Manu

Get up and keep going.

[Moriarty @ThingsHiddenn]

Ever wondered how birds (pigeons here) can navigate the entire planet to fly around even under poor conditions (like at night), or migrate ?

Wonder no more. The macrophages in their livers can sense the Earth's magnetic field, basically.

https://t.co/FW1tx8j2sW

[Richard @PGC1a_RB]

https://t.co/wPoDt0daJ0

[Jamal Dinkoui @BerbarianWizard]

Replace “cheat days” with structured refeeds.

Fat loss plateaus are often driven by prolonged low calories and/or low carbs, which reduce T3, leptin, and metabolic rate while elevating cortisol. A high-carb refeed reverses this: it raises leptin and T3, replenishes liver glycogen, lowers stress hormones, and restores training performance, often enough to restart fat loss.

Keep fat low during the refeed. High carb + high fat favors fat storage, while high carb + low fat prioritizes glycogen repletion and glucose oxidation, increasing metabolic rate with minimal fat regain.

This addresses the most common questions about refeeds:

You shouldn’t feel constantly cold, exhausted, brain-fogged, or starving during a cut. That’s not “pushing hard,” it’s metabolic suppression. A well-run diet maintains stable energy, solid training, and normal sleep. If you feel wrecked, something is off.

Refeed frequency is individual. When energy drops, workouts feel flat, libido and sleep decline, and fat loss stalls for 1–2 weeks, it’s usually time. Personally, 1–2 high-carb, low-fat refeeds per week keep performance and metabolism high. Leaner and more active people often need them more frequently.

Carbs can be pushed very high during a refeed without meaningful fat gain as long as fat stays low. Most will go toward glycogen storage and increased glucose oxidation. De novo lipogenesis in humans is minimal under normal conditions, typically under 1% and rarely exceeding 1–3% even with overfeeding unless glycogen is fully saturated and excess calories persist for days. Fat gain mainly comes from dietary fat, not carbs.

Electrolytes and B1 matter. Efficient glucose use depends on proper mitochondrial function. Sodium supports blood volume and helps control stress hormones. Potassium supports glycogen storage and insulin function. Thiamine (B1) is required for glucose oxidation. Potatoes and orange juice are ideal refeed foods: high in potassium, easy to digest, and effective at restoring glycogen.

For insulin-resistant or type 2 diabetic individuals, context matters. If glucose control is poor, large carb refeeds without improving insulin sensitivity first can backfire. The priority is restoring metabolic flexibility, better sleep, more movement, more muscle, lower stress, correcting deficiencies, and often reducing excess dietary fat. Once sensitivity improves, refeeds can be introduced and tailored.

[Bartek Ka @Bartek_Kamyk_]

My client just smashed 15min of unbroken air squats, that's 410 air squats in one go.

And this is after full leg session with Leg Curls, Barbell Squats, Walking Lunges, Leg Extensions, and RDLs

He was morbidly obese weighing 401 lbs at the begin of 2025 and has lost 185lb so far,

He can smash intervals on the air bike up to 1200 watts at peak effort, he hikes and does long 15-mile walks.

His RHR is below 50, his blood work is close to perfect, he feels great…

And he did all that without drugs.
No reta, no anabolics, clen, nothing.

It’s his 44th birthday tomorrow and his name is Pawel.

[Richard @PGC1a_RB]

Got a DM about the 'best' blood panel for testing inflammation, so I came up with three sets of 6-8 serum tests for inflammation: for acute, then chronic, then a dual-purpose acute+chronic, and why:

For acute inflammation:
1. Hs-CRP - Systemic acute-phase response
2. Procalcitonin (PCT) - Bacterial vs. viral infection discrimination
3. Serum Amyloid A (SAA) - Acute-phase response (broader than CRP)
4. WBC with Differential (CBC) - Immune activation pattern
5. IL-6 - Upstream cytokine trigger of acute response
6. ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) - Acute fibrinogen-driven aggregation

For chronic inflammation, 7 tests:
1. Hs-CRP - Low-grade systemic inflammation
2. ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) - Persistent protein-driven chronic inflammation
3. Ferritin - Acute-phase reactant and iron-inflammatory link
4. Fibrinogen Activity - Pro-thrombotic chronic inflammatory state
5. NLR (Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio) - Systemic immune imbalance from chronic inflammation
6. Homocysteine - Vascular endothelial inflammation and metabolic stress
7. AA:EPA Ratio - Membrane-level eicosanoid-driven chronic inflammation

