“The Amino Revolution” – that’s the name of the latest book by probably the best-known internist and molecular medicine specialist in Germany – Dr. Ulrich Strunz. http://www.strunz.com
Until recently he had a private practice in Roth. His successful program “forever-young” and the concept of “happy-medicine” are just a few milestones in his moving and varied life.
When I read the book, I was truly “revolutionized”. His thesis: many diseases, even the aging processes, can be traced back to the content and utilization of amino acids in our bodies. I was astonished and at the same time hopefull for good solutions in the future.
The fact that amino acids are the building blocks for proteins, which mainly our bodies consist, is not really new knowledge. But what happens when we don’t get enough of certain amino acids? Can targeted administration of amino acids cure diseases and even slow down aging?
These exciting questions Dr. Ulrich Strunz dedicated his everyday practice for several years.
Based on the study from the Max Planck Institute listed in his book, 14 crucial laboratory blood values of a person show whether they are healthy and how long they would live. Among these 14 values are 5, which belong to the most important amino acids. The “Amino-Status”.
“Health needs the right building material” – is the title of a chapter in his book.
In addition to the amino acids, our body needs also 47 vital substances: 13 vitamins, 22 minerals and 12 micro-elements. If you don’t want to spend too much time dealing with the matter and still want to practice good prevention, you should follow a few rules.
The main message: eat lots of protein! We need at least 1 gram per kg/weight of it every day. 1.2 grams is better. Too many amino acids – it does not exist!
I can’t say enough: sports and a balanced food are of the utmost importance for a long healthy life. Sports and protein, i.e. amino acids, allow muscles to grow and fat to melt. This is the health formula!
“What you eat is about what you think” – is another maxim of Dr. Ulrich Strunz!
Here’s my 5-point plan for a healthy amino status:
1. Calculate your daily protein requirement (1-1.2 grams/kg weight) and try to cover it. Animal based protein is better utilized by the body.
2. Prepare a drink from amino acid powder after each sports session, make sure you choose a trustworthy provider.
3. If a meal is low in protein – add a tablespoon of collagen powder: it tastes neutral and provides 9 grams of protein.
5. Check your amino acid status in the blood from time to time and compensate the deficits by taking certain amino acid preparations. This is offered by designated doctors.
The 10 best quick meals for long-term health and fitness!
These days, when it comes to cooking, there are three important benchmarks:
It has to be quick.
It has to be healthy.
It has to taste good.
Here are 10 recipes for dishes that more than satisfy all three of these criteria. Each recipe serves 2 people and takes about 15 to 20 minutes to make.
Russian Borscht Stew with Buckwheat
Russian Stew with buckwheat
1 medium-sized head white cabbage
1 fresh red beet
1 large carrot
2 medium-sized tomatoes
1 thick slice celery root
½ a leek
2-3 large mushrooms or 1 handful chanterelle mushrooms
150 grams buckwheat grains
2 tablespoons vegetable broth powder
Olive oil
Parsley
Slice the vegetables and the mushrooms. Boil 1 liter of water and add the vegetable broth powder to dissolve. Add the sliced vegetables, mushrooms, and buckwheat grains. Cook for 10 minutes at low heat. Finish with a generous dash of olive oil and a handful of chopped parsley.
Serve with a spoonful of hummus and/or sour cream.
Fish fillet (for example, smoked mackerel, as shown here) with FriedPimientos and Blue Cheese Porridge
Fish-Filet with mush potatoes and roasted pimientos
1 smoked mackerel
Alternative: use salmon or any other fish you prefer, season with salt, pepper, a tablespoon of olive oil, and a few drops of balsamic vinegar, then bake in foil for 20 minutes at 185 °
1 bag of green pimientos (a.k.a. pimientos de padron)
2 or 3 potatoes
50 grams of blue cheese
100 milliliters milk
Salt, pepper, and olive or rapeseed oil for sautéing
Fresh tomato slices for garnish
Remove the skin and bones from the mackerel. Fry the pimientos in oil with salt and pepper. Boil the potatoes in salted water, drain ¾ of the water, add the blue cheese and milk, and mash together with a fork or a potato masher.
