Workplace Fatigue

Written by Josh on . Posted in Age Management, Lifestyle, Wellness. Leave a Comment

What Is Work Fatigue and How Can You Fight It

Anyone who has ever spent their days drudging away on a keyboard, just counting the seconds until they are able to head home, knows that the experience of work fatigue is undeniable. This compounding mental, physical, and emotional fatigue, often brought about by our desk-bound modern job environments can be simply inconvenient for some people, and entirely debilitating for others. 

There is good news, though.

Work fatigue has begun to be taken much more seriously, both in the workplace and clinical research. Thanks to this, real-world actionable advice to prevent it from becoming disruptive to your personal life, work productivity, and your job as a whole exists, and we have curated some of the most important aspects of it here. Rest assured, fatigue and strain you feel at the end of each workday are real and more widespread than you might think. Luckily, our advice to help prevent it is simple, straightforward, and you can begin implementing (at least parts of it) right away!

What Causes Workplace Fatigue? 

There are, almost certainly, many factors contributing to that extreme tiredness and reduced functional capacity that you often experience during, and at the end of your workday. 

Some common causes of workplace fatigue include:

  • Poor sleep quality and generally dysregulated circadian rhythms. 
  • Not enough downtime outside of work, caused by working long hours or poor time management (limiting our ability to overcome the mounting levels of fatigue). 
  • Improper light environment (too much artificial light, not enough time outside).
  • Work schedules are often out of alignment with when our circadian rhythms allow us to be most alert, focused, and motivated (known as our productivity curve). 

It is because of this diverse etiology that scientists haven’t been able to exclusively implicate work fatigue with any specific cause(s). This less-than enjoyable experience, can actually be broken down further into three separate classifications: physical, mental, and emotional work fatigue. 

You have no doubt experienced each of these unique strains at some point – especially if you are entrenched in our modern work environments, and expectations on a daily basis. Each of these three forms of fatigue can reduce your ability to perform tasks that are required of you at work. Physical and mental work fatigue can be enough of a problem by themselves (by inhibiting your ability to perform both physical and cognitive tasks, respectively). But emotional fatigue appears to be of particular concern as it can be more broadly depleting and places a drain on resources, both physical and mental, as well as emotional. 

Fatigue is generally more complicated to overcome than just being tired. This state can be unrelenting, and if left unchecked it will become a nearly constant experience where you lack motivation, the ability to concentrate, and it seems like your energy levels will never return. This is a scary place to be, as many of you can probably attest. 

The Dangers of Work Fatigue

Besides just being inconvenient and unpleasant, unmanaged work fatigue can have real, detrimental effects on your professional and personal life. If left unchecked, workplace fatigue will almost inevitably lead to you feeling dissatisfied with your work, cause you to withdraw from coworkers, degrade your ability to perform your job well, and all of this places a drain on various resources for both you and your employers. 

Outside of working hours, the consequences for ignoring the signs of mounting workplace fatigue are no less dire. Because fatigue is accumulative, you simply won’t be able to leave it all behind you once you leave the office. Those who have become burned out at work are more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol, withdraw from family and friends, express unfounded anger towards loved ones, make poor financial decisions, and generally take out their frustrations in less-than productive ways. 

As fatigue continues unmanaged, you can expect your mental, physical, and emotional health to continue dissipating right along with it. Our immune system is especially impacted by psychological stress and fatigue – leading to decreases in immune function and an increased likelihood of developing disease or dysfunction. As you can see, there are legitimate and serious negative consequences to the very real problem of work fatigue. It wouldn’t be fair however, to present this problem without providing some actionable steps to prevent workplace fatigue from disrupting your life. 

How To Fight Fatigue At Work

Luckily, there is a lot that we can do to prevent this mounting problem from impacting our mental, social, and physical health. A lot of which is simply remembering to do the small things like prioritizing sleep, moving more, and taking a break (when we already know we should). Here are a few key ways to start fixing the burned-out feeling you commonly experience during, or at the end of every workday.

Shake Up Your Schedule

We all know some people are night owls, while others have to be in bed before 9 or they will be in full zombie-mode the next day. This disparity is at least partially explained by differences in what is known as “chronotypes”.

Discovering for yourself where you fall on this spectrum can allow you to hone in your most important work, and most demanding tasks within those hours of the day in which you will be most productive. Have an energy lull every afternoon around 2 or 3? Capitalize on this fact by making that the time of day that you work on less important tasks such as answering emails or organizing. Whenever possible, save your most cognitively-demanding tasks for the time of day when you are able to be most productive. Aligning your work with what is known as your “productivity curve” can allow your work day to flow much more easily, and reduce the likelihood of you feeling overwhelmed or burned out. 

Focus On Work/Life Balance

American workers are in the office, or otherwise on the clock significantly more than any other developed country – 140 hours more annually than Japanese workers and 260 hours more every year than our friends across the pond in the UK. 

Part of this is due to our cultural gravitation towards production and advancing ourselves socioeconomically, and the rest may be due to social pressures to maintain employment. Though it seems obvious to schedule time outside of work, this is rarely done in America. 

Taking time to take care of yourself should be at the forefront of your mind if you are hoping to prevent, or begin reversing the ill-effects of workplace fatigue. Research has shown that individuals experiencing burnout had higher rates of depression, insomnia, hospitalization for mental disorders, and much more. Further than just planning time off though, taking care of yourself means eating right, sleeping right (more on this in a moment), exercising, and generally focusing on what is most important for human health. 

Take More Breaks

American office workers are notorious for working incessantly. People worldwide are afforded many breaks throughout the day, something our workplace culture has apparently forgotten about long ago. 

Swedish workers, for instance, have an extended break during the workday called a fika – where they often have coffee and socialize. Our collective propensity for gluing ourselves to our desks continues during lunch time as well. Only an estimated 1 out of every 5 workers in the United States takes time away from their desk, and their work during lunch time. This is in stark contrast to other countries where lunch nearly never takes place in front of a computer screen. 

To tap into the increased productivity, reduced fatigue, and enhanced well-being that workers in other countries seem to have found, simply plan to take breaks more often. Even standing, or going for a short walk, which can take only a few moments can do wonders for your circulation and thus helps improve your overall health. Schedule more breaks at work, then hold yourself to it. 

Use Natural Energy-Boosters

There is a reason why the line at Starbucks is always long, and their drive-thru is always full. Caffeine works phenomenally well at suppressing fatigue, increasing alertness, and making you generally feel better. What caffeine does not do well is allow for proper sleep, and circadian rhythm function. Excessive caffeine consumption will disrupt sleep – leading to increased fatigue, increased caffeine intake to compensate, and the vicious cycle continues. 

Because of the potential for sleep disruption, it is wise to look elsewhere for a natural way to boost your energy levels whenever possible. There are quite a few options for you to try next time you feel that afternoon slump. 

  • Adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha, and rhodiola rosea are two common tools for improving energy, balance, and focus without being stimulating.
  • Stimulants such as maca, guarana, ginseng, and bacopa monnieri are excellent options to improve energy and cognitive function without many of the potential side effects of coffee or other sources high in caffeine. 
  • Other natural energy boosters such as Vitamin B12, CoQ10, and tools to improve sleep such as CBD, magnesium, melatonin, or valerian root can work wonders for helping to manage fatigue. 

Optimize Your Workplace

With all the talk about optimization in the health and wellness space, it is curious that not much emphasis is placed on optimizing your workspace. 

Creating a designated workspace allows you to focus on your work, and less on distractions. This has become increasingly important as the COVID-19 pandemic has made it necessary for many of us to work from home. Not having a clear separation between your working space, and your living space can blur the lines between work and rest, leading to further fatigue and disruption. 

Beyond just creating a designated workspace, you can set yourself up for success by managing the kinds and amount of light you are staring down. The artificial blue light from our LED computer screens is stimulating, but incessantly so. Whenever possible, working outside in natural light, dimming or filtering the light on your devices, and introducing different light sources such as red or near-infrared can work wonders in the battle against harmful light exposure. 

We don’t need (or want) the perpetual stress hormone release we experience when our eyes are locked onto a computer for hours on end. Managing your light exposure is absolutely vital for protecting our health in the 21st century, not just for managing work fatigue. 

Improve Your Sleep

Much about our modern lives’ inhibits our ability to get enough quality sleep. Stress, Netflix, stimulants, light, Instagram, and much more seem to be fundamentally opposed to us getting to bed on time, sleeping well, and waking up full of energy like we should do every day. 

We have written extensively about how to improve both the quantity and quality of your sleep, but we can sum up the importance of it for managing work fatigue very concisely: 

Getting enough (quality) sleep is the number one tool you have available to manage fatigue of any kind. 

Unfortunately, many of us don’t get enough sleep to support their overall health – let alone to be able to thrive. The reasons for your sleep (either duration or quality) being less-than optimal can be entirely unique to you, and so can the plan to fix the situation. But what matters is that you actively experiment and find ways to improve it before work fatigue develops into the mental, physical, and emotional effects that we are all hoping to avoid. 

Workplace fatigue and the ill-effects it can bring about are nothing to scoff at. Taking the time to take care of yourself, and managing the diverse sources of friction in the workspace that can make matters worse are two excellent and obvious areas which you can start making meaningful improvements in your mental, physical, and emotional health. 

CJC-1295 & Ipamorelin Combined

Written by Josh on . Posted in Age Management, Athletic Performance, Exercise, Lifestyle, Weight Management, Wellness. Leave a Comment

CJC-1295 is an incredibly safe and effective compound that is able to stimulate the production and release of growth hormone from your pituitary gland.

If you are searching the internet in order to find a way to naturally increase your levels of growth hormone, CJC is probably just what you are seeking to improve your overall quality of life.

