5 ways nutritional supplements improve your health

From ancient times people have been taking natural herbs, often homegrown and brewed into teas and tonics.

Now they have become more sophisticated and are available in all sorts of pills, capsules, liquids and, of course, teas of every variety.

What are nutritional supplements? 

Nutritional supplements are used to add nutrients that fill gaps in our diets that we don’t get from the food we eat. They are available in pills, powders, capsules, liquids and teas. They can be synthetic or from natural sources. They will contain one or more of the following ingredients:

• Vitamins

• Minerals

• Herbs

• Amino acids

• Saccharides

Why do we need nutritional supplements? 

Keep in mind, supplements are not intended to replace all our meals but enhance our diets. There are several reasons that we would be taking them:

• Environment: our environment has deteriorated over the years, and we are now getting more toxins from the air, the water and even in the foods we eat, than ever before. Our bodies have to work more to protect and rid ourselves of these unwanted substances. Therefore, it is wise for us to take nutritional supplements to help our bodies to do this.

• Stress: Stress will cause your body to function less efficiently. This will put your body at risk for a number of things, especially low resistance for disease. Supplements, especially Glyconutrients will help your body's immune system get stronger and also help your body function better.

• Poor eating habits: Due to busy lifestyles, our ways of growing food and green harvests we are not getting the important nutrients our bodies need to keep us in good health. We often do not even stop to eat proper meals. This makes it necessary for us to take supplements to enhance our diets and add important nutrients to our diets.

• Athletic activities: when we exercise more than normal, our bodies need more nourishment. A professional athlete or even someone doing extra workouts needs more dense nutrition. Dietary supplements would include proteins, minerals, vitamins and saccharides (glyconutrients).

• Part of a weight loss plan: when you go on a diet to lose weight you will be eating less and running the risk of not getting enough of the essential nutrients in your diet that your body needs. Therefore, you should be taking some nutritional supplements. Some supplements even help you lose weight.

Consider taking nutritional supplements to help you to improve your health and enjoy your life to the fullest.

How to optimize your wellness when diet and exercise are not enough

If you’re interested in eating a balanced diet to enjoy a healthy life, you may be thinking about adding vitamins or other supplements to your daily diet. There are some benefits that you can get from nutritional supplements. That being said, in order to make nutritional supplements an effective and appropriate part of an overall healthy living program, it is necessary to understand how supplements fit in your eating plan.

Nutritional supplements can be utilized as a means of supporting an otherwise healthy eating and exercise program. In simple terms, nutritional supplements can be used to better your overall balanced diet plan on two fronts:

1. Nutritional supplements can be used to fill in some minor nutritional gaps in your overall healthy diet.

2. Nutritional supplements can be used to assist in boosting the effectiveness of your overall companion workout routine making it more effective.

By properly balancing your overall diet, your exercise routine and the proper utilization of nutritional supplements, you will be well on your way to establishing a complete plan for healthy living. Through a regimented and appropriately crafted program you will enjoy better health and you may be able to add years to your life.

While there are a number of different resources that you will want to consider when it comes to making decisions regarding overall health, your priority in your research should be seeking professional guidance from a doctor or nutrition specialist.

For a plan with your wellness goals in mind, message me!

Don’t sleep on your protein

A lot of people start off the new year with plans of getting healthy in a natural way.  They get the gym membership and start buying healthy food. But a few weeks in, they hit a wall.  They give up because they are not getting the results they expected. That’s because they didn’t have a plan. A plan that would set them up for success. A plan that would include what a lot of people don’t think they need…protein supplementation.

One of the best ways that a person can benefit from a healthy diet and exercise routine is adding extra protein to your diet. Protein is found naturally in many of the foods we eat. But a person who exercises often should get one gram of protein per pound of their body weight. At my last weigh in, that would mean 168 grams of protein a day for me. 😳 Here’s the problem. We don't always get the protein our body needs to benefit from our daily workouts. Having said that, we can get the protein we need from high quality protein supplements. 

