Eating for Mental Health

This is part 4 of a 4-part series designed for Bend + Bloom Yoga's May Challenge. Click to read Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3.

Just as the final limbs of yoga highlight the unity of the Self & the Divine, there is a very close link between your gut and your brain. Supporting your gut through proper nutrition can improve general mental health, and may facilitate the mental fortitude necessary to explore these advanced yogic techniques.

Probiotics are "friendly" gut bacteria that help nourish our gastrointestinal tract and protect against the bad bacteria that comes from excess consumption of sugar, processed foods, alcohol, or medications. Probiotics are found in naturally fermented foods like real pickles, kimchi, kombucha, or real sauerkraut (not the fake stuff with vinegar).

Homemade Sauerkraut

1 head green cabbage

1.5 T. salt

1 T. pickling spices (optional)

Large glass jar

A weight that fits inside your glass jar (e.g., a smaller jar filled with pie weights)

Cheesecloth & rubber band

Chop cabbage into thin slices. Mix the cabbage and salt together in a big mixing bowl and massage it together with your hands until it wilts & gets juicy, about 5 minutes. Fold in optional pickling spices and transfer cabbage (and its juices) to a large glass container, pushing it down as you go. Place a weight on top of the cabbage. Place cheesecloth over the mouth of the glass container and secure it with a rubber band.

Over the next 24 hours, press down on the weight every so often until you end up with a layer of liquid on top of the cabbage, completely submerging it.

Keep the cabbage on a countertop away from direct sunlight. After 5 days, taste the sauerkraut. You’ll know when it’s done by how it tastes - it could take 10 days or more. Once it’s done, pop a lid on the glass container and transfer it to the fridge.

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Eating for Respiratory Health

This is part 2 of a 4-part series about healthy eating as it relates to yogic principles, designed for Bend + Bloom Yoga's annual May Challenge. Click to read Part 1, Part 3, or Part 4.

You’ll be breathing a lot this week, so take good care of your lungs! Here’s how:

1. Take a deep breath before you eat: this shifts your nervous system into a parasympathetic state ("rest & digest"), crucial for optimal digestion. Yep, that's right: your lungs help you digest!
2. Pump some iron: Iron is essential for transferring oxygen in your blood from the lungs to the tissues and storing oxygen. Spinach is a great plant source of iron.
3. Stop the sneeze: Just like pollen, allergenic foods can have respiratory effects. The Big 8 allergens are wheat, dairy, corn, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, and soy. In addition, inflammation from eating foods like refined carbohydrates (flour, sugar) and alcohol can negatively impact lung health.
4. Add antioxidants: counter the oxidative effects of air pollution and smoke by consuming antioxidant-rich foods like fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds.

Support your lung health with this antioxidant-rich, hypoallergenic smoothie bowl.

Smoothie Bowl

It’s amazing what you can throw into a smoothie! I like to add whatever I have lying around that may not get used otherwise: carrots, ½ avocado, ½ apple, nut milk, nutritional yeast, seaweed flakes… the list goes on!
½ c. filtered water
½ banana or mango
½ c. frozen organic berries
Big handful organic spinach (baby spinach is OK too!)
Small handful nuts of your choice (omit if
1 T. chia seeds
Top with shredded coconut, toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or nut butter

Place water into blender. Add next 5 ingredients and puree to desired consistency, about 15-30 seconds. Pour into a bowl, add toppings, and enjoy!

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Sources:
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/hemoglobin_and_functions_of_iron/
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=70

Vaccinations: A Middle Ground

I've been seeing so much passion for and against vaccines on my social media feeds lately. There has been a lot of name-calling and negativity, so I wanted to propose a more amicable and productive middle ground.

If you peel away all the frustration, both sides have a respectable and ultra-worthy common goal: to protect children.

Unfortunately, we have all received different information on just how to do that, which results in a lot of confusion and conflict. In addition, the information we get is often inconsistent, biased, or otherwise unreliable.

In the succinct words of Chris Kresser, "There is a risk in vaccinating, and there is a risk in not vaccinating. And anyone who tells you differently is not acquainted with the research literature."

So how do you decide what is the best option for you & your family?

Dr. Aviva Romm offers an excellent starting point in her lecture "Vaccination Pros & Cons: Help for Concerned Parents."  She presents the research in one of the most objective, unbiased summaries I've yet seen.  It's not exhaustive, but it's a great starting point.  Dr. Romm also wrote a book that provides further information entitled "Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide."

