My Latest Experimentation

Tart Cherry Juice for Sleep!

I've  tried just about every sleep supplement that's ever been recommended, but nothing has ever worked for me with any consistency - until now.

 I've been experimenting with Tart Cherry Juice before bed for about a month now. It helps me to easily fall back to sleep if I wake up in the night - something I previously struggled with.

I've experimented with several different brands of liquid and capsules, but these were the only two that actually worked for me: 

TAHITI TRADER Organic Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate - Unsweetened, 32 oz - My preferred brand while at home. I drink just one shot glass full before bed and it's been fantastic. I am yet to experiment with both morning and bedtime use, just to see if that provides an even better effect.

Carlyle Tart Cherry Capsules - 10,500mg - What I take now while travelling, since carrying a large glass bottle of sticky liquid in my luggage isn't a great idea.


Tart cherry juice is effective for sleep due to its unique natural composition, which promotes sleep regulation. Here’s why:

1. Rich in Melatonin

Tart cherries, especially Montmorency cherries, contain natural melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Drinking tart cherry juice can help enhance your melatonin levels, leading to improved sleep quality and duration.

2. High in Tryptophan

Tart cherries contain tryptophan, an essential amino acid that the body converts into serotonin and then into melatonin. This helps promote relaxation and supports the body’s natural sleep cycle.

3. Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Tart cherries are rich in anthocyanins, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Reduced inflammation can alleviate discomfort that may disrupt sleep, such as muscle soreness or arthritis pain.

4. Regulates Circadian Rhythm

By boosting melatonin and reducing oxidative stress, tart cherry juice helps regulate the circadian rhythm, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.

5. Supports Serotonin Production

Tart cherry juice may increase serotonin availability due to its impact on tryptophan metabolism. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter essential for mood and sleep regulation.

Evidence from Studies:

Clinical studies have shown that tart cherry juice can improve total sleep time and sleep efficiency in people with insomnia. For example, a study published in European Journal of Nutrition found that participants who consumed tart cherry juice for two weeks experienced significant improvements in sleep duration and quality.

Suggested Use:

Dosage: 1-2 oz of tart cherry juice or concentrate, consumed in the morning and 1-2 hours before bedtime, is often recommended for optimal effects.

Tart cherry juice is a natural, non-habit-forming remedy that can complement other sleep-supportive practices.

Give this one a try for yourself and see if it works for you!


Norwegian 4x4s on my CAROL Bike

 CAROL Bike now offers a Norwegian 4x4 workout. I LOVE this!  I'm now doing this a few times per week. Even though I suck at it, I expect that in time, I will come to suck at it bit less.  😄


P90X using KAATSU Bands

While I'm rehabbing my shoulders to allow my recent stem cell therapy to do it's thing, I've restarted my P90X workouts but utilizing KAATSU bands and super light weights.  It seems crazy how hard it is to do the exact same exercises but with 20-40 lbs LESS weight! And I'm getting an incredible pump!  In this way, I'm getting the same physiological effects from my workout (perhaps even better!) while putting less strain on my ligaments, tendons, and muscles, and while  deeply focusing on my form and fullest range of motion.  It's been very easy for me to lose focus on these in my previous quest to sling more weight.

In many ways, this feels like I'm doing P90X again for the very first time, and I love this.  

Throughout my life, I've found stepping back and starting over again from scratch to be extremely beneficial and rewarding - in other words, revisiting 'first principles'.  It's a way of cutting through the noise, discarding accumulated bad habits & assumptions, and seeing things anew with fresh eyes.   Starting again with the most elemental truths and re-reasoning your way forward is essential for finding your way through anything and everything in life.


My Own Version of the TRIIM Trial:

I've recently begun my own, safer & potentially more effective version of the TRIIM Trial - Thymic Rejuvenation and Immunorestoration and Insulin Mitigation.

This trial was initially designed to test whether a cocktail of DHEA, metformin and growth hormone (GH) could rejuvenate the thymus. On further inspection, the team made the ground-breaking discovery, that the drug cocktail had wound back the biological age of the participants.

