Elite Health Tip

Hello friends!  This week we are going to talk about aging gracefully.  Lets face it, we all get older, but there are things we can do to help ourselves through the process!  There’s an old saying that goes, “an ounce of preventative is worth a pound of cure.”  Which means its a lot easier to work on preventing issues than trying to work backwards once those issues are in full effect.  Lets take a look at two of the most common parts of the body that can be affected by aging and how we can help these organs age gracefully.

YOUR HEART ????

Your heart is the pump which powers your body.  It supplies blood carrying oxygen and nutrients to every cell, nerve, muscle and vital organ.  It is made up of multiple layers of tissue and is the center of your circulatory system.  With increasing age, the structures of the heart can become more rigid.  The heart may increase slightly in size, and the volume of the left ventricle may decline. As a result, the heart may both fill and empty more slowly, thus putting less blood into circulation.

Supplements for a strong heart:

• Circulation Formula – Circulation is key!  The circulatory system carries oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to cells, and removes waste products, like carbon dioxide.  Circulation formulas combine herbs like, cayenne, ginger, and garlic.  All useful herbs for helping the heart circulate the blood.
• CoQ10/Ubiquinol – Researchers report that CoQ10 may have significant benefits for people with cardiovascular disease, from reducing risk for repeat heart attacks and improving outcomes in patients with heart failure to lowering blood pressure and helping combat the side effects of cholesterol-lowering statins. (More info on CoQ10)
• Hawthorn Berries – In traditional Chinese medicine, Hawthorn Berry is one of the most commonly recommended foods to help treat high blood pressure.  Several animal studies show that hawthorn can act as a vasodilator, meaning it can relax constricted blood vessels, ultimately lowering blood pressure. (More info on Blood Pressure)
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids work by lowering the body’s production of triglycerides. High levels of triglycerides can lead to coronary artery disease, heart disease, and stroke. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids used together with diet and exercise help lower triglyceride levels in the blood.  (More info on Omega-3)
• Cellfood – Cellfood is an oxygen and nutrient supplement that delivers oxygen, minerals, enzymes and amino acids at a cellular level.  When Cellfood is mixed in water, an exothermic reaction takes place providing oxygen and hydrogen to the individual cells of the body. The steady flow of oxygen and hydrogen to all parts of the body allows for simultaneous oxygenation and reduction within the cells, allowing for maximum metabolism of nutrients and removal of metabolic waste.

YOUR BRAIN ????

At around 3 pounds in weight, the human brain is a staggering feat of engineering, with around 100 billion neurons interconnected via trillions of synapses.  Throughout a lifetime, the brain changes more than any other part of the body. From the moment the brain begins to develop in the third week of gestation to old age, its complex structures and functions are changing, with networks and pathways connecting and severing.  Common memory changes that are associated with normal aging include:

• Difficulty learning something new: Committing new information to memory can take longer.
• Multitasking: Slowed processing can make planning parallel tasks more difficult.
• Recalling names and numbers: Strategic memory, which helps with remembering names and numbers, begins to decline at age 20.
• Remembering appointments: Without cues to recall the information, the brain may put appointments into “storage” and not access them unless something jogs the person’s memory.

Supplements for a smart brain:

• DHA – DHA plays a vital role in maintaining the structure and function of your brain. In fact, it accounts for around 25% of the total fat, and 90% of the omega-3 fat, found in your brain cells.  Taking DHA supplements has been linked with improved thinking skills, memory and reaction times.  It has also benefitted people experiencing a mild decline in brain function.
• Phosphatidylserine/PS – ‘PS’ is a type of fat compound called a phospholipid, which can be found in your brain.  It’s been suggested that taking phosphatidylserine supplements could be helpful for preserving brain health.  Studies have shown that taking 100 mg of phosphatidylserine three times per day could help reduce age-related decline in brain function.
• Bacopa – Bacopa is a medicine made from the herb Bacopa monnieri. It’s used in traditional medicine practices like Ayurveda for improving brain function.  It’s been shown to improve thinking skills and memory, both in healthy people and in elderly people suffering from a decline in brain function.
• Methyl Folate – Methyl folate is a member of the Vitamin B family and is essential in the brain for making neurotransmitters and DNA. If we don’t make methyl folate, we end up low on materials to make neurotransmitters and DNA but also with high homocysteine.  High homocysteine is associated with illness such as strokes and high blood pressure.

Remember, no one can escape the natural cycle of our bodies.  Aging is not a flaw or something to be ashamed of.  We should embrace our experiences and wisdom and be proud of what we’ve overcome throughout our lifetime.  The MOST important thing we can do for our bodies is to treat it with love and kindness.  This is a very basic concept that so many often struggle with.  Feed your body nourishing and healthy foods.  Get plenty of rest and exercise.  Be aware of your thoughts.  How often do you think negatively about yourself and your body?  If you can imagine that every cell in your body is a tiny little soldier and you are the highest chain in command, everything you think and feel, your cells are listening to and responding.

Go easy on yourself.  No one is perfect.  Aging is a natural and inevitable process.  Keep your sense of humor alive and your gratitude high and it’ll make the process a whole lot easier ????