What is "Functional Medicine"?

"We need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in".

Desmond Tutu

Hi again! Thanks for hanging with me!

If you came back, then you are obviously intrigued by the concepts that I am discussing. These concepts are the basis of “Functional Medicine.” This is how AI defines what I do... “Functional medicine is a holistic approach to healthcare that focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of diseases rather than just treating symptoms. It involves a patient-centered approach, where practitioners spend time listening to patients and gathering detailed medical histories to understand the interactions between genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and chronic disease.

Functional medicine practitioners aim to create personalized treatment plans that may include nutrition, exercise, stress management, and other lifestyle changes to improve overall health and well-being.”

This is a pretty good definition. I have a slightly different description of what I do. If you recall, the name of this blog is “Cavemen in Fast Cars” in which, our caveman bodies have been flung, headlong, into the world of fast cars, ultra processed foods, a toxic soup of chemicals to which we are constantly exposed that our caveman bodies are not equipped to deal with. My job is to find out WHY people are falling in the river. Actually, it helps to think of your body like a car. Afterall, we spend a LOT more time on auto maintenance than we do taking care of our bodies. Every 3000-5000 miles, we take our car to have the oil changed. While you are there, they check the air in your tires, your radiator fluid, brake fluid and your wiper fluid. They look at the headlights, taillights, blinkers and hazard lights. They check your brakes, your belts, your hoses. The last time I went in, they replaced my cabin air filter. I didn’t even know I HAD a cabin air filter! They may say that this is a 15 minute oil change but I have never spent less than 45 minutes in the bay.

Now, when was the last time your doctor spent 45 minutes with you, examining your belts, hoses or your in-cabin air filter.... much less 4 times a year?! The point is that we spend a LOT more time tending to the needs of our car than we do maintaining our own bodies. Afterall, if we don’t take care of our car, it might break down and that would be terribly inconvenient! What if we treat our bodies more like we treat our cars? If we put a little effort into regular, preventive maintenance, maybe we wouldn’t break down on the interstate causing a back-up of traffic, blaring horns, foul language and a massive loss of time and money?

THIS is my definition of functional medicine. Routinely checking under the hood and seeing what we can do to keep from breaking down.

Here is the other key. This maintenance is not provided by your doctor. It is done by you. It is done every day. It is accomplished by a series of habits that if completed daily, will absolutely change your life. In this post, I will lay out what those habits are and in upcoming posts, I will explain the science behind these habits. (For the record, I do every one of these habits every morning so I KNOW it can be done)

So… here…we…GO!

Every morning upon waking, the number one thing that you can do to significantly change your life is (This may be the hardest habit of all): as soon as the alarm rings… PUT YOUR FEET ON THE FLOOR! Do not lay in bed and slap the snooze alarm until you are nearly late for work. Making this a habit will set the foundation for everything else you do. Some say, make your bed as soon as you get out of it. I can’t do that because there is still a blonde sleeping in there when I roll out. That would not go over well! BUT! If you are the last one up…Make the bed. Then you move on to number two…

Touch the Earth. Grounding is the process of putting bare skin against soil. Inflammation is the number one cause of chronic disease in the world. Multiple studies have shown that regular grounding decreases chronic inflammation significantly. In my next post I will discuss the science of grounding in great detail. For now, let’s just talk about how to do it. Ready? Touch the dirt with bare skin. That’s it. That is the scientific breakthrough. Without sounding to… Cosmic maaaan… we are made from the same material that the Earth is made from. We share an electromagnetic current. When we touch dirt, we share electrons with the Earth which has been shown to reduce inflammation. It is as simple as that. As I am writing this, it is early March in Ohio and is currently 16 degrees outside. I obviously am not touching the outside soil today. If you have access to ground floor concrete (a basement or garage floor) it will do. It is not as beneficial as actual dirt but is better than nothing. There are also various sheets and mats that you can plug into the wall that will accomplish the same thing, but they obviously require a financial investment. They say that the optimal amount of time to spend grounded is 20 minutes. I don’t have 20 minutes every morning to sit with my feet on the dirt. We will also discuss the 80/20 principle in the next post. It will make sense. I promise. In the meantime. Stay on the dirt/concrete for five to ten minutes.

