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Best Supplements for Decreasing Inflammation

Best Supplements for Decreasing Inflammation

by | Apr 6, 2020 | Health, Nutrition

Inflammation we know stems from stress in some way shape or form to our body. Whether it is internal or external, physical, or mental, stress causes us to be inflamed. We want to find ways to offset it, to help us relax. Although I would always want to go a food first route we cannot guarantee anymore that what we are consuming is 1- without ANY sort of pesticide, chemical, toxin, additive and 2- that we are absorbing it internally as we should.

It would definitely be nice to just be able to eat some foods and absorb all the nutrients we need and get rid of all the stuff we don’t… however our bodies tend to not function that way anymore. After being exposed to numerous toxins and other harmful substances over the years our guts get imbalanced, our livers get backed up and we have things leaking into our immune systems. Not to mention so many of our foods are covered with crap we don’t need to ingest and are bodies do not know what to do with.

That is why supplementing is the next best alternative to help us get to equilibrium and rid ourselves of as much inflammatory substances and triggers as possible. I have come up with the best supplements in my opinion to fight this and included links to my favorites. I do have to say as a disclaimer though, ALWAYS consult a healthcare practitioner prior to starting ANY supplementation guide. These are strictly recommendations I am not prescribing anything :).

Important nutrients we need to fight inflammation :

  • Omega 3s – Specifically EPA and DHA. Aim to look for a 2:1 ratio of EPA to DHA on labels. DHA has been shown to reduce inflammatory markers in relation to gut health and EPA has been shown to help reduce inflammation in the blood and nervous system.
  • Ginger – can potentially help with reducing inflammation in the digestive tract – like colitis and help with indigestion
  • Spirulina – antioxidant found in algae – Helps reduce inflammation and increase immune function
  • ALA– Works for metabolism and energy production but also helps reduce inflammation through its antioxidant properties and helping protect cells and restore levels of certain vitamins
  • Curcumin – found in turmeric can help reduce inflammation and inflammatory markers it is absorbed best when taken with black pepper.
  • Certain Antioxidants
  • Vitamin A– helps fight free radicals (beta carotene converts it in our bodies)
  • Vitamin B6 – one that we don’t hear of as much, but low levels of this tend to correspond with high levels of c reactive proteins which show inflammation in the body
  • Folate – another form of a b vitamin (folic acid) that has been shown to reduce inflammatory markers
  • Vitamin C – improves immune function
  • Vitamin D- connected to inflammatory conditions and when it is low and helps with weight loss when combined with Calcium
  • Vitamin K- helps reduce inflammatory markers
  • Vitamin E- reduces inflammation
  • CoQ10 – reduces inflammation
  • Magnesium – reduces inflammation by decreasing stress, when we are low in magnesium we tend to be high stressed.
  • Glutathione- reduces free radical markers

So where should you start?

I wouldn’t recommend just going all in with everything to start. Not to mention with so many options out there it can be hard to find the best ones – if I had to start with just 5 I would start with these –

 

Omega 3’s –

http://track.equilibriumnutrition.com/SH67

Magnesium

http://track.equilibriumnutrition.com/SH4k

Vitamin C

http://track.equilibriumnutrition.com/SH4m

B complex

http://track.equilibriumnutrition.com/SH4l

Vitamin D

http://track.equilibriumnutrition.com/SH68

Or start with a great multi and vegan protein in one

http://track.equilibriumnutrition.com/SH4n

If you still want to focus on the food route that is ALWAYS the best option – you can find the best foods to eat and for which nutrients HERE.

ALWAYS remember if you choose supplementation for things, that you are doing JUST that… SUPPLEMENTING a well balanced diet and lifestyle to get optimum results. 🙂

Six Immune Boosting Tips

Six Immune Boosting Tips

by | Apr 5, 2020 | Health

Top 6 Immune Boosting Tips

Need some every day things you can do to help boost your immune system? Right now pretty sure we ALL do! The six things below are great EASY ways to help. And the best part is most of us do these things already.

1 – Hydrate and add some Vitamin C

Hydration is something we should ALL focus on each and every day regardless of a pandemic situation. Hydration keeps our cells healthy. It helps our digestive system our circulatory system our stress response our bodies ability to filter things out (aka bad stuff). It helps with our metabolism function too. Vitamin C is also showing some promising ability to help fight coronavirus and rightly so. It has always been known to be a immune boosting supplement and something we all need to stay healthy. It helps reverse and decrease inflammation within us due to its potent antioxidant compounds. You can find some facts on that here.

Something that helps you get both HYDRATION AND VITAMIN C is Liquid IV and it is something I use everyday. Find out more about it here.

