Aging is a natural process.

Over time, as the stem cells we're born with become used up, our body is less and less able to regenerate itself.

But then there is premature aging, where this process happens years or decades before it should. And while this is definitely not natural, unfortunately, it’s becoming more and more common.

In this article we're going to cover exactly what is happening to our cells, what is doing this, how this affects aging and what we can do to prevent it.

There is something that accelerates aging by destroying our cells so that our stem cells are needed to produce new cells more often than they should, thus accelerating our biological aging process and making us “old” before our time.

And Leaky Gut is one of the largest causes behind it.

There is an idea that if we have GERD, Heartburn or Acid Reflux, this means we have too much stomach acid.

Due to this, many people take stomach acid neutralizers or acid blockers, known as PPIs, to make their stomach less acidic and calm it down.

However, these only give a temporary solution, and in the long term actually make the problem worse.

This is because it’s not high levels of stomach acid that cause acid reflux and GERD, but the exact opposite — too little stomach acid.

This is an example of only addressing the symptom instead of the cause, allowing the cause to continue on, slowly worsening over time.

This lessened stomach acid leads to foods, especially proteins, not being fully broken down into a form our bodies can use. So we don’t get the nutrients we need, no matter how much we eat.

And, harmful bacteria are allowed to take root in our stomach and intestines, raising cortisol levels, lowering energy levels, stealing nutrients needed by the cells, preventing muscle gain, causing sugar cravings and more.

And, of course, we get GERD, Acid Reflux, Gas and Bloating.

So lets see what’s happening here.

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.

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.

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.

Did you know collagen powders don’t give us as much collagen as we think?

They don’t. Not nearly as much.

And they don’t give us any of the other proteins needed for softer, firmer, more youthful skin.

In fact, collagen often gets credit for qualities that other proteins bring.

If we want more elastic skin that allows skin to stretch out and then come back without creating wrinkles, that’s elastin, not collagen.

If we want softer, smoother skin (not to mention thicker, fuller hair and stronger nails) we need keratin.

But we don’t get these from collagen powders.

This is because, as with any protein (and collagen is just a type of protein), our body doesn’t use the collagen we consume in the form it comes in — it uses the amino acids that it’s made of.

And if they aren’t the right amino acids or the right amounts? It can’t use them.

So let’s dive in and see what’s happening here.

Let’s look at not only what does and doesn’t produce collagen (and how much), but let’s also look at the other proteins that provide qualities which are often associated with collagen, but which, in actual fact, are not from collagen.

What produces those? (Hint: it’s not collagen powder.)

And finally, let’s see what actually gets us the softest, healthiest and most youthful skin.

Ready? Here we go.

We’ve all heard of gluten.

We’ve heard that it can be bad for us, not bad for us, mildly bad for us, etc.

But what is it really and what does it actually do?

Gluten is a mixture of proteins found in many grains, processed foods and commercial drinks that contain two specific proteins called gliadin and glutenin.

And for anyone sensitive, whether they know it or not, these can cause specific inflammatory responses throughout their body, most of which they never connect to the gluten they consumed.

It can cause stomach aches and IBS.

It can create a constant swelling of the stomach that we may confuse with excess body fat. So we try to exercise it off, but without any results as it isn’t body fat, it’s swelling caused by an inflammatory response.

When it gets into our blood stream it can affect any part of our body where it lands, or our whole body, as it will create an inflammatory response wherever it goes.

It can create aches we don’t understand, tiredness or lethargy, an overstimulated immune system, and even (by landing on healthy cells) lead to our immune system mistaking our own cells for harmful bacteria and so attacking them.

It can cause skin issues: redness, dryness, skin patches and more.

And it can cause a redness and/or puffiness in our face that we can’t seem to get rid of, and even spots of hyperpigmentation or pimples on our chin.

With all of this, it’s important to understand what it is, how and if it is affecting us, why, and what we can do about it.

So let’s dive in and see.

Water retention is swelling in some part of the body, usually the feet and ankles, caused by large accumulations of fluid in the spaces between the body’s cells or in the blood vessels.

But it’s a symptom of something, not a condition in its own right.

And, while it can be caused by specific physical conditions of the kidneys, heart or circulatory system, most cases are actually due to lifestyles or diet, and they’re pretty easy to fix.

But there are many things that can cause this, so let’s jump in and see how this all works so you know what to do to help you.

In this article we dive into how body fat is created in our body, and how we get rid of it, so you understand what we're doing on this protocol and why.

About 90% of what most of us consider to be body fat is actually made by and from sugar.

But probably not how you think.

And it has a lot more to do with how it affects your hormones (messenger chemicals that tell your body how to use the food you put into it).

Because it’s your hormones that will determine what will ultimately happen with this sugar and whether or not it will be used to make new body fat.

First, let’s break down what actually happens when we consume carbs and what hormones come into play here.