Dual-purpose acute + chronic inflammation, 8 test, and reasoning for acute;chronic testing use:
1. Hs-CRP - Rapid acute-phase spike (rises 4–6h); Low-level elevation flags metabolic inflammation
2. IL-6 - Upstream cytokine trigger; predicts CRP rise before it happens
3. TNF-alpha - Acute-phase amplification, tissue necrosis signal; sustained elevation in RA, inflammatory bowel disease, atherosclerosis
4. Fibrinogen Activity - Acute-phase reactant (rises with injury/infection); chronic marker of thromboinflammatory state in CVD and metabolic syndrome
5. CBC with Differential + NLR - Neutrophilia/lymphopenia in acute infection or trauma; NLR >3.0 = chronic systemic inflammation; calculated from CBC at no extra cost
6. Ferritin - Rises acutely with infection/injury; chronic elevation in low-grade metabolic inflammation; correlates with CRP
7. ESR - Elevated with active inflammation (slower than CRP); Persists longer in chronic disease; high specificity when ESR >100 mm/h
8. Procalcitonin (PCT) - Bacterial-specific acute marker; guides antibiotic decisions; Low utility for chronic monitoring, but useful to rule out acute bacterial flares superimposed on chronic disease

[Richard @PGC1a_RB]

https://t.co/3VBk9Mj7Gu

[Official Strength Debates @StrengthDebates]

Many people struggle to learn the RDL

I have 3 simple exercises that will help you finally master the hinge in the RDL

I can almost guarantee you haven't seen the 2nd or 3rd variation

Overview of basics- 0:00
Exercise 1- 5:24
Exercise 2- 7:34
Exercise 3- 9:26

[Abud Bakri MD @AbudBakri]

You can't focus in your 20s, can't sleep in your 30s, develop metabolic disease in your 40s, and cardiac disease in your 50s

Circadian arrhythmia by the decade. The ability to focus and have energy in response to blue light is so important.

This is mediated through melanopsin, which gets damaged by an over use of blue light and a deficit in long wavelength red-IR chronically over many years.

How to know whats going on?

These two tests ->

1. If you can fall asleep scrolling under bright light

and/or

2. If you dont become super alert and awake when exposed to bright light, as if its a shot of espresso,

you're losing that ability and you're on the timeline above.

Changes now are needed for multi-decade results

[Official Strength Debates @StrengthDebates]

A proper warm up is the most important part of every training session

It’s an art to recruit motor units and to set yourself up for success

Here I’ll share my warm up protocol and how you can use it

Link below if you want a shorter read, however I highly recommend video

[@simpleorganix @simpleorganix]

The most simple things in life should bring you the most joy…

It’s in those things you find God is the loudest.

A sunset
A walk in Nature
Holding someone you loves hand
A child’s giggle
Eye contact & a smile
The way you feel after a dip in the ocean
A sip of coffee & good book
The soft crackle a fire makes
The way the Sun feels on your skin
A bird singing for you
A small midnight drive
A bee buzz tickling your ear
An I miss you text
The sound of the Rain
Laughing so hard you cry

Life fills you with these things…

Everything else is just karmic bonus.

[Jamal Dinkoui @BerbarianWizard]

If you’re on Health X trying to become a Giga Chad, here’s (in my opinion) the logical order of the goals you should focus on:

1/ Optimize sleep → fixed schedule, no phone at night, dark/cool room, quiet surroundings

2/ Optimize energy production → eat enough, carbs + protein every meal, regular meals, hydrate + salt, avoid constant stress

3/ Optimize mental state → good sleep + stable energy + sunlight + movement + limit screen time + avoid constant negative input

4/ Optimize digestion → simple foods you tolerate, regular meals, eat without rushing, reduce stress around meals

5/ Optimize stress response → stable routine, don’t overload yourself, limit stimulants, reduce exposure to stressful situations/people

6/ Achieve a lean body composition (10–15% BF) → eat in a way that supports metabolism, walk daily, stay active, consistency

7/ Develop physical strength → train 3–4x/week, progressive overload, good execution, proper recovery

8/ Maintain healthy libido → sleep well, eat enough, low stress, not overtraining, stable lifestyle

9/ Maintain fertility → overall health + low chronic stress + consistent lifestyle

[Richard @PGC1a_RB]

If you don't get the answer you're looking for, consider the following to yourself:

Am I asking the wrong question?

Could I have worded the question differently?

Did I provide too little context with the question? (Ex: thoughts? Why?)

Did I provide too much context with the question? (Ex: your whole life story inserted here instead of just a specific paraphrasing of a certain chapter)

Did I ask the wrong person? (Am I questioning the wrong person just to get a rise out of them? Am I looking for an easy answer from someone who tends not to give easy answers?)

Am I looking for a short black and white question? Or a more information filled gray answer that will cause me to be uncomfortable enough to think more and think better and critically?

Why did I not think critically and question proactively after taking a few minutes to read thoroughly rather than reactively question within 5 seconds of selectively reading?