WHY WE NEED TO INCREASE GROWTH HORMONE

After we reach the age of 30, our growth hormone levels drop by as much as 15% on average, for every further decade of life. CJC-1295 is able to provide an increase in growth hormone levels naturally by binding to receptors designed for growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) on your pituitary gland. This helps turn on a switch in your growth hormone factory that otherwise loses its ability to function optimally as we age. In a study conducted with healthy men and women between the ages of 21 and 61, CJC-1295 was able to increase serum growth hormone levels by 200-1000%. In these subjects, improved growth hormone production and release continued for up to 6 days. This extended capacity for improving hormonal function is due to CJC-1295 having a half life of about 6-8 days – an impressively long duration when compared to other peptides that also act on the GHRH receptors. Interestingly, it’s potency as a growth secretagogue is just one reason that CJC-1295 has become such an effective tool for safely increasing growth hormone levels.

WHY CJC-1295 IS SO RELIABLY SAFE

Thanks to the fact that CJC-1295 stimulates your own body to produce and release growth hormone in a biologically harmonious way, it is possible to achieve increased growth hormone levels without having to resort to traditional hGH treatment. Introducing GH directly through injections is notoriously rife with major side effects. In contrast, the side effects of CJC-1295 are generally mild and transient, with the most common being irritation at the injection site, headache, flushing, and dizziness. Understanding the benefits and side effects of CJC-1295 will help you make an informed decision about whether starting treatment is right for you.

DYNAMIC DUO: CJC-1295 & IPAMORELIN

Though at first glance it may seem similar to CJC-1295, Ipamorelin is a completely different kind of growth hormone secretagogue.

Yes, it accomplishes the same task as CJC-1295, but it does so in an entirely unique and complementary way.

While CJC-1295 binds to GHRH receptors, Ipamorelin stimulates the production and release of growth hormone by binding to receptors for the lesser-known hormone named ghrelin on your pituitary gland. Ghrelin is one of three hormones that act to regulate the release of growth hormone (the other two being somatostatin which stops release, and GHRH which CJC mimics). Because they turn on completely different hormonal switches, CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin are often stacked together to create an even more profound effect than either would in isolation.

Before you buy Ipamorelin online, consider the pros and cons of using this incredibly effective peptide for increasing growth hormone. Side effects of Ipamorelin are relatively mild and include headache, flushing, dizziness, and more – similar to CJC-1295, Ipamorelin is widely regarded as safe and highly effective.

COMBINING CJC-1295 AND IPAMORELIN

CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin work together well for many reasons. One you should already know; they activate separate switches (receptors) on the pituitary gland – resulting in the increased production and release of growth hormone in a natural and biologically regulated way.

Well, that’s one reason they are so effective at elevating growth hormone levels – the other is that CJC-1295 takes 1-4 hours to reach peak serum levels, while Ipamorelin works much more rapidly, and is essentially cleared from your system quickly as it’s half life is about 2 hours.

Ipamorelin gets to work quickly and begins stimulating growth hormone release before being broken down in your body, right about when CJC-1925 is beginning to take effect, a one-two punch for increasing growth hormone levels.

Unlike some other treatments that are used to increase growth hormone levels, these two peptides are incredibly specific (this specificity is exactly why peptides are gaining traction in precision medicine). Neither Ipamorelin nor CJC-1295 have an effect on other hormones, particularly cortisol which is commonly elevated as a result of many anti-aging or hormonal replacement treatments.

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?

When you use CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin, your growth hormone levels will rise, resulting in the potential for a myriad of health benefits.You should expect an increase in muscle mass, lower body fat levels, increased appetite, and better sleep – the importance of all these factors for long-term health cannot be overemphasized.

Recent research has found that increased levels of lean body mass (primarily muscle, but also bones, and organs to a lesser extent) plays a causal role in promoting health and longevity – especially in the latter half of life

Overall, the combination of CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin is an effective way to increase vitality and quality of life for those of us who are experiencing the unwanted effects of aging and decreased growth hormone levels. Because there is the potential for some very mild side effects, Ikon Health will put you in touch with our medical professionals to help you determine if treatment is right for you. Peptides like CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin are by no means the only route to health and fitness, and a sound training, nutrition, and recovery plan are all invaluable in the process. Ikon Health can help you determine exactly how tools like peptides, IV therapy, injections, sauna, and more can be used to optimize your uniquely individual transformation process.

The Ultimate Guide to Vitamin D

Written by Josh on . Posted in Age Management, Athletic Performance, Exercise, Immune & Body Defense, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Stress & Anxiety, Weight Management. Leave a Comment

When you take a hard look at the list of potential benefits vitamin D can provide, you might quickly realize they are really just a perfect example of the powers of genetic expression.

Nearly all of the power that vitamin D wields comes from its ability to influence what is known as the expression of your DNA. This influence over how your genes are expressed comes from the choices you make (or don’t make) in the realms of nutrition, training, and lifestyle. Being protective of your vitamin D status should be near the top of your health priority list – along with getting enough quality sleep, adequate movement, and nutrition as a whole. You might be wondering why vitamin D deserves to be mentioned with three major pillars of health and wellness. To understand vitamin D’s VIP status, it’s best to start with the importance of micronutrients altogether – there are roughly 40 of them on the essentials list. All of which we must get from our diet in order to survive, let alone thrive. After that we can shift the focus of our conversation to vitamin D in particular and highlight some fascinating research that illuminates just how important it is. There will also be some clues on how to determine if you may be at risk for a deficiency, and how to bring your levels up to what is known as the “sweet spot” for long term health.

The importance of micronutrients in general cannot be overemphasized, and vitamin D is one that should be given an even higher priority than most in your nutrition plan.

What Are Micronutrients?

Vitamin D Shots

Collectively, micronutrients are a family of roughly 40 vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and amino acids that we require for stuff in our body to work properly.

Nearly every biochemical process (there are a lot) within us requires some sort of micronutrient to function optimally. We may not feel a deficiency right away, in fact many people live years with suboptimal levels of many micronutrients. Our modern diets tend to be devoid of most micronutrients, although it is possible to get everything you need from whole foods – if you work hard enough at it. Another factor limiting our nutrient intake is the fact that certain classes of micronutrients are more readily absorbed by humans than others.

Vitamins for instance, are divided into water-soluble and fat-soluble varieties. Those that are fat-soluble require fat to be eaten with them in order to be absorbed effectively.

This is just an example of one potential reason why Americans are generally suffering from an insidious depletion of most micronutrients – even if they are getting all their fruits and veggies. For example, in the United States…

  • 70% of the population does not get enough vitamin D.
  • 60% is missing out on adequate levels of vitamin E (a group of compounds that are extremely effective antioxidants).
  • 45% of the population in the US does not get enough magnesium (required for energy production, DNA repair, and so much more).
  • 35% of the population grossly under-consuming vitamin K.
  • 30% of the population is not getting enough vitamin A.

Each of these missing micronutrients has countless roles to play throughout the human body, and when you are not getting enough of one, your body uses whatever you do have for tasks that are required for immediate survival. Long-term tasks such as DNA repair, that will take years to develop into dysfunction, are placed on the back-burner – a phenomenon known as the “triage effect”.

Benefits of Vitamin D

So what is that makes vitamin D so special among this list of these already important building blocks of health we call micronutrients?

Vitamin D is so important, that we’re able to make it from the sun’s UVB rays. Once created from UVB rays, it is converted to what is known as vitamin D3 (if supplementing, you should be getting it already in D3 form). Once in D3 form, it is converted by the liver to 25-hydroxyvitamin D. From there it is converted once more in the kidneys to what is known as the active form or 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D (this is what they test the levels of in your blood). Once in this form, vitamin D is able to do its work all around the body as a steroid hormone. Steroid hormones have the ability to regulate the expression of genes within our DNA – essentially turning them on or off. Flipping this switch results in various downstream effects controlled by that particular gene. 

Another profound effect that inadequate vitamin D levels can have on our body and mind is through production of a key neurotransmitter called serotonin. Vitamin D can be thought of as a rate limiter for serotonin production in the body. It acts as a cofactor for the enzyme known as tryptophan hydroxylase. This enzyme is required for the production of serotonin thus, vitamin D is required for you to produce enough serotonin for normal cognitive function.

Serotonin production isn’t the only function of vitamin D that may convince you to prioritize supplementation to maintain adequate levels within your blood. Vitamin D levels have also been directly correlated with modulation of the aging process.

Vitamin D has been shown to slow shortening of your telomeres, one of our closest markers of actual biological aging. Telomeres are the little caps at the end of strands of DNA which protect it from damage and subsequent mutations. On average, the older we get, the shorter our telomeres become. In one study involving thousands of female twins, those with the lowest levels of vitamin D also had the shortest telomeres. Another important finding of this study was that more is not better with vitamin D. Those in the study that had the highest vitamin D levels (exceeding the suggested range of 40 to 60 ng/ml) also had markedly shorter telomeres. This is why it’s important to fall within the vitamin D  “sweet spot” of 40 to 60 ng/ml. There are countless more reasons why it’s crucial to try and hit this sweet spot for vitamin D – inadequate levels have been linked to

  • Reduced cognitive function
  • Increased inflammation
  • DNA damage
  • Increased risk of cancer
  • Lower levels of nerve growth factor
  • Greater risk for all cause mortality. 

Vitamin D Deficiency

You may be asking how you might be able to determine if you are deficient in vitamin D.

Currently, the gold standard of determining if you are deficient in vitamin D is a blood test – preferably done before beginning supplementation to determine your baseline levels. If you do not have access to a blood test, there are a few risk factors that may help you determine if you are susceptible to a D deficiency. Those that are especially at risk of deficiency include overweight individuals (because D is a fat soluble vitamin, it will be absorbed and essentially held hostage by fat cells), as well as the advanced age population (the older we get the less D we are able to make from the sun). Also at risk are people living in more northern latitudes (especially during the winter when sun exposure is limited), and people with a darker complexion (the skin pigment melanin acts as a natural sun block). Once you have determined whether or not you may be deficient, or if you are seeking to optimize your current levels, there are a variety of ways in which you can increase your vitamin D.