Longevity Briefs: TRIIM - The Trial that reversed Human Ageing | Dr. Greg Fahy - Gowing Life 

I've already been taking DHEA to lend support to my age-declined levels, but to match the protocol specifications, Iwill eventually have to increase my dosage. 

However, I do not wish to take metformin due to it's negative impact on mitochondria, nor GH due to its potential to promote cancer, so I opted instead for equal substitutions that would be just as (if not much more) effective, and then I used several different AIs to test & validate my reasoning.


Supplements to Replace Metformin:

1. Berberine - Activates AMPK, reduces hepatic glucose production, improves insulin sensitivity. Berberine's mechanisms closely mirror those of metformin, particularly its action on AMPK.

2. Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) - Acts as an antioxidant, improves insulin sensitivity, supports mitochondrial function. ALA can help reduce oxidative stress and improve glucose metabolism, complementing the effects of berberine.

But R-Lipoic Acid is the preferred form over Standard ALA, and here's why:

a. Higher Bioavailability: R-Lipoic Acid is the naturally occurring form of ALA and is more readily absorbed and utilized by the body compared to the synthetic form (which is a 50/50 mixture of R-ALA and S-ALA).

b. Greater Potency: R-Lipoic Acid has been shown to be more potent in its antioxidant effects and in improving insulin sensitivity.

c. Enhanced Efficacy: Because it is more bioavailable and potent, lower doses of R-ALA can achieve similar or better results compared to higher doses of standard ALA.

3. Resveratrol - Reportedly activates sirtuins and AMPK, promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, reduces inflammation. Resveratrol supports anti-aging pathways and enhances mitochondrial function, which aligns with the goals of the TRIIM trial.

But there's been a lot of controversy as to whether or not Resveratrol actually does activate sirtuins. So I opted to replace Resveratrol with Quercetin in my TRIIM trial protocol, and here's why:

And finally, I opted to use a growth hormone secretagogue (GHS), namely CJC-1295/Ipamorelin, instead of human growth hormone (HGH), in an attempt to stimulate my body's own production of growth hormone. GHS peptides can be a more natural and potentially safer alternative to direct HGH supplementation.


My Final TRIM TRIAL Protocol 


Utilizing multiple AIs to calculate & validate the comparable dosage substitutions for Metformin and HGH that were set out in the original TRIMM Trial protocol, the results for my specific body-weight calculates out to be:

1. Berberine: 500 mg, three times daily (Total: 1,000-1,500 mg)

2. R-Lipoic Acid: 100-200 mg, twice daily (Total: 200-400 mg)

3. Quercetin: 500-1,000 mg, once or twice daily (Total: 500-2,000 mg)

4. CJC-1295/Ipamorelin: 300 mcg per injection, once or twice daily (Total: 300-600 mcg)

5. DHEA: 25-50 mg, once daily

And taken in the following Starting Dosage Schedule:

Morning:

- Berberine: 500 mg

- R-Lipoic Acid: 100-200 mg

- Quercetin: 500 mg (or 1,000 mg if dosing only once daily)

- DHEA: 25-50 mg

- CJC-1295/Ipamorelin: 300 mcg (or 600 mcg if dosing only once daily)


Afternoon (optional):

- Berberine: 500 mg

- Quercetin: 500 mg

- CJC-1295/Ipamorelin: 300 mcg (if dosing twice daily)


Evening:

- Berberine: 500 mg

- R-Lipoic Acid: 100-200 mg

- CJC-1295/Ipamorelin: 300 mcg


Final Recommendations:

1. **Consult a healthcare professional** before starting this protocol to ensure it's appropriate for your needs.

2. **Regularly monitor health markers and responses** to adjust dosages if necessary.

3. **Maintain a balanced diet and exercise routine** to support overall health and maximize the benefits of the protocol.



So far, my sleep scores have been better than they've ever been!