You press your teeth together and grip the steering wheel hard, till your knuckles are white. Your core temperature is rising, testosterone also increasing. Rage sets in and you begin to honk, yell, flash your lights and shake your fist at the driver in front of you. As if they can hear you or as if it will make them go faster. Road rage, something that we all experience in our lifetime. Some of us have learned to let go of it and others, well not so much. But instead of getting angry at someone/something you CAN'T control, take a deep breath, and think about these few things for a second. 1. THIS WAS NO ACCIDENT. Did you know that annually there are roughly 6,800,000 crashes per year in our country. Half of those are fatal. Road rages causes 66% of those crashes. That's a lot based on not being able to control your emotions while on the road. Since 1990 there has been a 51% increase in the accidents caused by rage. Road rage is a side effect of stress, for some it is considered a disorder to jump so quickly to rage. 7% of drivers actually have what is called "intermittent explosive disorder." It is the sudden onset of exaggerated feelings of rage This can often be a catalyst for violent behavior. 2. HAVOC ON THE BODY & MIND. Aside from the awful car accidents that road rage can provoke, it also takes a huge toll on your mind and body. Even if you make it home safely. You're really not as safe as you think. When we let our emotions over run us, especially when it comes to anger, our hormones go haywire. Testosterone, epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol all shoot through the roof and send your body and your mind into a "fight or flight" response. This is not good, this response is in our DNA to help us in dangerous situations, not to be angry that we didn't leave our house early enough. Allowing the mind to succumb to these urges also does a number on the psyche. Over time it can break you down and you're left completely rewired. Suddenly all you can think is negative, cynical thoughts all the time. Being this way also releases those nasty hormones that come from rage and stress. 3. HEART HEALTH. Oh yes, I said it. This highly affects your cardiovascular system. Even in the long run, in fact studies are showing more and more that road rage is DECREASING life span in humans. Not only does it elevate blood pressure, but it restricts blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. A study in 2012 found that the longer a persons commute was, the higher the blood pressure and BMI. 4. BRAIN FOG. If you're angry, you can't think straight, or even two feet in front of you. Road rage causes people to miss more turns, have more near misses on other drivers, and have panic attacks and overreactions than those who realize their mistake and calmly correct it. You rewire your brain every time you are negative or positive. They both affect the brain in very different ways. 5. DON'T ENGAGE. I had a boss who loved to use the analogy of vibenomics. Vibenomics is when one persons emotions start to slowly trickle down until everyone around them is feeling the same way they are. This can be positive vibes or negative vibes. Road rage is a hugely negative one that can turn victims into aggressors. Road rage has such a powerful effect on those around it that is can be difficult to NOT engage. But we shouldn't engage with those who are experiencing road rage. By portraying a calm demeanor we can positively affect those around us for the better. If that's not enough, here's another reason. A report from safemotorist.com found that of the 66% of accidents caused by road rage 37% involved a firearm. Oh and one more thing, 2% admitted to trying to run an aggressor OVER. In short, there are things we can do to prevent road rage. You may be sitting there thinking to yourself "yeah right," as you giggle sarcastically to yourself; but if you haven't tried you can't knock it. So here are just a few tips to help. 1. LEAVE WITH ENOUGH TIME. Traffic varies in different parts of the country, even in different parts of the same state or city. Knowing your traffic patterns and when your rush hour starts and ends is important. Leaving your home/office/etc a few minutes early never hurts. You could run into construction, an accident, or even just get behind someone for an extra half mile who's going 5 under. DON'T GET ANGRY! It is your own fault here if you did not leave with enough time. Life happens, even on the road. 2. BREATHE, IT'S ONLY LIFE. And with that being said I mean that nothing is worth losing anyones life over. Or even causing harm to another. You can meditate anywhere and during traffic is a great place. You don't need candles, incense, or even to close your eyes. Simply breathe. 