Serve with a few slices of fresh tomato.
Vegetable Pancakes with Herb Quark, Hummus, and Mixed Green Salad
Feel younger with healthy food
Vegetable pancakes (or potato pancakes), hummus, and herb quark from the deli counter at your favorite supermarket
Salad ingredients: organic mâche greens (a.k.a. lamb’s lettuce), ½ cucumber, 2 tomatoes, green onion
2 tablespoons olive, sunflower, or MCT oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Warm the vegetable pancakes in the oven at 180°C for 15 minutes. Combine the greens with the chopped cucumber, tomato, green onion, salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar.
Remove the vegetable pancakes from the oven, place on large plate, top with herb quark and hummus, and serve with salad on the side.
The Classic: Fried Potatoes with Eggs Sunny-Side-Up and Fresh Sauerkraut
Fried potatoes with eggs and sauerkraut-salad.
2 or 3 new potatoes
Organic eggs
150 grams fresh sauerkraut per person (barrel-cured is best)
1 or 2 green onions, chopped
Seasoned salt and pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Caraway seeds
1 tablespoon flaxseed or sunflower oil
Rapeseed or olive oil for frying
Peel potatoes and slice them as you prefer. Place potatoes in a skillet with olive or rapeseed oil and chopped green onion and brown for 7-10 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, combine the maple syrup, a pinch of caraway seeds, and flaxseed oil with the sauerkraut. Place the fried potatoes on a large plate with the sauerkraut on the side. Cook the eggs in the same skillet you used to fry the potatoes, sprinkling them with seasoned salt. Lay the eggs atop the fried potatoes and serve.
Red Lentil-Vegetable Soup
Red Lentil Soup with vegetables
500 milliliters organic vegetable broth
200 grams red lentils
50 grams fresh ginger
100 grams chanterelle or porcini mushrooms
200 grams broccoli, green asparagus, or another favorite vegetable
1 bunch of “soup vegetables” (1 rib celery or 1 piece of celery root, 1 leek, 1 handful curly parsley, and 1 carrot, as needed)
2 tablespoons olive or MCT oil
Parsley
Bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Rinse the lentils and add them to the broth. Grate the ginger directly into the broth. Wash and chop the mushrooms and vegetables, and add them to the pot. Cook for 10 minutes. Finish with oil and a handful of parsley.
Serve the soup with a spoonful of sour cream.
Tortellini with Jumbo Shrimp
Tortellini with Jumbo Shrimp
1 package fresh tortellini pasta
400 grams jumbo shrimp
1 green onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic
2 medium-sized tomatoes
4-5 marinated sun-dried tomatoes
100 grams whole green olives
1 chili pepper
1 tablespoon organic vegetable broth powder
30 grams of Parmesan cheese
Olive or rapeseed oil for sautéing
Add shrimp, vegetable broth powder, chopped green onions, olives, and chili to a wok and sauté in olive oil. Meanwhile, chop the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh tomatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, and add tortellini, cooking for about 4 minutes. Drain the pasta. When the shrimp are red and cooked through, add the rest of the chopped vegetables to the wok, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Add the drained tortellini to the wok and stir to combine.
Serve in pasta bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan.
Mixed Green Salad with Seaweed and Tofu
Green salad with seawead and roasted tofu
250 grams mâche greens (a.k.a. lamb’s lettuce)
2 or 3 medium-sized tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 ripe avocado
1 green onion
Seaweed salad from the deli counter
Your favorite salad dressing
200 grams firm tofu
50 milliliters soy sauce
Rapeseed oil for sautéing
Cut tofu in to large pieces and marinate for 10 minutes in soy sauce. Chop the salad ingredients and combine with the dressing. Serve on two large plates, spooning the seaweed salad over the top. Heat oil in a wok and cook the soy sauce-marinated tofu until well browned.
Arrange the browned tofu pieces over the salad and serve.
