J.D. Moyer

sci-fi author, beatmaker

Category: Health/Body-hacking Page 15 of 20

Modulating Testosterone Levels (for Men)

By

On September 14

In Health/Body-hacking

An article in yesterday’s New York Times claims that becoming a father reduces a man’s testosterone levels.  Is it true, and should dads be concerned?

Yes, and in most cases, no.

It’s been known for a long time that both long-term relationships and fatherhood are associated with lower testosterone (T) in human males, but the study cited by the New York Times is the first to show that the relationship is causal; becoming a father actually lowers T levels.  Furthermore, the more active and involved the dad (playing, cuddling, changing diapers, etc.), the greater the drop in T.

This sounds bad.  Most dads don’t want to trade off manliness for fatherhood.  Is that what the study implicates?

Read More

B-Vitamins, Mood, and Methylation — It’s Complicated

By

On September 3

In Health/Body-hacking, Mental Health

B-vitamins, building blocks of mental health?  Or B.S.?

There’s a great deal of misinformation on the internet regarding B-vitamins and health.  I know this because I’ve read most of it.  During the 5 years or so when I was researching how to cure my own asthma, I devoured every text I could find regarding the physiological effects of specific vitamins and minerals — especially the B-vitamins.  Large doses of B-complex or individual B-vitamins are recommended to improve mood, reduce PMS, reduce asthma symptoms, reduce the risk of various cancers, reduce the risk of heart disease, fight yeast infections, ward off mosquitoes, and prevent or cure numerous other ailments.

Which of these claims are based on reputable clinical research, and which are bullshit?

Read More

My 11-day "30-day experiment" of Giving Up Coffee

By

On August 19

In Health/Body-hacking, Lifestyle Experiments

Magic beans.

Earlier this month I decided to go without coffee for 30 days.  I’ve done a number of 30-day experiments over the last few years, including giving up booze, sugar, web-surfing, video games, and even artificial light.  30 days is a good amount of time to break old habits and establish new ones, or at least to reset your physiology and brain to a new set of stimuli.  Coffee was the only substance I hadn’t tried to give up.  In the interest of facing my fears, I decided to give up my favorite morning brew.

I also wanted to see if giving up coffee would alter my sleep cycle (sleeping deeper, and longer without waking), and/or affect my ability to concentrate and work on difficult tasks for long periods of time.  Lately I had been feeling that my mental wheels were spinning without the gears being fully engaged.

I did a one-day taper (only 1 cup in the morning, as opposed to my usual two cups in the morning and a cup in the afternoon), and then switched to only tea and dark chocolate.  At some point I may attempt a no-caffeine experiment, but that wasn’t the point of this experiment.

Physical withdrawal took about 5 days, with effects as follows:

Read More

Four Simple Ways to Increase Growth Hormone (Burn Fat, Build Muscle)

By

On August 2

In Fat Loss, Health/Body-hacking

Actor/power-lifter/wrestler Nathan Jones (from Troy)

Most of us would like to be leaner and stronger.  The hormones that have the biggest effect on body composition are growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).  After the age of 25, most people will experience some negative effects from declining levels of both these hormones, including:

  • weaker bones
  • poorer sleep quality
  • increased body fat, especially in the abdominal area
  • older looking skin
  • less physical strength and slower recovery time

Anything we can do to keep GH and IGF-1 levels up will help us look and feel younger.  So what can we do?

Read More

Self-Quantification — Beyond Narcissism

By

On July 18

In Culture Rants/Shares, Health/Body-hacking, Metaprogramming

What are you measuring, and why?

Someone who is obsessed with how many grams of protein they consume, how many hours they sleep a night, or how much they can bench press can quickly become annoying — especially when they insist on sharing that information with us.  Broadcasting such information on social networks is even more of a faux-pas (polluting the stream).  I don’t care how many miles you ran this week, and neither does anyone else.

What’s behind our nation’s self-quantification fad — especially among the tech elite?  It’s a combination of:

  1. Read More

Page 15 of 20

Previous

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén