The Rimac Never
boasts 1,914 horsepower.
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It was born to outperform.
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And no, I'm not driving one.
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If that number
doesn't mean anything to you,
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consider that the Mitsubishi
I, which is the wimpiest car
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in America, only
has 66 horsepower.
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Today we're going to be
talking about your horsepower.
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And it has nothing to do
with what kind of car you drive.
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It has everything to do with
the quadrillion mitochondria
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that live inside of you.
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So if you're feeling like you
need a little more horsepower,
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today is the program for you.
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Honestly, it's not fair
comparing a human with a Rimac
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Nevera. We were born to
outperform, but not like that.
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If you've watched the previous
programs, you know something
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about mitochondria
and the role they play
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when it comes to our
health and energy level.
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We've learned that
certain things can cause them
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not to work so well.
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Can you list some of them?
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Not exercising, overeating,
eating too much sugar, fat,
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not exposing ourselves to
sunlight, alcohol, tobacco,
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environmental toxicants;
they all hurt our mitochondria.
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But today we're going
to focus on what we can do
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to get them pumped.
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They are the most
important organelle in the cell,
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in terms of our energy,
in terms of our metabolism.
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If they're working well,
we will have enough energy,
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our metabolism will
be working out well,
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we will not be
putting on weight.
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But if they are not working
well, the opposite will happen.
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We will just gradually
put on more and more weight,
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we will feel sluggish,
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we will feel like we
don't have enough energy.
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And the question is,
can we do something about it
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when that happens?
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Or is it too late?
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We did a study exactly on this.
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We brought in people who
were in their 50s and 60s.
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And they were like,
"My metabolism is so slow,
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I just seem to be gaining
weight from just breathing air."
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And we were like,
"Well, let's see what we can do
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with a plant-based diet."
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So we put them on a low
fat vegan diet for 16 weeks,
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and we measured their metabolism
using the indirect calorimetry
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which is a machine
that looks like a spaceship.
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We place like a
clear hood over your head
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when you come to the lab,
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and you just breathe
normally, for 15 minutes.
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And we measure the
carbon dioxide output.
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Based on that, we're
able to calculate how many
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calories you're burning.
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And so we measured the
energy expenditure at baseline,
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and then after 16 weeks
on a low-fat vegan diet.
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And we found out that
A low-fat vegan increased
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the energy expenditure by 14%.
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It increased the thermic
effect of food, which is the
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increase of energy
released in the form of heat
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after we eat a meal.
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When it's winter time,
for example, we eat a meal
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and we warm up because of
the thermic effect of food.
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Because there is some energy
released in the form of heat.
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And wouldn't that be
wonderful if we could just
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eat anything we wanted
and just burn the extra energy
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in the form of heat?
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And that's exactly what a
low fat vegan diet was doing.
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It was actually
helping to burn more calories.
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So a plant-based diet
is just amazing in terms of
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being like a
jump-starter of the metabolism.
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Did you catch that?
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I think I heard Dr. Kahleova
just say that we could eat
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whatever we
want on a vegan diet.
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Talk about an
oxymoron. Too funny.
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But weren't the results
from that study encouraging?
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I mean, four months
on a plant-based diet
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tuned up and
revved up the engine.
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What else revs
up the mitochondria?
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Yeah, so the mitochondria
are very dependent on nutrients
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for support and
functioning properly.
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And so those are
things like zinc, B vitamins,
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and also coenzyme
Q10, alpha lipoic acid,
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and acetyl-L-carnitine
actually really helps
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boost
mitochondrial function as well.
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And I'm always careful
with this because there's no
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one size fits all, just
take this nutrient and you're
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mitochondria is
going to work well.
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But the point being we can
get these nutrients from food,
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but we just need to
know what we're looking for.
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Again, going back to
that whole food, a variety,
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plant-based diet, really
making sure that they're rich
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in antioxidants and some of
these mitochondrial supporters.
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Yeah, there are
definitely things that we can do
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to help our
mitochondria to function better
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and to protect them.
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Really, we're
talking about antioxidants
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when we talk about that.
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And okay, so a
couple of levels, right.
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So first of all, we want to try
to manage our stress correctly
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so that we're not causing
our mitochondria to over work.
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But we all deal with stress.
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And so especially for
those of us that have a lot of
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stress in our lives
antioxidants are very important.
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And so how do we get those?
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Well, a healthy diet is the
best way to actually get those.
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So I really advocate for a
whole food plant-based diet
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because that's going to
be very rich in antioxidants.
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And what's interesting is
that they've actually sometimes
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try to supplement with
antioxidants, and sometimes
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it can have some affect,
but oftentimes it doesn't have
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the effect that
they always expect.
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And I think that is because,
you know, God makes fruits,
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vegetables, all of these things,
in a perfect way so there are
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so many different
nutrients in there,
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and so many different things
that complement each other.
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When you just try to
isolate one, you don't know
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what that's going
to do in isolation.
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But if you eat the
whole food, the whole fruit,
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the whole vegetable,
then it really becomes
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the way God meant
it to help our bodies.
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And that can be one of the
best ways to actually protect
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our mitochondrial function.
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I like that.
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He's just provided us with
specific nutrients that can
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support healthy mitochondria.
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Alpha lipoic acid,
better known as ALA,
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coenzyme Q10, d-ribose, and AC,
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as well as several others
that have been found to be
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supportive when
strategically used.
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But nutrients and food
aren't the only things we can do
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to support our mitochondria.
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Yeah, because exercise is so
dramatic, actually building up
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the ability of the body
to produce more mitochondria
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and for the
mitochondria to be able to
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be more functional over time.
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It's the synergy between
all those things together.
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And you know, the really
good news is, there are actually
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some really cool strategies that
you can use to actually boost
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mitochondrial number as
well as mitochondrial function.
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And so they've done a
fair amount of studies,
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especially looking at
athletes because of course
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athletes are always interested
in "How can I get more energy?
00:07:30.98\00:07:33.88
How can I perform better?"
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And so one of the
things they found is if you do
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endurance aerobic exercise,
that's actually a wonderful way
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to boost the
number of mitochondria
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in your muscle cells.
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But it also boosts
the number of mitochondria
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throughout your body as well.
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Even up to 40% depending
on what kind of endurance
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training that you're doing.
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And another way that
it relates to exercise,
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they see this especially
with sprinters or cyclists,
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where they do high
intensity interval training,
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HIIT training they call it,
where you hit it really hard
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and you might sprint on a bike
or sprint when you're running,
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and do that for
30 seconds or so.
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And then you bring it
down, you're still exercising,
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but at a much lower pace.
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And so that kind
of pushes your body,
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it adds to the stress.
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And you might think,
"Oh, that's bad, right?
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We don't want to over
stress our mitochondria."
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But what's interesting, if you
just stress it for a short time,
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that actually makes
your body more resilient
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and will help your
mitochondria in the long run
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to function better.
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It will increase the number
of mitochondria that you have.
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Now you might be
thinking, "Sprinting? Really?
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I'm barely getting
up out of my La-Z-Boy."
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Not to worry.
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HIIT can be adapted to
your physical condition.
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HIIT stands for high intensity
interval training; HIIT.
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So, for example,
let's say you walk.
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Applying HIIT, you
would walk your normal pace
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for a few minutes, and
then increase your speed
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and intensity for a minute,
and then go back to walking
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your normal speed for a
few minutes, followed by
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that short burst
of walking faster.
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And you can adapt that to any
kind of activity you're doing.
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That is just so interesting,
though, that if we want
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a strong, healthy mind, we
need to physically exercise.
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Exercise relieves our
brain, it reduces stress.
00:09:33.34\00:09:36.20
Bring it on.
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What I am thinking about,
though, is specifically when it
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comes to exercise, you know,
mitochondria actually grow.
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You have increase in
mitochondria when you exercise.
00:09:45.41\00:09:48.62
And so that's really
one of the ways in which
00:09:48.92\00:09:51.72
we can reduce the
degeneration of mitochondria,
00:09:51.75\00:09:54.96
is by staying active.
00:09:54.99\00:09:56.32
And so that's pretty
powerful to realize that
00:09:56.52\00:09:59.06
that's actually happening.
00:09:59.09\00:10:00.56
So you have certain
muscle cells that have
00:10:00.96\00:10:03.13
more or less
mitochondria in them.
00:10:03.47\00:10:05.90
And with exercise, we can
actually increase the number
00:10:06.43\00:10:09.74
of mitochondria per muscle cell.
00:10:09.77\00:10:12.31
It's really hard to convince
someone that, when you're tired,
00:10:12.34\00:10:15.78
the best thing to do is go
out and do some activity, right?
00:10:15.81\00:10:19.38
And so a lot of times I
think it's helping someone
00:10:19.48\00:10:23.28
shift their perspective
on what that actually means.
00:10:23.32\00:10:26.49
So it might mean just
going for a short little walk.
00:10:26.52\00:10:29.62
You know, starting
where you feel like you can,
00:10:29.66\00:10:31.93
and then monitoring your
symptoms and your fatigue
00:10:31.96\00:10:35.36
to see if, you know, there
is that possibility for people
00:10:35.40\00:10:38.37
who really struggle
with fatigue to overdo it
00:10:38.40\00:10:40.07
and make themselves worse.