Kefir-Spelt Pancakes with Cottage Cheese
Kefir-Spelt Pancakes with cottage cheese
250 milliliters kefir
2 eggs
4 heaping tablespoons spelt flour
Cottage cheese
1 container fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon honey
Flaxseeds (about 1 tablespoon)
A pinch of salt
Butter, plus oil for cooking
Preheat oven to approximately 70°C. Combine the kefir, eggs, and spelt flour, and add a pinch of salt. In a small pan, fry the pancakes in a little oil, brush them with butter, and place them in the preheated oven on a plate to keep warm. In a bowl, smash the raspberries and combine them with honey and flaxseeds.
Serve the pancakes with cottage cheese and garnish with spoonfuls of the raspberry mixture.
Pasta with Stir-fried Zucchini and Mozzarella
Pasta with vegetables and Mozzarella
2 small zucchini
1 green onion
½ red bell pepper
100 grams of your favorite mushroom
2 medium-sized tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon organic vegetable broth powder
2 large balls of fresh mozzarella
30 grams Parmesan cheese
Oil for sautéing
Freshly ground pepper
Tagliatelle noodles for two
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain. Chop the vegetables, mushrooms, tomato, and garlic and sauté in a large skillet with oil, vegetable broth powder, and ground pepper. Add the cooked, drained pasta to the skillet and stir well to combine.
Divide into two pasta bowls, top each with a ball of mozzarella, and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.
Sautéed Vegetables with Chicken Strips
Roasted vegetables with chicken strips
300 grams boneless, skinless chicken breast
300 grams green asparagus (or another favorite vegetable)
Green onion
1 yellow bell pepper
1 rib celery
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Balsamic vinegar, approximately 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon organic vegetable broth powder
1 medium-sized tomato
Marinate chicken breast in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste for 1 hour. After marinating, cut chicken breast into strips.
Chop the asparagus (or other vegetable), green onion, yellow bell pepper, celery, and garlic and sauté in olive oil for 5-7 minutes. Divide the vegetables between two plates. While the pan is still hot, brown the chicken strips for 3-4 minutes over high heat. Place the browned chicken strips on top of the vegetables. Garnish with slices of fresh tomato.
Fasting happens to be very trendy right now. Especially when it comes to using radical methods to improve your health.
Why is fasting so popular? It’s been scientifically proven that it puts the body under positive stress, cleansing it and forcing it into a process of renewal. A traditional fast takes at least 7 days, during which you only drink water, sip on a cup of rice or oatmeal porridge once a day, and torture yourself daily with an enema. After this, you feel like a new person. But only if you survive the first 2 days. And that’s not easy!
Why?
By the end of the first day of fasting, most people get a terrible headache due to the lack of glucose in the brain. The stomach also chimes in—painfully—as a way of protesting the fact that it’s suddenly out of a job.
When I tried to fast, I couldn’t make it through a day like that. In the end I had to drink a cup of hot milk with some honey so I could go to sleep. So if traditional fasting is too much of a challenge, what’s the solution?
Here’s where “light fasting”, a.k.a. interval fasting, comes into play.
Although the results aren’t 100% equal to those of a classic fast, interval fasting can also have positive effects on the body. The centerpiece of an interval fasting regime is a 16-hour break between 2 meals in one day.
The scenario can look like this:
dinner before 6 p.m.
and breakfast the next morning at or after 10 a.m.
If you stick to this schedule, you’re fulfilling the basic requirements for interval fasting without having to expend a lot of effort or deal with prolonged feelings of deprivation!
Another advantage of fasting at night is that the body can concentrate completely on its nightly repair processes without having to expend energy digesting food.
If you can manage to do it 3 times a week, interval fasting can have a noticeably positive effect on your body and health.
Thanks to a tip, my interest in an extraordinary movement—still relatively new in the German-speaking world—was aroused. In July 2019 I followed up on that tip and attended the international biohacking conference, the “FlowFest 2019” in Munich.
During the conference, I familiarized myself with a range of topics and practices in the biohacking scene.
What is biohacking?
It refers to our individual power to increase our physical and mental potential—as well as that of the environment—in order to enhance well-being and performance.
On a beautiful sunny July morning, hundreds of cheerful, healthy-looking, multilingual people flocked to the courtyard of the old factory on Munich’s Prater Island. Their aim? To exchange ideas about new health trends and further increase awareness around issues related to body and mind.
