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Why We Age – Part 2

by Tina Sprinkle, posted in Health and Wellness

Aging is defined as a progressive loss of physical integrity, functionality, and increased vulnerability to illness and death that begins on the cellular level.

While aging itself isn’t a disease, the aging process represents a major risk factor for several chronic diseases and conditions, including frailty and lack of resilience.

Research on the biology of aging has accelerated rapidly in the last two decades. Geroscience, a new branch of longevity science, seeks to address the biology of aging and the biology of age-related diseases together.

Aging is a predominant risk factor for most common chronic diseases that limit health span: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer,  metabolic syndrome, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease, to name a few.

Accumulated cellular waste, signaling errors, imperfect repairs, and cell damage all contribute to the symptoms of aging and ultimately lead to the development of age-related diseases that eventually kill us.

Understanding cell dysfunction and how it affects our bodies is the key to understanding why we age. 

This post explores what longevity scientists call the Ten Hallmarks of Aging and how they each contribute to the process.  

There’s a bit of biochemistry here, but don’t worry, we’ll decipher it further in workshop #1, on October 22, 2022, of THE BIG REWIND.

Reserve your spot today.

mitochondrial dysfunction

  • Mitochondria are the power plants of our cells. They produce the energy that our cells need to stay alive and function properly.
  • Cells contain hundreds to thousands of mitochondria on average. 
  • The older we get, the more our mitochondria become damaged and dysfunctional. 
  • Mitochondria become damaged in a variety of ways during our lifetime, such as mutations
  • in their DNA when they divide, by free radicals, and due to epigenetic changes.
  • When mitochondria are damaged, cells don’t have enough energy to properly function and maintain themselves.
  • Also, damaged mitochondria send disruptive signals to the cell, further disrupting proper cellular functioning. 
  • All of this contributes to aging.

Cellular Senescence

Senescent cells are sometimes called “zombie” cells because they are damaged cells that should have died but stay alive.

Senescent cells secrete inflammatory substances that damage the healthy surrounding cells, further contributing to inflammation and aging.

When we get older, these senescent cells accumulate in the skin, contributing to sagging of the skin and wrinkles. 

In the joints, senescent cells damage the cartilage, contributing to osteoarthritis. 

Senescent cells in the blood vessel walls lead to stiffer blood vessels which are more prone to breaking and accumulating plaque. 

Altered Cellular Communication

  • During aging, the environment our cells live in changes: it becomes pro-inflammatory, pro-aging, and damaging. This makes our cells age faster, leading to a vicious cycle as damaged cells secrete harmful substances that damage healthy cells.
  • When we get older, increasingly higher levels of destructive substances can be found in our bloodstream and cellular fluids. 
  • Examples of such substances are proinflammatory factors, proteins, peptides, metabolites, and hormones that damage our cells and accelerate aging. 
  • These circulating substances promote low-grade, systemic age-related inflammation also called “inflammaging”.
  • A dysregulated microbiome, a leaky gut, an aging immune system, and chronic pathogens like viruses can all contribute to altered cell communication.

Epigenetic Alterations

The epigenome is the complex machinery that determines how active each of our genes are. You can look at the epigenome as an on-off switch for genes.

The epigenome is very important for gene expression (which genes are active or inactive), and thus cellular function as a whole.

The problem is that during aging the epigenome becomes increasingly dysregulated.

Liver-specific genes are switched on in brain cells, stomach genes are switched on in muscle cells, and so on.

Genes that need to be turned off are turned on (like cancer-promoting genes), and genes that need to be turned on are switched off, such as genes that repair or protect our cells. 

Generally, we see that our DNA becomes more demethylated (there are less methyl groups sticking on the DNA which would normally prevent the DNA to be translated into protein). As a result, gene transcription is less suppressed in many areas.

This leads to specific genes becoming active that should not be active, like cancer-promoting genes.

Genomic Instability

  • During our lifespan our DNA becomes damaged, contributing to many problems given DNA contains all the instructions to build and maintain our body.

  • During aging, our DNA becomes more and more damaged, contributing to the aging process. 

    DNA can become damaged in two main ways:

    • Damage from the outside: This kind of damage is caused by external factors, like physical (e.g. UV light), chemical (e.g. specific drugs, substances in cigarette smoke, toxic compounds) and biological damage (e.g. viruses). 
  • Damage from the inside: This kind of DNA damage is caused by internal processes, such as replication errors when the DNA is copied, free radicals produced by cellular metabolism, spontaneous chemical reactions, a dysregulated epigenome, etc.
  • These actions lead to all kinds of DNA damage, such as mutations, DNA strand breaks, chromosomes that disappear or get rearranged, telomere attrition and shortening, and more.
  • Every day, in every cell, tens of thousands of insults damage the DNA, but most of them are repaired, fortunately.  As we age, the genes that repair DNA can get overwhelmed.

Telomere Shortening

Telomeres are short pieces as the end of our DNA strands.

You can compare telomeres to the caps on our shoelaces that prevent the laces from raveling out.

With every cell division, telomeres become shorter. When they are too short, cells stop dividing. These cells cannot continue supporting and forming our tissues properly.

Telomere length shortens with age. Progressive shortening of telomeres leads to senescence, apoptosis (cell death), or oncogenic transformation of somatic cells, affecting the health and lifespan of an individual. Shorter telomeres have been associated with increased incidence of diseases and poor survival.

The rate of telomere shortening can be either increased or decreased by specific lifestyle factors.

Better choice of diet and activities has great potential to reduce the rate of telomere shortening or at least prevent excessive telomere attrition, leading to delayed onset of age-associated diseases and increased lifespan.

Loss of Proteostasis

Proteins are the building blocks and workhorses of our cells.

Each cell contains many millions of proteins. Proteins are continuously broken down and built up.

However, this process is not perfect: some proteins are not broken down and keep lingering around in the cell.

They clump together and start to

 

accumulate in and around the cells, causing the function of the cells to deteriorate, all contributing to the process we call aging. 

“Proteostasis” refers to “protein homeostasis”. 

Homeostasis is the delicate, healthy balance that all cells strive for to stay alive and function properly.

With age, proteostasis deteriorates.

Deregulated Nutrient Sensing

During aging, important metabolic pathways become more and more dysregulated. These pathways regulate how our cells respond to nutrition.

When our cells become less tuned to nutrient signals,  it can result in reduced energy and metabolic dysfunction as we age.

The four pathways of nutrient-sensing regulate metabolism and influence aging. The four associated key protein groups are IGF-1, mTOR, sirtuins, and AMPK. We call these proteins “nutrient-sensing” because nutrient levels influence their activity. We will talk more about the impact of these proteins and what we can do about them in THE BIG REWIND workshop #2 on November 19, 2022.

It’s important to understand how the western diet with an overabundance of fast sugars, animal proteins, and unhealthy fats leads to an overactivation of these nutrient-sensing pathways and accelerates aging. 

STEM CELL EXHAUSTION

  • Stem cells are rare cells, scattered around in the body, that produce new, differentiated cells.

  • Stem cells are very important and very powerful. In fact, your whole body was created out of one super stem cell, namely the fertilized egg cell that nestled itself in the womb of your mother.

  • Our body is continuously rebuilt and replenished with new cells that derive from stem cells.
  • When we get older, our stem cells become dysfunctional or they die off. This leads to our tissues being far less replenished with new, healthy cells.

  • Additionally, as we age, some dysfunctional stem cells take over the existing stem cell pool. These stem cells are dysfunctional because they don’t maintain the tissues properly, but they reproduce faster than the normal stem cells, out-competing them.

Crosslinking

Cross-linking, (also known as glycosylation) attributes aging to chemical changes that happen gradually as proteins, structural molecules, and DNA develops detrimental chemical bonds (aka cross-links) to each other.

Cross-linking issues arise when glucose binds to protein. This process occurs under the presence of oxygen, and as we age there are increased odds that oxygen comes in contact with glucose and protein to activate the cross-linking transition.

This is somewhat similar to how apple slices (a glucose-rich food) will gradually turn yellow and brown as they are exposed to oxygen in the air.

Cross-linking of proteins may also play a role in the hardening of collagen and cardiac enlargement, increasing the risk for cardiac arrest.

Cross-linking is also associated with stiffening of blood vessel walls, delayed wound healing, reduced joint mobility, and changes in the lens of the eye.

In addition to these potentially serious implications, many believe that cross-linking is responsible for age-related skin changes including wrinkles and reduced elasticity.

As we grow older, sugar-derived bonds, or crosslinks, are formed between the proteins that make up our tissues, making tissues more stiff. Stiffer tissue is less capable of performing its function than soft, supple tissue, especially in blood vessels, the lungs and the skin.

summary

Aging changes occur in all of the body’s cells, tissues, and organs, and these changes affect the functioning of all body systems.

While your chronological age (how many birthdays you’ve had), will increase at a set rate as the years pass, your biological age, the measurement of your cellular age based on various biomarkers — can change due to how you choose to live your life.

Your biological age reflects a combination of your genetics, accumulated lifestyle factors, and other determinants such as demographics, diet, and exercise habits.

Addressing aging as the biochemical event that it is can help you reduce inflammaging, slow the ten hallmarks of aging, and help keep you strong, flexible, energetic, and focused.

Now that we know why we age. We’ll take a deeper dive into what we can do about it in our second in person workshop with Dr, Rahul Kapur on Saturday, November 12, 2022.

Our next blog in this series will detail actionable steps you can take today for a younger tomorrow!  Scheduled blog release date:  October 22, 2022.

Source:  Novoslabs

The mechanism of aging all boils down to keeping our mitochondria and DNA clean, healthy, and functional.

In addition to eating healthy, moving regularly, and staying connected in your community, new scientific discoveries in longevity can help us not only live longer but better, healthier, and with more joy!

Join Tina Sprikle for THE BIG REWIND, a 3-part series exploring the reasons why we age and what we can do about it. 

SIGN UP FOR THE SERIES
SINGLE WORKSHOP

All workshops take place in-person from 2:00-3:30 pm at Centered Spirit located at 8131 Wornall Road, Kansas City, Mo. 64114.  We will film each session for replay later should you have to miss the live event.

Single Workshop:      $45
All three workshops: $69

@ Centered Spirit
8131 Wornall Road
Kansas City, Mo  64114

workshop #1.
why we age

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2022  2:00-3:30 pm

Take a deep dive into the biochemistry of aging, and longevity science, to learn how you can not only live longer but live better!

@ Centered Spirit
8131 Wornall Road
Kansas City, Mo  64114

workshop#2.
what we can do

Saturday, November 12, 2022  2:00-3:30 pm

The importance of nutrition, meal timing, exercise, targeted supplementation, and peptide therapy for slowing down and reversing aging with special guest Dr. Rahul Kapur.

@ Centered Spirit
8131 Wornall Road
Kansas City, Mo  64114

workshop #3. ask the surgeon

Saturday, January 14, 2023  2:00-3:30 pm

You’re eating right, exercising and working your anti-aging protocol but still want a fresher face in the mirror.  Join special guest Dr. Regina Nouhan as she answers your questions about options for facial cosmetic surgery.

Each 90-minute workshop provides participants with:

  • The latest longevity research education
  • Actionable steps to improve your health, slow and or reverse aging
  • Workshop handout and Ebook
  • Resources links and service providers
  • Video replay
  • Optional follow-up resource texts
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

until we get this party started why we age - 10.22.2022

SIGN UP FOR THE SERIES
SINGLE WORKSHOP

Questions?

I’m always a text or email away.

Email me at tina@tinasprinkle.com or send me a text at 913 963 8546.

Why We Age – Part 1

by Tina Sprinkle, posted in Health and Wellness

THE BIG REWIND  workshop series details strategies to turn back our aging clock; prevent, slow, and reverse disease, and maintain our resilience, strength, and purpose.

New discoveries in the science of longevity not only reveal why we age but what we can do to slow the process – even to age backward!

Rather than a reactive disease-focused approach, THE BIG REWIND takes a proactive health-focused approach to aging.

Although we’re living longer than any time in history, most of us will spend the last few decades of our lives suffering from preventable and reversible ailments and diseases. 

Advances in surgery and medication help many of us live a longer lifespan, but what about our health span?  Lifespan is how long we live. Our health span is how many years we live a healthy, vibrant, and functional life.

Right now, six in ten Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease; and four in ten have more than one chronic disease.

All chronic disease is rooted in inflammation.  Inflammation is such a big part of aging that some researchers have even coined the term “Inflammaging” to describe the biological process of aging.

In the near future, 83 million Americans will have three or more chronic diseases, diseases that not only diminish quality and length of life but are almost entirely preventable. Chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, dementia, depression, osteoporosis, and autoimmune disease.

Because these diseases come on gradually, starting around age 45 or 50 we don’t always recognize the slow, steady decline in our energy, function, and wellbeing.

After 60, we may see a steeper decline, and by 70 we’re often ready to resign ourselves to poor health, pills, doctors, hospitals, and nursing homes! 

Why wait until you feel and see the decline? 

The optimal time to intervene is earlier, making lifestyle choices that support your best health in your 30s, 40s, and beyond.

Perhaps we’re not as proactive as we could be because our medical system tells us we’re fine unless we have an increased risk of disease. By focusing on treating disease, rather than preventing it, traditional medicine often fails us by waiting too long to address the problem when we can still do something about it.

But the new science of longevity, based on the principles of functional medicine, can teach us how to prioritize and optimize our health, function, and wellbeing.

Why wait a moment longer to live your healthiest, most vibrant life?

 

“Eighty percent of our future health is in our hands today.”
–  Dr. David Sinclair, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School

 

age AS a reflection of lifestyle

Longevity science has given us a unified theory of aging, that there are common underlying factors that seem to lead to downstream diseases of aging.

The diseases that we think are the causes of death: heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s, are really just downstream consequences of imbalances in our biology that we can do something about.

Depending on our genetics and life experience, aging may be expressed as heart disease in one person, cancer in another, diabetes, or Alzheimer’s in another.

This specific expression is due to underlying factors like inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, diet, gut health,  sleep, and exercise- all of which we have the immense ability to control.

The diseases we attribute to aging are largely preventable when we understand the impact of our lifestyle choices.

The foods we eat, the chemicals we are exposed to, how active we are, the quality of our sleep, stress management, sense of purpose and connection: all of these factors play a huge role in the rate of our aging.

AGING AND INFLAMMATION

We know the chronic diseases of aging are also called inflammatory diseases. This link between inflammatory dysfunction and aging known as “Inflammaging,” is more likely to occur when we engage in inflammatory lifestyle behaviors.

These include:

  • Consuming a diet high in processed foods, sugar, unhealthy fats, and excess calories.
  • Being sedentary.
  • Overconsuming alcohol and/or drugs.
  • Poor sleep habits and sleep quality.
  • Failing to manage stress.
  • Social isolation.
  • Lack of supportive community and purpose. 
  • Toxic exposure to environmental toxins found in cookware, cosmetics, food containers. cleaning supplies, medications, clothing and more.