00:10:40.10\00:10:41.44
And so you really have
to help them learn how to
00:10:41.47\00:10:44.87
understand their own
body and how they feel
00:10:45.41\00:10:48.94
so that they know
where that limit is
00:10:48.98\00:10:50.78
And it may be that you just
start with 3 minutes, 5 minutes
00:10:50.81\00:10:53.58
just gently walking.
00:10:53.62\00:10:54.95
Maybe just walking in
place, maybe just standing up
00:10:54.98\00:10:57.55
during the commercial
of whatever you're watching
00:10:57.85\00:11:00.32
and just step in place.
00:11:00.36\00:11:02.09
You know,
certain things like that.
00:11:02.12\00:11:03.46
Start really, really
slow, start really low.
00:11:03.49\00:11:07.10
And have people realize
it's activity that matters.
00:11:07.13\00:11:09.80
It's not
necessarily like exercise.
00:11:09.83\00:11:13.03
You know, like you're going
to go out and run a marathon
00:11:13.23\00:11:15.30
or something like that, it's
just something to be active.
00:11:15.34\00:11:18.31
And the 2018 guidelines that
came out for physical activity,
00:11:18.84\00:11:22.31
one of the things that they
added was sit less, move more.
00:11:22.34\00:11:26.55
And it used to be that
we recommended for you to do
00:11:26.58\00:11:28.62
your aerobic exercise no
less than 10 minutes at a time
00:11:28.65\00:11:32.09
in order to get the benefit.
00:11:32.39\00:11:33.72
And we started to realize
when we looked at the data
00:11:33.76\00:11:35.52
and the 2018 guidelines
came out, they basically said
00:11:35.56\00:11:38.23
anything you can do helps.
00:11:38.26\00:11:40.06
Just do something.
00:11:40.10\00:11:41.83
Randomly, intermittently
throughout your day.
00:11:41.93\00:11:44.43
Find something you
can do that will help you.
00:11:44.47\00:11:46.63
And so for people
who have that fatigue,
00:11:46.67\00:11:48.77
it's just what can you do?
00:11:48.80\00:11:50.54
Can you play with your
dog? Can you play with your cat?
00:11:50.57\00:11:52.51
Can you play with your kids?
00:11:52.54\00:11:53.88
Can you go for a
short little walk?
00:11:53.91\00:11:55.24
Like, what in their life can
they add that would help them?
00:11:55.28\00:11:58.48
Because a lot of times people
will have, not just physical
00:11:59.11\00:12:02.18
fatigue, but
emotional or mental fatigue.
00:12:02.22\00:12:04.85
And so when we think
about them experiencing fatigue,
00:12:05.15\00:12:08.32
I also want to explore what that
fatigue, where its cause is.
00:12:08.36\00:12:12.53
And then even if it's
emotional and mental fatigue,
00:12:12.83\00:12:15.63
we can still use physical
activity to help moderate that,
00:12:15.83\00:12:19.43
Because physical activity really
helps calm the nervous system
00:12:19.63\00:12:23.17
and really helps bring
the emotions under control.
00:12:23.20\00:12:26.81
And so it's a
huge stress reliever.
00:12:27.08\00:12:29.38
So we use even low
intensity physical activity,
00:12:29.41\00:12:32.95
it can be a huge autonomic
nervous system modulator
00:12:32.98\00:12:35.98
and can help reduce the
stress and the emotions.
00:12:36.02\00:12:38.45
And so if the fatigue
is from that, I can often
00:12:38.49\00:12:41.06
go at it from that
angle so they understand,
00:12:41.09\00:12:43.19
"Hey, this physical
activity is not even necessarily
00:12:43.22\00:12:46.56
for the physical.
00:12:46.59\00:12:47.93
It's actually to relieve your
00:12:47.96\00:12:49.80
brain fatigue
that you're feeling.
00:12:49.83\00:12:51.57
And so they can start to
understand, "Oh, okay, okay,"
00:12:51.80\00:12:54.40
those connections and how
those pieces fit together.
00:12:54.44\00:12:56.94
That is just so interesting,
that if we want a strong
00:12:57.71\00:13:00.84
healthy mind, we need
to physically exercise.
00:13:00.88\00:13:04.18
Exercise relieves our
brain and reduces stress.
00:13:04.21\00:13:07.32
Bring it on.
00:13:07.52\00:13:08.85
So in support of
mitochondria function, we have
00:13:08.88\00:13:12.39
exercise, and sleep,
and then good nutrition.
00:13:13.12\00:13:15.69
There's no way around
the need for our systems,
00:13:15.72\00:13:18.83
all of our cells, to
require adequate nutrition.