3. MUSIC MATTERS! Music does matter, and if you think I'm wrong then put on some heavy metal and drive ten minutes down the road to the store. On your way back play some relaxing jazz. Tell me you don't feel a difference? Music is vibrations, and our bodies and minds feed off those vibrations, even while we sleep. Our hormones react to the noises and sounds we hear daily, adding angry, fast paced music can override those hormones and send them into a raging spiral of furry. Stay calm, you will get where you are going when you are supposed to. 4. MINDFULNESS. This should never stop, even while driving. Being mindful is doing things like waving when someone is nice and lets you over during rush hour, or using your blinker to let other drivers know where you are going (though turn signal usage also happens to be the law anyway). Driving the speed limit, for gods sake just drive AT LEAST the speed limit, it is there in place for a reason. In fact this is a big reason why a lot of people begin to develop rage: being stuck behind Miss Daisy. Be aware of those around you, this sometimes requires slightly quieter music or staying off your phone while on the road (again, in many places now, being off your phone is also the law). NOTHING, I REPEAT, NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAT SAFE DRIVING. 5. YOU ARE NO MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYONE ELSE. Deep down inside we are all made of up the same things, right down to our very last molecule. And we forget that all too often. Speeding, raging, yelling, harming..... every time you do this you are telling the rest of us to fuck off and that you are definitely more important than anyone else. That your life is far more important than anyone else's. This is untrue. It does not matter if you're an award winning surgeon or you flip burgers; it does not matter if you're chairman of the board or you're a reserve member of the PTA. We all share this planet and we all share the same allotted amount of time on this Earth. Don't cut someone's time short to sit down and play a video game at home after work, or even to get to work in the first place. Carry yourself about calmly, and begin your unwinding while you drive. Don't worry about rushing, even Myth Busters showed us that speeding and weaving through traffic literally got you to your destination 30 seconds earlier. This is not worth the life of another. So lower your stress by taking a deep breath! Put on some relaxing tunes and actually enjoy your ride home. We all have to take it, we all have to endure it, we are all in it.
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Protein, it's in just about everything we eat. Whether it's a complete protein profile or you are eating large quantities of food to gain that complete profile. On a daily basis I get asked one question; "How much protein should I take?" Now here is the first issue with that question, I don't know what your goal is. What you are working to achieve makes a difference on how much protein you intake. Before I get into how that works and how to find it, let's take a look at what protein is, how it works in the body, and how to utilize it properly. WHAT IS PROTEIN? Okay, for starters knowing what you are putting into your body is crucial. Knowing what protein is actually made of is also crucial. By then end of this you may be shocked to find out you could be taking in too much protein. So if you are someone who drinks BCAA's before, during and after your workout and then consumes a protein shake I am going to assume you don't eat well throughout the day. Amino acids, or BCAA's as most people know them, are the foundation and building blocks of protein. They make up protein. Amino acids are small units linked together to form a long chain. There are about 20 different amino acids that come together to form protein, each of which has it's own important role in the body itself. WHAT KIND OF PROTEIN SHOULD I TAKE? This is a great question, the answer is also simple. -What are you? Vegetarian? Pescatarian? Carnivore? These make a difference when it comes to the selection of your protein or protein supplement. The way your body digests food makes a difference on the type of protein you should be taking in. There is also a simple answer for why, different sources of protein digest and react differently with everyBODY. By the way, did you know that protein is in nearly everything? Including fruits, vegetables, plants, dairy, eggs, and even grains. WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO TAKE PROTEIN? Studies have changed so many times over the years I have been in the industry, some have stated that you have a 30 minute window to drink or consume your gains. Others have told me I have two hours and others still, more recently, have shown and told me that I have a 24 hour window to get the proper amount of gains in. So here's the deal, I'm not going to give you a link for this I am going to share my personal experience. I have been a meat-eater before and vegan before. In my experience neither made a difference on when I was eating, just how much I ate. Consuming the proper amount is more important than the timeframe in which it consumed. Granted, I found the best time to consume my protein was in fact within a 30-60 minute window after my workout, otherwise not only was my body tapping into the fat left on me but if I waited too long past that hour I would get shaky and angry. If I ate before or consumed some protein during I would get sick. So here's the deal, listen to your body on this one. WHAT IS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF PROTEIN FOR ME? Now this LARGELY depends on what your goals are, more and more studies are finding the proper average amount of protein intake daily is roughly .36g per pound that you weigh, for the average sedentary woman, or 46 grams per day. Obviously for men this will be a bit higher intake. However if you are active you will want to increase accordingly. This means that if you are very