In addition, we can join together to fight for safer vaccines. Fewer side effects mean that more parents will feel comfortable vaccinating, so we can regain the herd immunity benefits of vaccination.

That said, one of the big-picture public health concerns is that vaccination may be creating a "survival of the sickest" situation. In the past, those who survived infectious diseases passed on some of that immunity to their children, which helped to naturally eradicate illnesses and bolster natural selection & the strength of the species. Today, we are observing troubling trends in immune disregulation & autoimmunity that are likely related to vaccines, but there is not enough long-term research to fully understand exactly what's happening.

Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like there is one right answer.  But by supporting and fighting alongside (instead of against) each other, we can make greater strides to protect the health of our nation's children. And that's what we're all after.

Smoothies for Everyone!

My first green smoothie of the week … yummmm!

I just finished participating in the Transformational Nutrition Summit, and after a few days of nerding out, here was my big takeaway:

Drink smoothies.

I'm not kidding! Sometimes it's just that easy.

As many of you know, I already feature smoothies in most of my menu plans, but in the craziness of our move to New York, I had gotten away from drinking them lately.

Have you ever noticed that reminders seem to come at exactly the right time?

We have been busy making friends in our new hometown. Saturday we went out for cocktails with some new friends who also happen to be 10 years our junior. Needless to say, I woke up on Sunday in the mood to detox!

The Summit lecture I watched that day (from the couch!) touched on the concept of switching to green smoothies for breakfast, and how that small change can reduce all sorts of health hazards.

It's important to note that they were talking about smoothies, not juices. While juices contain many of the same nutritional benefits, they are missing one important ingredient: fiber. Fiber is what slows down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, which is important for preventing blood sugar spikes (and potentially, gestational diabetes and other blood-sugar-related health issues).

Depending on what you put in them, green smoothies are excellent detoxifiers. They can also be quite nutrient-dense. This makes them a great choice for reproductive health and pregnancy!

Plus, they're super-easy to make. To start, you want about 60% fruit and 40% veggies. What you decide to put in it is up to you, but spinach and romaine are excellent starter veggies because they are less flavorful and more easily blended than some hardier greens.

Here's a recipe I recommend:

Green Smoothie

1/2 c. filtered water - hydrating, nontoxic

2 big handfuls spinach - rich in bioavailable folate
1/2 organic apple - antioxidants galore! Great for protecting your reproductive cells (and your hubby's!) and reducing the risk of miscarriage
1/2 banana - makes for a creamy base, rich in potassium
1/2 c. frozen berries - strong antioxidant properties
2 T. chia seed - rich in omega-3 fatty acids
10-15 walnuts - another plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as protein
1/3 cucumber - natural source of Vitamin K (Vitamin D's partner-in-crime) and a bounty of antioxidants
2 T. cilantro or parsley - super detoxifying
1-2 "coins" ginger & turmeric root (slice off a couple of pieces)
1 T. coconut oil - healthy fat, good for your hormones
1/2 avocado - rich in Vitamins E (powerful antioxidant that reduces the risk of miscarriage) and B5 (essential for reproduction)
1 t. cinnamon - warming, aids in blood sugar control
1 t. nutritional yeast - B-vitamin bounty and protein-rich
Optional power boost: dump a tablespoon of the juice from naturally fermented sauerkraut or pickles into the smoothie for some probiotic punch!

Pour water into blender (I love my Vitamix). Add other ingredients and blend to a smoothie consistency. Serve!  Drink slowly and mindfully.


You can see how easy it is to just keep adding yummy stuff to your smoothie. Experiment and see what you come up with using the 60/40 formula above and adding in fresh herbs, spices and "boosters" to increase its nutritional value. I'd love to hear about what your favorite combination is - tell me on the Facebook page!

A note for women suffering from hypothyroid: Most raw leafy greens are goitrogens, that is, they block thyroid function. If you are hypothyroid, you can avoid this effect by steaming or sautéing your greens before adding them. They will lose some of their nutritional value in cooking (mostly Vitamins C and B, including folate), but much of it will remain, including important minerals like iron.

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Connecting the dots...

Photo: Brandon818

Part of my job as a holistic nutrition consultant is to try to uncover the root cause of a health issue.
But in most cases, by the time we're sick, we can't even remember what led up to that point, and we just want a solution ASAP.

Trying to connect the dots can also make us crazy, because we'll never know for certain if one health issue led to the next.

Still, I find it important to explore the possibilities in my practice, because discovering the root cause of an illness is going to lead to the quickest and most effective healing.