How to Get Your Vitamin D Levels Up

Current mainstream recommendations for daily vitamin D intake seem to be extremely low. Research has shown that taking 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day was enough to bring deficient individuals up to a level sufficient for normal physiological function. Notice that this number is far above the RDA laid out by the government, so please don’t be shy and go get your levels monitored by a medical professional. When choosing a supplement, opt for the D3 version rather than the D2 version whenever possible. This is because the D2 version is not as easily converted by most people to the active form of vitamin D within the body. Sun exposure is also a fantastic way to raise vitamin D levels within the body – provided you live in a location that receives adequate UVB radiation, and you are exposed to the sun for sufficient amount of time.

Unfortunately there aren’t many foods that have significant amounts of vitamin D other than some fish, algae, mushrooms, and fortified food products. That is why we typically recommend an oral supplement. For those individuals that have difficulty remembering to take vitamins or supplements in general, intramuscular vitamin D3 injections have been shown to significantly raise levels in deficient adults for up to 12 weeks, negating the need for daily supplementation during that time.

Vitamin D is no doubt an especially important micronutrient that has sadly not been given enough attention. At least 70% of the US population could greatly benefit from increasing their vitamin D levels via supplementation or whole food nutrition. Many micronutrient deficiencies can go years without being discovered, don’t let the 1000+ genes regulated by vitamin D be ignored!

Super Immunity

Written by Josh on . Posted in Immune & Body Defense, Lifestyle. Leave a Comment

There is so much that the average person can do on a daily basis to help (or at least not hurt) their immune system’s ability to function.

Besides being incredibly important for overall health, eating a diet full of whole foods that are brimming with micronutrients is especially important if you want to ensure you are enabling the never ending pile of work that goes on behind the scenes to keep you healthy and happy. These micronutrients that we speak so highly of, are becoming increasingly scarce in the average American’s diet and there are real, measurable consequences if you burn through your supplies. While full-blown micronutrient deficiencies are relatively rare in countries like the United States (researchers report that 31% of the population is deficient in at least one micronutrient), individuals experiencing micronutrient inadequacies is another story.

Investigations have suggested that a significant portion of the population isn’t getting enough Vitamin D (come on now, it’s usually free!), more than 80% of us don’t get enough of the heavy-hitter Vitamin E, and almost 40% can be considered low on Vitamin C intake – each of these are pretty crucial to proper immune function, by the way. It is safe to say that there is at least a chance that you are unknowingly included in one of these stats, or you’re somewhere in the crowds of others that are lacking in any one of many other micronutrients that are often absent from the average person’s diet. This is exactly why a winning strategy includes lifestyle changes that are reinforced with supplementation either orally, intravenously, transdermally, sublingually, or any other effective way to get your levels back up to normal and support the countless processes that are occurring at any given second within us.

If you haven’t been accruing enough of some of the key materials needed to maintain a dynamic, resilient, and overall healthy immune system, supplementation is an effective means to jump start the process of helping you avoid further depleting your stores. That is why our Super Immune IV therapy includes specific micronutrients, antioxidants, and other components to enable your body to develop and maintain a robust immune system that acts swiftly, intelligently, and appropriately – all characteristics needed for optimal health and longevity. Our immune IV therapy harnesses the functions and capabilities of ingredients like:

  • Tri-amino (Arginine, Citrulline, Ornithine)
  • B-Complex vitamins
  • L-Lysine
  • Calcium
  • Magnesium
  • Vitamin C
  • Trace Minerals
  • Zinc
  • Glutathione
  • Sodium Bicarbonate

Each of these can help you develop your defenses against foreign invaders, disease, and dysfunction. Each ingredient has a unique purpose and function to fulfill, starting with arguably one of the most important minerals for immune function – zinc.

Zinc

Keeping the right balance of zinc in your body is absolutely imperative for the proper functioning of your immune system.

Unfortunately, a zinc deficiency/inadequacy is rather common, affecting up to an estimated 2 billion people worldwide. According to a research article published in the journal Nutrients, zinc has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, it is involved in the intracellular communication going on within certain immune cells, and your body requires it to defend itself against pathogens. These same researchers from the Institute of Immunology in Germany went so far as to declare that zinc should be considered a “gatekeeper for the immune system” and they determined that there are clear benefits to zinc supplementation if you have a malfunctioning immune system.

B12 (methylcobalamin)

Methylcobalamin

By now everyone should have heard about the importance of B12 for the complex process of energy production, making and maintaining healthy blood, and supporting nerve health – but those aren’t the specific benefits we are currently interested in.

Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin is a naturally occurring form of B12) also plays a crucial role in the functioning of the immune system. Experiencing a B12 deficiency can result in a decreased number of lymphocytes (immune cells), and especially natural killer cells which are instrumental in our defense against viral infections. B12 is used for so many different roles by the body, and the estimated 40% of the population who are deficient in this vitamin will inevitably experience some degree of dysfunction in their physiology eventually. 

B-complex Vitamins (B1,B2,B3,B5,B6,Methyl-B12) 

B Vitamins play countless roles throughout your entire body.

Besides just facilitating cellular energy production, these B vitamins are required to repair DNA, create some hormones and neurotransmitters, and a whole lot else. Not getting enough of one or all of this class of vitamins can drop you into a state of chronic fatigue, anemia, or even compromise your immune system depending upon which one of the individual nutrients you are missing and how badly they are lacking. 

Lysine

Lysine is an essential amino acid that is an absolute must for proper growth, the production of valuable proteins, and has other side jobs all around the body.

Interestingly, lysine is able to have profound antiviral effects by blocking arginine activity and having enough of this amino on board is also crucial for keeping up the production of hormones, enzymes, and antibodies. 

Magnesium

Magnesium is used for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body – so even simply based on that fact it is safe to say that it is pretty important.

Magnesium also works to help maintain normal muscle and nerve function, facilitates energy creation and usage at the cellular level, and on top of all that it supports a healthy immune system. This awesome mineral is also involved in both the adaptive immune response (focused on responseding to specific invaders), and the innate immune response (doesn’t discriminate). Magnesium is just absolutely critical for surviving everyday life, let alone creating an optimal immune system. 

Trace Minerals (Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Chromium, Selenium)

These trace minerals are used by your body to create hundreds of enzymes, enable many biochemical reactions, and do a bunch more behind the scenes. Trace (meaning you only need them in small amounts) doesn’t at all mean they aren’t important. If you are low on copper for example, you are going to be at an increased risk of infection because of a decreased ability to respond by cells that create antibodies. Low on iron? You can bet your immune cells will have difficulty spreading out and just as much difficulty killing off invaders. 

Vitamin C

In many ways Vitamin C actually does live up to some of the hype, and it definitely has the ability to make a significant impact on immune function – good and bad.

In fact, Vitamin C contributes to your immune defense on various levels. From supporting our epithelial barrier (skin) to enhancing the immune response to pathogens, C is widely considered to be a key regulator of immune function, cellular growth, and proliferation. If you are chronically stressed, sick, or just under-nourished, it is highly likely you will be burning through your C stores incredibly fast. Fortunately, intravenous Vitamin C has been consistently proven to be especially effective at saturating your body with this crucial nutrient.

Glutathione

Here is another ingredient that should be expected in any protocol meant to support the immune system and improve overall health.

Glutathione is an absolute expert at preventing cellular damage and eliminating all kinds of reactive molecules. The intricate and ever-changing balance that is struck within our body’s between endogenous (made within us) antioxidants like glutathione, and pro-inflammatory molecules is part of what regulates the innate immune response, according to a review published in the journal International Journal of General Medicine. Not only does glutathione play a primary role in managing this balance, but there are many pathological conditions directly associated with a deficiency in this anti-oxidizing, free-radical scavenging, and detox-ifying compound.

Tri-amino (Arginine, Citrulline, Ornithine)

Some amino acids are more important than others, and in this context, these three are among the most important.

Arginine and it’s precursor citrulline are vital for the initiation of the immune response, and maintaining levels of arginine is considered to be vital while experiencing profound inflammation and sepsis. Ornithine, in a similar fashion, has been consistently linked by research to expedite wound healing and facilitate recovery. 

Sodium Bicarbonate

Regular old baking soda is used to fight heartburn, squelch UTIs, and boost exercise performance (but it can also cause some real GI distress), along with quite a few other little-known purposes. It is also often called upon to neutralize certain poisons once they’ve been ingested and it is incredibly effective at helping your body rid itself of some select toxins. Strange, that the little box of powder we all have in our fridge is one of the most effective tools for enhancing exercise performance and reducing acidity in the blood.

Unfortunately, pounding back a glass full baking soda to improve your workouts will likely bring some intense GI discomfort – not the case with an IV, however.

The Bottom Line

There is a lot that goes into developing and maintaining a thriving and balanced immune system, and nutrition is just one aspect of a solid wellness plan.

At Ikon Health, we offer our Super Immune IV to improve potential nutritional shortfalls by focusing on some key vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. If you are lacking in any of these key nutrients, your immune system will be placed at a major disadvantage and the degree to which it will impact you as a unique individual isn’t always known. Supporting your immune system goes beyond just filling up any holes, it can also mean kicking it up a notch. With some nutrients, like Vitamin C, higher dosages have been shown to have increased benefits, in some situations. Our immune system is always working (especially at night) and it needs certain resources more than others – the Super Immune IV focuses entirely on those resources.

Incorporating IV therapy can be part of an effective wellness plan that includes plenty of sleep, movement, stress management tactics, and of course…whole food nutrition.

Light Exposure and your Health

Written by Josh on . Posted in Aesthetics, Age Management, Lifestyle, Pain Management. Leave a Comment

Healers of all kinds have appreciated the power of light since the beginning of time.