active, go to the gym several days a week and hitting at least a good solid 30-45 minutes of straight exercise, you will want to increase your intake between 1 and 1.2g per pound you weigh. WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF TOO MUCH PROTEIN? Oh yes, they are dangers of too much protein. Don't be fooled into thinking that a high protein diet is the best way to gain muscle; it may be one of the quickest, however, it is not one of the best. For starters an excess of un utilized and broken-down protein will turn into fat in turn causing fat gain rather than fat loss which is the opposite of what most gym-goers are looking to achieve. Excess fat gain is fuel for cancer cells, inflammation, sickness, weak immune systems, slow cardiovascular systems, deteriorating bones, ashy skin, and many other issues that arise from excess fat. Why? Fat messes with the body's hormones and homeostasis when there is an over abundance. Other dangers of too much protein include dehydration, constipation, diarrhea, kidney failure/damage, cardiovascular disease, and even the eating away of calcium in your bones, leaving them frail and brittle. CONCLUSION There are no doubts in my mind, nor any studies that disprove, just how essential and important protein in fact is to our diets. However we should be mindful and watch our intake versus our goals. Knowing those few things can change the way your body changes and adapts to your new lifestyle or diet. image source: http://www.kulturizmas.net/forumas/p1032059
Over the last year I have endured so much more than I have shown to my followers, or even let my family in on at times. Things such as the loss of a best friend to a car accident, another good friend just a few days ago, my boyfriend passed away, I was homeless, I helped others and then got thrown out like trash... my point is that there was so much more going on than I ever make known to the public.
Here, my followers keep up with my social media. My friends in real life do the same, and my family, often with a text message or video chat. Everyday, multiple times a day, I hear or read someones complaints about their job, their home, their relationship, their hatred for one political party, their own pity party because nobody showed to whatever event they invited them to, a flowing stream of negativity and complaints. Day in and day out, the amount of negativity I see versus the amount of those who are actively trying to better, correct, or otherwise fix their situation astounds me. Excuses are mostly what I hear: "But Kay you don't understand, you don't have (insert subjectively more important complaint than anyone else)." Your excuses are invalid, there are people who battle more than you on a daily basis and never lose the smile on their face. There are people who live in rundown homes that are still grateful and never complain, yet you complain about the job you do. The job that you CHOSE to take, to provide you income to survive, the job that you ultimately decided would be your saving grace until something better comes along and yet you bemoan all the stress you bring upon yourself by staying. So many of you have seen me keep a smile on my face no matter what situation I have been in, yet you complain to me how awful your life is. Yet you still do nothing to change these things. Some things to think about the next time you feel like complaining: 1. Is it really worth it? What you're complaining about, if you complain will it change anything? Will it be worth the time, energy and breath you will use to complain? 2. What is going on around you? Take a step back and look at your situation from a different view. Look at the lives you surround yourself with and really see what your friends, family members, and anyone else you care about is going through. Look at your job, your home life, your nutrition, your mind, your thoughts.... look at all of it. 3. Someone always has it worse than you. That is a fact, someone, somewhere will always be in a worse/more unfortunate situation than you are in. 4. Start a gratitude journal. As corny as that sounds keeping a gratitude journal helped me to see the things I should be focusing on rather than seeing the negative that was happening around me and not to me. 5. Take care of yourself! Listen, I am so tired of saying this but nutrition and exercise are in fact NECESSARY FOR A PROPERLY FUNCTIONING BRAIN, MOOD, MIND, AND BODY. If you have known me for more than two years then you have seen what nutrition and exercise will in fact do to change the mindset and even life of a person. Your excuses are garbage, but you are not, so you can spend the rest of your life allow the negative things to eat you alive from the inside out until it kills you slowly. Or, you can change the things that you do not enjoy or like about your life. You are not a tree, get up and move. You are not being forced to stay at a job you do not like. That being the case you are not stuck at the job you are currently at, these places are not your final destination. You have kids? So what, you have them for 18 years, your life does not end when they are brought into this world, nor does it end after they reach adulthood. You have the possibility of living to 100 years, and you want to act like your life is going to end in your sixties, like you are nothing if you haven't settled down and had kids, wife, husband, career