00:13:18.86\00:13:22.43
Clean living, as defined
by science, is a particular
00:13:22.73\00:13:26.30
type of eating, a
particular kind of movement,
00:13:26.33\00:13:30.67
a particular kind of
stress on the brain, yes.
00:13:30.87\00:13:33.68
There's good
stress and bad stress.
00:13:33.88\00:13:35.64
Good stress is important.
00:13:36.14\00:13:37.68
There's a reason that
we have all those neurons.
00:13:37.78\00:13:39.88
Because it wants
to be challenged.
00:13:39.91\00:13:41.85
It wants to be creative.
It doesn't want to be dormant.
00:13:41.88\00:13:44.95
Yeah, sitting on the beach
for a couple of days is great.
00:13:44.99\00:13:47.26
Sitting on a beach for a
year, that brain is mush.
00:13:47.56\00:13:50.29
So move that brain.
00:13:50.56\00:13:52.26
We say, don't retire. Rewire.
00:13:52.29\00:13:54.26
Push the cells, push them
so they can make connections.
00:13:54.30\00:13:57.00
How many connections?
00:13:57.10\00:13:58.43
Each neuron can make
a couple of connections
00:13:58.47\00:14:00.60
or as many as
30,000 connections.
00:14:00.64\00:14:04.01
When they compare
the brain to muscle,
00:14:04.51\00:14:07.24
it's a disservice to the brain.
00:14:07.28\00:14:09.88
The biggest human being
you know is three times bigger
00:14:10.08\00:14:12.55
than they could have been.
00:14:12.58\00:14:13.92
Maybe three times.
00:14:13.95\00:14:15.28
But we're talking about
each neuron making as many as
00:14:15.72\00:14:20.49
30,000 connections.
00:14:20.52\00:14:22.29
That's 15,000 times bigger.
00:14:22.32\00:14:24.66
That puts the
incredible Hulk to shame.
00:14:24.99\00:14:27.50
That tells you what
power we have in our control.
00:14:28.63\00:14:32.03
With simple things.
00:14:32.07\00:14:33.40
Keeping the brain
moving and challenged.
00:14:33.44\00:14:35.60
And we'll talk about that.
00:14:35.64\00:14:36.97
Giving it the kind of
food that gives it energy,
00:14:37.07\00:14:40.34
but without
making it weak and tired,
00:14:40.44\00:14:43.45
and puts you into food coma.
00:14:43.48\00:14:44.81
There's a reason
it's called, food coma.
00:14:44.85\00:14:46.65
And giving it the
kind of rest that actually
00:14:47.18\00:14:50.25
completely cleanses the brain.
00:14:50.29\00:14:51.92
Those are powerful things.
00:14:51.95\00:14:53.29
The numbers are
just bewildering.
00:14:53.32\00:14:56.02
A single neuron can
have 30,000 connections?
00:14:56.66\00:15:00.26
That's amazing.
00:15:00.30\00:15:01.63
I love Dr.
Sherzai's advice earlier.
00:15:01.66\00:15:04.23
Don't retire. Rewire.
00:15:04.27\00:15:06.37
Health energy flows to the brain
cells is what makes this happen.
00:15:06.77\00:15:10.74
That's what
maintains a healthy brain.
00:15:10.77\00:15:12.41
It's mitochondrial
dysfunction that contributes to
00:15:12.44\00:15:14.84
brain and mental
health disorders.
00:15:14.88\00:15:16.48
One of the ways
mitochondria stay healthy
00:15:16.98\00:15:19.45
is by producing
their own antioxidant.
00:15:19.48\00:15:22.62
It turns out that mitochondria
themselves can produce
00:15:22.65\00:15:25.75
melatonin for their own use.
00:15:25.79\00:15:27.26
And that happens during the day.
00:15:27.36\00:15:28.79
And do you know
what the stimulus is?
00:15:29.19\00:15:31.43
- No. - It's in sunlight.
00:15:31.46\00:15:33.16
It's not ultraviolet.
00:15:33.26\00:15:34.60
It turns out its
infrared light from sunlight.
00:15:35.00\00:15:37.73
It gets through our clothing,
penetrates our clothing
00:15:37.83\00:15:39.93
and our skin, and
gets into our system
00:15:39.97\00:15:41.84
in a way that
ultraviolet doesn't.
00:15:42.44\00:15:44.24
And apparently it's
infrared light that stimulates
00:15:44.44\00:15:47.14
mitochondria to make
melatonin within them
00:15:47.18\00:15:49.74
that helps them to
clear out the dangerous
00:15:49.94\00:15:52.71
reactive oxygen species.
00:15:52.75\00:15:54.68
Did you catch that?
00:15:55.38\00:15:56.72
I find it so incredible
that we are that intimately
00:15:56.75\00:16:00.26
connected with nature.