The father of medicine himself, Hippocrates was a great advocate of what is known as heliotherapy, or harnessing the power of the sun to heal ailments or generally improve health. If you doubt the ability light has to impact our health, consider the fact that we are able to create vitamin D from the sun’s rays  (more info on just how important Vitamin D is).

Yet, not many us are aware of the endless list of other effects (good and bad) that we can experience from light exposure – not just from the sun but from all sources. 

Light, Good or Bad?

Not all light is considered equal however.

Some forms of light are restorative and healing, while others are potentially harmful – especially those which we have developed with alongside modern technology. Becoming more aware of the potential pitfalls of unnatural light sources, like how they may be affecting our physiology and our ability to function optimally as human beings, is a prerequisite to developing a plan to manage exposure to them. 

There are a few kinds of light that especially stand out in both research and public awareness.

Red light (of all varieties), and blue light appear to be unique with regards to their ability to impact our health on multiple levels. Understanding these unique forms of light is crucial to harnessing their power, as well as mitigating the damage that blue light can cause. As with many things in the field of health and wellness, there aren’t clear lines of which kind(s) of light are good and which are bad – we must view the evidence from the perspective of scientific research, and temper our subjectively developed opinions with a consideration of ancestral wisdom and experience. It is also important to consider what is practical in our modern lives (as it is nearly impossible to entirely avoid harmful light exposure), and create a plan for reducing the damage it may cause. Understanding how different sources of light in your external environment have the ability to affect your internal environment will allow you to develop a plan to start sleeping better, have more energy, reduce stress, perform better in the gym, and generally live healthier lives more in tune with the natural rhythms our body’s thrive on.

Everyone will respond to light exposure differently, but the major forms we will focus on today have robust evidence to support their general effects on human physiology. 

Blue Light

There is an extremely bright ball of gas at the center of our solar system emitting wavelengths of light throughout the entire spectrum, visible and invisible

This includes the UVB rays that have been vilified somewhat recently (but are also required for the production of vitamin D), blue light which has a stimulatory effect on our brain and body, and the various forms red light which have healing and restorative properties. Concentrations of blue light within the sun’s rays are especially high during times when the sun is highest in the sky (this coincides with when the waking hormone cortisol should be elevated).

We absolutely want to experience blue light exposure from sun, especially during the day in order to help establish and maintain our circadian rhythm, a biological pattern which is essentially at the root of how light can impact our health. Unfortunately, blue light is nearly all we are exposed to now.

Blue light from our smartphones, overhead lighting, laptops, headlights, and almost anything that emits light has the ability to affect our physiology in a fundamental way. Our brains interpret this blue light as a signal that it is daytime, suppressing melatonin production, inhibiting sleep and restorative processes that this hormone and potent antioxidant is responsible for facilitating. By now this fact is relatively common knowledge, but what is likely misunderstood is the severity in which it impacts our health. Suppressing melatonin production within the brain, and therefore disrupting normal sleep patterns has profound implications across the entire body.

Quality sleep is predicated on a rhythmic dance between certain hormones within the body, particularly melatonin and cortisol. These two hormones are fundamentally opposed and having elevated levels of cortisol at inappropriate times can result in an inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or simply a disruption of normal sleep cycles. Although far from the only thing that has the ability to disrupt sleep, exposure to blue light is likely our largest offender currently. Widespread awareness of this fact is demonstrated by the increased use of blue-blocking glasses before bed, as well as a general focus in the wellness community on creating a light-environment conducive to sleep. Discussing how to develop a light-environment to promote restful sleep is another discussion entirely, but for now there is another concern that should be addressed.

Increasingly, there is another equally detrimental effect appearing from chronic, artificial blue-light exposure. Constant blue light exposure appears to accelerate what is known as macular degeneration – essentially deterioration of the eye. This is because we are experiencing blue light at much higher concentrations than ever experienced in the history of human beings. Macular degeneration was once thought to only occur as a result of the normal aging process but unfortunately, children are especially susceptible to this damage and rates of this issue occurring within the younger population are skyrocketing. It is safe to say that light affects us in ways that we do not yet fully comprehend. Another excellent example of the almost mysterious effect light can have on the human body are those caused by red, near infrared, and far infrared light.

Red Light

Red Light Therapy

Red and infrared light (both near and far) have profound effects on the human body. These wavelengths of light are all able to fundamentally impact our cellular function, causing downstream effects across the body (more information on red light therapy). They also do not impact sleep negatively because they do not suppress melatonin production – perhaps due to the fact that red light was most abundant in the sun’s rays during sunrise and sunset.

Overall, red light has predominantly healing properties, when compared to blue light. The same reasons we are exposed to inappropriately high amounts of blue light (e.g. the average American spends 93% of their time indoors), are why we are not exposed to adequate amounts of the various forms of red light. We are seeing the anecdotal evidence of the potential benefits red light therapy pile up while being increasingly corroborated by peer-reviewed research. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to dramatically improve your light exposure in your home that will have major downstream effects on your health.

Shaping your light environment

Human beings undoubtedly experienced light rhythmically. We did not have overhead lighting or even flashlights until relatively recently – when the sun went down so did we.

Short of exclusively using fire or candle light for illumination in your home, there are quite a few things you can do to limit your exposure to the disruptive blue light that seems ubiquitous in 2020.

  • Because it is likely unrealistic to ask the average person to avoid looking at all screens and devices hours before bed, we suggest that you get yourself a good pair of blue blocking glasses that have been tested to verify their effectiveness. 
  • Make sure to reduce overhead lighting as much as possible for at least a few hours before bed – utilize dimmers, candles, or even a salt lamp instead.
  • During the day, get enough exposure to the sun to anchor your circadian clock in the correct rhythm.
  • Also, consider using a red light therapy device, which are becoming extremely popular due to their ability to provide us with this nourishing and restorative form of light that we are often missing out on.

There are many more reasons to become aware of and begin managing your light exposure, but perhaps most important is its effect on sleep. Getting enough quality sleep is always a top priority for our wellness clients and should be at the foundation of any health and fitness pursuit.

Once you have been in the health and wellness space for long enough, you will begin to notice that many of the tools and strategies developed to improve health are really nothing new. They are, more often than not, designed to replace elements of our ancestral existence that we no longer experience. Sauna, red light exposure, intermittent fasting, and even exercise are all simply replacing aspects of everyday life that are no longer experienced due to modern technological, societal, and cultural advancements. Some things belong at the top of your priorities list if you hope to optimize your body and mind and understanding proper light exposure is one of them.

CBD and You!

Written by Josh on . Posted in Lifestyle, Pain Management. Leave a Comment

Cannabidiol (CBD)

Beneath all of the mainstream media buzz and marketing gimmicks lies a truth about the fascinating compound known as cannabidiol or, more commonly CBD.

You may know it as the alleged miracle that is reported to relieve chronic pain, reduce anxiety, eliminate inflammation, and everything in between – but does it actually work?

Well, like many things in the space of human health and wellness the answer is…it depends. To fully understand how CBD works (or doesn’t work) it is important to grasp how the newly-discovered endocannabinoid system impacts human physiology on a fundamental level, and how each of the 100+ cannabinoids are able to uniquely affect us. We hope to arm you with enough information for you to see through all the false advertising and downright unsubstantiated claims that surround CBD and elucidate just exactly what benefits it has been proven to provide, how to make sure you are getting a product containing dosages that are actually effective, and the importance of choosing specific forms of CBD products. There is an overabundance of misinformation circulating which can unfortunately devalue the real beneficial effects some people may receive from CBD – so we are here to start helping set the record straight on cannabidiol.

Truth About CBD

It is important to note right off the bat that CBD is not just another flashy nutritional supplement – though you wouldn’t know that by it’s increasing presence in everything from potato chips to lattes.

CBD directly interacts with the endocannabinoid system which was only discovered less than 30 years ago. The endocannabinoid system spans the entirety of our body, involving every single cell. Along with discovery of this recently found system, it was found that our bodies produce cannabinoids endogenously (in the body). There have been at least two major endogenous cannabinoids discovered so far (anandamide and 2AG) and both of these naturally occurring cannabinoids have their own unique properties and functions within the body.

There are receptors for cannabinoids (named CB1/CB2) on every cell, allowing this cannabinoid, and over a hundred more to have beneficial effects across the body. CBD research has existed ever since it was discovered in 1940 but, unfortunately, due to the widespread criminalization of the cannabis/hemp plant, CBD research was effectively halted for many years. With the rise of the internet however, anecdotal reports of successfully utilizing CBD for treating rare forms of epilepsy grasped the public’s attention. Followed shortly thereafter by the decriminalization/legalization of cannabis in many states, CBD was thrust into the spotlight and has since been thoroughly taken advantage of. Businesses adding CBD into all kinds of snack foods, personal hygiene products, and the like are nothing more than marketing ploys meant to capitalize on the popularity of cannabinoids and their novelty for the average person. There are many pitfalls to adding CBD to everyday products which we will discuss later, but surely you’d like to know by now just what benefits CBD has been proven to provide.

How To Use Cannabinoids

As we mentioned already there are over 100 cannabinoids that have been discovered thus far. Each provides somewhat unique benefits but it is likely important that we utilize them all in conjunction with one another.

Isolating a specific cannabinoid from the whole spectrum of beneficial compounds available from the cannabis plant is akin to missing the forest for the trees. A perfect example – CBGA is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that may help to treat certain kinds of cancer and schizophrenia, and it is heavily involved in chemical reactions for the creation of other cannabinoids. There is also CBDA, which directly inhibits inflammatory pathways in the body similar to anti-inflammatory drugs and the ultra-popular CBD actually works through many pathways, not just the endocannabinoid system.

How Does CBD Work?

CBD Oil for Healing

CBD essentially works by aiding the body in maintaining homeostasis or balance.