The host was former high performance athlete Max Gotzler.
He is the founder of “FlowGrade” and one of the leading representatives of the biohacking movement. Conference participants spoke German, English, Dutch, and Finnish, along with other languages I couldn’t identify. There were various lectures and multiple workshops on offer.
The conference also brought together a number of outstanding speakers and guests. A sun-worshipping neurosurgeon from the United States, a scientist and keto nutrition advocate, and a self-made biohacker from the Netherlands. He climbs into a tub of ice water for 2 minutes every morning and doesn’t eat his first real meal until 2 p.m.
There was also a scary-looking bodybuilder who won over the audience by lovingly demonstrating stretching exercises to relieve back pain.
Equipment vendors and various representatives for a range of nutritional supplements were also part of the festivities.
I was especially impressed with a red light lamp that supposedly has miraculous biohacking effects beyond heating. Vitamins, magic-powder concoctions, special mattress covers, and magnetic field-zapping devices were naturally part of the offerings, too.
Completing the picture were numerous books about advanced forms of exercise and sports equipment. During lunch, there were only organic and natural lemonades to drink, of course.
Despite feeling slightly critical, I still learned a lot and took away plenty of lessons from the conference!
Here are my everyday biohacking tips for everyone:
Every morning after waking up, a yoga sun salutation, followed by a 30-second cold shower
A 10-minute walk before breakfast, if possible
1 hour of exercise 3 times per week: ¾ cardio and ¼ strength training
After exercise, 400mg magnesium plus calcium in the form of a sports drink
As often as possible, choose only steamed vegetables or salads as side dishes for a protein source
Spend 20 minutes in the sun every day, even when it’s cloudy
Its common knowledge that as we get older the body’s repair processes take longer—and sometimes don’t function as It’well as they should.
What’s lesser known is that countless, barely detectable micro-inflammations are often the cause of the body’s inability to repair itself. These micro-inflammations are small accumulations of immune system. Cells and substances that, in line with their purpose, get rid of the body’s own “waste.”
In the process, the body disposes of immune system cells. They creates an even greater amount of waste, which in turn attracts other cells. This can put a strain on the body.
If we want to lower our biological age, we want to improve the body’s ability to repair itself and clear out what we don’t need.
As I mentioned in my post BioAge: How you can lower your Biological Age regular exercise and good nutrition can have a positive impact on your body’s repair processes. It help you create less waste in the first place.
Besides incorporating exercise and practicing good nutrition, it’s important to prevent the body from overreacting to inflammation—and getting rid of valuable immune system cells in the process.
Anti-inflammatory substances can be helpful here. Cortisone, for example, is one of the greatest discoveries in modern medicine. For some inflammation-related diseases, it’s the remedy of choice.
For healthy people, however, natural substances—such as those contained in plants, fruit, and berries—represent a perfectly adequate way to reduce inflammation. Cherries, raspberries and turmeric are particularly good sources of anti-inflammatory substances. Red wine, which contains a polyphenol called resveratrol, is also a well-known source of anti-inflammatory nutrients.
Here’s my recipe for preventing micro-inflammations:
A handful of cherries or raspberries every day
Every 3 months for two weeks: turmeric capsules OR a delicious dish with turmeric twice a week
Twice a week: a glass of red wine or resveratrol supplements
If I had to answer this question with “yes” or “no,” I would say “yes.”
However, it depends on which nutritional supplements you’re considering, as well as the dosage and the time of year.
First and foremost, I want to talk about vitamin D. These days, there’s a lot of debate about vitamin D, and experts often have opposing opinions about it. In this case, I would go with golden mean and recommend 500 I.U. of vitamin D every other day during the winter months from November to May. Ideally, combine it with calcium and vitamin K.
At this dosage, you’re neither in danger of exceeding the recommended daily allowance nor of having a deficiency (which is due to a lack of UV radiation, which ultimately leads to the formation of vitamin D in the skin).
Vitamin D with calcium promotes strong bones, a resilient immune system—and can improve your mood.
In addition to vitamin D, I recommend a 4-week B vitamin treatment every 2 months. If you’re a vegan, B vitamin treatments are indispensable, especially vitamin B12 (which you should take on a daily basis).