The way we age is a direct reflection of our daily choices. 

Frailty, confusion, dysfunction or strength, resilience, and relevance.  The choice is all up to us.

your dna is not your destiny

While it is true that our genes determine our hair color, eye color, and how tall we are, they are not the final determinant of our potential for health or disease.

In fact, only about 15% of the risk for all chronic diseases is attributable to genetics- the remaining 85% is due to our own lifestyle choices and environment.

For instance, say you have a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease because you have a specific gene called APO E 4. 

If you have two APO E4 genes your risk of developing Alzheimer’s is nine times greater than the general population.

This does not mean you’re destined to get it, not everyone with these 

genes gets Alzheimer’s.  That’s because adopting an anti-inflammatory diet early in life can mitigate that risk by 50%!

Lifestyle choices have more impact when it comes to whether or not you end up with a chronic disease.

Type 2 diabetes is a prime example.

Certain genes, excess blood sugar, and body fat all boost the chance that you’ll develop it. 

But a person of normal weight, with low blood glucose, even if they have the highest-risk genetics, probably won’t get diabetes. 

The person who’s overweight, even if they have the lowest-risk genetics, is at greater risk for developing diabetes.  And we can control our weight and blood sugar.

LIFESTYLE AND EPIGENTICS

What is epigenetics?
Epigenetics is how our behaviors and environment influence the way our genes express themselves.

Simply explained, our genes are sections of our DNA.  DNA is the blueprint/instruction manual for building our unique body. 

If we liken our DNA to being the keys on a piano (fixed/mechanical), we still need someone to play the piano to make music. The player is epigenetics.

Epigenetics controls genes.
As the “piano player,” epigenetics determines a cell’s specialization- will it become a skin cell, blood cell, hair cell, liver cell, etc.)

Epigenetics has the ability to turn on a gene (gene expression) or turn off a gene (gene silencing), depending on the environmental stimuli.

What you eat, where you live, who you interact with, when you sleep, how you exercise – all of these can eventually cause chemical modifications around the genes that will turn those genes on or off over time.

And as we previously discussed, certain diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s, are influenced by which genes are expressed (active) or silenced (dormant.)

Epigenetics make us unique.
Why do some of us have blonde hair or darker skin? Why do some of us hate the taste of mushrooms or eggplants? Why are some of us more sociable than others?

Different combinations of genes that are turned on or off are what makes each one of us unique.

There’s also some indication that some epigenetic changes can even be inherited, so your lifestyle choices may be passed down to your children and grandchildren. The microbiome is a good example.

Epigenetics is reversible.
With more than 20,000 genes, the possible combinations of gene expression are limitless. 

As scientists seek to map the cause and effect of the different combinations, to see if it’s possible to reverse the gene’s state to keep the good while eliminating the bad… they could hypothetically cure cancer, slow aging, stop obesity, and so much more.

The potential of epigenetics science and its impact on aging is immense.

EpigeneticS and Age

We now know that epigenetics is the complex machinery determining how active or inactive each of our genes are. Genes are the keys on the piano- but epigenetics is the player of the piano, determining how genes are expressed or silenced.

The problem that occurs during aging is that our epigenetics become increasingly dysregulated.

Liver-specific genes are erroneously switched on in brain cells, stomach genes are switched on in muscle cells, and so on.

Genes that need to be turned off are turned on (like cancer-promoting genes), and genes that need to be turned on are switched off, such as genes that repair or protect our cells. 

Generally, we see that our DNA ages and becomes more demethylated (which we will explore more in The Big Rewind workshops). As a result, gene transcription (the process by which DNA is copied for protein synthesis),  is less suppressed in many areas.

This leads to specific genes becoming active that should not be active, like cancer and other disease-promoting genes. Combine that with the chronic inflammation that also accompanies aging and we have increased cellular dysfunction.

summary

The biochemistry of aging begins long before we may feel it on the cellular level.  Our genetics may predispose us to certain outcomes and risk for disease, but our lifestyle has the greater impact.

In other words, genetics load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger.

We now know from current research that only about 15% of our risk for developing chronic disease depends on genetics, but 85% has to do with diet and lifestyle. 

Thankfully, this is great news!
Because even if we have a genetic tendency toward premature aging and disease, we now know we can prevent and often reverse that propensity with targeted lifestyle habits and strategies.

THE BIG REWIND discusses these strategies in detail, but for now, let’s look at aging and where it begins- in our cells. 

Click here to read the next post about the ten hallmarks of aging.

The mechanism of aging all boils down to keeping our mitochondria and DNA clean, healthy, and functional.

In addition to eating healthy, moving regularly, and staying connected in your community, new scientific discoveries in longevity can help us not only live longer but better, healthier, and with more joy!

Join Tina Sprikle for THE BIG REWIND, a 3-part series exploring the reasons why we age and what we can do about it. 

All workshops take place in-person from 2:00-3:30 pm at Centered Spirit located at 8131 Wornall Road, Kansas City, Mo. 64114.  We will film each session for replay later should you have to miss the live event.

Single Workshop:      $45
All three workshops: $69

SIGN UP FOR THE SERIES
SINGLE WORKSHOP

workshop #1.
why we age

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2022
2:00 -3:30 PM

Take a deep dive into the biochemistry of aging, and longevity science, to learn how you can not only live longer but live better!

workshop#2.
what we can do

Saturday, November 12, 2022
2:00 – 3:30 PM

The importance of nutrition, meal timing, exercise,  targeted supplementation, and peptide therapy for slowing down and reversing aging with special guest Dr. Rahul Kapur.

workshop #3. ask the surgeon

Saturday, January 14, 2023
2:00 – 3:30 PM

You’re eating right, exercising and working your anti-aging protocol but still want a fresher face in the mirror.  Join special guest Dr. Regina Nouhan as she answers your questions about options for facial cosmetic surgery.

Each 90-minute workshop provides participants with:

  • The latest longevity research education
  • Actionable steps to improve your health, slow and or reverse aging
  • Workshop topic Ebook
  • Resources links and service providers
  • Video replay
  • Optional follow-up resource texts
SIGN UP FOR THE SERIES
SINGLE WORKSHOP
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

until we get this party started why we age - 10.22.2022

SIGN UP FOR THE SERIES

Questions?

I’m always a text or email away.

Email me at tina@tinasprinkle.com or send me a text at 913 963 8546.

Why We Age – Part 2

by Tina Sprinkle, posted in Health and Wellness

Aging is defined as a progressive loss of physical integrity, functionality, and increased vulnerability to illness and death that begins on the cellular level.

While aging itself isn’t a disease, the aging process represents a major risk factor for several chronic diseases and conditions, including frailty and lack of resilience.

Research on the biology of aging has accelerated rapidly in the last two decades. Geroscience, a new branch of longevity science, seeks to address the biology of aging and the biology of age-related diseases together.

Aging is a predominant risk factor for most common chronic diseases that limit health span: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer,  metabolic syndrome, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease, to name a few.

Accumulated cellular waste, signaling errors, imperfect repairs, and cell damage all contribute to the symptoms of aging and ultimately lead to the development of age-related diseases that eventually kill us.

Understanding cell dysfunction and how it affects our bodies is the key to understanding why we age. 

This post explores what longevity scientists call the Ten Hallmarks of Aging and how they each contribute to the process.  

There’s a bit of biochemistry here, but don’t worry, we’ll decipher it further in workshop #1, on October 22, 2022, of THE BIG REWIND.

Reserve your spot today.

mitochondrial dysfunction

  • Mitochondria are the power plants of our cells. They produce the energy that our cells need to stay alive and function properly.
  • Cells contain hundreds to thousands of mitochondria on average. 
  • The older we get, the more our mitochondria become damaged and dysfunctional. 
  • Mitochondria become damaged in a variety of ways during our lifetime, such as mutations
  • in their DNA when they divide, by free radicals, and due to epigenetic changes.
  • When mitochondria are damaged, cells don’t have enough energy to properly function and maintain themselves.
  • Also, damaged mitochondria send disruptive signals to the cell, further disrupting proper cellular functioning. 
  • All of this contributes to aging.

Cellular Senescence

Senescent cells are sometimes called “zombie” cells because they are damaged cells that should have died but stay alive.

Senescent cells secrete inflammatory substances that damage the healthy surrounding cells, further contributing to inflammation and aging.

When we get older, these senescent cells accumulate in the skin, contributing to sagging of the skin and wrinkles. 

In the joints, senescent cells damage the cartilage, contributing to osteoarthritis. 

Senescent cells in the blood vessel walls lead to stiffer blood vessels which are more prone to breaking and accumulating plaque. 

Altered Cellular Communication

  • During aging, the environment our cells live in changes: it becomes pro-inflammatory, pro-aging, and damaging. This makes our cells age faster, leading to a vicious cycle as damaged cells secrete harmful substances that damage healthy cells.
  • When we get older, increasingly higher levels of destructive substances can be found in our bloodstream and cellular fluids. 
  • Examples of such substances are proinflammatory factors, proteins, peptides, metabolites, and hormones that damage our cells and accelerate aging. 
  • These circulating substances promote low-grade, systemic age-related inflammation also called “inflammaging”.
  • A dysregulated microbiome, a leaky gut, an aging immune system, and chronic pathogens like viruses can all contribute to altered cell communication.

Epigenetic Alterations

The epigenome is the complex machinery that determines how active each of our genes are. You can look at the epigenome as an on-off switch for genes.

The epigenome is very important for gene expression (which genes are active or inactive), and thus cellular function as a whole.

The problem is that during aging the epigenome becomes increasingly dysregulated.

Liver-specific genes are switched on in brain cells, stomach genes are switched on in muscle cells, and so on.

Genes that need to be turned off are turned on (like cancer-promoting genes), and genes that need to be turned on are switched off, such as genes that repair or protect our cells. 

Generally, we see that our DNA becomes more demethylated (there are less methyl groups sticking on the DNA which would normally prevent the DNA to be translated into protein). As a result, gene transcription is less suppressed in many areas.

This leads to specific genes becoming active that should not be active, like cancer-promoting genes.

Genomic Instability

  • During our lifespan our DNA becomes damaged, contributing to many problems given DNA contains all the instructions to build and maintain our body.

  • During aging, our DNA becomes more and more damaged, contributing to the aging process. 

    DNA can become damaged in two main ways:

    • Damage from the outside: This kind of damage is caused by external factors, like physical (e.g. UV light), chemical (e.g. specific drugs, substances in cigarette smoke, toxic compounds) and biological damage (e.g. viruses). 
  • Damage from the inside: This kind of DNA damage is caused by internal processes, such as replication errors when the DNA is copied, free radicals produced by cellular metabolism, spontaneous chemical reactions, a dysregulated epigenome, etc.
  • These actions lead to all kinds of DNA damage, such as mutations, DNA strand breaks, chromosomes that disappear or get rearranged, telomere attrition and shortening, and more.
  • Every day, in every cell, tens of thousands of insults damage the DNA, but most of them are repaired, fortunately.  As we age, the genes that repair DNA can get overwhelmed.

Telomere Shortening

Telomeres are short pieces as the end of our DNA strands.

You can compare telomeres to the caps on our shoelaces that prevent the laces from raveling out.

With every cell division, telomeres become shorter. When they are too short, cells stop dividing. These cells cannot continue supporting and forming our tissues properly.

Telomere length shortens with age. Progressive shortening of telomeres leads to senescence, apoptosis (cell death), or oncogenic transformation of somatic cells, affecting the health and lifespan of an individual. Shorter telomeres have been associated with increased incidence of diseases and poor survival.

The rate of telomere shortening can be either increased or decreased by specific lifestyle factors.

Better choice of diet and activities has great potential to reduce the rate of telomere shortening or at least prevent excessive telomere attrition, leading to delayed onset of age-associated diseases and increased lifespan.

Loss of Proteostasis

Proteins are the building blocks and workhorses of our cells.

Each cell contains many millions of proteins. Proteins are continuously broken down and built up.

However, this process is not perfect: some proteins are not broken down and keep lingering around in the cell.

They clump together and start to

 

accumulate in and around the cells, causing the function of the cells to deteriorate, all contributing to the process we call aging. 

“Proteostasis” refers to “protein homeostasis”. 

Homeostasis is the delicate, healthy balance that all cells strive for to stay alive and function properly.

With age, proteostasis deteriorates.

Deregulated Nutrient Sensing

During aging, important metabolic pathways become more and more dysregulated. These pathways regulate how our cells respond to nutrition.

When our cells become less tuned to nutrient signals,  it can result in reduced energy and metabolic dysfunction as we age.

The four pathways of nutrient-sensing regulate metabolism and influence aging. The four associated key protein groups are IGF-1, mTOR, sirtuins, and AMPK. We call these proteins “nutrient-sensing” because nutrient levels influence their activity. We will talk more about the impact of these proteins and what we can do about them in THE BIG REWIND workshop #2 on November 19, 2022.

It’s important to understand how the western diet with an overabundance of fast sugars, animal proteins, and unhealthy fats leads to an overactivation of these nutrient-sensing pathways and accelerates aging. 

STEM CELL EXHAUSTION

  • Stem cells are rare cells, scattered around in the body, that produce new, differentiated cells.

  • Stem cells are very important and very powerful. In fact, your whole body was created out of one super stem cell, namely the fertilized egg cell that nestled itself in the womb of your mother.

  • Our body is continuously rebuilt and replenished with new cells that derive from stem cells.
  • When we get older, our stem cells become dysfunctional or they die off. This leads to our tissues being far less replenished with new, healthy cells.

  • Additionally, as we age, some dysfunctional stem cells take over the existing stem cell pool. These stem cells are dysfunctional because they don’t maintain the tissues properly, but they reproduce faster than the normal stem cells, out-competing them.

Crosslinking

Cross-linking, (also known as glycosylation) attributes aging to chemical changes that happen gradually as proteins, structural molecules, and DNA develops detrimental chemical bonds (aka cross-links) to each other.

Cross-linking issues arise when glucose binds to protein. This process occurs under the presence of oxygen, and as we age there are increased odds that oxygen comes in contact with glucose and protein to activate the cross-linking transition.

This is somewhat similar to how apple slices (a glucose-rich food) will gradually turn yellow and brown as they are exposed to oxygen in the air.

Cross-linking of proteins may also play a role in the hardening of collagen and cardiac enlargement, increasing the risk for cardiac arrest.

Cross-linking is also associated with stiffening of blood vessel walls, delayed wound healing, reduced joint mobility, and changes in the lens of the eye.

In addition to these potentially serious implications, many believe that cross-linking is responsible for age-related skin changes including wrinkles and reduced elasticity.

