In another article we covered what SIBO is, how it comes about, what feeds it, and how it creates cravings for sugar and other junk foods, preventing fat loss and causing low energy levels.

But there is another aspect to SIBO which has more destructive and far-reaching effects.

There is something called Leaky Gut, where there are actual microscopic perforations in the intestinal lining that is meant to protect our internal organs from the harmful bacteria, parasites and toxins coming in through our digestive tract.

And it's behind a significant number of physical conditions common today, from hormonal imbalances, stress and poor sleep, to liver and kidney trouble, heart trouble, skin issues and even premature aging.

So let's see what it is and what SIBO has to do with it.

Welcome to the Gut Health Guide, Protocol & 30-Day Challenge!

Our gut is one of the most important aspects of our health.

If our gut is generally healthy, so are we. If our gut is not healthy, then neither are we. It really is that simple.

But about two thirds of Americans are living with gut issues.

Acid reflux, heart burn, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Gas and bloating, causing a protruding stomach that can’t be “exercised off.”

Leaky Gut, SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), Candida, H. Pylori and C. Diff.

Gluten reactions.

An imbalanced microbiome causing higher stress levels, poor energy, and much more.

If we want the healthiest body we can have, with high energy levels, an easy time maintaining our figure, healthier skin, a calmer mood, hormonal balance, lean muscle, and good sleep — then we need to take control of our gut.

This is the second article in the Autoimmune Series.

In the last article we covered what autoimmune conditions are and what they’re actually doing in the body. But in this article we’re going to cover how they come about.

What actually causes them.

And it starts in the gut, our first defense against illness.

Inside every cell of your body, millions of biochemical reactions are happening every second.

And one of the most important — and least understood by most people — is a process called methylation.

It’s not something we always feel directly if it’s happening properly. But it quietly governs almost every aspect of health, from energy creation to hormones, mood, cortisol levels, detoxification, DNA repair and even how efficiently we burn or store fat.

And if it’s not functioning properly, then we do feel it, often not knowing what it is.

When methylation runs smoothly, we feel alert, resilient, and focused.

When it falters, everything from mood to metabolism can begin to break down.

So understanding exactly what this system is and how it works — and supporting it properly — is very important.

Let’s dive in.

Fasting, a practice that has been around for thousands of years, is where we consume little or no food or drink containing carbohydrates, fats or proteins — calories — for a certain amount of time.

This can be done for a day, a few days, a week, or even longer.

And it’s much simpler and easier than most people think.

But why is fasting is done, why would someone not eat for days or even weeks?

When we don’t ingest any proteins, fats or carbohydrates for a certain amount of time, our body goes into a sort of cleanse, a repair and rebuild state called autophagy.

In this state DNA repair occurs, faulty or damaged cells and cellular components are recycled and we build defense against oxidative stress to our cells and nervous system.

Fasting also addresses excess weight, helps increase antioxidant capacity, improves the gut microbiome and supports healthy blood pressure and healthy inflammatory responses.

And it improves metabolism, supports healthy insulin levels and can even slow the aging process.

It's very effective.

But how is it done and what exactly happens?

Let’s dive in.

Ask anyone about bulking and cutting and they’ll bring up calories and macronutrients.

“You have to count your calories and macronutrients and make sure that you eat more than you need to build muscle (and body fat) and eat less than you need to burn fat.”

And that’s true… to a degree.

But there’s more to it. And if you just follow the above, you’ll more than likely miss your goals.

Yes, we need to measure the amount of calories to make sure we get enough energy, but not too much. And we need to make sure we get enough protein, fat and carbohydrates so we can build muscle or have energy to power us through the day.

But… which proteins, fats, and carbs? And how do they affect the hormones that will determine how they’re used?

Because it's our hormones that decide how these macronutrients will be used in our body.

Will the carbs and fats be turned into body fat? Or used as energy? Or will they become part of the structure of the body?

It’s our hormones that decide.

Will this protein be used to build muscle? Or will it be turned into sugar or body fat?

Hormones decide.

It’s not how much you eat that decides. It’s which exact food you eat and how that exact food affects your hormones.

Today we want to walk you through a day in the life of someone using PerfectAmino Creatine, PerfectAmino and other BodyHealth Products to to achieve sustainable fat loss, showing when and how they're taken for best results.

Also, how it helps to increase energy levels (key for fat loss and lowered cravings), to improve mental focus and clarity during the day, and address stress levels, mood, the ability to relax in the evening and sleep and recovery.

And how it does this without bloating.

We're going to show when and how they're taken for best results.

And not just that, what other actions do they take during the day? What exercises do they do and when? What foods do they eat and when? (And we include recipes.) How do they get maximum sleep for recovery?

All of these points are important.

We have the PerfectAmino Usage Guide, which provides a high level description of how to take PerfectAmino depending on your goals, and which covers all the main questions.

But in this article we’re going to cover the details, along with the proper diet and key actions during the day for the fat loss goal as covered in the Guide To Sustainable Fat Loss.

