Nutrition - Palm Beach County, FL

Nutrition - Palm Beach County

Strong Longevity Benefits Associated with Alpha Lipoic Acid!

FYI: Alpha lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant and linked to human metabolism!

Long known for its sugar metabolism, alpha lipoic acid ( ALA ) has been shown to reduce hardening of the arteries, lower blood fats, help fight obesity and reduce inflammation. In lab studies, it also increases the metabolic rate causing a 20% reduction in the body weight of rats.

Lipoic acid is found in a variety of foods, notably kidney, heart and liver meats as well as spinach, broccoli and potatoes. Since the 1990's lipoic acid has been used as an effective dietary supplement. Supplement doses generally range from 100-200 mg/day.

Want to Live Longer? You May Want to Give Rhodiola a Try!

Recent research has shown strong longevity benefits associated with Rhodiola (Golden Root). It is fast becoming the new resveratrol (red wine extract). Rhodiola, long known for its adaptogenic and stress relieving properties, has now been shown in lab studies to extend life span by 10%. Most likely this is due to the anti-free-radical effects, but more may be at work here as Rhodiola has been used to treat depression, high blood pressure, erectile dysfunction, and many different viral illnesses from flu to hepatitis.

Fish Oils to the Rescue! How Fish Oils Can Help You.

Fish oils have been shown to:

• Reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and sudden death.
• Have healthful effect on cholesterol levels.
• Improve memory outcomes in Alzheimer's disease.
• Improve several types of cancer, including prostate, breast and colon cancer, with many other studies going on in other types of cancers now.
• Improve joint health.
• Beneficial in treating both rheumatoid and degenerative arthritis.
• Beneficial to the athlete through its anti-inflammatory and pro-hormone effects.
• Improve attention deficit disorder.
• Improve chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Help improve cognition and visual skills in developing children.
• Help treat asthma and allergies.
• May improve sexual function.
• Helps treat skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and seborrhea.
• May help relieve wrinkles and improve skin tone.
• Improve overall energy levels.
• Lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure.

Supplementing with fish oil can improve many different aspects of a person's health. But remember, the fish oil must be pharmaceutical grade to get the most benefit!

Is There Risk of Mercury or Other Heavy Metals in Your Fish Oil?

Heavy metal presence in fish oil is a legitimate concern when looking to take fish oil supplements. Always look for fish oil that has been filtered. It will say that on the bottle. The more preferred fish oils have been multi filtered. Do a little checking too. Many companies also test their fish oil for heavy metals to make sure no mercury or other contaminants are present even after filtering. Companies that multi filter their fish oils and test for heavy metals may charge more, but the benefits may be well worth the money spent.

Can Fish Oils Improve the Body's Response to Exercise?

FYI: Fish oils offer considerable health benefits, athlete or not!

There is actually specific study information to support the fact that fish oil improves Growth Hormone response to exercise. Fish oil's effect on cell membrane allows the cells to "talk" to each other more effectively and efficiently than before. When exercising, fish oil also helps with:

1. Oxygen delivery to the muscles

2. Muscle repair and recovery through its anti-inflammatory actions

3. Improved nutrient delivery through the blood

4. Improved anaerobic and aerobic response

5. Improve strength and endurance.

Another fact that is often forgotten is that fish oil is a key nutrient to help anyone burn fat more effectively, athlete or not!

Fish Oil Reduces Inflammation and Lowers C-reactive Protein Levels!

FYI: Recent research suggests that patients with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are at an increased risk for diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

• CRP levels rise dramatically during inflammatory processes that occur in the body.
• A simple lab test can be performed to detect the CRP level.
• This test is non-specific, but a good way to look at total body inflammation.
• CRP levels are considered by many researchers to be a more important sign of future heart and cardiovascular problems than cholesterol is.

Fish oil directly reduces the CRP levels and reduces the disruption caused by inflammation of the body. This appears to be the primary reason it fights off so many disease of aging.

