The Power of Beetroot Juice for Increasing VO2Max

Have you heard of Beetroots before? Beets are famous as a side to go along with stuffing on Thanksgiving. But we also know from a scientific viewpoint that beetroots are the only known food able to boost your VO2Max? What is the VO2Max? That's the amount of Oxygen that you're able to absorb into your lungs per breath.

This is exactly why many athletes have begun using beetroots before sporting events. They know they'll get an extra bit of endurance from supplementing with the beetroot extract.

This dark-red plant is also able to reduce inflammation and reduce blood pressure so it's good for the heart and the circulatory system.

Beets are high in antioxidants to they boost the immune system. They are able to provide a valuable push to the digestive system as well due to the high fiber content. With the antioxidant and fiber content, you're able to experience some extra detoxification benefits with this strange red food.

You can use beets to help increase your metabolism. There are even some anti-cancer properties to this plant extract.

Let me know in the comment below if you've tried beetroots before? Do you just reserve it for special meals like Thanksgiving or have you tried the supplement form that comes in capsules? If you're an endurance athlete, did you notice a difference in your endurance?

Solving the diseases of the 21st Century

People in developed countries are living longer than people were one hundred years ago. However some people claim that most of the increase in average lifespan is due to far fewer deaths of babies. Unfortunately, we seem to be seeing a corresponding increase in the incidence of diseases that are occurring earlier in peoples' lives...even earlier than people would normally see the onset of these diseases a century ago.

Here are the most common diseases:

As you can see, heart disease is by far the most common, followed by cancer. The other common diseases are diabetes and Alzheimer's. One has to ask why these diseases are the most common and not other ones. If we know what the fundamental cause of these diseases are, we'll be able to prevent people from developing them.

Another chart might help elucidate these statistics:

It's pretty amazing the degree to which so many people in so-called developed nations are deficient in all these nutrients! And these are calculated based off the recommended daily values provided by the Food and Drug Administration which are debated by some people whether they are actually completely adequate for anything more than preventing the worst diseases. For example, the RDA for vitamin C was determined based on what it takes for a person to avoid developing Scurvy. That says nothing of the amount a person would need to consume in order to have optimal healthy beyond simply not developing scurvy...

Now what's REALLY fascinating is when you investigate a little more deeply into the connections between these deficiencies and the most common diseases that people suffer from, and sometimes die of. When you consider the prominent role that Magnesium plays in the health of the heart, it's really no wonder that heart disease is the number one killer in America because approximately 75% of Americans have inadequate intake of the mineral.

In fact, the deficiencies in Vitamin K, Vitamin D, and Magnesium are interrelated with the amount of problems this country has with dental carries and osteoporosis. It's a common misconception that Calcium is really the only necessary nutrient for healthy bones and teeth. In actual fact, the bones and teeth really also need Phosphorous, Vitamin K, Vitamin D, and Magnesium in order to maintain a healthy level of mineralization. Magnesium is a base on the pH scale so, along with sodium-bicarbonate, the bones are able to keep a level of Magnesium stored in the bones to be used to balance the pH of the bloodstream so the acids produced during metabolism or consumed in the diet don't destroy the bones or teeth.

Magnesium is best obtained in most leafy-green vegetables. It should probably also be supplemented via Epsom salts which can be absorbed in bathwater. You may also apply a Magnesium oil to the skin and absorb it topically that way.

Beyond preventing heart disease, Magnesium also helps you sleep better, have higher energy levels, cope with stress, have improved attention span, prevents ADHD, prevents diabetes, and is necessary for producing Glutathione. (the body's master Antioxidant) So your mom was right when she told you to each your vegetables. And it's definitely wise to include plenty of vegetables and nutritious foods in our diet for the sake of the health of our children.

Vitamin K is best found in Broccoli and Kale.

Vitamin E is number one on the list of most common nutrient deficiencies. It's no wonder then that the incidence of Alzheimer's and other neuro-degenerative or developmental diseases like Autism and ADHD are occurring in the population. This vitamin is important for the health of the brain and nervous system as well as the health of the skin and hair!

So one can hear about these statistics ad infinitum but unless you resolve that you are going to buck the trend and not be a part of these deficient groups, you are going to be getting a sub-optimal level of these nutrients and going to develop these diseases prematurely.

Most people can benefit by supplementing with a high-quality multi-vitamin just to fill in any gaps in their nutrition. The challenge is finding one that actually contains quality forms of the vitamins and minerals because they all can be obtained in many different compound forms. Generally, the ones you would find in a local grocery store are not going to be the level of quality that you should be looking for. Those are usually the highly-synthetic versions which are proven not be absorbed well at all by the body and probably what is absorbed isn't as useful anyway...

So..how do you personally actually know what your levels of nutrients are? Well, you can actually measure your status of these nutrients by ordering a blood panel. A company called WellnessFX actually is able to work with local clinics nationwide and have your blood samples sent to their labs so they can analyze your levels of nutrients! It does make it a bit easier to work a plan when you know where you are starting from and you have a goal of where you need to head.

As a holistic nutritional and optimal human performance coach, I can actually give you a personalized SuperFoods presentation that will give you a good idea of which foods you can use to get loads of these nutrients as well as other phytonutrients and more! Just hit the link:
http://uhealingarts.com/coachingservice

You can also order lab results to check your personal blood levels of these essential nutrients for yourself by clicking the banner below!


Cheers to Optimization!!

