For the last 80 years, heart disease has been the leading cause of death in America. That’s right, this statistic has not changed in nearly a century!
As the #1 killer, heart disease is overwhelmingly rampant in the U.S. and accounts for…
Perhaps even more upsetting is the fact that the CDC reports that 80% of cardiovascular disease deaths are preventable with changes in diet, lifestyle and physical activity! How does a preventable condition become the leading cause of death? Well, clearly people are not taking care of themselves or are gravely misinformed about their health. My experience tells me it is a combination of both of these. Taking responsibility for your own health is more critical now than ever - it literally is a matter of life or death.
1. CUT the SUGAR
Heart disease is a chronic inflammatory condition. This makes sugar enemy #1. Over consumption of sugar is the leading culprit of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, a major risk factor for heart disease. As excess insulin creates inflammation inside arteries, they grow thicker and stiffer, which puts tremendous stress on the heart.
When you think of heart health, you probably think of cholesterol and fat. What you should really focus on here is sugar consumption! For a healthier heart, eat healthy fat and nix the sugar.
To understand the impact of sugar on your heart, let’s first review cholesterol:
Now, circling back to the sugar-heart disease link, high insulin signals your body to make more LDL to covert sugar into fat. Sugar goes on to lower your HDL and causes further abnormalities among your triglyceride levels. None of this is good!
*The takeaway…a high sugar diet will land you an “F” on your cholesterol report!
2. BREAK a SWEAT
Exercise and strength training builds muscles, including your heart! While you may not think of your heart in the same way as your bicep, both of these muscles get bigger and stronger the more they’re worked. Your heart contracts to pump blood throughout your body. A strong efficient heart will push out more blood with each heartbeat, which actually helps your heart beat slower and in turn reduces heart stress and blood pressure. Moving your body regularly also improves blood sugar regulation and improves insulin sensitivity (a marker for heart health).
3. PURGE the STRESS
We know chronic stress no matter the cause is linked to poor health. Stress is like gasoline for inflammation, an instigator for heart trouble. Another consideration is how stress may cause you to act in ways that deteriorate your overall health (overeating, lack of sleep, alcohol consumption, sedentary behavior, negative emotions, etc.)
Top 3 Nutrients Essential to Heart Health
These 3 nutrients are well known for supporting and supercharging your heart health.
1. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
Most of CoQ10’s benefits revolve around its antioxidant properties and ability to improve energy production.
CoQ10 plays a direct role in the production of energy by the mitochondria – the cell’s energy producing unit. CoQ10 is particularly essential to heart cells. A stressed heart creates an increased demand on the body for CoQ10 and there is a direct relationship between poor cardiovascular health and low CoQ10 levels. When you handle a CoQ10 deficiency, you can significantly improve heart function and overall health.
Check out more on CoQ10 in my blog, No Energy? Lack of This Vital Nutrient Could be the Reason!
CoQ10 Benefits the Heart:
CoQ10 has been heavily researched and is often used as a support and adjunct to conventional drug use in the treatment of heart disease. The largest study on CoQ10 confirmed that along with standard therapy, CoQ10 significantly improved the status of patients with chronic heart failure and created a 43% reduced chance of death from heart attack or stroke.
Your body has the ability to produce CoQ10 naturally, but there are many situations that lead to insufficient levels.
You’re especially susceptible to low CoQ10 levels if you’re:
2. Omega-3 Fish Oil
It’s no coincidence that there’s almost no heart disease among Greenland’s native Inuit people, despite the fact that their diet is really high in fat. They eat lots of fish and thus they get lots of the heart nourishing long chained omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids known as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Sourced from seafood and algae, your body relies on EPA and DHA in every stage of life to develop and function at its best.
Omega 3 Fish oil can reduce the risk of heart disease by way of:
It’s best to get your omega 3s directly from food, but eating seafood several times a week can be a challenge for various reasons. This is when supplementation is crucial.
3. Vitamin D
With one of the most versatile health benefit profiles, vitamin D is truly a nutrient superhero with properties that support every system of your body…
What makes vitamin D so heart healthy? Just as vitamin D receptors exist on immune cells, they’re also found on the major cardiovascular cells. Growing research points to the link between vitamin D deficiency and heart attacks, congestive heart failure, strokes and other associated conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.
Vitamin D deficiency is undoubtedly considered a cardiovascular risk marker.
Note: Always take vitamin K2 (in the form of MK-7) with a vitamin D3 supplement. Learn the why behind this golden rule and more about K2 here.
The BodyManual line of products includes all three of these supporting nutrients in high quality formulas designed to increase and maintain healthy levels in your body. Supplementing vital nutrients is one of the easiest and fastest ways to make a difference in your health. You can have confidence in knowing that before any BodyManual products leave our manufacturing facility, they are tested by an independent third party to ensure freshness, potency and purity.
You can click on each link below here to view the formula profile and start giving your heart more love today. These 3 nutrients are all fat-soluble and I recommend they be taken together for optimal absorption.
]]>At the forefront of the health and wellness industry, I come across a lot of misleading information – a lot! The advertising and marketing of certain foods and products as “healthy” when they’re really not, is especially confusing. So, while your intent is to eat healthier, these foods can actually cause damage - or at the very least they stall progress toward better health.
To help clear this up, I put together a list of the top 15 foods I believe are misleadingly “healthy” and why. I won’t argue that there are way worse things that you could be eating, but the focus here is on foods that carry a false health boosting façade.
Here are 15 proclaimed “health foods” I stay many fork lengths from…
Soy’s healthy reputation is dwindling and here’s why…
➤ Soy is the GMO poster child, but organic or not, tofu is still bad news. Soy contains phytoestrogen plant compounds that tend to mimic estrogen in the body and are linked to adverse health effects, especially breast cancer. Soy can really mess with your hormones (endocrine disruptor) creating all sorts of health problems.
Note that soy-based foods also include tempeh, miso, and edamame. Most processed foods contain some form of soy as an additive. Be especially weary of sauces, protein bars and plant-based “meats.”
Tip: A product called “Coconut Aminos” is a great soy sauce substitute.
➤ Soy is high in phytic acid, an “anti-nutrient” that interferes with the absorption of vitamins and minerals, especially iron and zinc. When you consume soy, you essentially lower the nutritional value of your meal.
➤ Damaging proteins called lectins are abundant in soy, especially one called agglutinin, which is known for tearing holes in the gut and impairing blood flow.
The best form of soy is called natto, a fermented soybean dish that you’re unlikely to ever eat regularly, if at all. As the most concentrated food source of vitamin K2, natto has properties that benefit gut health and lacks harmful lectins and phytic acid thanks to the fermentation process.
If you consume natto, be sure it is non-GMO.
This is a huge source of unnecessary sugar that lacks any fiber to help you balance the consequence of skyrocketed blood sugar. If you must drink juice, go for one that includes vegetables and has no added sugar, then dilute it with water.
So much junk is added to this kind of product making for an overwhelming ingredient list. They’re notorious for being chock full of dairy and sweeteners that fuel indigestion and weight gain. It is well worth the time to make your own smoothie at home with ingredients you won’t question. This advice also applies to coffee and energy drinks.
I know it’s disappointing to hear, but these are really just potato chips rebranded to make you feel better about eating chips. Take a look at the label and you’ll see that they’re potato and/or corn based, and still deep fried and heavily salted. Although they may contain some vegetables, the nutrient density is barely worth noting. If they’re “baked” that means they contain less fat and usually more sodium to make up for it – which will tempt you to overindulge even more.
How agave was ever deemed a good sugar substitute is mind boggling. Perhaps because the agave plant is believed to have healing properties? All you need to know here is that agave nectar is 90% fructose, a type of sugar that is sweeter than glucose and exactly why processed foods are saturated with it. Not only does fructose have absolutely no health benefits, it’s the leading culprit behind insulin resistance, heart disease, poor cholesterol, cancer, obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. I have two words regarding agave nectar – steer clear!
Although this protein and fiber rich dietary staple has been put on the health food pedestal, you should know that legumes can wreak havoc on the body. Any nutritive gains legumes could offer are negated by their high lectin and phytic acid content. Lectins may be reduced with certain cooking methods but they won’t be fully destroyed, and that high carbohydrate profile certainly won’t change. “Just say NO” to legumes – including all beans, chickpeas, lentils and peanuts!
Check out my video, “How Lectins Attack Your Body”
Sometimes a recipe may call for just egg whites and that’s OK…otherwise, always eat the yolk! It contains all of the egg’s nutrition - healthy fat, minerals and vitamins A, D, E and K. Egg yolks are one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D.
Your health is no joke, so don’t skip the yolk!
P.S. – Eating eggs will NOT raise your cholesterol, here’s why.
Rice is a grain that is pro-inflammatory, spikes blood sugar, and holds little nutrient value. I think rice cakes became a health fad because they were marketed as a great bread replacement, but really, they are hardly different. I advocate an anti-inflammatory diet and rice just doesn’t make the cut.
As a blend of grains, sweeteners, and dried fruit (often with more added sugar), granola shouldn’t win any health awards. If you like granola, I really suggest trying a grain free option or at the very least, one that is gluten-free and low in sugar.
Alongside bottled smoothies, packaged bars have always been on my list of suspicious snacks. However convenient their pocket size may be, their ingredient list can be scary. Now, there are a few decent bars on the market that cater to a paleo or ketogenic diet, but as a general rule, granola and bars stay out of my pantry.
Touted as a gut healthy treat for its probiotic profile, yogurt is still dairy – a problematic food for so many people. If you eat yogurt because you want to boost your microbiome, you’re better off taking a high-quality probiotic supplement instead. Doing so is easy with my quick guide – “How to Choose a Probiotic Supplement.”
Yogurt is almost always loaded with sugar, artificial ingredients and additives which cancel out any health benefits. If you eat it because you like the consistency, consider trying plain dairy free almond or coconut yogurt (but still check the label for hidden sugar and chemicals). I find this version makes a great alternative to traditional sour cream on tacos.
These are made with some combo of legumes, soy, grains (wheat, rice, corn) and fillers to make that burger-like consistency. There’s hardly any room here for them to include even half vegetable serving.
These are known as “salads” and commonly found in vegetarian dishes and health food store delis. They are both sourced from wheat so they contain gluten and other allergens that can cause widespread symptoms and long-term body damage.
Click here to understand why you should avoid gluten.
Another staple of my childhood memories, peanuts are actually legumes and so we circle back to the problem of lectins and the gastrointestinal damage they cause. You’ll also have to go out of your way to find a peanut butter that is organic without any other ingredients. The best alternative is sugar free almond butter.
Who didn’t grow up on oatmeal? I know I did! The only way it was edible was to drown it in maple syrup.
Packaged oatmeal today is really a tiny packet of refined grains, sugar and salt. The popular Quaker brand oatmeal packets include up to 12 grams of added sugar, 33 grams of carbohydrate, little protein and no healthy fat – that’s per packet! If you feed these to your children, consider how this affects their small, growing bodies!
Remember, most grains are GMO and pro-inflammatory. If you must have oatmeal, try making your own with paleo ingredients…
✔️ Almond milk
✔️ Almond flour
✔️ Shredded coconut
✔️ Flaxseed meal
✔️ Coconut oil
✔️ Vanilla extract
✔️ Sea salt
✔️ Cinnamon
✔️ Low carb fruit like berries
While this is a better choice than most soda options, you need to be careful when choosing one.
Naturally they contain sugar (roughly 15 grams in just 10 oz.), but many brands add fruit juice, flavorings and preservatives making it an extreme sugar cocktail.
The best alternative is fresh filtered water and add citrus or mint to make it special!
These 15 items have a theme here – sugar, dairy, and grains. When people tell me they eat healthy but can’t lose weight, or have aches and pains, or skin problems - it doesn’t take too much probing into their diet to find the culprit. As widespread and problematic as these 3 foods are, most people don’t connect their symptoms with diet, or they don’t realize how much bodily chaos they cause until they cut them out.
If you want to transition into better health, start with the principles of a paleo or ketogenic diet.
Here’s to a healthier YOU in the new year ahead!
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
The benefits of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish support your health from head to toe – your brain, eyes, skin, heart, lungs, and joints. As a result, supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids has received great attention in the neurological and cardiovascular health fields. Today, more medical experts are realizing how these omegas influence another vital function - fertility!
In particular, men who take fish oil supplements tend to have better sperm quality and higher testosterone levels than those who don’t. In males,low testosterone may lead to a decreased production of sperm and affect fertility indirectly by lowering sex drive or triggering erectile dysfunction. Despite many advances in the fertility field, men with low sperm quality continue to represent one of the biggest patient groups among urologists (physicians who specialize in male reproductive health).
So, how exactly does fish oil help achieve fatherhood? Let’s look at the facts…
The omega-3s found in cold water seafood are long chained fatty acids called EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
Just like the brain and eyes, sperm contains a significant amount of omega 3 fatty acids. DHA is especially abundant in the testes and extremely critical to healthy sperm. So, it makes sense that getting plenty of this important nutrient would support sperm quality and therefore reproductive health.
Sperm resemble tiny tadpoles with a head and tail that allow them to “swim.” DHA helps to form a structure called the acrosome that sits on the sperm’s head like a pointy cap. Vesicles (think tiny bubbles of membrane) fuse together to form the acrosome, and within these bubbles reside enzymes that sperm need to penetrate an egg. When a sperm meets an egg, the acrosome bursts to release these enzymes and assist with fertilization. This is just one small but very critical step in the intricate process of fertility and reproduction.
Without adequate DHA, the fusion of these vesicles that create the acrosome will not happen and sperm development comes to a screeching halt. In this case, under a microscope, researchers will see sperm with very round heads, indicating they’re missing their pointy acrosome caps. Round headed sperm are referred to as “sterile swimmers” while healthy sperm could be called “cone heads.”
Scientists have noted an overall decline in male fertility and research has concluded that sperm density has fallen by 40% over the last 50 years!
Numerous studies have concluded that men who incorporate fish oil into their diet receive reproductive benefits. In fact, there are at least 14 published studies demonstrating an improvement or association between omega‐3 and at least one semen quality marker.
Human studies have specifically noted the beneficial effects of fish oil on spermatogenesis (the development of sperm cells in male organs), and conclude that supplementation with fish oil is a valid route to improving sperm quality.
My advice is to eat as many servings of cold-water fatty fish and low mercury seafood as possible. It’s ideal to get at least 2-3 servings in per week and also take a high quality fish oil supplement.
Try…
When it comes to sperm health, Omega 3s fatty acids from fish most definitely play a huge role. Nutrients with antioxidant power like selenium and CoQ10 have also shown the ability to help men improve factors associated with infertility.
While your body can make DHA from other omega 3 fatty acids, we’re talking about very small amounts here. You really can’t rely on your body to make enough DHA for optimum health – you need to get EPA and DHA directly from food or supplementation.
If you’re a fish fearing hopeful father, you’ll need to just make friends and see fish in a new light. Fish oil supplements are your best bet if you can’t eat a significant amount of fish. If you’re like most people, seafood is just not on your plate everyday. Having access to fresh quality seafood is really a luxury for a majority of the population. This is why it is imperative to supplement fish oil. Remember, omega 3s benefit just about every system of your body…even if fatherhood isn’t on the brain quite yet.
Ready to up your seafood game? Where it comes from does matter! Read why Farm Raised vs. Wild Caught Fish makes a difference in the benefits you’ll receive.
Baby on the way? When expecting mothers take a fish oil supplement it will benefit the baby’s growth and development for years to come. Find out why here.
Besides proper nutrition and supplementation, you should consider how your lifestyle can affect fertility.
Here are 10 risk factors that can negatively influence sperm quality and fertility in general:
There are a ton of fish oil supplements on the market and they are NOT all created equal when it comes to purity and potency. Do yourself a favor and don’t cut corners when it comes to choosing fish oil. Poor quality fish oil can actually cause your body more harm than good.
I’ve created my own Omega 3 fatty acids formula that is ultra-pure fish oil providing the important Omega-3’s, including EPA and DHA. BodyManual sources only the highest quality fish oil which includes a touch of natural vitamin E to prevent oxidation. All of our products are tested by an independent third party to ensure freshness, potency and purity before our products leave the manufacturing facility.