00:16:00.29\00:16:01.82
Rays of sunlight
penetrate through our clothing
00:16:01.86\00:16:04.56
and our skin to
the mitochondria,
00:16:04.59\00:16:07.16
and help them protect themselves
by producing melatonin.
00:16:07.20\00:16:10.33
Who is melatonin?
00:16:10.77\00:16:12.10
She's one of our antioxidants
that neutralizes ROS
00:16:12.13\00:16:15.10
and the stress he causes.
00:16:15.14\00:16:16.50
Remember ROS?
00:16:16.60\00:16:17.94
Our body also makes vitamin D
00:16:18.47\00:16:20.04
when our skin is
exposed to sunlight.
00:16:20.08\00:16:21.81
And there's a direct relation
between vitamin D levels
00:16:21.84\00:16:24.58
and mitochondrial performance.
00:16:24.61\00:16:26.41
Vitamin D deficiency
reduces energy production.
00:16:26.88\00:16:30.29
Restoring
optimal vitamin D though
00:16:30.52\00:16:32.65
through supplementation was
found to improve mitochondrial
00:16:32.85\00:16:36.09
function in the skeletal
muscle in a group of elderly
00:16:36.12\00:16:38.83
individuals, resulting in
increased energy and strength.
00:16:38.86\00:16:43.37
What else can we do to
support our mitochondria?
00:16:43.77\00:16:46.07
One of the ways that you
can actually do that as well
00:16:47.30\00:16:50.94
is through intermittent fasting.
00:16:50.97\00:16:53.98
So that's a way, even
though it's kind of like
00:16:54.01\00:16:56.34
you feel like you're starving
your body, and it's stressful.
00:16:56.78\00:16:59.98
But again it's that
mild shorter term stress.
00:17:00.08\00:17:04.65
And one of the reasons
they think that fasting
00:17:04.69\00:17:08.32
can be so beneficial for
brain health, as far as like
00:17:08.36\00:17:14.00
decreasing aging,
and improving memory,
00:17:14.03\00:17:16.73
and improving
overall cognitive function
00:17:16.77\00:17:19.53
is because it has
that short-term stress,
00:17:19.57\00:17:23.91
but then it actually
up-regulates the number of
00:17:23.94\00:17:26.61
mitochondria in the nerve cells.
00:17:26.64\00:17:28.54
And it also allows the
brain to kind of go into a
00:17:28.58\00:17:31.85
little more of a
resting state so you have
00:17:31.88\00:17:33.85
more of the opportunity
to rejuvenate and to repair,
00:17:33.88\00:17:37.99
and that sort of thing.
00:17:38.02\00:17:39.45
From a lifestyle perspective,
there's all kinds of things
00:17:40.22\00:17:43.49
that contribute to energy.
00:17:43.53\00:17:44.86
A person sits in a chair all
day is going to become fatigued.
00:17:45.99\00:17:50.70
That doesn't make
sense to a lot of people,
00:17:50.73\00:17:53.94
but you have to get
out and you have to walk.
00:17:53.97\00:17:55.34
You have to exercise.
00:17:55.37\00:17:56.71
That's part of energy.
00:17:56.94\00:17:58.27
You have to make sure that
you're eating proper foods.
00:18:00.48\00:18:02.91
The more prepared foods you eat,
00:18:03.68\00:18:05.88
the less energy
you're going to have from it.
00:18:06.61\00:18:08.65
Now you can get away with some
of this stuff if you're young,
00:18:09.02\00:18:12.12
but the older you get, the more
problems you're going to have.
00:18:12.15\00:18:14.46
So food makes a difference.
00:18:15.12\00:18:17.83
You will have people come in
that say they're very fatigued,
00:18:18.39\00:18:21.70
and yet when I
do an examination,
00:18:22.53\00:18:24.40
put a tongue
blade in their mouth,
00:18:24.43\00:18:25.83
the tongue blade
literally sticks to the tongue.
00:18:25.87\00:18:28.30
What does that tell you?
00:18:28.77\00:18:30.11
They're dehydrated.
00:18:30.31\00:18:31.64
Dehydration can cause fatigue.
00:18:31.84\00:18:34.08
So you know, people will
say, if they're over weight
00:18:34.64\00:18:38.78
they'll say things, they'll say,
"Well, I'm constantly eating.
00:18:38.81\00:18:42.02
I'm hungry. I'm hungry."
00:18:42.05\00:18:43.39
Well, what we need to
know again, is that frequently
00:18:43.42\00:18:46.22
hunger is a
symptom of dehydration.
00:18:46.25\00:18:48.76
Energy can be all these
different things mixed up.
00:18:50.73\00:18:55.30
Eating too much sugar
can cause a similar problem.
