Think of human growth hormone (HGH) as little messengers in our body that tell our cells when to grow and reproduce. Through the age of about 20, HGH is released in relatively high quantities in our body. After the growth phase of our life is over, HGH does a swan dive, decreasing rapidly from the age of roughly 20 to 30. The descent continues, albeit less rapid, from 30 to 40 - then sort of plateaus off after that.

Needless to say, the use of prescription supplements for HGH is a big hit among those of us who want to stay strong, look lean and be younger. I've learned to never say never, but I consider myself a natural kinda gal. And I also have a lot of faith in what the human body can do for us if we treat it right. I don't see the use of prescription HGH in my future, but I do intend to do the best I can to leverage my body's own HGH when it's available.

Does HGH offer a sort of fountain of youth? HGH helps to build muscle, keep bones strong and improve the health of vital organs - especially the heart. Since HGH helps cells reproduce, and our bodies are merely a mass of cells - then yes - HGH does have a very youthful effect on the body. The slower our cells reproduce, the slower our body regenerates. The faster our cells reproduce, the quicker dead cells get pushed out of the way and new ones move into their place.

Make sense?

Increase HGH Naturally

Despite the fact that most older adults don't produce HGH the way they did when they were 18, the body still produces and releases it...just in lesser quantities. Here are a few tips for your to follow to leverage your own growth hormone when its available:

1) Intense Workouts Increase HGH

If you read my blog regularly, you know I'm a big fan of short, fast workouts. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, HGH increases by 771% during short, intense bursts of exercise. In terms of growth of our body through exercise, think of long, slow workouts as catabolic. Our body eats away at muscle after extended periods of time in this mode. Short, intense intervals put release HGH, making our body anabolic. We release hormones that allow our muscles to grow.

This isn't to say that a nice, slow run won't help you or isn't good for you. Any form of activity is good, but if you're interested in increasing HGH specifically, then pushing yourself harder will help.

You don't need to be an athlete to push yourself hard.

Anyone can do shorter, faster workouts. Push your body to a point of perceived exertion that is very, very strenuous. Here is a sample workout that can be done doing any type of cardio (treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, rower, the sidewalk or road outside your house):

Warm Up

5 to 10 minutes (walk, stretch, jog easy, get blood flowing through the muscles)

Work Hard.

Here is my Hard Push workout. Especially great to do on a day when you've got a limited amount of time to workout.
Push yourself to the point of exhaustion through each of the intervals. If you have more left in the tank, you probably need to work harder).

2 Minute Hard Push
1 to 2 Minutes Recovery (Very easy effort. Time to catch your breath.)
90 Seconds Hard Push
1 Minute Recovery
1 Minute Hard Push
1 Minute Recovery
30 Second Hard Push
1 Minute Recovery
30 Second Hard Push
1 Minute Recovery
1 Minute Hard Push
1 Minute Recovery
90 Second Hard Push
1 Minute Recovery
2 Minute Hard Push
Cool Down

2) Post-Workout Protein Increases HGH

A lot of people will reach for a sports drink or energy bar after a hard workout. Don't make that mistake.

Carbohydrates are bad, but right after a hard workout - and to really take advantage of all the HGH floating around in your blood - eat or drink protein within 15 to 30 minutes of finishing.

The best thing to do is to have something handy in your kitchen or at your gym, ready-to-eat and get to work inside you body.

If you just went for an easy jog that was, let's say, 45-minutes long, you don't need to be as concerned with making sure your eating much of anything after you're done. The levels of HGH aren't nearly as high after an easy moderate-length workout, and your liver probably still has plenty of sugar for your body to use...so there is no need to reload on carbs either.

But if you just finished up a super intense workout that revolved around weight lifting or HIIT, then protein consumption is a must!

So what should you eat?

A few examples of good post-workout protein sources include:

Protein Powder

Protein powder supplementation is such a personal preference. Different protein tolerances, flavors and added ingredients weigh in on everyone's purchase decision. No matter the source of the protein, making sure the powder is as clean as possible - that is free from artificial sweeteners, etc. - will help your body down the road more than you could imagine!

If you're interested in a whey-based protein powder, look for a whey protein concentrate rather than an isolate. Despite the fact that a concentrate contains a little more fat, and subsequently a little more lactose, concentrate is less processed and often times contain fewer additives.

Whey protein isolate on its own is pretty rough on the palate. It simply doesn't taste as good as a whey protein concentrate. Because of this, additional flavor enhancers of usually needed.

If you don't tolerate whey very well, there are egg-based protein powders on the market.If you're vegan, hemp or pea-based proteins can be a good alternative. Amazing Grass and Orgain are two brands that I've tried and like the taste of.

I don't recommend soy protein powder. Simply put, I'm not a fan and don't recommend it...ever.

Eggs

Yolk included, or you'll miss out on all the great choline. Eggs take a few minutes to make and are easy to bring with you on-the go.

Yogurt with Flax Seed

If you tolerate dairy, try adding some yogurt with ground flax seed. You'll get some extra fiber, protein and healthy fat to pair with protein-rich yogurt.

Nut Butter on Sprouted Grain Toast

If you can tolerate gluten, then a sprouted grain toast, like Ezekiel, paired with a protein-rich nut butter might be a good option for you.The combination of nut butter on sprouted grain toast provide all the amino acids necessary to make a complete protein! This is helpful if you're a vegetarian or vegan.

3) Sleep Boosts HGH Tremendously

Even if you workout every single day, nothing will give your body a boost of HGH like sleep.

Your brain's pituitary gland releases generous amounts of HGH at the beginning of every sleep cycle. Most HGH is released during the first wave of slow wave sleep in a sleep cycle.

One sleep cycle happens about every 90 minutes.

Slow wave sleep happens before REM, which means you need to be in a really comfortable sleep before HGH goes to work.

If we sleep eight full hours, that leaves room for about five cycles of sleep, and natural boosts of HGH!

Sleep is when your body has a chance to rebuild and really work with the HGH in your body. If you don't sleep, you'll likely be much less lean (fatter) than your better-sleeping counterparts. It's really important to try to get somewhere between 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Ideally, you want your body to go through three REM cycles. Anything less than that and you're selling your body short.

The cheapest, easiest and most effortless way to get HGH regenerated through your body is with a good night of sleep.

As a recap - the 3 easiest ways to boost your HGH are to:

- - Workout intensely - Remember that your intensity will depend on your fitness level. Simply challenge yourself!
  - Eat protein-rich foods shortly after a hard workout. Aim for eating or drinking something with protein within 30 minutes of finishing up.
  - Sleep - This is truly the easiest most effortless way to keeping your body healthy and youthful!

Increase HGH With These 3 Simple Tips That Work