For women, along with B vitamin treatments, taking iron supplements is also a good idea.
For people over age 60, every two months I recommend a 4-week treatment with supplements that promote cartilage formation: 500 mg glucosamine hydrochloride and 400 mg chondroitin sulphate per day. In combination with moderate exercise, this regimen can considerably delay cartilage decay, which in turn helps you avoid (or lesson) arthritis-related pain and reduce the need for a possible operation in the long-term.
As part of this cartilage-building regimen, I also recommend taking 12 mg of vitamin E per day. During periods when you’re not taking vitamin E, make sure your diet is rich in flaxseed, pumpkin, or sunflower oil. You can easily sprinkle these oils over your food, for example.
I also want to mention the importance of taking selenium, which prevents micro-inflammations and can thus help counteract the development of cancer cells. 50 mg of selenium per day is sufficient.
In summary:
Every 2 months for 4 weeks: B vitamin treatment (for women, in combination with iron supplements), plus 50 mg selenium per day
From November to May: 500 I.U of vitamin D + calcium and vitamin K every other day
For people over 60, every 2 months for 4 weeks: cartilage-building supplements + 12 mg vitamin E per day
On days when you exercise, I recommend a sports drink that contains 400 mg of magnesium
What about “designer” supplements that claim to boost your mental faculties? I classify them under the motto, “take them if it helps.”
“Weight loss” is a powerful term that leads many people to believe they’re carrying around “more than they need.”
Being at a lower body weight means being in good health, looking good, and enjoying a higher quality of life. Which is partly true. Inevitably, when we’re thinking about weight loss, the first thought that comes to mind is: which diet is best? That is, which diet is the fastest way to melt away those cushions of fat?
The answers to this question—in the form of dietary suggestions and tools—are all over the media, in pharmacies, and on the market. This helps generate big sales in the diet and wellness industries.
In my opinion, however, no diet on its own is capable of helping us lose weight!
Besides that, women in particular need a certain amount of body fat to stay healthy. My post Love your fat cushions! has more information about this idea.
Instead of starting with diet, we want to approach weight loss from the other end. In other words, we want to ask ourselves:
“What do I do?” instead of “What do I eat?”
First and foremost, when it comes to weight loss, we have to give up our “I’m feeling lazy” diet! Why? One of the best ways to decrease body fat is to increase muscle mass through exercise and sports.
Even when we’re at rest, our muscles burn energy. In other words, our muscles are the best natural weight-loss remedy that comes from within.
But this doesn’t mean that exercising gives you permission to pig out. There are still a few rules to follow here. Still, there’s nothing wrong with indulging yourself now and then. In fact, it’s a good idea to do it occasionally. Why? Giving yourself permission to splurge contributes to feelings of inner satisfaction—and to your long-term success!
Here’s my strategy for successful, long-term weight loss:
3 times/week: 1 hour of exercise (45 minutes of cardio and 15 minutes of strength training)
2 times/week: 20 minutes of stretching and/or yoga
1 time/week: 15-30 minutes of dancing
1 time/week: Rest
Nutrition: not so many carbs, lots of protein, fresh vegetables, 2-3 liters of sugar-free/alcohol-free fluids per day
Voilà.
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● Low-carb muesli with plain yogurt and nuts
● Strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries
● Large cup of green tea
Lunch
● Red lentil vegetable soup with a dash of sour cream and flaxseed oil
● 1 apple or 1 orange
Afternoon Snack
● 1 protein shake
● 1 piece of fruit or a handful of berries
Dinner
● Salmon filet baked in parchment with a side of steamed vegetables or potatoes
● Spinach and tomato salad with pumpkin seed oil
Throughout the day, drink two liters of still water and unsweetened tea. Allow 16 hours between dinner and breakfast—an interval fasting quickie cleanse!
Have you ever woken up and wondered why you don’t jump out of bed and feel ready to tackle the day’s challenges with energy and vitality, like you did when you were young? Do you have the nagging feeling that, in the second half of your life, things suddenly take more time than they used to? Is this something you should feel depressed about?Absolutely not. But the Answer is: Biological Age!