The one you need is Omega-3!

• They are essential to human health, but the body cannot manufacture them.
• Extensive research indicates that Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and help prevent risk factors associated with chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and arthritis.
• Omega 3's play a crucial role in brain development as well as normal growth and development.
• These essential fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be particularly important for cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioral function.
• In fact, infants who did not get enough Omega-3 fatty acids from their mothers during pregnancy are at risk for developing vision and nerve problems.
• Symptoms of Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include extreme tiredness (fatigue), poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, mood swings or depression and poor circulation.

Getting your Omega-3's from pharmaceutical grade fish oil is best.

FYI: Researchers think Omega 3's may be better absorbed from fish because fish contain these fats in the form of triglycerides. Pharmaceutical grade fish oil is best though because:

• You do not have to worry if the fish were farm raised or not. Farm raised fish contain very little Omega 3's and a higher concentration of Omega 6 due to how they were raised. Pharmaceutical grade fish oil always comes from wild fish!
• You do not have to worry about mercury that could be in the fish or other fish oils.
• It contains the Omega 3's in the triglyceride form while almost all fish oil contains the Omega 3's in the ethyl ester form, which is not as good.

Inflammation linked to Omega 6 fatty acids!

Ever wonder about all the Omega fatty acids; Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9 fatty acids?

Both Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are essential fatty acids--essential because the body cannot make them, they have to be obtained from your diet. The problem is in how much we need of these three fatty acids, and the ratio we need of Omega 3 to Omega 6.

FYI: Omega 6's wind up as a chemical called Arachadonic Acid, the focal point for many inflammatory mediators in the body.

• Omega-6 is a long chain of fatty acids found in fish oil, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and some meats.
• Most diets give us anywhere from 20 -30 times as much Omega 6 as we need to keep the all-important Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio balanced. That's also 30 times as much inflammation than we need!
• Inflammation has finally been recognized as the main contributor to many of the diseases of aging, which include vascular dysfunction (heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease), Alzheimer's, asthma, allergies and memory loss, to name a few.
• So, too much Omega 6 is not healthy or wise!

What about Omega 9's?

FYI: Omega 9's are everywhere in our diet, so it is hard not to get them.

Omega 9's, like olive oil, are nonessential oils. They can be made into Omega 6's or Omega 3's, but this is not an efficient way to get those. (This is similar to the story for flax oil. As an 18-carbon fatty acid, it has to be converted to the human 21-carbon chain form. Very inefficient and unnecessary).

• Omega 9 is found in the following foods: olive oil (extra virgin or virgin, olives, avocados, almonds, peanuts, sesame oil, pecans, pistachio nuts, cashews and hazelnuts).
• If you eat Asian and Italian food, you always get plenty of Omega 9.

Weight Loss Fallacies – Setting the Record Straight!

Have you heard this? Don't eat after 8 p.m.

Well, calories can't tell time and don't wear a watch! That said, there is a very good reason not to eat late at night. Your body is ready to sleep. Eating will change the hormone and body clock rhythms of your body in a way that is not natural and not particularly healthy. And, in terms of calories, you'll dig yourself a hole by eating when your body has slowed down. But you won't absorb any more calories than usual; you'll just burn less.

Have you heard this? Coffee can help you lose weight.

Coffee has been touted as a weight loss agent. Sorry, there really not enough caffeine in there to have much effect on your weight. You might get a little caffeine buzz and workout harder though.

Have you heard this? Dairy can help you lose weight!

The American Dairy Council recently got an FTC wrist slap and had to get rid of ads suggesting milk helped you lose weight. The real active agent for weight loss was vitamin D. Studies in vitamin D have shown continued benefits in weight loss, anti-cancer and overall longevity. But, with vitamin D you must exercise some caution. Vitamin D is fat soluble, and therefore, you can get too much. This is a major drawback to the continued use of cod liver oil, which is high in vitamin D.

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