Happy Friday Everyone! Welcome back to another Friday blog. Today I want to talk about our energy production. Why are we so tired - all the time? It is quite obvious the problem lies in our energy production system = mitochondrial function. So, what are mitochondria, what are their requirements, and how can we increase their numbers, protect and “uncouple” them to optimize function and restore our energy levels? Let’s delve in.

Mitochondria are purple organelles (tiny functional organs) found inside our cells. They are ancient symbiotic prokaryotic archaea (related to bacteria) at the center of our metabolism that produce energy in return for a place to live. Mitochondria divide and replicate, produce RNA and proteins (code in their DNA) completely independent of our own cell division and function. Why are they purple? They have heme (iron) cytochromes and a pool of copper. We all know red and blue make purple. Within the mitochondrial matrix is an ion pool of ~ 50,000 copper atoms. Our internal organs should have a color. Our heart should be red, gallbladder green, liver brown, substantia nigra in the brain should be black, and the spleen the color of eggplant. Having color to different functioning tissues is very important. The color of an organ is dependent on pigments, blood flow, and cellular composition. Its color shifts dramatically - brightening when there is plenty of blood flow - dulling and graying with hypoxia. Loss of color = loss of function. Melanin colors our tissues. 

Mitochondria come from our mother and have their own DNA. Your "haplotype" - region of origin in the world - determines how "coupled" or "uncoupled" your mitochondria are. Having highly coupled mitochondria and high melanin requires much more sunlight exposure. If you are a L0 for example, you ideally live on the equator, get constant sunlight and have very dark black skin full of melanin with highly "coupled" mitochondria. These individuals have access to intense sunlight that power their mitochondria and are unbeatable in any aerobic competition - think Usain Bolt from Jamaica at the 18th latitude. This intense sunlight allows them to enjoy eating the high-sugar fruits that grow in the tropics and eat way more carbohydrates in general without gaining weight or suffering consequences. "Usain Bolt estimated he ate 1,000 McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets during the Beijing Olympics -- or 100 per day over 10 days at the Athletes’ Village." He literally ate drive-thru trash and still outperformed everyone - BECAUSE of his mitochondria. If you take this individual far north where they can't get the sunlight they require, they will eventually become sick with a mitochondrial disease - here you can think of Michael Jackson with vitiligo - working and performing under isolated blue light at night, sleeping during the day.

Compare that to someone of say northern Irish or Norwegian descent with very pale skin and eyes that lack melanin and come from regions that do not get much sunlight. The light skin and eyes allow maximum absorption of ALL the light they can receive. These individuals have highly "uncoupled" mitochondria that respond exceptionally well to cold exposure to use energy to produce heat. They use saunas and cold therapy bathing almost daily. One must also take into account that few carbohydrates grow in high northern latitudes - think Alaska - Eskimos have survived very well on whale blubber and wild-caught fish and game for thousands of years with few to no carbohydrates. Their mitochondria do not tolerate a high carbohydrate diet and diseases like diabetes, obesity and cancer arise - particularly with highly processed foods. Most of us have "uncoupled" mitochondria that function somewhere between these two extremes and can adapt positively to cold exposure as well as sun exposure.

Mitochondria have multiple important jobs - including creating deuterium-depleted biological water, UPEs (ultra weak biophoton emission), CO2 (carbon dioxide), and energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). They absorb and emit light and "ideally" use O2 (oxygen) to burn our food through oxidative phosphorylation - versus Warburg metabolism = fermentation of glucose. Without oxygen, we can't burn fat and use the TCA cycle to make ATP. O2 is a "paramagnetic gas" - meaning drawn to magnetic fields - and is the second most toxic and electronegative element on the planet next to fluorine. Oxygen in its "ground state" is termed "triplet" state - meaning it has 2 unpaired electrons with a net spin of 1. This means it has 3 "possible" orientations in a magnetic field. The Pauli exclusion principle prevents the electrons from readily occupying the same orbital - significantly slowing the reaction with organic molecules. This is why humans don't "spontaneously combust." This is the preferred state of oxygen in the body. However, oxygen can also be in the "singlet" state where electrons are paired and has a total spin of 0. Singlet oxygen is not hindered by the Pauli principle and is HIGHLY reactive toward double bonds in biological molecules such as DNA, proteins and lipids. Could singlet oxygen be causing misfolded proteins, DNA damage and interfering with the structure and function of the phospholipid bilayer in human cells? Yes.