As we grow older, sugar-derived bonds, or crosslinks, are formed between the proteins that make up our tissues, making tissues more stiff. Stiffer tissue is less capable of performing its function than soft, supple tissue, especially in blood vessels, the lungs and the skin.

summary

Aging changes occur in all of the body’s cells, tissues, and organs, and these changes affect the functioning of all body systems.

While your chronological age (how many birthdays you’ve had), will increase at a set rate as the years pass, your biological age, the measurement of your cellular age based on various biomarkers — can change due to how you choose to live your life.

Your biological age reflects a combination of your genetics, accumulated lifestyle factors, and other determinants such as demographics, diet, and exercise habits.

Addressing aging as the biochemical event that it is can help you reduce inflammaging, slow the ten hallmarks of aging, and help keep you strong, flexible, energetic, and focused.

Now that we know why we age. We’ll take a deeper dive into what we can do about it in our second in person workshop with Dr, Rahul Kapur on Saturday, November 19, 2022.

Our next blog in this series will detail actionable steps you can take today for a younger tomorrow!  Scheduled blog release date:  October 22, 2022.

The mechanism of aging all boils down to keeping our mitochondria and DNA clean, healthy, and functional.

In addition to eating healthy, moving regularly, and staying connected in your community, new scientific discoveries in longevity can help us not only live longer but better, healthier, and with more joy!

Join Tina Sprikle for THE BIG REWIND, a 3-part series exploring the reasons why we age and what we can do about it. 

SIGN UP FOR THE SERIES

workshop #1.
why we age

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2022

Take a deep dive into the biochemistry of aging, and longevity science, to learn how you can not only live longer but live better!

workshop#2.
what we can do

Saturday, November 12, 2022

The importance of nutrition, meal timing, exercise, targeted supplementation, and peptide therapy for slowing down and reversing aging with special guest Dr. Rahul Kapur.

workshop #3. ask the surgeon

Saturday, January 14, 2023

You’re eating right, exercising and working your anti-aging protocol but still want a fresher face in the mirror.  Join special guest Dr. Regina Nouhan as she answers your questions about options for facial cosmetic surgery.

Each 90-minute workshop provides participants with:

  • The latest longevity research education
  • Actionable steps to improve your health, slow and or reverse aging
  • Workshop handout and Ebook
  • Resources links and service providers
  • Video replay
  • Optional follow-up resource texts
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

until we get this party started why we age - 10.22.2022

SIGN UP FOR THE SERIES

Questions?

I’m always a text or email away.

Email me at tina@tinasprinkle.com or send me a text at 913 963 8546.

The Big Rewind

by Tina Sprinkle, posted in Health and Wellness

The Big Rewind is a three-part workshop series about aging: how we age and why we don’t have to.

Some of our most simple, everyday habits have immense opportunity to impact the way we age—the Big Rewind Workshop series is your guide to preventing chronic illness and supporting a long, vital, and fully functional life. 

By focusing on healthspan as opposed to lifespan, we can learn ways to extend our years of feeling great and living fully— instead of struggling to endure the last of them.

This series addresses the root causes of aging, including:

  • inflammation
  • hormone balance
  • a healthy gut and microbiome
  • longevity nutrition
  • epigenetics, and
  • the importance of sleep, connection, movement, targeted supplementation, and longevity lifestyle hacks 

Longevity science is literally exploding right now. New and exciting discoveries are toppling the “old” paradigm of aging, revealing a new frontier where we can slow and even reverse the aging process.

In addition to discussing lifestyle changes to support your healthspan, this course discusses how to use epigenetics to support your DNA, improve mitochondrial function, hormone balance, and brain health. 

Because aging isn’t optional, but how you age is.

 

the big rewind workshop series

#1. HOW WE AGE 
(The biochemistry of aging)

#2. WHY WE DON’T HAVE TO 
(Science-based strategies to reset and rewind our biological clock), and

#3. SKIN DEEP INTERVENTIONS
(Options to align your outside to match your new, younger inside!)

SIGN UP FOR THE SERIES
SINGLE WORKHOP

All workshops take place in-person from 2:00-3:30 pm at Centered Spirit located at 8131 Wornall Road, Kansas City, Mo. 64114.  We will film each session for replay later should you have to miss the live event.

Single Workshop:      $45
All three workshops: $69

@ Centered Spirit
8131 Wornall Road
Kansas City, Mo  64114

workshop #1.
why we age

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2022    2:00-3:30 pm

Take a deep dive into the biochemistry of aging, and longevity science, to learn how you can not only live longer but live better!

Single workshop $45
All 3 workshops   $69

@ Centered Spirit
8131 Wornall Road
Kansas City, Mo  64114

workshop#2.
what we can do about it

Saturday, November 12, 2022   2:00-3:30 pm

The importance of nutrition, meal timing, exercise, targeted supplementation, and peptide therapy for slowing down and reversing aging with special guest Dr. Rahul Kapur.

@ Centered Spirit
8131 Wornall Road
Kansas City, Mo  64114

workshop #3. ask the surgeon

Saturday, January 14, 2023   2:00-3:30 pm

You’re eating right, exercising and working your anti-aging protocol but still want a fresher face in the mirror.  Join special guest Dr. Regina Nouhan as she answers your questions about options for facial cosmetic surgery

Each 90-minute workshop provides participants with:

  • The latest longevity research education
  • Actionable steps to improve your health, slow and or reverse aging
  • Workshop handout/transcript
  • Resources links and service providers
  • Video replay
  • Optional follow-up resource texts
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

until we get this party started why we age - 10.22.2022

SIGN UP FOR THE SERIES
SINGLE WORKHOP

Questions?

I’m always a text or email away.

Email me at tina@tinasprinkle.com or send me a text at 913 963 8546.

Barbados Brain Spa Resources

by Tina Sprinkle, posted in Growth Opportunities

welcome!

The resources listed here are to help you increase mindfulness and reduce stress, tension, and anxiety. 

This is a dynamic list so please share your favorite tips and resources by emailing tina@tinasprinkle.com

 Click on pictures to link to the specific resource. 

BOOKS

The Body Keeps The Score
by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.

Getting Past Your Past
by Francine Shapiro

Heart Minded
by Sarah Blondin

Mindful Self Compassion 
by Kristin Neff /Christopher Germer

The Tapping Solution
by Nick Ortner

The Heart Math Solution 
by Doc Childre and Howard Martin

What Lurks in the Woods
by our very own Nicole Bell

Get it!  Read it!

WEBSITES/PRODUCTS

Heart Math Website

Heart Math/Inner Balance 

Touchpoint Solution
Bi-lateral Buzzies for EMDR

Pinch me Therapy Dough

Insight Timer Meditation App

Think Up Positive Affirmation App

podcasts

Living Centered Podcast

Transforming Trauma Podcast

Live Awake Podcast

Michael Singer Podcast

guided meditation

Sarah Blondin is one of my favorite meditation teachers.  Focusing on self-love, and compassion, Sarah’s warm and gentle approach make her meditations especially nurturing. 

Meditations vary in length and focus.

Dakota is an international teacher, author, speaker, and the founder of Gaia Wisdom School.  Trained in Shamanic Breathwork, Trance Dance, Shamanic Soul Coaching, Celebrant, and Meditation, Dakota’s guided sessions take you to another realm of presence and creativity. 

Dr. Kristin Neff is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research and author of many books on the topic. 