by your thirties. So you work hard, you complain, you drain yourself of every last ounce of goodness and positive energy in you until you are nothing but the shell of a being that once was. You can make the choice to change these things, to stop complaining. To see the other routes you can take, to explore every avenue to getting to the destination in your dreams, your thoughts, your goals. Life is meant to be hard, if you were not meant to endure it or handle it you would not be here. Open your mind, open your time to work and focus on yourself, for the betterment of a happier life. Re-wire your brain everyday by finding new things to be positive about. I don't think I can ever talk about this subject enough, social media detox. It is a burden really to our society and detrimental to our overall health. While I do in fact use social media, it has become nothing more than a tool for me in regards to business. This however does not exclude the fact that I do scroll and get stuck in a social media loop. That blue light beaming into my corneas like some mind controlling hypnosis. As I scroll I read and see nothing but pain from friends, family and followers. Rather than unfriending I simply unfollow. Being an empath and getting on social media I often times feel drained within minutes. If someone opens up there phone and starts scrolling I can feel the negativity seeping through the wave lengths into the air like driving by a cow farm in the middle of the country. We are so concerned with likes, hearts, laughing faces, being right, starting debates and pushing buttons all because we have the opportunity to hide behind this screen. Don't get me wrong, I am far from perfect and I have in fact done all of these things over the years.... until recently. Going back to my nomadic ways I have slowly been detaching myself from my phone and social media. Most days I hardly pick it up to check the time, generally I am changing music stations on my Spotify. But, when was the last time that you took a week away from your social media and went back to a hobby or started to focus on yourself? These things are important and instead we feed the virus and the machine that put it there DAILY. Forever collecting emotions, thoughts, desires, struggles, needs, and the festering narcissism that slowly grows and builds up inside of you the more you give in. Pictures of yourself, food, travels, family, children, jobs, belongings all filed away and categorized to be used against you later. I swear my phone knows my thoughts sometimes. Ever scroll through and see an advert for something you haven't even said out loud yet or even typed into your phone? You will now. There are so many things in this world that are so much better than subconsciously giving into the virus that will suck your soul.
DETOX 1. First and foremost, PUT THAT PHONE DOWN Y'ALL! But seriously, put it down and go outside without it. Look around you, and take in imagery around you. Or better yet pick up a hobby, bake a cake, or read a book. I haven't seen any of those things kill anyone yet, however words on social media are powerful enough to make our youth take their own lives when they haven't even gotten warmed up for the rest of it. Keeping your phone out of sight and out of mind will in fact force you to find other things to do. Whatever you do, do not give in to going back to your phone and endless newsfeed of negativity. 2. Sleep with your phone away from you, if you have to get up to get something and it's not THAT important odds are that you won't. Never mind the fact that when your alarm goes off you will be forced to get up and turn it off. Once your blood starts to move you will slowly come to life, much like a car in the winter. Cold when you start up and could break if you move too quickly, but once it's warmed up it can go and go and go. 3. Read, meditate, or do yoga before bed. Quiet the mind rather than fill it with hate, envy and negativity. You will sleep better and wake up feeling more refreshed without the thoughts of someone else's words ringing in your head. These are some great and simple ways to detox from social media. It's important to our own mental health and sanity to clear ourselves of the filth and negativity of others. Wether they are a family member, your best friend or spouse. Sometimes to help you need a clear mind and calm and relaxed body. So put down your phone and take hike or have a real conversation with your friend over a cup of coffee WITHOUT looking at your phone, even for the time. Achy, stiff, throbbing pain, creaking and popping. Yes, that is the joints in your knee as you slide out of bed groggy and in a daze from your rem cycle. You think it's just the pain of getting older and aging, while you're not wrong, you are at the same time. While aging is not something we can help, getting older is. Your body gets old when you stop taking care of it, this includes the break down and deterioration of joints. WHAT ARE JOINTS? Joints are the connection made between the bones in your body which link the skeletal system together as a whole functional structure. They connect nearly every bone in your body and are made up of many components and parts that make them function. WHAT ARE JOINTS MADE OF? There are a several categories that joints fall into, they all have specific functions for aiding in movement of the skeletal system.