00:18:57.53\00:19:00.37
And a lot of people, that's
how they get their energy.
00:19:00.84\00:19:03.10
They like it when they eat
that sugar drink or whatever.
00:19:03.14\00:19:06.57
They have more energy.
00:19:06.61\00:19:08.18
They don't realize
that's destroying their energy
00:19:08.51\00:19:10.48
at a cell level.
00:19:10.51\00:19:11.85
They get a temporary lift
with it just like with caffeine
00:19:12.05\00:19:15.08
and some of these other things.
00:19:15.12\00:19:16.45
But long term it's
destroying their energy.
00:19:16.48\00:19:19.42
Highly processed
foods can cause problems.
00:19:19.45\00:19:24.39
And we see this not so
much at a cell level, per se.
00:19:24.93\00:19:31.50
If you think of a tree.
00:19:31.83\00:19:34.24
A tree has roots in the ground.
00:19:35.90\00:19:38.44
Then it has
this big, long trunk.
00:19:39.07\00:19:41.01
And finally, it has
branches and leaves.
00:19:41.34\00:19:44.01
And we look at the whole
tree and we see the tree.
00:19:44.38\00:19:47.08
But we don't think of the fact
that if the leaves start getting
00:19:47.75\00:19:51.65
problems, frequently it's
due to the fact that the roots
00:19:51.69\00:19:54.82
aren't bringing in proper
nutrition or water, or whatever.
00:19:54.92\00:19:58.46
It's the same thing with health.
00:19:58.66\00:20:00.36
Health is a very
wholistic kind of thing.
00:20:00.63\00:20:03.40
We can point out
certain conditions,
00:20:03.73\00:20:07.07
but unless we're
looking at the entirety,
00:20:07.60\00:20:09.94
we're missing the
underlying problem.
00:20:09.97\00:20:12.51
And that's were we aren't
taught this in medical school.
00:20:12.91\00:20:19.01
And I'll be frank with you.
00:20:19.51\00:20:20.92
In medical school we really are
taught that the reason you're
00:20:20.95\00:20:25.05
doing an examination,
doing labs, asking questions,
00:20:25.09\00:20:28.32
is so you can get
the proper diagnosis.
00:20:28.36\00:20:30.33
That's the whole key.
00:20:30.36\00:20:31.69
But I remember distinctly
when I was in residency
00:20:34.83\00:20:37.97
at L.A. County Hospital
in Ear, Nose, and Throat,
00:20:38.63\00:20:41.07
otolaryngologist, I
remember I was on grand rounds
00:20:41.10\00:20:44.34
and I was presenting a patient.
00:20:44.37\00:20:45.97
And I presented this
patient, I did a brilliant job,
00:20:46.64\00:20:48.98
if I do say so myself.
00:20:49.01\00:20:50.81
But at the end, one of
the old guys came up to me,
00:20:50.85\00:20:54.88
looked me straight
in the eyes and said,
00:20:55.08\00:20:57.55
"Doctor, are you treating
the labs or the patient?"
00:20:57.59\00:21:02.36
That was old medicine, okay.
00:21:04.63\00:21:07.10
Nowadays, you
don't even think of that.
00:21:07.13\00:21:08.46
We think of
ourselves as scientists.
00:21:08.50\00:21:10.50
Labs are very accurate.
00:21:10.53\00:21:12.90
But as we have
been talking before,
00:21:13.54\00:21:16.34
depending on the lab, we
may have the wrong understanding
00:21:16.37\00:21:20.68
of what that lab
is really telling us.
00:21:20.71\00:21:22.44
Or totally miss the boat.
00:21:22.98\00:21:24.68
I appreciate how
candid Dr. Shearer is being.
00:21:25.18\00:21:28.02
So often, even with ourselves,
we're treating the labs
00:21:28.05\00:21:30.32
and not the whole person.
00:21:30.35\00:21:31.69
His analogy of
the tree was great;
00:21:31.72\00:21:33.09
the leaves, the branches, and
where we see the manifestation
00:21:33.29\00:21:35.99
of symptoms in
our health problems.
00:21:36.02\00:21:38.03
And that's typically
where we apply treatment.
00:21:38.06\00:21:40.60
Directly to the
leaves and branches.
00:21:40.63\00:21:42.56
But we also need to address what
is going on at the root level.
00:21:42.93\00:21:46.33
When we start looking
down there, we start realizing
00:21:46.77\00:21:49.20
how interrelated everything is
and why things like nutrition,
00:21:49.24\00:21:53.24
exercise, sleep, stress,
toxicants, and antioxidants
00:21:53.27\00:21:57.15
have such a profound influence
on the quality of our life.
