This is a short paragraph from my scientific article published by Elsevier and released October 1st, 2018.
Purchase the book
My article is a part of the book “The Science of Hormesis in Health and Longevity” that you can purchase directly from the publisher Elsevier here: https://shop.elsevier.com/books/the-science-of-hormesis-in-health-and-longevity/rattan/978-0-12-814253-0
Read the full article, that I made available for FREE https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330051433_Buteyko_Breathing_Technique_and_Ketogenic_Diet_as_Potential_Hormetins_in_Nonpharmacological_Metabolic_Approaches_to_Health_and_Longevity
Полный текст на русском ( in Russian) https://sakharoff.com/misha-hormesis-article-ru/
Abbreviations:
NPMA – Non Pharmacological Metabolic Approach
UPHR – Universal Protocol for Health and Resilience
MetS – Metabolic Syndrome
ECM – Extracellular Matrix
PAR – Progressive Active Relaxation
TKD – Therapeutic Ketogenic Diet
IF/CR – Intermittent Fasting/Caloric Restriction
Introduction to UPHR
I propose a universal protocol for health and resilience (UPHR) that integrates several basic areas of human health into one structured process of training and lifestyle change.
The idea behind UPHR is to visualize and map the connection between the cellular and the human environment in order to open up for measurable effects on health and resilience through training and lifestyle change.
The theory of “dynamic reciprocity” [90] proposes that the cellular microenvironment in form of the extracellular matrix (ECM) exerts physical and biochemical influences on a cell, which ultimately effect changes in gene expression in the nucleus. Latest research on metabolic origins of lifestyle diseases further confirms the critical role of the microenvironment in regulation of genetic expression and cellular health [9;75].
It is hypothesized that the basic areas of cellular micro-environment can be optimized through structured training and lifestyle change where the 5 basic areas of practical training (human macro-environment) are structured to fit 5 basic areas of cellular health (cellular micro-environment, ECM). Fig.1 presents a mapping of dependencies in the connection between the human and the cellular environment.
25.6.1 Components of UPHR
Looking at the human environment we can identify several basic areas of practical training and lifestyle change, that can be divided into 2 groups, as follows:
- Energy intake – energy acquired form the environment.
- Energy distribution – energy utilized by the body.
Energy intake
Energy acquisition from the environment can be optimized through fields of breathing and nutrition.
Energy distribution
Energy distribution and utilization by the body can be optimized through training of allostatic resilience to minimize energy loss – the difference between acquired and utilized energy. The effectiveness and allostatic resilience can be viewed as the ratio of Q (energy output) to W (energy input), called performance coefficient (CoP) [91].
UPHR and NPMA in general can optimize energy utilization and CoP through structured training and lifestyle change, thus minimizing energy loss and increasing systemic efficiency: CoP=Q/W→1.
Energy intake – basic areas subdivision
Energy intake can be subdivided into 2 basic areas of practical training and lifestyle change, as follows:
- Nutrition
- Breathing
Nutrition
Optimization of nutrition has a direct effect on digestion of nutrients through the digestive system and absorption by the cell. Tools used in UPHR combine Restricted Ketogenic Diet (CRKD) with fasting, both intermittent fasting (IF) and extended water fasts (2-7 days).
Breathing
Optimization of breathing has a direct effect on mitochondrial respiration. Tools used in UPHR to optimize automatic breathing patterns combine BBT with breathing devices mentioned previously in this chapter.
Energy distribution – basic areas subdivision: Allostatic resilience triangle
Energy distribution can be subdivided into 3 basic areas of practical training and lifestyle change, as follows:
- Mental
- Physical
- Immune
Resilience
Resilience in general affects ability to return to high utility state following perturbations [92]. It is hypothesized that resilience in humans can be enhanced through training of its three parts – mental, physical and immune. In UPHR this is called ‘allostatic resilience triangle’ (Fig.1).
The proper elaborate mapping of different aspects of allostatic resilience in the human and the cellular environment could be a task of a separate study, so I will try to explain it in short here.
Mental resilience
In the human environment, mental resilience is a part of allostatic resilience that reflects the ability of the body to withstand psychological stressors and adapt to life tasks, maintaining normal hormonal balance and neuroendocrine signaling [93]. To optimize mental resilience UPHR uses training of relaxation patterns through PAR in combination with training of 1-pointed attention.
In the cellular environment it is hypothesized that this resilience corresponds to the ability by the ECM to maintain proper signaling function by the cell.
Physical resilience
In the human environment, physical resilience is a part of allostatic resilience that reflects the ability of the body to withstand, adapt and recover from physical load and stressors. To optimize physical resilience UPHR uses multipurpose training inspired by Dharma-Marga and Tibetan yoga, forefoot walking, jogging, bodyweight exercise, as well as kettlebell and clubbell training.
In the cellular environment it is hypothesized that this resilience corresponds to the ability by the ECM to maintain proper structural and adhesive support function by the cell mediated through the interstitial matrix and connective tissue [94].