So, what is causing us to have higher levels of singlet oxygen (reactive oxygen species) rather than triplet? Manmade electromagnetic fields, particularly RF (radiofrequency) and ionizing ELF (extreme low frequency) are inherently damaging. Radiofrequency damages melanin, creating incoherence and degradation. When melanin degrades it becomes dopamine - dopamine degrades and leads to neurodegeneration. "Pathophysiological levels of ROS interfere with many vital cellular processes and functions, such as inflammation, cell proliferation and differentiation, wound healing, neuronal activity, reproduction, and behavior by altering biochemical and signaling processes or even resulting in oxidative damage to DNA, RNA, and proteins or to the peroxidation of fatty acids...that can lead to disease states such as cancer, diabetes, congenital malformations, or neurodegenerative syndromes." 

We use Fe (iron) to transport this "toxic" yet crucial substance, O2 - Fe is very redox unstable - meaning it readily oxidizes or reduces between states - in order to transport oxygen all over the body without oxidizing everything it touches. Compare Fe at the center of hemoglobin to Mg (magnesium) at the center of chlorophyll in plants.

Plants use the same type of system and a nearly identical molecular structure - however they are planted in the earth and can't move around. Magnesium is very redox stable, allowing chlorophyll to harvest light, water and CO2 (carbon dioxide) to make sugar (carbohydrates) using a very stable chlorophyll. Our hemoglobin must be able to transport oxygen and allow our mitochondria to turn carbohydrates from plants into water and CO2. Ceruloplasm is a blue enzyme containing 6-8 copper atoms that can oxidize iron - changing it from the dangerous ferrous (Fe2+) state to the stable ferric state (Fe3+) to be transported throughout the body. As it turns out, ceruloplasm is the major antioxidant in the body, glutathione is the major antioxidant inside the cell, and melatonin protects the mitochondria. What happens if we are low on copper? Inflammation due to iron dysregulation. What happens if we are low in melanin? Inflammation due to dysregulation of ALL heavy metals, electrons and water. We humans hydrate our melanin and all our proteins. Loss of water + loss of melanin = loss of control of the 30-million-volt charge at the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) - [Nick Lane]. This causes tissue death and destruction. We feel it as aches and pains initially before it becomes full-blown disease. We can help this situation just by getting sunlight on our skin. Blood vessels come to the surface allowing UV light to directly photo-oxidize iron to the ferric state. UV light also stimulates the production of melanin to protect us from ALL radiation exposure and heavy metals. Melanin acts as an "energy reservoir" heavily involved in electron transfer and storing electrons. Melanin further acts as a biological capacitor and holding tank that chelates heavy metals and metal ions. 

We have a sophisticated system for recycling iron. Did you know that we need to make 200 billion red blood cells every 24 hrs.? Red blood cells are broken down and rebuilt from mostly recycled parts. It requires 25mg of iron to replace our red blood cells. Our intelligent body knows it doesn't have a good way to get rid of iron, so it actually recycles 24/25mg needed daily. If this is mismanaged, we can get a buildup of iron in our tissues - this is highly inflammatory. Where does iron tend to build up? It is sequestered in areas that have lost melanin. In the brain, if 1/3 of the melanin is lost in the substantia nigra, we get Parkinson's. If it is in the retina, we end up with macular degeneration or cataracts. If it is in the cochlea of the inner ear, we get tinnitus or hearing loss. We are LOSING OUR COLORS and LOSING FUNCTION.