You might be surprised to find that CBD modulates the transcription of over 1100 genes, some of which are responsible for making the signaling molecules required to reduce inflammation. In order to create this wave of homeostasis throughout the body, CBD increases anti-inflammatory biochemicals such as GABA, and reduces inflammatory biochemicals like glutamate. Anyone who has been paying attention to medical advancements is aware of the fact that inflammation is often at the root of many of the chronic diseases we experience humans. Because CBD is able to fundamentally reduce or eliminate inappropriate levels of inflammation, it has the potential to positively affect many disease states and dysfunction. Due in part to the recent change in the legislation regarding cannabis and hemp in general, CBD research is only beginning to be completed in humans. What research has been completed thus far has been somewhat contradictory. However due to the lack of adverse events reported from using actual CBD products (actual is the key word here), people are turning to cannabinoids in general for their alleged healing properties. CBD specifically has been reported to be extremely effective at treating rare forms of epilepsy, relieving pain, reducing anxiety and depression, helping with cancer treatment, reducing acne, and potentially protecting the heart and nervous system. All of these are quite plausible and may be proven in research before long. In fact, due to the mechanisms by which CBD and all cannabinoids work in the body, it is likely that there will be many, many more proven effects illuminated over the next few years. These are all real benefits that may be possible effects of utilizing cannabinoids, but what most people don’t realize is that you often are not getting any actual cannabinoids in CBD products.

Problem With CBD Products

Observing the ever-growing selection of CBD infused products is quite disheartening when you know the truth behind CBD research. For instance, more than one study has shown CBD to be effective at reducing anxiety when given in 300 mg doses – while 100,150,600 and 900 mg doses showed no significant anxiolytic effects¹,².

Considering that many of the CBD products on the market contain 5-10 mg of actual CBD, it is easy to see that your infused latte or cereal is an enormous waste of money.  Many of the seemingly legitimate CBD oil products from reputable companies are sold at upwards of $30-$50 for 100-500 mg of CBD per bottle. If you do the math, that adds up to about 1-2 effective servings per container. So unless you are ready and willing to be paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month to support your CBD use, it seems best to look elsewhere for the effects you are seeking. If you are still looking to try a CBD product, we highly recommend that you utilize a broad-spectrum hemp extracts. These specific products should contain the entire spectrum of cannabinoids available from the hemp plant – including CBGA, CBDA, and over 100 more. If the fact that CBD oil is currently prohibitively expensive for everyday use were the only issue regarding its practical use, an argument could still be made for companies putting out such products. However, the problems with the current state of the CBD industry only begin there.

What is Wrong With the CBD Industry?

One of the major reasons people look towards CBD as a new and exciting means of healing all types of aches, pains, and anxiety is the fact that it is non-psychoactive.

CBD’s big brother THC is highly effective at providing many of the same benefits of CBD but it comes with mind-altering properties. Unfortunately, a study examining many of the CBD products on the market found that most contained little or no CBD, and many contain significant amounts of THC³. Following the example provided by the sports supplement industry, companies are likely putting THC in CBD products in order for you to actually feel a tangible and immediate effect. Companies know that if you are able to feel an actual effect, you’re more likely to deem their product effective – whether or not it provided you with any of the benefits it was purported to have. This contamination with the beneficial, yet often unwanted THC can cause issues for people that must deal with any type of drug screening. Combine that with the prevalence of heavy metals and other toxic substances in many CBD products and you just may be convinced to wait a few years until the industry has aged and matured a bit.

Bottom Line on CBD

Cannabidiol and other cannabinoids are undoubtedly effective tools for reducing inflammation and improving health overall.

More and more research is illuminating the benefits which were tragically hidden due to unfounded legislation blocking cannabis/hemp research. As we move forward in the age of information and individualized medicine, cannabis will likely play a central role in many people’s health and wellness protocols. Until we reach the point where we are able to reliably source CBD and other cannabinoid products, it is likely best that you seek out lifestyle practices and habits that will aid in providing many of the same benefits of CBD. For instance, practices like prioritizing sleep, proper nutrition, exercise, and tools like regular sauna use will undoubtedly provide you with more benefits than current CBD products can. Reducing inflammation and improving health will require more than just a daily dropper full of cannabinoids.

Other Anti-Inflammatory Products

There are countless products offered at the consumer level, and a number of medical solutions as well, but there are only a number of standout items that are both safe and effective. Some of the most powerful anti-inflammatory items on the medical side, are CJC-1295, Ipamorelin, Sermorelin. These three secretagogue peptides help to increase HGH levels in the body, which has a cascading effect on overall health, with inflammation regulation being one of the key responses. If you would like to purchase Sermorelin injections, purchase cjc-1295, or buy ipamorelin, Ikon Health also offers these items through our telewellness program.

Keep an eye on CBD research however, because the benefits are real, they just aren’t realistic yet.

¹ Linares, Ila M., Zuardi, Antonio W., Pereira, Luis C., Queiroz, Regina H., Mechoulam, Raphael, Guimarães, Francisco S., & Crippa, José A.. (2019). Cannabidiol presents an inverted U-shaped dose-response curve in a simulated public speaking test. Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, 41(1), 9-14. Epub October 11, 2018. https://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2017-0015

² Crippa, J. A., Guimarães, F. S., Campos, A. C., & Zuardi, A. W. (2018). Translational Investigation of the Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol (CBD): Toward a New Age. Frontiers in immunology, 9, 2009. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.02009

³ “Warning Letters and Test Results for Cannabidiol-Related Products”. United States Food and Drug Administration.

Sermorelin & Ipamorelin

Written by Josh on . Posted in Age Management, Lifestyle, Weight Management. Leave a Comment

Nothing can be accomplished in the human body without a signal.

This signal can come in many forms, but it is often a hormone of some kind.

Our powerful hormones can be created from various kinds of molecules and they possess the ability to stop, start, enhance, or restrict the actions of various glands, tissues, organs, and systems across the body. Imagine that we were able harness this power to do the same thing – control processes throughout the body at will by introducing the signal(s) that we need.

Well, we live in an amazing time, because one of the more recent breakthroughs in the fields of biological signalling and anti-aging involves the harnessing of peptides to do just that. Therapeutic peptides (short chains of amino acids/fragments of proteins) originate from molecules that already occur naturally within the body, but we are now able to build and utilize them for a variety of purposes. Research and anecdotal reports are proving that certain peptides can effectively slow down the aging process, increase muscle mass, decrease body fat, reduce inflammation, heal the gut, and likely countless other potential applications still waiting to be discovered.

Two specific peptides that are brilliant examples of what modern medicine is able to do in order to slow down the aging process are sermorelin acetate (a.k.a sermorelin) and ipamorelin. These signaling molecules mimic two separate endogenous hormones, enabling them to stimulate the release of growth hormone naturally from the pituitary gland – and they are able to do so in a way that is safe, unique, and complementary with one another. This synergistic effect is exactly why practitioners and patients are experiencing incredible results by combining sermorelin and ipamorelin. This dynamic duo’s ability to work together will be the focus of this article but we will also cover how they differ from one another, the potential side effects of each, and who to trust with your peptide protocols in order to ensure that you are getting the highest quality products and services available.

Peptides have quickly positioned themselves at the forefront of individualized medicine and they may have the ability to drastically improve your health and quality of life. How peptides work in the body may seem like something out of a science fiction novel, but the research, mechanisms, and real world experiences of people all over the world are proving them to be anything but fiction. 

What Are Peptides?

It’s probably best we start with breaking down some more of the mystery that surrounds peptides. In this context, peptides are essentially just signalling molecules that have been derived from, or are compounds already found within the body.

Sermorelin and ipamorelin are both categorized as growth hormone secretagogues. Secretagogues are nothing more than something that promotes the secretion/release of a chemical messenger such as a hormone. In this case, they promote the production and secretion of growth hormone from the amazing little hormone factory in your brain called the pituitary gland. What is most interesting is that they are able to accomplish this task in vastly different, yet complementary ways. 

Sermorelin Mechanism of Action

Sermorelin stimulates the production and release of growth hormone in a relatively straightforward way – by mimicking growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH).

You don’t need to know much about the endocrine system or peptides in order to successfully guess what GHRH does – it causes the release of growth hormone. GHRH is typically released from another location within your brain and then it travels to the pituitary gland where it is interpreted and acted upon. When GHRH is administered in the form of sermorelin however, the peptide flows through your entire circulation – binding to GHRH receptors in areas all over the body, but especially on the pituitary gland. Another important aspect of using sermorelin to stimulate growth hormone release is that it allows the body’s natural feedback (shutoff) mechanisms to function properly. Once sermorelin has stimulated a certain amount of growth hormone to be released, another hormone known as somatostatin kicks in, effectively shutting down the growth hormone release. Like we said, the mechanism by which sermorelin works in the body is pretty straightforward – ipamorelin on the other hand, will take a bit more explanation. 

Ipamorelin Mechanism of Action

Ipamorelin acts in an entirely unique way to stimulate growth hormone release. To fully understand it, we will need to quickly cover an entirely new hormone that we have yet to discuss named ghrelin.

Ipamorelin is able to mimic ghrelin in exactly the same way sermorelin is able to mimic GHRH. Although ghrelin doesn’t get as much attention as some of the A-list hormones like insulin, growth hormone, testosterone, and estrogen, it absolutely should be a household name due to its importance within the body. Only discovered in 1999, ghrelin has profound regulatory effects on your metabolism including increasing or decreasing hunger, inhibiting stored fat breakdown, and perhaps most importantly for this article, the release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland. Ghrelin is one of only three hormones which have the ability to regulate growth hormone release from the pituitary gland. First is GHRH (sermorelin or similar molecule), then there is somatostatin (which stops the release of growth hormone), and last but not least is ghrelin. Ghrelin is able to act upon the pituitary gland in this way because growth hormone is partially responsible for initiating the breakdown of stored body fat for use as energy, as well as preventing the breakdown of muscle tissue – among many other roles. 

