Living Young Forever

This is Food? "NOT"

The foods we eat are not providing our bodies with the nutrition it needs to survive and be healthy. We are starving our bodies and we are sick. We suffer from diabetes, heart attacks, obesity, and the list goes on and on.

Given proper nutrition, the human body has an amazing ability to heal itself. If properly fed and given the right nutrients, the human body is designed to repair itself.

To do so, we need to eat a healthier diet, exercise, and take high-quality supplements made from whole foods. Whole food supplements supply our bodies with nutrients we are not getting from our diet, all the vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and phyto-nutrients that foods possess in a way that nature intended, in a whole food form.

Many question the need to supplement their diet with Vitamins and minerals. However if you look deeper into the quality and type of foods most Americans consume the reality and evidence for the need to add daily dietary vitamin supplements is overwhelming.

As a nation, we eat poor-quality foods that have been stripped of nutrients.  We do not consume enough fresh fruits and vegetables.  Many of us get our whole grains from instant rice, refined wheat breads, pastas, and cereal. We eat a tremendous amount of prepackaged, pre-made meals. One-quarter of Americans eat at fast food restaurants each day. Americans are overfed and undernourished.

Yummy a favorite country style American favorite, along with various other versions of American breakfast’s delights. And how about that Starbucks supper coffee drink and a scone or bagel…another breakfast wonder.

So where are those suggested servings of fruits, low fat dairy or whole grains? Don’t get me wrong I love comfort food too and I am not suggesting that you should give up living a life fully alive. So what to do?

No problem for me I take along a multivitamin and a super green food tablet. I know it may sound like I am cheating the nutritional guru paradigm and yes you are right I am.  Once in a while I can have my cake or in this case biscuits and gravy and eat it too. With the wide variety of nutritional supplements available today there is no excuse for getting all the daily nutritional value you need.

Well the seasonal Flu finally caught up to me. Even though I have an immune system like a Rhino still somehow I managed to let one of those little viruses’ get past me. A few of my friends also contracted the Flu this year and all where complaining of persistent symptoms for several weeks. Unlike my friends I only experienced symptom for about 5 day and then I was back the game of life full throttle. When asked what my secret was I reminded them it was no secret I just kept up with my daily Multi Vitamins and added an extra Super Green Food to my daily supplement program.

Most of us when we get a cold or flu struggle with lose of appetite which can cause an additional drop in immune efficiency. Enter the super hero “Super Green Food” that provides an extra boost and is not very filling when only mixed with water and perhaps adding a banana for extra potassium. If this is still too much for a diminished appetite Super Green Food is also available in tablets.

So make sure to have plenty of Super Green Food on hand, drink plenty of clean water and of course some of mom’s homemade chicken soup is always a great comforting addition.

No I am not referring to your car, I am speaking to the vehicle you call your body. Most of us are aware that we need to drink plenty of water to replenish our body’s ever present need to stay hydrated to maintain a healthy body. What most people are not aware of is our need to also consume healthy oils daily.

It is great that people are far more aware of the need to change to healthier cooking oils such as olive or grapseed oils, but did you know that consuming unheated oils on salads and vegetables along with oil from healthy fats is just as important?

Yes I used the word “fats”. The oils derived from fat sources such as fish, grass feed beef and vegetarian sources are a vital necessity for our health. These sources provide us with much needed omega 3 fatty acids, that are know to help with aiding in the treatment of heart diseases, high cholesterol, depression, anxiety, AHDH, low immunity, cancer, diabetes, inflammation, arthritis, IBD, AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, eye disorders, macular degeneration and ulcers. It is helps in weight loss, pregnancy, fertility and skin care (particular for disorders such as psoriasis, acne). Adding an Omega 3 supplement can be an easy way to make sure you are maintaining a healthy dietary balance.

According to UCLA’s Brain Research Institute and Brain Injury Research Center, “Omega-3 fatty acids support synaptic plasticity and seem to positively affect the expression of several molecules related to learning and memory that are found on synapses, Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for normal brain function”.