Often, we are told we are anemic due to low iron in the blood - but it is really a sign that we have too much buried in our tissues that can't get mobilized. We have ~10X more in our organs - like the liver!!! We are able to sweat out small amounts of iron from exercise or sauna. However, the only way to get rid of iron buildup is to bleed - or donate blood. This is why I currently believe that women live longer than men - we have regular monthly bleeding for a number of years, then after menopause our risk for CVD (cardiovascular disease) is about the same. Mitochondria assemble Fe-S (iron-sulfur) clusters that are more water-soluble, use iron and copper to create heme proteins, such as hemoglobin as well as many mitochondrial proteins and cytochromes. They use copper, vitamin A, biological water and melanin to manage the toxicity of Fe and oxygen. What happens if you are blue-light toxic (from screens, devices, artificial lighting)? You don't have functional vitamin A. In fact, isolated blue light liberates vitamin A - which goes rogue and destroys tissue. We LOSE CONTROL OF OXYGEN.

One of the most critical steps occurs at complex IV of the mitochondria, CCO (cytochrome C oxidase). Vitamin A is required to oxidize Cytochrome C to CCO. CCO is the terminal destination for O2 - and has 3 copper atoms at its core in order to convert H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) into biological water. If CCO can't make biological water, H2O2 builds up causing damage. H2O2 is also a tool with which CCO uses to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) of malfunctioning mitochondria. CCO also contains 2 heme groups, magnesium and zinc. What do you know about hydrogen peroxide? It removes color, like bleach, right? If too much hydrogen peroxide is being produced and we don't have enough copper, vitamin A and sunlight to change it into biological water, what do you think happens to our melanin? It gets bleached. This is one way we are losing our melanin and hence, losing our colors and function.

The mitochondria must get Fe out for recycling. It uses the mitochondrial enzyme ferroportin 3 to transport Fe out of the mitochondria, while cellular ferroportin 1 removes Fe from the cell.  Both depend on copper -the former depends on copper for its expression; the latter is a copper-dependent enzyme. This means WE CANNOT get the Fe out of our tissues without copper.  We slowly accumulate 1 mg of Fe every day that we are on the planet - and it is aging us due to its toxicity. Just like exhaust is produced from burning/combusting gas in our vehicles, waste in the form of ROS (reactive oxygen species) and RNS (reactive nitrogen species) are produced from burning our food. Sugar and carbohydrates are the dirtiest fuel and create the most 'exhaust' or waste with the least amount of protective biological water ~ 55g vs 105g from burning fat and protein. FYI - your mitochondria don't "see" carbs, fats, proteins - they only SEE ELECTRONS! So, the more electrons you have in your system the more energy they can make. 

Think of mitochondria as biological solar panels/power grids - much like the solar panels we currently use to power our homes - full of copper. They harness light and electrons from our sun to power our bodies. Mitochondria are like antennas that communicate with our sun and environment to optimize biological function. They are packed into every cell in high numbers - with an average of 500 - and some neurons (substantia nigra) containing as many as 2 million. Mitochondria are concentrated in organs that have a high energy demand, such as muscle, heart and brain tissue. They are also very concentrated in brown adipose (fat) tissue - infants and children have lots of brown fat. “Brown adipose tissue (BAT) specializes in burning fat and is responsible for adaptive, non-shivering thermogenesis in mammals.” Did you know isolated blue light increases while adipose tissue (WAT)? It also turns BAT into WAT. Isolated blue light makes you fat - increases blood glucose, insulin and triglycerides - no food required. Mitochondria produce ATP through the ETC (electron transport chain). When working optimally, our mitochondrial motor (complex V, ATPase) spins at 9,000 rpm = 100% efficiency - we don't have any manmade motors on earth that can run at 100% efficiency.

ROS/RNS - produced from metabolizing our food - emit UV light that activates hormones and proteins in our body. So, they have a beneficial role as well as a destructive role. Think about this for a second - when you eat carbohydrates, you produce lots of ROS/RNS, which creates more UV light and less protective biological water than when you eat fats and proteins. If too much UV light is emitted, and there is not enough biological water and antioxidants to mop them up, you can get cellular damage - as ROS and RNS induce oxidative stress - hence, damaging to their surroundings and anything they touch. We require plenty of antioxidants to neutralize them in order to protect tissues from damage and restore optimal balance. This is why you want the highest quality food - that burns the cleanest! Mitochondria and our gut microbes emit light. Consider that gut dysbiosis is actually an altered light show - maybe too much UV light is being emitted causing inflammation in the gut.