One of my clients had chronic heartburn, was overweight, and had psoriasis. He was a workaholic and was popping TUMS nearly every hour. A few easy tests pointed to hypochlorhydria - low stomach acid. Since the symptoms of low stomach acid are similar to the symptoms of high stomach acid, and since the common wisdom is to treat high stomach acid, he turned to the TUMS, which made his problem worse. And, because proteins were leaving his stomach and passing into his intestines without being fully digested, his body was getting confused - a possible cause for the autoimmune psoriasis. By getting his stomach pH up to a healthy level and eliminating/rotating gluten (which is a long protein that can also confuse the body's immune system), he lost 20 pounds in just two weeks and has only had heartburn once in the past three years - after a weekend of eating bread, beer & pizza with friends.

In my own case, I had a genetic predisposition for my autoimmune disease. But I never had a flare-up until I used the birth control patch (the pamphlet for which clearly stated that colitis was a reported but unconfirmed side effect). So in my case, the trigger for my illness was the birth control patch, but it was really just the last thing my body could handle - meaning that there was a haystack of other contributing factors beneath this final straw. This concept of "total load" can certainly make things confusing when trying to help heal bigger health issues.

Me - before. Puffy! Ugh!

I had never paid attention to what I ate, relying heavily on pizza and pasta. I drank beer, wine, cocktails - anything that would give me a buzz. I had a serious sweet tooth and kept bags of candy in my drawer at work. I had been on antibiotics at least ten times in my life, and had taken a multi-year course of acid-blockers. All of these contributed to the demolition of my GI tract, and all of them had to be eliminated, changed, or fixed in order for me to decrease the rampant inflammation in my body.

I finally got to the point where my colonoscopy results showed no signs of disease, but it took a lot of trial and error and serious commitment. And, the truth is, I still have gut issues sometimes, and I'm still in the process of figuring out what causes them.

My husband can vouch for the fact that I'm always trying new diets to figure out what works for me - and what doesn't. Three years ago I learned that I have a mild allergic reaction to red wine. Last year I did an elimination diet and its results were inconclusive, so this year I'm planning to try the Paleo, GAPS and/or SCD diets.

In addition to helping me learn more about my body, this personal testing also helps me explain the benefits and drawbacks of each diet firsthand to my clients.

So - how can you connect the dots?

Ask yourself what was going on when your health issues first began. Consider your career, family, and other health issues. If there were other health issues or medications present, repeat the process for them. What was the first health problem you can come up with - the one that seemingly started the domino effect?

See what comes up for you, and then let's talk about how to address the symphony of symptoms that is your own unique body.

Boosting Immunity

Photo: Anita Berghoef

My husband came down with the flu last night, so I've been focusing a lot on immunity lately.
Thought I'd share it with my tribe here!

What to do when you're feeling under the weather? I use a 4-pronged approach:

1. Rest
2. Let your body do its job
3. Healthy foods & beverages
4. Targeted supplements

Let's discuss each one in a bit more depth:

Rest
Luckily, we're on break at the moment so my husband can take full advantage of this recommendation. For worker bees, however, this is notoriously challenging. Some companies only provide a certain number of sick days, so illness comes to (and permeates) the workplace. If you can work from home, that's a great first step. If you can't, take a sick day. If you can't take a sick day, make sure that you allow for at least nine hours of sleep a night, and take a 10-minute break every hour to escape the hubbub of the office, close your eyes, and take a few deep, relaxing breaths. Your body is telling you to slow down - listening and respecting it will help you feel better in the moment as well as heal faster.

Let your body do its job
Most people reach for the medicine cabinet the minute fever hits. But fever is one way the body heals itself. Some viruses can't survive at certain temperatures, so a fever can kill them off. Or perhaps you're groggy and want to take a Sudafed so you can power through the day. But powering through the day can just prolong your agony, as you aren't giving your body the rest it's trying to demand (see above). I personally try to only use OTC medications if my symptoms are keeping me awake at night. Otherwise, I allow my symptoms to slow me down so I can heal faster.

Healthy foods & beverages
I've got a lot of tricks up my sleeve here. Some foods will make you feel better immediately, and some can help boost your immunity so you heal more quickly.

Homemade bone broth is an excellent, nourishing tonic for the sick. It's rich in minerals and amino acids that support the immune system. In addition, heated beverages provide immediate relief for postnasal drip and dry mouths.

Did you know that up to 80% of your immune system is located in your digestive tract? Probiotics nourish your gut, so eating foods that are high in probiotics is a great choice when you're sick. These include fermented foods such as real sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, kombucha, and yogurt.