Her insight timer library is a treasure trove of talks and guided meditations.

other resources

30 DAY MINDSET JOURNAL

BUTTERFLY HUG TUTORIAL

BLOOD SUGAR BALANCE COOKBOOK

VIRTUAL WORKOUTS WITH TINA

WILD IN MONTANA WOMEN’S ADVENTURE RETREAT

FALL YOGA, MEDITATION, AND JOURNAL RETREAT

Blood Sugar Balance 2022

by Tina Sprinkle, posted in Food for Thought

Blood sugar imbalance is an underlying cause in most chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and more.  

This 4 (+) week Blood Sugar Balance program provides everything you need to eat, move, and sleep to keep your blood sugar in the sweet spot- The spot where you have sustained energy, focus, and moods. 

We’ll take a deep dive into the sugar/insulin connection, the role of gut and mitochondrial health in weight gain (and loss), and practical ways to maximize the benefits of exercise and sleep to create your own metabolic sweet spot! 

In functional nutrition we look past the presenting symptoms to understand the underlying cause of your fatigue, weight gain, sleeplessness, and cravings. 

Until we address the “non-negotiables”  (blood sugar, inflammation, oxidative stress, hormone imbalance), no lasting intervention will help.

The BSB+ program can help you take a closer look at “what’s going on inside your body” to best support your health, overcome stubborn weight gain, and balance food, cravings, energy and mood.

When it comes to weight loss, it's important to trust your gut

Recent research suggests that the composition of the gut microbiome can predict an individual’s likelihood of obesity.

New studies report that differences in our gut microbiome are also associated with our body’s response to weight loss interventions.

When it comes to blood sugar and insulin balance it’s crucial to trust—and support—your gut bacteria.

How Your Gut Health Affects Your Weight

Experts suspect that gut bacteria— specifically, a lack of diversity in the microbiome—could drive junk-food cravings, insulin resistance and more.

Since your gut bacteria line your intestines, they come into contact with the food you eat. This may affect what nutrients you absorb and how energy is stored in your body.

One study examined the gut bacteria in 77 pairs of twins, one of whom was obese and one of whom was not.

The study found that those who were obese had different gut bacteria than their non-obese twins. In particular, obesity was associated with lower gut bacteria diversity, meaning there were fewer types of bacteria in the gut.

 

Other studies have shown that if the gut bacteria from obese people are put into mice, the mice gain weight, suggesting gut bacteria could affect weight.

Other studies show the number and variety of bacteria in your gut may affect your weight by influencing how different foods are digested in your body.

Dietary fiber is digested by certain species of gut bacteria, which may aid weight loss.

Other gut bacteria digest certain antioxidants found in plants known as flavonoids, which may help prevent weight gain.

Our gut bacteria can also influence how dietary fats are absorbed in the intestines, which may also affect how fat is stored in the body.

 

the proof is your biochemistry

Most of us care about weight loss, but we need to back it up to our biochemistry.

Not surprisingly, our nutritional choices show up in our blood and not just on our hips.

When researchers collected blood samples collected before and after the weight loss intervention, they found changes in the levels of metabolic markers in the weight loss and no-weight-loss groups.

The weight loss group showed an increase in adiponectin levels. Fat tissue secretes the hormone adiponectin, and an increase in the levels of this protein is associated with weight loss.

The weight loss group also exhibited a decrease in the level of six proteins, which scientists have previously shown to be associated with inflammation, obesity, and other metabolic disorders.

Biochemistry precedes weight loss.

And weight loss is associated with healthy gut bacteria, reduced inflammation, and an improvement in metabolic and immune function.  

how does this program work?

  • DATES: 
    • Saturday, January 15 Kick-off @ 12 pm 
    • January 15-22 Prep Week
    • 4 Weekly Program with weekly Coaching Calls on Tuesdays @ 7 pm
  • GOALS:  Balance blood sugar, improve gut health and insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation, fatigue, and risk for metabolic disease.
  • METHOD:
      • Nutrition: (meal template, recipes, using our “macro mantra” at every meal: fat, fiber, and protein.
      • Gut Health Support: via targeted nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle interventions.
      • Movement for your Mitochondria: Learning the best and most efficient forms of exercise for metabolic health.
      • Education: Weekly small group coaching calls on a variety of topics to support your progress.
      • Motivation: Daily texts to inspire, educate, and motivate you to keep your focus on your program participation and personal transformation.
      • Tracking and Progress Updates: All participants will track daily food, mood, and movement. There’s an option for adding blood glucose monitoring with an at-home Contour One system or a Nutrisense CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor).
  • COMMUNITY: Prepare to be amazed by the power of this community to support, inform, and support you. We are ALWAYS better when we work together towards our goals.

  • Join our private FB group NOW

Sample Program Guide
and Week One Prep Booklet

Sample BSB Meal Plan
and Recipe Collection

Download Now
Download Now

two ways to play: enroll now!

BLOOD SUGAR BASICS

BLOOD SUGAR plus

This program includes:

  • Program materials and recipes
  • (5) Small group coaching calls
  • Daily texts and practical resources
  • Private Facebook group access.
  • 15% off optional Gut and Blood Sugar Support Supplements via FullScript
  • Optional: Help with blood sugar monitoring if student chooses to add their own blood glucose monitoring system.

This program includes:

  • Program materials and recipes
  • (5) Small group coaching calls
  • (4) (30) minute private coaching calls with Tina
  • Daily texts and practical resources
  • Private Facebook group access.
  • 15% off optional Gut and Blood Sugar Support Supplements via FullScript
  • Optional: Help with blood sugar monitoring if the student chooses to add their own blood glucose monitoring system.
Just $147
Just $297

oPTIONAL GLUCOSE MONITORING SYSTEMS FOR ADDITIONAL TRACKING

If you’ve been told or suspect you have insulin resistance, unstable blood glucose, or can’t seem to budge the belly fat no matter what you’ve tried, you might want to add a glucose monitoring system to this program.

There are two ways to go and I can coach you through each process as I have used both.

The first is an at-home system employing a small lancet, testing strips, and glucose monitor.  I use the Contour One brand and it comes with a cylinder to load lancets in so you just click and stick which is not difficult or painful at all.  Together, we’ll decide when to measure your blood sugar, logging the results to see trends and the impact of your food and drink choices.   Cost: between $70 -$100 

The second option is investing in a month or two using a CGM (continuous glucose monitor).  I use Nutrisense which supplies you with two sensors monthly to apply to the back on one arm.  It’s not painful either, measuring the interstitial fluid, not blood in your body to sense blood sugar fluctuations in real time.  Cost: $250-$350 depending on program.

Info on Contour One
Info on Nutrisense

Please Note: There’s no requirement to get either one of these systems to participate in this program.  They are entirely optional. 

Sign up for BASICS
Sign up for PLUS

Questions about this program or other coaching help?

I’m all ears! 

Email me at tinasprinkle.com or drop me a tet at 913 963 8546 today!

10-Day Blood Sugar Reset

by Tina Sprinkle, posted in Food for Thought, Health and Wellness

If you’re struggling with post-holiday fatigue, weight gain, belly fat, and bothersome sugar cravings, it’s time to reset your metabolic engine!

Join me for my 10-day Blood Sugar Reset 2024 with a kick-off workshop on Saturday, January 13th @ 12 pm

Show your body the respect it deserves and it will reward you with greater focus, stability, and metabolic health. 

Because it’s not about willpower- it’s about biochemistry.

BLOOD SUGAR BALANCE IS ABOUT MORE THAN WEIGHT LOSS!