Products and by-products of metabolism such as superoxide anion radical O₂⁻, H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide), ammonia, CO2 (carbon dioxide) are important in clearing or utilizing waste products, killing pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. Many of these metabolites act as secondary messengers that have profound epigenetic (above the genes) changes - this determines which genes to turn on and which to turn off. In fact, only 3% of our DNA codes for proteins. The rest is communication and protection. Further, as our DNA is copied, we experience around 10,000 mistakes every day. If we didn’t have these protective mechanisms, we would age super fast. You can think of your DNA as your hard drive and epigenetics as your software. Your hard drive is relatively inert until you apply the software. 

Mitochondria use several pathways to produce metabolic precursors for macromolecules such as lipids (fats), proteins, DNA and RNA. They also are highly involved in signaling and communication with the rest of the cell through metabolites such as bioactive proteins, signaling gas molecules called gasotransmitters, ROS, RNS, modulation of calcium fluxes and apoptosis (cell death). Think about this for a second. In the body, if you need instant 'text' messages to get where they need to go what better way than in the form of a gas? NO (nitric oxide), for example, has multiple jobs in the body - telling the blood vessels to dilate, signaling protein transporters to come to the cell membrane to pick up glucose, killing pathogens, regeneration of tissues and a host of other things.  There is a 'Goldilocks' sweet spot of radicals we need to maintain to prevent inflammation. 

The production of ATP is damaging to both mitochondria and to us. Mitochondria couple - or combine - protons with O2 during the production of biological water and ATP. They can mitigate this damage by “uncoupling” - somewhat like a pop-off valve on a pressure cooker - releasing potential energy from the system in the form of heat. This uncoupling helps to protect cells against apoptosis (death). “Mitochondrial inefficiency through proton leak, which uncouples substrate oxidation from ADP phosphorylation, can comprise as much as 30% of the basal metabolic rate. This uncoupling is hypothesized to protect cells from conditions that favor ROS production.” In other words, mitochondrial uncoupling protects mitochondria from damage. They divide to make more mitochondria to handle the workload, while literally throwing away up to 30% of dietary calories. So, theoretically, you could eat 30% more calories and maintain your ideal weight as well as extend your lifespan - another great reason NOT to count calories. They don’t actually matter as much as what you eat and your lifestyle. 

As we can see, what we eat and what we are exposed to (environmental toxins) have a far greater impact on our health than the actual genes we carry in our DNA. Every person alive has oncogenes (cancer genes) that are waiting to be expressed. Environmental toxins - such as glyphosate - significantly alter and interfere with our methylation processes - to our detriment.  “Feng and co-workers analyzed D-loop methylation in 44 colorectal cancer tissues and in their corresponding adjacent non-cancerous tissues, finding that the D-loop of non-cancerous tissue was methylated, while in the majority of cancer tissues, the D-loop was unmethylated.” D-loop is found within the mitochondria. When you eat foods high in methyl donors - like beets, for example, your body can add these methyl groups to the genes that code for cancer keeping them turned off. A fully methylated gene is NOT expressed and is turned “off.” When we don’t provide these methyl groups, these genes can get turned “on.” This reveals the importance of eating foods that can provide these methyl groups!!We can keep these genes turned off by optimizing our light environment, eating the right foods - like methyl donors (beets, dark leafy greens) - and avoiding environmental toxins such as glyphosate, artificial blue light and non-native EMFs. We can also turn on genes that keep us healthy and prevent disease, such as tumor suppressor and some tumor necrosis genes that target and kill cancer cells.

We have 5 UCPs (uncoupling proteins) - and are just learning what they do. Currently the most is known about UCP1. “Recent evidence indicates that an increased expression and activity of UCP2 are well correlated with neuronal survival after stroke and trauma.” Dysfunction with mitochondrial uncoupling is linked to cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and a host of other metabolic diseases.

