A lot of people think they can just go on TRT with no real reason for it. Why is it important to be sure there’s an actual need first? What factors can you control to reduce your risk of pituitary insult? What are the other options you can exhaust before considering TRT? On this episode, Dr. Rob Kominiarek joins us to talk about the importance of taking the decision to go on TRT very seriously.

No hormone is going to overcome poor dietary habits and lack of exercise. -Dr. Rob Kominiarek

Three Takeaways

• People who use black market hormones mess up their Hypothalamic–pituitary axis, sometimes permanently.
• Decrease the amount of alcohol you consume, as it interferes with pituitary function.

At the start of the show, Dr. Rob shared what led him down the path of hormone optimization and age management. Next, we talked about some of the factors that cause pituitary insult and how to avoid them. We also talked about the importance of dialing everything else in before you go on TRT.

We also discussed:

• The difference between strenuous exercise and invigorating exercise
• How different people react to hormone optimization differently
• Why Dr. Rob is a huge proponent for DHEA and Pregnenolone

Being strategic with supplementation and hormones is important. TRT isn’t just a fast solution that fits everyone. In a lot of cases there are several avenues that can be exhausted before hormone optimization. Decrease your alcohol consumption and blue light exposure. Lower stress levels and take good care of yourself. If you still have a need for TRT, that’s when you can talk to a doctor about further steps.

Guest Bio
Dr. Rob is a bestselling author and physician with an expertise in Interventional Age Management Medicine and BioIdentical Hormone Optimization. Interventional Medicine focuses on optimizing your health and enhancing your quality of life while simultaneously reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, bone fractures, dementia, and other disorders of aging. Go to renewhealth.com or find him on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertkominiarek/.

The majority of people will not train at the rep range necessary to reach positive failure. How does this affect the results you get in the gym? Why is total volume is more important than frequency? What is wrong with the way diabetes doctors handle insulin sensitivity and nutrition? On this episode, I’m joined by the founder of Weightology, James Krieger, who shares on these topics.

The conclusions in science are always tentative, and some of it is just based on the data that’s available at the time. -James Krieger

Three Takeaways

• The more often a muscle is hit, the more it’s going to grow efficiently.
• Body composition is an inaccurate test because when they measure “fat-free mass”, they measure everything that’s not fat-- including body water.
• Waist circumference will tell you more about how much fat you’re losing than anything else.

At the start of the show, James talked about new research in training volumes and hypertrophy. “If you’re using moderate to light weights, you pretty much have to reach close-to-failure because otherwise you just don’t have motor unit recruitment.” Next, we discussed why you shouldn’t do body fat measurements, and why training fasted will set you up for injury and bad workouts. Towards the end, we talked about diabetes and how doctors are confused about insulin sensitivity and nutrition.

We also discussed:

• Protein timing, muscle growth and how people are misinformed
• Why it’s possible to cheat the body fat test
• Why you don’t burn much fat during a workout

The amazing thing about the human body is just how biodynamic and self-regulating it is, and this applies to our training. When you train with a lot of volume, you adapt very rapidly to it. When you tax all the energy systems repeatedly, you’ll subject a fiber to change. The whole point is training to failure. Ultimately if you do this and keep variables like diet and insulin in check, you will see results.

Guest Bio

James Krieger is the founder of Weightology.  He has a Master's degree in Nutrition from the University of Florida and a second Master's degree in Exercise Science from Washington State University.  He is the former research director for a corporate weight management program that treated over 400 people per year, with an average weight loss of 40 pounds in 3 months. Go to https://weightology.net/ for more info.

Tens of thousands of women across the country are suffering from major hormone imbalances. Why is it so important to get your hormones measured on a continuous basis? How does this help you prevent disease? How does birth control affect your hormonal baseline? On this episode, we discuss factors that need to be considered for hormone optimization for women.

Women need to get their hormones measured when they are in the prime of their life. That’s the template for optimal hormone function. -Dr. Jim Meehan

Three Takeaways

• About 50,000 women in the last decade have died needlessly because they had a hysterectomy and didn’t have their hormones replaced.
• One of the most important things in our physiology is keeping our hormones adequate so they can do the work they are supposed to do.
• Get your hormones measured through your life. It’s not as expensive as it used to be and it’s more accurate that it has ever been.
• People know much too little about the risks of taking birth control.

At the start of the show, we talked about the problems in health today, including the limited focus on preventative medicine. We talked about the biggest misconception people have about hormone optimization, and importance of hormone fingerprinting for women.

We also discussed:

• The problem with our instant gratification obsession
• Why the population is getting sicker and sicker
• The importance of knowing the side effects of what we take

When it comes to our health, we have to be our own advocates. We must do everything in our power to ensure a healthy and fulfilled life. Hormones are an important part of this, even for women. You need to establish your baseline when you’re most resilient, brilliant and vibrant by doing significant testing of your hormonal rhythm. If this isn’t done, you risk being judged on the general population, which is bad because the population is becoming sicker, weaker and more chronically diseased. When we do it right and get our hormones in balance, it puts us back on the path to our purpose.  

Humanity is crying out for energy medicine but it’s not integrated with the current healthcare model. Why is it necessary now more than ever? How can doctors make the connection to food important to their patients? Why is nutrition only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to health? On this episode, I’m joined by husband and wife, Dr. Bob Harding and Dr. Shelly Sethi to talk about the importance and implementation of mind-body practices.