What do excess belly fat, blood sugar imbalance and serious diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes have in common? Poor regulation of insulin, a hormone secreted by your pancreas, is the critical connection.

Insulin gets secreted in response to the elevation of your blood sugar. Insulin is necessary to get the sugar out of your blood and into the cells where it can be converted to energy. Without insulin, your blood sugar would skyrocket and you’d become diabetic.

But insulin may also be released in response to stress.

The relationship between cortisol (a stress hormone secreted by your adrenal glands) and insulin is circular. Increased cortisol raises blood sugar which causes an increase in insulin which in turn causes cortisol to go up.

When we are chronically stressed, our cortisol levels remain high which keeps our insulin levels high.  This interrupts the normal function of insulin in response to the food we eat.

SIGN UP NOW

Under normal circumstances, after a meal, the increased glucose in your blood causes your pancreas to secrete insulin.

The more glucose in your food, the more insulin is produced.

Insulin binds to the cell membranes and triggers the cell membrane to open up and let the glucose in.

Insulin allows glucose, amino acids, fats, magnesium, and other nutrients into the cell where they can be used in the mitochondria to produce energy.  When this is in balance we feel centered energetic, focused, and lean.

It’s when our blood sugar, insulin, and cortisol are out of balance we experience issues.

When you eat foods high in carbohydrates or eat your meals too close together (ie. snacking) it stimulates a rapid rise in glucose and in response, insulin.

When insulin is chronically high,  you are in a constant state of inhibited fat-burning, low growth hormone, and lower metabolic rate. The result is belly fat which is very hard to lose.

Excess insulin can also cause your blood sugar to get too low, leading to brain fog, irritability, and ravenous cravings due to blood sugar instability.

Chronically high blood sugar and insulin levels lead to insulin resistance. This is when the insulin receptors on your cells tire of the constant insulin stimulation and shut down. 

Less insulin in the cell and more insulin in the bloodstream is a recipe for weight gain, diabetes, and a host of other diseases.

when your cells become insulin resistant three things happen

 

  1. Insulin can’t keep up with the demand and your blood sugar starts to rise, leading to diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
  2. Insulin triggers fat storage around the middle so your belly grows steadily.
  3. Unbalanced blood sugar is stressful to your body causing increased levels of cortisol and insulin, sugar cravings, and unstable.

SOUND FAMILIAR?
Take this Free Sugar Quiz.

so what can we do about it?

The first thing to address is your sugar consumption.  This may sound simple but it’s a little harder to kick the habit than you might imagine.

That’s because sugar is hidden in all kinds of foods marketed to you as “healthy.”  Processed foods, condiments, sauces, and fruit juices are often packed with excess sugar.

So the first step is educating yourself about what you’re eating and then taking the steps to eliminate them for a few days to help reset your blood sugar and metabolic hormones.

The good news is you can do this in a relatively short time.  You can impact your blood sugar and hormone balance in as little as five to ten days!

You have the power to decrease belly fat, fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, and memory loss.

In this program you’ll learn:
  • That hunger, cravings, constant snacking, emotional eating, and binge eating are all connected to a metabolic imbalance that can be reversed… so you can experience emotional stability and freedom from food.
  • How to eat to melt away belly fat without feeling deprived or living on bacon grease.
  • How to lower your blood sugar even if you are a pre-diabetic or diabetic.
  • How to improve your blood chemistry and energy levels by balancing the queen of all hormones, insulin.
  • Learn what to eat to balance your blood sugar and reset your insulin receptors so you can improve your memory, energy, and focus.
SIGN UP NOW

there's no need to suffer.

All you need to know is how to reset your hormones to feel better fast.

Your excess weight and cravings aren’t something to be ashamed of, they’re biochemistry!

This 10-day Blood Sugar Reset is the first step in your healing journey. 

Free yourself by learning how to eat to support your own biochemistry to look and feel great!

 

SIGN UP NOW

Attention T School Alumni-
Save 20%. Use ALUMNI @ checkout.

Your 10-Day Blood Sugar Reset Includes:

  • 70-page Blood Sugar Balance Handbook
  • 10-Day Blood Sugar Balancing Meal Plan
  • 40 Delicious Blood Sugar Balancing Recipes
  • Step by Step Instructions to help you conquer your sugar addiction
  • Daily inspiration and resources via opt-in texts
  • Community support via Private FB group 
  • Virtual check-in with Tina, your Certified Functional Nutrition Coach, and Program Leader
  • Discounts on optional Blood Sugar Balance Supplements via Fullscript.

Just $99

Click here

stop blaming yourself

As a Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor, I can help you understand that your biochemistry is not your destiny.

Let me teach you how to eat to be free of cravings, weight gain, and self-sabotaging guilt.

It’s not magic- it’s science, and you can leverage it to feel at home in your body.  This reset is a great way to begin.


Questions?  Email me! 

Before you head to the ranch

by Tina Sprinkle, posted in Growth Opportunities

Greetings WILD IN MONTANA Retreat participants! You will be in Montana, hosted at the incomparable B Bar Ranch in just a few days. I thought it might be fun to learn more about the ranch, its mission, unique landscape, and beauty, as you travel this way.  Taking a moment to envision your retreat and what you’d like to get out of it is always good!

welcome to the b bar

The B Bar Ranch, established in 1906, preserves and protects the land, natural resources, and property values within the unique landscape in the Tom Miner Basin.
A place of spectacular beauty, the B Bar ranch is committed to protecting its unique and extraordinary environment in perpetuity.

The B Bar supports this deeply satisfying way of life and stewardship in the way they operate the ranch:

  • Raising Ancient White Park cattle (organic grass-fed grass-finished beef)

  • Embracing ecologically responsible practices

  • Maintaining organic certification of the land, cattle, and gardens

  • Practicing low-stress livestock management

  • Providing habitat and allowing free passage for the myriad of wildlife species that reside on or travel through the ranch

  • Sharing what they do with others who are interested in our activities and the values that underlie them
The Land and Natural Resources
The ranch is a part of a unique and fragile ecosystem and a place of exceptional beauty.

They respect and maintain its splendor by managing the natural resource base for sustainability and diversity, and strive to live in harmony and balance with its many native floral and faunal inhabitants.

They continuously evaluate how their management practices impact native species as to how they influence neighboring habitats, including U.S. Forest Service lands, other working ranches, and Yellowstone National Park.

Wildlife
The distinct assortment of vegetation and topography on the ranch provides important habitat for most forms of wildlife found in neighboring Yellowstone National Park.

Elk, white-tail and mule deer, moose, grizzly and black bear, wolves, coyotes, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, bobcat, mountain lions, and numerous small mammals roam the ranch’s 9,000 acres and freely traverse the six-mile boundary with Yellowstone Park.
Respecting the role of established predator/prey relationships and the importance of tempering activities with regard to native wildlife populations, they endeavor to live without conflict with their wildlife neighbors.

Traditional bird migration patterns include the flyways above the B Bar. More than 75 bird species either journey through or reside year-round on the ranch. We are fortunate to regularly observe sandhill cranes, great blue herons, great-horned owls, and bald and golden eagles.

We also see red-tail and rough-legged hawks, Clark’s nutcrackers, western meadowlarks, black-billed magpies, mountain bluebirds, ruffed and blue grouse, gray and Steller’s jays, western tanagers, mountain chickadees, pine grosbeaks, Canada geese, trumpeter swans, and various ducks and other waterfowl.

Tom Miner Creek provides precious habitat for its rare community of native Yellowstone cutthroat trout and a growing population of beavers.