Another great immunity-boosting food is mushrooms. Asian mushrooms like maitake are particularly well-known for their ability to rally white blood cells to fight infection.

Garlic has a long history of medicinal use - it's naturally antimicrobial and antibacterial. Chop up raw garlic and swallow the pieces with water, as if you're taking a few pills. (You'll have the added benefit of fending off vampires).

And my secret weapon? A non-alcoholic hot toddy: hot water with fresh-squeezed lemon juice, sliced ginger coins, a sprinkle of cayenne, and a tablespoon of honey. Sooo yummy and so soothing on a sore throat!

Targeted supplements
Everyone knows that echinacea is great for immunity. Keep some of that in your pantry and take as directed on the bottle.

In addition, Zinc is crucial for immune cell function. In addition, it is one of the most-needed minerals during preconception and pregnancy, due to its important role in reproductive function. Chelated forms of Zinc, such as Zinc picolinate, are the most absorbable.

Probiotic supplements can also help improve gut flora and support the immune system.

Curcumin (turmeric) is anti-inflammatory. I always take capsules of supercritical extract when my joints ache or any part of my body is feeling raw. There is not enough research on the effects of curcumin supplementation during pregnancy. Therefore, I recommend that pregnant women who want to get more curcumin simply sprinkle turmeric into soups or spice rubs.

If you are prone to cold sores, you're more likely to get them when you're run down. Try taking L-Lysine to prevent an outbreak.

What is your best natural secret for kicking winter illness to the curb?

9 Ways to Heal PCOS

Photo by Nossirom

There are lots of baby-blocking health issues out there these days: low sperm count, endometriosis, nutritional deficiencies, toxins ... and I'm passionate about helping you find natural solutions to each of them.

Yet another common reproductive syndrome that can screw with your fertility is polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. According to the Mayo Clinic:

PCOS happens when your pituitary gland and ovaries overproduce certain hormones. Because those hormones can interfere with the production and release of eggs, PCOS is a common cause of infertility and may be the reason you have difficulty becoming pregnant.

Ugh. Hormones strike again.

In today's world, we have more exposure to hormones than ever before. And hormones must be in balance for your baby-maker to properly function. Unfortunately, our environments, diets, and lifestyles can sometimes cause us to inhale, absorb or ingest excess hormones that may be partially responsible for fertility issues.

Luckily, there are lots of really easy ways to reduce your exposure to hormones and get your reproductive system back on track:

• Eliminate dairy foods like cheese, butter, milk, and cream. According to one Harvard scientist, dairy accounts for 60-80% of all estrogens consumed! If you must indulge, seek out organic, pasture-raised, or raw milk from small farms, whose cows are likely to have fewer hormones.
• Eat organic - especially meat (and dairy). It's illegal for farmers to use hormones on hogs and poultry, so if you can't afford organic, pork & chicken are better options than conventional beef. Pesticides can have estrogenic effects, and many conventional animals are injected with hormones that disrupt our hormonal balance when we eat them.
• Support your liver. The liver detoxifies and regenerates estrogen. So treat it well by avoiding drugs and alcohol. Even prescription and over-the-counter drugs can negatively affect the liver (e.g., Tylenol). Support your liver by eating bitter foods, cruciferous vegetables, and taking a good, absorbable multivitamin (you can purchase my favorite via my store). Drink lots of filtered water, too.
• Avoid soy. Soy is a phyto (plant) estrogen, so many natural fertility experts recommend that couples avoid it. Perhaps an even more compelling argument for eliminating soy is that over 91% of soy is now genetically modified - and GM soy and corn have been found to decrease fertility in animal studies.
• Stay away from xenoestrogens (chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body). Some common xenoestrogens are pthalates, parabens, BPA, food coloring, birth control pills, PCBs, and DDT. These chemicals are most commonly found in canned foods, plastic-packaged foods, cosmetics, personal care products, and household cleaners. READ LABELS! Your safest bet, food-wise, is to eat organic, fresh foods. Avoid eating large fish, as PCBs accumulate in their fat. And don't store or reheat your food in saran wrap or plastic containers like Tupperware. As for cosmetics, personal care & cleaners, check out Pretty Healthy for tips.
• Balance your other hormones: practice stress-reduction techniques and gentle exercise to lower cortisol, get a good night's sleep to regulate melatonin, and get your thyroid checked to ensure proper function. Hormones work in concert with each other, so by helping one, you benefit them all.