Now that you have an idea of how ghrelin is able to influence growth hormone release, understanding how a peptide that functionally mimics ghrelin is able to initiate the release of growth hormone should be a pretty easy leap. Ipamorelin binds to ghrelin receptors on the pituitary gland, switching them on in the same way that ghrelin naturally would. These on-switches are completely separate from the ones that sermorelin activates, enabling them to work synergistically to accomplish the same task. Most importantly, they are able to do so with no effect on the rest of your body’s hormones. There is always one major factor which must be evaluated whenever you are considering any kind of anti-aging treatment however – whether the benefits outweigh the potential side-effects. Fortunately, in the case of utilizing sermorelin and ipamorelin, that choice seems to be pretty easy to make.

Side Effects of Sermorelin and Ipamorelin

Neither sermorelin or ipamorelin have many side effects that are likely to send anyone to seek help elsewhere in the fight against the aging process.

In fact, ipamorelin specifically is largely considered to be one of the safest and most effective peptide treatments available. Sermorelin has been known to cause mild side-effects for some people such as flushing, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and redness or swelling around the injection site. Ipamorelin’s possible side effects mirror that of sermorelin with headaches and nausea topping the list of adverse events reported from using the impressively safe peptide.

Both are typically safe and side-effect free when used in the doses prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner. Knowing what that dosage should be is yet another reason why it is important to purchase your peptides from a reputable source. Unsurprisingly, there really is no shortage of websites selling inferior anti-aging products containing little or no actual peptides or other beneficial compounds. That being said, starting a peptide protocol can be done online safely and easily with a bit of education first. 

Buy Sermorelin & Ipamorelin Online

Finding a reliable business you can trust comes down to a few things.

First, look for a website that requires you to speak to a medical professional to obtain your prescription. In order to buy ipamorelin or sermorelin online, you are required to have a prescription just like you would at any pharmacy. There are businesses that offer telehealth services like Ikon Health that are able to walk you through this entire process from the convenience of your smartphone. If the company doesn’t require a prescription, find one that does!

Second, look for a company that has a solid track record with customer feedback to back it up. If they are a reliable company, they will no doubt have testimonials from patients that have worked with them. Buying peptides online may have been a questionable endeavor in the past, but luckily the industry has evolved and there are now many companies that provide excellent service, products, and results. 

Should You Try Sermorelin & Ipamorelin?

Ipamorelin and sermorelin are just two of the many peptides that have earned an excellent record of safety and effectiveness. Those individuals who are looking for the physiological and psychological benefits of naturally increasing growth hormone should look no further than these two peptide treatments. If you are searching for more energy, an improved body composition, and to generally fight the aging process, a protocol combining these two potent growth hormone secretagogues is an excellent choice. Visit our website today or come into our location to speak with one of our staff to buy CJC-1295 or purchase Ipamorelin. Unlike most wellness clinics, at Ikon Health we know that tools like peptides, injections, and IV therapy are but only part of the big picture – making lasting changes will take time and effort!

Two food groups that boost weight loss

Written by Josh on . Posted in Lifestyle, Nutrition, Weight Management. Leave a Comment

Weight loss is a stressful process that demands a lot of out of you. While unfortunately there are no secret foods that can single-handedly make any significant difference in your ability to successfully lose weight and keep it off, there are two relatively broad groups of food that may just be essential to your success. Dietary protein sources and fibrous fruits and vegetables are absolutely two key tools to focus on when creating your weight loss plan and understanding exactly how to utilize them may determine if you will successfully and sustainably transform your body composition towards a healthier state. Our goal is to help you create an understanding of why these two fundamental food groups are able to help you create weight loss progress, what roles they play in everyday human health, and how to focus on what actually matters when you are seeking body transformation. We should obviously start by clarifying what we define weight loss success is before illustrating exactly why simply focusing on dietary protein and fibrous vegetables can make such a significantly positive impact on your chances of weight loss success. 

When we are talking about sustainable weight loss, what we are really talking about is creating conditions that allow you to lose the most amount of fat mass, while losing the least amount of lean body mass (muscle). Losing weight can be a relatively straightforward endeavor, but doing so in a manner that allows you to retain muscle, preserve your resting metabolic rate, and keep the weight off down the road is a bit more difficult. This transformation process will unquestionably require that you prioritize getting enough quality sleep, that you at least try to manage chronic stress levels, and do your best to eat intelligently and do so consistently. Appropriately performed resistance training can also play a crucial role in convincing your body to spare muscle mass while you are consistently in the dreaded calorie deficit that is required for weight loss. Each of these tactics helps to fulfill two main objectives that will make the odds of you successfully completing your weight loss journey much higher. 

  1. Lose fat, but not muscle.
  2. Make the process as easy and sustainable as possible for yourself. 

Food Group #1: Protein

Clearly a departure from the flawed food pyramid method of dividing food groups, this first category characterized by protein can be one of your greatest tools to achieving and sustaining weight loss. Protein is a macronutrient – meaning that you need to get it in your diet in quite large quantities on a daily basis or you will slowly break down like an old car without oil. Your body uses the diverse amino acids that make up proteins to maintain muscle tissue, create certain hormones, and assemble other proteins which perform quite literally countless other roles throughout every cell of the human body. In the more narrow realm of weight loss however, the most important reason to eat enough protein every day is to help fight off the atrophy or shrinking of muscle that will occur in order to spare energy, or calories. During most of human existence, the ability to shrink our extremely calorically-expensive muscle tissue was an absolute lifesaver during periods of scarcity. In modern times however, this shrinking of muscle tissue results in a lower resting metabolic rate (how much energy you need just to keep the lights on), likely less activity (resulting in less calories “burned” throughout the day), and a greater chance of gaining lost weight back in the future. As you might expect, higher protein diets have been shown in research to prevent this decline in resting metabolic rate – a benefit which cannot be overemphasized for someone seeking permanent weight loss. 

Another benefit of prioritizing eating protein rich foods for weight loss is that high protein foods require a relatively significant percentage of their available energy just to be digested and absorbed. This is known as the thermic effect of food or TEF. High protein foods require between 20-30% of their total calories to be digested – foods that are primarily fat and carbohydrates require significantly less energy to be absorbed (5-10% for carbs and 0-3% for fats). What this means is that you will expend more energy (calories) to process protein-rich foods than any other macronutrient. As if we needed anything more to add to the list of the benefits waiting to be reaped from prioritizing protein-rich foods, they also produce a greater feeling of satiety. 

Making the process of weight loss easier on yourself can mean many things, but one of the most obvious is to reduce subjective feelings of hunger. When you restrict calories to lose weight, many internal homeostatic mechanisms kick in to increase your drive to eat food. This was once a motivating tool for survival – now, it has become the bane of many dieter’s existence. Understanding this mechanism to prevent starvation may allow you to appreciate protein’s ability to suppress appetite even more. According to a review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition there is substantial evidence to support a high protein diet for treating obesity – through creating reductions in fat mass, preserving lean mass, and modulating appetite and energy metabolism. This satiation effect of protein is most closely shared by another group of nutrients known collectively as fiber. Largely the focus of our next food group to help with weight loss, the various forms of fiber serve many functions throughout the body – but the phytonutrition in fibrous fruits and vegetables, along with the ability to aid in appetite control are perhaps the main reasons for including them in the top two foods to help with weight loss. 

Food Group #2: Fibrous fruits and vegetables 

Fiber can simply be thought of simply as the part of plant foods we can’t digest, and although most people are aware that it is important, that tends to be where the awareness of this versatile nutrient begins and ends. Some of this limited view surrounding fiber is due to the fact that there are many different forms of fiber, and may also be due in part to the scarcity of it in the average adult’s diet. In the United States, the average adult gets roughly one-half of the recommended 25-30 grams of fiber daily from their diet (low-carb/keto dieters are usually even worse). This fact is rather concerning when you consider the fact that the various forms of fiber serve to promote proper digestion and elimination, feed the beneficial bacteria that live within our large intestine, and it just so happens the foods that contain substantial amounts of fiber tend to be nutritious in more ways than one.  

Fiber intake has been studied extensively for its impact on a mechanistic level, all the way up to the epidemiological or population level. The support for dietary fiber intake preventing obesity exists at every one of these levels. Fiber intake has been found to be inversely associated with body weight and body fat – generally, the more fiber a person consumes, the less likely they are to be obese or overweight. Fiber is certainly playing less of a causative role in this protective effect, although it certainly has a more direct role in creating a healthy, fit, and anti-fragile human. Still, we can look to direct intervention studies which have generally found that the addition of dietary fiber decreases food intake, which creates a calorie deficit resulting in weight loss. At this point fiber hopefully seems like an obvious focus of your weight loss diet plan. It seems a review published in the journal Nutrients confirmed this notion when they concluded that a fiber rich diet may beneficially influence all parameters of body weight management and metabolic disorders related to obesity. 

Alright, so you know now why we believe both fiber and protein to be excellent tools you should include in your nutritional strategy if you are looking to lose weight, and keep it off for good. You can easily incorporate these nutrients into your daily eating plan by building most of your meals around a protein source and few servings of fibrous fruits and vegetables. That doesn’t mean that all fruits and veggies are great sources of fiber, but most of them are a great place to start with at least. Do some research to find which high-fiber options you like the most, and start from there. Creating well-established eating patterns that you can rely upon is a major step towards creating sustained diet success that will continue evolving as you do.  

Your weight loss journey will be difficult, but you can make it a lot easier on yourself by sleeping well, lifting weights, managing stress, and of course…eating a nutritious diet full of protein and fiber!