Immune resilience
In the human environment, immune resilience is a part of allostatic resilience that reflects the ability of the body to withstand, adapt and recover from opportunistic organisms and pathogens as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or protozoa. Among techniques used in UPHR to optimize immune resilience are forefoot walking/ jogging, 3D multipurpose exercise to promote in-movement lymph drain, as well as different types of cold exposure.
In the cellular environment it is hypothesized that this resilience corresponds to the ability by the ECM to maintain proper flow, viscosity and composition of extracellular fluid (ECF) as well as blood and plasma.
1-point focus and Kaizen
All the 5 basic areas of practical training and lifestyle change are exercised interdependently through 1-pointed focus with PAR. This contributes to optimized energy utilisation and performance coefficient CoP=Q/W→1, minimizing energy loss. Kaizen process philosophy is used to establish strong practical approach to process implementation into small daily routines [95].
25.6.2 Success criteria and measurement for NPMA
Success criteria as well as measurement in NPMA depend on the actual application and can vary depending on the disease or condition. Measurements can include both traditionally used in conventional medicine for specific diseases as eg. leukocyte count in leukemia or specific serum tumor markers for different cancers, as well as NPMA-specific measurements. The following measurements can be used universally in NPMA and are gender neutral:
Control pause
The most vital breathing parameter in BBT is morning control pause (CP). BBT establishes the CP of 60 sec as a major success criterion for all chronic reversal of all chronic lifestyle diseases [19]. Control pause measurement includes:
- Morning CP (MCP), sec
- Evening CP (ECP), sec
- Nightly CP change, CPΔ=MCP-ECP
- Positive CPΔ shows improvement of sleep quality, MCP-ECP>0
- Negative CPΔ shows decrease of sleep quality, MCP-ECP<0
- Maximum CP (CPmax), sec
Glucose/ Ketone ratio
Blood parameters consist of morning ketone and glucose levels and their combination called G/K ratio [96]. Adjusting this ratio around 1 is one of the major success criteria with TKD IF/CR dietary work. The ratio between 1-10 can be used for different applications, depending on the severity of condition and the stage, from highly therapeutic ( ≤1) to maintenance (5-10). G/K ratio measurement consist of:
- Serum ketones (mmol/L or mg/dl)
- Serum glucose (mmol/L or mg/dl)
Triglycerides/ HDL cholesterol ratio
The study from 2017 concluded, that TG/HDL-C ratio can be considered as a strong reference criterion of MetS and low insulin sensitivity in healthy adults [97]. This measurement consist of:
- Triglycerides (mmol/L or mg/dl)
- HDL cholesterol (mmol/L or mg/dl)
If lipid values are expressed as mg/dl, then the TG/HDL-C<2 is normal and TG/HDL-C<1 is ideal. If the lipid values are expressed as mmol/L these treshold ratios should be multiplied by a factor of 0.4366.
25.7 Future perspectives
In this connection many questions of great importance arise. They need to be answered in order to design strong therapeutic strategies for metabolic cures or prevention of lifestyle diseases. Understanding how to seamlessly combine and integrate the different areas of health will promote the use of truly non-invasive, drug-free multifactorial approaches capable to trigger synergetic effects of healing.
Paradigm Shift – Education Instead Of Medication: I hope that the paradigm shift will come one day where the industry will make a slow shift towards education – instead of medication. Moving from sick care to health care and towards non-invasive metabolic therapies – instead of constantly finding new genetic pathways to create new highly invasive chemical drugs. One day the industry will empower us to enjoy our right to take responsibility for our health back into our own hands – through education.
NPMA challenges – more than one variable: One of the big challenges for the NPMA is that the conventional way of making science refuses to encompass scientific trials with more than one variable. But when the disease is multifactorial it has a variety of variables that need to be addressed. The scientists are used to make trials with one pill against a no pill in a placebo group. But the disease cannot be cured by one pill, because it depends on multiple lifestyle factors.
Epigenetics, stress and hormesis – the uneasy art of moderation: Our growing understanding of epigenetics suggests that multiple stress factors, including mental, physical, immune, nutritional and environmental factors, can awaken the sleeping genes. In our busy times and society many of these factors often combine through our lifestyle, becoming chronic disease. This can further amplify their effect, making it even more likely to trigger the genetic expression [98]. How can we diminish the impact of negative stress factors? Firstly, by affecting them directly through change of lifestyle and behavior. Secondly, by changing our perception of the environment and actively transforming never-ending chronic stress into limited finite acute stress. The latter is of great significance for management of MetS in the light of NPMA as it allows for healing through diminishing the allostatic overload [93;99].
Need for paradigm shift from target-oriented towards process-oriented work: The change towards moderation for health and longevity will allow to diminish allostatic overload and avoid overtraining syndrome in all of the training regimens, as physical movement, breathing, nutrition and lifestyle change [100]. As an example from the domain of physical training, the change towards process-orientation will shift measurement strategies away from usual distance, time, speed, intensity, number of repetitions towards the depth of relaxation in movement. In this connection the PAR concept can improve sensitivity and thus promote positive effects of hormesis in practice.
In a bigger perspective we need a paradigm shift from target-oriented towards process-oriented work and training structures.