In terms of PCOS specifically, there are a few additional risk factors to address:

• Stabilize blood sugar. Elevated insulin (the hormone that's produced when blood sugar rises) plays a huge role in many cases of PCOS. Keeping blood sugar stable will help prevent insulin spikes. Reduce refined carbohydrates like bread, pasta, flour, and all sweets - including soda and fruit juices. Eat healthy fats & avoid low-fat foods. Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks daily, and make sure each has clean proteins and healthy fats.
• Lower inflammation. Try an elimination diet to see if you have an undiagnosed food sensitivity that is creating an inflammatory response. Eat anti-inflammatory foods and spices such as salmon, veggies, turmeric, ginger, and cayenne. Avoid polyunsaturated cooking oils: use olive or coconut oil when you're cooking at home and, when at a restaurant, ask your server if they can cook your food in olive oil or saturated fat.

The final, and perhaps the easiest way to start healing PCOS?  

• Detox with a whole-foods cleansing program like the New Year Cleanse! Everything but the cooking is done for you, and you'll get to become part of a wonderful group of people who are also committed to health. It's a fun, challenging way to kick off the New Year. The program begins January 1, but the price goes up on December 1, so sign up now for just $29!

Though my tips seem pretty easy when you read them, they aren't always as simple to implement on a consistent basis. More than just information, you need support and accountability to make lasting change that can transform your health. And that's where I come in. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with me to discuss how to put the above recommendations into action.

'Til then, I wish you all the best. Happy Thanksgiving!

The Importance of Seasonal Eating

Photo courtesy of Can Can Cleanse

Initially published on Can Can Cleanse:

Reasons to Eat With the Seasons

Watermelon. Raspberries. Zucchini. Tomatoes. Summer’s gardens are a veritable bounty of mouth-watering fruits and vegetables, bursting with flavor and nutrients. But now that we can get these foods year-round, why should we bother stocking up on them now?

Eating seasonally is one of the pillars of designing a healthy diet, and for good reason. Nature provides the nutrients we need exactly when we need them to ensure optimal health. Before we were able to enjoy peaches in February, we had a very limited time to indulge in these delicious sweets. And guess what? We didn’t suffer as many preventable health problems as we do today.

Perhaps that’s because most of our summer foods do an excellent job of preparing us for winter. Chock-full of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, these fruits & veggies exert potent antioxidant power to get our immune systems in tip-top shape and protect our cardiovascular systems. The complex carbohydrates so plentiful in summer used to help fatten us up for impending fall & winter, when we were forced to rely on limited amounts of wild game, root vegetables, nuts, seeds, and traditional storage techniques (root cellars, pickling, canning and iceboxes).

In-season foods improve health because they have more nutrients. Many vitamins and phytonutrients are denatured with exposure to oxygen, light or heat. So the longer you have to wait to eat a vegetable after it’s been picked, the fewer nutrients it offers. One of the benefits of eating seasonal produce is that it can be grown & sold locally, which cuts down the time between harvest & a fresh salad on your plate. And many local growers choose not to use harmful pesticides, so even non-organic seasonal foods can be safer. Plus, as anyone who has ever tried to eat a tomato or avocado out-of-season can tell you, the taste of fresh produce is beyond compare.

Seasonal foods also provide a perfect counterpoint to the climate. When it’s hot out, a big sweet potato or winter squash just isn’t appealing. But berries, cucumbers, and mint? Bring it on!

Besides being a healthy way to eat, eating seasonally is usually less expensive. Take watermelons, for example. Watermelons can be grown nearly anywhere in the summertime, but if your craving occurs in winter, your watermelon will likely be shipped in from a warmer locale. Shipping requires fuel, and we all know how expensive that is nowadays! In addition, foods grow well when they’re in season, so there is a greater supply available, which also drives the price down.

Affordable, healthy & better-tasting? Sounds like three great reasons to dive into summer produce with abandon. Enjoy!

Detoxing for Fertility

Have you heard about my upcoming Fertility Prep Program, Priming the Bump? It's a 14-day guided
cleanse to help couples boost their fertility naturally and give their babies the best odds of being born smart & healthy.

My latest post for Can Can Cleanse explains why detoxing before conception is so crucial. Take a peek below! And if you or your friends would like to hear more about Priming the Bump, head on over to the website to discover one secret tactic you can use TONIGHT to increase your odds of conceiving.

**************************************

Flowers are blooming, baseball's in full swing, and June is busting out all over.  A fresh feeling of newness and rebirth is palpable, and babies seem to be on everyone's mind. It's easy to see where June gets its name (from the Latin iuniores, or "young ones").