As the saying goes, “You’re only as old as you feel.”
Ultimately, feeling younger comes down to simply changing a few things—especially the things that don’t make you feel good—on both: physical and mental level.
Physical and mental health, as you know, are mutually dependent. Your physical health is the basis for everything: if you’re not feeling good in your body, then you’re limiting your ability to use your mind in the most effective way. Read: Bio-Age the mental side
Let’s start on the physical level. There’s no reason to feel resigned about getting older. Science offers us both comfort and hope. So does nature. How so? By focusing on your “biological age,” or BA for short, which can vary up to 10 years (plus or minus) from your chronological age. Do you know your own BA?
There are 3 ways to categorize your BA:
Your’re
older than your chronological age, or your age in calendar years
the same age as your chronological age
younger than your chronological age
Which of these options appeals to you most? Feeling older than, or the same age as, your chronological age doesn’t involve any effort. Meanwhile, feeling younger than your chronological age is something you actually have to work toward. At first, lowering your BA might seem like a challenge. But believe me, it’s not difficult—and on top of that, making an effort to feel younger can actually be fun. The first step is to determine your biological age. There are a variety of institutions, mostly university clinics, where you can have your biological age measured.
No matter what your biological age is now, the important thing to remember is that you have the power to change it. It largely depends on the condition of your blood vessels and musculoskeletal system. So how do you go about lowering your biological age? It’s actually very simple. It involves paying attention to
Three main aspects of your lifestyle:
Fitness
Nutrition
Relaxation
The first two are clear. The third category includes things like getting enough sleep, losing yourself in activities you love, and sex. I’d like to (briefly) take a closer look at these three areas of our lives.
Fitness
Do you have to buy a bunch of exercise equipment and join a gym to stay in shape? Not necessarily. If you’re already athletic, I don’t need to tell you what to do. At any rate, as you get older, you’ll be forced to slow down eventually. For those of you who work out little or not at all, however, it’s important to keep in mind that your body needs to be in motion every day. Doing sports is a way to go beyond your body’s daily need for movement. The key is to find a middle way that works for you. With that in mind, you want to seek out activities that make you sweat, at least a little.
The ideal formula looks like this: 1 hour of sweat-inducing exercise 3 times a week. It doesn’t matter which activity you choose. The best exercise is the one you like the most—not including sex. We’ll get to sex later. What form of exercise do you like best? For me, it’s dancing. I’ve been a member of a dancing club for five years, and I find that dancing totally energizes me, both physically and emotionally. But you don’t have to be a member of a dance team to do it; dancing is nothing more than moving in time to music. It can be as simple as putting on your favorite songs and moving “freestyle.” Every day for 10 to 15 minutes in your living room. That’s it.
You can also supplement your exercise routine by doing things like skipping the elevator and taking the stairs, and walking whenever possible.
Diet/Nutrition
Do you think you need a diet plan that includes exact calorie counts and recommended daily allowances? Does everything have to be organic? Is going vegan the best alternative? Not necessarily.
Simple principles apply here, too: about 3 meals a day, more vegetables than fruit, more raw than cooked, more whole grains than refined flour, and more fish than meat. And always eat until you’re satisfied. Organic products are definitely preferable, but eating organic doesn’t have to be a religion.
Drink a lot of water, and avoid fruit juices or too much alcohol, which the body converts into sugar.
Relaxation
Sitting in the sun and daydreaming? It’s a great idea, but you don’t always have the time or the chance, do you? Each of us has different opportunities to relax, along with different ways of doing it.
For me, for example, “clothing management” is extremely relaxing. I love rummaging through my wardrobe and deciding whether my clothes are still up to date and attractive.
How do you know if you’re doing something that relaxes you? First of all, it happens naturally. When you’re truly relaxed, you’re in a “flow” state. It’s easy to forget about whatever problems you might be dealing with, like when you’re lounging around in bed and daydreaming about something you might want to learn, instead of obsessing about what might go wrong with your next project. In any case, resting for about eight hours every night is also an indispensable part of lowering your biological age.
And what about sex? I consider sex to be another important factor that affects your biological age.
To be continued.
Your Ninelle M.
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