Few

[Richard @PGC1a_RB]

Effects of Choline Levels on Thyroid Function:
Bidirectional between gut and thyroid (gut-thyroid axis)

Higher TSH correlated with decreased thyroid function, increased serum choline (choline doesn't get into phosphatidylcholine[PC]), modulates PC metabolism

[Richard @PGC1a_RB]

The enrichment of 'food' products may have helped in the past, but now, they put other micronutrients out of ratio

Similar to hormones, it's not just about the number itself, but the ratio/proportion to other micronutrients

Relative to one's bioindividual genetic use/metabolism of said things

This goes deep/past into the surface, room-temp IQ dogmas of "just eat X, just eat real/whole food, just (whatever)"

If you do not need to be as mindful, congratulations, information here is not for you

[Dr Sam Soete @sam_soete]

B6 is needed to convert glutamate → GABA.

↓ B6 → glutamate accumulates & GABA drops → excitatory/inhibitory imbalance → anxiety, insomnia, sensory sensitivity.

This is very common when it comes to mental health issues. But what is less known is the role this dynamic plays in the gut.

GABA modulates enteric nervous system signalling and motility and deficiency could lead to fermentation & bloating (microbial GABA production is relevant too here btw)

So someone shows up with anxiety and gut issues and they get an SSRI and a low FODMAP handout with a label of IBS for life. But nobody checked B6 status (which you can assess by looking into kynurenine pathway metabolites, potentially cystathionine as well).

This is what it means to connect dots.

[Bryce Hanna @photobiogenesis]

This is a valid point, but the problem is that nutrient bioavailability is relative

The issue with RDA values and why they're often skewed is that they aren't categorized by food type

If we assume that calcium's average bioavailability is 30-40% (from milk or certain supplement forms), then the RDA from eating leafy greens (40-60%) would be significantly lower

On the other hand high-oxalate greens leave more calcium insoluble leading to much lower absorption (5-10%)

This issue is even more apparent with other minerals like iron, which has ferric, ferrous, and heme forms, each with their own % absorption

I've seen a few independently created programs attempt to tackle relative bioavailability, but in mainstream nutrition recommendations it's largely absent

[Dr Sam Soete @sam_soete]

Most people think about micronutrients from the supply side (dietary intake + supplements).

There is an inherent assumption that demand side is stable.

Chronic psychological stress → ↑ cortisol → burns through magnesium, zinc, b1, B5, B6, vitamin C at accelerated rates.

Your adrenals are some of the highest consumers of these cofactors in the body.

Cortisol synthesis alone requires vitamin C, B5, cholesterol, and adequate adrenal ATP. Sustained HPA activation will drain these reserves fast.

Chronic inflammation (from tbings like gut dysbiosis, endotoxemia, mold) → ↑ immune activation → zinc gets sequestered by metallothionein and iron will be locked up via hepcidin.

Acute phase response activated chronically can lead to many functional deficiencies. Your body is actively withholding minerals from normal metabolic function to starve pathogens.

Evolutionarily this is smart during an acute infection. But in chronic low grade inflammation this mechanism stays locked on and your mitochondria, thyroid, and immune system are now starved of the minerals they need to actually resolve the problem.

Oxidative stress from environmental toxins, ALAN, processed foods → ↑ glutathione turnover → drains selenium, glycine, cysteine, B2 (cus B2 is needed to recycle glutathione via glutathione reductase). Every time glutathione neutralizes a free radical it needs to be regenerated. More oxidative burden = faster depletion of its precursors and recycling cofactors.

Then theres medications as well which is a complete shitshow.

- PPIs ↓ stomach acid → ↓ absorption of B12, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc.
-Statins deplete CoQ10.
- Metformin depletes B12.
-Oral contraceptives deplete B6, B9, magnesium, zinc.

These are some of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the world and nobody is accounting for the micronutrient cost.

Supply side is ofc also a big issue. Modern soil is depleted, things like glyphosate bind minerals (it is a chelator), food is processed losing micronutrient density, and most people are eating calorie dense but micronutrient poor diets.

Supply is down and demand is up.

So you can eat a solid whole food diet and still be functionally depleted if the demand side is outpacing supply. Super common in anyone dealing with chronic stress or low grade inflammation.

[Andra @BioavailableNd]

Your body has its own built-in heavy metal detox: Metallothioneins Proteins. They bind to mercury, cadmium & lead, and neutralize free radicals 300× faster than glutathione. Zinc is the main trigger for their production, without enough zinc, your detox system can’t activate.

[RF Safe @rfsafe]

The WHO-commissioned systematic reviews on health effects of radiofrequency radiation provide no assurance of safety https://t.co/TtuGfVZf91

[Tropical Cowboy of Danger @FlynonymousWX]

A thread of videos from today’s flight into Hurricane Melissa

In this first one we are entering from the southeast just after sunrise and the bright arc on the far northwest eye wall is the light just beginning to make it over the top from behind us.