Okay so now we know the important parts of this post, understanding what joints are, how they are made up and how they function is important in keeping them healthy. There are MANY ways to strengthen joints before they start to breakdown and there are even ways to help reform joints and alleviate pain throughout the day whether your 30, 40, or even in your 70's.
*As a side note, I am not a doctor. Anything written here is merely of my own research and experience, these are purely options and holistic treatments for an ailment that simply needs healing.* HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY JOINT HEALTH?
It's that time of year, kids are back in school and the weather is getting colder which means immune systems fighting off colds, flus, viruses and more allergies! YUCK! Before I tell you a few ways to boost your immune system, do you know how it works? A massive but very delicate system that fights and aides in keeping the peace in your body. Keeping you alive and well is its only job, but are you aware of everything else that can occur in the body due to the immune system being attacked? Inflammation. Skin irritations. Intestinal and bowel issues. This amazing defense mechanism inside of us does so much daily to keep us going. This amazing little system often times goes unnoticed though it works around the clock, I guess you could say it's as "busy as a bee". However when we wake up feeling sluggish and under the weather we drastically take notice and immediately blame our immune system. But should we? Or should we blame ourselves for not giving proper aide to the immune system to remain strong? What is the immune system? Let's start at the beginning, the immune system is a network inside the body made up of cells, tissues and organs that all work together to keep your body safe from ailments, disease, and toxins. White blood cells are the big players in this system, also known as leukocytes. There are two types of leukocytes, they come together to find and destroy substances and disease-causing organisms inside the body. The immune system is made up and comprised of so many things in the body, right down to your skin. Your skin is much like plastic wrap protecting food from bacteria and germs, it acts as a barrier to protect your organs and blood from viruses, bacteria, and toxins in our daily lives. **Did you know that your skin secretes an antibacterial substance that kills germs as they land on your skin? This keeps you from growths or an "extra layer" when you wake in the morning after a nights rest. Going inside the body is a bigger, more complicated story. The immune system is huge, it contains the thymus, spleen, lymph system, bone marrow, white blood cells, antibodies, and even hormones. That is a lot working together to keep you healthy and alive! HOW CAN I AIDE IN KEEPING MY IMMUNE SYSTEM STRONG?
I get asked this question often given the industry I work in. There are so many ways that you can strengthen your immune system, the real question is; Are you willing to put in the work? You can't just eat an orange and expect to be a superhero and immune to sickness suddenly. No, I am sorry, it takes real work to keep from getting sick. But don't worry, eventually it will just be a part of your daily life and you will notice allergies lessen, days of work missed are also lowered, and your mood has increased to be more positive.
While there are many other ways to boost the immune system these are a great starting point for those looking to better their health and immune system in the beginning. But all in all, the best thing you can do is to just plain and simple take care of yourself, eat accordingly to your body and lifestyle and drink plenty of water. Imagine a day where you don't get that 3 o' clock lull and slow down. Where your body is continually fueled throughout the day by burning the fat already stored in your body. A body that doesn't run off carbohydrates but good fat, maintaining muscle mass and supports a positive mood and better cognitive function. This is a body that runs on a time-restricted feeding ketogenic diet. Whoa, mouthful! We have previously spoken about how nutrition and fitness are a power couple and they work best when combined. In this post we are going to explore why a keto diet is more beneficial when coupled with tRF, time-restricted feeding.
