Thursday, October 20, 2016

Can Whole Food Supplements Reduce Your Food Budget?

Nutrition experts agree that the best way to get all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs for good health and to function properly is from unprocessed whole foods of the highest quality. In fact your body absorbs more of the nutrition it needs directly from whole foods. We all know that even those of us that try to eat healthy find it hard to always get all the vitamins and minerals we need. Most Americans don't eat enough fresh vegetables and fruits, eat too many pre-packaged and processed foods and it is reported that 25% eat at fast food restaurants daily. That makes us a country of people eating lots, but not getting the proper whole foods nutrition.

Why Take Supplements
If you are not one of the fast food/fast meal crowd and mostly eat a diet of raw fruits and vegetables, grass-fed meats, raw dairy and avoid sugars and processed or fast foods you still may not get all the nutritional value you should be from foods. This could be due to food sources coming from nutrient poor soil, farming methods that use pesticides and chemical fertilizers or even cooking methods that deplete nutrients from foods. Research has reported that the mineral content of our soils had 85% less nutrients in 1992 than 100 years earlier. Organic farming methods add nutrients back into soil which is a good reason to buy organic products. But these healthy types of food are usually also higher in price. Many of us just can't afford to shop for all our food at organic health food type stores. We may prioritize which items we will definitely buy organic and then have to settle for less nutritious selections on other items. Finding locally grown organic farmer's markets to buy from is another option for some, but it takes more planning and time to shop this way which many find hard to fit into their already chaotic schedules.

Even if you are committed to eating a totally healthy complete diet there are conditions that exist that can affect the nutrition your body is getting from the foods you eat and may have you turning to supplementation. For example, taking NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) pain relievers (including aspirin and ibuprofen), antibiotics or antacids affects the probiotics in your intestines which can affect the absorption of nutrients. If you have an inflammation or chronic pain, your body needs many more nutrients than a person without these conditions. And whether we like it or not, there is no way to escape the environmental toxins we are exposed to daily. These toxins not only can destroy probiotics that help with healthy digestion and absorption of nutrients but cause us to need specific nutrients to help detoxify the liver. The more of these types of toxins you are exposed to, the more nutritional help your body needs. These type of toxins can range from smog to cleaning products to household cleansers to plastics and paint in your home.

When any of these conditions exist, people often turn to taking vitamin supplements.

Getting Good Vitamin Supplements
If you are looking to supplement your diet for any of the above reasons, make sure you are getting high-quality whole food nutrition supplements. Many of the off the shelf vitamins don't have some of the minerals that are essential for good health. Read the label of any vitamin supplement you are considering. Does it include enough potassium, magnesium, calcium and other minerals to really make a difference in your nutrition? Look to see if it is a synthetic vitamin or one from whole food nutrition. Synthetic vitamins are not readily absorbed by the body, so even if it looks like there are adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals listed on the label, your body won't be getting the benefits. According to Josepha M. Mercola, DO, multi-vitamins without additives, synthetic nutrients and that give you more than the RDA and RDI guidelines that include essentials minerals can help fill in some of the nutritional gaps in diet.

Whole Food Supplements
Whole food supplements are made from real food sources rather than from synthetic isolates. This means the body will absorb them more readily and be able to utilize the benefits from them. Taking whole food supplements can help you get the most nutrition out of the food you eat, help stretch your food budget, and provide the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, fatty acids and proteins you need to stay healthy. For example, taking digestive enzymes helps you absorb more nutrients from the food you eat. Then probiotics like acidophilus and bifidus help your body process and digest the foods you eat and keep them moving through the digestive system. The AFA bluegreen algae we recommend comes from a unique eco-system in southern Oregon, fed by pure lake and mountain spring waters and is nourished by the rich mineral content of the volcanic soil found there. Nutritionally it includes:

  • all 20 amino acids, providing a complete source of protein in an amino acid profile nearly identical to human breast milk
  • essential fatty acids, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 in the right balance 
  • phenylethylamine (PEA), the mental energy activator 
  • powerful antioxidants, such as chlorophyll, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and phycocyanin
  • dozens of essential vitamins (including B12), minerals, and trace elements
  • an ideal balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, complex sugars, and fiber.

If you are looking to supplement your diet with whole foods nutrition to stretch your food budget or any of the other reasons mentioned here, just be sure you are getting a high quality, complete nutrition supplement. Stay away from synthetics as they are usually a waste of money. And when you're on a tight food budget you certainly don't need to be throwing money away. If you can't get all the nutrition you need from eating whole foods, supplements can definitely help as long as you know you stick to getting the "good stuff".


If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products  on our website.