Let's dive in.

Today we want to walk you through a day in the life of someone using PerfectAmino Creatine, PerfectAmino and other BodyHealth Products to build more lean muscle, increase energy and endurance, and improve recovery, all while slimming down.

Also, how it helps them to improve mental focus and clarity during the day and address stress levels mood, the ability to relax in the evening and sleep.

We're going to show when and how they're taken for best results.

And not just that, what other actions do they take during the day? What exercises do they do and when? What foods do they eat and when? (And we include recipes.) How do they get maximum sleep for recovery?

All of these points are important.

We have the PerfectAmino Usage Guide, which provides a high level description of how to take PerfectAmino depending on your goals, and which covers all the main questions.

But in this article we’re going into the details, along with the proper diet and key actions to take during the day to maximize lean muscle building while slimming down as covered in the Lean Body/Lean Bulk Protocol.

Let's dive in.

While most people have used creatine for muscle building and recovery, and still do, more and more information has come out about it’s affects on our energy levels, our brain and nerve health, our mental focus and clarity, our stress levels, sleep and recovery and even our overall longevity.

What makes creatine unique is its role in buffering and recycling cellular energy. It acts like an internal battery pack, keeping our energy output stable and responsive during moments of high demand — whether that’s physical exertion, intense mental concentration, or recovery.

But this system becomes even more important as we age, as our body’s natural production of creatine begins to decline.

When creatine levels run low, the consequences ripple throughout our body: low energy, cognitive fatigue or lack of focus, stress, slower recovery, and even increased risk of muscle and bone loss.

So, although our body can manufacture small amounts from amino acids, diet and supplementation are key to keeping levels high for long-term vitality.

Let's see how this works.

Did you know high cortisol levels don’t just make you stressed—they actually break down your muscle, prevent protein synthesis, cause fat gain and prevent fat loss?

Cortisol is a hormone we need to survive, but when it’s too high for too long, it blocks progress in the gym, slows recovery and causes poor sleep. It keeps you from building lean muscle, makes fat loss nearly impossible, and leaves you sore and drained.

But there are ways to counteract this and protect your body from its damaging effects. Creatine, amino acids, and proper recovery can all tip the scales back in your favor.

Let’s break it down.

Creatine is one of the most studied and used supplements there are, both for lean muscle gain, energy, endurance and recovery, but also for reaction time, cognitive health and focus, affecting the brain, nervous system, heart and much more.

It’s used by athletes for more explosive power: sprinting, heavy lifting and intense exercise.

It allows for greater endurance in training, more reps per set before fatigue sets in, faster recovery between sets or sprints and can help lengthen workouts and exercise time.

It also helps with lean muscle creation, reduced muscle damage and even helps maintain lean muscle during calorie restriction or fasting — without breaking the fast.

And it adds fullness and denseness to our muscles.

But it does more than this. Just as it supports muscle, it also supports the neurons that make up our brain and nervous system, supporting focus, cognition and mental fatigue, and many people take it solely for this.

Due to this it helps with reaction time, memory and exhaustion.

It also helps with aging, helping prevent muscle loss as we get older, supporting bone density and improving overall cellular energy levels, as energy failure is central to nerve degeneration.

And for vegans and vegetarians it’s a must as creatine comes almost exclusively from meats, not plant sources. 

So if we’re not eating meats we have to rely solely on creatine being created inside our body, which happens at lower levels due to lower amounts of amino acids received from plant foods.

This can lead to lower energy levels, less muscle mass, mental fatigue and stress.

As creatine is vegan, vegans and vegetarians supplementing with it can experience some of the most noticeable benefits both in energy and muscle, as well as focus and stress levels.

So that’s what it does and what it affects.

But what is it, how does it work and, most importantly, how can you use it to help you?

If we want to build and keep lean muscle, or have a lean, toned, and shaped body without the excess body fat, there are key hormones we need to look at:

Cortisol is our stress hormone, released in times of physical or mental stress. It's necessary, but when it goes too high it acts to break down the muscle we do have, prevent or slow new muscle gain, and create and hold onto body fat.

Estrogen and Insulin also play a large role here. 

On the other side we have Growth Hormone, Testosterone, and IGF, Hormones that act to repair muscle, bone, ligaments, etc, build lean muscle, burn excess body fat, and shape our body in both men and women.

But cortisol, estrogen, and insulin work on a sort of seesaw-reaction basis with growth hormone, testosterone, and IGF. 

Raise one side and the other side lowers, and vice versa.

Increase cortisol and we decrease testosterone and growth hormone levels, causing fat gain, preventing muscle gain, and even breaking down the muscle we do have. 

But raise testosterone and growth hormone and we lower cortisol, estrogen and insulin levels.

So while we've covered how to prevent cortisol, estrogen, and insulin from going too high in the above linked articles, in this article we cover how to increase levels of growth hormone, testosterone and IGF.

Let's dive in.