The cattle on the b bar

Ancient White Park Cattle
Originally imported from England just before WWII, the B Bar Ranch purchased a bull and several female Ancient White Park cattle to begin their own herd in 1989.

Ancient White Parks have white coats with colored points (ears, feet and muzzles) that are usually black but occasionally red. Some of the cattle are mottled or solid black, expressing a recessive gene for color that runs through the population.

The cows frequently have upswept lyre-shaped horns that continue to twist as the animal’s age. The bulls typically have shorter horns that curve forward with age in a flat arc. 
The bulls reach mature weights of 1500 to 1800 pounds. They are extremely active and alert cattle with large flight zones that require careful handling. They are aggressive grazers and calve with exceptional ease.

The ranch has grown its own herd to a size that now allows for the establishment of new herds throughout North America.

Through the Ancient White Park Cattle Society of North America, they are maintaining the registration of offspring and producing herd books at regular intervals in addition to the registrations maintained with the White Park Cattle Society in Britain.

sustainability

With an abundance of native, bio-diverse grasses and wildlife active,  the B Bar goes to great lengths to protect this ecosystem.

  • They manage cattle activity to imitate that of wildlife while limiting their competition for resources.

  • They assure that the land is certified organic each year.

  • They streamline energy and water use whenever possible with gravity-fed irrigation systems, decreased labor energy, and vigilant use of high-efficiency light bulbs, consolidates trips to down and carpooling.

  • They also use current green guest laundry service practices, utilize gentle cleaning products, recycle materials and equipment, and compost kitchen and garden waste.

  • Visitors are encouraged to participate in our recycling efforts by using the containers placed in common areas and cabins and rooms. 

partnerships

The B Bar’s owners have welcomed non-profit organizations to make use of the ranch guest facilities since they bought it in 1978.

Known for their long-standing philanthropic activity, the owners have opened up their ranch home to select non-profit groups and guests whose goals synch with their agricultural, environmental, and social goals.

It’s especially rewarding how many people find themselves transformed by their experiences at the B Bar.

I’m  excited about our time together in this amazing landscape, so rich in history, and tradition.

Your time on the ranch will be a magical time of rest, renewal, fun, and adventure,  

 

b bar magic

By coming on this retreat, you have already set an intention to step outside your comfort zone and explore the great outdoors.

What other adventures, experiences, or ah-ha moments would you like to get out of your time on the ranch?

Challenging yourself through hiking, riding, rafting?  Wildlife viewing, sitting on your front porch, writing, reading, or simply resting?

All of these experiences are yours to explore, embrace and delight in.  What is your WILD in Montana adventure? 

With love and excitement, 

Tina

The view from the overlook trail on the B Bar Ranch.

Fall Yoga, Meditation & Journal Retreat

by Tina Sprinkle, posted in Growth Opportunities, Health and Wellness

Unchanged:
Unchanged:

move

Unchanged:Restore your mind and body as Tom and Tina lead you through daily yoga and mindful movement designed to both inspire and calm the senses.

Coming home to your body through guided movement and awareness is a powerful and healing act of self-love.

Taking this time to move inward to reconnect your head and heart, will strengthen your movement practice or help you begin one.

Unchanged:

“You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather..” ~Pema Chodron

Unchanged:
Unchanged:

Meditate

Unchanged:Stillness is a practice we cultivate to feel fully present and alive. In this retreat, you’ll have ample opportunity to drop down and drop inward with three-daily meditation practice sessions.

You’ll be amazed how quickly you’ll love this practice and the peace and comfort it brings to you.

Tom is an excellent meditation teacher, skillfully weaving humor, storytelling, and music to uplift and inspire your practice at Timber Creek and beyond.

LEARN MORE

Unchanged:
Unchanged:

jourNAL REFLECTION

Unchanged:Keeping a journal can be transformational. It’s a decisive practice that allows us to create a safe place to record and express our feelings, emotions, and deeply held desires.

If this is something you’d like to explore, Tina will provide guided journal prompts to make the process accessible and fun.

Keeping a journal can help access the music and voice of your true emotion.

For some, a journal is considered a best friend.

Unchanged:
Unchanged:

“All serious daring starts within.” ~Eudora Welty

Unchanged:
Unchanged:
Unchanged:

REST

Unchanged:Let yourself sink into the luxurious comfort and care of Timber Creek Retreat House. Just one hour south of Kansas City, you’ll feel you’ve escaped to a magical and magnificent lodge in the woods.

Surrounded by eighty acres of wooded trails and wildlife, Timber Creek is a refuge from life’s daily stresses with no detail of your comfort overlooked.

Take a nap in your king-sized bed, slip into a good book by a cozy fire, treat yourself to a massage or a lazy walk in the trees, or enjoy the serenity of the beautiful meditation room.

Timber Creek was conceived and created with one goal in mind: your comfort and well-being.

Unchanged:

“Just be, and enjoy being.” ~Eckert Tolle

LEARN MORE

Unchanged:
Unchanged:
Unchanged:

retreat

Unchanged:Busyness is an addiction that robs us of our wholeness. Taking time to rest, reflect, and retreat is a statement of our own self-worth and value.

  • Make time for healing.
  • Make time for presence.
  • Make time for sustenance, friendship, solitude, and silence

Open up and make time for your light to shine. It’s greatly needed in this world.

Unchanged:

“Almost anything will work again if you unplug it for a minute,
including you.” – Ann Lamott

Unchanged:

I’M READY!

Unchanged:

Questions?

Please email or text Tina for answers!
Email: tina@tinasprinkle.com
Text: 913 963 8546

Unchanged:
Unchanged:

* Timber Creek rooms are limited. Most are private rooms but you’re
welcome to share with a friend if you’re open to also sharing a bed.
Just select the semi-private option @ checkout.

SIGN UP NOW AND SAVE

Added:

Register before May 31st, 2022 and save $150!
Use code EARLYBIRD at checkout.

Small-Group Training Series

by Tina Sprinkle, posted in Food for Thought

Maybe you’ve gotten a great start with your Spring Cleanse but worry you’ll relapse without additional support.  Perhaps you’ve had trouble getting started all together and need someone to push you and hold you accountable. 

Both people can benefit from joining my Spring Cleanse Small Group Coaching series beginning Thursday, April 8th.

This session meets for 6 weeks each Thursday evening at 630 pm via Zoom.  

Beyond providing structure and accountability for your continued cleanse goals, these sessions provide a deeper dive into the intersection of food and physiology.

We’ll explore the relationship between weight loss resistance, sleep disturbance, gut health, and chronic stress.

Your Small Group Series includes:

  • Five weekly Zoom Sessions on Thursdays at 630pm
    1. Thursday, April 8 – Weight loss resistance
    2. Thursday, April 15 – Microbiome Matters
    3. Thursday, April 22 – Stress & the Gut-Brain Axis
    4. Thursday, April 29 –  Food Sensitivities
    5. Thursday,  May 6 – Timed Eating Protocols

  • Weekly Homework Assignments to complete

  • Weekly Accountability Updates from each participant

This series is an extension of my online Spring Cleanse course. I highly recommend you sign up for the Spring Cleanse course for the foundation and resources provided.  Luckily, I’ve included that option!

I'M SO IN!
SIGN ME UP!

Small-Group Training with
Spring Cleanse Course
$154

Small- Group Training Series for Spring Cleanse Alumni
$129

Move from Confusion to Clarity with this 5-week Group Coaching Series

This group is limited to 15 participants.  A minimum of 5 is required.