Sources:
http://products.mercola.com/multivitamin-vital-minerals/
https://www.standardprocess.com/Why-Whole-Foods
http://treetopacupuncture.com/SeattleAcupuncture/tag/whole-food-supplements

Thursday, October 13, 2016

How to Slim Down with Chocolate, Really!

Are you looking for how to slim down? Well, did you know that one of your healthy food options for how to slim down is with chocolate? Yes, really, I said chocolate! There are actually studies showing that eating chocolate can help in weight loss. Now when we're talking about chocolate for how to slim down, we're talking about real, dark chocolate and preferably organic with 65% cacao or more. Chocolate bars with corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, soy and other additives do not qualify as healthy food options. So be picky about the chocolate you buy. We also are not advocating an all chocolate, all the time diet of course. You have to also consider the calories in the chocolate you select, so you do want to eat it in moderation.

Antioxidant Power
Polyphenols are compounds we get from eating plant based foods such as fruits, vegetables, teas, and cocoa. They have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties and can help protect cells from oxidative damage from free radicals. One type of polyphenol is flavonoids. Flavonoids are the type of polyphenols that we most often get in our diets from the healthy food options we eat. Chocolate has a type of antioxidant called catechins which is one type of flavonoid. This type of antioxidant can help increase metabolism, provide extra energy and reduce cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone that among other things leads to belly fat.

Magnesium
Dark chocolate is also a good source for magnesium. Magnesium can help you get a good night's sleep thus stabilizing metabolism and hormone levels such as cortisol. If you are not getting enough good quality sleep, your cortisol levels may increase and so does your belly fat.

Chocolate – More Than Just For Weight Loss
Eating chocolate has also been found to have other health benefits besides weight loss. It can support healthy blood circulation, stabilize blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, lower the risk of heart disease, protect skin cells from damage from the sun, help maintain blood sugar levels, and improve mood. Unsweetened dark chocolate has the amino acid tryptophan which helps with mood boosting and chocolate can give an extra boost to brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. This leaves us able to concentrate better and maintain calmness. PEA, which is short for phenylethylamine, is a naturally occurring substance in the human body that is linked to energy, mood, and attention. It is a vital part of your brain function and is responsible for feelings of pleasure as well as mental acuity. Chocolate and AFA bluegreen algae are both good sources of PEA. That's a lot of benefit from eating something that also feeds your sweet tooth.

Another Option for How to Slim Down
If you're just not a chocolate lover (although I personally can't imagine such a thing), or if you're just looking for another healthy food option to give you the same benefits as chocolate, here's something that may interest you. This supplement regimen provides a lot of the same benefits that dark chocolate does. One box gives you a month's supply of supplements in convenient packets to take with you anywhere. The capsules inside give you a variety of supplements with whole food ingredients known to promote mental clarity and concentration, combat the stress of cellular oxidation, provide cellular nutrition, support increased energy, and support your body's inflammatory response. These benefits are partly due to the bluegreen algae contained in them and partly due to other ingredients such as a combination of medicinal mushrooms, turmeric, wheat grass juice, Ginkgo biloba, plant-based proteolytic enzymes, noni, and green tea. And all this superfood nutrition leads to help with how to slim down.

So if you're looking for how to slim down with healthy food options, consider these superfood packets and some high quality dark organic chocolate to kick start your body into fighting off that unwanted belly fat while maintaining optimal health. Slimming down makes you look better, feel better about yourself, feel better in general, and has tons of other health benefits. A healthy diet, the right diet supplementation and exercise can head you in the right direction for losing weight in a healthy and stress-free way.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products  on our website.


Sources: 
http://www.askdrmaxwell.com/2013/12/lose-weight-with-chocolate/


Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Build Your Best Body Naturally

We all know to build the best body we can, we need to exercise and eat healthy. While exercise is a good thing, it can also be demanding and exhausting on a body. Exercise puts stress on muscles, tendons and joints and breaks down muscle tissue. Too much exercise can cause your body to generate a response to inflammation to repair damage and cause you to feel fatigue. If you are a weekend warrior, amateur or professional athlete, or just engage in strenuous exercise, your body needs specific nutrition before and after workouts to prepare and to recover. The best way to eat healthy and help your body get the most from exercise and training is by eating whole foods. Here are some of the best body foods to add to your diet if you are engaging in strenuous exercise.

Eat Healthy Before Exercise
Your body uses food to fuel itself and make energy. Good nutrition is essential to have the energy levels to engage in sustained workouts and training. The best body foods for exercise are those that will keep blood sugar levels stable, keep a steady stream of energy available rather than foods that give you a quick energy burst and then fizzle out and that build strong muscles, bones and connective tissues.