I think we need to start talking about how to protect ourselves: What are the other things we can do to combat exposures? -Dr. Shelly Sethi

Three Takeaways

• What we eat is determined by who is influencing our food culture, and unfortunately it’s corporations.
• Social media is front and center of the energy blockage we are seeing in society.
• People get intimidated by meditation because they think they have to quiet their minds for 30 minutes. It’s actually focused awareness.

At the start of the show, we talked about why our food culture is so bad, and why it’s so important to be connected to our food. We talked about spirituality and how its absence in conventional media does patients a disservice. We discussed why men need to be more dialed-in spiritually, and how to reduce your levels of contamination in this toxic environment.

We also discussed:

• Why fitness and nutrition are only the “tip of the iceberg” of health
• Meditation practices and how they benefit us
• Whether there is such a thing as non-contaminated food

Health is a full-picture practice-- we cannot choose certain parts to focus on while neglecting things like energy and spirituality. There are so many people with issues, and the sick care system just throws pills at them. We’re in an age where things are shifting forward, and we should take care of every part of ourselves. The more optimized we are physically, the more apt we are to be dialed-in spiritually. The conversation should not be about how we prevent contamination-- because it’s inevitable. Let’s focus on how we can adjust our behavior to have balance, and counter the effects of contamination.  

Guest Bio

Dr. Shelly Sethi is a board certified family physician based in Austin, TX practicing integrative and functional medicine. Go to http://www.drshellysethi.com/ for more information.

Problems with testosterone and the incorrect management of hormone therapy can affect anyone. How does the current system helping army officers work? What are the problems with it? And how do you know when it's time to seek help? On this episode, Rob Kilmartin, with 20 years in the U.S. Army, talks about his experience and how correct testosterone treatment changed his life.

When I'm 65, I want to be even better than I am now. - Rob Kilmartin  

Three Takeaways

• Expertise in any area takes at least 20 years. Don't expect to get perfect results in 4 months.
• Set yourself long-term goals and work hard to achieve them.
• If you know there's a problem, address it-- don't wait until it's too late.

We started the episode off with Rob sharing his personal experience with unsuitable testosterone treatments for army officers and veterans. He then explained the most common drugs in the program and why they're often ineffective. Rob talked about the so-called "combat cocktail" and the effects he has seen in action. Rob then explained his journey into TRT and how it improved his life. Then we talked about the exercises to train army combatants today and how young cadets react to these. Finally, we discussed the power of the pharmaceutical industry and how to fight it.

We also talked about:

• Common factors in army environments that contribute to PTSD
• Problems with drive and motivation with kids today
• Achieving expertise with hard work and patience
• The problem with student loans

Different treatments will work best for different people. The most difficult step is recognizing you need treatment and then seeking the best expertise to help you identify the problem. Many doctors will disregard testosterone deficiency as one of the leading issues in men's health these days. This is why it's important to do your own research and seek a second opinion, because it could save your life. Don't treat a problem that's not there; get your testosterone levels tested today and speak to an expert who can help you change your life for the better.

Guest Bio

Major Rob Kilmartin was an officer with the U.S. Army for over 20 years. During his career in the army he completed more than 200 dismounted combat patrols, and was involved in more than 100 situations that involved IED blasts. He retired in May 2015 and he has two Purple Heart medals. He also has a Bronze Star Medal, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star Device, Combat Action Badge, Australian Defense Commendation Medal, and numerous other awards and commendations. Now Rob is an advocate for healthy testosterone treatments for men who have been in active service.

The watchful eye of Big Pharma still has a lot of control on the purse strings of the medical industry. Why is content and the education of ordinary consumers so necessary in changing this? What are some of the world’s most advanced institutions getting wrong about health and diet? Should you consider ketogenic dieting? On this episode, Russ Scala is back to talk about how to get rid of the lab coat savior mentality.

We got about 150 high level pharmaceutical drugs currently on the market, and the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting impact more metabolic pathways than any drug. -Russ Scala

Three Takeaways

• Ketogenic dieting: a lot of people don’t realize that excess protein gets converted through gluconeogenesis into sugar.
• When you elevate your blood sugar, you cause a lot of oxidative stress.
• Carbs have the same opiate pathways as heroin; just not as hard.

At the start of the show, Russ gave an update on what he’s been working on, and why it’s so powerful to teach ordinary people to ask the right questions. We also discussed muscle wasting, the dangers of carb addiction and how to control your own insulin.

We also discussed:

• How bereft of real data the mainstream system is
• What people get wrong about ketogenic dieting
• Why we need to de-patternize our brains around how we see doctors

There’s something very powerful and transforming about people being able to think critically and ask their doctors the questions that will really change their health. If we continue teaching people the basics of biology, it is going to create a viral market of people who are in the know. Forget SSRIs and all the pharmaceuticals out there, ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting are the best tools to keep you in the game, keep you healthy, and keep your insulin and blood-glucose levels down. The only way to change perceptions is to educate people through content.

Guest Bio
Russ is the founder of Scala Precision Health, the organization found in select elite medical practices for the purposes of enhancing and extending the services offered to patients. It was created from Russ’ lifelong research and development of breakthrough protocols through The Institute of Nutritional Medicine and Cardiovascular Research. Through the Institute, protocols have been developed for chronic illness, athletic performance, brain health, weight loss, aging and longevity. He is also the author of American Biohacker. Go to https://scalaprecisionhealth.com/ or find out about his book.