Cool place to work. Green Nature + NIR light.

Thiamine/B1 is prob the best single example of why micronutrient maxxing matters at a systems level (if you are gonna read this, then read the whole thing) B1 is a cofactor for pyruvate dehydrogenase. PDH converts pyruvate → acetyl-CoA. This is THE gateway reaction between glycolysis and the Krebs cycle. Without adequate B1, this step bottlenecks. Pyruvate backs up, gets shunted to lactate instead. You can see this happen on Metabolomix+/OAT testing or just measuring finger-prick lactate. No acetyl-CoA = no NADH/FADH2 feeding the ETC = ↓ ATP across every cell. You can eat plenty of glucose and still not be able to turn it into usable energy which is when people run into issues with eating high carb. BUT B1 does way more than just energy. PDH also produces acetyl-CoA for acetylcholine synthesis. ↓ B1 → ↓ ACh → impaired vagal tone → ↓ gut motility, ↓ HCl secretion, ↓ bile flow, ↓ heart rate variability, ↓ parasympathetic tone overall. This is one of the core drivers of a lot of people's gut issues btw. It is why B1 deficiency can present as POTS-like symptoms, gastroparesis, chronic constipation, weird heart rate issues. And then you have transketolase enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway which also needs B1. This pathway produces NADPH (key for antioxidant defence, glutathione recycling, fatty acid synthesis etc) and ribose-5-phosphate for DNA/RNA synthesis and repair. Branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase (another enzyme) is also B1 dependent. This enzyme catabolizes branched chain amino acids. ↓ B1 → ↑ BCAA accumulation. Also something you can sometimes pick up on metabolomix+ testing altough arguably NutrEval is a lot better for this. So from ONE micronutrient deficiency you get a whole bunch of shit going wrong: - ↓ ATP production - ↓ Acetylcholine → autonomic dysfunction - ↓ Gut motility and full digestive cascade - ↓ Antioxidant capacity (NADPH) - ↓ DNA repair substrate - ↑ Lactate (exercise intolerance, muscle pain) - ↑ Dysfunctional BCAA and amino acid metabolism Youend up with fatigue, brain fog, poor digestion, slow motility, exercise intolerance, and autonomic dysfunction. Maybe in the centralized system you get 5 different diagnoses and 5 different specialists, and a dozen drugs. No bueno. B1 demand scales with carb intake btw. Higher carb = more pyruvate = more PDH activity needed = more B1 required. High calorie modern diets with refined carbs are essentially increasing B1 demand while providing almost none of it - this is what Dr Lonsdale figured out! Alcohol does the same as it inhibits B1 absorption and ↑ urinary excretion. This is what systems biology looks like at the micronutrient level. One cofactor touching everything.

People take NAC long term for biofilms and don't realize its degrading their gut mucus layer at the same time. NAC is a mucolytic and it breaks disulfide bonds. Biofilm matrix uses disulfide bonds but so does MUC2 mucin (your protective gut mucus) so its something to be aware and careful of. Its a problem because your butyrate producers live IN that mucus layer.

How many people with auto-immune thyroid disease have inflamed & hyper-permeable guts? A lot.

Client message this morning (love getting these): "Googely moogely I feel strong on carbs, workouts are way easier" "Feels like a huge achievement, I never thought I was going to be able to kick the habit" (chronic addiction to caffeine) Maybe, just maybe, when you.... Resolve SIBO/over-fermentation → micronutrient replete →restore metabolic pathways (TTFD maxing) → layer on carbs → you can access a degree of energy not experienced by most these days. It was important to address his gut health first because carbs were being fermented in his small intestine, not absorbed and oxidised. Gas, bloating, malabsorption. Motility was a big issue for him. B1, B2, B3, Mg, zinc, trace minerals. All functionally depleted cus of poor absorption and ↑ metabolic demand from chronic inflammation. So this step was taken alongside/part of gut health optimization. Thiamine is the rate limiting cofactor for PDH and alpha-KGDH. Without it, pyruvate backs up, Krebs cycle stalls, you're running on partial glucose oxidation and stimulants to feel functional. Now with gut health fixed, magnesium + B1 repleted he is able to properly add carbs back into his life and he is in a position where quitting crutch of chronic caffeine addiction is actually possible. Super proud of him!🙏