Protein nutritional sports drinks and mixes can provide many benefits other than increasing muscle mass and body tone. Protein supplements can help your body repair damaged cells, such as repairing muscles and bones that may get damaged during a workout. Like carbohydrates, protein can give you energy throughout the day, but unlike carbohydrates, protein offers a lower level of energy but lasts much longer. Getting the right amount of protein, even through sports nutrition supplements, can help the body make essential amino acids as well. 

One type of protein supplement you may see in the market is one called whey protein. Whey comes from milk and is one of the highest quality forms of protein with a rich amount of amino acids. And unlike other forms of protein (red meat for example) whey offers protein in a low fat and low cholesterol form. Whether you just run every other day or you are a professional athlete, protein supplements can help increase your body's energy and strength. Most athletes consume a protein shake of some kind before and immediately after exercise to help repair and rebuild damaged muscles.

For the best results before, during and after a workout and for your overall health, consider introducing a protein supplement to your diet today. For some recommendations and some of my favorites, message me!

How to lose weight naturally

 Eat right, keep moving.

You just have read all that you need to know about how to prevent being overweight. That simple set of instructions should be easy to follow, but not for 35% of Americans who are unable to prevent being overweight.

Of course, once we are overweight, we usually want to trim down for a whole lot of reasons, some related to health, others, for an aesthetic. 

However, it is never too late to lose weight. But the fact is, it is a whole lot easier to prevent putting on pounds than to try losing them later on. And if there is one thing we all know, it is that weight gain is likely to happen if we do not have a plan.

Health experts say that most people who are on a journey to lose weight usually stray. They tend to go back to their old eating habits even after they learn to eat well according to their goals. They tend to return to sedentary ways even though they enjoy exercising.

Despite the momentum toward weight gain, you can stop it from happening, experts say. And there are plenty of good reasons to avoid excess pounds, reasons that go beyond vanity or social acceptance. 

In fact, some health experts contend that the significance of excess weight is more than cosmetic. They say that it takes a huge toll on people’s physical health.

But first, you need a plan

The nuts and bolts of eating right and maintaining a healthy weight is not all that complicated. So, losing weight the natural way should not be a problem at all…when you have a plan.

Consequently, a reasonable approach for losing weight naturally is to stick to a diet that is high in complex carbohydrates, high in fiber, moderate in protein, and low in fat.

Most health experts say that dietary fat promotes weight gain because it is a very dense source of calories. Also, when you consume excess calories from dietary fat, you store those calories as body fat more efficiently than excess calories from other sources.

On the other hand, it can also help you lose weight naturally if you don’t fall into the “fat-free” trap. Manufacturers keep introducing low-fat or fat-free versions of their best-selling foods, but Americans still have trouble managing their weight.

One of the greatest delusions of the 1990s is that “no fat” means “non-fattening.” The truth is, you are often getting just as many calories from the no-fat version, even if the calories are not coming from fat, i.e. added sugar. If you start to believe that you can eat unlimited amounts of ‘fat-free’ foods, then you may fall into this fat-free trap. 

Experts say it would be better to try eating every three to four hours. As a CNC, I tend to agree.

If you’re feeling a little peckish, try replacing sweet or salty treats with some healthy snacks between meals. Keep in mind, if you practice eating meals that are rich in fiber and lean protein and healthy fats, the need to snack between meals will lessen over time.

Remember, if you want to lose weight naturally, get into the habit of keeping a journal to track your meals and activities. 

Losing weight naturally is a process and not a fad. Embrace it! It’s going to take a lot of determination, self-control, and discipline to achieve your ideal weight. 

For a plan that can put your goals in motion, start here!

How to source natural vitamins

There are a lot of people who do not have enough natural vitamin sources in their diet and therefore suffer from a deficiency of one or more vitamins. Obviously, it is possible to buy vitamin supplements to help overcome any deficiencies but for the majority of people it should be possible for them to obtain the majority of their recommended daily allowance of vitamins from natural vitamin sources. The key to gaining the correct amount of vitamins from natural vitamin sources is to eat a healthy and balanced diet. 