For more information you can share, check out my blog/video on Fish Oil Benefits and Why You Should be Supplementing.
When you think of silver, images of jewelry and dining utensils may come to mind, so you may be surprised to learn that silver has incredible medicinal properties.
Silver ranks at the top of alternative therapies for many common health issues. It has been recognized as a “cure-all” and natural remedy for everything from colds and sinus infections to cancer and Lyme disease. This blog will help you understand how it works and its multifunctional health uses.
Today, silver is sold for its healing properties under the umbrella term, colloidal silver. Colloidal simply means that particles are suspended in liquid. As you may have guessed, colloidal silver does really contain silver. So, colloidal silver is a solution of tiny silver particles suspended in water. These nanoparticles are so small that they’re often invisible to the naked eye and unable to be removed with a typical filtering process.
Advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology (the study of small things) have changed the way human diseases are treated, diagnosed and prevented. When it comes to metallic nanomaterials, silver is considered to be one of the most important and beneficial for biomedical use. Recent advances in nanoscience have focused on the potential benefits of silver nanoparticles for cancer diagnosis and therapy.
Silver has earned its “cure-all” status with its impressive list of “anti” properties. Check them out:
✓ Antibacterial
✓ Antimicrobial (kills microorganisms – bacteria, viruses, fungi, mold, mildew, etc.)
✓ Antiviral
✓ Antifungal
✓ Anti-inflammatory
✓ Anti-angiogenic (inhibits tumor growth by blocking new blood vessel formation)
✓ Anti-cancer
The use of colloidal silver as an all-purpose remedy dates back thousands of years to pre antibiotic days. In fact, silver was one of the few options available for treatment before antibiotics were developed. During the 1800’s, silver was commonly used to make wound sutures, treat syphilis and prevent infection in the eyes of newborn babies.
Did you know that before the invention of refrigeration and pasteurization, silver coins were dropped into milk to extend its shelf life? Today, many water filters contain silver to enhance purification and ward off bacterial growth. Spraying colloidal silver on your produce will extend its life and reduce the likelihood of mold production. Basically, colloidal silver is a natural preservative!
In more recent years, research has confirmed silver’s therapeutic properties raising the attention of those looking for natural immune boosting and healing aids.
It is understood that silver works to heal the body and weaken disease causing pathogens in more than one way. Each of the following actions disable cells and prevent infected cells from replicating in the body.
What does this translate to: Silver blocks cell respiration by holding onto oxygen molecules that react with chemical bonds surrounding bacteria and viruses.
Here’s the takeaway in easy language - Silver’s action interferes with a cell’s lifecycle causing bacteria to suffocate and die off.
Bacterial, fungal and viral infections have been known to be successfully treated with colloidal silver.
Studies have demonstrated that colloidal silver can kill a wide range of bacteria. An even bigger bonus, colloidal silver has not been found to create resistance in the organisms that it destroys. This is big news considering just how huge of a problem antibiotic resistance is. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), “more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result.”
Colloidal silver has been known to have anti-viral effects that aid herpes, warts, shingles, and even HIV/AIDS. One study concluded that “silver nanoparticles are capable of reducing viral infectivity, probably by blocking interaction of the virus within the cell.”
For centuries, colloidal silver has been used to reduce swelling and speed healing.
It can especially benefit damaged or burned skin by preventing infections with its antibacterial properties. You can apply it topically or soak bandages and wound dressings in a silver solution.
Colloidal silver is great for:
✓ Eczema
✓ Scars
✓ Psoriasis
✓ Ringworm and other fungal infections
✓ Cuts/scrapes
✓ Gum disease
✓ Thrush
Colloidal silver has shown to combat the common cold and different types of flu, including swine and H1N1. Research on children with common cold symptoms were observed and treated with either colloidal silver or a saline nasal solution. Both groups experienced improvement, but the colloidal silver group had a 90% complete recovery rate, compared to a 66% rate in the saline solution group.
Colloidal silver can actually be used as a nasal spray or added to a neti pot to kill pathogens that cause sinus infections and allergies.
I’ve put together some more information on cold/flu and immunity for you here.
There are many causes of pneumonia and it can be either bacterial or viral. Its typical for antibiotics to be administered at the first sign of symptoms. If caused by a virus, antibiotics won’t be useful. Since colloidal silver can act on both bacteria and viruses, it can be used as a first line of defense.
You can ingest colloidal silver internally or use a nebulizer to get the silver in direct contact with pathogens in the lungs. A nebulizer simply converts a liquid into a fine mist so that you can inhale it into your lungs.
It’s clear that colloidal silver can help your body overcome many ailments.
Here’s a quick summary of uses:
• Topical liquid or gel – for wounds, burns, troubled or damaged skin
• Oral/internally – as a general immune response boost
• Ear/eye drops – treatment for pink eye and ear infections
• Nasal spray – treatment for sinusitis, cold/flu, nasal congestion
You’ll find colloidal silver in most health stores and anywhere over the counter remedies are sold. You may notice that it is marketed in different ways too. What you want to look for is true colloidal silver. Avoid products that say “silver protein” or “ionic silver” – these are cheaper forms and will not produce the same effects as true colloidal silver.
Simply check the label and make sure the product does not contain any proteins or additives. True colloidal silver is just silver nanoparticles in water – usually “pharmaceutical grade deionized water.”
When purchased as a supplement, you’ll see a value of silver in PPM. This means parts per million and equals the number of silver particles per serving. Typical strength levels vary between 50-500 PPM. As far as dosage, it’s best to follow the manufacturer’s directions on the product.
There is plenty of evidence that supports the safety and efficacy of colloidal silver, but it must be used properly. Long term use and excessive dosages can cause adverse health effects.
The biggest concern regarding the use of colloidal silver is with misuse and choosing a low-quality solution. With the use of cheap silver supplements, a rare condition known as argyria can develop in which the skin turns blueish gray. So, always choose true colloidal silver and use as directed.
Here’s one last tip…Since colloidal silver is such a powerful antibacterial substance, be sure to supplement probiotics to balance your microflora.
Choosing a probiotic supplement can be overwhelming, but I’ve simplified the process for you – check out my video/blog, “How to Choose a Probiotic Supplement.”
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
It’s well known that nutritional status is a leading determinant of immune function. Simply put, the presence (or lack of) certain nutrients in your body make the difference between being sick or well.
A well-functioning immune system results from the work of various nutrients, but today’s spotlight is on vitamin E. While immune boosting vitamins C and D get plenty of attention, you should know that vitamin E is equally as helpful, especially in older adults.
As a fat-soluble antioxidant, vitamin E is perhaps the most powerful anti-aging vitamin there is. It has incredible cell protecting properties that slow the effects of aging and reduce your risk for heart disease and cancer. By preventing oxidative damage, vitamin E protects cells of all kind, including immune cells.
Research affirms that “Animal and human studies have demonstrated that vitamin E deficiency impairs both humoral (antibody production) and cell-mediated (particularly that of T cells) immune functions.”
A 2018 study at Tufts University revealed that supplemental vitamin E has immunomodulatory effects (helps normalize the immune system) and supports health by combating viral and bacterial invasions. Vitamin E research has repeatedly shown its power to reduce age related immune dysfunction and enhance the protective immune response.
What does this all mean?
Respiratory infections are especially prevalent in the elderly population, who already seem to have a declining immune response. This prompted important research on the link between vitamin E supplementation and respiratory infections in nursing home residents.
This clinical controlled trial revealed remarkable respiratory health benefits with vitamin E supplementation. The study consisted of roughly 600 elderly nursing home participants that supplemented 200 IU per day for one year.
The results revealed that vitamin E supplementation significantly reduced the occurrence of common cold cases in this population. So, in this case, less people got sick while supplementing vitamin E. These findings are critical to not only supporting the well-being of the elderly, but reducing already overwhelming health care costs in nursing homes.
It’s believed that over 90% of Americans fall short of the recommended vitamin E intake (just 22 IU daily). That’s not a good statistic! Even worse, most people are deficient in many other key nutrients that their body needs to thrive. It’s no wonder the U.S has an overwhelming rate of chronic disease.
Healthy food sources for vitamin E include:
Let’s face it, diets aren’t perfect, so taking a vitamin E supplement is generally a good idea. Just make sure your supplement contains all the vitamin E compounds listed below. The proper dosage for maintaining good adult health is around 50 IUs daily.
When you take your vitamin E supplement, take it with some healthy dietary fat like coconut oil or avocado, This will help your body absorb a higher percentage of the vitamin E in the supplement.
Did you know that Vitamin E is made up of a family of eight compounds? Most people are unaware of this, mainly because 95% of vitamin E supplements sold to the public are marketed as being great, but contain only one of the eight compounds: alpha-tocopherol. And that’s not the kind of supplement you want to be taking.
An ideal dosage of all eight compounds can be seen in my Full Spectrum Vitamin E formula.
Every year, we get another candle on the cake, and our chronological age increases. What we really know and see as ‘aging’ is the result of free radical damage. This sets the stage for poor immune function, chronic illness and disease. While this may sound like grim news, remember you’ve got a lifeline at your fingertips - vitamin E!
Awareness of respiratory symptoms and overall personal health are on the brain now more than ever due to the global COVID-19 outbreak. The beneficial effects of vitamin E (and also vitamin C, D, zinc, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids) have received more attention as scientists observe the inner workings of the immune system among COVID-19 patients. We know that vitamin E is necessary for a healthy immune system and can specifically boost function in the vulnerable elderly population.
Thanks in advance for sharing this knowledge with your loved ones, especially the older folks in your life.
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What you put in your body – or don’t – has a ripple effect on every physiological process happening inside you. This includes your libido! Defined as a person’s overall sexual drive or desire for sexual activity, libido is influenced by several factors - and nutrition is a major one.
If your libido is lagging (and not due to a medical condition or drug side effect), it’s likely that a dietary tweak or simple supplementation may be your ticket to supercharging your sensuality.
OK, so let’s get down… to nutrition that is…
Truly a superhero in the vitamin world, vitamin D (which is really a hormone) has the potential to solve so many health issues. Between bone health and immunity, you’ll find better sexual function on the long list of vitamin D benefits. It’s no wonder vitamin D is one of the top biohacking tools to better health.
*Biohacking involves making small diet or lifestyle changes to optimize your body’s potential.
There is no shortage of research on the link between vitamin D levels and libido. Studies have demonstrated that low vitamin D levels are associated with low sexual desire and that vitamin D supplementation improves sexual function.
↳MEN - Higher levels of vitamin D are associated with higher levels of total testosterone, a necessity for healthy erectile function. Further, both vitamin D and testosterone help produce and boost nitric oxide, which promotes blood flow to all the right places.
↳ WOMEN - Low vitamin D levels often cause low estrogen, a major culprit to a long-lost libido. Most people get additional vitamin D during the summer months causing hormones (and therefore libido) to peak during this time. Feeling more ‘playful’ in the summer? Chances are it’s no coincidence.
Beyond libido, low testosterone and estrogen levels negatively affect mood and can lead to depression, irritability and anxiety. Click here to read the summary of one study that concluded vitamin D supplementation improves female sexual function and mood.
ℹ️ How to Get Enough Vitamin D
✔️ Fatty fish – wild caught salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel
✔️ Egg yolks – pasture raised
✔️ Beef liver
✔️ Cod liver oil
This is one of the most important minerals for overall health, yet most Americans don’t get enough.
Aside from fighting off invading viruses and bacteria, zinc is involved in the production of key sex hormones like testosterone and prolactin. Testosterone is vital to a healthy sexual drive and function in both men and women. Research has also demonstrated zinc’s integral role in prostate health.
Find out what happened to male rats when scientists supplemented their diet with zinc.
ℹ️ How to get enough Zinc
✔️ Seafood
✔️ Grass fed beef
✔️ Lamb
✔️ Pumpkin seeds
✔️Eggs
✔️Chicken/turkey
✔️Cocoa powder
✔️Mushrooms
The B vitamin family in general plays a key role in energy, mood, hormone production and handling stress. B12 in particular is known for its ability to boost energy. If you’re experiencing fatigue and mood swings, B12 might be the lifeline that helps you get your groove back.
B12 further boosts libido through its role in supporting blood circulation. It can also heighten histamine release, the neurotransmitter involved in orgasm. Studies have also found that fertility is affected by low B12.
ℹ️ How to get enough B12
✔️ Grass fed meat and dairy
✔️ Wild caught fish
✔️ Poultry
✔️ Eggs
✔️ Organ meat
Known for benefiting your mood, brain, heart and eyes, these good fats also help to increase your libido. This happens because fish oil can raise brain levels of serotonin and dopamine – neurotransmitters in charge of mood and testosterone production. Fish oil also benefits nitric oxide levels, creating circulatory benefits for the heart, brain and sex organs.
The specific omega 3 fatty acids found in fish and shellfish are called EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
ℹ️ How to get enough Omega 3s (EPA and DHA)
✔️ Cold water fatty fish - salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines
✔️ Shellfish, other seafood and algae
Involved in over 300 reactions in your body, it’s no surprise that magnesium has a hand in your sexual function too. By increasing dopamine levels, magnesium works to enhance your libido. Again, dopamine is directly related to testosterone – the hormone that both men and women need for healthy sexual well-being.
Common symptoms of low magnesium include fatigue, leg cramps, sleep trouble and muscle pain. These symptoms are an easy fix if you focus on getting more magnesium.
ℹ️ How to get enough magnesium
✔️ Cooked greens – spinach and swiss chard
✔️ Sunflower seeds
✔️ Dark chocolate
✔️ Almonds/almond butter
✔️ Pumpkin seeds
✔️ Avocados
✔️ Spirulina
Stress, alcohol and drugs, poor sleep and a bad diet will all contribute to a lower libido. Paying attention to your intake of these 5 important nutrients could definitely enhance your sex drive, and overall health.
If I had to crown the sexiest vitamin, I might have to choose vitamin D! From lifting your libido to reducing cancer risk, vitamin D stays busy keeping you happy and healthy. You can learn more in one of my many vitamin D videos, Vitamin D Deficiency and Your Health.
If you’re not washing your produce before consuming it, you’re putting your health at risk. While giving your fruits and veggies a quick rinse under the tap is a good start, chances are you’re barely diluting what’s lurking on them.
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, you may feel more encouraged to go above and beyond when it comes to cleaning frequently touched surfaces, including the food you eat. Just like with hand washing, following the process correctly yields better results.
So, while rigorous hand washing has become the new norm, washing your produce should too. This will reduce your chances of contracting germs left by previous handlers and clear harmful chemical residues you’d otherwise ingest.
I have a feeling once you know what’s on your produce, you won’t think twice about washing it…no matter how hungry or little time you have. Let’s take a look…
Give yourself a big pat on the back If you’re already eating organic produce. Research has proven that compared to conventional, organic produce contains significantly less manmade pesticide residue (if any at all) AND higher concentrations of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. If it costs more, trust me it’s worth it!
As described by The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, “A pesticide is any substance used to kill, repel, or control certain forms of plant or animal life that are considered to be pests. Pesticides include herbicides for destroying weeds and other unwanted vegetation, insecticides for controlling a wide variety of insects, fungicides used to prevent the growth of molds and mildew, disinfectants for preventing the spread of bacteria, and compounds used to control mice and rats.
While we know pesticide use is widespread in conventional farming, it’s true that organic produce can contain trace amounts as well. This results from nearby farm cross contamination and is unfortunately more common than you’d think.
It’s no secret that exposure to pesticides is associated with a higher risk for chronic disease, neurodegenerative disorders and certain cancers. Children are especially susceptible to pesticides’ adverse effects.
You can read hundreds of studies supporting this connection on the Pesticide Induced Diseases Database.
The heaviest pesticide containing produce is known as the “dirty dozen.” If you can’t always buy organic, at least buy the organic version of these 12 and you’ll dramatically reduce your toxin load.