CARBOHYDRATES In order to understand how keto works we have to look at how carbs work in the body from being broken down to the utilization as fuel. As well as the effects carbs in abundance have on the body. There are three types of carbohydrates; sugars, starches, and cellulose (fiber). Sugars are simple carbs, something you would find in a doughnut. Starches come more from pastas, breads, and potatoes. Fibers are found in the tough parts of plants, they do not breakdown inside the GI tract. They instead pass through, pulling toxins and gunk with them to be excreted from the body. As many of us know, digestion starts in the mouth. Our saliva contains enzymes that initially breakdown carbohydrates, mainly the simple ones like your doughnut. Once food travels down the esophagus, mixing and becoming chyme(1), which then moves through the stomach. After passing the stomach and into the small intestine, it then begins to break down any complex carbohydrates left behind with digestive enzymes such as amalyse to lactase. Now, furthering the steps of this process eventually you get glucose out of your carbohydrates(2). Glucose is either burned as fuel or stored as fat and sugar entering the blood stream. KETOGENIC & KETOSIS Okay, so now we have a basic understanding of how carbohydrates work and are broken down in the system. When you go into ketosis it's a completely different ballgame. Ketones are the byproducts of fatty acids that have been broken down. They occur in the body in the absence of glucose. This is often the accidental result for those on low-carb diets such as Atkins. Getting into ketosis: first and foremost, in order to get into ketosis you must make sure that the amount of insulin in your bloodstream is as low as possible. Lower insulin levels mean higher ketone bodies produced. Now there is a trick to being in true, optimal ketosis and it's not just about the carbs. Watching your protein intake is also important, too much will breakdown and turn into glucose. The high the insulin in the bloodstream, the lower the amount of ketone bodies produced. When I tell people the real trick is eating fat, they look at me as if I am insane, but it's the truth. Going from a 42" waist nearly 5 years ago to a 27" waist, the proof is in the pudding. Fat is fuel, just as carbohydrates are fuel. The difference is that fat contains more calories and provides a cleaner energy source for the body to utilize. Personal experience: I get questioned about my diet and lifestyle often, reason being is that I am a vegetarian who can oddly enough, only consume most forms of pork. I have tried to take digestive enzymes, high carb diets, low everything diets; the only thing that has ever seemed to help and work for my own body is being on a raw food, high in good fats diet. This recently included the cutting out of most dairy, well except the occasional pint of Halo Top or Enlightened ice cream. For the most part, I wake up already feeling energized most days because I found a way to work with my body and do a diet I have used with clients and myself that has worked for all of us so far. Now I am not going to sit here and tell you that Keto is the only type of diet that I do, it's not. I couple it with tRF, time restricted-feeding. I literally don't eat for 12-14 hours at a time. I used to play with my caloric intake, I don't generally mess with it anymore. My body has done well at telling me how much I need. The funny part, I still consume roughly 3K per day and all before bed. Granted I don't eat again until noon most days, only consuming water and green tea in the morning. Before I get into the benefits I discovered for myself I want to cover a bit more about tRF. TIME RESTRICTED-FEEDING Recently I was listening to a podcast from one of my favorite ladies, Dr. Rhonda Patrick(3). She was talking about tRF with a guest on the show, it's a great listen and easy to follow insight into tRF. Using time restricted-feeding has many advantages, boosting the metabolism and producing ketone bodies are just a couple to be named. Restricting the time frame in which mice ate rather than restricting their caloric intake showed greater results for fat loss. To break it down simply without getting too science technical about it, skipping meals is not okay however limiting the time in which you consume the same amount of calories every day is okay. So as long as you are eating, I don't know say 2500 calories per day but only consuming those calories between 1pm and 8pm your body has another 17 hours to fast. Or just use the fat on your body to provide a cleaner, more efficient energy source throughout the day. Limiting the time frame in which you consume calories can also help control the amount of ghrelin(4) and leptin your stomach releases. Ghrelin increases hunger while Leptin decreases your hunger and both hormones respond to how well-fed you are. Studies have shown that restricting the time frame helped to control the levels of each hunger hormone due to the increase in your basal metabolism. The adipose tissue, or fat, decreased with fasting periods due to the body consuming existing fat cells to convert into ATP or energy. tRF is simple, willpower to stick to it may be your biggest challenge. (5) BRINGING IT TOGETHER So now that we have gone over the basics of keto and tRF I hope you can see how it would benefit so much more to combine the two and do both at the same time. Not only will keto turn you into a fat burning machine to begin with, tRF is going to speed that process along. It doesn't take much to fall into ketosis, go ahead and restrict that time frame of consuming those tasty calories and make your body really work for it. But remember, diets are just fads, like when JNCO made pipe-legged jeans. The point is this, just find what works for you and stick to it. I am sure that many of you who follow our founder see the amount of yoga she has gone to recently. There are so many reasons for this transition from weight lifting every single day to doing yoga every single day instead. Now I am also sure you're sitting there thinking to yourself " I couldn't do yoga, I can't hold those crazy positions!" I am here to inform you that those crazy positions... well in the beginning, nobody can do them.