2- Sleep

We all know sleep is important. However do you realize how important it is for our immune health? Sleep is the time when our body recharges and detoxes the most. You know how when you are sick you tend to sleep more? It is because your body is fighting inside of you to knock down the illness. That is the time when you really want to rest because it helps your immune system do its job and you are not taking energy from it by doing other things. You actually do a reset if you will when you sleep. You want quality sleep though as it is not all created equal. Aim to get 7-8 hours a night. Right now should be a rather easy time to get it done too. I mean lets be honest, most of us do not have a whole lot on the to do list right now. It also helps decrease stress which in turn decreases inflammation which can help us ward off invaders if you will. 

More on sleep? You can read about that in my older blog – Don’t skimp on sleep

3- Wash your hands

If you have not heard recently the importance of this you may be living under a rock. But washing hands is the prime way to protect yourself. Warm water. 30 seconds or sing happy birthday or abc’s one or two times through. Washing hands also helps not eliminate ALL bacteria (remember some is good for us) unlike alot of hand sanitizers do as they’re harsher. https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-hand-sanitizer.html

4- Eat Real Food

Real food = organic (if you can) fruits, veggies, non farm raised fish, grass fed/organic meets and eggs. Real food is more packed with nutrients and vitamins our body needs. The vitamins and minerals help our immune system stay strong and fight off things we are worried about right now. These foods nourish our bodies vs. cause inflammation and harm most processed ones do. When our body is able to work at optimal capacity we are able to stay strong and fight off “invaders” better. 

Here are some facts on inflammation fighting foods in an older blog I did. Inflammation Fighting Foods

5- Exercise

Exercise keeps us healthy! This does not mean we have to go all out and super hard with workouts. Simple movement can help too. It just depends on you. A rule of thumb I like to tell clients is that working out should make you feel better not worse. If you are taxed for a day or two after a workout you went too hard. Find something you enjoy, or find someone that can help you. 

If you are interested in learning more about working out and inflammation fighting check out this blog – Key to lowering inflammation through your workouts. 

You can also tryout my four week at home program and save $10 with code CHANGEUP at check out. (head to the link below)

6- Add in quality supplements to fill in the gaps

Supplementation is exactly that. Supplement your diet, supplement your body and add in what you may be missing. Quality is key here though. The best ones for immune health tend to be Vitamin C, Zinc, Magnesium, Daily Nutritional Support (with all vitamins you need) , Glutamine is great, Elderberry and Oregano Oil. 

Here is a list of my faves. Favorite Supplements for Immune Health. 

 

 

 

Workout Program (Save $10 with code CHANGEUP)

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Grocery Shopping Made Easy – And How to Read Labels too!

Grocery Shopping Made Easy – And How to Read Labels too!

by | Oct 28, 2019 | Nutrition, Recipes

Oh the Grocery Store- there are SO many options. It can be overwhelming. I mean which brands are the best, which things do we really need, and why does it take so much time when you are trying to make smart choices??

Grocery store

Well this article is going to break it down a little bit for you. We are going to discover the best route to take when grocery shopping, which items to look for and which to avoid and why, and how to quickly understand nutrition labels.

First things first, not all grocery stores are created equal. However most are set up in a similar fashion. It is literally all for a purpose, if you do not believe me just look it up for yourself. Merchandising is a business and companies pay for where they are placed. Here is what I mean:

Grocery stores typically have the meat and produce and dairy going around the perimeter and the packaged stuff in the middle. However staples like meat, and dairy tend to be in the back…. why is that? Because it gives the consumer more exposure to other items first (i.e. when we go to the store for some chicken breasts but end up with a cart full of other stuff too).

Produce– typically near flowers to seem fresher. It typically is fresh however, go for produce in the back of shelf or display because the older stuff typically gets put in front to get purchased quicker.

Baking goods, ingredients, and canned goods are typically in the aisles to again give consumers exposure to more stuff they do not necessarily need.

Another tid bit of info you may not realize is the shelves are also set up a certain way. Eye level is typically by the big brands that can shell out the money to be seen more. Smaller more local brands will typically be at the top, and kid appealing foods at the bottom.

Crazy right?

Knowing this though, what is the best route to take when grocery shopping? 

  • First off come in prepared- have a list- get actual recipes one day a week that you plant to cook prior and get only what you need, stay focused.
  • Try to go on the outside aisles only, you will be less tempted this way (just try to avoid the bakery lol)
  • Grab things toward the back of produce and meat etc, they tend to be fresher and newer.
  • Eat before going to the store.You know they have all those free samples for a reason right? If they get you to eat something…. and you like it…. more money for them because it is going in your cart.
  • If you are really dreading the idea of grocery shopping then use a service like instacart to get them delivered, if you always end up spending $10-$20 more just by buying things you see when you are there, then it is worth the delivery
  •  fee anyway.