“Mitochondrial metabolites can be seen as an interface between metabolic and signaling networks, coordinating metabolic activity based on nutrient availability.” Mitochondria also are in close communication with our gut microbes and rely on metabolites produced from the 7-step shikimate pathway, that produces B vitamins and aromatic amino acids (essential amino acids) from the gut microbes, which is why poisonous toxins, such as glyphosate, are so damaging. Glyphosate BLOCKS this pathway and profoundly damages our mitochondria in multiple ways. When mitochondrial damage occurs, they produce more ROS creating more damage to surrounding tissue and other mitochondria - resulting in dead, damaged, malfunctioning mitochondria. Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in aging and the diseases associated with aging. Many diseases are linked to dysfunction including cancer, T2D (type 2 diabetes), Alzheimer’s, dementias, immune function, Autism, depression and mental disorders, migraines, Parkinson’s, neurodegeneration, obesity, epilepsy and vascular dysfunction to name a few.

Mitochondria produce roughly 140 lbs. of ATP every day. 😳 Holy moly! This may be more than some of us weigh. What happens to all this ATP? Did you know that every heartbeat uses 1 billion ATP? We NEED to make a lot. We use this energy as our currency - we burn it up - just performing cellular processes, not to mention energy expenditure during exercise. Making ATP is inherently damaging to mitochondria. When we eat, mitochondria go to work. The more we eat, the more overwhelmed our mitochondria become. The more OFTEN we eat, the more damage occurs - they become overworked and become dysfunctional. They NEED a break! As you can see, we NEED them to be healthy and produce energy properly. So, what do they need to stay healthy and protect themselves from damage? They love polyphenols and fats - so HP-EVOO is one of their favorite foods! Mitochondria rely on 2 very important antioxidants to protect them from oxidation: Melatonin and Glutathione. EVOO naturally contains melatonin while the polyphenols in EVOO activate the body to produce glutathione. We tend to be deficient in both - for several reasons - our heavily processed diet and environmental toxins, like glyphosate. 

“Melatonin protects mitochondria by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibiting the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP), and activating uncoupling proteins (UCPs). Thus, melatonin maintains the optimal mitochondrial membrane potential and preserves mitochondrial functions.” Melatonin is derived from tryptophan - one of the most important amino acids that is impacted by glyphosate. Mitochondria produce some melatonin to protect themselves, and our pineal gland produces melatonin, but ~ 80% of our melatonin is found in the gut (400x higher than found in the brain) produced by enterochromaffin cells, enterocytes, lymphocytes, macrophages, mast cells and even gut microbes for use during the day. Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland in the brain at night (stimulated by darkness) and is also involved in the circadian rhythm. Melatonin prevents gastrointestinal ulcerations, reduces secretion of hydrochloric acid, enhances regeneration of the epithelium, stimulates the immune system and increases micro-circulation. 

Glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant intracellular antioxidant that prevents damage to mitochondria and other important cellular components caused by ROS, peroxides and even heavy metals. Oxidized glutathione is used as a biomarker of mitochondrial disease. It has roles in gene expression and the cell cycle as well. It has the amino acid glycine attached. This is important because glycine’s spot during protein synthesis can be substituted by glyphosate - thus depleting glutathione as well as glycine. Dysfunction of the mitochondria results in low GSH levels in both primary (genetic) and “secondary mitochondrial impairment, such as organic acidemias, Friedreich ataxia, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, amyotropic lateral sclerosis, and Rett syndrome.”

In addition to these antioxidants, mitochondria love KETONES. Ketones literally cue mitochondria to uncouple and divide, multiplying the number of mitochondria available to do the work load. “Mitochondrial uncoupling can be defined as a dissociation between mitochondrial membrane potential generation and its use for mitochondria-dependent ATP synthesis.” When they uncouple, they protect themselves from damage and divide. The more mitochondria you have, the more overall energy gets produced - some calories get thrown out in the form of heat production - and the less damage is incurred to each mitochondria due to less ATP per mitochondria produced.

“Mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is responsible for nonshivering thermogenesis (heat production) in brown adipose tissue (BAT). Upon activation by long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), UCP1 increases the conductance of the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) to make BAT mitochondria generate heat rather than ATP.” For example, long-chain fatty acids are found in EVOO! This also stimulates removal of old non-functioning mitochondria and replaced with new upgraded ones.

There are multiple ways to uncouple your mitochondria, increase your mitochondrial force, optimize mitochondrial function,  waste energy to promote normalizing weight, boost mitophagy (mitochondrial self-eating/cleanup) - get rid of malfunctioning ones - and get your energy back. More are being discovered!

• Sunlight - Get sunrise sunlight into eyes and onto skin to set your master clock, renovate your heme proteins and turn on the TCA cycle.
• Ground - get your bare feet on the ground to gain electrons and discharge into the earth. Grounding improves your triplet/singlet oxygen ratio.
• MCT - medium chain triglycerides - found in coconut (~60%), goat and sheep’s milk and their cheeses (~30% MCT) supply FFAs (free fatty acids). “FFAs with a carbon chain between C12 and C16 have a very potent effect due to the production of ketones…FFAs are a required co-factor for UCP-1-catalyzed proton transport.”
• CLA - conjugated linoleic acid - found in meat and dairy products of ruminants (grass-fed beef, milk, butter). “CLA increased both mRNA and protein expression of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1).” “CLA and some trans isomers of oleic acid are produced by microorganisms in the rumens of ruminants.” “Cows grazing pasture and receiving no supplemental feed had 500% more conjugated linoleic acid in milk fat than cows fed typical dairy diets...mainly by Bifidobacteriumbacteria strains inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract.”
• Donate blood - if your ferritin level is high on bloodwork you have a lot of stored Fe. You can lower your load by donating blood and significantly increasing your sun exposure and melanin production. This can decrease inflammation and improve iron/copper ratio.
• Increase bioavailable copper - requires activation from vitamin A (retinol) - found in grassfed animals that have eaten grass and turned beta-carotene into retinol for you - organs, butter, cottage cheese, etc. We require 4-6mg/day. You must protect your eyes and skin from isolated blue light to protect vitamin A - and remember that melanin controls Fe and copper, so increase sun exposure to build your melanin stores and restore function.
• Vitamin A - retinol is the active form and found in animal products, particularly grassfed organ meats, grassfed butter and cod liver oil. We recycle our vitamin A every morning with sunlight. Isolated blue light liberates it causing destruction and inflammation.
• Restore magnesium - a cofactor for >800 enzymes - a deficit affects metabolism, detoxification, sleep and energy production and many things - we deplete ourselves of magnesium through our high-tech, indoor lifestyle and stress. We need ~ 5mg/lb of body weight. This is significant - and more when we are under stress. Remember, magnesium is at the center of chlorophyll!! Increase your dark leafy greens to optimize magnesium and eat sea salt.
• Wormwood - Artemisia annua works by stimulating production of UCP-1 thus preventing obesity and fatty liver. “Artemisia annua is a botanical plant that may prevent viral growth. Artesunate is a drug extracted from artemisia annua plant that with anti-malaria activity that may also prevent viral growth. Giving ivermectin, camostat mesilate, Artemisia annua, or artesunate may help decrease COVID-19 virus in the body and ultimately help decrease the chance of clinical symptoms getting worse from COVID-19 and may prevent patients’ hospitalization.”
• Ashwagandha - Withania somnifera (WS) - “WS supplementation increased oxygen consumption and enhanced mitochondrial activity in brown fat and skeletal muscle in the HFD-fed mice. In addition, it promoted browning of subcutaneous fat by increasing mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression.” HFD = high fat diet (western)
• Black Cumin Seed - “Thymoquinone (TQ) is a major phytochemical compound found in the medicinal plant Nigella sativa an annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae.” TQ is prevalent throughout Egypt. TQ has potent inhibitory effects on  lung, prostate and breast cancer cell lines. It has powerful anti inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, antibacterial, antifungal, antitussive and neuroprotective properties. It appears to have powerful protective properties for mitochondria against apoptosis as well as dysfunction. It also appears to block ATP synthase in pathogenic microbes such as E. Coli. Many athletes are taking it to boost performance. 
• Melatonin - Powerful hormone and antioxidant. Activates uncoupling proteins and more as previously discussed. Boost melatonin by getting morning sunlight and bright sunlight during the day. Once the pineal gland "sees" ~ 4hrs of darkness it releases melatonin for sleep. Highest levels are found in raw pistachios. Supplementing melatonin is not a good idea - your body is efficient and will stop making it. 
• Glutathione - “Several studies suggest that grass-based diets elevate precursors for Vitamin A and E, as well as cancer fighting antioxidants such as glutathione (GT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as compared to grain-fed contemporaries.”
• Urolithin A - This molecule produced by certain gut microbes - only about 20% of us have these - particularly Gordonibacters, significantly stimulate mitogenesis (creation of new mitochondria). Precursors include ellagic acids and ellagitannins and are found in pomegranates, strawberries, raspberries and walnuts.
