The ultimate Multi-Tasker, a Multi-Vitamin.
Everyone hears sound bites and scientific studies surrounding a particular vitamin (nutrients) and the benefits it may have on health and longevity. It is great to understand the positive impact specific vitamins have on improving ones health because it gives us greater awareness to not only the importance of healthy eating habits, it can also give us a better understanding of what to eat to insure getting the proper daily intake of nutrients.
The information unfortunately does not always give us the greater understanding of how our bodies absorb and utilize the nutrient (vitamin). And the synergistic need to have other vitamin supplements present at the same time to have the body utilize it properly.
Synergy……A word to remember because a high quality nutrient dense Whole Food Vitamin is the answer. The best suppliers of multi-vitamins know this and there formulas take this into consideration. Some Multi-Vitamin formulas will also include herbs that support life style and age related needs. That is why a Whole Food based Multi-Vitamin should be the core nutrient supplement of choice. Multi-Vitamin “Synergy” the ultimate Multi-Tasker.
Fast food doesn’t have to slow you down. In fact it can actually power you up if you choose the right fast food options. If you don’t have time for a sit down breakfast or lunch a great alternative is a homemade protein shake or choose from a variety of great protein bars available.
In the morning just toss some of your fresh or frozen fruit (preferably organic) in a blender along with pure filtered water or juice add a scoop or two of protein powder, egg, whey or soy a little honey if you like and you have created a perfect protein shake. Then just pour and go. I like to pop a slice of my favorite whole grain bread in the toaster for a side dish to take along to round out the fast food meal. I throw my favorite protein bar in my pocket for a quick mid morning snack to keep me charged up and then out the door I go to greet the day.
Move over Juice Bars I just created a protein shake at a fraction of the cost and saved gas and time getting it.
Fall has fell and the chill is in the morning air. It’s a great time to start thinking about that old favorite cold weather breakfast to start your day off right, Hot Cereal. Whether your favorite is Cream of Barley or Hot Steal Cut Oatmeal it is a great way to kick off your day. Don’t forget to add some of your favorite fall berries and a scoop of fresh yogurt adding a delicious flavor and important nutrients.
To add an extra nutrient kick try adding a generous scope of Super Green Food Powder to the mix. It adds not only a great taste it is also a great energy booster, gives you digestive support, and kicks up your immune system to help prepare you for the coming cold and flu season.
Most Super Green Food Powders are formulated to give you the maximum benefits of natural whole food ingredients such as active enzymes, antioxidants, carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals, fiber, protein, amino acids, prebiotics, probiotics, and chlorophyll. Wow now that is a kicked up power house way to start your day. Be sure when choosing a Super Green Food Powder to get an organic formula whenever possible.
Omega 3 Fatty acids are particularly beneficial to men’s health. Omega-3 Fatty Acids are part of the membrane of every cell in the body; they’re also the building blocks of hormones that govern much of the body’s physiology. A low intake of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and low circulating levels of DHA, are associated with prostate cancer, BPH or enlarged prostate, and prostatitis. Increasing consumption of Omega-3 Fatty Acids found in fish as well as flax, hemp, pumpkin, and nuts such as walnuts can help reduce the risk associated with low Omega 3 dietary intake.
Although Omega-3 can be obtained from other sources other than fish, fish is still considered the richest and most plentiful source for Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Unfortunately too many Americans just don’t like the taste of the oily, fatty fish – such as mackerel, tuna, sardines, or wild salmon – that are rich in Omega-3’s. Others eat the wrong fish – for example, fish sticks or other white fish – which has a negligible impact on their Omega-3 level and may actually raise their omega-6 levels which is associated with inflammation and other health problems when out of balance with Omega 3’s.
However the good news is, supplements can fill the gap. Fish oil oral supplements have an important role in restoring the desired balance of Omega 3’s in your diet. They are affordable, convenient and lower the risk of heavy metal contamination found in so many of the preferred fish sources.
Great news for all you Snacker’s out there and Veggie Naysayers, according to a new University of Scranton research study: Whole-grain cereals and Whole-grain snacks also contain surprisingly high levels of antioxidants called polyphenols, rivaling such well-known antioxidant sources as fruits and vegetables.
Now I am not implying that this is a cue not to eat healthy just an opportunity to be OK with a good healthy whole-grain snack such as a whole-grain protein bar to get you through to the next wholesome meal. They are convenient, affordable and can help you avoid the pit falls of the fast food restaurant fix when on the go. Whole-grain protein bars are the fast food that won’t slow you down. Look for naturally sweetened snack bar choices with no hydrogenated oil or artificial ingredients, they are not only better for you, dollar for dollar they are a better bargain. So munch away guilt free.
Over the past few weeks as I open the internet health news pages the redundant articles on the swine Flu is about all you see. Get a Flu shot is the solution to this alleged pandemic. The Alarmist’s out cries with predictions of unprecedented absences at schools this fall would give anyone the blues, and drive people to get a Flu shot. Has anyone noticed in the past years before this “Scary Pig Flu” arrived on the scene that people that get a Flu vaccination still get sick anyway? If not from a reaction to the shot, they contract a different strain of the Flu. There is no one size fits all Flu Shot and it does not guarantee that you will not get the Flu. And the statistics of illness and morbidity rate from the Flu are not accurate as they are bundled with other illnesses such as pneumonia and pre-existing conditions.
Now I am not saying that this vaccination does not have a place and a use for the elderly and immune compromised it may be appropriate. What has me all annoyed with all this hoop-la is the only option the media gives you is a profit driven vaccination.
