Fitness and Nutrition

By Dr. Chestnut – Innate Choice®

The importance of sufficient omega-3 intake continues THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE LIFESPAN and so do the dangers of being deficient!

A relationship has been established between reduced levels of omega-3’s and central nervous system disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, schizophrenia, depression and attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Research shows that depressive disorders and suicidal behaviors are associated with low levels of omega-3 and high levels of omega-6 fats. Supplementation with omega-3’s counteracts these terrible effects (Sublette, Am J Psychiatry, Jun 2006).

This might be explained by the fact that omega-3’s are credited with increasing levels of “feel-good” serotonin and “memory-boosting” acetylcholine (Singh, Indian J Pediatr., Mar 2005). Other studies indicate that high omega-3 intake might have protective properties against neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s (Florent-Bechard, J Neurol Sci., Aug 2007).

More evidence that focusing on wellness and prevention is the only logical solution! When you are sufficient in what your body needs and avoid those things that are toxic, you will naturally gravitate towards health and vitality and away from illness. Getting and staying healthy is about making healthy choices – it’s that simple!

Omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) play a role in virtually every human function including growth and development, digestion, brain and nerve function, immune function, hormone production and regulation, maintenance of skin and bones, regulation of healing and inflammation, heart function, vision, cholesterol levels, and even emotions and behaviour.

Read the complete article in Innate Choice Healthy News >>

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Innate Choice^® was founded by Dr. James Chestnut after over 25 years of research into the human requirements for health and wellness. As the son of a Ph.D. Fisheries Biologist, Dr. Chestnut is a wellness clinician and physiologist who has spent his entire life studying and exploring nature, ecosystems, and the health of the animals, especially humans, that inhabit them.

Having better relationships is not only a matter of emotional balance. Good nutrition providing antioxidant balance is essential to maintaining good health as you deal with emotional issues.

Many health-conscious people are familiar with the term “antioxidant” and understand that it refers to nutrients such as vitamins C and E (and many others) that help to protect your body from “free radicals” (highly-reactive oxygen molecules) created during the normal course of metabolism (basically, any time we breathe oxygen, we also create free radicals). Unchecked free radical activity is what leads to the cellular damage known as “oxidation” and the cycle of inflammation and tissue dysfunction that follows.

If you’re overexposed to free radicals on a regular basis (i.e., polluted air, cigarette smoke, exhaust fumes) or your diet is less than optimal (low in fruits/veggies or high in processed carbs and sugars), then it is almost certain that you could benefit from a daily antioxidant supplement. Although the body increases its production of its own “endogenous” antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase), supplemental levels of “exogenous” or dietary antioxidants may be needed to prevent excessive oxidative damage to cells throughout the entire body.

When it comes to antioxidant nutrition, your best approach is to eat 10–12 servings of brightly coloured fruits and veggies throughout the day. In general, brighter is better, with each color group representing a major class of antioxidants from Red tomatoes (lycopene), Orange carrots (beta-carotene), Green tea (catechins), Blueberries (flavonoids) and Purple grapes or açai berries (anthocyanins). You want to try to get a few servings of each colour group every day.

If you have trouble consuming all the fruits and veggies that you need, and you choose to supplement your diet to boost your antioxidant levels, then keep in mind that it’s the overall collection of several antioxidants that is important, rather than any single “super” antioxidant. Often, you’ll see advertisements touting the “best” or “most powerful” antioxidant nutrient, but recent research clearly shows us that supplementing with too many isolated or unbalanced antioxidants may be just as bad for long-term health as getting too few antioxidants.

Excessive levels of antioxidant supplementation (for example, too much isolated vitamin E), can actually lead to an increase in oxidation and tissue damage rather than a protection from oxidation.

Networking Your Nutrition 
This concept of antioxidant balance—not too many and not too few—is what scientists refer to as the “Antioxidant Network”—that network being made up of 5 major classes of antioxidants: Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Carotenoids, Bioflavonoids, and Thiols—and your cells need representatives from each and every one of these categories in order to mount the strongest antioxidant defence.

Think of it in baseball terms. If you had the best homerun hitter in the world, but poor pitching and fielding, then your baseball team would not be the best team. Same thing with your antioxidant defences. Green tea, or vitamin E, or astaxanthin, or beta-carotene are all wonderful antioxidants on their own, but combining them to create a network that performs together in different parts of the body and against different types of free radicals is the most effective way to go.

MonaVie products are formulated with the concept of “balance” in mind when it comes to your antioxidant nutrition. It’s this balance that keeps our bodies healthier and stronger and more able to respond to the demands of living and working and playing at the highest level possible.

Join our Monavie Network for antioxidant balance >>

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shawn Talbott, MonaVie’s Chief Science Office, holds a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry (Rutgers) and a MS in Exercise Science (Massachusetts). He trains for iron-distance triathlons and ultramarathons in Utah—and is always sure to keep his antioxidant defences topped off by drinking MonaVie juice.