What should you avoid/go for?

  • Go for Organic when possible
  • If anything else avoid the dirty dozen (the worst fruits and veggies to buy due to typical contamination levels from pesticides, antibiotics, etc.
    • These guys consist of – Strawberries, Spinach, Apples, Pears, Nectarines, Cherries, Grapes, Celery, Tomatoes, Potatoes (if eating skin), Sweet Bell Peppers, Peaches
  • Avoid overly processed foods (have a ton of ingredients you cannot pronounce, more on this in the next section)
  • Hit the parameter of the store

 

What about those nutrition labels- if you have to buy something packaged then how do you know whether it is good for you??

Here are my main tips:

  • Opt for things labeled organic or Non GMO to start then look at the actual ingredient list…. NOT THE CALORIES
  • What is in the actual ingredients?
    • If there are more than 5-7 ingredients and you cannot pronounce some of them, then put that back and opt for another brand.
    • Be weary of words like sucrose, dextrose, barley malt, rice syrup and of course high fructose corn syrup.
      • These are simply types of added sugars. Alot of people will say to be weary if it is ose at the end however that may not always be the case.
    • If it contains any of these artificial sweeteners then try to avoid it –
      • sucralose (splenda), aspartame (Equal), saccharin (Sweet and Low) as these have been linked to numerous conditions over the years.
    • If it has a color with a number on it….. typically avoid it.
    • Pay attention to Added Sugars Listed on the label 
      • You typically will see sugar then added sugar. You want the sugar content overall to be low, but chances are if there are added sugars it is going to be even higher. **The daily recommendation for women the American Heart Association recommends no more than 25grams a day for women**** (some granola bars and yogurts contain that)
  • Look at the Macros (protein/fat/carbs)
    • Ideally you want a balanced ratio of all of this stuff.
    • Avoid things with Trans Fats
  • Look at the SERVING SIZE
    • This may go for more before you are consuming the product if you buy it but pay attention here. You may think you are getting 1 serving in a can for example and eat or drink it all….. but in reality there are 4 so you just consumed FOUR of everything listed on that label.

 

Try these tips out and see if you can’t master the grocery store like a boss. I got a FREE grocery list for ya too to be prepared with the best foods to keep inflammation down and feel better :).

DOWNLOAD IT HERE

 

 

Reduce inflammation with this healthy spaghetti recipe with artichokes

Reduce inflammation with this healthy spaghetti recipe with artichokes

by | Sep 13, 2019 | Nutrition, Recipes

Eating healthy and to reduce inflammation is a lot easier than most people make it out to be. It just requires a little bit of planning, so if you hate planning then I can understand slightly lol. Other than that, stop with the excuses!

This recipe is great for anyone who does’’t have a lot of time, it is easy to prep and eat throughout the week and it TASTES GREAT!

Ingredients :

  • 2 lbs of organic lean ground turkey ( I like to do one 99% fat free and one 93%)

  • 1 can of Raos Sensitive Formula

  • 1 can artichoke hearts

  • 1 container of bella or oyster mushrooms

  • 2 TBSP of Trader Joes or other brand garlic infused olive oil

  • 1 TBSP Oregano (divided)

  • 1 TSP Basil

  • 1/2 TBSP of Thyme

  • Salt and Pepper to Taste

  • Zucchini Noodles

Instructions :

  • Add 1 TBSP of olive oil to skillet and add some salt and pepper to taste. Start with mushrooms and saute for a few minutes until coated.

  • Add in ground turkey and 1/2 TBSP of Oregano and a little bit of salt and pepper. Combine and cook until almost done (about 5 minutes). Be sure to chop and dice throughout. Add in sauce and remaining spices and olive oil. Bring boil then reduce to simmer for about 10 minutes be sure to stir occasionally. Add in artichokes and let cook an additional minute or two.

  • While that is cooking you can cook the zuchinni noodles as directed (I typically just get trader joes frozen ones because theyre super easy) you could also do spaghetti squash or palmini noodles.

  • Remove water from zucchini and cook a few more minutes (you can add a little salt and pepper if needed)

  • Then divide into plates (this can yield anywhere from 6-8 depending on serving size and I am talking about the entire meal not just noodles. (HINT- make 8 )

  • Divide ground turkey mixture among plates and serve or refrigerate/freeze for later.

 

Hope you enjoy! Here are the stats :

NutritionLabel.jpg

Let me know what you think of it! Share your photos and or comments and tag me at @CandiceCFitness 🙂