Fruits and Veggies
Vegetables and fruits are a must for vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Raw fruits and vegetables have the most nutrition as cooking causes food to lose nutrients and enzymes. Sprouted foods such as clover, broccoli, alfalfa and radish sprouts are easy for the body to digest and are packed with protein, enzymes and antioxidant power. Cherries and cherry juice are very high in antioxidant properties and are one of the best fruits not only before workouts but for recovery after. Research on runners drinking tart cherry juice two times a day every day had a decrease in muscle pain after long distance running. Bananas are another good fruit for before workouts and for recovery after workouts. They are a rich source of potassium and vitamin B6 and help keep blood sugar levels low. Sweet potatoes, also high in antioxidant value, give athletes potassium, iron, manganese and copper necessary for strong muscles and helps keep blood pressure levels low.

Complex Carbs and Fiber
For the best body you can have for exercising, lean proteins, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates are also necessary fuel sources. That means eating grains high in soluble fiber like oatmeal which also has lots of protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and maintains a steady supply of fuel for energy. Chia seeds are also loaded with antioxidants and are very high in fiber. Adding Chia seeds into your diet also provides protein, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids without adding a lot of calories to your meals. Kale is not only high in fiber, but also rich in carotenoids and flavonoid antioxidants and has been reported to regulate inflammation in the body.

Protein and Healthy Fats
Protein, amino acids, and omega-3 fatty acids are all crucial in muscle building as well as for repairing damage done to muscles through exercise. Salmon is an excellent choice to add to the diet as it not only is a rich source of protein but also is high in omega-3 fatty acids, is a heart healthy food, has selenium and vitamins B6 and B12. Whey protein isolate is another great source of protein for athletes as it has all the needed essential amino acids and the body digests and absorbs it quickly. This powdered protein based shake mix not only has the protein power of pure organic whey, but also wild bluegreen algae, sprouts and protein digesting enzymes for a quick and easy way to get 22 grams of protein in each serving at home or on the go.

Best Body Foods After Exercise
After your body goes through a strenuous workout, it can be left depleted of fluids and electrolytes, fatigued and with muscle tissue and red blood cells broken down. Eating healthy within the first 30 minutes after a workout is important for helping your body recover from exercise and keeping it in shape for future exercise. After working out is the time to eat protein to repair damage to muscle tissue, re-hydrate for several hours after intense workout to replace the fluids and electrolytes you have sweated out, boost your immune system to deal with needed repairs to the body and eat carbohydrates to restore glycogen and glucose levels.

Bananas are good for before workouts, but also after workouts as they help restore electrolytes and have vitamin B6 with anti-inflammatory properties. Cherries are another fruit that is a good choice for before and after workouts. Its anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants make it a good recovery food after heavy exercise. Pumpkin and squash seeds give you iron, fiber, healthy fats and protein that can help replace red blood cells that take oxygen to muscle tissue and help prevent fatigue. Brazil nuts are a good source of protein, healthy fats, B vitamins, selenium and magnesium that support immune system function and help repair bones and the connective tissues. Eating protein and carbohydrates together allows muscles to repair faster and restores glycogen levels which makes milk a great food for after working out as it is a good source of both and helps restore electrolytes. Yogurt and fish are other good protein food choices for after workout. Some experts recommend eating small amounts of carbs every half hour for up to 3 hours after working out to bring glycogen and glucose levels back up. Beets are another good after workout food as they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits and carbohydrates to help keep energy levels up.

Before and After Exercise Supplements
Your body needs the whole food nutrition we've talked about so far if it is going to be engaging in strenuous workouts and exercise. But we also know that busy schedules sometimes make this difficult. This is when whole food supplements can be a good solution. This supplement program was designed especially for high-performance athletes and those with active lifestyles and has convenient packets of supplements included for before workout and after workout. With whole food ingredients such as wild organic AFA bluegreen algae, wheatgrass juice, green tea, noni, edible mushrooms, glucosamine, chondroitin and plant-based proteolytic enzymes, these supplements give you the antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrition, joint support, and all the omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins, minerals and nutrition the body needs to support it before strenuous exercise and after. No reason to skip the nutrition you need just because you are on the run.

If you are going to be engaging in intense training or workouts or just have an extra busy and physically demanding lifestyle, give your body the nutrition it needs to build your best body naturally and support it through the extra physical demands you are putting on it. Just by being aware of the special nutritional support your body needs under these conditions and adding certain foods before working out and after, you can stay strong and active and make sure you will be in good shape to enjoy future workouts

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out the free health resources or order blue-green algae products  on our website.

Sources:
http://www.healthline.com/health/6-foods-naturally-enhance-athletic-performance
http://breakingmuscle.com/mobility-recovery/eating-to-recover-how-and-what-to-eat-post-workout
http://www.1vigor.com/article/rest-recovery-health-athletic-performance/
http://www.active.com/nutrition/articles/top-10-superfoods-for-endurance-athletes