00:21:57.35\00:22:00.25
The mitochondria are
highly affected by how we treat
00:22:00.62\00:22:03.28
ourselves, what we're
exposed to how we live.
00:22:03.32\00:22:06.22
The engine of a
car would be worthless
00:22:07.19\00:22:09.79
if it's just
sitting out there by itself.
00:22:09.89\00:22:12.29
And even if it's in the
car, it's worthless unless it's
00:22:12.33\00:22:16.06
connected to the rest
of the parts of the car.
00:22:16.10\00:22:19.70
So, for instance, one of
the key components of the cell:
00:22:19.97\00:22:25.74
so you have mitochondria
that are in the cytoplasm,
00:22:25.77\00:22:28.31
which is in the fluid portion
around the nucleus in the cell.
00:22:28.34\00:22:32.48
And there's
hundreds, if not thousands
00:22:32.51\00:22:34.68
of these little
organelles called mitochondria
00:22:34.72\00:22:37.22
in every cell of the
body that are taking the fat
00:22:37.25\00:22:40.82
and the glucose from
carbohydrates and converting
00:22:40.86\00:22:44.13
them into that usable energy.
00:22:44.16\00:22:46.06
Now there's other organelles,
for instance, like the ribosome,
00:22:46.70\00:22:50.60
which are these
macro molecular factories.
00:22:50.80\00:22:54.60
These are little
miniature factories that produce
00:22:54.64\00:22:59.31
every protein in your body.
00:22:59.34\00:23:01.38
And without these
very complex proteins,
00:23:01.84\00:23:07.05
there is no life.
00:23:07.25\00:23:08.58
That's one of the
strongest arguments against
00:23:09.28\00:23:12.25
Darwinian evolution ever.
00:23:12.29\00:23:14.16
Because in order to produce
even the simplest protein,
00:23:14.36\00:23:18.66
you have to have a very
complex protein to do so.
00:23:18.86\00:23:23.47
And that's in
the ribosome, right.
00:23:23.50\00:23:25.50
And so in order
to produce protein,
00:23:25.53\00:23:29.64
you have to have ATP.
00:23:29.84\00:23:31.87
And where do you get your ATP?
00:23:31.91\00:23:34.11
Only the mitochondria.
00:23:34.14\00:23:36.08
So you have to have
functioning mitochondria.
00:23:36.11\00:23:38.65
And that is why it's so
critical that we have the right
00:23:38.85\00:23:42.02
lifestyle
strategies, the right diet,
00:23:42.05\00:23:44.82
the right emphasis on exercise.
00:23:44.85\00:23:46.96
Balance in
everything, because without that
00:23:46.99\00:23:49.59
we don't have
healthy mitochondria.
00:23:49.62\00:23:51.63
We get so busy we can't rest.
00:23:51.66\00:23:53.56
We get so busy, we can't
relax at the end of the day.
00:23:53.60\00:23:56.43
We get so busy,
there's no time to exercise.
00:23:56.67\00:23:59.87
And what is the rush?
00:24:00.24\00:24:04.34
What is so
important about this world
00:24:04.37\00:24:07.38
that we can't take
care of even ourselves?
00:24:07.41\00:24:11.21
If we can't take
care of ourselves,
00:24:11.25\00:24:13.42
how can we serve God
by taking care of others?
00:24:13.72\00:24:17.02
You can't have health
and you can't address disease
00:24:17.49\00:24:20.59
unless you have
energy to do that.
00:24:20.62\00:24:22.32
And the only place in
the body that creates energy
00:24:22.36\00:24:26.46
that other tissue, organelles,
or cells of the body can use
00:24:26.49\00:24:31.57
is mitochondria.
00:24:31.60\00:24:33.54
So mitochondria are
the generators of the cell.
00:24:33.57\00:24:36.30
Just like countries
will pipe in gasoline
00:24:36.60\00:24:41.11
in order to
generate electricity.
00:24:41.68\00:24:43.58
You have no
electricity without gasoline.
00:24:43.61\00:24:46.01
Likewise, in our body,
you have no electrical energy,
00:24:46.05\00:24:50.15
no nervous
energy, no energy at all
00:24:50.19\00:24:53.32
without
functioning mitochondria.
00:24:53.36\00:24:55.96
And so in order to
have even minimal health,
00:24:55.99\00:24:58.86
you have to have
adequate mitochondrial function
00:24:58.89\00:25:02.36
and production of
that currency of energy
00:25:02.40\00:25:05.00
in the body called ATP.
00:25:05.03\00:25:06.70
But in order to have
optimal health, you have to have
00:25:06.90\00:25:09.90
abundant amounts of ATP,
but used in the right way.