7 Reasons You Might Not Be Losing Weight

Written by Josh on . Posted in Exercise, Lifestyle, Weight Management. Leave a Comment

There may just be a million possible reasons why you might not be losing weight. But, speaking as a trainer who has consistently and predictably helped clients permanently lose weight, people are usually focused on the wrong things – leading to wasted energy, time, and eventually burnout. The process of losing weight is often a long and difficult one, but it is by no means impossible or unattainable. So before deciding that lasting weight loss just isn’t in the cards for you, try to analyze your current situation and identify if there are any major factors that you have left unchecked. Boiling down all the possible reasons why someone might not be losing weight down to just seven is in some ways a daunting task, but patterns emerge once you have successfully helped many people through the process. There exists a clear hierarchy of variables to focus on, and those at the top of the list are extremely basic, usually free, and only take some lifestyle modifications and effort to implement. Just cutting calories and ramping up cardio will work in the short term, but that strategy dries up extremely quickly – leaving you temporarily lighter, but no closer to reaching a point of sustained weight loss. Ask yourself if any of the following mistakes may just be the reason you aren’t losing weight, and then begin to alter your behavior or approach and start creating progress once again.

Here’s a quick rundown of the 7 Reasons You Might Not Be Losing Weight

  1. Poor Sleeping Habits

    If there is any single factor that can completely ruin any attempt to lose weight, it is poor sleep habits.

  2. Eating Too Many Calories

    At the end of the day, weight loss or gain is a matter of energy balance. Finding ways to control calorie intake is essential.

  3. Metabolic Adaptation

    How quickly and severely experience decreased metabolic rate caused by prolonged caloric restriction is highly individual, but everyone will likely develop some degree of metabolic adaptation during the dieting process.

  4. Training too much

    As a society we tend to think that more is always better. Ironically, if you are wanting to create lasting changes with your training and nutrition approach however, this could not be further from the truth.

  5. Relying on Cardio to Burn Calories

    Relying on incessant cardio sessions to create an energy deficit and hopefully fat loss will almost certainly end in frustration, a whole lot of wasted energy, and an eventual plateau.

  6. Not Moving Enough

    On the other side of the energy balance equation from the calories you eat is energy out. As a society, we are highly sedentary. Find fun ways to start moving more.

  7. Weekend Sabotage

    One of the more prevalent examples of weight loss self-sabotage happens over just a few days out of each week.

Now, for the in-depth look at the reasons we can’t lose weight. It is only fitting that we start with what is one of the most common reasons people are unable to reach and sustain a weight loss goal – poor sleep. 

Reason #1: Poor Sleeping Habits

If there is any single factor that can completely ruin any attempt to safely, healthily, and permanently lose weight it is routinely getting poor sleep. If you aren’t already doing so, prioritizing getting enough quality sleep should be your primary focus when you are starting out on any fitness journey – especially weight loss. Paying close attention to and protecting your sleep like your life depends on it will help prevent you from having to experience a whole host of unwanted effects caused by acute and chronic sleep deprivation which seem perfectly designed to hinder the weight loss process. If you skip on sleep you can expect to experience: 

  • An increased drive to demolish hyperpalatable, calorically dense foods. (Research has found that even partial sleep deprivation leads to around 400 or more extra calories eaten the next day when compared to well-slept subjects). 
  • Decreased hormonal function (thyroid, sex, and adrenal output will all be impacted). 
  • Decreased executive function (objective decision making is reduced). 
  • Depressed immune function (not necessarily related to weight loss but developing disease certainly puts a hold on healthy weight loss). 

Few variables can have such a profound impact on your health and fitness in the way that sleep can, but the next mistake absolutely can and fundamentally does limit weight loss entirely. 

Reason #2: Eating Too Many Calories

At the end of the day, weight loss or gain is a matter of energy balance (an excellent and meticulous explanation of all things energy balance can be found here: Energy Balance. Having a positive energy balance means you will be adding weight – whether that weight is muscle or fat, calories are needed to create it. Although you may not think or feel that you are eating too much food, it is the calories in the food that matter. Inconveniently, most food products nowadays are processed and designed to be chock full of calories and include ingredients that fuel the drive to eat more. This effect is compounded by the fact most food products are missing any semblance of actual nutrition, and our body’s know it. Our innate drive to eat food includes a variety of factors, but two that are fundamental to this urge include the need for calories (energy) and the drive for nutrition (nutrients including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc.). Fulfilling our need for energy, without also satisfying our body’s need for nutrition will usually result in a perpetual drive to eat more in search of the nutrients it needs. 

Eating too many calories is absolutely going to prevent weight loss, and create weight gain if done consistently. Energy balance is a law of nature that is inescapable, despite what some diet gurus and zealots may say. Prioritizing whole, natural foods that are full of actual nutrients is a great way to set yourself up for energy balance success but it is far from a panacea – at the end of the day, calories in vs. calories out is the rule of weight loss or gain. The next common roadblock to weight loss however, is much less understood – not just by the average person but most fitness professionals as well.  

Reason #3: Metabolic Adaptation

You will have very likely heard of the dreaded “starvation mode” – a feared (and largely imagined) state where you are unable to lose weight no matter how few calories you eat. Luckily this mode does not exist, but you can expect and plan for a decline in hormonal output, decrease in libido, reductions in lean body mass, and a few more undesirable effects if you cut calories too low for too long. How quickly and severely you specifically will experience these potential effects caused by prolonged caloric restriction is highly individual, but everyone will likely develop some degree of metabolic adaptation during the dieting process. Pushing yourself to the point of becoming metabolically adapted to an unsustainably low calorie intake can absolutely pump the brakes on your weight loss progress – so the trick is to avoid reaching this point at all by planning appropriately and strategically. The best strategy to avoid this common pitfall is pretty simple: 

  1. Consistently bring your calories up to maintenance or slightly above for at least 48 hours. How often you need to do this will depend on many factors, but around every 2-3 weeks is probably often enough for most people. 
  2. Eat enough protein. Getting enough protein helps to spare lean body mass and thus aids in mitigating part of how the body becomes more efficient with the calories you give it (remember, in this context efficient is bad!). 
  3. Lift weights. Similar to eating enough protein, lifting weights can prevent much of the lean body mass loss that is expected to occur when dieting for weight loss by convincing your body that keeping muscle is in it’s best interest. 

These three strategies should each be part of any weight loss diet even if you haven’t experienced any significant degree of metabolic adaptation just yet – for a far more comprehensive illustration, check out The Metabolic Adaptation Manual built by Dr. Eric Trexler, one of the leading researchers in the physique modification realm. Extremes on the training spectrum can be just as detrimental to weight loss progress as extreme dietary restriction, and both are usually reached by working without an intelligent strategy. 

Reason #4: Training too much

As a society we tend to think that more is always better. Ironically, if you are wanting to create lasting changes with your training and nutrition approach however, this could not be further from the truth. All forms of training can be pushed to the point of diminishing returns, but some are able to hit that point rather easily like most HIIT style training, crossfit, unreasonably high volume workouts, and quite a few others. Training for weight loss progress is a physiologically and psychologically difficult form of training, and it should be treated as such. Thinking that you can simply hold your training volume extremely high, burn a ton of calories, and endlessly shed excess pounds is an antiquated approach that is more reflective of the rise in the popularity of high intensity group training than what is actually effective for the average person. 

Again, weight loss is a difficult process for your body, don’t make it more difficult by stomping down your body with long, arduous, and inappropriate workouts everyday. You absolutely should lift weights and stay active, but don’t ask too much of your body too soon! Staying active and doing cardio aren’t the same thing, as you will see with our next common mistake – relying on cardio to burn calories. 

Reason #5: Relying on Cardio to Burn Calories 

Relying on incessant cardio sessions to create an energy deficit and hopefully fat loss will almost certainly end in frustration, a whole lot of wasted energy, and an eventual plateau. This mistake is so commonly made because cardio will absolutely result in quicker weight loss progress than any other form of exercise – but this advantage doesn’t play out over the long-term. Manually burning calories through frequent cardio sessions is an extremely strong signal to become more efficient with the calories that you feed it (efficient isn’t helpful with weight loss). This adaptation would have been beneficial in the not-so distant past, but if we are seeking permanent fat loss, it is actually the exact opposite of what we want. Check out our article that covers exactly why resistance training is better than cardio for fat loss here: Restance Training

If you keep pushing for weight loss success from cardio without first taking care to manage your daily activity levels, you are missing out on some almost free progress. Most of the people you see killing themselves on a treadmill or living on an elliptical seem to not realize they could have simply walked around the block instead. 

Reason #6: Not Moving Enough

On the other side of the energy balance equation from the calories you eat is energy out. This can be more technically referred to as total daily energy expenditure or TDEE, and the number is the sum total of all the calories your body used in a day – a number that can be highly variable and difficult to fully determine. Some of the factors that contribute to your TDEE you can actively manipulate in various ways, some you can’t. Staying active and moving a reasonable amount everyday is likely going to be your easiest and most sustainable method of increasing your energy use over the course of the day – not adding frivolous cardio. 

Cardio can be a great tool for weight loss if used sparingly and in a manner that adds to your current level of activity. When it is used as a means to haphazardly establish a baseline level of activity however, the benefits begin to quickly dissipate. Moving enough throughout the day is also essential to the function of your lymphatic system and overall health – the less you move, the less healthy you are overall. Increasing your daily activity through steps is an easy way to start managing the energy balance equation, but the next common mistake has more to do with managing behavior.

Reason #7: Weekend Sabotage

One of the more prevalent examples of weight loss self-sabotage happens over just a few days out of each week. Awareness surrounding the daily habits and practices that are required for producing weight loss often fades during the weekend and choices are made that can reduce or eliminate any progress that was developed during the week. Our body’s respond and adapt to the demands you place on it, but those demands must be as consistent as possible. This means that if the energy balance equation is catapulted in the wrong direction thanks to a few meals out or some drinks over the weekend , you have effectively reduced your weight loss progress. This effect is further compounded if you are more inactive during the weekend than during work week – dragging down the energy-out side of the equation and boosting your likelihood of gaining body fat as a result. 