Your Buy Organic List
✔️ Celery
✔️ Lettuce
✔️ Peaches
✔️ Blueberries
✔️ Strawberries
✔️ Apples
✔️ Nectarines
✔️ Bell peppers
✔️ Potatoes
✔️ Cherries
✔️ Grapes
✔️ Spinach, kale & collard greens
Wouldn’t it be great if your hands were the first to ever touch your food? It’s unsettling to think of all the surfaces and hands (and breathing, sneezing, coughing people) that your produce comes into contact with…before you even buy it.
The most common pathogens linked to produce that cause the most illnesses, hospitalizations, or deaths in the U.S are:
➤ E. coli
➤ Norovirus
➤ Salmonella
➤ Listeria
➤ Hepatitis A
Your produce becomes even more risky if handled by someone who is sick. From the field to your fork, chances are some type of microbes find a home on your produce.
Proper produce washing frees your produce from harmful germs, parasites, pathogens and bacteria that can cause foodborne illness, infections, and disease.
Pathogens can invade your produce from many angles starting from the growing process.
The very water used to irrigate crops can be contaminated with pathogens. Water becomes toxic and contaminated from manure, fertilizers, unkempt equipment and unsanitary human practices. Fertilizers that contain feces or poorly composted wastes carry dangerous pathogens that can infiltrate fruits and vegetables. Microorganisms easily invade plants via their stems, leaves, roots and fruits.
Then there’s the risk of contamination from humans handling the equipment and products. I’ll spare you the nasty details here and refer to these contributing factors as “poor hygiene.”
Now that you know why you should always wash your produce, here’s how to do it properly…
Wash and scrub ALL produce with just water!
But wait… wash your own hands first with soap and water. Then, use your clean hands to rub fruits and vegetables under cool running water. Keep a scrub brush just for cleaning produce and use on items with tougher skin. There’s no need to use hot water or special sprays, soaps or detergents. These have not proven to be helpful and can make things leave residues that undermine the cleaning process.
Wash/scrub all produce under running water that you intend to eat or cook, even if you plan on removing the peel since germs on the outside can penetrate the inside of produce when they’re cut.
Always clean produce before eating, cutting, peeling or cooking.
Produce should be washed the same way even if it's from your own garden or a local farmer’s market. Be sure to cut away any damaged or bruised parts after washing and before consuming.
Note: If produce is packaged and it states that it has been washed, then you’re off the hook on washing it again. You often see this with leafy greens and salad mixes that may have a “triple washed” label.
Salad and leafy greens tend to contain more dirt and grit making them tricky to clean. This is made easier if you put them in a colander that’s inside a larger bowl. Submerge the greens in water and swish them around then lift them out of the bowl and repeat the process with new water at least one more time. Use paper towels to dry the greens or better yet, a salad spinner - an inexpensive and really handy kitchen gadget.
Dry produce with a paper towel or clean cloth, just like you would dry your hands after washing. I think a disposable paper towel is best so you don’t risk contamination from bacteria that can fester on a towel. This drying step should not be skipped because it can remove remaining bacteria and discourage further growth (bacteria need water to thrive).
Produce should be the bulk of your diet and of course you want to make sure you’re reaping its benefits not taking risks when you eat it.
Pandemic or not, organic or conventional - you need to wash your produce! While you can’t control if your apple rolled across the grocery store floor or if your avocado got sneezed on, you can take the simple step of washing to reduce your exposure to these inevitable pathogens and chemicals.
Here’s a virtual high five to everyone already practicing good hand and food prep hygiene!
Statins are one of the most common medicines prescribed in the United States. This type of drug blocks the liver enzyme your body needs to make cholesterol, but they don’t influence the cholesterol you eat. For this reason, traditional medical doctors prescribe statins to their patients as a first-line treatment to lower cholesterol and reduce heart disease risk.
While taking a statin may sound like an easy solution to achieving a good lipid profile, it can actually put your health at serious risk. In addition to the long list of common side effects, taking statins without supplementing coenzyme Q10 (COQ10) can definitely cause your body more harm than good.
Keep reading as I explain what most prescribing doctors are not telling their patients when they leave with a statin script.
Even if you’re not taking a statin yourself, chances are someone you care about is. The CDC reports that about 30% of Americans over age 40 take a statin. In just the last decade, statin use has increased substantially among adults and we also know that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of illness and death for both men and women in the U.S. (and many other developed countries).
Yikes, these are troubling trends!
Statins work to inhibit your body’s natural internal production of cholesterol. What most people are not informed of is that statins also block your body’s internal production of COQ10.
COQ10 is a vital nutrient that is found mostly in your organs (heart, liver, pancreas, liver) and stored in the mitochondria of your cells - precisely why it is so vital to cellular energy.
Check out my video and blog on Improving Mitochondrial Function for Increased Health and Vitality.
COQ10 is essential for…
It’s a fact that CoQ10 production in your body significantly declines around age 40. So, if you’re also taking a statin, your health could really suffer.
The key reason that statin drugs affect COQ10 is due to the fact that both cholesterol and COQ10 are produced in your body by the same metabolic pathway. This is known as the mevalonate pathway and it begins with a molecule involved in metabolism (called acetoacetyl-CoA). With the help of an enzyme (called HMG-CoA reductase), acetoacetyl-CoA converts into mevalonate. Your body then uses mevalonate to make cholesterol….and COQ10. Statin drugs block the action of this very enzyme so that mevalonate decreases. Without mevalonate, you’ll produce less cholesterol, and at the same time, less COQ10.
Of course, the takeaway here is not the complicated chemical reactions that occur, but rather that a statin drug negatively impacts the ways in which your body creates such a vital nutrient.
Caring for your health naturally and not relying on medicine to patch your health is a guaranteed way to stay free from unwanted drug side effects and interactions. If you must take a statin drug, do your health a favor and be sure to supplement COQ10 appropriately.
Some foods do provide COQ10 but they aren’t making it on most people’s plates often enough, if at all.
COQ10 rich foods:
Poor diet, aging, and definitely statin drug use is at the root of COQ10 depletion, but it’s easy to make adjustments to solve this.
Tip 1: Strive to eat more COQ10 rich foods and adopt an anti-inflammatory diet in general
✓Nutrient dense foods
✓ Exercise
✓ Sleep
✓ Supplementation
✓ Stress management
It’s unfortunate that there are no official warnings on statin drugs regarding how they impact COQ10. However, Canadian statin labels warn of this danger and specifically notes that such a nutrient deficiency “…could lead to impaired cardiac function.”
When supplementing COQ10, look for one in its active form of ubiquinone, which provides more effective health benefits. Of course, I’ve got your health needs covered and kept this in mind when designing my Natural COQ10 formula.
Research supports and suggests that statin patients should take COQ10 at 200 mg daily to reduce statin induced mitochondrial damage. Remember, if you’re over the age of 40, your natural production of COQ10 is declining and supplementation becomes more necessary. So even if you’re not taking a statin, supplementing COQ10 is really a must for most people.
Be sure to check out my Natural CoQ10 formula below, as well as share this valuable information to help others be the healthiest they can be!
Let’s talk about one of the most common physical ailments – back pain!
As the single leading cause of disability worldwide, back pain interrupts the work schedules and daily activities of all age populations. It’s significant link to lower quality of life cannot be ignored and so I’m here to share a solution from a dietary standpoint.
When thinking about back pain, most people recognize that sitting too long, being sedentary, and physical stress on muscles and bones are to blame - but that’s just one piece of the puzzle.
Here are some eye opening statistics:
A lot of people including doctors, may not realize or understand the significant role that diet and nutrition play in both the prevention and management of back pain.
NOTE: Any discomfort, anywhere in your body, can be linked to diet -
and the sneaky cause is known as systemic inflammation.
There are different types of inflammation to know about. We’ve all experienced acute or short-term inflammation resulting from some level of injury. For example, when you twist your ankle and it swells and gets hot or a bug bite makes your skin red and puffy. Increased blood flow to the injured area creates the redness and heat while the sudden increased movement of fluid and white blood cells causes swelling. The feeling of pain is caused by the release of neurochemicals (endorphins) and compression of nerves. These reactions are a natural response to injury and a way to promote healing.
Now, the kind of inflammation that you don’t want to deal with is called systemic inflammation. This occurs when your immune system is chronically activated which causes the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines - proteins that cause pain, destroy tissues, and create disease.
Key points:
➤ Local inflammation resulting from injury is a positive reaction toward healing.
➤ Systemic inflammation is a serious condition and a major contributor to chronic health conditions and modern-day diseases.
Every time you eat something, you’re either increasing or decreasing inflammation in your body. With inflammation directly linked to disease, this means that your dietary decisions affect your quality of life – and ultimately the length of it.
Here’s how to eat to decrease inflammation….
X Sugar
X Grains (especially wheat and gluten containing grains)
X Hydrogenated oils
X Dairy products
These culprits are in fried foods, pasta, chips, corn, cereals, bread, baked goods
yogurt, sauces, snack bars, dried fruit and processed meat. Definitely avoid anything corn based and be very cautious with anything that comes in a bag, wrapper or box.
✓ Eggs – preferably pasture raised
✓ Healthy fatty foods – avocados, olives, nuts
✓ Fatty fish – salmon, mackerel, sardines
✓ Healthy oils - olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia, red palm
✓ Vegetables - Just how much should you be eating? Find out here
✓ Focus on eating veggies that are deeply colored and green. They contain the powerful anti-inflammatory compounds, polyphenols and chlorophyll.
Most drinks have the equivalent sugar content of several candy bars and contain other harmful ingredients!
Avoid:
X Fruit juice
X Energy drinks
X Alcohol
X Bottled teas and coffees
X Caffeine – often paired with sugar, especially coffee can increase inflammation
Sugar and excess caffeine trigger the release of cortisol. Chronic elevated cortisol levels put your health in serious danger. Let’s take a look at why that is such a problem…
I can’t stress enough the importance of keeping your cortisol levels in check. This “stress” hormone is excreted from your adrenal glands that sit on top of your kidneys.
It regulates many processes in your body including:
When your cortisol levels get out of whack it can create a cascade of health problems including back pain!
Chronic high cortisol encourages fat accumulation and weight gain that stress your skeletal system. Sustained high cortisol levels destroy muscle and reduce bone density, making you more prone to pain and injury. And there’s more…cortisol increases another hormone, prolactin, which heightens sensitivity to aches and pains.
You can create and maintain healthy cortisol levels through proper diet, stress management, exercise, and adequate sleep.
You’ve got a much greater chance of being pain free when your diet consists of these key supporting nutrients:
➞ Calcium
➞ Probiotics
➞ Collagen
➞ Amino acids
Unfortunately, most people are deficient in more than one of the above. Taking appropriate supplements (along with proper diet) has become necessary for almost everyone who needs to improve their vitamin and nutrient status.
Research has shown that not only do people with chronic pain tend to be deficient in vitamin D, but pain patients tend to stay on opioids twice as long and take twice as much than patients who have healthy D levels. WOW!
Remember systemic inflammation drives pain, discomfort, chronic health conditions and disease. Make it a goal to reduce inflammation by altering your diet. Crowd out inflammatory foods with more vegetables and healthy fats.
Next, manage your cortisol levels which will help you keep a healthy weight and body. This requires a big cutback on sugar, then work on eliminating it the best you can. Give your body enough rest and manage stress with movement and hobbies. Go adopt a pet and tell them Dr. Huntington sent you! Numerous studies have proven that interacting with animals tends to decrease cortisol levels.
Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of nutrition. Get to know the key pain reducing nutrients and work on getting more of them through food and supplementation.
Perhaps now more than ever, there’s a greater awareness of human nutrition, eating habits, and diet. This is due to many factors - at the top of the list include the alarming statistics on lifestyle driven diseases and the health risks associated with a current pandemic.
The quality of your life and your calculated risk for disease are directly linked to how much control you take over your health.
In just this last year, more people have asked me than any previous time how to avoid getting sick, how to lose weight, what should they eat, what diet is the best? To see this uptick in awareness of personal responsibility for better health is great news!
The goal here is to give you a general overview of each and highlight the differences so you have more knowledge on what better eating means.
Both the keto and paleo ways of eating are considered anti-inflammatory diets. If you want to work toward preventing disease, losing weight and achieving excellent health – you must reduce and keep inflammation in your body very low.
Anti-inflammatory foods are a common denominator among both keto and paleo diets where all grains, processed food and sugar are eliminated. A high carbohydrate diet drives inflammation in your body. This is definitely not a good thing for your health as inflammation is at the root of nearly all bodily dysfunction and disease.
The keto diet has actually been utilized since the 1920s to manage disease (specifically epilepsy) and has become a popular weight loss tool in recent years.
Keto regulates your macronutrient intake - your fat, protein, and carbohydrates -
so that each one makes up a specific percentage of your daily calories.
The standard keto diet calls for the following percentage of daily calories:
✔︎ 70% from fat (healthy sources)
✔︎ 20% from protein
✔︎ 10% from carbs
A stark difference exists between the keto diet structure and the standard American diet of 35% fat (mostly unhealthy ones), 15% protein and 50% carbs.
Keto’s high fat, moderate protein and low carb structure shifts the body’s fuel source from glucose to fat. This creates nutritional ketosis, the state in which fat breaks down and makes chemicals in your liver called ketones. These ketones provide your body with a “clean fuel,” which means your body will receive sustained energy without any negative side effects. Ketones have anti-inflammatory properties and are like superfood for your cells - their production is what makes this diet so unique.
The effects of a keto diet support the most common health goals of:
Click here to learn more keto diet details and benefits.
When you follow a keto diet, you’ll prevent sugar spikes and therefore surges of insulin. When you reduce your body’s demand for insulin, your cells become more “insulin sensitive.” High insulin sensitivity creates a foundation for better health and can provide the opportunity to reverse insulin resistance and even type 2 diabetes. This is a remarkable effect that can’t be denied and is supported by research.
Hopefully more of the traditional medical community will consider keto as part of a treatment plan, especially for diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular conditions.
If you have Type 2 Diabetes, you are not stuck with it for the rest of your life!
The paleo diet focuses less on macronutrient makeup and more on food choices which are based on how our ancestors ate millions of years ago - think cave dwellers, hunters and gatherers.
It’s understood that these prehistoric people were not plagued with the rampant modern-day health conditions we see today (obesity, diabetes, heart disease), and so in mirroring their lifestyle, you give yourself the opportunity for better health.
Paleo followers eat only what our ancestors subsisted on, which makes this diet heavy on animal protein, vegetables and fruit. They certainly didn’t have access to the types of foods that agricultural developments have brought us like grains and dairy.
The keto and paleo diet share a very similar menu. Paleo approved foods include:
✔︎ Fish and seafood
✔︎ Grass fed and game meat
✔︎ Eggs
✔︎ Nuts and seeds
✔︎ Healthy oils
✔︎ Avocados and other fruit
Find out what my favorite food for good health is here.
Healthy fats from sources like coconut are a common staple on the paleo diet, but the heavy intake of healthy fat is less emphasized than on a keto diet.
In addition, carbohydrate intake on the paleo diet is usually higher than on keto and sourced from starchier vegetables and a greater variety of fruits that provide natural sugar.
Although it’s very unlikely you’d be overweight when following a paleo diet, this way of eatingrarely creates nutritional ketosis (the state of fat burning and ketone production).
It’s a fact that a low carbohydrate diet is absolutely necessary to kick sugar cravings and achieve long term health. Since both paleo and keto are low carb anti-inflammatory diets, either one is a good choice.
Here are my thoughts on some main components of each diet:
While sugar is an energy source, it can be strongly argued that it’s not the most ideal one. When it comes to providing your body with clean energy, fat wins! This is why creating ketones and consuming ample dietary fat from both animal and plant sources is so important.
In my opinion, the paleo diet tends to be too heavy on protein. Did you know that excess protein gets converted to glucose? That’s right, if you consume more protein than your body needs, it generates the effect of consuming carbohydrate. This leads me to suggest that keto’s more moderate protein intake is a healthier choice.
Both diets allow sugar intake from fruit, but paleo has no restrictions - so you could certainly end up overdoing it. On the other hand, keto is limited to high fiber, low carbohydrate fruits like berries.
I really support that both diets eliminate grains, processed foods and refined sugar – the dietary foundation for reducing disease, slowing aging, and promoting weight control.