So let's say that you now have an interest in beginning a daily yoga practice. Here are a few pointers to help you get started.
I hope the next time you pass by that yoga class on the way home from work you stop and take a minute to relax. Garlic has been around forever as a spice in our foods. But why would you even think about adding it to your supplement regimen? Well I will tell you SO many added benefits that garlic has for your body, where I begin I have no idea! First off there are two main type of garlic; regular sprouted garlic and fermented black garlic(yum! it's my favorite). Let's start with regular sprouted garlic shall we? Garlic contains phytocompounds, these little guys work together to provide an array of responses in the human body. Along with being rich in manganese, calcium, phosphorus, selenium, and vitamins B6 and C it has the added benefit of affecting your bones and thyroid in the best ways. Have a weak immune system? No problem! Garlic helps the immune function through antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral, and anti-parasitic properties. It also helps to reduce inflammation, affects more than 150 disease, helps to reduce the risk of osteoarthritis, and protects against clotting, retards plague build up, helps to improve lipids, reduce blood pressure ALL while improving your overall cardiovascular health and circulation. Talk about a little guy who knows how to work! But I am not even CLOSE TO FINISHED! While all this is going on garlic is like a little warrior who is toxic to 14 different forms of cancer, including; brain, lung, breast & pancreatic. The reason being is it's high potency of antioxidants, one in particular called Allicin. Allicin releases sulfuric acid during the rapid decomposition phase, which in turn reacts with AND neutralizes free radicals in the body faster than any other known compound. Almost like a spark going off between a car battery and the clamp when you are trying to jump start a car. So on top of affect many diseases and cancers, Allicin also has been shown and proven to kill everything from candida to herpes, MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), drug-resistant TB and even HIV. Whoa! This next one makes PERFECT sense to me, when I was a child I got bit by bugs all the time! It's my blood type, so my mother, bless her loving heart, made me eat SO much garlic. I got to the point where I would ask for it by the clove. Why? Garlic can eradicate antibiotic-resistant bugs. Partly due to it's pungent smell, all the antioxidants keep bugs away. Along with this, Allicin has the added benefit of bacteria being able to develop a resistance to the compound. The only downfall I have found to Allicin is that it is short lived, lasting only about an hour. Black garlic Onto my favorite! Back in 2009 a Japanese study showed that black garlic, compared to freshly sprouted garlic, was more effective in the reduction of tumors. The study was published in the Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Science and Technology. More studies showed that black garlic was also double the antioxidants, higher concentrations of sulfuric compounds like SAC (s-allylcycteine). A big benefit of SAC is the inhibition of cholesterol synthesis. SAC is also more bioavailable than Allicin, and much more absorbable. Keep in mind that black garlics benefits may be better for SOME conditions but not others. It is lower in Allicin, making you more vulnerable to infections. In conclusion, both freshly sprouted garlic AND fermented black garlic have incredible benefits as a supplement. I would not put a gender specific or age specific category on these, I personally feel that everyone should be taking them. From young, to old, athletes to those who are just trying to better their overall health. SAC (mg/g) Calcium (mg) Phosphorus (mg) Protein (g) Black Garlic 5.84 36.66 80 12.5 Raw Garlic0 .32 5.0 40 2.2 A, B, C.... well, you know the rest. A simple, single, tiny letter with so much power over the human inner workings. We turn to it in most cases simply to rid our bodies of a cold or flu. But have you ever thought about the effects of taking vitamin C daily, for the rest of your life? It is more than a simple letter, and more than a water soluble molecule. It's a warrior!
Okay, for starters let's call our warrior Ascorbic Acid. Where can you find them in nature? They are abundant in fruits and vegetables. As mentioned before C is a water soluble vitamin, meaning that your body will absorb what it needs and the rest you flush out by natural means. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant that plays a role in forming and maintaining connective tissues in the body such as; bones, blood vessels, and even your skin. So not only does it play a role in the formation and maintenance of those things in the body, it also aides in the repair and regeneration of tissues while also aiding the absorption of iron while also, aiding in the decrease of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Whoa! Talk about literally being busier than a bee! And they are born to work until the day they die! Alright, nonsense aside, I want to talk about some of the other benefits outside lessening the common cold and cool molecular bonding.
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