Remain as consistent as you can during the weekend. Try to sleep at the same time, eat on the same general plan, keep training, and stay active and you will be dramatically reducing the likelihood of any diet self-sabotage over the weekend! 

How to Avoid All Seven Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight

Hopefully this list helped you identify some key areas where you weren’t exactly cutting it before. If you recognize more than one of these mistakes in yourself, start working on one major variable at a time. Weight loss is a difficult process, and so is changing the habits that cause weight gain in the first place – but neither task is anywhere close to impossible. Stick to the basics and be consistent.

Services to Boost your Weight Loss Efforts

It is essential to understand and implement the foundational principles of weight loss that were touched on in this article. At the core of health is our sleep, exercise habits, calorie consumption and nutrient intake, and most of all, consistency. Once you have a decent grasp on each of these, there are a number of services that can help you in your efforts. At Ikon Health we offer a number of services that can improve your weight loss efforts, and some of these services are listed below.

  • IV for Weight Loss: Nutrients that boost energy, support liver function, and boost metabolic rate
  • B12 Injections: Boosts energy, supports digestion and absorption nutrients, and aids in maintaining healthy nerve cells.
  • Lipo Injections: Great at improving energy, supports liver function and fat metabolism, and much more
  • Wellness Coaching: Our coaching program is the best way to help you to choose goals that will provide the most results with the least initial effort, and keep you accountable.
  • Anti-Aging Peptides: Peptides are likely the most powerful service that we offer at Ikon Health. Boost fat loss, muscle building, strength, energy, sleep, vitality, appearance, and much more.

The Truth About CBD Oil

Written by Josh on . Posted in Age Management, Immune & Body Defense, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Pain Management, Stress & Anxiety. Leave a Comment

Beneath all the mainstream media buzz and marketing gimmicks, lies a truth about the fascinating compound known as cannabidiol (CBD). You may know it as the miracle that is reported to relieve chronic pain, reduce anxiety, eliminate inflammation, and everything in between – but does it actually work? Well, like many things in the field of human health and wellness the answer is…it depends. To fully understand how CBD works (or doesn’t work) it is important to grasp how the newly-discovered endocannabinoid system impacts human physiology on a fundamental level, and how each of the 113 cannabinoids are able to uniquely affect us. We hope to arm you with enough information for you to see through all the false advertising and downright unsubstantiated claims that surround CBD and elucidate just exactly what benefits it has been proven to provide, how to make sure you are getting a product containing dosages that are actually effective, and the importance of choosing specific forms of CBD products. There is an overabundance of misinformation circulating which are unfortunately devaluing the potential beneficial effects some people may receive from CBD – so we are here to start helping set the record straight on cannabidiol.

Truth About CBD

It is important to note right off the bat that CBD is not just another flashy nutritional supplement – though you wouldn’t know by it’s increasing presence in everything from potato chips to lattes. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system which was only discovered less than 30 years ago. The endocannabinoid system spans the entirety of our body, involving every single cell. Another discovery that coincides with this recently found system is the fact that our bodies produce cannabinoids endogenously (in the body). There have been at least two major endogenous cannabinoids discovered so far: Anandamide and 2AG. Both of these naturally occurring cannabinoids have their own unique properties and functions within the body. There are receptors for cannabinoids (named CB1/CB2) on every cell allowing this cannabinoid, and over a hundred more to have beneficial effects across the body. CBD research has existed ever since it was discovered in 1940. Unfortunately, due to the widespread criminalization of the cannabis/hemp plant, CBD research was effectively halted for many years. With the rise of the internet however, anecdotal reports of successfully utilizing CBD for treating rare forms of epilepsy grasped the public’s attention. Followed shortly thereafter by the decriminalization/legalization of cannabis in many states, CBD was thrust into the spotlight and has since been thoroughly taken advantage of. Adding CBD into all kinds of snack foods, personal hygiene products, and the like are nothing more than marketing ploys meant to capitalize on the popularity of cannabinoids and their novelty for the average person. There are many pitfalls to adding CBD to everyday products which we will discuss later, but surely you’d like to know by now just what benefits CBD has been proven to provide.

CDB Benefits

As we mentioned already there are over 100 cannabinoids that have been discovered thus far. Each provides somewhat unique benefits but it is likely important that we utilize them all in conjunction with one another. Isolating a specific cannabinoid is akin to missing the forest for the trees. For example, the CBGA is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that may treat certain kinds of cancer and schizophrenia and it is at the top of the chemical reaction for the creation of other cannabinoids. CBDA directly inhibits inflammatory pathways in the body similar to anti-inflammatory drugs and the ultra-popular CBD actually works through many pathways, not just the endocannabinoid system.

How Does CBD Work?

CBD essentially works by aiding the body in maintaining homeostasis or balance. You might be surprised to find that CBD modulates the transcription of over 1100 genes, many of which are responsible for making the signaling molecules required to reduce inflammation. In order to create this wave of homeostasis throughout the body, CBD increases anti-inflammatory biochemicals such as GABA, and reduces inflammatory biochemicals like glutamate. Anyone who has been paying attention to medical advancements is aware of the fact that inflammation is really at the root of many of the chronic diseases we experience humans. Because CBD is able to fundamentally reduce or eliminate inappropriate levels of inflammation, it has the potential to positively affect many disease states and dysfunction. Due in part to the recent change in the legislation regarding cannabis/hemp in general, CBD research is only beginning to be completed in humans. What research has been completed thus far has been somewhat contradictory. However due to the lack of adverse events reported from using actual CBD products (actual is the key word here), people are turning to cannabinoids in general for their alleged healing properties. CBD specifically has been reported to be effective at treating rare forms of epilepsy, relieving pain, reducing anxiety and depression, helping with cancer treatment, reducing acne, and potentially protecting the heart and nervous system. All of these are quite plausible and may be proven in research before long. In fact, due to the mechanisms by which CBD and all cannabinoids work in the body, it is likely that there will be many, many more proven effects illuminated over the next few years. These are all real benefits that may be possible effects of cannabinoids, but what most people don’t realize is that you often are not getting any actual cannabinoids in CBD products.

Problem With CBD Products

Observing the ever-growing selection of CBD infused products is quite disheartening when you know the truth behind CBD research. More than one study has shown CBD to be effective at reducing anxiety when given in 300 mg doses – 100,150,600 and 900 mg doses showed no significant anxiolytic effects¹,². Considering that many of the CBD products on the market allegedly contain 5-10 mg of actual CBD, it is easy to see that your CBD infused latte or cereal is an enormous waste of money.  Many of the seemingly legitimate CBD oil products from reputable companies are sold at upwards of $30-$50 for 100-500 mg of CBD per bottle. If you do the math, that adds up to about 1-2 effective servings per container. So unless you are ready and willing to be paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month to support your CBD use, it seems best to look elsewhere for the effects you are seeking. If you are still looking to try a CBD product, we highly recommend that you utilize a broad-spectrum hemp extract. These specific products should contain the entire spectrum of cannabinoids available from the hemp plant – including CBGA, CBDA, and over 100 more (minus THC if it came from hemp). If the fact that CBD oil is currently prohibitively expensive for everyday use were the only issue regarding its use, an argument could still be made for companies putting out such products. However, the problems with the current state of the CBD industry only begin there.

What is Wrong With the CBD Industry?

One of the major reasons people look towards CBD as a new and exciting means of healing all types of aches, pains, and anxiety is the fact that it is non-psychoactive. CBD’s big brother THC is highly effective at providing many of the same benefits of CBD but it comes with mind-altering properties. Unfortunately, a study examining many of the CBD products on the market found that most contained little or no CBD, and many contain THC³. Following the example provided by the sports supplement industry, companies are likely putting THC in CBD products in order for you to actually feel an effect. Companies know that if you are able to feel an actual effect, you’re more likely to deem their product effective – whether or not it provided you with any of the benefits it was purported to have. This contamination with beneficial yet often unwanted THC can cause issues for people that must deal with any type of drug screening. Combine that with the prevalence of heavy metals and other toxic substances in many CBD products and you just may be convinced to wait a few years until the industry has aged and matured a bit.

Bottom Line on CBD

Cannabidiol and other cannabinoids are undoubtedly effective tools for reducing inflammation and improving health overall. More and more research is illuminating the benefits which were tragically hidden due to unfounded legislation blocking cannabis/hemp research. As we move forward in the age of information and individualized medicine, cannabis will likely play a central role in many people’s health and wellness protocols. Until we reach the point where we are able to reliably source CBD and other cannabinoid products, it is likely best that you seek out lifestyle practices and habits that will aid in providing many of the same benefits of CBD. For instance, practices like prioritizing sleep, proper nutrition, exercise, and tools like regular sauna use will undoubtedly provide you with more benefits than current CBD products can. Reducing inflammation and improving health will require more than just a daily dropper full of cannabinoids. Keep an eye on CBD research however, because the benefits are real, they just aren’t realistic yet.

¹ Linares, Ila M., Zuardi, Antonio W., Pereira, Luis C., Queiroz, Regina H., Mechoulam, Raphael, Guimarães, Francisco S., & Crippa, José A.. (2019). Cannabidiol presents an inverted U-shaped dose-response curve in a simulated public speaking test. Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, 41(1), 9-14. Epub October 11, 2018. https://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2017-0015

² Crippa, J. A., Guimarães, F. S., Campos, A. C., & Zuardi, A. W. (2018). Translational Investigation of the Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol (CBD): Toward a New Age. Frontiers in immunology, 9, 2009. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.02009

³ “Warning Letters and Test Results for Cannabidiol-Related Products”. United States Food and Drug Administration.

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/warning-letters-and-test-results-cannabidiol-related-products
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