One problem I see with keto is that it does allow dairy, emphasizing grass fed sources. The issue is that followers can easily overdo it here and hinder the diet’s benefits. I’ve witnessed that most people don’t realize they’re sensitive to dairy and overlook the symptoms that come with the inflammatory response dairy often creates. I definitely recommend avoiding dairy - and that means milk and cheese and all its forms.
If you choose to have dairy, make sure it’s labeled grass-fed or pasture raised. Most definitely stay away from conventional dairy that comes from less healthy grain fed animals that are affected by poor living conditions, pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones. Yuck! If you are going to consume dairy, do your health a great favor – eat it sparingly and choose organic grass fed and raw dairy only.
💡Note: Raw dairy is not altered by any process such as pasteurization and homogenization.
When dairy is pasteurized, heat is used to kill all bacteria. Research has proven that this destroys any beneficial probiotics, enzymes, vital nutrients and fatty acids. Homogenization is a mechanical process that breaks up fat particles to create a uniform consistency. Science has also concluded that these smaller fat particles negatively influence digestion.
The bottom line…processed dairy does not do a body good!
Fasting is a key part of the keto lifestyle that helps your body heal, burn fat and build resiliency.
Although our ancestors certainly did not eat around the clock, the paleo diet does not call for any timed eating pattern. Intermittent fasting is a type of eating pattern that I practice and find yields big health gains.
If following keto, it’s critical to eat only healthy fats and carbohydrates. “Dirty keto” is a version some people follow that involves eating low quality foods while still keeping in the macronutrient range. Many packaged foods are labeled paleo or keto, but they contain ingredients that aren't the best. Reading labels is crucial.
Personally, I’ve found success by combining the best aspects of both keto and paleo. I also highly recommend the practice of intermittent fasting. If you don’t want to count calories and macronutrients, just focus on eating organic, anti-inflammatory and nutrient dense foods.
Ditching grains and dairy alone can really skyrocket your health on so many levels. And here’s a fact, you do not need grains and dairy to get enough calcium, fiber, and vitamin D! I have shared the best sources for these nutrients here.
Of course, diet is just one aspect of well-being, be sure to get enough sleep, exercise, and supplement nutrients your body needs.
In case you missed the link above, you can learn more about keto in my video, “Ketogenic Diet Basics and Benefits.”
Just about every part of the human body requires enough vitamin D to function properly – really, vitamin D does it all! It’s ability to pad the immune system and suppress cytokine storm have gained a well-deserved spotlight in recent news concerning the pandemic and infectious disease.
Although this fat-soluble vitamin is best known for supporting healthy bones, boosting immunity and protecting respiratory health, it’s also critical for less considered anatomy, like hair growth.
Healthy hair is linked to many factors including the nutrients your body receives. So, it makes sense that hair loss is one of the many common symptoms that show up with low vitamin D levels. If you’re dealing with hair loss or want to improve its quality, you won’t want to miss this info - let’s take a closer look at what vitamin D does for your hair and ways to boost your intake.
Since vitamin D stimulates hair follicles and maintains the hair growth cycle, you’re very likely to have stunted hair growth if you skimp on the sunshine vitamin. Considering that 1 billion people worldwide lack in vitamin D, hair loss is actually a common (and really undesirable) condition.
Less than optimum vitamin D levels are associated with:
Even if you don’t suffer from hair loss, you can improve the look and feel of your hair with appropriate amounts of vitamin D.
Here are the top 5 ways vitamin D influences hair health:
Research has shown that vitamin D levels are closely associated with a hair loss condition known as alopecia. While there are many different types of alopecia affecting about 147 million people worldwide, one form called alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation around hair follicles on your scalp, beard, or anywhere on your body that hair grows. Even your eyebrows and eyelashes can be affected.
One study in patients with alopecia areata concluded lower vitamin D blood levels were associated with more severe hair loss. Further research on vitamin D and hair loss in women indicated that supplementing vitamin D may especially benefit a form of alopecia called female pattern hair loss.
It’s no secret that vitamin D deficiency is a common denominator among a variety of autoimmune conditions. This prioritizes vitamin D as preventative and protective nutrient when it comes to autoimmune diseases – and your overall health.
Autoimmune defined: A normal immune system guards your body against bacteria and viruses by using specialized cells to attack these foreign invaders. An autoimmune disorder exists when your immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign cells and your own healthy cells, and then mistakenly attacks your cells. This disorder can target your entire body or just one part of it, such as an organ or your joints.
A few factors associated with developing autoimmune diseases include:
➢ An inflammatory diet of sugar, unhealthy fat, grains and conventional dairy. Follow ananti-inflammatory diet!
➢ Lack of exposure to “germs” (known as the hygiene hypothesis). The overuse of vaccines, antiseptics and antibacterial products tend to decrease exposure to germs and lead to an immune system that inappropriately overreacts to harmless substances.
➢ Exposure to chemicals - environmental toxins (mercury/lead/asbestos), BPA found in plastic, toxic ingredients in personal care products, and pesticides in our food supply
➢ Certain medications which are openly noted in this pharmaceutical journal.
The good news is that getting your vitamin D level up is easy. You can do this with a combination of properly SUPPLEMENTING and altering your DIET and SUN exposure.
The term vitamin D is a bit misleading. It’s really either vitamin D3 or D2. Foods rich in vitamin D3 come from animal sources and D2 come from plant sources. When you absorb sunlight, vitamin D receptor cells convert cholesterol into D3 for your body to use. Overall, vitamin D3 is more effective at improving the vitamin D status in your body.
Either way, natural vitamin D rich foods are few and far between. To get your fill, you’ll want to consume plenty of the flesh and oil of fatty fish, liver and egg yolks (choose pasture raised).
Allowing yourself 15-30 minutes per day of sun exposure (without any sunscreen of course) will nourish your body with the sunshine vitamin. While this may sound easy to do, many of us spend too much time indoors or live in places with limited sunshine. Do your best to spend time outside each day.
Supplementing is often necessary for most people to increase or maintain an optimum vitamin D level in their body. I suggest taking 5,000 IU daily – always with vitamin K2 – and taken with a meal containing healthy fat to boost absorption. I’ve made it easy by combining these nutrients in my D3/K2 formula for optimum health. If you are under medical care, it’s a good idea to check with your treating physician first.
Did you know? Vitamin D3 and K2 taken together works to improve heart health and much more! Check out my video, Vitamin K2 Benefits and why it’s Essential for Health.
You may have heard of the term cytokine storm, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 virus. Some infected patients develop this serious complication which greatly reduces their chance of recovery. This reaction known as cytokine storm is not new and specific to COVID-19 – it has been identified in other pathogen driven diseases and auto-immune disorders.
Today I’ll easily explain the cytokine storm, who is at risk, and its link and impact specifically to COVID-19.
First, let’s define cytokine (pronounced sai-tow-kain in English). It is derived from two Greek words “cyto” meaning cell and “kinos” meaning movement.
Cytokines are an umbrella term for molecules that are involved in the body’s immune response. More specifically, they are proteins produced by all the different types of immune cells. As the name indicates, a cytokine storm is an immune response that is greater than it should be and, in some cases, so extreme it can cause death.
Cytokines play a key role as signaling molecules (messengers) that help cells communicate during an immune response to stimulate movement toward areas of inflammation, trauma or infection in the body. By binding to special receptors on cells, cytokines change how cells act. For instance, they change gene expression or the function of proteins within a cell. In short, cytokines have a huge impact on immune cell development, activation, and lifespan.
There are actually four structural groups of cytokines, but knowing them is not critical to understanding cytokine storm. What’s important to know is that some cytokines are “anti-inflammatory” and work to aid healing by reducing inflammation. But there are also cytokines that promote inflammation and therefore make disease worse. The overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines can create fever, body tissue breakdown and are a leading factor in developing disease.
If you’re into details like I am, I don’t want to leave you hanging - so here are the four main groups of cytokines:
In the scientific world, cytokines are known as “immunomodulating agents” which means they influence and change the way the immune system responds. Immunity is the body’s protection against infections and disease. Cytokines alter two types of immunity - innate and adaptive/active.
↳ Innate immunity is the natural protection that you’re born with. This includes physical barriers such as your skin, gastrointestinal and respiratory tract, and body hair (think eyelashes and how they protect your eyes from debris). Innate defense mechanisms also come from chemical barriers like stomach acid, tears, and mucous. The innate immune system also has cellular defenses that offer protection by identifying and targeting harmful substances. All of these components of the innate immune system serve as barriers to germs and pathogens entering your body.
↳ Adaptive/active immunity is developed over time and is more complex than innate. It is often referred to as “acquired immunity” and involves the creation of antibodies – proteins that work to recognize and neutralize a toxic or foreign substance.
Of course, an immune response is necessary to combat infection. It’s normal to see a hyperactive response at the onset of infection, but it should then decrease and resolve itself. There is a subset of patients infected with COVID-19 that have an exaggerated immune response post infection, which does not decrease over time as it should. They are experiencing cytokine storm, a very dangerous situation leading to an uncontrolled inflammatory response. Cytokine storm can be deadly and is heavily associated with the morbidity rate of COVID-19 patients.
In COVID-19 patients, cytokine storm initiates an immune system attack on the body that typically begins in the area of infection (lungs) and can spread (become systemic). This is the driver behind the respiratory stress and edema (swelling) that ensues in these patients causing severe breathing dysfunction and long-term tissue damage. Cytokine storm damage can go beyond local areas and cause multi organ failure.
The risk for cytokine storm partly depends upon the virus that triggers an immune response. It also tends to be more prevalent among certain pre-existing health conditions and age groups including:
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, cytokine storm has been under more intense investigation than ever before. Scientists are experimenting with ways to test for cytokine markers to catch it before it spirals out of control. Extensive research for a drug solution that could prohibit viral replication and excessive cytokine production has been underway.
Although drugs have been a big part of life saving medical advancement, the foundation of true health is created by proper diet and lifestyle habits. This is an individual responsibility – meaning if you consistently rely on medicine to “fix” things, you’ll find your body failing you.
Over your lifetime, you’ll be exposed to millions of harmful toxins, bacteria and viruses, no matter how careful you are. How your body responds rests significantly on the condition of your immune system. Upon exposure, you’ll have a huge advantage if you follow these 4 guidelines:
Poor gut health is directly related to developing auto-immune disorders.
Avoid known gut irritants like sugar, alcohol, gluten, and conventional dairy.
Alter your diet:
✓ Eat organic – chemicals and pesticides wreak havoc on the gut
Learn more about the link between gut health and overall health here.
Did you know that exercise helps flush bacteria out of your body, reducing your risk for illness? It also strengthens specialized immune cells that fight disease. When you get moving, you not only boost your immune system, you sharpen your brain activity, support mood, and control your waistline.
Allow yourself between 7 and 9 hours of nightly sleep. When you get enough quality sleep, you support your body’s adaptive immune response. In other words, sleep is the ammo you need to fight illness. Controlling stress is also key to decreasing your susceptibility to infection.
Even if you follow a nutrient dense anti-inflammatory diet, supplementation is almost always necessary for better health. For many reasons, today’s food supply lacks the nutrition that it used to and the stress we experience now is only greater. Supplementation bridges the gap between what your body needs and what your body receives.
In particular, vitamin D deficiency is linked to an increased susceptibility to contracting infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
Amazingly, research indicates that vitamin D suppresses cytokine storm! In short, proper vitamin D levels pad your immune system and can make the difference between falling ill and functioning optimally.
Check out my video/blog here where I discuss the link between vitamin D and chronic lung disease.
To further heighten the responsive power of your own immune system, you can include Super Immune Boost in your daily supplement regimen. I’ve designed this formula with specific nutrients, vitamins, and herbs that help your body prepare for and combat illness caused by pathogens, bacteria, and viruses.
Super Immune Boost has an impressive lineup of ingredients that work synergistically to give your body the edge to stay healthy and carry on!
To learn more and see the key ingredients for yourself, check out my article, "A Powerful way to Boost Immune System Health".
I hope now that you have a better understanding of cytokine storm and how you can lower your risk for this complication by elevating your health status.
Don’t wait to improve the function of your body! Start today by following the simple steps above that can greatly reduce complications and speed recovery should you become infected with COVID-19 – or any virus.
"A gift to any family for every season. Have used this product for a few months now. Highly recommend it for all family members in the cold and flu season. One package a day keeps me energetic and helps to deter cold and flu symptoms."
Carley | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Super Immune Boost
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
Sleep! It’s what everyone looks forward to, but doesn’t get enough of. Some days, sleep feels like a luxury, right? Today, I’ll review my tips on how to sleep better.
I’m sure you know from experience how a bad night’s sleep sets you up for a day of dragging your feet in a fog. The real problem lies in a lack of consistent quality sleep, which creates far more serious consequences than feeling groggy.
Sleep is one of the leading influences on how your body functions. It affects your immunity strength, metabolic rate (think energy expenditure and weight control), emotional state (critical thinking/choices), and even your risk for health issues and diseases, such as, depression, diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
Improving your sleep starts with supporting your body’s circadian rhythm, a natural internal process that regulates your sleep-wake cycle and repeats every 24 hours. Waking up in the morning and allowing light into your eyes resets this rhythm every day.
What to do:
✓ Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day of the week, even if you can “sleep in.”
✓ Budget a minimum of 7 hours of sleep (up to 9).
Curious as to why your body needs this amount of sleep? Check out my video/blog, “How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?”
Both what and when you eat greatly influences sleep. Certain foods actually fuel insomnia by spiking blood sugar and leaving you hungry soon after. Eating dinner or snacks too close to bedtime can also have this effect. Sugar, caffeine and alcohol are the top sleep stealing substances.
What to do:
✓ Skip sugary and carbohydrate heavy foods not only before bedtime, but during the day as much as you can. At the very least, limit them and your overall health will improve too.
✓ Finish your last meal or snack at least 2 hours before bedtime (3 hours is most ideal). If you must eat within this window, go for something that contains healthy fat to keep you feeling full without throwing your blood sugar out of whack. Try avocado, olives, salmon, or almond butter and celery sticks.
✓ Restrict or avoid alcohol entirely, especially within 3 hours of bedtime. Alcohol is a depressant that may feel like a sleep aid, but it interferes with the quality of it shortly after. The dehydrating effect of alcohol will disturb your sleep and next day too.
✓ Cut caffeinated beverages off by 12 p.m. or better yet, avoid them all together. I understand this may be tough if you’re stuck in a cycle of feeling tired and relying on coffee or energy drinks to get you over a mid-day slump. Click here to discover a healthy alternative when you need a boost of energy.
One way to strengthen your circadian rhythm is to move throughout the day. Since exercise increases alertness and raises your body temperature, doing it closer to bedtime can disrupt sleep.
What to do:
✓ Exercising first thing in the morning is best (and not within 4 hours of bedtime). If you can do this outside, even better! Did you know: Sunlight stops your brain from releasing melatonin (the hormone that helps promote sleep). Just the walk to your mailbox first thing in the morning helps regulate your sleep cycle and perk you up better than a cup of coffee.
✓ If you can’t schedule a formal workout, consider parking further away and getting a brisk walk in.
Your core body temperature naturally decreases in the evening and triggers your brain that it’s time to sleep. This is why the temperature of your sleeping environment influences your sleep cycle. Also, just as sunlight wakes you up, darkness signals your brain and regulates your sleep cycle too.
What to do:
✓ Cool your sleeping environment to between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
✓ Darken your room by turning off lights, electronics and covering windows.
Speaking of electronics …the blue light they give off steals your sleep by blocking your body’s production of melatonin.
What to do:
✓ Avoid screen time at night and before bedtime. This includes cell phones, computers, TVs and the like.
✓ If this is impossible for you, you should wear special glasses that block this harmful blue light.
Natural sleep aids work to encourage better sleep quality, without any groggy side effects in the morning. Certain nutrients, vitamins and herbs are known to help you unwind and promote sleep. These include magnesium, melatonin, L-theanine, 5-HTP, and valerian root.