For those couples feeling the spring fever to conceive their own baby, it’s also a great time to start detoxing. Eliminating toxins now helps boost fertility while keeping dangerous compounds from affecting fetal development.

When you’re preparing to conceive, some of the most important toxins to avoid & eliminate are heavy metals and xenoestrogens.

Heavy metals like mercury and lead can contribute to low sperm counts, low progesterone, breast cancers, and severe birth defects and developmental problems. Mercury is most commonly found in silver dental amalgams and large fish. Lead can be found in everything from old paint to lipstick to soil.

Xenoestrogens are chemicals that the body mistakes for estrogen. In women, estrogen must be in balance with progesterone, so too many xenoestrogens can cause a progesterone deficiency. Excess estrogen is also associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). That said, xenoestrogens don’t only affect women. They can also damage the DNA of men’s sperm, leading to infertility, miscarriage, birth defects, or cancer. In addition, xenoestrogens can make babies more likely to suffer from behavioral problems or obesity later in life. Some common xenoestrogens are pthalates (found in PVC, personal care products, cleaning agents, and contaminated food), parabens (preservatives found in personal care products & contaminated food), BPA (found in soft plastics and the lining of most canned foods), food coloring, birth control pills, PCBs (industrial chemicals most often found in large contaminated fish) and DDT (pesticide found in contaminated food).

Phytoestrogens occur naturally in foods. Still, they too can raise estrogen to fertility-blocking levels. The most common phytoestrogen is soy, and many natural fertility experts recommend that couples avoid it. Perhaps an even more compelling argument for eliminating soy is that over 91% of soy is now genetically modified - and GM soy & corn have been found to decrease fertility in animal studies.

Cleansing gives the body’s detox systems a break from everyday demands, allowing detox organs like the liver to focus on safely excreting toxins like heavy metals and xenoestrogens. After detoxifying, couples can prevent further exposure by eating organic foods, choosing smaller fish, and selecting safer consumer products.

So as you spring forward towards parenthood, consider taking baby steps: start with a cleanse. Then you can get to the fun part.

2 Important, Low-Profile Health Factors

As you may know, I've been doing a ton of writing for Can Can Cleanse. I approached them with a
bunch of topics and this was one of their favorites. We rarely think about these two things, but they are both so important to our health!

*******
A Deep Breath & A Glass of Water 

Amid today’s onslaught of fad diets, superfood fanaticism, food allergies, and - yes - even cleanses, sometimes it’s easy to forget two of the most health-promoting basics: oxygen & water.

The body can’t store oxygen, which is why we must breathe continually. With each breath, oxygen travels through the lungs to the bloodstream and to every cell in the body. Inside the cells, oxygen is required to produce energy so we can think, move, see, feel ... in short, so we can live. Without oxygen, brain damage or death can occur within minutes.

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, “The more air you move, the healthier you will be, because the functioning of all systems of the body depends on delivery of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide.” (1)  Research supports his statement, which is why aerobic exercise is so important.

During aerobic exercise, increased oxygen helps remove more waste products (like carbon dioxide and lactic acid) and release more feel-good endorphins. Over time, aerobic exercise helps us reduce the risk of many health problems, lose weight, boost immunity, feel good, and it can even help us live longer. (2)  

Deep breathing exercises are another way to get more oxygen into the body.

When it comes to water, you’ve probably heard that you should drink 8 glasses a day. Some people need even more!

Water accounts for roughly 60% of body weight. A healthy person may be able to survive for 3-5 days without water, but more fragile compositions (like those of babies) might only survive a few hours without water.

In the body, water is essential for detox because it flushes dangerous compounds from our bodies. In addition, the same energy production cycle that requires oxygen also requires water. “Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired,” according to the Mayo Clinic. (3)

Water also helps make nutrients more accessible to the cells. For example, Vitamins B & C are “water-soluble,” meaning that they can’t be absorbed or used without water to help dissolve them.

The easiest way to measure if you’re drinking enough water? Your urine should be almost colorless.

In short, while you may be able to live without trying the latest superfood, you simply can’t survive - or thrive - without oxygen & water. What’s more, you can easily increase your health as you increase your intake of oxygen and (in many cases) water. So go ahead and fill your lungs & your water bottle. It might just help your health even more than that cabbage soup diet.

-Emily Wade Adams, Natal Nutrition

Sources:

(1) http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00520/breathing-basics.html

(2) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aerobic-exercise/EP00002

(3) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283