equals 14.4 lbs of fat gone.

Once the main sugar offenders have been removed from your diet, you’ll want to replace them when the cravings hit with healthy fats and fiber rich foods.

Foods Containing Healthy Fats

• Avocado

• Nuts - walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans,

  pistachios

• Seeds - pumpkin, sunflower, chia, flax, etc

• Animal Fats (grass-fed) - butter, ghee, cream, cheese

• Eggs (pasture raised) - chicken, quail

• Cacao (fair trade) - Dark Chocolate 70% +

• Oils (cold pressed) - olive oil, coconut oil, red palm oil, avocado oil

Foods the contain both healthy fats and fiber:

• avocado, nuts, seeds, olives, coconut, and cacao

Foods Containing Fiber

• Squash - butternut, winter, zucchini

• Seeds - pumpkin, sunflower, chia, flax, cacao

• Nuts - almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, pistachios

• Legumes - beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, peanuts

• Fruits - such as avocado, pear, jackfruit, berries, mango, banana, papaya, coconut, guava, kiwi, etc

• Vegetables - carrots, eggplant, jalepeno, tomato, artichoke, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, sweet potato, radish, etc

• Dark Leafy Greens - spinach, lettuce, swiss chard, mustard, etc

• Grains - quinoa, popcorn, oats, black/brown/red rice,

As you can see, there are plenty of delicious foods which contain fiber and fats, excellent additions to any diet. All of the foods above are also micronutrient dense, and a sugar based diet is lacking in critical vitamins and minerals, the deficit of which can have massive health implications.

Homemade Raw Trail Mix

• 1/4 cup Almonds

• 1/2 cup Cashews

• 1/4 cup Walnuts

• 1/4 cup Pecans

• 1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds

• 1/2 cup 70% Mini Dark Chocolate Chips

In your purse, bag, or on your person, keep a bag of raw trail mix with you. When a sugar craving hits, unless you’re in the middle of a fast, a few handfuls of trail mix is a nice healthy treat that will keep you satiated and content. Right now do not be concerned about calories.

Make sure to buy nuts and seeds which are raw. Raw foods are those that aren’t heated for pasteurization, and eating raw foods helps diversify your microbiome. Raw foods also contain higher levels of vitamins and minerals since the heat didn’t break them down.

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Building your Fat Metabolism

A sugar dependent diet is skewed heavily towards carbohydrate metabolism for energy. Carbohydrate metabolism isn’t necessarily bad in and of itself, but often the carbohydrate metabolic cycle will be overdeveloped and out of balance with fat metabolism. The metabolism of fat for energy, either from food or body fat, provides longer lasting and more sustainable energy levels. Having a well-functioning fat metabolism fills in energy dips that are experienced when eating carbs. By stabilizing your energy levels, fats will help keep you calm and emotionally stable, reducing your chance of giving into temptation and reaching for that sugary treat when your sugar starved microbiome and low blood sugar levels are saying you need it most.

Fatty acid metabolism can be improved by eating a diet higher in fats for an extended period of time, or more quickly through a ketogenic diet. A ketogenic diet is a very low carb diet where the body has to produce ketones for use by the brain. The brain exclusively runs on simple sugars or ketones for energy. Since a ketogenic diet is <5% carbs and 70% of greater fat macronutrient wise, it will very quickly improve your ability to metabolize fatty acids. Be aware that you might initially experience what is known as keto flu. Keto flu is a set of flu like symptoms that people first transistioning to a ketogenic diet might experience. The same smptoms can be expereinced during longer duration fasts too as the body as enters ketosis 36-48 hours after fasting has begun.