With so many people struggling to get enough quality sleep and knowing how critical sleep is to good health, I’ve created a formula to assist the body’s natural sleep cycle. It’s appropriately named Vitamin Zzzz and contains all of the above nutrients (and more) to promote rest and recovery – what your body needs to not only function, but heal and grow properly.
What to do:
✓ Consume a nutrient-dense diet with plenty of vegetables and healthy fat (eat organic whenever possible). Avoid sugar and processed foods full of chemicals and additives as much as possible – they not only offer no health benefits, but can rob your body of nutrients you are getting.
Check out my tips on how to spot and cut down on hidden sugar.
✓ Consider BodyManual’s Vitamin Zzzz formula to help you achieve restorative sleep and feel refreshed in the morning.
Modern day life and hectic schedules are a big barrier to getting enough quality rest. Science and research continue to support the fact that good sleep is absolutely essential for a healthy body. The truth is, your body will not adapt positively without enough sleep and, therefore, good health really depends on you making changes.
By following these simple steps, you set the foundation for great sleep and a more successful following day.
Be sure to share these tips and help others prioritize shut-eye too!
"Zzzzzzzzzzzzz... That is all i can say about this. Love the extra vitamins for cold season. Haven't gotten ill yet (knock on wood). As far as putting me to sleep... Yep, it works... Great product..."
Jonathan | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vitamin Zzzz
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
Whether you know it as parched, shriveled, or dried out, dehydration can really make you feel like a fish out of water. But there’s a lot more to dehydration than just feeling thirsty - it affects mental and physical well-being almost instantly. Your movement, vision, cognition, sleep, mood, and digestion are all at stake. Keep reading as I give you a step by step guide on the proper way to rehydrate and stay hydrated!
While most of us will only ever experience short term dehydration, it’s a condition to handle immediately and prevent its progression, which could land you in a hospital. If dehydration is prolonged, it really stresses vital organs and can be life threatening. After all, water makes up 60% of your body, 75% of your muscles and 85% of your brain! This explains the saying “water is life,” it is necessary for the survival of all living organisms.
While chugging water may seem like the obvious solution, you can actually drink too much water, over diluting your cells and riding a roller coaster of electrolyte imbalance. Drinking enough (but not too much) water and replenishing electrolytes is the key to handling dehydration.
As soon as you notice dehydration symptoms, immediately drink water with supplemented electrolytes. Even in the case of mild dehydration, you’ll need to bring in the big guns. While bottled water brands that market toward electrolyte enhancement may help, they won’t give your body the big boost it needs to restore full function.
My electrolyte formula, Super Hydration Boost, contains the major electrolytes, in addition to, minerals and antioxidants for dehydration rescue. It can be taken in capsule or powder form added to water. Like all BodyManual products, it is free of sugar, artificial coloring and flavoring.
All water is not created equal! Always drink filtered water when you can. Contaminants can cause health problems that may only lead to dehydration in the long run.
Dehydrated or not, make the switch from table salt to sea salt. This will give you added minerals that your body needs to restore or maintain hydration.
If dehydrated, eat water-dense vegetables that are sprinkled with sea salt while drinking electrolyte supplemented water.
Bone broth is an excellent source of electrolytes and other minerals. In addition, it has amazing health benefits that will have you hooked. In fact, I can’t think of any part of the human body that doesn’t benefit from bone broth’s properties.
Avoid over exerting yourself and sweating for at least 12 hours after you rehydrate. Do your best to choose healthy whole foods.
Recovering from dehydration and other stressors is much easier when you’re at optimal health. In general, a healthy body supported by proper diet, supplementation, movement and lifestyle will offer you more resilience, strength and immunity. It’s true that proper nutrition lays the foundation for avoiding imbalance and disease within the body. These habits will not only help to keep you hydrated but they’ll improve the quality of your life too.
They’re often high in sodium and lack any other electrolytes, which creates an instant imbalance. Restaurant and packaged foods are notorious for triggering dehydration- and throwing your body out of whack.
The best solution to maintaining electrolyte levels is to ditch the junk and consume electrolyte-rich foods:
Note: While you may have heard that bananas and dairy products contain electrolytes, they’re also a big source of sugar - and can be gut irritants. It’s best to avoid or limit these options and get your electrolytes from the sources above.
Electrolyte imbalance stems from not enough water or too much water in your body. The key is to drink enough water so that you keep your sodium and potassium levels just right.
How much water is enough? This is determined by lifestyles factors: activity level, age, diet, sweat production, etc. The general guideline of 64-80 ounces daily tends to provide most adults (who are not athletes) with enough hydration BUT this water should really be filtered and contain electrolytes. Since the concentration of electrolytes in drinking water can vary greatly, I suggest supplementing.
Note: If you’re active, you really need to consume extra water during and after exercise AND supplement with electrolytes. This could be 12-24 ounces extra depending upon workout length.
It’s possible (and common) to be chronically deficient in electrolytes, especially magnesium and potassium. Using Super Hydration Boost daily (especially if you’re active) or at least a few times per week, along with a healthy diet, will really help ensure electrolyte balance.
Alcohol and caffeine not only dehydrate you in the first place, they also disrupt your natural sleep cycle. If you want to wake up refreshed, stay hydrated throughout the day and don’t be tempted by that “night-cap.”
If you need more convincing, check out my video and blog, “Is Drinking Alcohol REALLY That Bad For Your Health?”
Super Hydration Boost
"Ordered this stuff to help with hydration after bicycling in the heat. Works great for that, as well as for during work when it is in 100s. I have more energy at the end of the day after drinking this periodically through the day.I can hop on my bicycle when I get home and pedal a dozen miles without feeling drained."
Steve | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Super Hydration Boost
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
We all know that staying hydrated is good for us, but there’s a lot more to it than just drinking water. In fact, drinking enough water doesn’t necessarily mean you’re hydrated. Adequate water intake is essential for good health, but it’s the electrolytes in that water that keep your body functioning properly.
Did you know that most of today’s water and food sources among the typical American diet lack electrolytes? Your body depends on these vital nutrients to function properly. Major electrolytes include potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium, and chloride.
Any level of dehydration can have health consequences, but luckily it can be an easy fix. Here I’ll discuss the main causes of dehydration, health risks, and symptoms to look out for. As always, I’ll provide a solution – in this case, a way to rapidly refuel electrolytes and get out of the danger zone.
The leading cause of dehydration is electrolyte imbalance. Electrolytes come from certain foods and liquids but are lost when you exercise, sweat, or urinate. As their names suggest, electrolytes have an electric charge that allow your nerves to communicate with each other.
Let’s look at the main electrolytes and their vital roles in good health:
If you have a poor diet, drink too little (or too much) water, get sick, or exercise and sweat, you’re at risk for electrolyte imbalance. You’re also susceptible to dehydration if you have kidney problems or take certain medications like hormones, diuretics, and antibiotics.
Let’s look at these factors:
Electrolytes and other nutrients are found in whole foods, not processed ones. Packaged foods usually contain excess sodium and ingredients that contribute to dehydration. Adequate water intake (and a healthy diet of course) helps to promote hydration, which is necessary for proper digestion and nutrient absorption.
Tip: Using sea salt instead of table salt can drastically improve your health!
Find out why here.
Drinking just enough water is critical to staying hydrated. Electrolyte imbalance stems from not enough water or too much water in your body. The key is to drink enough water so that you keep your sodium and potassium levels just right.
How much water is enough? This is determined by lifestyles factors: activity level, age, diet, sweat production, etc. The general guideline of 64-80 ounces daily tends to provide most adults (who are not athletes) with enough hydration BUT this water should really be filtered and contain electrolytes. Since the concentration of electrolytes in drinking water can vary greatly, I suggest supplementing.
Note: If you’re active, you really need to consume extra water during and after exercise AND supplement with electrolytes. This could be 12-24 ounces extra depending upon workout length.
Vomiting, diarrhea, loss of blood, and high fever with sweating can all contribute to fluid loss and dehydration.
Sweating and exposure to high temperatures puts you at high risk for dehydration.
Since the kidneys help regulate electrolyte balance, damage or disease of this organ can really impact electrolyte levels. Chemotherapy treatments can also interfere with calcium and potassium levels. Some medications increase fluid loss and therefore increase dehydration risk. Since some hormones regulate fluid levels and electrolytes, a hormonal imbalance can trigger dehydration.
An electrolyte imbalance can’t hide and symptoms can show up quickly.
Here’s what to look out for:
Many people who frequently experience any of the above may not be aware that they are dealing with preventable dehydration symptoms. They may assume they have muscle pain, headaches and trouble concentrating “just because.” With an estimated 75% of Americans experiencing chronic dehydration, you can imagine how some of these symptoms become “normal.”
If left untreated, chronic dehydration can lead to serious health problems that involve the brain, kidneys, skin, and heart.
Avoiding an electrolyte imbalance in the first place is most ideal, but when you suspect an issue, you’ll need to respond quickly. The need for a quick solution, along with such a high percentage of people experiencing chronic dehydration, inspired my electrolyte supplement formula “Super Hydration Boost.”
Along with the major electrolytes your body requires, Super Hydration Boost also provides you with superior antioxidants and minerals such as Vitamin C, zinc, selenium and iodine. It’s available in capsules or powder form to easily add to water, or if you’re on the go like me, you’ll appreciate the individual packets. Whether you need to maintain electrolyte levels or boost them on the fly, Super Hydration Boost gets the job done – without any sugar, artificial colorings or flavors!
"Ordered this stuff to help with hydration after bicycling in the heat. Works great for that, as well as for during work when it is in 100s. I have more energy at the end of the day after drinking this periodically through the day.I can hop on my bicycle when I get home and pedal a dozen miles without feeling drained."
Steve | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Super Hydration Boost
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
Low energy is one of the top health concerns of my patients. Whether you need to make it through an afternoon slump, push through a race, or keep up with your kids each day, energy is valuable! Before you reheat that pot of coffee or grab an eye catching energy drink to go, consider healthier alternatives to increase energy.
Fatigue can result from many causes including poor diet, inadequate sleep and nutrient deficiencies. If you feel like you depend on the short-term fix of coffee or sugar to perk you up, it’s time to take a better look at what your body may be yawning for.
I’ll get right into the top vitamins that will provide you with a boost by naturally supporting energy levels - without unpleasant side effects.
A long list of nutrients come to mind when I think about what plays a role in the body’s complex energy processes. You can equate this complexity to a car and all of its various parts responsible for helping it run and get you from A to B.
Here are the top five to consider and a summary of just how they work.
Like gas to your car, your body relies on B vitamins to get around. In fact, when it comes to energy, nothing beats B vitamins! All eight members of the vitamin B family convert the food you eat into energy. Although vitamin B12 is most famous for its energy boosting properties, the other vitamin B members do their part too.
One of the main jobs of B12 is to form red blood cells, which supply your body with oxygen. Your cells then use oxygen to produce energy. It also helps nerve cells function properly. Too little B12 sets you up for fatigue and weakness and neurological problems. B12 is an essential vitamin, meaning your body relies on it but cannot produce it.
Watch my video on Vitamin B12 Deficiency and its HUGE Impact on Energy.
Needed for a healthy nervous system, tissue growth and to make red and white blood cells, it’s no wonder that fatigue is typically the first symptom of a folate deficiency.
Involved in the formation of fatty acids and glucose which are sources of energy. Known as the “beauty vitamin” because it promotes healthy hair, skin and nails.
Creates energy by converting proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to glucose while managing energy use. This is exactly why supplementing B6 is associated with prolonged energy. B6 also aids muscle repair, brain function and anemia prevention. Here's more info about vitamin B6.
Helps to process other B vitamins to convert food into energy. It also plays a role in creating red blood cells and synthesizing cholesterol (fatty acids) for use in energy cycles.
This B member amps up metabolism and increases blood flow.
In addition to converting food into energy, B6 helps turn folate and B6 into forms your body can use. It also helps you absorb iron, a mineral key to energy levels.
Breaks down blood sugar and creates ATP molecules needed for optimal health. A lack of B1 leads to low energy, reduced brain power, and compromised nervous system function.
Like the spark plug that creates electricity for your engine to start, this antioxidant is at the root of energy production in your body.
Found in nearly every cell of your body, CoQ10 is essential for healthy biological functions. The body makes it to protect and support the mitochondria, the part of the cell that takes in nutrients and creates energy rich molecules for the cell’s survival. CoQ10 is a critical component of this biochemical process known as cellular respiration. Even small changes in CoQ10 levels can have a significant effect on the rate of cellular respiration, resulting in lower energy and stamina.
CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant that helps to prevent oxidative damage from destroying the body’s cells. It also works to regenerate other antioxidants like vitamin E and C. This action increases the ability to neutralize free radicals and lowers disease risk.
Natural CoQ10 production decreases with age and food offers negligible quantities, but fortunately, you can supplement it.
Without a battery under your hood, you will go nowhere fast. This is also the case when you lack this vital mineral.
Responsible for over 300 different biochemical reactions in your body, magnesium is necessary for your body to function well. It supports your energy levels by:
The oxygen circulator!
This mineral is essential for blood production. Red blood cells contain protein molecules called hemoglobin that transport oxygen in your blood throughout your body. Without enough iron, you can’t produce enough hemoglobin. Iron is vital to proper cell development and function and a deficiency is the primary cause of anemia, creating symptoms of lethargy and weakness.
The energizing driver!
Staying motivated to be active is not easy when you lack the energy to move in the first place – enter amino acids. These are the building blocks of protein molecules that make up a lot of your muscles and tissues.
There are twenty different amino acids that have various benefits. Some of them are:
Some amino acids are known for enhancing energy:
Energy is essential to achieving your daily goals. A vitamin, mineral or nutrient deficiency may be at the root cause of fatigue and gaining more energy could be as simple as providing your body with the right nutrients. A proper diet, exercise and quality sleep crate the foundation for healthy energy levels but most people need additional support.
This has led me to create a formula for BodyManual to deliver the mental and physical energy we all need more of. Super Energy Boost is a proprietary blend of energizing nutrients and adaptogenic herbs - Yerba mate, Ginseng and Licorice root that support natural energy levels. Super Energy Boost of course includes the top five above-mentioned best vitamins for energy, without added sugar or excessive caffeine.
Super Energy Boost is a top replacement for coffee and energy drinks and can be added to a morning smoothie or any liquid. Check out the full profile of ingredients and what others are saying about Super Energy Boost.
"I started taking Super Energy Boost a couple months ago and it really works!
I used to have the terrible "mid afternoon crash" every day, feeling groggy, tired and wanting to take a nap. No matter how much caffeine I would drink to counteract the crash, it made no difference. I also tried cutting out all sugar and carbohydrates for days but still would experience the "crash".
I heard about Super Energy Boost from a friend and got myself a bottle. After I began taking it, the crash vanished completely! I am awake, alert and am full of energy all day long since using this product. I also experienced a drastic improvement with increased endurance during exercise and can stay in the gym working out for extended periods exercising.
I recommend Super Energy Boost as a definite "go to" for a guaranteed energy boost! The ingredients are all completely natural, I recommend it as a supplement everyone should take, it really does work!!"
Albert Thompson | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Super Energy Boost
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
Caffeine is one of the most commonly used ingredients in the world. I’ll go further in saying that it’s the most widely used psychoactive drug. As a nervous system stimulator, caffeine speeds up messages between the brain and body, causing the physiological effects of feeling more awake or alert. It’s no wonder billions of people worldwide start their day with a caffeinated beverage like coffee.
Naturally occurring in roughly 60 plants, caffeine can also be created synthetically in a lab using petroleum derivatives. Did you know that caffeine containing plants use it as a mechanism to poison predators? Much like plant lectins cause digestive distress in predators, caffeine works as a pesticide that can trigger paralysis or death in insects that pose a threat to the plant’s survival.
Needless to say, caffeine use poses many questions. Is it OK in moderation? Should you avoid it all together? These thoughts also beg the question, what is the alternative when you need an energy boost? To help make these decisions, let’s look at the effects of caffeine on the body.
Caffeine affects people in different ways, so even a small amount could create trouble for some, while others can tolerate more. And here’s a double whammy to your health - caffeine is often blended with unhealthy ingredients like dairy, sugar and toxic artificial sweeteners found in most “energy” and soft drinks. Consuming this concoction hikes your risk for weight gain, cardiovascular and blood sugar problems.