There are certain diets, such as vegetarian, that provide a limited number of natural vitamin supplements and therefore a supplement may be necessary. Also, the intake required of these natural vitamin sources at certain periods may need to be increased and a supplement may be the best option. It is important to be aware of each of the different types of vitamins and their best natural vitamin sources so that a person can incorporate as many of these as possible into their regular diet. Water soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body and need to be replenished on a daily basis so it is natural vitamin sources for these vitamins that are the most essential to know. 

• Natural vitamin B1 sources are brewer’s yeast, whole grains, blackstrap molasses, brown rice, organ meats, egg yolk

• Natural vitamin B2 sources are brewer’s yeast, whole grains, legumes, nuts, organ meats, blackstrap molasses

• Natural vitamin B3 sources are lean meats, poultry & fish, brewer’s yeast, peanuts, milk, rice bran, potatoes

• Natural vitamin B4 sources are egg yolks, organ meats, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, soybeans, fish, legumes

• Natural vitamin B5 sources are organ meats, egg yolks, legumes, whole grains, wheat germ, salmon, brewer’s yeast

• Natural vitamin B6 sources are meats, whole grains, organ meats brewer’s yeast, blackstrap molasses, wheat germ

• Natural vitamin B7 sources are egg yolks, liver, unpolished rice, brewer’s yeast, sardines, legumes, whole grains

• Natural vitamin B8 sources are whole grains, citrus fruits, molasses, meat, milk, nuts, vegetables, brewer’s yeast

• Natural vitamin B9 sources are dark-green leafy vegetables, organ meats, root vegetables, oysters, salmon, milk

• Natural vitamin B12 sources are organ meats, fish, pork, eggs, cheese, milk, lamb, bananas, kelp, peanuts

• Natural vitamin B13 sources are root vegetables, liquid whey

• Natural vitamin B15 sources are brewer’s yeast, rare steaks, brown rice, sunflower, pumpkin & sesame seeds

• Natural vitamin B17 sources are whole kernels of apricots, apples, cherries, peaches, plums

• Natural vitamin C sources are citrus, cabbage family (such as, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, bok choy), chili peppers, berries, melons, asparagus, rose hips.

This is, by no means, an exhaustive list but it’s a good place to start. To ensure you get all the recommended vitamins you need to maintain optimal health, click here!

How to fix your metabolism

What is metabolism? If you said it’s how fast you burn calories, you’re partially right. Your metabolic rate does determine the number of calories your body burns. But your metabolism governs more than just your metabolic rate. It also keeps everything in balance – like your blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. 

When metabolism goes wrong

In ideal circumstances, your metabolism works like a well-oiled machine. You eat energy in the form of food. The body breaks the food down into sugar. The sugar is transported out of the blood and into the cells by the hormone insulin. Simple.

But most of us don’t lead ideal lives. We tend to eat diets high in simple carbohydrates (like bread, rice, and pastries), which cause a rapid spike in blood sugar levels. In response, the pancreas secretes loads of insulin. That’s okay occasionally, but when we consistently eat simple carbs, so much insulin is flooded into the system that we can eventually become resistant to it. In fact, one in five Americans suffers from insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes and metabolic syndrome – both of which increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. That’s why it’s important to learn how to lower blood sugar.

Balance your blood sugar

There are a number of things you can do to support normal blood sugar levels. Exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet top the list. But superfood nutrition can also help. A daily shake loaded with vitamins and minerals that the body craves while reducing craving for sugary snacks will do wonders for balancing your sugar.

When you balance your blood sugar, you’re investing in your long-term health. But you also get short-term benefits, like higher energy levels and an easier time losing weight.

Love your heart

If you’re resistant to insulin, chances are it’s putting a strain on your heart. That’s why any program aimed at supporting optimal metabolism will also address cardiovascular health. 

Give yourself a good foundation

Your body can survive even the most nutritionally deficient diet. But for your metabolism to really thrive, it needs a multitude of vitamins and minerals – in just the right quantities.

For an eating and exercise plan aimed at supporting a healthy metabolism, click here!