Side-quest maxxing is pro health

Lets talk about the migrating motor complex (MMC) today. Your gut has a built-in cleaning system - it is key to optimizing gut health It's essentially a cyclical wave of contractions that sweeps through your stomach and small intestine every 90-120 minutes during the fasted state. Its job is to clear residual food particles, dead cells, mucus, and bacteria from the upper gut and push them toward the colon. This is how the small intestine maintains low bacterial density (music to the ears of those with SIBO/SIFO). When the MMC works, bacteria stay where they belong. When it doesn't, they accumulate and you get a bunch of downstream issues. The MMC has three phases. Phase I - Rest. Minimal contractions. The smooth muscle resets. Phase II - Irregular contractions building in intensity. Preparing for clearance. Phase III - High-amplitude rhythmic peristaltic contractions that sweep everything forward. This is the housekeeping wave. Phase III is initiated by motilin, a peptide hormone released during fasting (STOP GRAZING). Vagal tone and enteric nervous system integrity are required for proper coordination as well - B1, B5, choline, B6 are all key. But really what I want to focus on is this very simple practical fact that the body building community especially doesn't seem to realise. Eating shuts it off. Even small caloric inputs, especially carbs or protein, immediately suppress the MMC and switch the gut into fed-state segmentation contractions optimized for digestion. Every time you snack, the cleaning cycle resets. So if you're grazing all day, the MMC never completes. Bacteria aren't cleared = They migrate upward = SIBO develops. This is also why impaired MMC function shows up as more than just bloating. Constipation, acid reflux, bile reflux, that heavy fullness sensation after eating (which is abdominal distension, not gas production). Things that disrupt the MMC: - Frequent snacking/grazing - Chronic stress (↓ vagal tone) - Opioids (got some clients who developed SIBO from this most likely) - Anticholinergics - Post-infectious enteric nerve damage (you can test for this btw - anti-vinculin antibodies. - Circadian disruption. Things that support it - Consistent meal timing - Adequate fasting windows between meals (3-4+ hours) - Intact cholinergic signalling - Proper sleep-wake rhythms - Ginger maxxing

Anyone else feel like they have infinite energy running bare-chest, bare-foot on the beach by the water's edge? Is this the way?

Gm, dont let rain/clouds stop you from going out for sunrise

If you wanna get sick as fast as possible, alter your sleep schedule by +/- 3hrs for 3 consecutive nights and understand the importance of circadian biology in the meantime

Raw egg yolks can single handedly solve certain gut issues related to PC deficiency and poor bile metabolism

Addressing a clients nervous system, nutrient deficiencies & acetylcholine production has led to improved sleep & recovery, eczema gone, dry eyes gone, workouts improved, more energy in the day.

Nutritional yeast is being slept on

Basic but often overlooked principle: The body’s need for nutrients goes waaaay up in acute & chronic illness

If you don't understand when *not to take a supplement/peptide, then you don't understand it.

Are you paying attention?

I like this idea: One purpose in life is to build a character - a way of living and moving in this world - that you are proud of. Shaping and embodying this character becomes a main priority. Above wealth. Above fame, etc. Once you decide upon careful reflection the values and virtues you wish to bring forth in this world, then it acts as a filter/sieve for which actions and behaviours that are available to you. The rest is simply no longer of consideration. Of course, not so easy to implement, but you can practice this constantly, day in and day out. Some quotes on character by the mighty Marcus Aurelius: "It can ruin your life only if it ruins your character. Otherwise, it cannot harm you-inside or out." "Settle on the type of person you want to be and stick to it, whether alone or in company." "You fail your soul when you fail your principles." "Your task is to stand straight; not to be held straight." "I was once a fortunate man but at some point fortune abandoned me. But true good fortune is what you make for yourself. Good fortune: good character, good intentions, and good actions."

One thing people don't understand is that if you are eating a large amount of macros (for bulking purposes), your micronutrient requirements scale up with that. You can't increase protein + carb intake without also increasing you magnesium, potassium, B1, zinc, B2, B3, B5, trace minerals, etc. If you are eating micronutrient dense foods this typically happens by default (maybe still not enough Mg + B1 tho), but if you are macros maxxing a la body builders, this will become a problem.

Too many people go through life without a single thing that excites them throughout the day. Create a mindset that gets excuted about things. Figure out what excites you. Live a life with more of that in it.