Caffeine is also the leading ingredient in over the counter stimulant tablets and pills intended to keep you awake. If you consume any amount of caffeine, it’s important to consider the risks.
As a central nervous system stimulant, people seek caffeine to provide them with a short-term energy boost. It is believed to block the receptors of Adenosine (a neurotransmitter), resulting in brain excitability.
Caffeine’s SHORT TERM EFFECTS can include increased:
Again, the threshold for experiencing these side effects is individual. In general, heavier caffeine intake over longer periods poses a greater threat to long-term health.
Among the list of Caffeine’s LONG TERM EFFECTS are:
There are more health effects to consider when consuming caffeine, especially in excess.
Caffeine’s diuretic effect leads to more frequent urination. This could not only affect your sleep at night, but your hydration and nutrient levels as well. You most certainly cannot count drinking caffeinated beverages as water. Certain nutrients like B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, calcium and potassium tend to be depleted by caffeine.
Caffeine causes your adrenal glands to pump out more epinephrine and norepinephrine. These are the same flight or fight hormones released when your body is under extreme stress. This action weakens the adrenal glands over time and if your stress level is chronically high, you’re really at risk for health problems. Research has also indicated that caffeine influences estrogen levels, especially during childbearing years. Abnormal estrogen levels are linked to cancer, endometriosis and osteoporosis.
Caffeine is addictive just like other drugs. Your body tends to build up a tolerance to caffeine and over time, you’ll require more to produce the same energy effects.
Based on research and in my opinion, relying on caffeine for an energy boost can certainly cause problems. Tampering with the health and function of your adrenal glands can cause a condition known as adrenal fatigue. This is perhaps the greatest concern with chronic caffeine use. Adrenal fatigue is created by long-term physical or emotional stress and marked by serious symptoms that interfere with the quality of life and future health.
With all of this in mind, I created an energy-boosting alternative to caffeine that is both effective and good for you. Naturally, I had to name it Super Energy Boost. It contains everything your body needs to support your energy - without any red-flag ingredients. It is formulated with 31 carefully chosen and sourced ingredients that work synergistically to provide you with energy support. It boasts nutrients that are key to energy production, such as B vitamins, CoQ10, amino acids, minerals and plant extracts that support mental and physical endurance.
Super Energy Boost does contain caffeinated Yerba Mate extract, which provides a similar energy boost to coffee, but with less caffeine and side effects. What makes this formula unique and effective is that it contains all the vitamins and nutrients that support healthy energy.
See the impressive profile of Super Energy Boost by clicking below and consider starting your day with a more healthy and trusted option!
"Love the energy boost it gives me first thing in the morning after my workout."
Anita Hower | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Super Energy Boost
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
As the most popular dietary supplement in the world, multivitamins offer a combination of nutrients to support your health and help you meet nutritional needs. Within the broad range of formulas specific to gender, age and lifestyle, there are several things a multivitamin should contain.
On the other hand, they can contain certain ingredients that tend to cause more harm than good.
There’s no shortage of multivitamin brands and formulas that are sold just about anywhere. In fact, about 50% of Americans take a multivitamin, making it a billion dollar industry.
While taking vitamins is a good step toward better health, it’s a big problem that not all supplements can be trusted. Many have low quality versions of nutrients and harmful additives that go unnoticed if you don’t know what to look for.
With that said, if you’re wondering if you even need a multivitamin, you’ll find that answer and more in my blog, “Are Multivitamins Really Necessary?”
Alright, it’s time to grab your multivitamin and take a closer look at it! Keep reading as I reveal 4 things to seek out and 3 things to avoid on the label.
Look for the natural form of D3, also called cholecalciferol. This comes from animal sources and is like the vitamin D that comes from sunlight. Vitamin D should always be taken with vitamin K2 to ensure that calcium is directed away from your arteries and into your bones and teeth.
This phytonutrient converts to vitamin A to help you absorb calcium and improve skin, vision, digestion and immunity. Vitamin A in the form of beta carotene is a much better choice than the synthetic form, palmitate.
You need as many antioxidants as possible to protect your cells from damage and lower your risk for disease.
For better absorption, look for the activated and stable forms of B vitamins whenever possible.
For energy, stress management and total health you need all eight B vitamins - the B complex. You can think of the B complex as a team that works together to promote overall healthy body function.
Unfortunately, many supplements contain fillers, chemicals, artificial colors and other ingredients to extend their shelf life – but at the expense of your health. These contaminants cause harm by negating any health benefits the supplement would provide, and even worse, could cause long-term health damage.
While your body needs both these minerals, they shouldn’t be taken together because iron impairs calcium absorption. Your multivitamin should contain only one or the other, and then you can supplement the other if needed at a different time of day.
Look closely at the type of vitamin E on the label and avoid “dl-alpha tocopheryl.” Instead, look for “d-alpha tocopheryl.” Notice the slight difference here is the “l” but it makes a big difference in your health as synthetic vitamin E is derived from petrochemicals.
Look on the label for a non-GMO symbol or certification. If you’re new to GMOs, here is some further information.
Sugar is lurking in the most unsuspecting places so always check the label!
Note: A dietary source of vitamin K2 (in the MK-7 form) comes from fermented soy called natto. In this is case, make sure it is non-GMO soy. If you’re not already gluten-free, here’s why you should be.
Also known as trans-fat, many manufacturers use this toxic devil as a filler in their supplements. Yuck!
Examples include red #40/blue #1/yellow # 5
This is an FDA approved food pigment often added to supplements to color them white. Research has shown that it has the ability to damage DNA and cause intestinal inflammation leading to cancer, autoimmune disorders, and allergies. This is scary news especially for the many people with digestive disorders (like celiac and Chrohn’s) that are likely taking supplements.
The best approach to getting all the vitamins and mineral your body needs is to follow a healthy organic diet. I realize this is not possible for everyone all the time, especially in parts of the world where certain foods are not available year round. Changes in the way food is grown and manufactured over the last 100 years have also caused a downward trend in the nutritional content of both animal and plant food sources.
A gap exists between what your body needs and what your body actually gets from diet and this is precisely why supplements have become necessary.
In general, any supplement you take should be from a reputable brand that uses superior quality sourced ingredients that are tested for true bioavailability and potency.
I formulated BodyManual’s Multivitamin and Mineral to support healthy function and enhance the daily performance of both men and women. You’ll find that it provides a complete profile of critical nutrients to support your daily needs – all in a single serving of either capsules, packets or powder if you prefer a drink.
I invite you to learn more on how BodyManual exceeds the industry standard with superior ingredients, manufacturing practices, and independent testing to bring you and your family dietary supplements you can trust.
"I switched to these after learning my usual "natural" brand sold to Nestle (NO THANK YOU). Although it was a pain to find a brand that was actually natural, I'm so glad I had to make the switch. The purity of these are a breath of fresh air and they make me feel great. I definitely recommend!
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
Digestive enzymes are small proteins that act on food molecules to break down what you eat into micro and macronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, simple sugars and cholesterol. The presence of enzymes allows for thousands of physiological reactions in the human body.
While food is highly associated with pleasure and tradition, it’s also necessary for survival. In other words, the food you eat should provide high nutritive value – and breaking down this healthy food and absorbing its nutrition requires enzymes.
When you actually utilize the food you eat (assuming it’s healthy food) you’re bound to experience:
✓ Improved energy
✓ Weight control
✓ Less inflammation
✓ Mood stability (via the gut-brain connection)
✓ Low disease risk
It’s clear that a lack of digestive enzymes is linked to malabsorption and that proper digestion is the foundation to a healthy body and mind!
The problem is that not everyone has enough naturally occurring digestive enzymes to enable proper digestion. Western diets in particular are low in enzymes and high in foods that require enzymes to digest, like excessive carbohydrates and too much protein. This is why following an anti-inflammatory diet and supplementing with digestive enzymes is so important.
Click here to reveal my Top 5 Ways to Improve Digestion and Gut Health.
Poor enzyme production can also be the result of a damaged digestive system (usually caused by a bad diet) or simply due to the aging process. After the age of 30, your natural enzyme production drops dramatically. Health and longevity rely on proper digestion!
There are approximately 22 different kinds of digestive enzymes that break down food particles into smaller compounds for your body to use. Without getting too technical, I’ll help you get familiar with the four main digestive enzymes that your body needs.
Helps you digest carbohydrates and starches into glucose (most people’s main energy source, although not the preferred one). Amylase allows you to obtain fuel from high starch foods like breads, pastas and potatoes.
Amylase is concentrated in the salivary glands where digestion kicks off in the mouth with the process of chewing. When you chew your food thoroughly, amylase has more time to do its job. This lessens the burden on the rest of your body and promotes greater and quicker digestion.
You can increase your intake of amylase by taking it in supplement form and consuming plenty of raw vegetables and fruit, sprouted seeds, nuts and royal jelly (a honeybee secretion).
As you might have guessed, lactase helps you digest dairy products. It is produced in your small intestine and specifically helps break down lactose (the natural sugar found in milk) into simple sugars for energy called glucose and galactose. What’s interesting is that your production of lactase is highest during the first year of life, since breast milk is intended to be the main source of nutrition. Babies need and typically have sufficient lactase to allow them to absorb the nutrients from the milk. As we age, our lactase production declines. This makes sense because the human body is really not designed to consume milk past infancy.
If you don’t produce enough lactase, you will have difficulty digesting dairy products. It’s estimated that an overwhelming 70% of the population is lactose intolerant. When lactose is not broken down and absorbed, it ferments in the colon and leads to bloating, gas, bowel trouble and overall intestinal distress.
Regardless of your tolerance, I highly recommend steering clear of milk products (excluding breast milk for babies of course), especially from conventional farms that use antibiotics and pasteurize the milk from grain fed cows.
NOTE: Taking a lactase supplement such as “lactaid” may not make symptoms go away completely, especially if you have more of a dairy allergy versus intolerance. Lactase pills are certainly not a cure for dairy intolerance and I would advise avoiding dairy as a solution. Don’t stress over losing calcium if you eliminate dairy because there are much better sources of calcium like leafy greens, broccoli, sardines and salmon.
Perhaps the most vital digestive enzyme, lipase does a whole lot more than just help your body process and absorb fats. It is released from the pancreas into the small intestine where it goes to work hydrolyzing fats into fatty acids and other molecules your body needs for energy. People who lack lipase tend to have high levels of unhealthy fat and cholesterol in their blood.
Proper fat digestion influences so many bodily functions and health conditions. When lipase does its job, it can naturally relieve serious health conditions and digestive disorders like celiac disease.
To get more lipase, include foods like avocados, walnuts, pinenuts and coconuts in your diet regularly.
Protease or proteolytic enzymes are responsible for breaking down proteins in your body. This is a vital process for your overall health. In fact, proteolytic enzymes have become a major focus in health care and research. They’ve been used to handle inflammation and treat diseases that affect the heart, eyes, skin, and digestive system.
These complex enzymes begin working in your stomach to cut down the long chains of protein molecules into smaller fragments called peptides and amino acids. Your body requires constant amino acids to grow, repair, and stay healthy.
Proteases are critical to our health by aiding:
✓ Organ function – kidney, liver, spleen, pancreas, bloodstream
✓ Healthy immune responses
✓ Absorption of amino acids
✓ Elimination of toxins
✓ Tissue repair
✓ Blood clot prevention
Protease is the name given to any enzyme that breaks down protein but there are several key proteolitc enzymes to recognize:
1. Bromelain – sourced from pineapple, this enzyme can improve everything from injury recovery time to sinus infections and joint pain.
2. Trypsin – produced in the pancreas and mixes with bile and other enzymes to ensure digestion
3. Chymotrypsin – breaks down proteins into peptides
4. Pepsin – occurs naturally in gastric juice to aid protein breakdown
5. Papain – stimulates digestion for better nutrient absorption – found in papaya.
Well, that was digestive enzymes 101, and if you’re not “ased” out, let’s discuss some others. While these enzymes may be less heard of, they complete the digestion puzzle.
Cellulase - breaks down sturdy plant fiber (cellulose) into useable glucose to be absorbed by the intestines. This chemical process is called cellulolysis. Cellulose is a complex carbohydrate and is part of the cellular structure of all green plants. The plant cellulose fiber that is not digested acts as a bulking agent to help eliminate stool. Now, that’s a lot of cell talk!
Fun fact - cows have unique stomachs that are engineered with special cellulose digesting microbes to handle all the grass and hay they consume. Humans, on the other hand, cannot produce cellulase and need some help to reap the nutritional benefits of plant food.
Cellulase may further improve your health by:
✓ Encouraging the antioxidant release in fruits and vegetables
✓ Breaking down harmful microbial colonies
✓ Increasing the benefits of fermented foods
Maltase – This carbohydrate-digesting enzyme breaks down the disaccharide maltose into two sugar molecules. In simpler terms, our bodies use maltase to break down starches and sugars in the plant-based foods we eat.
Maltase is produced in the small intestine but begins its work in your mouth via saliva. It is a key enzyme that helps to lift the burden of digestion on the pancreas and small intestine. This enzyme helps lower gut irritation and supports a smoother digestion, which translates to numerous further health benefits.
Invertase – splits sucrose (think table sugar) into fructose and glucose. In other words, this enzyme helps digestion by breaking down complex sugars for your body to use as an immediate fuel source.
It’s no surprise that bees produce huge amounts of invertase to hydrolyze the sugars in raw nectar and make the honey that humans consume.
Pectinase – As you might have guessed, pectinase acts on pectin, which is a type of fiber found in the cellular parts of fruits and vegetables. You may recognize pectin as a common thickening agent used in jams and jellies.
Plants use pectinase during the ripening process to weaken cell walls which makes the fruit more edible. If you’ve ever given fruit a squeeze test to check its ripeness, you’re really checking pectinase activity.
Since pectinase improves the digestion of plant-based foods, you’re bound to receive more of its nutritional value.
Alpha-galactosidase – produced in saliva and the pancreas, this enzyme aids the breakdown of hard to digest foods including:
➔ Beans
➔ Lentils
➔ Cruciferous vegetables – cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts
➔ Peanuts
➔ Fats
For this reason, the presence of alpha-galactosidase can greatly reduce symptoms of gas and bloating. When this enzyme is lacking, food may only be partially digested at best. This can lead to harmful bacterial overgrowth (candida), indigestion, and abdominal pain.
Hemicellulase – Remember cellulose? Well, hemicellulase breaks down a specific type of cellulose that makes up plant cell walls - called hemicellulose.
This enzyme acts on the real tough stuff in plants that slows digestion and nutrient absorption. Without enough hemicellulase, you’ll miss out on getting the full prebiotic potential from what you’re eating. This means less fuel for the good bacteria to flourish within the digestive tract.
Learn why an unhealthy gut lays the groundwork for poor physical and mental health in my discussion of The Link Between Gut Health and Overall Health.
An enzyme rich diet includes raw, uncooked, fruits, vegetables, and fermented foods. Unfortunately, almost all enzymes are destroyed in any cooking process. Your body can make some of these lost enzymes, but this ability decreases with age. Therefore, as your body becomes less efficient with enzyme production, it requires enzyme supplementation – especially if you eat a diet of processed, refined and overly cooked foods. Enzyme content is also affected by preservatives, additives, pollution, and storage methods. High sugar and caffeine consumption further depletes your body of coenzymes and vitamins.
I have formulated BodyManual’s Digestive Enzymes to include the full spectrum of digestive enzymes your body needs for great health. This formula not only provides amylase, lactase, lipase, and protease, but also EIGHT additional key enzymes required for proper digestion and full body support. I encourage you to experience the far-reaching health benefits of digestive enzymes for yourself!
You can get more education by visiting my informational video and blog, “Should you be Taking Digestive Enzymes?” If you’re seeking relief from joint pain, join me as I explain the link between digestive enzymes and joint health here.
You may have heard of the amino acid, L-Glutamine, most likely in the context of fitness where it’s used to help the body burn fat, lose weight and preserve muscle mass.