MegaDosing Vitamin C

When you think of vitamins, Vitamin C is probably the one that comes to mind first. We all recognize the benefits of this vitamin for powering our immune system. Vitamin C can bring new life to the digestive system as well. Vitamin C is capable of stimulating bowel movement and relieving constipation and even stimulating the body to rebuild new blood.

One can get vitamin C by eating green peppers, oranges, kale, broccoli, strawberries, and more. We can also support the status of our Vitamin C and related antioxidants by living a life that's in harmony with nature and eating a variety of other nutrients. The most important thing in life is balance and a good, strong foundation. Many people underestimate the importance of vegetables, for example. Vegetables can provide a lot of nutrients and also be very filling. They physically fill the stomach while also providing a good assortment of nutrients. Beginning with a balanced diet inclusive of a healthy level of vegetables starts you off with a good foundation and then if you use superfoods and supplemental nutrients beyond that, you will go places for sure.

By providing some of the materials needed for Collagen synthesis, Vitamin C improves the health of the skin as well as the Collagen that lines the inside of the digestive tract. There are a lot of unseen issues in the body that can be improved by supplementing with large doses of Vitamin C. Megadosing with Vitamin C actually helps regenerate the entire digestive system, immune system, and the overall health of the body.

Most humans actually used to be able to synthesize large doses of Vitamin C as needed because we had the genes for this activated within us. We think of Vitamin C is a primary defense against colds and the flu but it's actually even more fundamental than that on the molecular level. Vitamin C is responsible for regenerating the body's master Antioxidant. This antioxidant is called Glutathione. There is really only one antioxidant that's more powerful than Glutathione and that's called Superoxide-dismutase and it's found in the Chaga Mushrooms that grow in Northern Siberia. Glutathione is something that you are actually able to synthesize in the body naturally. It's important for protecting the cells against free radicals generated through natural metabolism. Basically antioxidants help contain and channel the energy of life. The body can use antioxidants to self-balance.

There was actually a provocative study done regarding Vitamin C. This incredible finding shows us that Vitamin C supplementation is actually pretty much a requirement AS PART of a balanced diet. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19032072

It's not possible to obtain a sufficient amount of vitamin C through dietary intake alone. Sufficient means optimal or at least closer to optimal. This study suggests that we should all supplement with at least 1 gram of vitamin C per day. If we at least consumed that much every other day or every few days, we would be closer to optimal.

The way antioxidants work is by donating or accepting electrons from other molecules or ions which are in a radical state. This helps give rise to the dance of life within our cells which make us animate objects instead of unmoving rocks.

So now that these antioxidants have taken or given this 'extra' electron and contributed to the "motion of life," it is in a lower energy level and it needs to be re-activated by continuing this "electron transport chain" or continuing this entropic/anti-entropy process which keeps life moving in the right direction.

That's where Vitamin C comes in. It plays the role of recharging the Glutathione and other molecules by providing a specific energy signature that gives rise to this matrix we call life.

This is why Vitamin C is fundamentally a life-promoting molecule that defends against sickness in that vulnerable period when the seasons change and we are getting less photon and thermal energy during Autumn. That's also why Springtime is when some people experience sinus problems or allergies due to the changes in the way the season is interacting with the body. People don't realize how much the body's energy systems are interacting and adapting to the environment. Temperature and light exposure are strong signals to the cellular environments.

Seasonal changes fundamentally change the environment in the body so we have to make sure we are ingesting molecules (energy signatures) which are capable of adapting and bridging these energy-shifts. It's all just energy but these molecules are basically holding specific energy patterns. Their electrons hold energy and their overall shape helps determine how the body will use it and what it's likely to interact with in the energetic dance of life.

So...Vitamin C is fundamentally...a Recycler of Energy. It helps recycle the digestive system, the blood, the immune system, and even recycle and regenerate other tissues and organs. See my "Less is More" post for related information about doing a "Detox" and Regeneration.

In the future, I think we'll focus more on Regeneration. For now, "Detox" is a buzzword that steals all the attention and it is clearly an important aspect of regeneration. Keep in mind that fasting can actually stimulate the immune system to repair and regenerate itself. That extra energy is freed up and you can use it to find a better balance point where you are stronger.

This whole process is almost like a snake shedding its old skin and leaving it behind. The body needs these periods to regenerate itself. You can make sure you have that capability stored within yourself by supplementing with high levels of Vitamin C. Start with a clean diet and then go beyond there with supplementation. The soil that most crops are planted in doesn't contain the levels of minerals they used to due to intensive farming practices. You will have better luck with organic produce but still...with all that modern humans have to deal with, we could all probably use a little extra Vitamin C.

The kind of supplemental Vitamin C I would recommend is called Lyposomal. The reason for the long name is because this is designed after nature's patterns by wrapping the vitamin inside of a sphere of healthy fats called phospholipids. This little trick allows it to sneak past your digestive juices just like you were eating vitamin C straight from your diet. Vitamin C would naturally be found within a plant cell so this trick emulates the natural pattern of nature and how we larger primates normally consume molecules. Get it here: http://astore.amazon.com/uniheaart-20/detail/B000CD9XGC

Your body is the most important possession you have. If there's one thing you should invest in, it's your body, mind, and soul. We can focus on outer material things all we want but the closer we get to actually investing in these core values within us, the closer we get to true value and satisfaction. We will only have fulfillment if we invest in the people we care about..ourselves, our family, our kids. Optimal health is the new Wealth.