While you are sitting there with your feet in the dirt anyway, the second thing that you can do is called “Breathwork”. Controlled, deep breathing will increase the oxygen saturation of your blood by 50 percent. Inflammation loves sugar and hates oxygen. Increasing the oxygen in your blood will dramatically decrease inflammation and, consequently, your cancer risk. Again, in subsequent posts, I will discuss the physiology behind this in great detail. For now, let me tell you what you need to do. Take 30 to 40 deep breaths. Exhale fully between breaths by forcing your diaphragm up (Think, sucking your belly button to your spine as hard as you can) then fully fill your lungs with air by pulling your diaphragm down and inflating your lungs from the bottom to the top. FULL of air! After 30 to 40 reps, hold your breath as long as you can (I started only making it 30 seconds. Now I am up to 2 minutes). This depletes your oxygen reserves and then when you repeat the process you increase your oxygen saturation that much more. Do that sequence 3 times. Breathe, hold, breathe, hold, breathe. Make sure you are sitting down when you do this because you may get lightheaded.

Catch some rays. Every morning, go into the daylight and face the sun with your eyes open. No, do NOT look directly at the sun. Fried corneas don’t help with inflammation at all! Look in the direction of the sun with your eyes open. This will help to reset your circadian rhythm and helps you to sleep better at night. It also aids in the release of Dopamine and Serotonin which are essential neurotransmitters that are part of your mental health. Do this for 5 to 10 minutes as well.

(Pro-tip: If you sit outside in the Sun while you do your grounding and breathwork, you kill three birds with one stone and are ready to take on the fourth daily habit with gusto!).

Okay, other than the “put your feet on the floor” thing, this last daily habit could get me the most blowback. You will probably question my mental health after I tell you this but trust me, it’s a thing! After your grounding episode, come back in the house and take your shower. Nice warm shower, feels great, cleanse your body and your soul. Rinse off all of the soap and shampoo. Just before you are ready to get out. Slap the water to full-assed cold and freakin DEAL WITH IT! Stand in the stream for thirty seconds to three minutes, as long as you can stand it. You will gasp. Your body will fight you and plead with you and beg you to make it stop! Take it as long as you can then get out and dry off. Again, this is science, and I will explain it in detail in upcoming weeks. This deals with inflammation, mental and physical resilience, endurance and the body’s ability to sustain unpleasantness. In short, this sucks while you are doing it, but the sense of well-being and surge of feel-good chemicals will last for hours.

There it is. The five things that you can do every morning before you start your day that will change your life.

Not might… WILL! These are free and all it takes is making them a habit. Habits are another topic that we will discuss in upcoming posts.

If you feel like you are getting value from these posts, please share with your friends. Have them sign up for my email list so they can keep up with this material.

Next week we talk about grounding in detail. See you then!

Masculinity is NOT toxic!

Opposed to popular belief, there is NOTHING wrong with or toxic about being a man! The world needs men. I mean real men.  We seem to have become a society of people who have forgotten that strength with restraint is a virtue. The world needs men that run TO the sound of trouble, not away from it. We need men who believe it is our role to protect the those we love, not because they cannot protect themselves, but because it is our duty as men to stand between the those we love and harm that seeks to destroy them. 

As men, we believe it is our duty to smooth the path to an easier life for our loved ones.  Be that by opening a door, paying for dinner or walking on the traffic side of a sidewalk, we make ourselves a human shield between the world and the ones we love.

It is a matter of honor and in today’s world, honor is becoming a rare thing.  There may be those who read this and believe that I am talking about “Toxic Masculinity”.  Those people need to understand this: The way that Hankins Health sees manhood is a matter of honor.  If you slap a woman, beat a child or in any way abuse another person for ANY reason including sex, race, gender identity, sexual preference, religion or social status, you have no honor and therefore are NOT a man.  I do not apologize to anyone for these beliefs. If you do not agree, go find another website. You will not find what you are looking for here. 

Manhood is not racist, sexist or homophobic. We do not need that foolishness to be a man.

I am a 60-year-old man. I have spent my entire adult life in the service of others and in healthcare.  I was a Paramedic and firefighter in the 80s.  I became a registered nurse in the early 90s working in the Emergency Department.  I spent many years working side by side with law enforcement, EMS, fire service and security. This is where I came to understand strength of character and the “balls” that it takes to do these jobs.