“Dietary deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in humans has been associated with increased risk of several mental disorders, including attention-deficit disorder, dyslexia, dementia, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia”. A deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in rodents results in impaired learning and memory.

Omega-3 fatty acids — found in salmon, walnuts and kiwi fruit — provide many benefits, including improving learning and memory and helping to fight against such mental disorders as depression and mood disorders, schizophrenia, and dementia. Adding an omega-3 fatty acid supplement is a great way to balance out dietary deficiencies to insure your brain is firing on all Omega-3 cylinders.

The best time of the day to take your vitamins is generally when it is convenient for you is a good rule to start with. The producer of the vitamin will make general recommendations based on their product research. Some of us can take say a Multi-Vitamin with or without food and not have an upset stomach problem from the intense intake of condensed nutrients.

Generally though taking vitamins with a portion of food is recommended but the key is not to combine with a “full” meal. As the body is taking in nutrients from the food the vitamin supplement may not complement the nutritional value of the meal or the high nutritional value of the food may interfere with the intake of additional nutrients. Because of this some of the nutritional value of the Multi-Vitamin or supplement may be wasted. It would be like eating a ½ pound steak and drinking a protein shake in the same meal very redundant as you can see.

Your best bet to maximize the supplement is to follow the recommended advice from the Supplement company and then adjust to your schedule just remember that less can be more when combining with food.

Choosing the right vitamin can be a little challenging with the hundreds of brands and formulas available. A good place to start for a general nutritional boost is a Multi-Vitamin. We always recommend a whole food vitamin with an organic formula whenever possible for the best quality. The next step is to consider your personal life style and age to start to customize your choice.

Many of the formulas will give you a good idea by the label such as Multi + Stress Formula or 50 + Formula for older adults. Once you have narrowed your Multi-Vitamin choice closer to your personal needs you may consider adding additional supplements such as a b-12 complex for high stress situations. A protein shake is another great option for those times you can’t stop for lunch and want to avoid the fast food temptation.

Don’t be afraid to try different brands or formulas especially if you’re new to supplementing your diet with vitamins. Not everyone wears the same shoe size and not everyone’s body chemistry and needs are exactly the same so trying different formulas can get you closer to a more customized program. If you are still puzzled or overwhelmed, going on line or having a consultation with a nutritionist for more education on what vitamins best fits your needs is a great option.

Healthy weight loss can be very confusing in a media driven for profit quick fix world. Don’t be taken in by the gimmicky world of profit based fads. Healthy weight loss is really a simple formula. You need to keep and gain healthy muscle and loose the excess body fat.

All you need to do is simply make better food choices and eat in moderation along with moderate exercise on a regular schedule. It really is that simple and it is a time tested healthy way to loss those unwanted extra pounds. Well a little patience and consistency is needed also but always remember if you stick with it you will reach your goals. You gained those unwanted pounds over time not over night, and it takes time to lose it. There are some very good and safe products on the market to help with appetite control and metabolism boosts, but remember there is no “magic” pill or potions they are only as good as the effort you apply with them.

Every once in a while our research on health and wellness products leads us to an unusually great product. We would like to take this opportunity to recognize a company that produces just that, great protein supplement that goes beyond just another protein shake. These guys have combined the best of both of the worlds we love, high quality whey protein along with our other favorite, Super Green Food and it’s an organic earth friendly product.

WHEY Protein Greens Plus contains 100% pure, free-range Whey Isolate from New Zealand, providing the highest biological value of any protein source. Grown in accordance with organic program standards, WHEY Protein Greens Plus is certified hormone, antibiotic, and lactose-free.

One daily serving of Natural Whey Protein Greens Plus delivers 20g of protein, the full-spectrum equivalent of two servings of fruit and vegetables, and the essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes needed for peak performance

Now that makes a power house nutrient dense Protein Shake and it taste great too.