Beyond being a key player in a healthy metabolism, research has discovered that L-Glutamine is a critical nutrient for gut health. In particular, it helps heal a serious condition known as leaky gut syndrome. If you’re new to this condition, you’ll want to first watch my quick video on the signs and symptoms of leaky gut.
Since your body requires and uses this amino acid in large amounts to create and sustain great health, you don’t want to miss this nutrient. In fact, your muscles are made of approximately 60% Glutamine. I’ll explain here how L-glutamine benefits a lot more than just physique, and of course what sources are best.
Improving gastrointestinal health is one of the leading ways L-Glutamine benefits the body. Your intestines rely on this nutrient to be able to repair and rebuild its mucosal lining, which provides a vital protective barrier from bacteria. This is especially important if you have any digestion related problems or inflammatory bowel conditions such as Crohn’s disease, diverticulosis/diverticulitis or leaky gut.
If you didn’t get a chance to watch my video on leaky gut syndrome, you’ll need these cliff notes to make sense of these benefits:
➣ The lining of the intestines are naturally constructed to allow nutrients to be absorbed. This lining also ensures that harmful items such as toxins, unhealthy bacteria, partially digested food particles, GMOs and gluten don’t get through. When a person develops a “leaky gut”, many or all of these harmful items pass through the gut lining and into the body. Once in your body, these harmful substances can travel through your bloodstream to other parts of the body and cause health problems.
➣ Leaky gut is thought to be caused by things such as eating an unhealthy diet or ingesting gluten, experiencing long-term mental stress, and/or exposure to toxins in the environment.
➣ Keep in mind that symptoms like joint pain, food sensitivities, autoimmune disorders, and skin problems are nearly always associated with having a leaky gut.
L-Glutamine can even help heal stomach ulcers and serve as a natural alternative to the antibiotics often used to treat ulcers. Since L-Glutamine promotes healthy mucous production, it often improves irritable bowel syndrome and restores healthy bowel movement activity.
The function of your immune system is directly related to the health of your gut. So much so, that your gut is home to an incredible 70% of your immune cells.
Here are 5 ways that supporting research has shown L-Glutamine positively influences gut health and immune function:
Your body synthesizes L-Glutamine, but it’s very possible it’s not able to make enough. Given the amount of Americans with digestive conditions, it’s safe to say the majority of people eat a lousy diet devoid of nutrients. The typical American diet high in sugar, grains and unhealthy fat lays the groundwork for health conditions that begin with poor gut health and impaired immune function.
You’ll find L-Glutamine in both plant and animal proteins including meat, dairy and beans. However, I do not advocate consuming dairy (especially conventional) or beans because of their high lectin content and pro-inflammatory effects. If you omit dairy and beans, there are still plenty of other sources for L-Glutamine.
In addition to boosting your immune system, supplementing L-Glutamine will help you burn fat and build lean muscles mass. These factors improve insulin sensitivity and reduce your risk for major health problems like diabetes and heart disease. There is such a strong link between gut health and insulin activity that I made a video to help my patients understand - check it out here.
L-Glutamine is a leading ingredient in my Leaky Gut Support formula that provides specific nutritional support to those with leaky gut syndrome. Leaky Gut Support also includes vitamins, minerals, herbs, probiotics and other nutrients that enhance gut function by supporting key areas of gut health.
Click here to learn how probiotics improve your immune system.
Your overall health depends on the integrity of your gut. If you’re experiencing signs of a leaky gut, it is critical to address the underlying problem and not just cover up the symptoms. Healing and taking care of your gut is the first step toward alleviating symptoms and achieving greater health. Using my Leaky Gut Support formula in combination with an anti-inflammatory diet (Paleo or Ketogenic) is the most direct and effective way to address the root cause of poor health.
"The benefits were immediate. The bloating, gas and discomfort were all gone after a week. A great product!!!"
Lulu Mikro | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Leaky Gut Support
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
Catching a cold is miserable, and the flu is even worse. The aches, pains, fever, delirium, and constant coughing can make it feel like your body is engaged in an all-out war against the illness – and you’re suffering the collateral damage.
The good news is that you don’t just have to “wait it out” – there are steps YOU can take to speed up your recovery and feel better faster.
The average person needs 7-9 hours of rest per night to keep their body in top form, but when you’re sick, that number goes way up. Why? Because according to recent research, the function of your immune system is enhanced while you’re sleeping. This immune-boost happens in a few ways:
If you omit to get sufficient rest while ill, you are unquestionably prolonging the illness and causing yourself to suffer. Try getting 10-12 hours of sleep at a minimum while sick, and more if you can.
The symptoms of illness often cause your body to lose fluids much quicker than usual, and it does so in many unsuspecting ways, including:
According to research, dehydration of even 1-2% can cause significant problems in bodily functions and performance – including immune response. If you don’t replace the fluids lost during your illness, you are at risk of prolonging and exacerbating the symptoms.
Furthermore, the loss of fluids includes a loss of electrolytes (charged minerals your body requires to perform the biological process of hydrating your cells).
So, despite the discomfort of a sore throat, you should always take PLENTY of fluids – and include an electrolyte supplement of some kind whenever possible.
Your immune system relies on the nutrients you eat to function and maintaining an immunopositive diet while ill is critical. There are many foods known to provide essential vitamins and nutrients that boost immune response, and eating as much of these as possible will help reduce the duration and severity of your symptoms. Remember, up to 70% of your immune cells exist in your digestive system!
We recommend eating:
Phlegm and mucus are both substances produced by your respiratory system, but they are different. Mucus is a thin secretion that is produced in your nose and is designed to protect your body from invaders. It is part of the innate immune system and exists at all times. Phlegm, on the other hand, is produced in your throat and lungs as an immune response to help flush out foreign particles, bacteria, and viruses.
When you’re sick, both phlegm and mucus tend to start accumulating. You feel that nasty stuff in the back of your throat, your nose runs, and you often cough up nasty green stuff. When this happens, it’s important to remember one thing: That this is a natural, effective response by your body to get rid of your illness.
Unfortunately, the creation of phlegm sucks hydration from your body and can often become very thick and uncomfortable. In some cases, it becomes so thick that it’s hard to get it out – which is a problem. So, naturally, you want to do everything you can to keep it thin and flowing, so the bad stuff gets OUT of your body.
Some good steps you can take to keep mucus phlegm flowing and prevent it from becoming stuck are:
So, whichever remedy you use, keep it flowing!
Last but not least, supplementing your diet with critical nutrients and herbs can significantly improve your immune system’s ability to fight illness.
For this exact reason, I researched and developed the Super Flu Bomb. This product contains nature’s top flu and cold-fighting nutrients in the perfect ratios and with excellent bioavailability, including:
Not only is this supplement free of sugar, GMO, and common allergens such as soy, dairy, gluten, milk, egg, yeast, nuts, and fish – but it is also sourced from natural, top-quality ingredients.
If you’re suffering from an illness, or want you and your loved ones to have the tools you need to get better fast, try it today!
"Purchased this product to use on my 15 year old daughter. I use this at the first sign of sickness and it works great. I honestly feel it helps cut down the duration of illness."
-Kimberly W | Super Flu Bomb
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
Most people who get sick with the flu (influenza) will experience mild illness, not need medical care and recover fully within 14 days. However, there are some who will develop flu complications that could require serious medical care or be life threatening.
Keep reading as I explain why some people have it easier than others do when it comes to flu infection.
The flu virus triggers an inflammatory response in the body designed to fight off infection. This response shows up as symptoms of fever, body aches and breathing distress. Mucous membranes that line and protect the inside of your nose, throat, and lungs secrete mucous that serves as a protective fluid that ejects harmful germs. In other words, mucous acts as a shield against pathogens or foreign particles from entering your body.
The problem here is that the flu virus targets and infects the cells that line mucous membranes, making it easier for pathogens to get into the bronchial tubes and spread infection among the lungs.
If you contract a flu virus, it is possible to develop complications or worsen an existing chronic health problem. For example, if you have asthma, you could experience an increase in asthma attacks while you have the flu. Complications can be moderate like dehydration, sinus and ear infections, or very serious and life threatening.
Serious flu complications include:
Having a health condition increases your susceptibility to any pathogen and reduces recovery rate and time.
If you want the best shot at combatting the flu with minimal consequence, you must avoid developing chronic health conditions, stay smoke free, and maintain a healthy weight and immune system. These guidelines also create the bonus of longevity and better quality of life.
Although healthcare marketing may try to convince you otherwise, a flu vaccination or “shot” is not the answer for everyone. If you are high risk for flu complications, getting a flu shot does not negate your risk. Again, a healthy body and immune system will give you the best armor to handle and recover from the flu.
You may have noticed that almost all of these risk factors are preventable – they’re driven by diet and lifestyle. The common denominator among chronic health conditions is systemic inflammation in the body. Therefore, if you handle inflammation, you will have a lot more control over your weight, energy and overall health!
Here are the top 5 ways to lower inflammation:
1. Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet
✓ Drastically decrease or omit sugar, grains, and dairy
✓ Go gluten free – If you do eat grains make sure they are free of gluten
✓ Do eat healthy fat – avocado, salmon, nuts
✓ Increase your vegetable intake
✓ Go organic – chemicals, pesticides and GMOs wreak havoc on your gut and entire body
2. Avoid processed foods
3. Abstain from alcohol
4. Manage stress and exercise – just 20 minutes a day of movement has anti-inflammatory benefits
5. Supplement with appropriate vitamins and nutrients
Let’s be real, it’s impossible to avoid germs completely. In fact, you are exposed to about 60,000 of them a day! Having a healthy body will provide a solid foundation to handle harmful germs, but if you are exposed to the flu virus, it’s smart to get added support.
Sugar cripples your immune system, so if you haven’t ditched it by now, make sure you do so at the very onset of symptoms. Bacteria and viruses are known to thrive on sugar.
Next, stay hydrated, take vitamins and minerals and get fresh air and rest. Also, consider keeping my Super Flu Bomb formula on hand. You will not want to wait to take this if you feel flu symptoms moving in. Uniquely designed to help enhance your natural immune response, it contains nutrients that combat the damage that illness causes. Not only is it smart to take Super Flu Bomb at the early onset of symptoms, but you can also use it daily during flu season and times of heightened exposure to germs and stress.
Remember, the foundation of a healthy body is what provides you with an effective immune system. Supplementation with vitamins, minerals and herbs can help you achieve this status when combined with proper diet and lifestyle. There is no shot or pill that is going to make you healthy or reduce your risk for flu complications. What will? Well, you must address any underlying health issues. There’s just no way around it.
A healthy body will go to work for you, and I hope you get the opportunity to see this for yourself!
"I took 2 capsules of flu bomb when I felt symptoms begin - achey, tired, swollen throat. I took it easy for the evening and woke up completely symptom free and feeling good in the morning. I truly believe this product helped me kick whatever was about to wipe me out! I also gave my toddler 1/2 capsule dissolved in her drink the same morning she developed a fever and vomited. She took a long nap and when she woke up she had no symptoms and was back to herself. I will always keep this product on hand - it works!"
Erin Melrose | Super Flu Bomb
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
As a first responder to invading pathogens, your immune system has the huge job of helping you get and stay well. This complex system can strengthen or weaken in the face of many factors including diet, stress, and environment.
As the world grapples with how to handle a new virus, more people than ever are confronting the state of their health. We can all try to take the same measures of hand washing and social distancing to avoid exposure, but the truth is – your immune system is the original virus killer!
Supplementing with immune boosting vitamins, nutrients and herbs can be an extremely effective way to create more control over your susceptibility and recovery experience. When coupled with a proper diet, stress management, regular exercise, and adequate sleep, supplementation has the power to skyrocket your overall health.
As vitamin C and zinc fly off the shelves during cold and flu season (and currently during this pandemic), it is well worth noting several other powerful immune boosting contenders.
Here are five lesser-known herbs that serve as defense shields for your immune system.
Used for thousands of years and considered sacred in many parts of the world (hence its name), holy basil works to protect and advance your health - it is anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-carcinogenic!
Holy basil’s ability to scavenge free radicals and reduce oxidative stress, allow it to mediate inflammation and put the brakes on aging effects. This herb is loaded with alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA), one of the omega-3 essential fatty acids known for combating inflammation. When infection is detected, your body responds with inflammation that can sometimes get out of control and cause damage.
Inflammation caused by poor diet and lifestyle weakens your immune system and allows germs the opportunity to thrive.
Holy basil also supports liver health (and immunity) by ridding the bloodstream of harmful substances. “Tulsi” is the Hindu name for holy basil meaning “the incomparable one” – a both fitting and well-deserved name.
The root of the astralagus plant contains immune boosting compounds that increases activity of the immune system. As part of Traditional Chinese Medicine for hundreds of years, astralagus specifically supports immunity by helping:
Research on infected mice has shown how astralagus root has helped to kill bacteria and viruses. This effect is also obvious in humans. In fact, it may help reduce the side effects of standard cancer therapies such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
The extract from black radish is full of vitamin C and magnesium that reinforce your immune system. It has been touted a “respiratory tonic” for its ability to reduce coughing spasms, heal infections and support mucous membranes to clear congestion. It also works to boost white blood cells – your first line of defense against pathogens.
Black radish’s antimicrobial and antibacterial properties have earned it the nickname “the black magic.” Anything that is anti-microbial means that it destroys or inhibits growth of harmful microorganisms. We’ll take that!
Olive leaves have traditionally been used to enhance immune function. Taking olive leaf extract can help:
Research has shown that the compounds in olive leaf help you fight germs by:
Andographis extract has strong anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties that make it a smart choice for those who are susceptible to illness, especially upper respiratory infections. It is known for calming respiratory symptoms and has been used to treat a variety of diseases and chronic health conditions including influenza, cancer and diabetes.
Andographis has a long history of use in Ayurveda and Chinese traditional medicine, making it one of the top selling cold remedies in many countries.
Supplementing with immune enhancing herbs can mean the difference between illness and vitality; however, you should know that a healthy immune system results from a balanced approach. By fostering the major immune function influencers like diet, sleep, and stress, you set the stage for excellent health.
While these five mighty herbs have individual power to kick the funk, when taken in combination they can support your health from many angles. You will find holy basil, astralagus, black radish, olive leaf and andographis in BodyManual’s Super Immune Boost.
In the quest to really keep you on your feet, I’ve created this formula with other key immune boosting ingredients. You can think of Super Immune Boost as a proactive tool to help you prepare for and combat illness. Taking Super Immune Boost daily, especially during times of heightened germ exposure (for example, the current pandemic!) is a smart way to build and maintain the integrity of your immune system.
Don’t forget to take care of your whole self – make the time to exercise, eat an anti-inflammatory diet, and sleep well!
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
If you search for “green foods” on Amazon, you will see something astonishing: over 70,000 results.
What does that mean? It means that thousands of companies out there are capitalizing on the increasing awareness of diet and health over the last couple of decades.
The same search 15 years ago would have had just a few results. And, let’s face it, they probably smelled (and tasted) like fish food.
But, they were healthy and real.
Now, I’m not saying that green foods supplements shouldn’t taste good – quite the contrary. What I’m pointing out is that the market has been saturated with low-quality, high-additives, and high-GMO products that are marketed to make a few bucks – NOT to improve your health!
In this article I’m going to teach you what to look for, and what to avoid when searching for a greens supplement (or any supplement for that matter).
If we’re going to be real, the natural taste of powdered vegetables and nutrients leaves something to be desired. A pure, no-additives greens drink would taste something like grass mixed with broccoli – think fish food.
Naturally, then, one of the biggest challenges faced in developing a greens supplement that people will drink is developing the flavor. When considering a greens supplement, you want to make sure avoid products that have:
Why? Because processed or added sugar has zero nutritional value and is essentially toxic for your body, and sugar alcohols are known to create digestive issues and cause many other health concerns.
On the other hand, there ARE sweeteners that do not raise your blood sugar and have no negative impact on your health, including:
Have you ever read a label and seen a large quantity of a “proprietary blend” instead of exact quantities of each ingredient? Like 2500MG of “Super Digestive Blend” or something similar?
Well, that’s a bad sign. While you might know what is in the blend, you have no idea how much of what ingredient is present – meaning it could be 99% composed of the cheapest ingredient with only 1% having real value.