No one is talking or writing about prevention through healthy lifestyle choices, especial during the Flu season. Wow what a novel Idea.
How about taking this opportunity to educate people on healthier food choices that boost the immune system. Fortifying the immune system with a good multivitamin for added nutritional insurance. Letting people know about the benefits of taking an extra serving of daily Super Green Food. Getting a little more rest and stay hydrated. All of these suggestions are backed by decades of scientific validation for their health benefits along with keeping you healthy. Even being isolated on an island can’t guarantee you won’t contract the Flu but proper prevention through dietary solutions will give you better odds. And if you do become ill it will help fight off the virus and speed recovery. Besides, good healthy foods taste better and is lot more enjoyable than vaccine shots.
With all the hoop-la about protein these days from the Atkins diet and the South Beach diet to the high protein hype for building muscle and losing weight Amino Acids ARE the real hero that seems to have been forgotten, lost in the fanfare of protein. Amino acids, are the forgotten hero because protein is not protein without them and without a complete protein profile it is just that, incomplete. It is like walking around with just one shoe on, one is good but not great it is incomplete and half functional.
Amino acids play central roles both as building blocks of proteins and as intermediates in metabolism. The 20 amino acids that are found within proteins convey a vast array of chemical versatility and combine to making a complete protein. The precise amino acid content, and the sequence of those amino acids, of a specific protein, is determined by the sequence of the bases in the gene that encodes that protein. The chemical properties of the amino acids of proteins determine the biological activity of the protein. Proteins not only catalyze all (or most) of the reactions in living cells, they control virtually all cellular process. In addition, proteins contain within their amino acid sequences the necessary information to determine how that protein will fold into a three dimensional structure, and the stability of the resulting structure.
In brief Amino Acids are the chemical units or “building blocks” of proteins that make up the components of the body . Amino Acids the real Hero of healthy tissue that combine to make protein and protein substances make up the muscles, tendons, organs, glands, nails, and hair. Growth, repair and maintenance of all cells are dependent upon them. Next to water, protein (amino acids) makes up the greatest portion of our body weight.
So the next time you have that chicken salad or your favorite protein shake give a little nod and smile for the 20 amino acids that have created such a tasty and healthy body moment.
Watch for more on the Amino Hero’s in the Future.
When it comes to weight management and the health risks of excessive body fat and obesity you would think in this day and age it would be a no Brainer. It is important to maintain proper lean mass to body fat ratio for optimal health. In a recent article in U.S. News & World Report new studies on obesity from UCLA have given a whole new meaning to the term No Brainer.
According to a study conducted by senior author Paul Thompson a UCLA neuroscientist, published online in Human Brain Mapping “The brains of obese people looked 16 years older than their healthier counterparts while [those of] overweight people looked 8 years older,” The Article goes on to say Clinically obese people had 8 percent less brain tissue, while the overweight had 4 percent less brain tissue compared to normal-weight individuals. “This is the first study to show physical evidence in the brain that connects overweight and obesity and cognitive decline,” said Thompson, who is professor of neurology at UCLA and a member of the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging. This study reaffirms the importance of healthy weight management.
“Obesity affects every system in your body. The body can’t be splintered. It’s completely linked. We are what we eat and we eat too much,” he said. “The bottom line is that an obese, sedentary person is going to have a breakdown of every organ system, and that includes a greater chance of impotence and infertility and other things that people don’t generally think are directly related to obesity.”
Just another reason to eat right, get you body off the sofa and get moving. Staying physically and mentally fit is so important to being able to live your life fully alive.
As most of us go through the day it is not always practical let alone easy to eat right. Getting all the daily recommended intake of vital nutrients to keep us on top of our game can certainly be a challenge in today’s fast paced nearly nonstop world. But without vibrant health it is nearly impossible to keep up with the modern day demands and the break neck pace of life. Plagued by the temptation of easily available fast food, the option for Americans is usually to opt-out for high calorie low nutritional foods.
That is why it is so important to take a daily multivitamin supplement to insure getting optimal daily nutrient intake. Whole Food nutrient dense vitamins are always the best choice whenever possible as they supply not only a full spectrum of daily nutrients it is also “real food”. Taking an organic formulated daily vitamin is even better when available.
In an ever present world of rising health care costs people are realizing that a pound of prevention is worth a ton of cure. It use to be an ounce and a pound but inflation is rampant in the medical business forcing basic services out of the reach of many. Between the cost of medical services and medical insurance (if you can get it) more and more people just can’t afford to get sick, literally.
The bad news is there is no end in sight soon, but the great news is prevention awareness is on the rise. People are making healthier food choices and using alternative therapies such as massage and acupuncture to stay healthier.
Many people are going back to the basics and are taking there own health into there own hands by finding ways to “stay” healthy. Staying healthy is truly the best way to avoid rising health care costs. We are not of course suggesting you should not seek out medical help when necessary or you should self diagnose. However we do believe that you can do some simple things to be pro active in prevention and to avoid the high cost of medical services. Prevention is allot less expensive.
With just a few simple basic time tested steps you not only can help minimize having to go to the doctor you might just find that you fell better, are fully energized and getting more living out of life.
Here are our top six steps to a healthier you “Health Basics 101″.
- Eat Whole Foods – Organic Whenever Possible
- Drink Plenty of Pure Fresh Water
- Get Lots Fresh Clean Air
- Get Proper Rest
- Take Appropriate Nutritional Supplements for Nutrition Insurance
- Exercise,- Get Your Body in Motion.
Watch for future blogs as we take an in depth look at these six simple ways to staying healthy.