The digestive system is the seat of power for the immune system, and there is a removal of sugar & nutrients, a die off reaction will occur and many diseased microbes will die. Now these microbes are diseased waste that need to be expelled by the body, causing immune symptoms until this occurs. If tight junctions of the intestines are compromised, then some of these dead microbes will filter into the blood stream and cause an immune response, hence flu-like symptoms can be experienced. If you wish to avoid these flu-like symptoms during the start of fasting or ketogenic diet, then it is important that the tight junctions of the body are healed and have no gaps that undigested food or microbes can exploit to enter into the blood stream. It’s also been shown that glyphosate damages tight junctions, so be mindful of that information. I wrote a guide on how to heal tight junctions naturally with four methods. Luckily the digestive system regenerates very quickly, so even just following those recommended steps for one or two weeks before kicking your sugar addiciton will greatly reduce your risk of experiencing flu-like symptoms when resetting your microbiome and metabolic systems.

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Quit Sugar Quick Start Guide

Putting everything discussed into practice, below is a quick start guide with actionable steps you can follow to kick your sugar addiction, balance your microbiome, heal your digestive system, and build your fat metabolism.

1. Week 1 - Keep a food and mood journey for 1 week. This will help you identify your trigger foods which need to be blacklisted

2. Clean your Environment - Remove all junk food, sugar, and treats from your home, work, and car.

3. Practice Saying No - Be honest, and formulate a game plan for your first 7-14 days sugar free.

4. Prepare - Stock up and buy the healthy organic foods you require to be healthy and successful with this important health endeavor. Figure out your plan on how to drink 1 gallon of water daily (24 oz wakeup, 84 oz day, 24 oz bedtime)

5. Week 2 - Commit to one of the two dietary strategies listed above. Either do a 24 hour fast every other day, or keep a baggie of raw trail mix with you at all times for those moments when cravings strike.

6. Week 3 - The hardest part is over, continue with your wellness schedule. If fasting, you can ease up from the every other schedule and do two 24 hour fast every week instead. Keep eating whole unprocessed organic foods!

7. Week 4 and Beyond - It takes four weeks to create a habit, congratulations! Kicking a sugar addiction is a major accomplishment and over time your body will heal from the damage created by the consumption of added sugars. Now is not the time to relapse, stay disciplined!

If you’ve made it 30 days without added sugars, congratulations! At this point you might be tempted to experiment with “moderation” and have a bite of your favorite treat again, do not do this! Physiological addictions can be broken in a few weeks, but psychological addictions can take months or years to erase. The mind is a powerful thing, and overtime you’ll discover your old definition of moderation was not in fact moderation. By this point your taste buds will have changed, and sugary treats you once found delicious might now be revolting. Trust your instincts and give yourself the time needed to heal from that traumatic period of your life. Ask yourself, what was feeding my sugar addiction? Examine your emotions and look inwards. Food is often the cover for emotional turmoil, and true healing won’t occur until emotional healing can take place.

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References

1. Dinicolantonio JJ, O'keefe JH, Wilson WL. Sugar addiction: is it real? A narrative review. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(14):910-913.

2. Lustig RH, Mulligan K, Noworolski SM, et al. Isocaloric fructose restriction and metabolic improvement in children with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2016;24(2):453-60.

3. Aeberli I, Gerber PA, Hochuli M, et al. Low to moderate sugar-sweetened beverage consumption impairs glucose and lipid metabolism and promotes inflammation in healthy young men: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;94(2):479-85.

4. Di rienzi SC, Britton RA. Adaptation of the Gut Microbiota to Modern Dietary Sugars and Sweeteners. Adv Nutr. 2020;11(3):616-629.

5. Gene-Jack Wang, Et al. High sugar intake linked to low dopamine release in insulin resistant patients. Stony Brook University

6. Sugar and Sweeteners Yearbook Tables. USDA.

7. Consumption of Sugars in Canada. Canadian Sugar Institute.

8. Roberto A. Ferdman. Where people around the world eat the most sugar and fat. The Washinton Post

9. Shah SGS. A Commentary on "Ensuring safe surgical care across resource settings via surgical outcomes data & quality improvement initiatives" (Int J Surg 2019 Aug 5. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.ijsu.2019.07.036). Int J Surg. 2019;72:14-15.

10. Moynihan PJ, Kelly SA. Effect on caries of restricting sugars intake: systematic review to inform WHO guidelines. J Dent Res. 2014;93(1):8-18.