Take a look at this as an example:
This label is from one of the top-selling green foods supplements on the market – and the truth is, you have no idea how much of what is in it.
When shopping for a green foods product, look for a label that lists out exactly how much of which ingredient is present. This will help you evaluate whether the supplement is right for you and make sure you are getting your money’s worth.
Another ploy used in the marketing of sub-par supplements is to overwhelm you with “benefits” while omitting the fact that many of the ingredients come from genetically-modified sources. If you see any ingredient based on corn, soy, or many others, then you are likely consuming genetically-modified ingredients (unless, of course, the product is certified non-GMO).
The last thing to watch out for is the ugly subject of fillers. Fillers are substances that are added to supplements as part of the manufacturing process to either stabilize the ingredients, avoid clumping, or simply bulk up the product to make it look better.
Not only do these fillers have zero nutritional value, but recent studies have demonstrated that many of them are actually toxic and can cause health issues.
Some of the top fillers to watch out for include:
Simply put, before you buy a green foods supplement, read the label. Educating yourself on what to look for and spotting the problems is the only way you can protect your health and make sure you are not getting ripped off.
Here at BodyManual, we design and produce supplements with complete transparency, honesty, and quality. What you read on the label is exactly what you get, and nothing is hidden – ever. Each ingredient is in the top tenth percentile as far as quality and bioavailability, is third-party tested, non-GMO, vegan, completely safe and totally effective.
Our Super Green Foods contains precise amounts of 20 of nature’s top superfoods, is sweetened naturally, and is free from additives and fillers.
And, guess what? The unique combination of ingredients and natural sweeteners makes it taste good!
Whether you buy from BodyManual or anyone else, the key takeaway is to:
1. Read the ingredients
2. Educate yourself on what they are
3. Avoid ingredients that are unhealthy or useless
4. Get products that honestly represent what’s in them
5. Get the ingredients your body needs
Good luck!
Know Your Body - Know Your Health
When it comes to battling infections, diseases, and viruses – there is one factor more important than masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and social distancing: your immune system.
An individual with a strong, healthy immune system may find themselves exposed to countless viruses and bacteria and never get sick. Why? Because the highly specialized and effective human immune system is designed to fight and kill all harmful foreign antigens before they have a chance to wreak havoc.
When your immune system becomes impaired through improper diet, lifestyle, or any other factor – the risks of contracting an illness is greatly increased.
And while this all may sound obvious, it is surprisingly easy for an otherwise-healthy individual to suppress their immune system through basic dietary mistakes and their lifestyle.
In fact, I practically guarantee that everyone can identify with at least one point in the below list and improve it to improve the strength of their immune system.
Most people are aware that sugar, generally speaking, is “public health enemy #1.” It contributes to obesity, diabetes, coronary disease, fluctuations in energy, and countless other problems.
But there is also one other little-discussed effect of sugar: it puts parts of your immune system to sleep. According to a study done by Loma Linda University, your white blood cells are up to 40% less effective at killing germs and other foreign invaders after eating 100 grams of sugar.
The worst part? These effects last for up to five hours!
In other words, any consistent snacking, drinking, or eating of sugary items throughout the day can significantly impair your immune system and keep it that way.
Refined carbohydrates like white flour, white bread, white rice, pastries, and other bready items have a very high glycemic index (GI) and no fiber or other nutrients to help slow down the digestion.
In simpler terms, refined carbs turn straight into glucose and have a similar effect on your body as eating straight sugar.
Not only does this throw your system out of balance and harm your digestive system, but it also contributes to a multitude of health problems and hinders your immune system’s ability to function properly.
Finally, refined carbs often cause inflammatory responses that shift your immune system’s focus away from viruses and germs, leaving your body more open to attack.
If your parents always told you to eat your veggies, they were right. Vegetables play an important role in maintaining optimal immune health by providing countless nutrients your immune system needs, including:
Furthermore, green vegetables have a direct impact on a key part of your immune system called intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs). Studies have shown that a lack of cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli) results in a drastically reduced number of IELs in your system.
Alcohol has been known for decades as a primary cause of immunodeficiencies. Excessive consumption of alcohol causes biological changes in your immune system and alters both the formation of and function of your white blood cells.
According to a recent study on the impact of alcohol abuse on the adaptive immune system,
“Chronic alcohol abuse in humans and animal models results in lymphopenia, increased T-cell differentiation and activation, and reduced migration … Chronic activation of the T-cell pool may alter the T cells’ ability to expand and respond to pathogenic challenges (potentially by inducing a state of unresponsiveness, or anergy, of the T cells), place the T cells under increased regulatory control, or lead to their elimination through increased sensitivity to AICD. These changes in turn compromise the organism’s ability to respond to pathogens and contribute to increased susceptibility to infections.”
Overindulgence in alcohol has been directly linked to an increased likelihood of contracting severe medical conditions, including:
Those who smoke, vape, or enjoy chewing tobacco understand the sensation that nicotine produces in the body, and how easy it is to get addicted.
What is less known, however, is that nicotine has a direct impact on your immune system. It is innately an anti-inflammatory, which may be useful for those who suffer from chronic inflammation – but it hinders the immune system’s ability to utilize inflammation to fight off pathogens.
In addition to lung cancer and other diseases directly associated with smoking, those who consume nicotine on a regular basis have a higher incidence of other diseases due to the immunosuppressive properties of nicotine.
According to a recent study from the National Institutes of Health, those who sit too much (no joke) have a higher risk of adverse levels of inflammation. Since inflammation is an immune system response, allowing inflammation to go out of control causes:
For those who sit at work all day, daily exercises (even for 20-30 minutes per day) can hugely impact your immune system and help keep your body’s defense system running strong.
We are all aware the emotion is linked directly to the endocrine system, right? When you’re scared, your heart rate increases. When you feel exhilarated, your energy levels come up, and you feel on top of the world.
Well, negative emotions such as anxiety, stress, depression, and others have been linked to hormonal changes that negatively impact your immune system’s ability to function.
A recent study from Pennsylvania State University indicated that negative moods and emotions are directly linked to excessive levels of inflammation and thereby contribute to an increased risk of disease.
In other words, removing stressful elements and taking time to keep yourself happy and joyful can make a big impact on your immune health!
Another common cause of increased inflammation and reduced immune system response is simply too little sleep. While the science behind it is still undergoing research, evidence shows that depriving your body of sufficient rest causes increased levels of inflammation throughout your body and suppresses your immune system’s ability to function.
White blood cells have direct links and connections to Vitamin D, and studies have shown that a deficiency causes:
Several studies over the past decades have proven this. Some examples from a National Institutes of Health article include:
These and other studies have all linked a lack of Vitamin D to an increased risk of illness, including influenza and others.
Your body is able to synthesize Vitamin D with sufficient time in the sun, but those who stay most of the day indoors should consider supplementing Vitamin D in their diet.
Your immune system is a highly complex aspect of your health, and there are countless factors that can impact it. The above are some of the more common ways that people tend to harm their immune system without knowing it – and with knowledge comes the power to change it.
Here’s to a happier, healthier, and more energetic lifestyle!
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
In today’s world, it can be a struggle to get the nutrition men need through diet alone. Even if you eat your daily veggies and stay away from bread and pasta, you can still find yourself struggling with fatigue, excess weight, and at risk for severe medical conditions.
Why? Because today’s dietary world is toxic. Over-processed, genetically modified, and nutritionally empty foods are the new normal. Unless you spend tons of time and money to put careful control in on your diet, there is little chance you can get the nutrition you need through food alone.
The male body has a unique physiology, and it takes the right nutrients in the right quantities to keep it going strong. Cardiovascular conditions, prostate cancer, and diabetes are just a few of the all-too-common conditions men suffer, especially as they enter their golden years.
The good news is that you can DO something about it!
There are two types of nutrients your body uses: those that it can produce internally and those that you must obtain through external sources. And, frankly, even the nutrients that your body can produce are built from pieces obtained through your food intake.
For various reasons, men are particularly susceptible to unbalanced and malfunctioning digestive systems. This non-optimal digestive system then creates a waterfall effect of adverse health effects that impact almost every facet of men’s health.
A poor digestive system causes hundreds of adverse health conditions, including:
Restoring balance and proper function to a man’s digestive system can be a simple process, but certain basic requirements must be kept in – both in terms of nutrition and lifestyle.
Nutrition is best handled through supplementing your diet with the nutrients your digestive system needs to thrive, including:
The body requires certain compounds to break down and utilize the foods you eat, and these compounds are called digestive enzymes. Raw, organic foods usually contain these enzymes in their nutrient makeup, but most foods are processed to remove these enzymes to improve shelf-life (a lack of enzymes is one of the reasons a Big Mac can last for years sitting on a shelf).
Your body is able to compensate in most cases, but the ability to produce enzymes internally diminishes with age – which is why you see men who had a “stomach like a garbage disposal” when they are young but find themselves suffering as they age.
Thankfully, enzymes can be effectively supplemented into your diet. Taking enzymes 20-30 minutes before you eat can revolutionize your ability to digest, especially later in life.
A solid dose of the standard, critical nutrients can act as a daily boost to your digestive system. Nutrients such as D3, K2, Vitamin C, B6, Folate, CoQ10, Vitamin A, and more are all vital for your digestive system to operate at the highest level of efficiency – not to mention the other health benefits that they bring.
Dietary fiber is critical to help keep things moving through your digestive system, lower your cholesterol levels, control blood sugar levels, and can even help you live longer. Specific forms of dietary fiber, called prebiotic fiber, also helps feed your good gut bacteria and promote an active, health gut biome.
Your gut has a very active biome of good bacteria that are a critical part of breaking food down. Sadly, these good bacteria can become overrun by bad bacteria, and you can find yourself with significant trouble. Probiotics are a healthy dose of good bacteria – it’s like a daily (or weekly) reinforcement of the home-team troops in your gut.
When it comes to a lifestyle conducive to good digestion, there are two things I cannot stress enough:
Truthfully, staying healthy is not hard. You simply need the right nutrition at the right time, and you need to get enough sleep. If you struggle to get the nutrition you need through daily dietary intake, it is likely time to invest in some high-quality supplements to give your body the boost it needs.
At BodyManual, we are dedicated to helping everyone gain control of their bodies through top-quality, doctor-formulated products that help provide the nutrition your body needs. Each ingredient has undergone extensive testing, and the formulations themselves are third-party tested twice before leaving the lab to ensure each serving has exactly what is written on the label – nothing more and nothing less.
Have any questions? Leave a comment below or send us an email at support@bodymanual.com.
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
Avoiding foods with gluten can be tricky because it has a long list of alternative names. Just like sugar, it can be added to your food and hard to spot on a label. Today, I want to teach you how to identify where gluten hides in your diet.
First, a quick overview of gluten…
Gluten are the proteins found in certain grains, the most common ones being wheat, rye, and barley. Its sticky nature makes it a common ingredient in personal care products too. It is not surprising to find it in cosmetics like lipstick, toothpaste and hair styling products.
Many processed foods contain gluten. If you look closely at the label, you’ll find it in foods like soups, protein bars, seasonings, meats and ice cream.
You’ll find more details on gluten in my blog Unsuspecting Places You’ll Find Gluten.
Sensitivity to gluten and its related grains varies. These sensitivities can manifest in different ways and can range from mild to severe.
Keep in mind that even if you’re symptom free, gluten still tends to cause big trouble in your body by irritating the lining of your gut. I explain more about gluten’s effects and celiac disease here.
From a nutritional standpoint there is no need to consume gluten and your best bet is to eliminate it from your diet entirely! The first step to avoiding gluten is to know your grains.
I’ve created a list here of the most common gluten containing grains (and their nicknames):
But wait, there’s more to lookout for. These other ingredients also likely contain gluten:
Note: Oats do not contain gluten naturally, but they are often produced, grown or stored with grains that do. In other words, oats are usually “cross-contaminated.”
Naturally gluten free grains may seem like an obvious safe choice, but they are often cross-contaminated since they are grown or processed near gluten containing grains. These spells trouble especially for those who are sensitive to gluten.
This means that you could be ingesting gluten even when eating a gluten free grain such as:
This finding was published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association where a study found that out of twenty two gluten free grain samples, seven actually contained notable amounts of gluten. So, if you’re consuming gluten free grains, 30% of them are likely to contain gluten.
Gluten free or not, eating grains is just problematic because they spike your blood sugar. This rise in blood sugar is followed by a surge of insulin. If this becomes a chronic cycle, you can expect to experience inflammation and insulin sensitivity which lays the groundwork for severe health problems.
Grain (and sugar) consumption is a major culprit of the chronic health conditions that so many people develop. This is why I recommend that everyone follow a gluten free diet. If you want to really optimize and supercharge your health, ditch grains and sugar completely!
A grain-free diet should include moderate amounts of protein and plenty of healthy fat and vegetables that will provide you with nutrition – and mercy on your blood sugar levels.
I challenge you to do this for a couple of weeks and take note of how you feel. Then try it for a month and I bet you’ll see more positive health changes than you could have imagined.
If you want to really build a body that feels and functions better, make a grain and sugar free diet a lifestyle. It’s well worth the quality years it could add to your life!
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Know Your Body - Know Your Health
You might have seen a rise in the popularity of kale as a “super veggie” – and for a good reason.
Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables that exist, and a single cup of this incredible veggie provides high quantities of micronutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, electrolytes, and minerals.
Because of its strong, earthy taste, many people turn to iceberg or romaine lettuce and, unfortunately, miss out on the super-charged benefits kale has to offer. But there’s good news: excellent products exist to get raw, organic kale into your diet simply and deliciously!
Today we want to discuss some of our favorite scientifically supported benefits of kale, and how you and your family can benefit from this incredible vegetable.
Because kale is so dense with nutrients, it is hard to compare with other vegetables. It is in the cabbage family but is physically very similar to lettuce.
For the sake of comparison, this chart gives you an idea of the primary nutrients in kale and how they compare in quantity to iceberg lettuce.
You can see that the nutrient profile is significantly better and that a single cup of kale can provide a large portion of the recommended daily value for many vital nutrients.
Just as another note – by weight, kale has almost two times the vitamin C of your average orange and more calcium than milk!
Antioxidants are substances that bind with and neutralize free radicals, thereby helping to prevent cellular damage and disease.
Left unchecked and unbalanced, an excess of free radicals can create a condition in your body called oxidative stress – which can cause countless adverse physiological changes.
Some of the conditions associated with oxidative stress include:
High levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) is intricately linked to heart disease, as it blocks blood pathways throughout your body and clogs arteries.
One excellent study followed men with high cholesterol who drank kale juice every day for three months. By the end of the study, they had raised their levels of HDL (good cholesterol) by almost 30%, while at the same time reducing their LDL levels by 10%.
Key takeaway: Kale in your diet can help keep your arteries clean and your heart safe.
The carotenoids (pigments that make the kale leaves green) are themselves also antioxidants and have been shown to exhibit anticancer properties. When you combine that with the high quantities of vitamin C, sulforaphane (a compound that has been known to fight cancer on a molecular level), and other anticancer substances, you get a vegetable that has earned a good reputation in the cancer-fighting arena.
Many of the nutrients that kale provides your body act as potent anti-inflammatories, including:
The blend of plant nutrients in kale has made it a favorite for dietitians and nutritionists who are looking for natural ways to fight and reduce chronic inflammation without resorting to medication.
Your body uses two of the carotenoids in kale (lutein and zeaxanthin) in the composition and maintenance of your visual system. Routine consumption of kale is known to:
In other words, making kale a staple in your diet can help you keep your eyesight strong through the many years of your life!
Okay, so you understand how amazing kale is – but the question remains – how can you easily add it to your diet?
The best way, of course, is to get organic kale from your local produce or grocery store and include it in your salads or as a side in your meals. Raw or cooked, this will definitely do the trick – and it IS readily available in most places.
But if you’re like us, you probably want an easier way – in which case BodyManual’s Super Green Foods is your best answer. It comes in capsules or a delicious powder, and it is FULL of 20 key vegetables your body needs.
I mean – come on, what could be easier than getting your greens by taking a couple of capsules each day?
Try it today!