00:25:09.94\00:25:15.58
When it comes to the
health of the mitochondria,
00:25:15.78\00:25:18.41
or any particular compartment
or element of the cell,
00:25:18.45\00:25:22.65
we have to realize
that each part of the cell,
00:25:23.02\00:25:27.09
and the cells
together, and the entire brain
00:25:27.12\00:25:30.23
architecture works in harmony.
00:25:30.33\00:25:32.83
You can't really start
protecting one part specifically
00:25:32.86\00:25:37.07
and assume that everything
else will fall in place.
00:25:37.10\00:25:39.97
You have to make sure
that everything that you do
00:25:40.17\00:25:43.71
should be in synergy.
00:25:43.74\00:25:45.11
So when you're
eating a healthy diet,
00:25:45.14\00:25:47.61
not only are you providing
the right kind of environment
00:25:47.64\00:25:50.71
for the brain to heal
itself, and to grow, and for the
00:25:50.81\00:25:53.95
mitochondria to thrive,
you're actually providing
00:25:53.98\00:25:57.69
so much more for the
support of structures.
00:25:57.72\00:26:00.32
And that's why there
is a lot of great research
00:26:00.56\00:26:04.06
on the kind of things you can
do to protect your mitochondria.
00:26:04.09\00:26:07.66
Which essentially comes from
the idea of healthy lifestyle.
00:26:07.70\00:26:11.17
Eating the right
kinds of foods, movement,
00:26:11.20\00:26:14.10
staying away from
sedentary lifestyle,
00:26:14.14\00:26:16.24
making sure that we sleep
well because that's the most
00:26:16.44\00:26:18.77
incredibly important time
for the brain to cleanse itself.
00:26:18.81\00:26:22.21
And keeping those connections
going with a purposeful,
00:26:22.41\00:26:26.01
meaningful life.
00:26:26.05\00:26:27.38
So when all of
these done are in harmony,
00:26:27.42\00:26:29.22
the mitochondria thrive,
the cellular structure thrives,
00:26:29.25\00:26:32.82
and everything works in a
beautiful synergistic way.
00:26:32.92\00:26:35.69
And so some of the things
we know that are beneficial
00:26:36.09\00:26:38.96
to mitochondria are
kind of the usual things
00:26:38.99\00:26:44.07
that support good health.
00:26:44.10\00:26:45.43
So we know quite a
lot now about how exercise
00:26:45.47\00:26:48.44
directly stimulates
mitochondrial function.
00:26:48.94\00:26:51.01
It stresses them, actually,
causes them to increase
00:26:51.04\00:26:54.64
their own stress level by
the production of what are
00:26:54.68\00:26:56.78
called reactive oxygen species.
00:26:56.81\00:26:59.48
It forces the cells to
sharpen up their mitochondria
00:27:00.98\00:27:04.95
and produce more mitochondria
00:27:04.99\00:27:06.32
for the
production of more energy.
00:27:06.35\00:27:07.99
And that's a
direct effect of exercise
00:27:08.29\00:27:09.92
of our muscles, evidently.
00:27:09.96\00:27:11.39
Good sleep
apparently supports mitochondria
00:27:13.46\00:27:16.73
in some really interesting ways,
00:27:16.77\00:27:18.10
that I've just
recently learned about.
00:27:18.13\00:27:19.63
We've all heard of melatonin
and how melatonin comes from
00:27:21.60\00:27:24.27
our pineal gland
when the sun goes down,
00:27:24.31\00:27:26.64
and the sky darkens, and
we're designed to go to sleep
00:27:26.68\00:27:29.38
after the
darkening of our environment.
00:27:29.41\00:27:32.41
The pineal gland secretes
melatonin which has this
00:27:32.45\00:27:35.98
sort of go to sleep
effect on all of our systems,
00:27:36.02\00:27:38.69
all of our cells.
00:27:38.72\00:27:40.06
One thing that
melatonin also does evidently is
00:27:40.69\00:27:44.19
affects the mitochondria
in such a way that helps
00:27:44.86\00:27:47.36
them to clean up the waste
and the reactive oxygen species
00:27:47.40\00:27:51.23
that they have built up
during that day's activity.
00:27:51.27\00:27:55.37
So this is one way in
which good sleep at night is
00:27:55.74\00:27:59.64
vitally important for
your daytime function.
00:27:59.67\00:28:02.11
We know that our glands,
our mitochondria in our glands
00:28:02.14\00:28:04.55
will function better
if we slept well at night.
00:28:04.58\00:28:06.58
And evidently, melatonin has
an important function in that.
00:28:06.78\00:28:10.15
I am so motivated to
take care of my mitochondria.
00:28:11.45\00:28:15.16
And I hope that you are too.
00:28:15.46\00:28:17.09
I look forward to seeing you
next time on Made For Health.
00:28:17.29\00:28:20.10