I spent most of the last 25 years working for the Ohio Department of Correction and Rehabilitation.  These people are the true definition of courage.  Working in a maximum-security prison, I saw acts of bravery and self-sacrifice that most people cannot imagine. Corrections is the true “silent service”.  The only time you hear about correctional employees is when something bad happens.  This is an extremely stressful, hazardous, and thankless job for which there is next to no recognition or glory.  The average career correctional employee will live less than 5 years after retirement.  That should tell you something.  It has been my honor to work beside these heroes and know what true courage is. 

I never had the honor of military service.  This was one of the few regrets of my life.  I was disqualified due to poor vision, which was probably a good thing for all involved!  I have the utmost respect for those who serve.

I have also never worked in the trades, but I am good friends with several union welders, pipefitters, masons, and electricians.  I understand the fact that without your effort, everything that we have in this country would not exist. I thank you for your hard work and dedication to making America what it is. 

These men are real men.  We do not apologize for our beliefs or our nature.

I have told you these things to say this:  Our bodies are under attack.  Our testosterone, which is the hormone that makes us men is being destroyed daily. Around the time we turn 30 years old, our natural production of testosterone decreases by 1% a year on average.  We are then bombarded by “Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs)” that cause the destruction of our ability to produce testosterone.  These EDCs are in everything that we eat and drink (Including tap water). They are in the paint on our walls and the plastic in our homes and vehicles.  They are in the air that we breathe. And they are slowly destroying our manhood. During World War II, it has been estimated that the average man’s testosterone level was near 1200 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). The average today is between 300 and 900 ng/dL.  As a result, we are constantly tired, have no motivation or sex drive and have a significant loss of muscle mass.  We are led to believe this is a normal part of aging.

IT IS NOT!

Although we cannot avoid the EDCs that are part or every aspect of modern life, we can replace the testosterone that is being taken from us!

Hankins Health is dedicated to helping men regain what we have lost, to regain the strength and endurance that we had in our 20s. To once again be the men that are capable of providing for our families and protecting those we love. 

If you are interested in Testosterone Optimization Therapy (TOT) through Hankins Health, contact us at Hank@hankinshealth.com or leave a message at (740) 858-8124.

If you are not yet ready to take that step, sign up for our weekly email. We will be discussing what testosterone does in your body (Hint: IT’S EVERYTHING), why it is being destroyed, ways to naturally increase your body’s natural production of testosterone as well as many other topics that relate to a man’s health and ways to improve your physical and mental wellbeing.

Thanks for taking the time to read this article. We hope to hear from you soon.

Stay strong!

Darryl (Hank) Hankins Certified Nurse Practitioner

Breathwork!

Today, we are going to talk about breathing! Are you excited? 

It is much more impactful to your life than you even realize.  

Number one, you do it twenty THOUSAND times per day.  There is a very specific, biochemical reason why we breathe. It deals with your mitochondria. Remember those pesky little things that we talked about during the grounding discussion?  Mitochondria convert fuel (in the form of carbohydrates or fatty acids) and oxygen to produce Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) into energy to run your body.  Everyone knows that if you don’t get enough oxygen, you die. The REASON you die is because your mitochondria cannot make fuel without oxygen. Simple enough? Actually, no, it is NOT simple at all.  It is an absolutely amazing chemical and electrical process without which, we are not alive. As I have said before, if you want to see a miracle, look in the mirror!  

So, do some minor, mental gymnastics with me.  If you don’t get enough oxygen, it has immediate, profound, life altering effects on your life and health. Therefore, would you think that increasing the amount of oxygen in your body could also have immediate, profound, life altering effects on your life and health?  I was kidding about the mental gymnastics thing.  I am just going to give you the answer. YES, YES, YES! 

Most of us walk around, just breathing. If we exercise, the breathing increases.  If we are frightened, the breathing increases. If the womenfolk (and some of the menfolk) see Rip beat somebody up on Yellowstone, our breathing increases. But, overall, most of us stay in the ballpark of 20,000 breaths per day.  When we don’t breathe deeply, carbon dioxide (A waste product of the whole mitochondria thing) builds up in the bases of our lungs.  It just sits there and becomes all “Acid-y”. Bodies don’t like acid.  

