Health

Whether you are an experienced keto dieter or are considering trying keto for the first time, it’s important to ensure you are getting the nutrition you need for optimal health. Certain supplements will ease your transition and help you avoid nutritional deficits on your keto journey. Although it would be great if we could get all of our nutrition from food, this approach can cause more problems than it solves, especially when the body is under stress due to aging, athletic training, fat loss, or the dietary restriction required by

Your body does a good job fighting off illness when it is not under stress. Not so much when your adrenal glands are pumping out cortisol 24/7.   We can all agree that the coronavirus era is one of the more stressful times of our generation. When you compound everyday stress, financial worries, and the unknown of a worldwide pandemic, the increase in cortisol can stifle the protective action of immune cells.   High cortisol has other negative health effects: It increases appetite for unhealthy junk food and impairs sleep, making you

Exercise has a protective effect on health and is key for a long life. New research shows it can improve immune function and reduce the risk of severe complications from illness, including the flu and coronavirus. This is important because surveys show that citizens in developed countries have become more sedentary and less fit since the start of lockdowns (1). While it may be challenging to maintain fitness if your gym is closed, there are plenty of ways to train so that you protect yourself from illness. This article will

The time of the coronavirus presents many unknowns. One action you can take to protect yourself is to eat as healthily as possible. If you do catch COVID-19 or the flu, your immune system will be responsible for fighting it. Nutrition is one way to support optimal immune function (1). The ideal nutrition plan to support immune function should accomplish three goals: 1. Balance blood glucose Hyperglycemia is known to impair white blood immune cells, making individuals with high blood sugar more susceptible to infections. We see this playing out with

It’s become popular to shun supplements and rely strictly on food to fulfill nutritional needs. It would be great if we could get all of our nutrition from food, but this approach can cause more problems than it solves. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, over 40 percent of Americans (more than 100 million people) do not meet the recommended levels for vitamin D, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, thiamine, folate, and magnesium. Other nutrients that are commonly insufficient include choline, vitamin K2, omega-3 fatty

Almost everyone will agree that 2020 is turning out to be an anxiety-producing year. Surveys report people worldwide are suffering from stomach-churning worries about almost every aspect daily life: Health, politics, money, family, career opportunities, personal safety, and so on. One tool you can use to protect mental health is exercise. We’ve known for years that exercise has a mood-boosting effect, and several recently published studies show it can reduce depression and anxiety, while supporting overall mental health. Exercise = Better Mental Health A pre-coronavirus study published in 2018 set out

The ‘Use It or Lose It’ principle no longer seems to apply much in traditional strength training. Using the body and its joints to their full potential can be seen as ‘dangerous training’ and something saved for the advanced athlete or trainee. In fact, full-range training is an essential component that will optimize mobility and function, and set the stage for peak performance. In this article, I will highlight the importance of the, often feared, full flexion of the knee and provide progressions for training it safely. The following are

Methylation is a simple biochemical process that has complex implications for health. Occurring billions of times every second, methylation is when a methyl group is donated to cytosine, one of the four nucleic acids that make up DNA. When optimal methylation occurs, it has a positive impact on many systems in the body, including function of the heart, brain, metabolism, and muscle. When methylation processes break down, there is a break down in DNA that impacts cardiovascular inflammation, detoxification, neurotransmitters, and energy use. The easiest way to understand methylation is

Supplemental probiotics have many benefits, not least of which they strengthen your immune system and can harden your body’s defenses against a pandemic illness like the coronavirus. Being as there are hundreds of beneficial bacteria, getting the right product can be difficult. This article will provide recommendations for choosing the best probiotic to meet your needs.   You Need Bacteria That Are Alive  The most important issue when choosing a probiotic is whether the bacteria are alive when you take them. Unfortunately, many manufacturers don’t invest in the technology to ensure that probiotic bacteria will

Photo: @blue_sky via Twenty20 Probiotic supplements provide healthy bacteria that have a beneficial effect on the human body. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a finely balanced environment where as many as 500 different strains of bacteria compete for space and nutrients. Instead of being passive inhabitants, these microflora interact with their human host in an intricate manner, regulating digestion, elimination, neurological function, and metabolism. They also have an anti-inflammatory effect, boosting immune function and enhancing the elimination of harmful compounds from the body. The natural balance of microflora can be disrupted