• Cold exposure - Cold thermogenesis improves mitochondrial function by approximating the cytochromes at the IMM, restoring the 30-million-volt charge and ATP production. A cold plunge can stimulate mitochondrial uncoupling and mitogenesis. This is due to hormesis or a short-term stress that has healing benefits. A cold plunge stimulates your mitochondria to uncouple, divide and produce heat to warm the body. Cold exposure induces UCP-1 expression and hence uncouples mitochondria. This is the single fastest way to burn fat. It will melt off if you regularly engage in cold plunge -50-55 deg. 
• Capsaicin - “Capsaicins and their derivatives are red-pepper components and are long known for their capacity to induce the upregulation of uncoupling proteins.” Elevated amounts increase brown adipogenesis or the creation of brown adipose tissue (BAT). You can convert WAT (white adipose tissue) to BAT!!!
• B vitamins - mitochondria require B vitamins to produce ATP. B1 (thiamine) is like the quarterback of your vitamin/mineral team. Mitochondria require adequate levels of all the B vitamins as well as magnesium, food-derived vitamin C, copper and zinc to function optimally. Did you know that B9 (folate) is dependent on copper and absorbs UV light with major peaks at 280 and 350nm? It degrades into metabolites that can emit light in longer wavelengths ~ 500nm to activate other proteins in the body, Why is this important? Metabolites of folate are CRUCIAL for one-carbon metabolism - DNA/RNA synthesis, methylation, cell division, amino acid balance and mitochondrial function.
• Omega 3’s - “PUFAs such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) also stimulate UCP-1 expression and thus adaptive non-shivering or diet-induced thermogenesis in brown adipocytes, as well as the browning of the white adipose tissue.” The brain is mostly fat. DHA accounts for >60% of the fat in the brain. Omega 3s are crucial for proper brain function and metabolism. DHA and EPA are omega 3s found in animal products, while ALA is plant-based and must be converted to DHA. We lose 85% in this conversion. DHA and EPA are found in grass-fed dairy and meat, pastured eggs and fatty fish.  When you eat fish, you get the sn-2 form of DHA, which is what the body uses in the brain and nervous and cardiovascular systems. Every cell membrane has sn-2 DHA - this is found in high amounts in breastmilk as well.
• Autophagy/Intermittent fasting - (self devour) This is the rest, repair and recycle mode. It takes around 17-18 hours fasting to enter autophagy. This triggers mitochondrial uncoupling, mitogenesis, recycling and disposal of cellular debris, starves cancer cells (hey need glucose) and many more crucial functions that positively affect health and longevity. We now know that in individuals undergoing chemo for cancer, fasting before and after treatment enhances treatment and prevents many of the side-effects. The longer you go, the more autophagy, mitophagy, mitochondrial uncoupling, mitogenesis (new mitochondria) and ketones are produced. There are some foods that don’t break your fast including MCT, EVOO & fish oil. You can do a 24 hr- 72 hour fast - or even longer - depending on your situation. “Mild dietary stress (dietary restriction, DR) without malnutrition delays most age-related physiological changes, and extends maximum and average lifespan.”
• Exercise - increases gross mitochondrial mass, UCP-1 uncoupling in skeletal muscle cells, induces browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) and stimulates the secretion of peptides or hormones, primarily myokines. One of the most important is irisin - induces UCP-1-dependent mitochondrial uncoupling. “This hormone also increases glucose uptake in murine myocytes but decreases the expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in liver gluconeogenesis. Physical exercise seems to globally stimulate mitochondrial uncoupling leading to the remodeling of skeletal muscle cell physiology.” Thus, exercise decreases the production of glucose by the liver. 
• Polyphenols - resveratrol, quercetin, hydroxytyrosol (EVOO), curcumin (turmeric), chlorogenic acid (organic coffee has 3x more than non-organic), Yerba mate, EECG (green tea) are just a few that stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis, thermogenesis (heat production) and ATP synthesis, among many others. Thermogenesis in rodents accounts for 15-20% of total energy expenditure. “Phenolics including oleuropein, oleocanthal, hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol found in EVOO have strong antioxidant properties against the oxidative stress in brain tissue and showed a protective effect on mitochondria by restoring mitochondrial enzymatic activities.”
• Focused Attention Meditation (FAM) - Studies are beginning to show how even short-term meditation lowers stress, positively affecting the brain. “The results of the current study indicate for the first time in a longitudinal study that even short‐term training in FAM may have considerable effects on brain energy state with different local energy management in specific brain regions.”
• HP-EVOO - High polyphenol EVOO - vitamins E, K, some carotenoids and melatonin are found in EVOO. Long chain unsaturated free fatty acids (length above one-half of the mitochondrial membrane thickness, ±3.5 nm) along with MCT “seem to have the most potent effect” on mitochondrial uncoupling. The unsaturated long carbon chain in EVOO is primarily C18-20. Therefore, EVOO is a powerful mitochondrial uncoupler. Researchers replaced the western diet high in saturated fat with EVOO or EVOO + treadmill in mice for 12 weeks. EVOO + exercise reversed metabolic and mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammation, protected muscle tissue and up-regulated antioxidant production. Since HP-EVOO is rich in polyphenols, it has multiple actions on mitochondrial function. 

