Nutrition

Are You Sending Your Body Mixed Signals for Health?

You truly are what you eat…and that starts with how food and other natural substances that complement the diet affect your cells and influence your health.

In the past, the main focus was on the nutrients we might be missing. That’s still important. However, now scientists realize that there’s a lot more to consider when planning our daily diets than just avoiding a deficiency. Healthy eating, nutrition, and other modifiable lifestyle factors can help you reverse the disease process and improve health.

Armed with the basic nutritional knowledge we’ve provided here, you and your health care provider can work together to develop the dietary and lifestyle prescription that’s exactly right for you.

How Lifestyles Affect Your Body's Nutritional Intake

Despite a wide variety of foods, people today generally eat more but actually get fewer nutrients. Many common aspects of daily life can deplete the body of the nutrients it needs to function properly:
  • Drinking—alcohol, coffee/sodas (caffeine)
  • Smoking—nicotine
  • Medications—statin drugs, corticosteroids, diuretics
  • Eating—junk food, refined carbohydrates
  • Stress—work, family
  • State of Health—illness, injury, intestinal issues, pregnancy
These things can rob you of nutrients by:
  • Increasing your need for certain nutrients
  • Causing accelerated nutrient loss
  • Impairing the absorption of nutrients from food

What You Eat Affects How You Feel

Processed foods and other unhealthy dietary habits can interfere with the dietary signals sent to cells throughout the body, which can lead to premature aging and disease. Addressing unhealthy eating patterns allows you to manage symptoms and even halt or reverse the progression of illness. Eating plans can also be tailored to specific conditions to maximize healthy signals—to help regulate blood sugar or reduce inflammation, for example.

"Boosting" Your Healthy Message with Nutritional Supplements

Even if you eat a nutritious diet, you might benefit from nutritional supplementation. Nutritional supplementation not only helps you maintain adequate nutrient levels. It can also help improve your health or manage chronic health conditions.

The following are key areas for targeted support along with some recommended nutrients:

Health maintenance—multivitamin/mineral, essential fatty acids (EPA/DHA), calcium, vitamins B, C, D & E, other
antioxidants, phytonutrient complex, fiber, probiotics

Body composition—protein, conjugated linoleic acid, chromium, L-carnitine

Bone health—MCHC, calcium, vitamin D, boron, magnesium, ipriflavone, berberine, hops, phosphorus

Brain function (cognition, memory)—ginkgo biloba, prolie-rich polypeptides, huperzine A, folate, Nacetylcysteine, EPA/DHA

Detoxification & liver/kidney function—silymarin, epigallocatechin gallate, watercress, cordyceps, folate,
chlorophyllin, andrographis, hops, methionine, artichoke

Digestion—lipase, proteases, amla fruit, betaine, pepsin, zinc carnosine, chamomile, peppermint, certain raw
organ concentrates, probiotics

Immune, sinus & lung health—vitamins A, C, D & E, andrographis, hops, zinc, amla fruit, selenium, Chinese
botanicals, Ayurvedic botanicals, homeopathic remedies, perilla, garlic, select mushrooms, probiotics, whey
protein, echinacea, ginger, licorice

Intestinal health—probiotics, glutamine, plantain fruit, coptis root, oregano, red thyme, sage, ginger, fiber

Joints, tendons & muscles—hops, magnesium, glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, antioxidants, EPA/DHA,
calcium

Men’s health—arginine, tribulus, zinc, saw palmetto, soy, plant sterols, epigallocatechin gallate, ashwaghanda,
DHEA

Minor pain relief—ginger, turmeric, reduced iso-alpha acids from hops, boswellia

Mood—St. John’s wort, DHEA, folate, inositol, EPA/DHA

Relaxation & sleep—lemon balm, passionflower, valerian, L-theanine, casein tryptic hydrolysate,
epigallocatechin gallate, N-acetylcysteine, Chinese botanicals, L-5-hydroxytryptophan, L-theanine

Sports nutrition—whey protein, electrolytes, magnesium, long-chain glucose-polymers

Stress management—licorice, ashwagandha, rehmannia, ginseng, cordyceps, Chinese botanicals, homeopathic
remedies

Women’s health—indole-3-carbinole, isoflavones (soy, kudzu, red clover), Chinese botanical blends,
chasteberry, choline, calcium, ashwaghanda, black cohosh, folate

Be sure to discuss nutritional supplementation with your health care provider, especially if you have a health condition or are currently taking medication.
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