Here is another crazy thing that will make you say whhhhhhhaaaaat? in your most skeptical voice. Nose breathing… Yeah, that’s right.  Breathing alone isn’t enough. You need to breathe through your nose (I will explain that part shortly). 

Many studies have shown there are a great number of benefits to regular, daily, deep breathing exercises. This is all based on science, I promise!  

Deep breathing has been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety. In today’s “Fast Car” world, we are constantly faced with stressful situations from bills to traffic, to family matters to the fact that Rip makes my wife’s breathing increase! All these stressors stimulate our Sympathetic Nervous System. That is that whole “Fight or flight” thing.  It causes a release of epinephrine (Adrenaline), nor-epinephrin and acetylcholine.  These chemicals get us ready to fight Rip or run from Rip. Either way, your heart rate increases, your blood pressure increases, your pupils dilate, and you are ready for action.  The problem is that your cave-man body cannot tell the difference between being chased by Rip or having an overdue phone bill. The act of slow, deep breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system which counteracts all that nastiness that the sympathetic system creates. It reduces the heart rate and relaxes the blood vessels which allows the blood pressure to decrease.  Think of it as God’s “Be cool biscuit”. 

Breath work also helps to increase your energy level.  Remember that whole, mitochondria thing I talked about a few paragraphs back? 

Yeah, that.  

Breath work can also boost your immunity.  This is the point at which some of you will be saying “Come oooooon! This is snake oil!”.  Stay with me! 

The organ in your body that has the most exposure to the environment is your lungs.  Everything with which you come in contact can enter your lungs. Bacteria, dust, toxins, your dog’s hair. The off gassing of that polyester tracksuit that your neighbor, the drug dealer, is wearing… it all enters your lungs. If you took the entirety of your lungs’ inner surface area and laid it out, it is approximately the size of a pickleball court!  That’s a LOT of surface area, meaning a lot of blood flow, meaning a lot of availability for crud to enter your body. When you breathe deeply, it changes the pH of the mucous inside your lungs, this does a great job of killing renegade bacteria and viruses that may sneak in.  

Now, let's talk about the “Breathe through your nose” malarky.   When you breathe through your nose the air comes in contact with the mucous membranes inside your nasal passages (Obviously).  The increased oxygen causes said mucous membranes to release nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a smooth muscle relaxer.  Guess what the inner pathways of your lungs are made of.  You guessed it, smooth muscle.  This muscle relaxation causes the pathways to dilate (open up and get bigger) which allows more oxygen (and nitric oxide) to be absorbed into your blood stream which feeds those pesky mitochondria and increases your energy production!  Also… the nitric oxide does the same thing to your blood vessels that it does to your lung tissue. It relaxes them.  When the smooth muscle on the inside of your arteries dilates then your blood pressure decreases. So, yes, deep breathing can reduce stress, reduce blood pressure, increase energy and just make you an all-around wonderful person.  

Sooooooo whatarewegonnadoaboutit?  

If you are following the practices of the modern caveman as espoused by Hank, you are already sitting outside with your bare feet on the ground.  Little electrons are bouncing around, getting rid of inflammation. Since you are sitting there anyway, inhale through your nose as deeply as you can. Push your stomach out which allows your diaphragm to contract, which pulls air into your lungs like a bellows. This increases your lung volume massively. When you exhale, force all the air out of your lungs. That is the basis of breath work.  Now do this: Breathe in 30 times as deeply as you can. It doesn’t need to be fast, just deep. On the 30th exhalation, hold your breath for as long as you can. Don’t pass out but make yourself uncomfortable. This depletes the oxygen and increases the carbon dioxide (The waste product of respiration) in your bloodstream. As a result, the next cycle of deep breaths will pack even more oxygen into your blood and send even more oxygen to your mitochondria. Now, do all of that again.  Complete a total of 3 cycles of deep breathing with 2 episodes of breath holding in between.  This will take 7 to 10 minutes in total.   

If you get really into this, there are many different deep breathing techniques. Look them up on YouTube.  

I promise you that if you make this a part of your daily routine, you will feel the benefits.  So go ground and breathe! 

Next week we will talk about cold exposure.  THAT will be a good time!   

Until then, Stay strong! 

Hank