Too much of a good thing is not so great when it comes to homocysteine. This type of amino acid is a byproduct of protein metabolism found in the blood. The brain and body both need it in order to make two very beneficial substances:
- 2. SAMe – an intelligent nutrient for both brain and body (a natural anti-depressant, anti-arthritic and liver-protecting agent in your body)
Ideally, homocysteine should be present in low quantities to accomplish its many roles in the body. However, if the body is malnourished, homocysteine will not have the nutrients needed for metabolism and this can cause it to accumulate in the blood, which is not a good scenario. The consequences of having high levels of homocysteine in the blood results in a variety of diseases, like: Read More…
The commercial world promotes the idea that exercise equals a perfect external physical body (whatever that means), and that an outer shell of sexiness equals health. Exercise is a very important part of health, but not because of the external results. It is crucial because of how it effects the body internally. People usually do exercise for physical (external) purposes (to look hot, slim, and sexy). Some think that if they look slim on the outside they are automatically healthy, and if so, it’s a free pass for a sedentary lifestyle. Know this: At ANY age, (not just when you’re trying to look hot and sexy) time or space, our physical bodies were designed to move. Even when we don’t move, we are still completely in motion internally. As we sit here and read, all sort of movements are happening inside, such as your heart pumping, blood flowing through miles of capillaries/arteries/veins of the cardiovascular network, eyes moving, ears vibrating, lungs expanding and contracting, neurons firing – and all this internal movement happens without you lifting a finger. The thing is, in order to maintain this perfect and amazing design of the human machine that is your body in an optimally healthy internal state, we must exercise regularly. Read More…
Ah, the scent of a flower, the sight of a sunset, the sound of the ocean. The taste of fresh fruit…the touch of a loved one. Your senses – smell, sight, hearing, taste and touch – are your tools to experience the external reality on this planet, and while you may not think twice as you use them daily, you would definitely notice if one of them were impaired. Read More…
The Endocrine System might just be my favorite body system because it is in charge of communication. The hormones secreted by the endocrine glands tell everyone else what to do and when to do it (bossy glands!) But this is just one aspect, one reason why I like it. The other is that it corresponds exactly with the traditional chakra system.
Science first: The Endocrine System is composed of glands that release hormones into the blood, which tell the various organs in our body what to do or stop doing (we got this). Let’s look at the major glands and their jobs: Read More…
We often hear that an alkaline body is a healthy body and an acidic body is a disease-promoting environment. But do you know what this means? Being aware of the delicate pH balance of our bodies is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. This is directly affected by the foods we eat. Let’s explore how.
When it comes to the body and nutrition, it’s really all about the cell. The cell has to do a job, which is to keep us alive by providing us with energy to do what we need to do. The thing is, in this energy-generating process, the cell also creates waste byproducts. This is where pH comes in. The natural pH of blood is 7.365, but cellular byproducts are lower than that, what we would call acidic. Refreshing our memories from chem lab in school: The pH scale goes from 1-14, with 1 being the most acidic and 14 the most alkaline or “basic”. A pH of 7 is considered neutral. At 7.365, the healthy pH of our blood is slightly alkaline, while cellular byproducts are the opposite. Here is where our role in helping balance this out comes in – and the importance of food in this process. Read More…
Since we’re always talking about how nutrition is all about feeding your cells, we thought we’d better acquaint you (or re-acquaint you…we all took biology when we were kids!) with this wonderful unit of existence. Our cells are amazing bundles of endless work, so cute, all round and jam-packed with goodies to keep you alive.
The cell is a marvelous structure that runs as efficiently and tirelessly as a thriving business – with many members hard at work performing various necessary tasks. Let’s take a look at this wonder of a mini-creation, of which you have trillions at a time in your body (they ARE your body!) Read More…
You have it, it’s a part of you, and it has your back like no one else: Your immune system. It protects you from things that bug you (like a cold), things that want to mess with you (like the sting of a bee) and things that could kill you (like cancer). Or, at least, it tries to. But, how well do you know your immune system?
Let’s find out. Read More…
Healthy Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet
Dear HLife: What is the Deal with Candida?
Dear HLifer,
Candida sounds like the name of a hot girl who lives next door right? And that’s not far from reality. It lives closer to us than we know it, but it is not a human being. Candida Albicans is a yeast, a type of fungus that lives naturally in all human bodies of all ages from birth on. Here is the ‘big deal’ with candida and health:
If you live in a healthy body: It lives symbiotically in a balanced environment as a yeast in the gastrointestinal tract, on the mucus membranes and on the skin, causing no problems for the body. Living in a healthy body implies that you have a strong immune system via a nutrient-dense, conscious diet and high-frequency thought patterns.
If you live in an unhealthy body: This harmless ‘yeast’ (single-celled organism) can overgrow, turning into an extremely dangerous pathogenic fungus with roots that can attack any organs or systems in your body. This fungus uses its roots to dig and create holes into the intestinal lining, where it and its by products can then infiltrate the blood stream. Read More…
You see something. You think it’s yummy (or you say, “this is healthy for me!” Thumbs up.) You put it in your mouth. It disappears. Now what happens? Let’s follow some food down the rabbit hole.
The digestive system starts in the mouth, the place where ingestion (you putting your food in your mouth for it to enter your body) takes place. The first thing that happens is the secretion of saliva. Saliva is actually pretty amazing: It lines and protects the inside of the mouth from superficial damage, makes the food easier to swallow, and has chemicals that help neutralize acid and prevent tooth decay, as well as antibacterial agents that get rid of many of the bad guys that come in with food. Probably the most known action of saliva is that it contains amylase, an enzyme that digests carbohydrates. So, of all the macronutrients (carbs, proteins and fats) the carbs (sugars and starches) are what gets digested first chemically, starting in your mouth. Physical digestion (the actual breaking down of foods into physically smaller pieces by a force exerted on them) is what your teeth are for. Chewing is a crucial part of digestion, so spend some time there and chew your food well, because food has to be in very tiny molecules before it can be used by your body. After your food has been partially chemically digested and you have chewed and physically broken it down, your tongue helps shape it into a bolus, and then pushes this bolus (ball) down the pharynx. Read More…
Your body is a reflection of your mind, your emotions and, of course, the food you choose to put in it. Here at HLife, we do not believe in diets or any other temporary ‘fixes’ – those days are over. The truth is that health is a lifestyle, and part of that lifestyle is NUTRITION – conscious, balanced, nutrient-dense eating. It’s time to change the way your look at food and get active about how you nurture your body.
Yes, everyone knows that with exercise you will lose some weight and get toned, but if your nutrition is not great, even exercise won’t keep you at your optimal, healthy human-machine level. Every day we look at ourselves in the mirror, and what do we see? A figure, a form, a dense silhouette of compacted matter. We think, “There I am, that’s me, the dense mass in the mirror” and either “I look fat” or “I look skinny”. But, what is the problem with this picture? Generally, people seem to look only at the external part of the body, the end result, but in order to change the outside (what we see in the mirror) we need to understand and be conscious of the INSIDE of our body, where all the magic happens on both an electric and chemical level. Read More…