As we can see, there are multiple ways to uncouple your mitochondria and enhance your metabolism to achieve optimal health, energy, and prevent and/or alleviate disease - including obesity, other metabolic diseases and even cancer.

So, until next time my friends…Drink, Drizzle, Digest HP-EVOO at least 4 TBS raw daily, - use more for cooking and drizzling onto your food - eat the rainbow of LOCAL organic or wild-sourced veggies and fruits - eat local and in season growing at your latitude and location  - eat wild-caught, pasture-raised, grass-fed - get early morning sunrise light, plenty of sunshine during the day, sleep in the dark, check your vitamin D3 level and supplement if needed: D3, K2, magnesium, zinc, and boron (- get your trace minerals and electrolytes with good sea salt - Celtic is hand-harvested and Himalayan was formed before plastics - eat foods high in lutein - drink plenty of filtered water. consume digestible and indigestible fiber for your gut microbes - adaptogens (such as mushrooms) and methylation donors (kale, beets, spinach, cruciferous, lion’s mane…), marjoram, rosemary, oregano, parsley and other herbs to detox, enhance overall health and reverse aging and disease - exercise your body and mind - ground barefoot to gain as many electrons as possible, add a few minutes of mindful meditation and breathing exercises to your day to combat stress - take a hot Epsom salt bath and follow with a cold shower/ice plunge - remove EMF (electromagnetic frequency) devices and blue light - use IR (infrared) from incandescent lighting, non-toxic candle or light a fire to enhance sleep and...turn off the light!!   #HP-EVOO  

This blog is intended for informational purposes only. Discuss strategies with your Healthcare Practitioner.